Milan‘s culinary landscape has been gifted a new jewel, a space where the echoes of avant-garde artistry meet the warmth of traditional Italian hospitality. Trattoria del Ciumbia, a project conceived and executed by the inimitable DIMORESTUDIO for Triple Sea Food, is not merely a restaurant; it’s a meticulously crafted narrative, a sensory journey into the heart of Milan’s artistic past, refracted through a contemporary lens.
Emiliano Salci and Britt Moran, the visionary duo behind DIMORESTUDIO, drew inspiration from the iconic Brera eateries that once pulsated with the creative energy of luminaries like Piero Manzoni, Nanda Vigo, Paolo Scheggi, Enrico Castellani, and Agostino Bonalumi. This inspiration translates into a space that feels both familiar and strikingly novel, a delicate balance between the comforting embrace of a classic trattoria and the unexpected twists that define DIMORESTUDIO’s signature style.
The approach is immediately apparent at the entrance. A wood-and-glass box, veiled by delicate lace curtains, acts as a transitional threshold, a gentle buffer between the bustling Milanese street and the intimate world within. This permeable barrier allows natural light to flood the aperitivo area, where a custom-made pewter counter, punctuated with brass-profiled vitrines showcasing a curated display of reassembled plates, sets a tone of understated elegance. Long, linear opaline glass tubes, infused with subtle neon lighting, illuminate the space, casting a soft, diffuse glow.
A central balcony, a masterstroke of spatial design, extends the visual narrative, connecting the ground floor to the basement and fostering a sense of continuity. The walls, clad in shot walnut wood paneling, create a warm, inviting backdrop, while the custom floor tiles, arranged in intricate mosaic patterns of milk, mustard yellow, liver red, opium, tenebra black, and swamp green, offer a playful, contemporary interpretation of traditional trattoria flooring.
The essential simplicity of the wall boiserie is punctuated by carefully curated details: retro newspaper racks, functional coat hooks, and a series of evocative watercolors depicting Italian rationalist architecture from the 1930s. In the dining area, a checkerboard of square opaline ceiling lights, set within liver red painted ceiling panels, creates a rhythmic visual pattern. The space is further enhanced by Pietro mirror wall sconces from Dimoremilano, the studio’s own furniture line, along with Rei model chairs with steel frames and woven straw seats, and Ignazio tables in matching shot walnut.
A discreet private dining room, enclosed by plush plum and burgundy velvet curtains, offers a more intimate setting.Here, original Carimate chairs by Vico Magistretti surround a Dimoremilano retro glass table, illuminated by the iconic Flos Splugen Bräu hanging lamps, designed by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni.
Descending the shot walnut paneled staircase, with its sleek neon-inserted handrails, reveals the Trattoria’s hidden gem: a private disco club in the basement. This intimate space, reserved exclusively for restaurant guests, is a masterclass in atmospheric design. Brown carpeting, deep blue satin wall drapery, an upholstered sofa bench, and the iconic Parigi poufs by Dimoremilano create a sense of luxurious comfort. A porthole in the steel-effect laminated paneled wall offers a tantalizing glimpse of the perfectly stocked bar.
The club’s centerpiece is a brass column with a steel support surface, a striking focal point that anchors the space. The spherical forms of a Gae Aulenti Giova table lamp interact harmoniously with the bar porthole, while the curated sound system fills the room with the nostalgic melodies of Italian hits from the seventies and eighties, perfectly complementing the space’s vintage-infused aesthetic.
Trattoria del Ciumbia is more than a restaurant; it’s an immersive experience, a carefully orchestrated symphony of design, history, and atmosphere. DIMORESTUDIO has once again demonstrated their mastery in creating spaces that resonate on a deeply emotional level, crafting a Milanese reverie that lingers long after the last bite.