Modern Italian€€porta-venezia
Mater Bistrot in Milan's Porta Venezia is a modern-Italian neighbourhood room with a focused weekly-changing carte and natural-wine list. The seasonal pasta anchors
Signature: Seasonal pasta, Risotto, Beef tartare
Order: The seasonal pasta of the day, the risotto and the beef tartare.
Tip: Bookings open one week ahead. Lunch is the calmer service; the natural-wine list runs deep on Italian growers under 30 euros.
Calabrian, southern Italian€€porta-romana
Dongio in Milan's Porta Romana has cooked Calabrian southern-Italian since 1980, the city's reference for 'nduja and Calabrian peppers. The 'nduja pasta and the carp
Signature: 'Nduja pasta, Beef carpaccio, Caprese
Order: The 'nduja pasta, the beef carpaccio and the Calabrian peppers as antipasto.
Tip: Bookings open one week ahead by phone. The Calabrian wine list runs deep on Magliocco and Gaglioppo producers.
Modern Italian, fine bistro€€€centro-storico
Morelli in Milan's Sempione is chef Giancarlo Morelli's flagship dining room, opened 2010, with one Michelin star. The veal-stuffed tortelli and risotto define the c
Signature: Risotto, Tortelli of veal, Tasting menu
Order: The Morelli tasting set; the veal tortelli and the lemon risotto are the signature plates.
Tip: Bookings open three weeks ahead. The chef's counter at the open kitchen is the seat to ask for; vegetarian tasting available.
Venetian, modern Italian€€€centro-storico
Locanda Perbellini in Milan is Giancarlo Perbellini's neighbourhood-format Venetian-modern carte, the satellite to his three-star Casa Perbellini in Verona.
Signature: Risotto with cuttlefish ink, Bigoli con anatra, Tasting menu
Order: The cuttlefish ink risotto, the bigoli with duck and the Verona-style tasting set.
Tip: Bookings open two weeks ahead. Lunch carte at 35 euros is the cheaper way in; the wine list runs deep on Veneto producers.
Lombard trattoria€€navigli
Antica Osteria Il Ronchettino in Milan's southern suburbs has cooked the Lombard farming canon since the 1920s, in an 18th-century farmstead. The risotto and the cas
Signature: Risotto alla milanese, Cassoeula, Ossobuco
Order: The risotto alla milanese, the cassoeula in winter and the ossobuco.
Tip: Bookings open one week ahead. The garden tables are the destination in summer; closed Mondays and August.
Modern Italian€€isola
Il Liberty in Milan's Porta Garibaldi is Andrea Provenzani's modern-Italian dining room since 2007, near Stazione Garibaldi. The seasonal risotto and the tortelli an
Signature: Risotto, Tortelli, Tasting menu
Order: The risotto of the day, the tortelli and the seasonal tasting set.
Tip: Bookings open one week ahead. Lunch carte at 30 euros is the cheaper way in; the dining room is small and intimate.