A winning, Italian-inspired, extraordinary menu enriched with fresh, contemporary accents. The encounter between the great classics of the Bel Paese and Gianni Pinto's creativity takes place in Madrid, at the Noi restaurant. Here, the perfect balance between tradition and authenticity literally blows the minds of great critics from all over Spain.
Cpver photo: @Sergi Abad
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Gianni Pinto is the chef who bet everything on Italian cuisine and its priceless potential to impress Madrid. Of Apulian descent, he gained experience with the best in the business, Carlo Cracco and Gualtiero Marchesi; he later moved to Spain to lead the restaurant Sinfonia Rossini.
In 2019, thanks to the help of El Pradal Group , Noi, where Pinto still expresses his personal gastronomic vision, comes to life. In the charming street of Recoletos there is a patriotic air, while inside the restaurant you can enjoy signature dishes of Italian inspiration, studied and reworked, of the highest level, on par with those of Orobianco and Casa Bernardi (both 1 Michelin star).
“Rely on me and you will not regret it,” declares the chef to 7canibales. You have to close your eyes and surrender with trust, as if you were throwing yourself backwards, with the hope that there is someone there to support you. And there's the basket of homemade leavened goods ready to grab you with open arms, consisting of breadsticks, cheese bread, basil brioche, Genovese focaccia and sfilatino; memories of childhood, of school days.
Hence the beginning of a well-structured journey, exploring the entire peninsula from north to south: tuna tonnato, Piedmontese style, without the meat, with mustard added; steamed mussels in brine with burrata; grilled and emulsified eggplant caponata , al dente vegetables and sweet and sour sauce; saor with Japanese vinegar, mackerel belly vinaigrette, lemon gel and herbs; the legendary parmigiana with buffalo mozzarella, 24-month foamed Parmigiano and tomato powder.
Of course, the first courses cannot be missed, linguine with mullet, head and bone broth and taggiasche olive tapenade, and egg noodles with spicy sausage ragu with cacio e ricotta cheese.
Dulcis in fundo a passion fruit caprese, where the acidity takes over the sugar profile, or a limonissimo, a tribute to the citrus fruits of the Mediterranean, egg whites mousse with custard, a hazelnut praline and a refreshing sorbet; to complete zest reduction, and a kaffir lime meringue.
Noi's atmosphere reflects the pop culture typical of the 1970s, with distinct and colorful spaces; thanks to the use of excellent raw material, innovative techniques, and good value for money, it has been awarded the Bib Gourmand designation by the Michelin Guide, which calls it affordable and appreciable.
