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Restaurants We have selected 25 restaurants, which we have divided into five categories: Gastronomic, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The restaurants are listed alphabetically within these different categories, which serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments. Restaurant prices are subject to IVA (value added tax) at 10% but this is always included within the prices given. A 15% service charge is usually added to the bill at the end. It is customary to round up the bill and leave a tip (maximum 10% tip) as well, if the meal and service have been good. The prices quoted below are for an average evening three-course meal for one person and for a bottle of house wine or cheapest equivalent; they include IVA but do not include service charge or tip. Gastronomic Cracco-Peck Close by the Cathedral, the newly renovated modern interiors and the talent of masterchef Carlo Cracco make this the perfect choice for prestigious business lunches. Fixed menus start from €77 and dishes include the delicious ravioli made with goat’s milk, stuffed with spring onions and served with black truffles. Booking is essential. Via Victor Hugo 4 Tel: (02) 876 774. E-mail: cracco-peck@peck.it Website: www.peck.it Price: €85. Wine: €25. Don Carlos One of two restaurants in the Grand Hotel et de Milan (see Hotels), the Don Carlos is next to the main entrance. Ideal for smart business dinners, the small dining room is very traditional, with little shaded lamps illuminating prints and sketches from the museum at La Scala. Any of the home made pastas should be tasted, especially if served with truffle sauce. Via Manzoni 29 Tel: (02) 723 141. Fax: (02) 8646 0861. E-mail: reservations@grandhoteletdemilan.it Website: www.grandhoteletdemilan.it Price: €80. Wine: €25. Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia For 25 years, Aimo e Nadia has been proud to serve a cuisine born of only the most flavourful ingredients, hunted down in Italy and prepared with an artful simplicity wholly elusive elsewhere in the world. The spaghetti with tomatoes, spring onions and chilli quite literally puts all the competition to shame and perfectly illustrates what real Italian cuisine is all about. The dining room has terracotta floors and clean white walls hung with dramatic contemporary paintings, while the large windows overlook the street outside. The long taxi ride out to the north suburbs is wholly worthwhile, although booking is essential. Via Montecuccoli 6 Tel: (02) 416 886. Fax: (02) 4830 2005. E-mail: info@aimoenadia.com Website: www.aimoenadia.com Price: €80. Wine: €25. Ristorante Il Teatro One of two restaurants in the Four Seasons Hotel (see Hotels), the award-winning Il Teatro consistently rates among Milan’s best restaurants, thanks to chef Sergio Mei. Opening for one sitting in the evenings only, diners are ushered like royalty to the discreet round tables, topped with white linen, crystal glassware and candles. The service is exquisite, as is the food. Fish is a speciality, with wonderful offerings, such as fillets of turbot poached in wild garlic leaves. For dessert, the almond milk and aniseed parfait served with a strawberry salad, should not be missed. Four Seasons Hotel, Via Gesù 8 Tel: (02) 77088. Fax: (02) 7708 5000. E-mail: mil.concierge@fourseasons.com Website: www.fourseasons.com/milan Price: €110. Wine: €35. Ristorante Sadler Claudio Sadler has built up a strong reputation for marrying tradition with innovation. In the small restaurant seating 40, a few minutes’ walk from the Porta Romana metro, diners sit in an elegant well-lit dining room, with contemporary paintings on the walls and round tables laid with fine white linen. Fish is the speciality, such as the excellent sea bass strudel with olives and aubergine. For dessert, the iced melon served with zabaglione laced with white Port, is a must-try. In summer, there are a few tables outside. Booking is essential. Via Ettore Troilo 14, angolo (corner of) Via Conchetta Tel: (02) 5810 4451. Fax: (02) 5811 2343. E-mail: sadler@sadler.it Website: www.sadler.it Price: €85. Wine: €25. Business Alfredo, Gran San Bernardo Due east of Piazza Firenze, not too far from the Fiera, owner-chef Alfredo Valli’s costoletta alla milanese (breaded veal cutlet) is legendary. He started as an apprentice at Biffi (see below), prior to setting up shop in Via Gran San Bernardo, now renamed Via Borgese. The smart plainly decorated dining room, with whitewashed beam ceilings and low black chairs, is a good place to bring clients for traditional Milanese dishes. The beef tenderised in red wine is fantastic, as is the vanilla soufflé. Via Borgese 14 Tel: (02) 331 9000. Fax: (02) 2900 6859. Price: €55. Wine: €25. Antico Ristorante Boeucc Boeucc is the oldest restaurant in Milan, located on the ground floor of Palazzo Belgioioso, dominating the piazza due east of La Scala and built by the same architect. In addition to the grand neo-classical dining rooms, supported by granite columns, there are four elegant salons, which business groups (20-30 people) can hire privately. The service is excellent and the kitchen serves classical Milanese cooking, such as breaded veal cutlets and delicious risottos, enriched with truffles when in season. Piazza Belgioioso 2 Tel: (02) 7602 0224. Fax: (02) 796 173. Price: €55. Wine: €20. Biffi Scala & Toula Next to La Scala opera house, Biffi’s luxurious 18th-century salons remain the traditional spot for a post-opera supper of risotto al salto, a tasty savoury Milanese risotto fried and formed into a small cake. Diners walk past the bar to be seated in the central dining area, under columns and chandeliers between walls hung with Old Masters. However delicious the main courses, diners should leave room for the tantalising array of homemade desserts, including ricotta cheese mousse with cialde biscuits filled with coffee. To the left of the bar, a private room caters for parties of up to 40 people. Via Filodrammatici 2 Tel: (02) 866 651. Fax: (02) 866 653. E-mail: info@toula.it Website: www.toula.it/biffiinglese.htm Price: €70. Wine: €15. Da Berti Midway between Stazione Centrale and Stazione Porta Garibaldi, the spacious and elegant Da Berti started life in 1866 as the Robber’s Inn, a haunt of bandits. Now a favourite with politicians, it is essential to book in advance to arrange an aperitif in the beautiful wine cellar with owner Enrica Colombi or her son Pier Luigi Rotta, before dining in one of the four yellow-walled salons above. The prize-winning chef and sommelier, Giuseppe Biggica, prepares one of the best risotto alla Milanese (saffron risotto) in the city. While the salons seat 300, in summer, a further 170 can be fed and watered under the pergola in the garden. Via Algarotti 20 Tel: (02) 7600 2767. Fax: (02) 688 4158. Price: €35. Wine: €15. Savini In the heart of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, Savini epitomises Milan’s image of sophisticated elegance and caters primarily for its business clientele. Past the old cherry wood bar, the principal Belle Epoque dining room is furnished with plush red carpets, chandeliers and potted ferns. The antipasto house speciality, nervetti (fatty beef entrails fried with sweet red onions, balsamic vinegar and raisins) is delectable. A number of private rooms are available to business parties upstairs, seating from 12 to 100. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II Tel: (02) 7200 3433. Fax: (02) 720 2888. E-mail: savini@thi.it Website: www.savini.thi.it Price: €110. Wine: €30. Trendy Armani/Nobu Japanese masterchef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa has added another hit to his exclusive chain of restaurants worldwide, by joining up with Armani and putting one of his Nobu restaurants in the giant white-stone Armani World, across from Via Montenapoleone. Waif-like models and fashionistas concerned about their waistlines can feast on the stylish cool design, while nibbling now famous dishes, such as black cod in miso sauce, or sipping sake with gold leaf. Armani, Via Manzoni 31, restaurant entrance at Via Pisoni 1 Tel: (02) 6231 2645. Price: €70. Wine: €25. Joia This gourmet vegetarian restaurant, close to the Porta Venezia metro station, north of the Giardini Pubblici, is exceptional. Owner-chef Pietro Leeman ranks among Milan’s best, creating exciting dishes with wide appeal, thanks to a combination of Italian savvy and ideas picked up in Asia. The modern dining room is well lit and minimalist. Diners could try the vegetarian ‘foie gras’ with truffle sauce, or the greens layered with fontina cheese and herbs, and wash it all down with a bottle of organic sauvignon. Via Panfilo Castaldi 18 Tel: (02) 2952 2124. Fax: (02) 204 9244. Price: €50. Wine: €15. Marino alla Scala This first-floor restaurant above the designer ground-floor café, is situated in a Trussardi-owned palazzo, just across from the famous La Scala opera house. Diners can sink into the ochre-coloured sofas and armchairs and drink in the view of the piazza or study the menu of Mediterranean cuisine, on which fish and vegetables predominate, such as a dish of fresh trout cooked in balsamic vinegar. Piazza della Scala 5 Tel: (02) 8068 8201. Fax: (02) 8068 8287. E-mail: cafeteria@marinoallascala.it Website: www.trussardi.com Price: €72. Wine: €18. Pubblicità Close to Piazza San Babila, east of the Cathedral, the tables overlooking the stylish garden courtyard pull in suited designer types to this deli-style restaurant. It offers a tempting array of pizza, rolls and sushi, to eat in or take away. There is no booking and during lunchtime the place fills up quickly. Via Manzoni 16 Tel: (02) 784 781. Price: €25. Wine: €10. Shu This bar-restaurant, close to San Lorenzo, south of the historic centre, is strikingly green and dominated by a giant gold arm that holds up the 1950s revisited ceiling. A fashionable crowd – from the artsy to the officey – tuck into varied offerings spanning sushi to more traditional Milanese cuisine. Via Molino delle Armi/Via della Chiusa Tel: (02) 5831 5720. Price: €40. Wine: €15. Budget Al Pont de Ferr This highly recommended eating place in the Navigli district is close to an iron footbridge after which it is named. Signora Mercuri’s trattoria has a warm, welcoming atmosphere, with bare brick walls and terracotta floors. Many ingredients come from the family’s holdings, with menus changing regularly. There is always an excellent cheese trolley with rare offerings sourced from the whole country. The cooking mixes modern and traditional, with dishes like polenta and wild porcini mushrooms, followed by mains like duck breast wrapped in filo pastry. Ripa di Porta Ticinese 55 Tel: (02) 8940 6277. Fax: (02) 5811 1513. Price: €35. Wine: €10. Brek Part of a national chain, Brek’s fast-food restaurants provide good-value, tasty food. The restaurant near Stazione Centrale is one of the chain’s largest, offering hungry travellers an array of cold dishes, as well as lasagne, spaghetti and hot main courses of stew and cooked meats. The open-plan hall has a tiled floor and pine beams, steering reassuringly clear of the moulded plastic favoured by other fast-food chains. Via Le Petit 20 Tel: (02) 670 5149. Website: www.brek.it Price: €25. Wine: €10. Sadler Wine & Food Ideally situated for the Fiera district near Piazza Amendola, Claudio Sadler’s excellent food and wine bar offers a tempting array of meats, cheeses and dishes using unusual ingredients – such as ostrich and fois gras – from carefully selected producers. The decor at Sadler Wine & Food is that of a typical Italian restaurant with light ochre walls, dark wood panels and tables, and a few excellent pictures on the walls. The setting is elegant but informal. To encourage clients to try different wines with each course, many of the 300 labels are available by the glass. Via Monte Bianco 2/A Tel: (02) 4810 9490. E-mail: wine.food@sadler.it Website: www.sadler.it Price: €40. Wine: €18. Taverna Morrigi Close to Piazza Affari in the financial centre, this rather old-fashioned wood-panelled taverna offers a good-value set lunch for L40,000/€21. The menu includes traditional Milanese specialities, such as cassoeula (a Milanese casserole) and several risottos. Via Moriggi 8 Tel: (02) 8645 0880. Price: €25. Wine: €10. Viapre Carlo Gazzola’s trattoria is pleasantly informal; guests are ushered in past the rough plastered walls, various old prints of boats, the antique salami slicer by the door and an array of fresh antipasti. The menu is traditionally Ligurian, with unfamiliar dish names like messciua (a soup of chick-peas, beans and farro). The fish is always excellent, steamed in foil or lightly fried or in the rich zuppa di mare (fish soup). Via Casale 4 Tel: (02) 837 3869. Fax: (02) 204 6395. Price: €30. Wine: €10. Personal Recommendations Al Mercato del Pesce Seafood-lovers happy to wade through the wholesale fish market to this kitsch and simply decorated seafood diner are rewarded by an excellent and varied selection of the day’s catch. The bibs provided are a clear invitation to tuck in to plates of crab claw, sea bass or inky squid, brought in from the traders nearby. The atmosphere is business-like but friendly. Via Cesare Lombroso 54 Tel: (02) 5519 5540. Price: €40. Wine: €10. Antica Osteria del Ponte Located 20km (12 miles) southwest of Milan, Ezio Santin’s gourmet restaurant is a perfect choice, summer or winter, when something really special is required. In summer, there is a verandah outside, while, in winter, the cottage-like interior has a cosy fire. A member of Relais & Chateaux, the food is exceptional. The starter of marinated San Remo prawns served with spring onions and caviar are recommended. Piazza G Negri 9, Cassinetta di Lugagnano Tel: (02) 942 0034. Fax: (02) 942 0610. E-mail: osteriaponte@relaischateaux.com Website: www.relaischateaux.fr Price: €100. Wine: €30. Bagutta This Lombard-Tuscan trattoria is famous for its annual literary prize, which was founded in 1927. The warrenous halls are covered with frescoes and the book covers of prize-winning novels. It is always popular but, with over 200 places, there is plenty of room for everyone. In summer, the leafy garden accommodates up to 140, tucking into the Primavera, a veal cutlet served chilled with a fresh tomato and rocket dressing. Via Bagutta 14 Tel: (02) 7600 2767. Fax: (02) 799 613. E-mail: bagutta@cena.it Website: www.bagutta.it Price: €45. Wine: €15. La Scaletta Close to Stazione Porta Genova, in the Navigli district, this cosy restaurant is a good choice for romantics who appreciate formal, professional service in a modern and stylish setting. Recommended dishes include the rock octopus pan-fried with olives and courgettes, and fillets of turbot with a wild mushroom sauce. Piazzale Stazione Porta Genova Tel: (02) 5810 0290. Price: €60. Wine: €15. Taverna Visconti A few minutes’ walk east of the Cathedral, off Largo Augusto, chef Nico Carleo champions traditional Lombard cooking, such as duck in sweet and sour sauce, or the yellow saffron-flavoured risotto Milanese par excellence. The air-conditioned cellar restaurant retains the original early 19th-century vaulting and is decorated in dark and intimate colours. Above the restaurant, on the ground floor, is the wine bar and bistro – ideal for more informal occasions. Via Marziale 11 Tel: (02) 795 821. Fax: (02) 795 821. Price: €45. Wine: €13. |
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