The Milanese appears to be in terrific shape; therefore, it follows to reason that they are all eating well, right? Right. Few towns do delicious cuisine as well as this elegant destination in northern Italy, and compiling a list of the top restaurants in Milan is one of the many perks of this profession. Gastronomic brilliance can be found all around the city, from neighborhood trattorias to Michelin-starred restaurants.
Eating a fantastic dinner is a vital component of having a wonderful day in Milan, just as much as seeing the major sites and shopping like a boss. The city kitchens are Milan’s great equalizer, bringing together renowned chefs and modest histories with delightful results.
Top 15 restaurants in Milan, Italy
Instead, we’ve picked 15 that provide something truly unique.
- Langosteria
- Spore
- Trippa
- Erba Brusca
- Gastronomia Yamamoto
- 28 Posti
- Ristorante Da Giacomo
- Propaganda Alimentare
- Ratanà
- Sidewalk Kitchens
- Mao Hunan Restaurant
- Osteria Lagrandissima
- Piz
- Nebbia
- Trattoria Madonnina
Now, here we want to talk about them one by one in detail:
Langosteria
Langosteria serves some of the greatest fish and crustaceans in the city in an elegant setting. But don’t anticipate stuffy formality: the delightful sea-inspired décor gives Langosteria a warmth rarely found in high-end fish restaurants. Try the Catalan-style main dishes, particularly the Catalan-style king crab.
If you like your seafood raw, choose from the outstanding oyster collection or order one of the raw-fish platters, which include rarities like red shrimp caught in the deep Mediterranean waters near Sicily Langosteria has two offshoots nearby.
Trippa
Spore, a new laid-back restaurant in Porta Romana with a set five-course menu that rotates weekly – with a few recurrent favorites – is swiftly winning praise for its creative culinary approach. Fermented foods are the stars of this open-kitchen cafe, from kimchi and miso to shoyu, vinegar, and sourdough, all of which are created in-house and used throughout the meal.
Dishes featuring Asian, Scandinavian, and Italian flavors include miso-marinated grilled tomatoes, katsu sandos with pumpkin croquettes, koji-marinated pork belly, and fermented potatoes, mustard leaves, and fermented sesame mayo. The menu is rounded off with a wide range of natural wines.
Erba Brusca
Diego Rossi, one of the town’s most prominent chefs, has set out to honor offal, making unfussy interpretations of tripe, kidneys, heart, lung, liver, and sweetbreads; the menu varies daily depending on what’s in season.
With more traditional meals, the chef also caters to less daring eaters and vegans. Aside from the vibrant designs and flavors, what distinguishes Trippa is the welcoming ambiance created by Rossi’s business partner and front-of-house specialist, Pietro Caroli.
Gastronomia Yamamoto
Erba Brusca is a rural-chic refuge along the Naviglio Pavese canal, with a short and simple menu including vegetables from the adjacent vegetable garden, connecting guests to the soil. This laid-back hangout is especially popular on weekends when Milanese flock to the countryside and mountains that surround the city.
Although Chef Alice Delcourt’s menu varies frequently, a consistently wonderful fixture is the pasta with clams, truffles, and wild sorrel. It goes well with a glass of natural wine from the well-picked range.
28 Posti
Who would have guessed that the finest venue to enjoy traditional Japanese home food would be right in the heart of Milan? The Japanese institution immediately behind the Duomo covers all the bases, from the midday takeout counter selling pre-made bento boxes (without sushi) to the full-service restaurant in the back.
The wonderfully flavored curry, pillow-soft unagi eel donburi, or any of the outstanding side dishes, particularly the stewed Hijiki and miso eggplant, are our recommendations. Yamamoto also gets marks for the beautifully designed interiors, which put a modern spin on the typical Japanese canteen style.
Ristorante Da Giacomo
28 Posti – called after the 28 seats in this Navigli-side restaurant – leads the pack with a creative, contemporary approach to Italian food, serving dishes influenced by classic Mediterranean flavors, combined with precise service and meticulously picked natural wines.
The continuously changing menu features dishes such as a charred onion with rigatoni tossed in miso, fermented wild strawberries, and savory sweets flavored with bee pollen, coal, and bottarga, venturing into culinary seas uncharted in Milan. The end product is elevated, unexpected, and never, ever dull. Our advice: go for the tasting meals.
Propaganda Alimentare
The dining room was designed by the infamous architect Renzo Mongiardino in 1989, and it combines the drama of classic Milanese interior design with the simplicity of rustic Tuscan cuisine at this old-school restaurant in Zona Risorgimento. The dining room has ornate wall paneling and ganglia floors.
The broad menu focuses on seafood, with dishes such as paccheri with swordfish and eggplant, a huge range of raw carpaccio and tartare, and market-fresh fish that comes at the table entirely and is presented with dramatic flair. However, there are many vegetarian choices available, with a focus on traditional and locally produced products.
Ratanà
Propaganda Alimentare, a sleek-yet-welcoming neighborhood joint in Lambrate, bills itself as an ‘urban agriturismo’ – a place where the emphasis is local ingredients, on small producers, and a zero-waste approach to food, , and that implies involving each and every item completely, both through dishes and jam.
The cuisine is mostly vegetarian or vegetable-based, with appetizers like home-made pickled vegetables and raw cheese boards as well as heartier meals including roasted beetroot, farinata with black cabbage, and “dim sum” of potatoes, goat cheese, and celeriac.
There are other carnivore-friendly choices, such as venison in dolceforte sauce and deer tartare. With a solid range of natural and artisanal tipples by the glass or bottle, the wine list follows the same concept as the food.
Piz
Piz may just have three menu options, but you won’t leave feeling like you’ve missed out. Choose from the Margherita (San Marzano tomatoes, fresh fior di latte mozzarella, basil, olive oil,), Delicata Bianca, or Marinara (San Marzano, crushed garlic, basil).
Each option is deceptively basic but extraordinarily well-prepared, utilizing only the finest ingredients. They do not accept bookings, so try not to be put off by the lengthy wait: waitresses have been known to dish out gratis samples and glasses of Prosecco to the throngs of hungry guests that gather outside.
Sidewalk Kitchens
Ratanà, a restaurant in Isola founded by the inventive chef Cesare Battisti, serves the greatest contemporary variations on classic Milanese food. While the menu changes periodically, his take on the classic risotto alla Milanese con ossobuco is a year-round favorite.
Silky smooth and vibrant in both color and flavor, it finds Battisti substituting sweeter Lodigiano cheese for Parmesan, giving this normally creamy dish an even deeper taste. If you’re looking for pasta, consider the recently established Pastificio Ratanà, which is only a five-minute walk from the original. That’s all it does – meticulously handcrafted, of course.
Mao Hunan Restaurant
Sidewalk Kitchens, Milan’s hippest food hall, is a ‘food collaborative’ comprised of four kitchens, a natural wine bar, and one coffee shop. It is located in Zona Risorgimento and features a roster of innovative culinary outlets serving everything From katsu sandwiches to sliced pizza, Roman street food like supply and specialty coffee with freshly baked pastries are all provided by small, independent food businesses from the boot country.
The goal is to display the city’s culinary spectrum, encourage young chefs, and establish a location that functions as both an unpretentious diner and a communal center for the neighborhood. Food can be delivered, taken away, or consumed in the 80-seat dining room.
Osteria Lagrandissima
Mao’s menu of searingly spicy real Hunan cuisine, disguised as a gelato business in Loreto’s northern area, is not to be missed. The proprietors created a second restaurant, Maoji, which offers street food, and a third, Chifa, just outside Chinatown, which specializes in Yunnanese food.
However, the many-page-long menu at the original location contains staples such as pig’s feet with Sichuan chilis, stewed pork belly, fried spicy squid, and other vegetarian-friendly selections.
Osteria Lagrandissima
Osteria Lagrandissima, located in the ‘almost-countryside’ of Milan just north of the Martesana canal, debuted in the summer of 2022 and has since been a favorite among in-the-know Milanese.
This is mostly due to its country-meets-minimalist ambiance, a hyperlocal menu of basic dishes from the Italian culinary canon, and attentive service – not to mention the affordable rates, which are always a bonus. The true draw, though, is the homemade pasta, which ranges from tagliatelle with white pig ragu to ravioli in tomato sauce.
Trattoria Madonnina
This lost-in-time trattoria, one of Milan’s oldest, is just off Corso San Gottardo on a quiet side street. Each day, a short menu is scribbled and xeroxed, giving the best of Milanese comfort cuisine, such as Cotoletta alla Milanese ossobuco, and classic saffron risotto, which is normally available for both lunch and supper. In the summer, a vine-ringed patio is littered with tables, and a saxophonist frequently stops by for a song or two on Saturday nights.
Nebbia
Nebbia, another canal-side find in the Navigli neighborhood, is part of the latest crop of neo-trattorie that has taken over Milan. That means sleek yet modest decor, an emphasis on natural wines, and outstanding cookery that is both traditional and forward-thinking. Expect rich flavors and surprising flourishes in seasonal variations largely influenced by classic Lombardian food.
Though the seasonal short menu fluctuates, previous offerings have included duck liver brioche with caramelized onions, roasted pumpkin with goat cheese and sesame, octopus with hog cheek, and foraged greens.
