Where to eat in Milan: cheap restaurants and typical dishes
Eating in Milan and tasting its Mediterranean flavors will be one of the most pleasant experiences you can give to your palate.
We know that Italian cuisine is considered one of the best in the world. But also in this city you will find a wide variety of unique dishes and appetizers: carpaccio, veal ossobuco, risotto, bresaola, cotoletta and many more.
Below, we leave you a series of recommendations to eat cheaply in Milan, including a selection of inexpensive restaurants with authentic Italian dishes that will leave you speechless.
It is easy to fall into the temptation to eat at any tourist site that you find at every corner. And the restaurants in the center of Milan are not exactly cheap: in most of the establishments you will find in the Vittorio Emanuele ll gallery a plate of pasta is around 20 euros. What alternatives do you have? Go into the streets of the city of fashion in search of a trattoria. Basically, it differs from a restaurant in that it is less refined, more familiar and usually serves homemade food from the region.
If you want to savor the typical food of Milan, at the Madonnina you will find a menu with 100% Lombard recipes. I especially recommend the veal ossobuco, a characteristic dish of the region consisting of thick slices of veal with bone and marrow stewed in a sauce composed of lemon peel, garlic, rosemary, sage and parsley.
If you opt for cotoletta alla milanese, you will discover another way of cooking veal, coated in breadcrumbs enriched with a pinch of nutmeg and Parmesan cheese.
And let's not forget the famous risotto, which this restaurant prepares in a very creamy and delicious way! Undoubtedly, this is one of the best trattorias where to eat in Milan.
Address: Via Gentilino, 6.
The typical dish par excellence is the polpette al ragù, delicious meatballs covered with ragù sauce.
While the customers savor the food, the waiters give off sympathy by singing the Neapolitan tarantella to the rhythm of tambourines. An experience with which the Milanese can escape from their busy lives to let themselves be caught up in the liveliness and carefree attitude that characterizes the people of Naples.
Address: Largo Corsia Dei Servi, 11.
Traveling to Italy and not having a Spritz is like going to France and not tasting a croissant. The Italian aperitif traces its origins to the 19th century, when the soldiers of the Austrian Empire settled in Venetian territories used to soften the alcoholic intensity of the local wine by adding gas or soda. This cocktail had its boom in the Italian northeast in the 70's and today it is recognized worldwide.
When ordering a Spritz you can find it in two versions: one prepared with Aperol and the other with Campari. Both are made with prosseco and soda, but the one with Aperol has a sweeter and less bitter taste. If you are not a big fan of bitters and do not want to say goodbye to Italy without tasting its well-known aperitif, this drink will do the trick.
If for lunch in Milan the trattoria is the most affordable option, you can also dine and stay full for a modest price of around 10 euros. How? Thanks to the happy hour offered by many locals, where you only have to choose a drink and you can enjoy a buffet with a wide diversity of foods such as pizza, grilled vegetables, cheeses, meats and pasta.
It is usually served from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., the time of the day when the Milanese relax to enjoy a good aperitif. It is better not to miss this offer and to accompany the Spritz tasting a small part of the Italian cuisine.
A classic is to have an aperitif in the Navigli district of Milan, where the waters of the canal that once connected the Lombard capital with the countries of northwestern Europe flow. If you come to this busy area for dinner, take advantage of the happy hour and feel like a Milanese among the crowd.
For this I suggest a place called Spritz (Ripa di Porta Ticinese, 9), which offers delicious Italian food and, because it is not too big, you can avoid the crowds in front of the buffet.
fancy a happy hour in the city center? Bar Straf, located one street away from the Duomo (Via San Raffaele, 3) has delicious cocktails and prepares a variety of finger-licking made in Italy dishes.
The coperto charge, which is usually two or three euros for each diner, perplexes many tourists. In Italy, restaurant owners ask for the cost of the use of tablecloths, napkins, plates, cutlery and the subsequent cleaning of the place occupied by the customer.
This practice dates back to the Middle Ages, as back then customers brought their own food to taverns and paid for the use of the table and cutlery.
Note that nowadays the money collected in this way usually ends up in the owner's pocket, rather than being distributed properly among the dining room staff. My humble advice? When eating in Milan it is up to you to tip or not to tip, you are not obliged to do so.
As you can see, even though Milan is one of the most expensive Italian cities, it has affordable alternatives to enjoy the rich national gastronomy. Milan has a special charm and that is why, year after year, it receives millions of tourists from all over the world.
Many of them visit the city to indulge themselves in the most expensive and prestigious clothing stores in the world, mainly concentrated in the iconic Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, which is located right next to the famous Piazza del Duomo (you can discover this and other emblematic places on a free tour of Milan). However, it is worth noting that Milan is also a fantastic destination for gastronomic tourism.
take note and enjoy the beautiful Italy!
By Irene Lara
We know that Italian cuisine is considered one of the best in the world. But also in this city you will find a wide variety of unique dishes and appetizers: carpaccio, veal ossobuco, risotto, bresaola, cotoletta and many more.
Below, we leave you a series of recommendations to eat cheaply in Milan, including a selection of inexpensive restaurants with authentic Italian dishes that will leave you speechless.
Cheap restaurants to eat in Milan
It is easy to fall into the temptation to eat at any tourist site that you find at every corner. And the restaurants in the center of Milan are not exactly cheap: in most of the establishments you will find in the Vittorio Emanuele ll gallery a plate of pasta is around 20 euros. What alternatives do you have? Go into the streets of the city of fashion in search of a trattoria. Basically, it differs from a restaurant in that it is less refined, more familiar and usually serves homemade food from the region.
Trattoria Madonnina
If you want to savor the typical food of Milan, at the Madonnina you will find a menu with 100% Lombard recipes. I especially recommend the veal ossobuco, a characteristic dish of the region consisting of thick slices of veal with bone and marrow stewed in a sauce composed of lemon peel, garlic, rosemary, sage and parsley.
If you opt for cotoletta alla milanese, you will discover another way of cooking veal, coated in breadcrumbs enriched with a pinch of nutmeg and Parmesan cheese.
Cotoletta alla milanese with funghi.
And let's not forget the famous risotto, which this restaurant prepares in a very creamy and delicious way! Undoubtedly, this is one of the best trattorias where to eat in Milan.
Address: Via Gentilino, 6.
See more: Free tours and guided tours in Milan
La Trattoria da Nennella
Moving from the north to the south of Italy without leaving Milan is possible. A few minutes from the Duomo you will find the Trattoria da Nennella, which offers gastronomy and joy in the purest Neapolitan style. Probably, the first thing that will come to your mind is to try a Neapolitan pizza, but this trattoria offers other exquisite recipes from the region that are worth trying.
The typical dish par excellence is the polpette al ragù, delicious meatballs covered with ragù sauce.
Polpette di carne.
While the customers savor the food, the waiters give off sympathy by singing the Neapolitan tarantella to the rhythm of tambourines. An experience with which the Milanese can escape from their busy lives to let themselves be caught up in the liveliness and carefree attitude that characterizes the people of Naples.
Address: Largo Corsia Dei Servi, 11.
Spritz, the symbol of the Italian aperitif
Traveling to Italy and not having a Spritz is like going to France and not tasting a croissant. The Italian aperitif traces its origins to the 19th century, when the soldiers of the Austrian Empire settled in Venetian territories used to soften the alcoholic intensity of the local wine by adding gas or soda. This cocktail had its boom in the Italian northeast in the 70's and today it is recognized worldwide.
When ordering a Spritz you can find it in two versions: one prepared with Aperol and the other with Campari. Both are made with prosseco and soda, but the one with Aperol has a sweeter and less bitter taste. If you are not a big fan of bitters and do not want to say goodbye to Italy without tasting its well-known aperitif, this drink will do the trick.
Aperol Spritz.
Going out for a Spritz to meet with family or friends is a ritual that is practiced mainly in northern Italy, although today it is spreading throughout the country. The Italian aperitif is as popular as the Martini in Spain, which is drunk on Sundays before the main meal. The Spritz, on the other hand, is usually served in bars and terraces from 6 p.m. onwards, becoming for a few years now an afterwork cocktail.
Where to dine in Milan
If for lunch in Milan the trattoria is the most affordable option, you can also dine and stay full for a modest price of around 10 euros. How? Thanks to the happy hour offered by many locals, where you only have to choose a drink and you can enjoy a buffet with a wide diversity of foods such as pizza, grilled vegetables, cheeses, meats and pasta.
It is usually served from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., the time of the day when the Milanese relax to enjoy a good aperitif. It is better not to miss this offer and to accompany the Spritz tasting a small part of the Italian cuisine.
Navigli district
A classic is to have an aperitif in the Navigli district of Milan, where the waters of the canal that once connected the Lombard capital with the countries of northwestern Europe flow. If you come to this busy area for dinner, take advantage of the happy hour and feel like a Milanese among the crowd.
For this I suggest a place called Spritz (Ripa di Porta Ticinese, 9), which offers delicious Italian food and, because it is not too big, you can avoid the crowds in front of the buffet.
fancy a happy hour in the city center? Bar Straf, located one street away from the Duomo (Via San Raffaele, 3) has delicious cocktails and prepares a variety of finger-licking made in Italy dishes.
Tipping in Milan restaurants
The coperto charge, which is usually two or three euros for each diner, perplexes many tourists. In Italy, restaurant owners ask for the cost of the use of tablecloths, napkins, plates, cutlery and the subsequent cleaning of the place occupied by the customer.
This practice dates back to the Middle Ages, as back then customers brought their own food to taverns and paid for the use of the table and cutlery.
Note that nowadays the money collected in this way usually ends up in the owner's pocket, rather than being distributed properly among the dining room staff. My humble advice? When eating in Milan it is up to you to tip or not to tip, you are not obliged to do so.
As you can see, even though Milan is one of the most expensive Italian cities, it has affordable alternatives to enjoy the rich national gastronomy. Milan has a special charm and that is why, year after year, it receives millions of tourists from all over the world.
Many of them visit the city to indulge themselves in the most expensive and prestigious clothing stores in the world, mainly concentrated in the iconic Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, which is located right next to the famous Piazza del Duomo (you can discover this and other emblematic places on a free tour of Milan). However, it is worth noting that Milan is also a fantastic destination for gastronomic tourism.
take note and enjoy the beautiful Italy!
By Irene Lara
17
May,
2019
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