World City Guide

Restaurants

We have selected 25 restaurants, which we have divided into five categories: Gastronomic, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The restaurants are listed alphabetically within these different categories, which serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments.

Restaurant prices are subject to IVA (value added tax) at 10% but this is always included within the prices given. A 15% service charge is usually added to the bill at the end. It is customary to round up the bill and leave a tip (usually 5% of the bill, maximum 10%) as well, if the meal and service have been good.

The prices quoted below are for an average evening three-course meal for one person and for a bottle of house wine or cheapest equivalent; they include IVA and cover charge where applicable but do not include service charge or tip. Adding a primo piatto (pasta course) will increase one’s bill by about 30%.

Note: in a few months time, the Buddha Bar (fusion cooking) will open a branch in the centre of Milan. Details are still scanty but this will be the new trendiest restaurant in the city.

Gastronomic

Aimo e Nadia
For more than 25 years, Aimo e Nadia has served a cuisine from the most flavourful Italian ingredients, prepared with an artful simplicity. The pasta dishes put most of the competition to shame and they perfectly illustrate what real Italian cooking is about. The dining room has terracotta floors and clean white walls hung with dramatic abstract contemporary paintings. The large windows overlook the street. Dishes can include squid stuffed with scampi and dextex with aromatic herbs and rare veal tenderloin. Game dishes figure in the autumn menu and can include deer with Madeira and Sicilian lemon juice with a small bean and ham pie. The restaurant has two Michelin stars. The long taxi ride out to the north suburbs is wholly worthwhile. Booking is essential.

Via Montecuccoli 6
Tel: 02 416 886. Fax: 02 4830 2005.
E-mail: info@aimoenadia.com
Website: www.aimoenadia.com
Price: ¬80. Wine: ¬25.

Cracco-Peck
Close to the Duomo, the newly renovated modern interiors and the talent of masterchef Carlo Cracco make this a perfect choice for prestigious business lunches and dinners. The restaurant, said to be the best in Milan, is linked to the wonderful Peck food store on an adjacent street. Fixed menus are at ¬88 and ¬120, and there is a special seasonal degustazione menu at ¬165. Dishes include veal in breadcrumbs Milanese with spinach, white grapes and onions, and young pork on a spit in the Sienese style with artichokes. Desserts are exceptional and there is an enormous and magnificent wine list. The restaurant has one Michelin star. Closed Sunday.

Via Victor Hugo (off Via Orefici)
Tel: 02 802 3161.
E-mail: cracco-peck@peck.it
Website: www.peck.it
Price: ¬90. Wine: ¬20.

Don Carlos
One of the two restaurants in the Grand Hotel et de Milan (see Hotels section), Don Carlos is considered almost as good as Cracco-Peck. The smallish dining room remains very traditional with little shaded lamps illuminating original prints and sketches from early opera productions at La Scala, remaining very much as it was when Verdi lived at the hotel in the late 19th century. There are degustazioni menus at ¬79.30 and ¬83.00 without desserts. Superb dishes can include fish chowder with saffron, almonds and celeriac cream, lamb chop in green coffee crust with watermelon tart and mint tea, and octopus in Vermentino wine. Game figures in autumn menus.

Via Manzoni 29
Tel: 02 723 141. Fax: 02 8646 0861.
E-mail: info@grandhoteletdemilan.it
Website: www.grandhoteletdemilan.it
Price: ¬80. Wine: ¬20.

Ristorante Il Teatro
The major restaurant in the Four Seasons Hotel (see Hotels section), the award-winning Il Teatro consistently rates amongst Milan’s best restaurants. Opening for one sitting in the evening only, diners are ushered like royalty to the discreet round tables, with white linen, crystal glassware and candles. The service is exquisite, as is the food. Fish is a speciality, with wonderful offerings such as dried salt cod with artichokes and spinach infused with onions cooked in wine. Meat dishes can include medallion of veal with foie gras and black truffle and green vegetables. If on the menu, the almond milk and aniseed parfait dessert served with strawberry salad should not be missed.

Four Seasons Hotel, Via Gesù 8
Tel: 02 77088. Fax: 02 7708 5000.
E-mail: mil.concierge@fourseasons.com
Website: www.fourseasons.com/milan
Price: ¬85. Wine: white ¬28, red ¬32.

Ristorante Sadler
Claudio Sadler has built up a strong reputation for marrying tradition with innovation. His small restaurant seating 40, just a few minutes’ walk from the Porta Romana metro, features a well-lit dining room with round tables with fine linen, and contemporary paintings on the walls. Fish is the speciality, with dishes including sea bass strudel with olives and aubergines. Desserts include the excellent iced melon with zabaglione with white port. There are a few tables outside in summer. Booking is essential.

Via Ettore Troilo 14
Tel: 02 5810 4451. Fax: 02 5811 2343.
Price: ¬85. Wine: ¬25.

Business

Alfredo, Gran San Bernardo
Due east of Piazza Firenze, not too far from the Fiera, owner-chef Alfredo Valli’s costoletta alla milanese (breaded veal cutlet) is legendary. Valli started as an apprentice at Biffi (see below) before establishing his own Michelin starred restaurant in 1964 Via Gran San Bernardo – now renamed Via Borgese. The smart plainly decorated dining room, with whitewashed beam ceilings and low black chairs, is a good place to bring clients for traditional Milanese dishes. These can include risotto with sea salt, barbaresco stew, and beef tenderised in red wine. Closed Saturday and Sunday, all month in August, and 22 Dec-11 Jan.

Via Borgese 14
Tel: 02 331 9000. Fax: 02 2900 6859.
Price: ¬55. Wine: ¬25.

Antico Ristorante Boeucc
Boeucc (pronounced ‘birch’) which opened in 1696 is Milan’s oldest restaurant. Located on the ground floor of Palazzo Belgioioso which dominates the pianna due east of La Scala. In addition to the grand neo-classical dining rooms, supported by granite columns, there are four elegant salons for 20-30 people which can be hired for private functions. The service is superb and the kitchen serves classic Milanese dishes such as breaded veal cutlets, risotto alla Milanese (a saffron and chicken broth risotto, here served with sausages), and la cassoeula, Milan’s rich pork, cabbage and salami stew.

Piazza Belgioioso 2
Tel: 02 7602 0224. Fax: 02 796 173.
Price: ¬55. Wine: ¬20.

Biffi
Biffi Scala & Toula has shut as part of the modernisation of La Scala and it is not thought that it will reopen. Biffi in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is the original restaurant of this name and it continues to provide excellent classic Milanese meals. There are numerous tables in the Galleria as well as extremely comfortable seating in the dark red restaurant proper. Dishes include mixed grilled fish, risotto Biffi (with shrimps and mushrooms) and osso buco with Milanese risotto. One should save room for the homemade desserts.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Tel: 02 805 7961.
E-mail: info@toula.it
Price: ¬70. Wine: ¬15.

Da Berti
Located midway between Stazione Centrale and Stazione Porta Garibaldi, the spacious and elegant Da Berti started life in 1843 as the Osteria di Lader (the Robber’s Inn), a haunt of bandits. It became the Nuovo Osteria della Stazione in 1866 and Berti purchased the osteria in 1936. It is now the last authentic Milanese inn and is a favourite with politicians. It is essential to book in advance to arrange an aperitif in the beautiful wine cellar with owner Enrica Colombi or her son Pier Luigi Rotta, before dining in one of the four yellow-walled salons adorned with old labels and government notices above. It serves one of the best risottos in Milan and is also known for its baked veal. While the salons seat 120, a further 200 can be seated in summer under the pergola in the garden.

Via Algarotti 20
Tel: 02 669 4627. Fax: 02 688 4158.
Price: ¬85 (including ¬7 cover and 12% service). Wine: ¬13.

Savini
Opened in 1867 at the very heart of the new Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Savini has always been a place to ‘see and been seen’, with a guest book including leading figures from the arts and business over the last 150 years. It now caters primarily to a business clientele. There are many tables outside in the Galleria and once one passes the old cherry wood bar, one comes to the Belle Epoque dining room furnished with red seats, beige walls, chandeliers and potted ferns. The house speciality, tipici nervetti alla Milanese (ox-muzzle fried with sweet red onions, balsamic vinegar and raisins) is remarkable. Other signature dishes include guazzetto mediterraneo (stew of fish, molluscs and crustaceans) and osso buco. A number of private rooms are available for hire, seating 12 to 100.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Tel: 02 7200 3433. Fax: 02 720 2888.
E-mail: savini@thi.it
Website: www.savini.thi.it
Price: ¬110. Wine: ¬20.

Trendy

Armani/Nobu
Japanese masterchef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa has added another winner to his exclusive chain of worldwide restaurants by joining with Giorgio Armani and putting a Nobu restaurant in the giant white stone Armani World on Via Manzoni. Waif-like models and fashionistas concerned with their waistlines can enjoy the stylish cool softly lit design, whilst nibbling now famous dishes like black cod in miso sauce as well as sushi and sashimi – or sipping sake with added gold leaf. Reservations essential. Closed Sunday.

Armani World, Via Manzoni 31 (restaurant entrance at Via Pisoni 1)
Tel: 02 6231 2645.
Price: ¬80. Wine: white ¬20-¬21.

Joia
This gourmet vegetarian restaurant, close to the Porta Venezia metro station, north of the Giardini Pubblici, is exceptional. Owner-chef Piero Leeman ranks with Milan’s best, creating exciting dishes that are a fusion of Italian and Asian recipes and ingredients. The dining room is well-lit and minimalistic and one should ignore the zen pretensions in the menu. Signature dishes include the vegetable foie gras with truffle sauce, greens layered with fontina cheese and herbs, shabu shabu and tuna and beans perfumed with balsamic vinegar and ginger oil. There are degustazioni menus at ¬47, ¬52 and ¬85, and an excellent lunch special for ¬15. Wines are organic. Reservations suggested, at least one week in advance. Closed Saturday and Sunday and for three weeks in August, as well as between Christmas to Epiphany (6 Jan).

Via Panfilo Castaldi 18
Tel: 02 2952 2124. Fax: 02 204 9244.
E-mail: joia@joia.it
Website: www.joia.it
Price: ¬50. Wine: ¬16-¬15.

Marino alla Scala
This first-floor restaurant above the designer ground-floor shop and cafe, is situated in a Truddardi-owned palazzo, just to the left of the famous La Scala opera house. Diners can sink into the ochre-coloured sofas and armchairs and enjoy the view of the Piazza della Scala. Fish and vegetables predominate with dishes like shrimps with zucchini, celery, capers and olive taggiasche, or steamed filet of beef with potatoes, beetroot and salsa verde. There are excellent daily specials. Closed Sunday.

Piazza della Scala 5
Tel: 02 8068 8201. Fax: 02 8068 8287.
E-mail: ristorante@marinoallascala.it
Website: www.marinoallascala.com
Price: ¬72. Wine: ¬14.50-¬18.

Milch
Formerly a dairy outlet, this light and chic restaurant near the Stazione Centrale serves fusion dishes based on organic produce. Dishes can include squid salad, fettucini with aubergine (eggplant) and ricotta, and pork loin with a sesame sauce. Open evenings only. Closed Monday and all of August.

Via E Petrella 19
Tel: 02 2940 5870. Fax: 02 5455542.
E-mail: milch2@inwind.it
Price: ¬40. Wine: ¬15.

Shambala
This is a discreet but still a ‘see and be seen’ Vietnamese/Asian restaurant serving superb fusion cuisine in a light and airy dining room. Service is excellent. Dishes can include seared tuna with coriander seeds and the house special Kaeng Kung (steamed prawns in coconut milk). There is a large terrace for summer dining al fresco. Closed Sunday, three weeks in August and two weeks late December-January.

Via Giuseppe Ripamonti 337
Tel: 02 552 0194.
Price: ¬45. Wine: ¬15.

Budget

Brek
Part of a national chain, Brek’s fast-food restaurants provide good value, tasty food. The restaurant near Stazione Centrale is one of the chain’s largest, offering hungry travellers an array of cold dishes, salads, pasta and daily changing main courses. All three of the Milanese restaurants have a country feel with open-plan halls, tiled floors pine beams, and paintings or murals, steering reassuringly clear of the moulded plastic favoured by international fast-food chains. Dishes can include pan-fried fish with fresh vegetables and spaghetti with tomato and sausages.

Via Roberto Lepetit 20
Closed Sunday.
Tel/Fax: 02 670 5149.
E-mail: 01R@brek.com

Porta U Giordano 1 (San Babili)
Tel: 02 7602 3379.
E-mail: 02R@brek.com
Open daily.

Via dell’Annunciata 2 (Cavour)
Tel: 02 653 619.
E-mail: 03R@brek.com
Open daily.

Website: www.brek.com
Price: ¬20. Wine: ¬3.50.

Pizza OK
Pizza OK serves the largest pizzas in Milan. With 86 different selections of topping there is bound to be something for everyone; there are even unusual combinations like pear and gorgonzola cheese. This basic dark trattoria is always packed but, unlike some other pizzerias, there is no feeling that one must eat quickly and vacate one’s table. No credit cards. Closed Sunday lunchtime.

Via Lambro 15 - Angolo Piazza VIII Novembre
Tel: 02 2940 1272.
Price: ¬15. Wine: ¬10.

Sadler Wine & Food
Ideally situated for the Fiera district near Piazza Amendola, Claudio Sadler’s excellent food and wine bar offers a tempting array of meats, cheeses and dishes using unusual ingredients (such as ostrich and foie gras) from carefully selected producers. This is a typical and comfortable Italian restaurant with light ochre walls, dark wood panels and tables, and a few excellent paintings on the walls. The setting is elegant but informal. To encourage clients to try different wines with each course, many of the 300 labels are available from the glass. Closed Sunday.

Via Monte Bianco 2/A
Tel: 02 481 4677.
Price: ¬40. Wine: ¬18.

Serendib
This Sri Lankan restaurant is one of the best value ethnic restaurants in Milan, with a welcoming ambience and a decor combining typical Italian red and beige arches and walls with eastern traditional features like a tiled floor, wall hangings and Sri Lankan art. There are several set menus (meat, fish, vegetable) between ¬14-20, usually including a main dish, rice, a mixed vegetable dish and dessert. Dishes can include wambottu (fried artichokes with spices and coconut milk), alamas (beef with potatoes in saffron and curry sauce) and kukulmas (chicken in spicy sauce). It is recommended to book at weekends. Open evenings only. Closed August.

Via Pontida 2
Tel/Fax: 02 659 2139.
Price: ¬25. Wine: ¬10. Beer: ¬4.

Taverna Morrigi
Close to Piazza Affari in the financial district west of the Duomo, this rather old-fashioned wood-panelled taverna offers an excellent value lunch. The menu changes daily and can include Milanese favourites like cassoeula (a stew of pork, cabbage and sausages), risotto and bocioncini di manzo con piselli (beef with peas). No credit cards. Closed Sunday.

Via Morigi 8
Tel: 02 8645 0880.
Price: ¬25. Wine: ¬12.50.

Personal Recommendations

Bagutta
This Lombard-Tuscan trattoria is famous for its annual literary prize which has been going since 1927. The warren-like halls are covered with frescoes and the covers of prize-winning novels. It is always popular but, with over 200 places, there is room for everyone. Another 140 can be accommodated in the leafy garden in summer. Signature dishes include sausages with fried zucchini (courgette) flowers, and cotoletta primavera (chilled veal cutlet with a fresh tomato and rocket dressing). Closed Sunday (the entire street becomes an outdoor art market that day).

Via Bagutta 14
Tel: 02 7600 2767. Fax: 02 799 613.
E-mail: bagutta@cena.it
Website: www.bagutta.it
Price: ¬45. Wine: ¬17.

Da Ilia
With large light dining rooms, many ceiling fans and walls with paintings, Da Ilia is a classic old-fashioned north Italian restaurant that is always packed, even on Sunday and Monday nights. There is an enormous buffet of antipasti and pasta dishes can include large ravioli stuffed with pumpkin. Main dishes are excellent and can include homemade meatballs with mushrooms and grilled langoustines. Closed lunchtime Friday and Saturday, all of August and two weeks in December.

Via Lecco 1
Tel: 02 2952 1895.
E-mail: ristdailia@tin.it
Price: ¬40. Wine: white ¬14, red ¬16.

Da Leo
At dawn for more than 30 years, Giuseppe Leo has gone to Milan’s fish market to select only the best for his fish-only restaurant. The quality of the food and the cooking allows the restaurant to be unpretentious and service is excellent. Spaghetti is the only pasta served and is best in blanco (without tomatoes) with clams, calamari (squid), king prawns or tuna. Main dishes are either simply grilled or fried. Evening booking suggested. No credit cards. Closed Sunday and Monday, three weeks in August and last two weeks in December.

Via Trivulzio 26 (Sant’ Ambrogio)
Tel: 02 4007 1445.
Price: ¬40. Wine: ¬15.

Don Lisander
This classic restaurant close to La Scala and the shopping Quadrilatero attracts a mix of business people and well-to-do tourists. The restaurant is set back in a courtyard and, in summer, there are tables outside under the trees. There is the usual Milanese mix of dark and light surfaces and service and the wine list are superb. The cuisine is generally classic Milanese with fish dishes like orato cooked in a salt crust and fried calamari (squid); meat main courses include osso buco (beef bone marrow stewed with peas) with risotto milanese and breaded veal cutlets. Closed Sunday, three weeks in August and two weeks Dec-Jan.

Via Manzoni 12A
Tel: 02 7602 0130.
Price: ¬45. Wine: ¬15.

Taverna Visconti
A few minutes walk east of the Duomo, off Largo Augusto, chef Nico Carleo champions traditional Lombard cooking, with dishes like duck in a sweet and sour sauce, and a wonderful saffron and chicken-stock risotto Milanese. The air-conditioned cellar restaurant retains the original early 19th century vaulting and is decorated in dark and intimate colours. On the ground floor is a wine bar and bistro, ideal for less formal occasions.

Via Marziale 11
Tel/Fax: 02 795 821.
Price: ¬45. Wine: ¬15.