Former working quarter north of Stazione Garibaldi, now a natural-wine and neo-bistro district anchored by Ratana, Berbere pizza and Ceresio 7 rooftop.
Ratana in Milan's Isola district is Cesare Battisti's modern Lombard kitchen, housed in a 19th-century railway building since 2009. The risotto giallo and cotoletta
Signature: Risotto alla milanese, Cotoletta alla milanese, Ossobuco
Order: The risotto alla milanese with bone marrow, the cotoletta alla milanese and the ossobuco.
Tip: Bookings open three weeks ahead. Lunch sittings 12:30 and 14:00; dinner from 19:30. The garden is the spot in summer.
Antica Trattoria della Pesa in Milan's Porta Garibaldi has cooked the Lombard farmstead canon since 1880, in the old grain-weighing house at the city's northern cust
Signature: Risotto alla milanese, Ossobuco, Cassoeula
Order: The risotto alla milanese, the ossobuco and the cassoeula in winter.
Tip: Bookings open one week ahead by phone. The dining room has the original 1880 wood-panel interior; ask for a table by the window.
Iyo in Milan's Sempione district was the first Japanese restaurant in Italy to hold a Michelin star (2015). Haruo Ichikawa's modern kaiseki kitchen still defines the
Signature: Omakase sashimi, Black cod miso, Kaiseki tasting
Order: The kaiseki tasting set or the omakase sashimi at the counter; the black cod with miso is the signature desser
Tip: Bookings open one month ahead. The Iyo Aalto sister room in Porta Nuova holds the second star; book that for sushi.
Ceresio 7 in Milan's Sarpi district is the rooftop restaurant atop the Dsquared2 headquarters, with two pools and a 360-view terrace. Elio Sironi's modern Italian ki
Signature: Tagliolini al limone, Vitello tonnato, Crudo di pesce
Order: The tagliolini al limone, the vitello tonnato and a glass of Franciacorta at the bar before sitting down.
Tip: Bookings open three weeks ahead; ask for the pool-side terrace. The aperitivo at the bar starts 18:30 with city skyline views.
Innocenti Evasioni in Milan's Sempione district is Tommaso Arrigoni and Eros Picco's romantic garden-set dining room, opened 1998. The seasonal tasting menu and the
Signature: Tortelli of caciotta, Pigeon breast, Tasting menu
Order: The tortelli of caciotta cheese, the pigeon breast and the seasonal tasting set.
Tip: Bookings open two weeks ahead. The garden tables in summer are the destination; book at least a fortnight in advance.
Al Posto in Milan's Porta Venezia runs Vito Bonanno's neo-trattoria carte from 2021, with rotating seasonal Italian plates priced at trattoria levels.
Signature: Risotto, Pasta of the day, Tartare
Order: The risotto of the day and the seasonal pasta; the beef tartare is the steady carte signature.
Tip: Bookings open one week ahead. The lunch carte at 25 euros is the cheaper way in; dinner runs longer.
Manna in Milan's NoLo district is Matteo Fronduti's modern-Italian neighbourhood room since 2008. The seasonal pasta and slow-roasted pork shoulder anchor the carte
Signature: Seasonal pasta, Pork shoulder, Tasting menu
Order: The seasonal pasta of the day, the slow-roasted pork shoulder and the tasting set.
Tip: Bookings open one week ahead. Lunch carte is the cheaper way in; the natural-wine list runs deep on small Italian growers.
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.
Cantine Isola on Via Sarpi in the Chinatown district is the wine shop and bar that every natural wine pilgrim puts on their Milan list. The Franciacorta section is t
Signature pour: Franciacorta Brut by Ca' del Bosco
Wine focus: Italian natural and traditional growers, Franciacorta
Food: Charcuterie and cheese boards
Ceresio 7 American Bar on the 4th floor of the Dsquared2 building runs two outdoor pools and a 360-degree skyline terrace. The Franciacorta Spritz at 18:30 with the
Signature drink: Franciacorta Spritz with seasonal bitter liqueur
Food: Cocktail snacks and aperitivo plates
Ravioleria Sarpi in Milan's Chinatown serves hand-folded xiaolongbao and boiled dumplings from a street-side counter on Via Sarpi. A bowl of four dumplings costs und
Try: Hand-folded dumplings and noodles
Birrificio Lambrate on Via Adelchi pioneered Milan's craft-beer scene when it opened in 1996. The taproom pours Domm, Ghisa and Sant Ambroeus directly from the tank
Eataly Milano Smeraldo runs a teaching kitchen above the food hall at Piazza Venticinque Aprile. Classes cover fresh pasta, Milanese risotto and regional Italian cooking; the post-class meal with the food you have made i
Ravioleria Sarpi in Milan's Chinatown sells four hand-folded dumplings for under 5 euros from a street-side counter. The xiaolongbao with broth and the boiled pork-a
Try: Hand-folded xiaolongbao and dumplings