Vitello tonnato is paper-thin cold poached veal blanketed in a creamy tuna-and-caper emulsion. A Piedmontese cold antipasto adopted by Milan and reset by its 21st-century trattorias.

Vitello tonnato originated in 19th-century Piedmont, but Milan adopted it as an antipasto classic in the early 20th century and the city's modern trattorias gave it editorial sharpness. The 18th-century Pellegrino Artusi recipe used an anchovy-and-tuna mayonnaise; the modern Milanese version uses a thicker tuna-and-caper sauce poured over slices of cold poached veal. Trippa (Pietro Caroli, opened 2015 in Porta Romana) plates a famous version cited by Gambero Rosso and Identita Golose; Antica Trattoria della Pesa runs a heritage take; Boeucc (Milan's oldest restaurant, founded 1696) keeps the classical form on its antipasto carte.

4 editor picks for Vitello tonnato in Milan, ranked by editorial score. All Milan signature dishes · Vitello tonnato across every city.