Where to Eat in Milan

If there were to be a race among the nations to determine the world’s favorite cuisine, it is surely certain that Italy would come out on top. Many people do not like raw fish, spicy food, or cilantro, and quite a number of people don’t eat pork. But everyone loves pizza, that is a fact. Now, while outside of Italy that may be what is associated with the kitchen of this country, there is a lot more to Italian food than pizza, though of course it certainly plays a major part.

There are several important differences between local cuisines of Italy, especially between the northern states versus the southern parts of the country. While olive oil is the sheet music to any southern melody, the north runs on butter. While in Sicily, the pasta is so al dente it makes a sound when you bite into it, in Milan, you cook it as many minutes as it says on the packet and not a second less.

What makes the food of this country so great, however, is that no matter where you find yourself, the prime focus is always on the quality and freshness of the ingredients, and simplicity is regarded as necessary from Bologna to Taranto.

Or, in this case, Milan.

The capital city of both Lombardia and fashion may have an image of watching its figure, but this is, fortunately, a misconception because Milan eats a lot, and fantastically well. On your next visit, be sure to sample some local delicacies like the flagship Risotto alla Milanese, a saffron-tinted rice dish, or orecchia di elefante, literally meaning elephant’s ear, that is, contrary to what the name suggests, made of veal. To decide where to eat the above, take a look at our picks below.

Now, this list contains a few places where drinking, not dinner, is the main event. This isn’t so much for the joy of imbibing, though an aperol spritz can certainly hit the spot better than a meal, but to take part in the time-honored tradition of the aperitivo. The act of buying a drink – at a very reasonable price typical of Italy – affords you access to a buffet, where you can snack on a variety of delicious foods. This is the perhaps most uniquely Italian experience, observed religiously after each working day, and weekends, too. But don’t let yourself get carried away with the assortment of finger foods, because dinner is just around the corner. So gather your strength and have a meal at one of the places below.

Spontini

To start this list off with a place that serves “American style” thick pizza would be a sin, if only we weren’t talking about Spontini. Since we are, no Milanese would dare so much as furrow a brow, because Spontini is a quintessentially local experience, and the pink wrapping paper that the pizza comes in, instead of an all-too-orthodox box, is the color that has wrapped every Milanese childhood for decades. There is nothing quite like the altruistic happiness you feel for another person when you see them speeding by with a pink packet strapped to the back of their Vespa. This place serves one kind of pizza precisely and prefers you to take it with you. If you do not, you are allowed to sit down but must have it quickly and then get out, no coffee, no extras, no chit-chat. The turnover at this place is incredible, and you will be rushed, which again would be a bother if it wasn’t Spontini, one of the very best pizza places in the world.

Princi

A bakery like no other, Princi has a counter that goes on forever with all the breads and pastries you can possibly imagine, plus pasta, salads, and of course pizza. This franchise has been around for a while and shows no sign of slowing down, with people pouring in at lunchtime as if the food is free. You will have to eat standing up, as this place, much like the previous one, is no adherent of the slow food movement. But who cares about slow food when wolfing it down is so delicious? It must be said that Princi has an aperitivo, so if you fall in love with their offerings, you can have it here, though you will find places on this list that have mastered this discipline better than they have.

Trussardi alla Scala

Now for a case of “good for the body, bad for the wallet”: This restaurant, a stone’s throw away from the famous opera house, is the polar opposite of the first two entries. The tablecloths are starched white, the silverware heavy, the portions very tiny, and the bill very long. But there is no experience quite like Trussardi, and yes the name is no accident – this is an offshoot of the famous fashion house. While that in itself does not guarantee that they would have a knack for edible things as well as wearables, this is certainly true here. Come here if you don’t mind the splurge, but maybe go to Spontini afterward to gorge on something dripping in oil, a thing that doesn’t happen at Trussardi.

La Torre del Mangia mi

If you are no fan of meat, skip this one, because that’s all there is to have here. Let us rephrase that, for fear of understating the beauty of La Torre del Mangia mi: if you long for a juicy cut of meat, some fresh as dew seafood, or any other animal product, come here and leave only when they ask you to. Italian food, on the whole, is not quite as meat-obsessed as its neighboring nations – this can be seen by its most famous meat product being the humble prosciutto, a coldcut. But as you travel upwards on the boot, meat sneaks onto the favorites menu more and more, and in Milan, there are quite a few dishes that you need a butcher for, such as the sinfully delicious osso buco. That is but one of the dishes you can try here, at this meat-eaters heaven.

Un Posto a Milan

The name means “A place in Milan,” but this restaurant is a lot more than that. Once you get off the tram at Porta Romana and make your way through the concrete jungle, you will find that Un Posto a Milan is more like a forest. This place is all about nature, and this is reflected on the menu, as well. Everything is “a chilometro zero” (or, zero kilometers), an Italian concept which means that nothing is imported from further than you can throw a tomato. The food here is fresh and very simple, which, as mentioned, is the essence of Italian cuisine. While you’re here, sample some of the local wines and don’t forget to buy a bottle for the folks back home.

Food Trucks

Piadine, panini, hot dogs, and the like are what the Milanese food truck tradition is all about. If you go out on the town any night of the week, the curbside by the place you went to will magically sprout a food truck by the time you are ready to leave and have a massive craving for something edible to help soak up all those drinks. These food trucks, identical in their white and aluminum hues and fluorescent, horribly bothersome light, provide food that also remains unchanged from one truck to another. Another prerequisite seems to be the grumpy mood of the person serving you, though this is understandable when you’re in the business of waiting on tipsy people at four in the morning. Have a cotoletta in a bun and go home to get some rest.

4cento

A bit off the tourist map, this place on the outskirts of town is well worth the effort. Come for a weekend dinner and stay for the live music or costume party, as the case would have it, that develops here afterward. A very old building with all the charm of a Tuscan villa was redecorated in a modern-meets-rustic way for 4cento or four-hundred, and the vibe is incredible, even if you only come for lunch. Their risotto alla Milanese can hold its own against any other in town, and the peace and quiet of the surroundings is a great change from the urban buzz of Milan.

Luini

Get ready to wait in line, and know that it will ultimately be worth it. Luini, the gold standard of the very Milanese panzerotto, which is local slang for calzone, is a must if you like your pizza closed. Students, office workers, politicians, and fashion folk gather here at lunchtime to get their fix, and so should you. The Luini fritto is what you should order, and you should have it on your way back towards the Duomo, a couple of steps away. Just watch it with the pigeons, as they love Luini as much as the next guy. Who can blame them? Another warning: the panzerotto is much hotter inside than it feels to the touch. We tell you this, though we fear you will burn your mouth as you will feel you’ve done enough waiting for food and won’t be able to resist.

La Brisa

If you feel like going to a fancy place that serves Milanese standards with an imaginative twist, look no further: you are going to want to book a table at La Brisa, and book it quick because many people have the same idea each day. The reason for this is that the food is sublime, truly. Sit on the restaurant patio and have the most Milanese dinner of all – one with roots firmly planted in good, Italian soil but branches that reach towards the undiscovered. It serves to note here that while it is rather upscale, La Brisa is not snooty and the service comes with a wide smile that doesn’t freeze even when you order the cheapest wine on the menu, which is going to be fantastic.

Cova

If the previous entry was too friendly for your liking, let us introduce to you a place that seems so snooty that you don’t dare raise your voice enough to ask for a coffee: Cova. While that may sound uninviting, this is an experience you should brave nonetheless. Plus, since the coffee is the thing to have at this ancient, fancy bar and delicatessen, you won’t break the bank having a cup or two. Its vicinity to Via Montenapoleone makes it a hangout for those fresh off the runway, so be on the lookout for someone you may recognize from the pages of Vogue, and then pretend not to notice them.

And now, ladies and gents, for the best in Aperitivi:

Frank

Named after a certain American singer of Italian descent, Frank piles on the Sinatra reference quite thick – quotes and photos exhaust the wall, and his signature croon is always on the sound system. You can come here for dinner, but the main deal is the aperitivo, that’s what everyone comes for: the selection, the drinks, and the clientele make this place the place to be at happy hour.

Jamaica

An ancient bar in Brera, the cult standard of Jamaica takes you back to a time when this area was a bohemian hangout for starving artists. While Brera went up in the world and no longer likes to look back to those days, Jamaica stands stubbornly unchanged, refusing to move forward. Which can be a good thing, as it certainly is in this case. Don’t come here for dinner – or even lunch – but swing by to have a drink at 7 p.m. and watch the regulars pour in. Know that these are not just any old regulars – they are writers, artists, and vagabonds from back in the day, all much older now but not worse for the wear.

Radetzky

If you get lost by the central station, that stark white building put there to forever remind the people of Milan of their erstwhile, controversial leader, Il Duce, just ask a passing Italian to point you towards Radetzky. This chic and authentic bar was the height of fashion in the 80’s and still plays that same catchy tune. You can sit outside on a warm night and try to spot a big name in fashion getting their Campari fix, which is what most people who sit here come to do. The name, if you are left wondering, alludes to an Austrian general, the namesake of the Strauss piece of classical music. That’s where the reference to classicism ends, as Radetzky is unabashedly stuck in the decade of shoulder pads, because it knows that that’s where the fun lives.