Restaurants in Milan
IF YOU KNOW | DEC 3, 2021
Laurel Evans
WHO
Restaurants
WHAT
Milan, Italy
WHERE
About
Award-winning author, food writer, and expat Laurel Evans was raised in Texas and based in Milan for the last 17 years. A seventh-generation Texan, raised on a historic family ranch in the Hill Country, her wanderlust began early. Falling in love with an Italian photographer brought her to Milan in 2004, where her food obsession fully manifested. Today she is a cookbook author, television personality, freelance writer, recipe developer, culinary guide, and mom to two rambunctious half-Italians. Her newest book, Liguria, the Cookbook, is now available online and in bookstores now.
PHOTO BY EMILIO SCOTI
Full disclosure: chef Alice Delcourt is a close friend of mine. Fuller disclosure? We became friends only after I discovered and fell in love with her restaurant on a picturesque canal a bit outside central Milan. She runs Erba Brusca with her partner, sommelier and maître d’ Danilo Ingannamorte, who is responsible for their extensive natural wine list. Their motto “Orto con cucina” means “garden with a kitchen,” and if you visit their adjoining, overflowing vegetable garden you’ll understand why. Alice is half English, half French, was raised in the US, and trained as a chef in Italy. While her fresh and vegetable-centric (not necessarily vegetarian) dishes lean towards Italian, they have a unique and international flair.
If you're in the mood for great pasta, don’t miss the chance to eat at Pastamadre in the Porta Romana area of town. Their fresh, handmade pasta dishes always hit the spot, especially when dressed with things like creamy stracciatella and red prawn tartare. Chef Francesco Costanzo hails originally from Sicily, and brings some of those traditions with him to the kitchen, along with great attention to procuring the highest quality ingredients he can find.
For an authentic Milan dining experience with a creative twist and a warm and friendly atmosphere, don’t miss out on Trattoria del Nuovo Macello. They serve Milanese classics such as saffron risotto and a traditional Cotoletta alla Milanese, as well as original, seasonal rivisitations of other classic Italian dishes as well.
Trippa is an informal, modern trattoria that offers consistently delicious, updated Italian classics, like their famous Vitello Tonnato (veal in tuna sauce) and fried tripe. More adventurous eaters take note: there are always several unusual offal offerings on the menu, also excellently prepared, which are definitely worth a try.
From chef Diego Rossi of Trippa, this traditional Osteria offers excellent wine accompanied by thoughtful, high quality, small plates in a lively, informal atmosphere. Here, the wine is at the center of the menu. You won’t find pasta and risottos, but rather charcuterie boards, toasted bread with lardo, or concord grapes served with chunks of Parmigiano Reggiano. I highly recommend this spot for an informal evening out when you’re not in the mood for an entire, multi-course affair in a more traditional restaurant setting.
Treat yourself to an unforgettable aperitivo, which can easily morph into dinner, at the historic Camparino in Galleria, overlooking both Piazza Duomo and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Head bartender, Tommaso Cecca, is quite possibly the best in town and makes a perfect Negroni. You can pair the cocktails with a special dish created for Camparino by the Michelin starred Chef Davide Oldani. I also highly recommend this place for your morning cappuccino and croissant, both of which are perfectly executed.
Minimalist decor, an excellent natural wine selection, and the creative cuisine of Marco Ambrosino, combine to make 28 Posti a memorable dining experience. The menu is strictly seasonal, changing every 2 months, with innovative dishes inspired by the chef’s roots in Procida, an island just off the coast of Naples. You’ll find dishes like “Spaghettini with fermented pasta water and legume miso” and, for dessert, “ Ricotta cheese, pollen, citrus peel ash and bottarga.”
Trattoria del Pescatore is a historic Milan restaurant referral point for seafood in the city. Giuliano Ardu and his wife Agnese Atzeni moved to Milan from Sardinia and opened the restaurant in 1976. They first introduced the city to traditional Sardinian recipes like Astice alla Catalana (Catalan Lobster), for which they are still famous today.
For more of a fine-dining experience, try the much talked about, Michelin-starred Contraste in the Navigli area of Milan. The fun, creative cuisine plays on contrasting flavors that are a delight for all the senses. Innovation and experimentation drive chef Matias Perdomo, who arrived in Italy from Uruguay in his early 20s, and quickly made a name for himself in the Milanese culinary scene. Before you leave, don’t forget to peep through the giant keyhole before you leave, for a peek at the magic being made in the kitchen.
LA LATTERIA
Via San Marco, 24
MILAN, ITALY
$$
This tiny, 8-table restaurant is one of my favorite spots in the Brera neighborhood, though they don’t take reservations and there is often a long wait. It's a classic Milan experience, a favorite amongst locals and tourists alike, with a fresh, seasonal menu that features local vegetables and excellently-executed Italian cuisine. Husband and wife team, Arturo and Maria Maggi, have owned the place since 1965 and they have the rare gift of maintaining the retro charm without making the place feel stuffy or outdated.
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“Head bartender at Camparino In Galleria , Tommaso Cecca, is quite possibly the best in town and makes a perfect Negroni.”