Concerto

I will be in Milan quite a bit in the near future. Does anyone have any suggestions for lunch venues with reasonable menu del giorno options? I have got very lucky in other Italian towns and cities with this. Ideally I need something within reasonable walking distance of central station.

Perche

There's a lot on this site about eating in Milan, including near Centrale. Those recommendations include why you should consider not restricting yourself to eating near the train station. Milan is one of the best food places in Italy. Some would say it is the best. Wanting to eat the daily special near Milan central train station is not really the best way to experience that.

Concerto

I can't find a single thing about eating in Milan in this forum, searching with the words restaurants, eating and food combined with Milan.

I have found some wonderful places in the vicinity of Centrale for aperitif time, starting 6pm. Ciu's bar, for example, offers a huge all you can eat smorgasbord of Lombardian specialities including wine or craft beer for....... 7.50 Euros only! But I'm not sure about lunchtime menu options that are good. I will explore and discover, no doubt.

PWMTrav

As many times as I've been to Italy, I've skipped Milano, so I don't have much to offer. I'm willing to read some Italian reviews and give you a couple of picks if you're willing to trust 3rd hand information Let me know.

Perche

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/italy...nner-spot.html

Concerto

Thanks very much, Perche, this is much appreciated. It seems that there are many good options in there. In the end, I'm not sure how much time I'll have, but I'll report back if something exceptional happens!

Concerto

The Osteria del Treno was amazing. It looks like a place where railway employees probably went in the past! I shared a Prosecco with the owner then he took me into the kitchen where he let me choose the pieces of meat I might want. That was bizarre, but people hadn't begun to turn up yet.

So, I had as primo: Purea di fave con catalogna, which was amazing. As secondo, I took Lesso di guanciale con salsa verdeo bagnetto rosso, which maybe is not everyone's taste but it was excellent. As a contorno I had Friariella e pomodorini saltati. I also had a dolce, as well as a half liter of white wine. Whole thing came to €25.

Perche

Bravo for the feedback! People, including me, get a lot out of this site. Without feedback it's hard to say what is what. The owner taking you back is not strange at all. And if you go back a year from now, he'll probably remember you. It's not a tourist dive.

ckendall

I'm glad you enjoyed Osteria del Treno; I make it a point to go every time in Milan at least once. The menu is seasonal and will change month to month to reflect traditional seasonal dishes.

Also, as you note, there is some connection to the train worker's unions but that was some time ago. I am pals with one of the waiters who takes great care of me when he is there (he recommends oddball wines and gives me a free grappa/digestivo).

Concerto

If anyone is taking the train down to Milan via the Simplon tunnel, it can be worth making a stop in Domodossola, a border town with quite a famous and lively market (although, despite the frequency of trains through Domodossola, it can be oddly tricky fiddling with the timetables so that this can work comfortably).

There are a couple of restaurants there that are well worth a lunchtime visit. One is La Meridiana, which offers a menu del giorno which includes two decent and substantial dishes, a Primo and a Secondo, as well as a pichet of wine (or water, if you're driving) for only €11. After the meal nip down a neighboring alley to the Bar Italia for excellent coffee.

OliverB

I haven't been to Milan but I did a fair bit of planning for an eventual tour through through the city by way of the Riveria and Lake Country, so please take this with a grain of salt. These were the places that most interested me, though they mostly consist of classic trattorias and old bars, historic cafés and pasticcerias, etc. Btw, I'm adding "Osteria del Treno" to the list as well!



Dining


• Antica Trattoria della Pesa

• Trattoria Milanese

• A Santa Lucia

• Bebel's Ristorante

• Il Salumaio di Montenapoleone

• Peck

• Antico Ristorante Boeucc

• Trussardi alla Scala

• Hostaria Borromei

• Tram Ristorante ATMosfera {?}

• Panificio Luini - Panzerotti

• Dehors at The Park Bar, Park Hyatt

• Ristorante Don Carlos, Grand Hotel

• Hall and Lounge Bar Mezzanotte, Château Monfort

• Principe Bar, Hotel Principe di Savoia

• Victoria Café

• Bar Basso

• Bar Magenta

• Bar Quadronno

• Nottingham Forest

• Sayonara Piano Bar

• Enoteca Ronchi

• Il Massimo del Gelato

• Rinomata Gelateria




Old Milano Pasticcerias


• Pasticceria Marchesi

• Pasticceria Taveggia

• Sant'Ambroeus Pasticceria

• Pasticceria Cucchi

• Pasticceria Bastianello

• Pasticceria Sissi

• Gattullo Pasticceria

• Bar Luce, Fondazione Prada

Perche

In general, Milan is not a nice place to "tour" or visit. One of the less appealing places in Italy. But unlike Rome, Venice, and Florence, it is not hard to eat well there.

OliverB

I didn't mean "tour" in the literal sense... I was referring to a greater tour of the riviera and lake country with a stop in Milan for several nights - in part for the history and culinary attractions as noted above, as well as the fashion for the missus. I'm also very interested in all the Terragni buildings and the "Architectura Razionale" movement that was influenced by Le Corbusier in contrast to the Art Noveau style of the early 20th c. Italian Modernism is abundant in Milan, the likes of Giovanni Muzio, Piero Portaluppi, Gio Ponti, Aldo Adreani, etc. I would be very happy to spend a few days exploring the city, doing the java jive in each of the historic pasticcerias, sippin' on lungos while getting a clip and shave from Antica Barbieria Colla. I can't say it's a particularly high mark on my travel priorities, though it is one of the few cities in Italy that we haven't yet been and I would welcome a layover or side trip for a couple of nights.

ckendall

I'm not quite sure how your list was generated but Enoteca Ronchi is a wine shop (though they also run a wine bar). Boeucc is pretty classic but was not really good (though I have not been in a while). The bar at the Principe de Savoia is nice and if you like hotel bars the roof bar at the Gallia is nice too. Both are much nicer than Chateau Monfort. And Peck is a grocery store, though there is ristorante (Cracco) there too.

OliverB

I don't remember how that list was put together but as mentioned, it's just a bunch of places that interested me for one reason or another - a mix of bars, restaurants, cafés, etc. I can't confirm whether they're all destination-worthy as I've never been to Milan. I typically seek out institutions carried over from past generations as I enjoy the timewarp experience. I only delved so far into my research with the above list, as I didn't end up pursuing the trip, but I'll typically look at photos on TripAdvisor and blogs and then cross check forums like this one or Chowhound and HungryOnion among other more discerning places, to get a better sense of expectations. Again, I only offered the above list as suggestions to explore further. I'm sure there's likely a mix of excellent spots and others that aren't worth the time. I'd personally be more interested in exploring the smaller trattorias and osterias from the above list, along with the old school bars and pastaccerias, which Milano is famous for.