Milan

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ALL GUIDES

Milan

Milan

Although Milan has long been written off as a disappointing food destination (models and fashion moguls aren’t known for their appetites), the dining scene has improved dramatically in the past few years. In fact, Milan’s unsung food scene is among the most exciting in Italy right now. Here’s what’s new and noteworthy:

Dining

  • Antica Trattoria della Pesa: Down-home, old-school Milanese cuisine.
  • Macelleria Popolare is a butcher shop from the original Mangiari di Strada team. It’s set in the Mercato Comunale sulla Darsena and from afar looks like a traditional market stall with cuts of meat and offal displayed at the counter. But upon closer inspection, it’s actually a dining destination for raw, roasted, braised, and grilled meats expertly prepared and served to standing guests with an incredible selection of vino. Not carnivorous? You’ve still gotta go because they make some of the best tiramisu in Italy, IMO. It features next-level mascarpone from Caseificio Carena, a local dairy producer; coffee from the legendary Laboratoria Torrefazione Giamaica; and eggs gathered from the woods of Valtellina.
  • Trippa: This awesome trattoria in Porta Romana may be going for an old-school feel, but young chefs Diego Rossi and Pietro Caroli’s cooking is rooted in present-day Italy, employing top-notch ingredients coaxed into simple and satisfying dishes. True to its trattoria name, Trippa is affordable and casual, which means it’s super popular--so book ahead.
  • Ratanà: At this restaurant in the Isola neighborhood, Chef Cesare Battisti, a Milan native, cooks up some of the city’s best authentically Milanese flavors, adding his own whimsical twist. His risotto alla milanese (with saffron and bone marrow) is considered the best in town.
  • Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia: This institution has been around for 50 years (the chef is 90) and has two Michelin stars. The spring onion spaghetti is legendary.
  • Pavé: A cafe and pastry shop with multiple locations that’s great for breakfast, lunch, or a quick snack. Two of their locations are gelaterie. 

Drinking

Gelato and Desserts

  • Gelato Giusto might not be new, but it’s a must-visit. 
  • Alberto Marchetti, one of Italy’s most beloved gelato-makers, opened an outpost of his eponymous Torino-based gelato shop in Milan last year.

Other Stuff

  • Down the street from Ratanà, check out the Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest), a model for sustainable urban residential life, conceived by architect Stefano Boeri. The surrounding district is part of the Porta Nuova Initiative, an umbrella term for an urban development project undertaken in that part of town.
  • Un Posto a Milano is worth a mention for the outdoor space (I recommend a coffee or a drink rather than a full meal). It’s more “farm-to-table” than Milanese and there is a huge garden on site where they grow many of their vegetables. It’s located in Cascina Cuccagna, a converted 17th-century farmhouse. Every Tuesday afternoon, the Mercato Agricolo, a farmers’ market, sells goods from farms and producers from Lombardy.
  • Looking for Milan tour recommendations? Get in touch and I’d be happy to refer some trusted colleagues for culinary and historic tours.
  • Check out my Lake Como guide here.