Restaurants in Milan
The Milanese love pastas, risottos and meat dishes, although one of the best restaurants is Michelin-starred vegetarian Joia. Establishments around Piazza del Duomo, like Cracco, attract a fashionable crowd, while Navigli boasts delicious Pizzeria La Tradizionale. Everywhere, old-fashioned gran caffès like Zucca offer snacks and liqueurs, and pasticcerie serve sweet treats. It is customary to round up bills to the nearest euro. Many restaurants close Mondays.
Cracco
Michelin-starred Milanese
Enjoy Michelin-starred dining on Milan's central square at renowned Cracco,
brainchild of local chef Carlo Cracco. Classic Milanese cuisine with a
modern twist is served at linen-clad tables. The wine list of 2300 labels is
Milan's most comprehensive. Specialities include lasagne filled with foie
gras and caramelised onions.
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Opening Hours
Mon-Sat 12.15pm-2.30pm, 7.15pm-10.30pm (closed Sat in summer)
Address
4, Via Victor Hugo, Milan 20123
Telephone
+39 02 87 67 74
Joia
Organic vegetarian dishes
Surprisingly popular with the meat-adoring Milanese, Michelin-starred
vegetarian (and seafood) dishes are the staple at Joia in Porta Venezia. An
excellent 13-course taster menu and a set five-course feast are served at
lunchtimes in blond-wood, neutral-toned dining rooms. Swiss chef Pietro
Leeman uses the best organic local food, creating dishes like chickpea and
shallot risotto.
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Opening Hours
Mon-Sat 12pm-2.30pm & 7.30pm-11pm
Address
Via P Castaldi 18, Milan 20124
Telephone
+39 02 295 221 24
Centro Ittico
Freshest of fish
Small, smart blue-and-white restaurant and fish shop Centro Ittico, near the
main station, gets busy early when locals queue to snap up fish as it
arrives. The menu is predominantly Italian and varies according to the day's
catch. Expect carpaccio, fish soup, risotto and spaghetti alle
vongole, with clams and garlic. Booking is essential.
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Opening Hours
Mon-Sat 12.30pm-2.30pm & 8pm-11pm
Address
19, Via Martiri Oscuri, Milan 20125
Telephone
+39 02 26 14 37 74
Trattoria Masuelli San Marco
Traditional Milanese recipes
A real locals' favourite in Porta Vittoria is family-run Masuelli San Marco.
Walls and floors decorated with dark traditional tiles are offset by
gleaming white table linen. Typical Milanese risottos, pasta and meat
dishes, including osso bucco (braised veal shanks), feature on the
seasonal menu. Saturday evenings are particularly popular with Milanese
families.
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Opening Hours
Tue-Sat 12.30pm-2.15pm; Mon-Sat 8pm-10.15pm
Address
Viale Umbria 80, Milan 20100
Telephone
+39 02 55 18 41 38
Ristorante Solferino
Innovative Italian creations
Small trattoria Ristorante Solferino, with its own wine shop, is tucked away
in Brera in an old-fashioned wood-panelled room. Tables are laid with white
linens and the walls are adorned with heavy mirrors. Traditional Italian
recipes are given the contemporary treatment. Popular dishes include salmon
in a sesame crust or typical Milanese osso bucco (veal).
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Opening Hours
Daily 12pm-2.30pm & 7pm-11.30pm
Address
Via Castelfidardo 2, Milan 20121
Telephone
+39 02 29 00 57 48
Zucca
Milanese café culture
Milan's grandest of gran caffès is Zucca on the central square. It
serves coffees and aperitivos at the bar, backed by a wall of elaborate
Klimt-like mosaics. For something more substantial, settle at a small table
on the covered terrace perfect for people-watching. Pasta lunches are served
tucked away in rooms behind the bar.
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Opening Hours
Tue-Sun 7.15am-8pm
Address
Piazza del Duomo 21, Milan 20123
Telephone
+39 02 86 46 44 35
Pizzeria La Tradizionale
Puffy oven-baked pizzas
Local students and visitors looking for great value Italian dishes come to
Pizzeria La Tradizionale. The bustling atmosphere, vast frescoed room and
chatty, happy waiters make it one of the best choices in Navigli. Puffy
pizzas straight from the wood-fired oven and an excellent selection of fish
and pasta dishes are served.
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Opening Hours
Thu-Tue 12pm-3pm & daily 6pm-12.30am
Address
Ripa di Porta Ticinese 7, Milan 20144
Telephone
+39 02 83 95 133
Transport
Porta Genova FS metro
Sans Egal
Bustling respite for shoppers
Perched on a street corner in cool Brera, Sans Egal has a tiny flower-strewn
terrace wrapped around the building. Inside a long wooden bar attracts
stylistas from nearby shopping paradise Quad d'Oro for cocktails.
Linger for quality salamis, pasta and steak dishes, all served in a frenetic
atmosphere by cheery waiters.
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Opening Hours
Mon 5pm-2am; Tue-Sun 9am-2am
Address
Vicolo Fiori 2, Milan 20121
Telephone
+39 02 86 93 09 6
Pasticceria Marchesi
Beautifully presented confectionary
Serving elegant little pastries and extravagant tortes, Pasticceria Marchesi
is situated in Corso Magenta. The beautifully filled glass display cases and
counters have been there since the café opened in 1824. Eat in or take away
your treats, wrapped up in sophisticated black and red paper. Cakes in
themed shapes are especially impressive.
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Opening Hours
Tue-Sat 8am-8pm, Sun 8am-1pm
Address
11a, Via Santa Maria alla Porta, Milan 20123
Telephone
+39 02 87 67 30
