Via Montecuccoli 6
Lorenteggio district
closed Saturday lunch and Sunday
tel. [+39] 02 416886
Primaticcio


Top Notch
.:. Aimo e Nadia
Not exactly in the city centre but not far from the old Fiera either, this top small-is-excellent place has been showered with awards by the specialist press (two stars Michelin).
.:. Gnocchi made with vegetables, risotto with pumpkin flowers and truffles, patisserie.



 
Via Adige 9
Romana district
closed Sunday, and Monday lunch
tel. [+39] 02 5462930
Lodi TIBB


$$$
.:. Alice Ristorante
A lot of passion from a young chef, with daring combinations between Mediterranean cuisine and experimentation. Raw materials carefully chosen.
.:. Michelin star.



 
Via Pio IV 3
Ticinese district
evenings only, open on Saturday at lunch and for brunch on Sunday and festivities
tel. [+39] 02 89403843
Sant'Ambrogio


$$$
.:. Cantina della Vetra
A nice place open to the greenery of Piazza Vetra, close to the Roman Columns of San Lorenzo. Kind staff, value for money, both meat and fish. It's not a large vanue, and it can be crowded: reserve in advance.


 
Via Hugo 4
Duomo district
closed Saturday lunch and Sunday
tel. [+39] 02 876774
Cordusio


Top Notch
.:. Cracco Peck
The old acclaimed Peck restaurant reopened in 2001 operating in collaboration with and under the supervision of chef Carlo Cracco, who boasts a starred career at Ducasse in Montecarlo and Sanderens in Paris. Successfull balance between avant-garde and tradition, the daring and the down-to-earth. Superb wine cellar and two stars Michelin.



 
Via Ludovico Muratori 50
Romana district
closed Sunday
tel. [+39] 02 55016966
Porta Romana


$$
.:. da Marcone
Though opened in 2013, and modernly furnished, this restaurant treasures a piece of history of the city's gourmandise. Annina is the same chef as at the good old Teatro Officina and Cucine Economiche. Translated for the non-Milanese, this means plain but absolutely reliable dishes (Tuscan soups, meat, carpaccio), with professional courtesy and an excellent quality-price ratio.



 
Piazza Repubblica 13
Garibaldi-Repubblica district
closed Saturday lunch and Sunday
tel. [+39] 02 62694843
Repubblica


$$$$
.:. Dal Bolognese
You may know its sister restaurant in Rome, packed with politicians and tourists alike. Here the glitzy crowd is Milan-style: industrialists, fashion and media folk, football players. The food is strictly Bolognese. Homemade pastas ("lasagna bolognese" a must), meats and great desserts. Al fresco in the good season. (Not to be confused with the other Bolognese reviewed hereunder).



 
Viale Abruzzi 21
Buenos Aires district
11am-1am, closed Sunday afternoon
tel. [+39] 02 36557526
Lima


$
.:. Divina Piadina
Cooked at the moment and fulfilled with a good choice of ingredients, this piadina romagnola is almost as good as the typical one of the north-eastern Italian Riviera around Rimini. Good for a fast break or take away.



 
Via Castel Morrone 10
Monforte district
closed Sunday, and Monday lunch
tel. [+39] 02 70006870
no metro


$$$
.:. Gattò
A most unusual place: you enter through a former-travel agency-cum-shop (selling an eclectic range of objects). The chef is a young lady - a slip of a girl - who graduated in industrial design. Mediterranean, homey cuisine with a Neapolitan touch. Good selection of wines. Though recently more pricey, it's still value for money.



 
Via Mercalli 3
Romana district
closed Saturday lunch and Sunday
tel. [+39] 02 58309604
Missori


$$
.:. Hostaria della Lanterna
One of the very few affordable real things in the city center. Just a bunch of dishes, most of them pasta or meat. Reservation recommended.



 
Corso Genova 3
Via Torino district
closed Sunday
tel. [+39] 02 58100824
Sant'Ambrogio


$$
.:. Il Bolognese
Wood-panelled restaurant (not to be confused with the other Bolognese reviewed in this page), offering a variety of home-made pastas. Regional specialties include tagliatelle bolognese and lasagne verdi. Fish, meat and yummy desserts. Friendly, old-style staff.



 
Via Curtatone 5
Romana district
closed Saturday lunch and Sunday
tel. [+39] 02 55188500
Crocetta


$$
.:. Il Sole
Hidden away in a tiny street not far from large barracks, the Sole pioneered the city's trend for wine bars ages ago. Now a restaurant proper, its cuisine is strictly Mediterranean, with veg galore. Friendly atmosphere and first class wines, also by the glass. From time to time they hold theme dinners and food &wine tasting courses.



 
Via Lepetit 27
Stazione Centrale district
closed Sunday and Monday at lunch
tel. [+39] 02 6694173
Centrale FS


$$
.:. La baita
An old style restaurant with good service useful if you are arriving or leaving from the Central station.



 
Corso Giuseppe Garibaldi 127
Brera district
closed Sunday lunch
tel. [+39] 02 6570651
Moscova


$$
.:. L'Incoronata
A few tables in a convenient location between the historic Brera district and the trendy Corso Como. The name comes from the Renaissance church in front of the restaurant. Soups, vegetarian couscous, some meat and fish dishes, cheese. Friendly atmosphere. Value for money.



 
Via Santa Radegonda 3
Duomo district
always open
tel. [+39] 02 8852455
Duomo


$$$
.:. Maio
On top of la Rinascente department store, at the seventh floor. Moderately elegant, with the best view in town over the gargoyles and the statues of the Duomo, and al fresco dining in the good season.
.:. The Maio is managed by reliable professionals from Vercelli, the town in Piedmont where most (and the best) of Italian rice comes from.
.:. You go up with an elevator that reaches directly, and only, the seventh floor. Entrance from Via San Raffaele..



 
Via Bernardino Corio 8
Romana district
closed Sunday
tel. [+39] 02 55190020
Porta Romana


$$$
.:. Pasta Madre
A tiny gourmet system, including a restaurant, a kitchen and a pastry shop, with an emphasis on healthy food, naturally fermented wine, and a wink to the trendy local audience. Sweets are indeed outstanding, and fish plates also above average. But the bill, too, is beyond expectations, especially if you were misled by the unassuming furniture and the small chairs - the latter bafflingly uncomfortable.
.:. Home bread-makers: call a day ahead to reserve some of their 85 year-old pasta madre, or sour dough starter. Free of charge.



 
Ripa Porta Ticinese 23
Navigli district
closed Sunday and Monday lunch
tel. [+39] 02 8373132
Porta Genova FS


$$$
.:. Ponte Rosso
This old trattoria along one of the Navigli canals, with its small tables and unique atmosphere, caters to those who want to experience Italian regional dishes of a kind you won't find elsewhere. But you can also get a good vegetable soup or an assorted cheese plate. Good selection of wines from the Friuli region.



 
Largo Claudio Treves 
Brera district
closed Monday and August
tel. [+39] 02 86463220
Moscova


$$
.:. Rigolo
Since 1958, a reliable restaurant with a Tuscan touch. Veg galore, fish and meat. If that isn't enough, the gluttons amongst you can savour a slice of 'castagnaccio'. Friendly atmosphere and - cherry on the top for die-hard smokers - this is one of the few places where cigarettes are still allowed.



 
Via Troilo 14
Navigli district
evenings only, closed Sunday
tel. [+39] 02 58104451
no metro


Top Notch
.:. Sadler
In modern premises with a summer terrace, Claudio Sadler is one of the chefs at the top of Milanese ratings. His seasonal dishes are delightfully innovative, and delicious too. Excellent wines and two stars Michelin.



 
Via San Marco 3
Brera district
closed Saturday lunch and Sunday
tel. [+39] 02 6555587
Lanza


$$$
.:. Santini
High cuisine, elegant setting and a bunch of function rooms for business lunch or dinners (hypocaloric menus for the diet conscious). Al fresco dining on summer evenings, adjoining bistrot for after-office drinks, brunch and day's specials.