The identity of Rebelot

What a lovely rebelot in the Navigli at night! Well, this is not such a big news. What is new is Rebelot del Pont, where the Pont is that on which the star of Matias Perdomo shines. Being adopted by Milan, he translates this term that is so difficult for non-locals: «Rebelot means confusion. We work 18 hours a day, we put our souls in our work but in the end it’s always a chaos». Put simply, this is the “younger brother” of the Pont de Ferr, the jauntier child of Maida Mercuri, who, since 1986, runs the kitchen (and the cellar) in Ripa di Porta Ticinese 55. We’re always in Milan - in fact, we’re next door – the street number is the same.

So, what is this Rebelot? Sabino Angiulli, the moustached host managing this new establishment in the same rooms where he used to be the owner of a print gallery, confirms the evolving identity of this rebelot: «I believe this will be gradually less of a bar in which you can eat, and more of a restaurant in which you can drink». Opened less the four months ago, Rebelot is already changing its face and it’s becoming the destination of hungry foodies. This is thanks to the dishes prepared non-stop by talented 32-year-old Mauricio Zillo, Brazilian of Italian origins (third South America chef working for Mercuri, after Juan Lema, now at Mirta, and Perdomo) with a curriculum which, needless to say, is a real rebelot: avantgarde with Atala at Dom, tradition with the late Santamaria at CanFabes, and then some experience in France and Dubai, before arriving in Milan, three years ago, as the right-arm of the chef from Uruguay.

So is this chaotic Rebelot a tapas bar, a culinary bodega, a modern, French-style bistro (the counter comes from the other side of the Alps) or a brasserie? Let’s avoid definitions and say the place is nice and homely. And the cuisine has a clear contemporary Iberian mark, with some Italian, Mediterranean and South American echoes, like when we are served a fantastic Lamb matambre from the Pyrenees, with mint and cucumbers (matambre, literally “hunger-killer” is the thin layer of muscle between the skin and the ribs).

Defining these dishes as “tapas” is degrading. If we consider the quantity, in Spain they would be called a ración, or a media ración: with the 5-dishes menu (for 30 euros) or at least 7 (45 euros) you can have quite a meal. Then there’s the question of quality. The raw materials are the same used at Pont de Ferr. Zillo is a talented chef, both when his dishes are based on assembling ingredients (the Tartare made with veal, smoked eel and Jerez sauce was good) and when they are cooked (the Grilled beef tongue with oyster, spinach and mezcal was fantastic). As for the style, there’s a dominating Hispanic-creative note, with the clear influence of Perdomo, with successful surf and turf blends, and the technical skill of the chef, especially when it comes to meat, as in Brazilian tradition. Siempre América del Sur… The signature dish, for now, is the impeccable gazpacho starter.

You can drink well, whether you choose a bottle, perhaps following the recommendations of placid Angiulli – he will draw from Pont’s cellar and select something original – or whether you get yourself engaged with Oscar Quagliarini’s skill, an exceptional barman who refuses traditional cocktails and offers charming and spicy alcoholic mixes.

Rebelot del Pont
Ripa di Porta Ticinese, 55
Milan
+39.02.84194720
Prices: small dishes between 8 and 10 euros each, four tasting menus (3, 5, 7 small dishes or “la grande bouffe” with the whole series, more or less) respectively for 15, 30, 45 and 70 euros
Closed on Tuesdays, open only in the evening and also at lunchtime on Sundays