Autem*

Autem* Is Not a Special-Occasion Restaurant; It's Better Than That

Most diners arrive at Autem* expecting a formal tasting-menu production. That framing undersells what Luca Natalini is actually doing at Via Serviliano Lattuada 2, near Porta Romana. This is not a theatre of technique. It is a chef-led, intimate room where the menu changes with what arrived that morning, written by hand on rice paper and explained at your table. If you have been once and defaulted to the fish dishes, your next visit should put vegetables at the centre of the order; the kitchen's treatment of produce is where Autem* quietly separates itself from comparable rooms in Milan.

What the Room and the Format Deliver

The open kitchen is visible from the street, which tells you something about the confidence of the operation. Natalini, originally from Tuscany with international experience, works the pass and comes to the table himself to talk through the dishes, not as performance, but as a genuine extension of how the food is designed to be received. A newer wine cellar, accessible via a staircase, doubles as a secondary dining room and adds a different register for the evening: more convivial, slightly warmer in atmosphere. The soft lighting in the main rooms keeps things calm without tipping into stiffness.

The handwritten menu is a logistical reality worth understanding before you book: there is no fixed printed card to preview online. What's listed depends on daily arrivals. Documented dishes that have appeared include plin ravioli filled with duck and tomato seeds with Italian-style sauce and pepper leaf, grilled milk-fed lamb with bitter herb salad and chanterelles. Red mullet with seasonal vegetables, hollandaise sauce and lobster reduction has also been noted. These are not guaranteed on any given night, which is the point, which is also why returning guests tend to eat better than first-timers, because they arrive with less expectation of a specific dish and more willingness to follow Natalini's lead.

The Vegetable Case

Autem* holds a Michelin Plate (2025) and ranked #223 in the Opinionated About Dining Leading Restaurants in Europe for 2025, up from #358 in 2024, a meaningful move in a single year. The OAD ranking, which is driven by chef votes rather than critic visits, signals strong peer respect. The We're Smart Green Guide, which evaluates restaurants for vegetable-forward cooking, has publicly noted that Natalini's vegetable work is at a level where a plant-based tasting menu would be fireworks, that one does not yet exist. For returning visitors, this is the most interesting open question about where the kitchen goes next. Order whatever vegetable dish is on the handwritten card. It will be the most interesting thing on the table.

Booking and Logistics

Booking at Autem* is rated Easy. For a Michelin Plate restaurant with a rising OAD profile in Milan, that is not a given, book 1 to 2 weeks out as a baseline, further in advance if your dates are fixed. The Porta Romana neighbourhood is well-connected and direct to reach. Phone and website details are not confirmed in our current data; check current listings or reservation platforms for the most accurate contact information.

Practical Details

For more options in the city, see our full Milan restaurants guide, our full Milan hotels guide, our full Milan bars guide, and our full Milan experiences guide.

Pearl Picks Nearby

If you are building a Milan itinerary around serious Italian cooking, these are worth knowing: Enrico Bartolini for creative fine dining at the top of the city's price range; Contraste for progressive Italian with a strong tasting-menu format; and Verso Capitaneo for creative cooking at a slightly more accessible register. Further afield in Italy, Osteria Francescana in Modena and Piazza Duomo in Alba represent the benchmark for what Italian fine dining can do at its ceiling. For reference points beyond Italy, Le Bernardin in New York and Atomix offer useful comparisons for technique-led cooking with strong chef presence at the table.