Balay

Opened in 2025 by young Italo-Filipino chef Ray Ibarra, Balay is a refreshing new address for anyone curious about cross-cultural flavours and Milan’s evolving natural wine scene. The wine bar and tapas spot takes its name after the Ilocano word for “home”, a fitting description for this convivial and carefully designed space where food, natural wine, art, and music meet.

The kitchen moves fluidly between Asia and the Mediterranean, offering shareable plates meant to accompany wine: sesame prawn toast, marinated raw fish with piparras, lumpiang sariwa (fresh spring rolls with rice noodles, vegetables, edible flowers, and peanut-tamarind sauce), a daily tortilla, and fried corn with ezme yogurt and chili oil.