Cinque Vie

An ultra-exclusive speakeasy where you will spend more time trying to charm a bartender at Mag Café to give you the password than actually drinking

Brera · Italian

An aggressively old-school trattoria frozen in time where the waiters will judge you if you do not order the Ossobuco

Garibaldi · Italian

You're paying Michelin prices for an 1800s time capsule vibe in a pretty square with a saffron risotto that your nonna could probably make for €5

Città Studi

A glorious, salmon-pink relic where you will stand on a crowded pavement drinking an overpriced cocktail while being actively ignored by staff who have seen it all since 1947

Quadrilatero della Moda · Italian

A gorgeous temple of corporate luxury where influencers & fashion moguls pay extortionate sums to look at art deco posters (and, of course, the beef)

Porta Venezia · Italian

A cosy wine lounge where you will pay a premium to drink natural wine out of a literal bookshelf

Navigli · International

A boutique hotel restaurant where you go to escape the chaotic canal crowds, only to realise you are paying extra for the privilege of silence

Centro Storico · Italian

A historic masterpiece where you can either drink a Campari standing up like a local or pay triple to sit down upstairs just to watch tourists take selfies amongst pigeons

Tortona

An industrial cocktail laboratory where you may be served a drink containing pickled mushrooms or liquidised green beans

Porta Romana · Italian

A tiny, chaotic basement pocket that serves Calabrian food so intensely packed with nduja that you will completely forget you are in Northern Italy

Navigli

A self-proclaimed "airport bar" that changes its theme every few months – ensuring you are never sure if you are supposed to be ordering a Negroni or a tequila sunrise

Navigli · Italian

A bit tourist trap-y, but a good rustic place for out of hours charcuterie to watch the canal parade go by

Tortona · Italian

The ultimate seafood playground where the fish is undeniably flawless, the lighting is aggressively dim & your credit card statement will induce immediate physical pain

Porta Ticinese · Italian

A hyper-trendy, orange-hued natural wine hub where the staff are far (cooler than you will ever be) serving unfiltered wines that occasionally taste a bit like a farmyard

Stazione Centrale · Spanish

A massive, industrial-chic concrete warehouse featuring a fine-dining glass box floating in mid-air to ensure everyone below can watch you spend your money

Brera · Italian

A stunning 16th-century friars' cellar that has transformed from a holy refectory into a sweaty, high-society cavern of vinoculture

Centro Storico · Italian

A legendary, multi-floor deli powerhouse where wealthy locals buy gold-leaf paté and the rest of us go to window-shop cheeses we cannot afford

Bovisa · Italian

A theatrical wonderland packed with jazz memorabilia & vintage trinkets serving up Lombardian classics

Porta Nuova · Italian

A sleek, contemporary powerhouse serving highly conceptual, modern interpretations of traditional Milanese peasant food

Navigli

A Polynesian fantasy land planted right on a muddy canal where you can drink rum out of a ceramic monkey head while trying to ignore the standard Milanese fog outside

Città Studi · Italian

The Roman empire of Italian wine bars where the selections are safely mainstream & aperitivo sufficiently satiating

Porta Romana · Italian

A self-proclaimed "gastrocratic" restaurant where the chef brilliantly reinvents Neapolitan street food into fine dining, forcing you to use a fork and knife for dishes meant to be eaten on a street corner

Porta Venezia · Italian

A gloriously unpretentious yet cramped room where for home-cooked pasta & local Milanese delights

Navigli

An experimental cocktail venue that lets you custom-design your own gin recipe & take it with you – if there's any left after they mix you up a fantastic treat