Canal-side former working quarter south-west of the centre with Ripa di Porta Ticinese aperitivo bars, antique-stall Sundays and late-night cocktail rooms like Mag Cafe.
Contraste in Milan's Naviglio Pavese district is Matias Perdomo's Uruguayan-Italian modern kitchen, holding one Michelin star since 2017. The seafood-led tasting men
Signature: Sea urchin and parmesan, Risotto with razor clams, Tasting menu
Order: The carte blanche tasting set at 130 euros; the sea urchin with parmesan is the signature.
Tip: Bookings open three weeks ahead. The chef's counter at the open kitchen is the spot to ask for; vegetarian menu available.
Sadler in Milan's Naviglio Pavese is Claudio Sadler's modern Italian dining room since 1995, a one-Michelin-star kitchen that codified the city's tasting-menu tradit
Signature: Risotto with saffron and gold leaf, Beef tartare, Tasting menu
Order: The Sadler tasting set, the saffron risotto with gold leaf and the beef tartare.
Tip: Bookings open three weeks ahead. The chef's pass at the open kitchen is the seat to ask for; book the 19:30 sitting for a slower service.
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.
28 Posti in Milan's Navigli runs a 28-seat counter, the lunch trattoria where Marco Ambrosino cooked Mediterranean modern Italian from 2010. The seasonal carte is th
Signature: Tasting menu, Squash ravioli, Hand-pulled tagliatelle
Order: The seasonal tasting set; the squash ravioli with sage is the signature primo.
Tip: Bookings open one week ahead. Lunch sittings 12:30 and 14:00; the chef's counter overlooks the open kitchen.
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.
Bar Gattullo at Viale Porta Lodovica has served Milanese espresso and house-baked cornetti since 1962. The corner bar with its original marble counter and pastry cas
Signature drink: Traditional Milanese espresso and cornetto
Drogheria Reale on Via Tortona in the design district is the specialty-coffee anchor of the Porta Genova creative quarter. The exposed-brick room serves rotating sin
Signature drink: Specialty espresso and cold brew
Pasticceria Cucchi on Corso Genova has baked Milanese pasticcini and almond torte since 1936. The marble counter and the show cake tiers are Milan intact.
Worth the queue: Torta di mandorle
Sevengrams in the Porta Genova design district roasts specialty lots from Ethiopia, Guatemala, Rwanda and Honduras in a converted warehouse with a street-facing cafe
Sources from: Ethiopia, Guatemala, Rwanda, Honduras
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Whole bean retail, Subscription
Vinoir at the quieter end of the Naviglio Grande is Milan's first natural wine bar, open since 2012, with over 300 vini artigianali from Italy, France, Austria and S
Signature pour: Orange Skin Contact Ribolla Gialla by the glass
Wine focus: Natural and biodynamic Italian and European growers
Food: Small plates: fassona sushi rolls, octopus, cheeses
Cantina Urbana in Navigli is an urban winery that ferments and bottles Lombardy grapes on site in a converted warehouse. The house Bonarda and the pinot nero blend a
Signature pour: Cantina Urbana Bonarda dell'Oltrepo Pavese
Wine focus: Urban winery: grape to bottle in central Milan
Food: Antipasti and pasta plates
MAG Cafe at the Naviglio Grande has shaped Milan's cocktail scene since 2011, the bar with the antique Argentine pharmacy counter where Flavio Angiolillo invented th
Signature drink: House Negroni with Campari and house-infused vermuth
Food: Light lunches, pastry, aperitivo snacks
Rita at Via Fumagalli in Navigli was a pioneer of the fresh-ingredient cocktail in Milan when it opened in 2002. Edoardo Nono's house approach, no artificial syrups
Signature drink: Rita Sour with house citrus cordial and egg white
Food: Aperitivo snacks
Ugo on Via Corsico in Navigli is a small speakeasy with faux taxidermy and antique decor, where the cocktails are built around unexpected flavour combinations.
Signature drink: Trique: vodka, white vermouth, celery, green apple, lime
Food: None
El Brellin on the Vicolo dei Lavandai in Navigli Grande is the canalside trattoria that made Milanese fritto misto and aperitivo snacks a destination.
Try: Milanese fritto misto and fried canal snacks
Birra Rathaus at Viale Cassala has brewed German-style lagers and weizen on-site since 1999. The copper brew-kit dominates the room; a half-litre of Pilsner Rathaus
Tap House on Ripa di Porta Ticinese along the Naviglio Grande pours 40 rotating lines from Italian and European craft producers. The Sunday-afternoon sessions with L
Mercato Comunale Wagner at Piazza Wagner is Milan's oldest market, founded in 1929 in a covered hall. The fish counter and the Lombard cheese vendors are the profess
Fiera di Senigallia along the Alzaia Naviglio Grande every Saturday is Milan's oldest open-air market, with 200-plus stalls and a ring of street food vendors selling
MAG Cafe on Ripa di Porta Ticinese is the late-night canalside bar that stays open until 02:00 on weekends. The Naviglio Grande backdrop, the natural-wine list and t
Try: Late-night cocktails and Navigli aperitivo snacks