Where to Eat in Milan: A Guide to Aperitivo & Classic Milanese Food

Milan is often overlooked on tourist itineraries in Italy, but the city has plenty to offer, including a vibrant food scene. From the early-evening tradition of aperitivo to the hearty flavors of traditional milanese cuisine, this guide will help you eat and drink your way through Milan.

N’Ombra de Vin

Located in the upscale nightlife area of Brera, this bar is an excellent place to experience the classic vespertine tradition of the aperitivo, popular throughout northern Italy but nowhere more so than in Milan. The aperitivo is more than just an evening drink; it is a social ritual that symbolizes the nightly transition from work to home, a chance to meet with friends and enjoy a leisurely drink and snack before heading home for dinner. 

The drink of choice for aperitivo is traditionally an Aperol Spritz or a Negroni Sbagliato (‘wrong Negroni’), the Milan original that was created when a bartender accidentally added prosecco rather than gin to the Campari and vermouth while preparing the classic Negroni. It is usually accompanied by a snack like olives and potato chips or something more substantial like bruschette or focaccia.

A Brera staple, the bar is located inside a beautiful wine cellar that used to be the dining hall of a 16th century monastery. As its name indicates, the place is famous for wine, with a collection of over two and a half thousand bottles to choose from. If you don’t come for aperitivo, be sure to return later in the night for a glass or two of wine after dinner.

Pizza AM

Pizza isn’t traditional to Milan, but when the locals need a fix, they often head to this spot. Top quality pizzas, great wine, and friendly service make this an excellent place for a meal—you’ll be treated to a shot of limoncello, the lemon liqueur, as a digestivo after you finish eating, in an ode to pizza’s origins farther south.

LùBar

Located inside of an 18th-century villa that also houses the city’s modern art gallery, this bar is another great place for a pre-dinner aperitivo. It’s quite lively, and the cool interior is full of plants that evoke the Giardini Pubblici park right across the street.

Villa Necchi Campiglio

This is another villa with a charming cafe—they close a bit too early for aperitivo, so it’s best for an afternoon coffee or drink. Built in the 1930s, the house is an important work of Rationalist architecture, a style which predominated in Italy at the time.

Ensconced by trees, the house feels far removed from the city around it, with serene gardens and even a swimming pool. Relax at the cafe and be sure to take a stroll around the property, too.

Risoelatte

This restaurant’s interior is a perfect recreation of a 1960s Italian home, with mint-green walls, formica countertops, and even laundry hanging from the ceiling. The food is also an homage to the comforts of a stereotypical Milanese grandmother, as is the name of the restaurant itself—riso e latte (rice and milk) refers to the ultimate comfort food, served either as a savory dish with cheese or a dessert with sugar, akin to rice pudding.

This is a great place to tuck into classic Milanese cuisine, with delicious preparations of risotto (creamy, slow-cooked rice), cotoletta (thin, breaded veal cutlet), and ossobuco (braised veal shank) among the standout dishes. For dessert, I recommend the namesake riso e latte (rice pudding) as well as the torta meneghina, the classic Milanese apple cake.

Panini De Santis

Open since 1964, this is the city’s go-to spot for panini, an Italian sandwich of high-quality ingredients on fresh-baked bread. Take your pick from any number of mouthwatering Italian meats and cheeses—you won’t be disappointed by any of them.

If the weather is good, get your sandwich to go and take it over to Parco Sempione for a picnic lunch.

Marchesi 1824

With over two centuries of history, Marchesi is the city’s oldest and most famous pasticceria, offering all manner of pastries and sweets. They have multiple locations in some of Milan’s most exquisite shopping areas: one can be found in the Quadrilatero della moda (fashion quarter), while another is inside the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the lavish shopping arcade right next to the Duomo, in addition to the original shop near Parco Sempione.

Trust your eye as you view the pastry case, but I definitely recommend trying something with pistachio, which is both the local and house specialty, as you can see even from the paint color on the walls of the shop. If you visit around Christmastime, be sure to take home a panettone, the iconic Italian Christmas bread originally from Milan.

Giacomo Rosticceria

Located down the block from their seafood-based Ristorante Da Giacomo, the rosticceria is another great spot for Milanese comfort food, whether seated in their warm, inviting interior or the peaceful garden outside.

The rosticceria refers to their specialty rotisserie chicken (pollo allo spiedo), one of the city’s emblematic popular foods. Other typical Milanese dishes include the mondeghili (breaded meatballs) and cotoletto di pollo (breaded chicken cutlet), while they also have an excellent lasagna. For dessert, don’t miss their tiramisù.

Pasticceria Cucchi

This is another classic pasticceria, open since 1936. The same recommendations apply here: trust your eye, try something with pistachio, and if it’s December, bring home a panettone. Follow these rules and you can’t go wrong.

Ai Balestrari sul Naviglio Pavese

Open in Rome since 1862, this restaurant brings the cuisine of the Eternal City to the north, located along one of the canals in the lively Navigli district. I recommend a classic Roman pasta like cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper), carbonara (cheese, pepper, guanciale, egg yolk), or amatriciana (cheese, pepper, guanciale, crushed tomatoes, and onion). Navigli is one of the best areas in Milan for nightlife, so be sure to head out for some drinks after dinner.

Mercato Centrale

Located inside the Milano Centrale train station, this lively food market has around thirty restaurants and bars offering a whirlwind tour of Italy with some international flavors, too. Don’t mistake it for a train station food court—it’s a high quality, modern food market deserving of its own trip, but it’s also a great place for a meal if you’re on your way to catch a train for a day trip to the countryside.