Top: Entry to the Rossana Orlandi courtyard. Bottom: Italian ladies cook and serve lunch. Son of Edi bulbs by Jack Brandsma.

What's not to love about Spazio Rossana Orlandi? It's a courtyard flanked by nook-like gallery spaces in an old tie factory, with an upstairs design store crammed with design pieces from the likes of Gaetano Pesce and Sam Hecht. But—the defining feature of the venue is the homecooked lunch, served everyday from noon to approximately four in the canopied courtyard. Not just a spot for design celebrity, but also bresaola, risotto and torta for around three euro a dish, with all proceeds going to charity. Do not miss this lovely experience if you are in town.

New chandelier by Omer Arbel, front and center.

Other than the stellar exhibitions, Spazio Rossana Orlandi has such a refreshing spirit about it, from the bizzare bathroom decor (somehow Rossana can pull off a heap of smashed toilet paper rolls in a basket) to the disheveled sculpture garden in the courtyard. It's a mix of old fashioned and contemporary, but somehow, in a good way, the clean, uniform sensibilities of modernism got lost in between. It's romantic, social, and warm.

The lunch spread. Son of Edi bulbs by Jack Brandsma.

Wonderfully casual approach to the menu and pricing.

Relaxing in the courtyard was a welcome reprieve from hours of walking on hard cobblestone. Hang On magnetic coathangers by Jack Brandsma.

Maybe someone famous is hiding in this crowd? Maybe not.

One of us had bresaola and green beans.

Parisian Samuel Gassman makes cufflinks in the courtyard.

Designer portraits of the hostess drawn directly onto the walls.

Somehow smashed toilet paper is awesome in this context.

Fancy? Messy? Who cares? This seems to be a defining characteristic of Spazio Rossana Orlandi.