Acanto Restaurant

Acanto occupies a light-filled corner of Milan's most storied palace hotel, with an interior of warm woods, marble floors, and Murano glass. The cooking is classical northern Italian executed with precision and restraint.

The menu pays its respects to Lombardy — risotto alla Milanese with the finest saffron; osso buco braised for hours; cotoletta Milanese pounded thin and fried in clarified butter, arriving golden. These dishes seem simple and are actually difficult to do well; at Acanto, they are done very well.

In summer the courtyard terrace — candlelit, shielded from the city — becomes one of Milan's most sought-after outdoor tables.