© Salva Tu Alma / Photography: Louis De Belle

Contrary to Rome and its glorious legacy of hedonism, Milan has traditionally been more about work than play. However, the solid fun factor of the newly opened House of Ronin might just tip the balance and entirely change the latter city’s reputation. And yes, it opened just in time for this year’s Salone del Mobile. Founded by Salva Tu Alma, a Milanese hospitality company which successfully launched high-end Nikkei cuisine eateries here in the Lombardian capital, Rome and in the Sardinian resort Porto Cervo, the House of Ronin has shaken up the city’s nightlife scene with an alluring new concept that fuses three restaurants, a bar, an arcade and a shop into one alluring venue. A longtime derelict residential structure built in the late 1920s and situated a stone’s throw away from Quartiere Cinese, Milan‘s very own Chinatown, has been painstakingly redeveloped by local architecture and design practice SC+. It has now become a multi-functional nocturnal playground where Shanghai meets Tokyo by way of Milan, and all loosely glossed over with a bubbly 1960s sheen.

So, when entering the premises, guests come across Piccolo Ronin, a laid-back izakaya, offering a menu of traditional Japanese dishes, and paired with a listening bar brimming with 1970s records where a rotation of vinyl collectors and music producers play their fav tunes. One floor up, Ronin Robata can be found, a Japanese-inspired restaurant and grill in a flashy modernist style which comes with a raw bar and both shabu shabu and chef’s table seating. Semi-hidden watering hole Madame Cheng awaits on the third floor. This obviously isn’t just a bar, but a karaoke cocktail bar with four private rooms, each featuring a different extravagant style. Mind you, if you’re peckish, bento boxes, a mini bar with snacks and in-room bottle service—it’s all there. Opening shortly is another eatery dubbed Shokunin. Here, only eight guests at a time can indulge in omakase-style delicacies by a starred chef. The top floor of House of Ronin houses private club Arcade, an exclusive lounge designed by Marsica Fossati. Spacious yet cosy and intimate, the premises here have a vaguely British men’s club atmosphere, and are dotted with carefully sourced vintage pieces.

House of Ronin
Via Vittorio Alfieri 17 (Porta Volta)
20154 Milan
Telephone: +39 02 89367101
Mon-Sat 7pm-1am

© Salva Tu Alma / Photography: Louis De Belle