Pugliese, southern Italian€€€porta-venezia
Don Giovanni in Milan's Porta Venezia is the Pugliese kitchen of the Quarta family, opened 1986 and a Milanese institution for southern Italian cooking.
Signature: Orecchiette con cime di rapa, Burrata pugliese, Tagliata di tonno
Order: The orecchiette con cime di rapa, the burrata pugliese and the tagliata di tonno.
Tip: Bookings open one week ahead by phone. The Pugliese wine list runs deep on Primitivo and Negroamaro producers.
Lombard, classical Italian€€€€centro-storico
Boeucc in Milan dates from 1696 and is the city's oldest dining room, now at Corso Monforte near the Quadrilatero. The Lombard canon at white linen still anchors the
Signature: Risotto alla milanese, Cotoletta alla milanese, Tortelli di zucca
Order: Risotto alla milanese, the bone-in cotoletta, then tortelli di zucca from Mantua.
Tip: Bookings open three weeks ahead. The dining room has the original Boeucc 18th-century vaulted ceiling; ask for a table in the main room.
Modern Italian, plant-led€€€€centro-storico
Horto in Milan's Centro Storico is Norbert Niederkofler's rooftop kitchen atop The Medelan, a Michelin-star vegetable-led tasting room opened 2023.
Signature: Vegetable tasting menu, Risotto with herbs, Seasonal garden plates
Order: The vegetable tasting set at 150 euros; the herb risotto and the smoked-celery main are the signatures.
Tip: Bookings open three weeks ahead on the website. The chef's counter overlooks the open kitchen; book the 20:00 first sitting.
Modern Italian, fine dining€€€€porta-nuova
Ristorante Berton in Milan's Porta Nuova district is Andrea Berton's one-Michelin-star kitchen, opened 2013. The broth-based tasting menu and the signature risotto s
Signature: Risotto with bone marrow, Tasting menu, Signature broths
Order: The broth tasting set; the bone-marrow risotto is the signature primo.
Tip: Bookings open three weeks ahead. The cellar tour with sommelier Tobia Sironi is the editor's pick add-on; book at booking time.
Modern Italian, garden-led€€€navigli
Erba Brusca in Milan's Naviglio Pavese is Alice Delcourt's garden-set kitchen, opened 2010 in a 19th-century farmstead on the canal. The garden-led seasonal carte an
Signature: Vegetable tasting, Tagliolini with herbs, Pigeon
Order: The seasonal vegetable plate, the tagliolini with garden herbs and the pigeon when on the carte.
Tip: Bookings open two weeks ahead. The garden tables in summer are the destination; book the Sunday lunch sitting at 13:00.
Modern Italian, offal€€€porta-romana
Trippa in Milan's Porta Romana is Diego Rossi's offal-led trattoria, opened 2015 with cucina povera reimagined. The vitello tonnato and trippa-Florentine still ancho
Signature: Vitello tonnato, Trippa alla fiorentina, Mondeghili
Order: The vitello tonnato, the trippa alla fiorentina and the mondeghili Milanese meatballs.
Tip: Bookings open 60 days ahead on the website; sells out within hours. Walk-up bar seats open at 19:30 for early birds.