Architects Fanny Bauer Grung
and David Lopez Quincoces, of
the Milan studio Quincoces-Dragò
& Partners, oversaw the renovation
of the derelictbuilding. Itopened
in September last year, and they
have since moved their office
adjacent to Six Project’s SixGallery,
which they also manage. The
gallery features an appealing
mix of mid-century collectors’
pieces, such as Gio Ponti’s Leggere
chairs, and contemporary
furniture, including their own
range, which made its début at
this year’s Milan Design Week.
Many of the building’s original
features have been retained and
restored: the stone and parquetry
floors, the wide arches and original
brickwork, now painted grey. “We
considered red,” says Bauer Grung,
“but then we thought it might look
like a pizza shop.”
Modern industrial touches are
a nod to Navigli’s working-class
roots. Pipes and air ducts remain
exposed, and a steel-framed glass
door has been installed in the
gallery’s arched entrance.
The seasonal menu at Sixième
Bistro, a little like the monastery’s
restoration, takes classic features
and gives them a gentle twist.
Tagliatelle with duck ragù, for
example, is topped with shavings
of bitter dark chocolate, while the
Sicilian heritage of chef Giacomo
Montelli is evident in dishes such
as roast octopus with a Syracuse-
style caponata. Desserts are a
surprise detour, among them a
Vietnamese chocolate mousse,
tangy with passionfruit.
“Being part of this feels kind
of like being in a band,” says
Cester of his bistro. “The chef
is our lead singer and we’re all
playing our own parts to create
something that really works.”●
Six Project, Via Scaldasole, 7, Milan,
sixieme-bistro.com, six-gallery.comClockwise from
above: Irene at
Six, landscape
architect Irene
Cuzzaniti’s
on-site floral-
design studio;
SixGallery;
Irene at Six;
Sixième Bistro.Northern ItalyGOURMET TRAVELLER 97