Here we were, back at Verso with the dynamic duo and the team. It’s always interesting to visit a two-star restaurant for a second time to check for consistency. I was really looking forward to it—especially after a disappointing night previously. This felt like redemption for us, and we were so ready to eat well. The menu wasn’t exactly the same, but some dishes we had last time appeared to have been ‘tweaked.’ I’ll go into more detail as we progress through the story. We had an exceptionally good table, enabling us to see the entire kitchen and dining room, with a great perspective to watch and take snapshots of the chefs in action. Different from last time, we captured some other angles.
A comment completely unrelated to the food: this restaurant has been one of my favourite places to photograph, purely because of the lighting and the ease it brings when you can’t completely control the light. For me, it’s set up as one of the best, naturally, for photographs. Therefore, I’ve always found myself editing more here than at other restaurants. They are a complete joy to work on.
Right, onto the food—As usual, you choose between the tasting menu and à la carte. By now, you know which one I’m going to choose—à la carte! I can never omit the pasta course, no matter how much I try to ‘rein it in.’ I was waiting for my guest to advise me, saying, “Let’s skip it and take three courses only, it will be too much food! Remember last time?” But no, the greedy vulture (which is me) had to take pasta no matter what. So, we ended up with four courses including dessert, leaving us with quite a nice amount of food to savour. I couldn’t finish everything on every dish towards the end (we can blame the pasta), but I appreciated every single element on the plates.
As we tasted the first welcome from the chef, it confirmed that the food was still at the same level as before. “It’s already miles better than last night,” I whispered. The bread and butter were the same—the bread served hot and fresh, an excellent boule. The combination of the two butters, one bringing smokiness on the bottom, was unique in both look and taste. There are only so many times I can use the word ‘elegant’ here at Verso, but this restaurant is the epitome of elegance in terms of the food.
The precision and flavours co-exist side by side, as we worked our way through each dish—technical and delicate. Especially piquing our interest was the rabbit. My guest handed me a spoonful, and as I tasted it, I said, “Oh my god, wow.”
There’s no way you can ignore the fennel pollen risotto; it might just be one of the best out there. We took it again and it was just as impactful as the first time we tried it.
The ravioli was a work of art—the almond really came through, both in flavour and texture, and paired with the chicken jus, which I thought really finished the dish. I didn’t eat them all, saving space for what was to follow.
It’s funny because the star of the dinner this time was the pigeon. I mentioned in my earlier review that this dish was the weakest link, but this time it rose to the top! Strawberry was a vital part—not too sweet and pronounced, yet still there to carry the pigeon. This dish was superior and, for me, clearly better than before—completely elevated. The cuisson of the pigeon itself was noticeably improved and mastered. The recipe was more exact.
With pre-dessert, I normally leave them, pushing them to the side. But this one did what it was supposed to do, and I enjoyed it all. It was subtle.
We tried all the desserts this time (what a treat!). The ‘chocolate bread’ was an inventive creation—a small strip of caviar covering, to bring a salty edge. They didn’t just recklessly cover most of the dessert with it, like some chefs would do, thinking they are bringing ‘luxury,’ which in fact is just excess with no meaning. The counterbalance of sharp, sweet, acidic ‘sandwiched’ inside, and the sorbet completed this, playing together with the chocolate, nduja! Very daring and bold, confident. Easy to pass your spoon into it, as soft as you like. This dessert is a risk-taker, playing with a lot of different flavours—how enlightening.
The panettone soufflé, as usual, was a winner—replicating the panettone with flecks of candied fruit, light as ever, with that impressive golden crust. Well risen and wonderful like before. It is practically replicating the panettone.
Verso Capitaneo have sharpened their knives; the consistency has been kept and never wavered since last year. It was better all around this time. They are officially the two-star takeovers for gastronomy in Milan. A generational factor is at play here as well; it is time for fresh players to show themselves, and they certainly stepped up to the challenge. At the same time, they are bypassing their competitors (or should we say colleagues, as chefs shouldn’t compete against each other). Verso has what it takes to go all the way, but to stay at the top you must not stay stagnant in the kitchen—you must always keep moving or run the risk of falling behind. We would like to see a new menu next time for a third visit. This is important if we keep coming back and if they want to continue to grow for the better.
