37 Best Restaurants in Milan, Italy

Take a ride on Milan's 1930s-era trams, enjoy a tour of the city, and have a romantic dinner or brunch (on weekends) all in one go. For dinner, choose between meat, fish, and vegetarian four-course set menus, which vary throughout the year and include a bottle of wine, mineral water, and coffee. Both dinner and brunch last about two-and-a-half hours, and you're asked to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the 11:30 am, 8 pm, or 8:30 pm departure from Piazza Castello, at the corner of Via Beltrami. Due to limited space, online reservations are mandatory.

Named after the phonetic spelling of the Dutch-Italian chef's last name, this innovative, high-concept restaurant, whose quiet dining rooms are done up in gray and gold, offers a choice of interesting tasting menus and à la carte options. Boer's contemporary Italian food is beautifully presented and full of complex flavors, and the well-matched wines lean toward the natural.

Book well in advance for one of Milan’s most fashionable eateries, where the tables are lacquered red and modern artwork crowds the walls—exactly what you’d expect from the twin brothers, Dean and Dan Caten, behind the fashion label Dsquared2. The food cred matches the scene—with fresh, creative, sophisticated pastas and other dishes. When the weather’s warm, the people-watching's great; enjoy an aperitivo or Sunday brunch on the expansive terrace with a fabulous skyline view.

Celebrity chef Ritu Dalmia runs well-regarded Italian restaurants in India, so it's no surprise that her restaurant in Milan offers a mash-up of modern Indian food with Italian and international ingredients; even the decor, with shelves of pottery and terrazzo floors, is a cultural combo. Look for unexpected flavors and a mix of small plates, more substantial mains, and utterly delicious fusion desserts.

At Marghe, crafting Neapolitan-style pizza is art. Book in advance to grab a table in the rustic and lively dining room with exposed concrete walls, floral-tiled floors, and pendant lights, where pizzas are delivered quickly and piping hot. You can try the classics, margherita (San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte [mozzarella style] cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and basil) or salsiccia e friarielli (fior di latte cheese, smoked provolone cheese, sausage, and firarielli, which is similar to broccolini), or ask about their seasonal pizza. There's a second pizzeria at Via Cadore 26 in Porta Romana.

Your main problem at Pavè will be deciding what to order among rows of cakes, tarts, classic Italian brioches (with sweet fillings like cream and jam), and other pastries. When everything is this drool-worthy, your best strategy is to come with friends and share your favorites. The hip café and bakery with floor-to-ceiling windows is a favorite of locals who wait in line for a spot at weekend brunch and lunch. There's a second location, Pavè–Break, at Via della Commenda 25.

The café at this foodie paradise at its original 1883 outpost near the Duomo features Italian specialty foods such as excellent cheeses, charcuterie, vegetables in olive oil, seafood, and sandwiches. It also reinterprets classic dishes like Russian salad and pâté, which can be washed down with a fine selection of wines by the glass or a bottle from its cellar of global labels. You'll also find Peck at City Life near San Siro and in Porta Venezia.

Modern Italian cuisine made using interesting ingredients is the draw at this restaurant with sophisticated brown-and-turquoise decor in Milan's Mandarin Oriental Hotel. The best way to experience the intricate dishes is through the seven-course tasting menu; for a less expensive option, opt for the three-course “carte blanche” lunch menu. With more than 1,000 labels on the extensive wine list and a focus on Italian producers, you’re guaranteed to find something wonderful to accompany your meal.

From day to night, step into the chic living room of 142 for whatever you are craving. Drink coffee and eat a homemade brioche at a bar decorated in crown caps or eat lunch or dinner at tables with a hand-painted Pollock flourish, while browsing a selection of art books. The influence of Sandra Ciciriello (who co-founded a Michelin-starred restaurant and worked as a fishmonger before starting 142) is evident in the fish-focused menu. There's also a selection of pastas and risotto with a twist. End the meal munching on caramel corn bonbons and salted caramelized popcorn from an oversized red-and-white striped box.

In Italian, al fresco means open-air, and when the weather cooperates you can dine in the candlelit garden of this restaurant converted from a former factory. The string lights and wooden tables create a romantic setting, while indoors, a greenhouse with terra-cotta floors is decorated with seasonal floral arrangements, chandeliers, and pendant lights to add to the 19th-century charm. The menu offers plenty of classic dishes from throughout Italy like Pappa al pomodoro (a Tuscan bread soup), a Milanese veal cutlet, and a codfish from Liguria. Fish and seafood are prominent for mains as are chef Andrea Mangiaracina's low-temperature cooking techniques. Wines from nearly every region in Italy make up the extensive list.

Outside the center of town, this is a fun place to sample specialties from the Puglia region of southern Italy. These include homemade orecchiette and other pastas served with a variety of sauces; dishes are piled high, so share or come with a big appetite. There is a wide array of first courses, as well as plenty of vegetable, meat, and fish dishes.

Alternative describes more than the decor and name at Altriménti. But there are the scarlet velvet Three Wise Monkeys (See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil) to greet you, evocative bright prints from contemporary Italian artists, that same scarlet for walls, stairs, and cushions, and fluted cardboard stools for resting handbags table-side in the bright main dining room that can seat 30. But in a neighborhood not known for its culinary prowess, the team behind Altriménti (with an impressive culinary resume with guidance by renowned chef Eugenio Boer) has also created a seasonally changing menu and wine list that takes the best of Italian regions such as baccalà mantecato (mashed cod, Veneto), crusco pepper (crunchy red pepper, Basilicata), and polenta (Piedmont) to create direct dishes with complex flavors, as nettles, lemongrass, and lime also grace white discs served on white linens. Alongside slow-cooked meats, seared seafood, and house made ravioli, there is Lombardy's classic risotto carnaroli allo zafferano (saffron risotto) with beef jus and Piedmont's vitello tonato (veal filet with tuna sauce). Mixed-to-order gelato and sorbet make dessert worth saving room for. 

One thing has remained constant in the Galleria: the Camparino, whose inlaid counter, mosaics, and wrought-iron fixtures have been welcoming tired shoppers since 1867. Small plates to be enjoyed with a Campari aperitif are served in pretty Bar di Passo downstairs, while a more extensive range of Campari cocktails paired with food for aperitivo or dinner is available in elegant Sala Spiritello upstairs.

The fashion and publishing crowds, as well as international bankers and businesspeople, favor this Milanese-Ligurian restaurant. The emphasis is on fish, and with its tile floor and bank of fresh seafood, the place has a refined neighborhood-bistro style.

Join businesspeople, ladies who lunch, and in-the-know travelers at this elegant restaurant atop the Museo del Novecento and with a glorious Duomo view (be sure to request a window table, though, or risk being relegated to a viewless back room). To complement the vistas, choose from a selection of well-prepared seafood, pasta, and meat courses for lunch and dinner; the servers are happy to recommend pairings from the extensive wine list.

One of the few restaurants open after La Scala lets out, Don Carlos, in the Grand Hotel et de Milan, is nothing like its indecisive operatic namesake (whose betrothed was stolen by his father). Flavors are bold, presentation is precise and full of flair, service is attentive, and the walls are blanketed with sketches of the theater. The low-key opera recordings are every bit as well chosen as the wine list, setting the perfect stage for discreet business negotiation or, better yet, refined romance.

The 15 different types of daily breads along with tarts, croissants, and a decadent selection of other desserts have a French influence at this bakery with sidewalk tables and chairs and a viewing window into the bakers behind the scenes of it all. Grab an easy breakfast, lunch, or aperitif as you soak up the aroma of fresh-baked baguettes.

A French-style bistro in the heart of Milan, Fioraio Bianchi Caffè was opened more than 40 years ago by Raimondo Bianchi, a great lover of flowers; in fact, eating at this restaurant is a bit like dining in a Parisian boutique with floral decor. Despite the French atmosphere, the dishes have Italian flair and ensure a classy, inventive meal.

At this hushed, haute-cuisine vegetarian haven, delicious dishes—all without eggs and many without flour—are served in a minimalist beige room that puts the focus solely on the artistry of the food. Vegetarians, who often get short shrift in Italy, will marvel at the variety of culinary offerings made from many organic and biodynamic ingredients. They are best experienced with one of the interesting tasting menus offered at lunch (more affordable) and dinner, which read more like poems than dish descriptions.

This lively pizzeria has two wood-burning ovens going full-steam every day of the week. Skip the appetizers and go straight to the pizzas, which vary from traditional (quattro stagioni) to vegetable based (with zucchini, spinach, rucola, and more) to in-house specialties like the tartufona (with truffle oil). The menu also offers antipasti, pastas like pici with fresh pecorino and pepper, and secondi. Save room for a worthy dessert—though after pizza, you might want to share. The Fabbrica is large enough to handle groups; seek out a seat in the garden when the weather's nice.

Dining at LùBar, which was started by three children of Milan fashion designer Luisa Beccaria and which is tucked into the side of the Galleria d’Arte Moderna, feels like eating inside a greenhouse—only with fashionable people among the trees and plants. The cozy, chic environs lend themselves perfectly to nibbling on small plates of modern Sicilian food—for lunch, an afternoon snack, or a light dinner.

Whether you stop for a cappuccino and one of their gigantic brioche (similar to a croissant) filled with jam, cream, or an unconventional salted-caramel for breakfast, an afternoon break with a selection of minicakes, or to eat a quick sandwich, any craving can be satisfied at Marlà—the acronym for the first names of the two owners, Marco Battaglia and Lavinia Franco. Keep in mind that you may not have room for dinner if you stop by this sea green–and-white modern café in the afternoon.

Without traveling across the city, you can try the creations of some of the most well-known food purveyors in Milan. Follow neon signs with sketches of the type of food on offer to pick from standbys such as risotto from Sergio Barzetti and fish from Pescheria Pedol at Milan's version of the concept food hall that's also in Florence, Rome, and Turin. The two-level industrial space with contemporary decor in black, white, red, and graffiti on the ground floor of Milan's central train station is an ideal place to eat a fresh-baked pizza or grab a drink after a long day traveling. For a quieter meal, head upstairs for even more food options and larger tables that are ideal for groups.

This enoteca serves wine by the glass and, in addition to the plates of salumi (Italian cold cuts) and cheese nibbles, has light food and not-so-light desserts. It's a great place for people-watching on Via San Marco, while indoors offers a more dimly lit, romantic setting; check out the impressive vaulted basement, where bottled wines and spirits are sold.

Mobiles and natural-wood lanterns decorate this cozy restaurant where house-made pasta is the main event. Start with crusty sourdough bread and small dishes of seasonal salads, vegetables, and fish served on plates crafted in a Milan ceramics studio. Then ease into the pastas made in Francesco Costanzo's kitchen and served with a decadent combination of yellow tomatoes, raw shrimp, and stracciatella (a cheese from Puglia), along with a handful of other classic and modern interpretations of southern Italian flavors. 

Fun, lively, and usually with a line out the door, this no-frills pizzeria on a side street near the Duomo has just four kinds of thin crust on offer. Choose from margherita, bianca (white, with no tomato, and a seasonal vegetarian topping), marinara (with no mozzarella), and a surprise pizza of the day; all are served hot from a wood-burning oven to satisfy locals and tourists alike. Although you may need to wait, there's often a free glass of prosecco for you while you do. In the summer, sidewalk seating adds to the party vibe.

The thin-crust pizza wins raves from locals at this family-run pizzeria with several locations, the oldest near Corso Buenos Aires in the Porta Venezia area. The pizza is extra thin and large, and possibilities for toppings seem endless. A good choice for families, this dining experience will be easy on your pocketbook. Other locations are on Via San Siro 9 in Corso Vercelli and Via Chiesa Rossa 109.

Chef Cesare Battisti infuses the Milanese dishes of his childhood with a contemporary twist at this lively restaurant. Its two patios face a park with skyline views, and its dining room is decorated with vintage items (like an Olivetti typewriter and Scandalli accordion). A busy lunch crowd sips wine from a collection of natural and biodynamic labels. Start with a classic Milanese recipe for mondeghili (fried veal meatballs) followed by risotto alla vecchia Milano (risotto with saffron, bone marrow, and gremolata). Ingredients are seasonal and local where possible with a focus on small producers. Afterwards, take a stroll through the Biblioteca degil Alberi (Library of Trees).

The seventh floor of this famous Italian department store is a gourmet food market surrounded by several small restaurants that can be a good option for lunch, an aperitivo overlooking the Duomo, or dinner after a long day of shopping. There are several places to eat, including the popular mozzarella bar Obicà, God Save the Food for juices and healthy bowls, and the sophisticated Maio restaurant. A terrace overlooking the Duomo is shared by three locations. You'd best get here early—it's popular, and there are often lines at mealtimes.

Simple, fresh, authentic Ligurian specialties will take you back to lazy summer days on the Italian Riviera—even during Milan's gray winters. Such coastal classics as trofie al pesto (an egg-free pasta served with pesto) and bagnun di acciughe (anchovy soup), coupled with a basket of warm focaccia or a side of farinata (a chickpea pancake) reign supreme in this Milan favorite. It overlooks a lively (seasonal) bocce court.