“RISTORANTE PIAZZA REPUBBLICA: elegant, yet informal; reserved, yet welcoming. Our restaurant in the heart of Milan, near Piazza della Repubblica, between Porta Venezia and corso buenos aires, is the perfect spot to get together for lunch or dinner, for work or pleasure, with co-workers, as a couple, or with friends, and enjoy our kitchen’s excellent milanese dishes and more.”
Every chef brings a story to his or her dishes. That of Matteo Scibilia is characterized by meetings between cultures and an enormous passion for his work. Born in Apulia, but based in Milan, he has so successfully captured the essence of Lombardy that he has become a master in the preparation of risotto.
His journey towards a career as a chef began a long time ago and solidified with a single meeting: “I came to Milan at 17 years old,” explains Scibilia, “and my first job was selling Rio Mare tuna.
Over time I worked for other companies, always in the food industry, but it was my meeting with Gualtiero Marchesi that changed everything. ‘You should open a restaurant,’ he told me. And the idea began to buzz around in my head.”
So, after stints at Ruffino Vini, Selecta, Jolanda de Colò (known for their white goose), Gran Chef, Savini Tartufi (Savitar), and finally Longino & Cardenal, in 1990 he opened a wine bar in Vimercate with his wife and sommelier Nicoletta Rossi and, in 1998, took the reins of the Osteria della Buona Condotta in Ornago (MB).
He began earning recognition immediately: he served as president of the Consortium of Chefs and Restaurateurs of Lombardy, was elected Vice-President of Confcommercio Brianza, and became the first chef to receive the silver medal from the President of Italy for his service to Italian culture and art.
Today he is a member of the scientific committee of Italia a Tavola and, since 2021, has managed the restaurant Piazza Repubblica in Milan.
“My cuisine is simple, but full of passion,” he says, “with the perfect balance between tradition and research. For example, among the great classics, on the menu we have vitello tonnato all’antica, an 18th century dish from Lombardy-Piedmont that represents one of the oldest of Lombardy’s flavours.
Alongside this we also have more modern recipes, like creamed fava beans with chicory, or a selection of cured meats, including a true ‘salame di Varzi’ served together with the king of prosciutto, the Pata negra, with pickled vegetables prepared by Nicoletta. It’s a cuisine that I feel is mine, that represents me and my experiences.”
