How much does it cost to eat in Milan?? Which Italian restaurant Will it satisfy all your taste expectations? Shall we show off? Then we go to restaurant "Il Marchesino", three Michelin stars, located on Via Filodrammatici, 2, on the corner of Piazza Della Scala, telephone for pre-orders +39 0272094338.
I recommend trying the saffron risotto and lobster in coral sauce, there are many delicious and creative Italian dishes. On average, you can expect that lunch will be Milanese restaurant"Il Marchesino"
It will cost you 110-120 euros per person.
Not much to ensure that you remember the taste of an Italian masterpiece for the rest of your life.
Italian recipes, italian chefs They share reluctantly, or even don’t share at all. But there are still some inspired Italians who are ready to integrate their Italian “kitchen” experience into their adoring fans. Let's see some Italian cuisine?
Gallery of Vittorio Emmanuel II, restaurant "Savini",
Via Ugo Foscolo, 5 – unique place, combining unforgettable shopping in Milan and restaurants where you can have a bite of excellent Italian pasta and drink to the health of famous Italian fashion designers, whose stores are located right next door to the restaurant. An excellent Italian brut rosé - just right for such an occasion.
Dinner for two an excellent plate of pasta with seafood (unforgettable taste), and a bottle of Brut Rosé will cost approximately 150 euros.
But, if you are not ready to throw away such sums for one snack, then let's find a place in Milan where dishes tasty and inexpensive. And yes, we found one Italian restaurant with “Happy Auer” (“Happy Hour”). Typically, restaurants introduce this hour to attract clientele, reducing prices by half, and in many Italian restaurants in Milan, Florence and Rome "Happy hour" means: hot and cold appetizers, meat and fish dishes, pasta, desserts, presented in a wide assortment without limitation. The payment includes a large alcoholic or non-alcoholic cocktail and several approaches to the buffet. “Happy Auer” usually starts at 19.000, and the later you arrive, the smaller the choice of dishes left for visitors. Italians love “Happy Air” and indulge in the dishes without a twinge of conscience. Yes, this is not a Michelin dinner, but:
fixed amount, 7 or 8 euros for a huge selection Italian dishes from the buffet (buffet).
Well, and, of course, good old sandwich of a delicious bun, Italian Parma ham, a piece of Pecorino cheese and a bottle of excellent wine you buy directly from store,
where for two the whole dinner will cost 7-10 euros,
with a view of the busy streets and the rattle of a tram passing by, it can also be romantic.
You can stop by the pie shop Panzerotti Luini, located at Via Santa Radegonda, 16, is located near the Vittorio Emanuele II gallery. They talk about their secret ingredient and incredible toppings, such as spinach with mashed potatoes, mozzarella and tomatoes, and here you can buy pizza by the slice.
Average price of a pie - 2.40 euros.
Restaurant Lounge cafe Milano Centro, is located in historical center, behind the Exelsior shopping center, next to the Vittorio Emanuele II gallery, the service is fast and overall not bad.
Dinner for one person with a glass of wine will be within 12-17 euros.
Svetlana Conobella, from Italy with love.
About konobella
Svetlana Konobella, writer, publicist and sommelier of the Italian Association (Associazione Italiana Sommelier). Cultivist and implementer of various ideas. What inspires: 1. Everything that goes beyond generally accepted ideas, but honoring traditions is not alien to me. 2. A moment of unity with the object of attention, for example, with the roar of a waterfall, a sunrise in the mountains, a glass of unique wine on the shore of a mountain lake, a fire burning in the forest, a starry sky. Who inspires: Those who create their own world, full of bright colors, emotions and impressions. I live in Italy and love its rules, style, traditions, as well as know-how, but the Motherland and compatriots are forever in my heart. Editor of the portal www..After all, here is his business card - Cathedral and shopping arcade- These two attractions attract thousands of tourists every day, so it is not surprising that a large number of cafes and restaurants are concentrated nearby. We will tell you where the best place to eat is in this article.
Dinner time
Italy is famous for its long afternoon breaks (siesta). Therefore, strictly monitor the working hours of cafes and restaurants where you plan to eat. If you arrive late, you risk being left without lunch, since there may simply be no free table or food left. Italians have lunch from 12:00 to 15:00. By the way, many establishments resort to a system of discounts and promotions, which will have a positive effect on the final receipt. You can track offers from restaurants using the "The Fork».
Panzerotti Luini
The most famous establishment where they prepare delicious pies called “panzerotti”. The price depends on the filling (from 2.50 €). We recommend ordering different-with sweet and savory filling. The most popular pies are filled with mozzarella and tomatoes. There are no tables in the establishment because this food is convenient for a quick snack on the go. Walk to Sempione Park, or sit in the square opposite La Scala opera house and have lunch overlooking Leonardo da Vinci's sculpture. How do Italian restaurants differ from all others? Panzerotti Luini is closed on Mondays. Restaurant address: Via Santa Radegonda, 16.
Brek
This restaurant has a convenient self-service system. You stand in line with your trays, choose the dishes you like, and then pay at the checkout. The food here is very tasty in the open kitchen. And the prices are quite reasonable- on average about 10–15€ per person. Rare visitors know about this place and dine in less tasty restaurants. The establishment is located near San Babila Square and can be reached by walking 100 meters along the gallery in the house. Lunch at Brek is from 12:00 to 15:00. Restaurant address: Piazzetta Umberto Giordano, 1.
Pizzeria Spontini
Not far away there is a popular pizzeria Spontini. There are always a lot of people here, but you will get your pizza, hot and tasty, quickly. The coveted steaming triangular slice of pizza is cut into smaller pieces to make it easier for you to eat. Pizzeria address:Via Santa Radegonda, 11.
Limone
This restaurant is located near the Central Station (500 m). Of the main advantages- friendly service staff and delicious Italian cuisine. The chefs cook excellent pasta, eggplant baked in sauce, and gazpacho with shrimp in cheese. Limone Restaurant is known for its fresh ingredients and amazing taste. Prices are designed to suit any budget. The establishment opens at 12:00 and is open until 23:30. Restaurant address: Via Fabio Filzi, 7.
Al Basilico Fresco
In this restaurant -Pizzerias are usually where locals dine. Prices are moderate and there is a lunch special at lunchtime.- menu for good money. You will receive a set lunch consisting of a first, second course and side dish. The portions are large, so you definitely won't leave hungry. At lunchtime the establishment opens for only 2 hours-from 12:30 to 14:30. Restaurant address: Viale Abruzzi, 21.
If you want to learn more about the gastronomic diversity of Italian cuisine-book with a Russian-speaking guide and try all the most unusual and delicious things!
Bon appetit!
Shopping in Milan is concentrated mainly in the city center, where thousands of tourists, shopaholics and simply local residents revolve around the central square of Milan - Piazza Duomo, visiting hundreds of large and small shops nestled in the narrow streets of the city.
It is no secret that those tourists who purposefully go shopping to Milan do not have much time for shopping, usually a few days maximum. Therefore, the question arises of how to have time to taste real Italian cuisine without being distracted from shopping. It is clear that there are many different restaurants and cafes in Milan, but we are interested in those located around Piazza Duomo. Unfortunately, taking advantage of the fact that in this place tourists don’t really know where to go for a bite to eat, and go to the first cafe they come across to quickly drop something off and continue shopping, the quality of food offered in most of these cafes, which occupy the most crowded places with street verandas Milana, to put it mildly, leaves much to be desired. Not only are all these cafes overcrowded with tourists, the prices are too high, but the taste has nothing to do with Italian cuisine, because... You are simply served a semi-finished product heated in the microwave. Sometimes this greatly spoils the overall shopping experience.
But still there are several places that are located in close proximity to Piazza Duomo, where you can inexpensively, and most importantly, eat deliciously, saving time on shopping and getting an idea of real Italian cuisine. Milan is a very interesting city in this regard - literally take two steps from the main “path” and you can stumble upon very interesting cafes (in Italian - trattoria, pasticeria). You just need to know in which direction to take a step. On Mondays, many establishments are either closed or have shortened hours, so be careful.
Below I give a description places where you can eat tasty and inexpensive food in the center of Milan.
- Obikobar(). This is an Italian chain of fast food restaurants, where the main specialization is mozzarella cheese. One of these restaurants is located on the top floor of the Rinascento department store. Unfortunately, it does not serve pizza, because... There is no full-fledged kitchen with an oven, but there is a very good selection of cold appetizers, and, of course, delicious mozzarello cheese. I recommend ordering the three cheese platter. For two people you can have a meal here for 20-25 euros. I'll tell you one more secret. The Rinascento department store itself is open until 10 pm, which is unusually long for Italian stores (which close at 7-8 o'clock). But the restaurants on the top floor are open until midnight. You can get there after 10 pm by elevator, the entrance to which you will find in the alley running to the left of the Rinascento building (if you face the main entrance of Rinascento). By the way, if you haven’t had time to buy culinary souvenirs from Italy, then on this same floor there is an excellent selection of everything that Italy is famous for, from wines to cheeses and spices.
- Bar Spizzico(), is located on Dante Street (which connects Piazza Duomo with Castello Castle. Unlike a lot of other cafes and bars located on this street, the Spizzico bar is a chain catering establishment (there is the same bar, for example, in the Serravalle outlet). This has a pleasant effect on the prices and the speed of service. The choice of dishes there is strictly limited, but you won’t have to wait, because all the dishes are already served. I advise you to definitely try the vegetable salad on an edible plate (costs 7 euros). You can go here drop by when time and/or money are short.
- RestaurantBrek() is a chain of self-service restaurants, roughly similar to our “Rake” or “Yolki-palki”. That is, with trays you need to stand in line and choose what you like, then go to the checkout. In the basement there is a huge hall where you can find a place even at rush hour. Very reasonable prices and excellent quality of food. They actually make pizza right in front of you, but this is only a small part of what you can try there. Most tourists who come to Milan for shopping have never heard of Brek, and have never been there, although it is very close to Piazza San Babila. You just need to walk 100 meters through the gallery in the house. It's inconvenient that it closes for siesta. The average bill per person is approximately 10-15 euros. From 15 to 18-30 - closed, only the culinary department is open.
- Restaurant Lounge cafe Milano Centro.(address: address: Piazza Cesare Beccaria, right behind the Exelsior shopping center). This cozy cafe is located in the very center of Milan, very close to Piazza Duomo and the popular tourist street Vittorio Emmanuelle II. Among the advantages, in addition to the convenient location, we can note very reasonable prices: on average, a main course costs 10-12 euros, and a cup of espresso will cost you only 1 euro. The opening hours are also pleasing: on weekdays the cafe is open from 8 am to 12 midnight, on Saturday from 11 am to 12 midnight, and on Sunday from 11 am to 7 pm.
- Fish restaurant Al Conte Ugolino, (address: Piazza Cesare Beccaria, 6, t. 02876134). Located on the same square as the lodge cafe. At the end of a successful day, you can have dinner right next to the Duomo at the wonderful Italian restaurant Al Conte Ugolino, which specializes in seafood. I would like to warn you right away that this restaurant is loved by the Milanese themselves and it often happens that in the evenings there are simply no free tables there, everything is packed with Italians, but I strongly recommend that you visit this restaurant to feel the indescribable atmosphere of traditional Italian hospitality. Then your impressions of Italian cuisine will be as excellent as those of the shopping itself. The prices there are quite reasonable for a restaurant, on average 25 euros per person. (I visited a year after this article was written and somehow their service deteriorated, apparently I overpraised it).
- Cafe Armani. This cafe has a very convenient location if, for example, you plan to walk along Via Monte Napoleone towards the Rinascento department store. The cafe is located at the crossroads of Via Manzonni and Via Monte Napoleone (directly from the Via Monte Napoleone metro station) on the ground floor of the largest Emporio Armani store. This stylish cafe may seem a little glamorous; representatives of the fashion crowd like to sit here; moreover, they say that sometimes Armani himself comes to this cafe named after himself, which causes an unhealthy stir around his person. From experience I can say that ordering main courses in this cafe is not worth the money, but drinking coffee and taking some dessert, or the famous Spritz cocktail, is very nice. The main thing is that going to such places puts you in the mood for shopping. The prices are reasonable, coffee is cheaper than in some “Shokoladnitsa”. For example, my favorite coffee, espresso macchiato caramel, costs 1.5 euros + you will also be served cookies and a small chocolate bar. I’ll tell you a secret, if you sit down at a table, this coffee will cost 3.50 euros. So, sitting at the bar, everything costs much less (as is customary in many Italian cafes).
- And the last piece of advice: avoid those cafes that run along Vittorio Emmanuele, and even more so do not go to the burger joint near the Rinascente department store - what they pass off as pizza there is simply not edible.
The cafes along the most tourist streets of Milan are always crowded, but the price/quality ratio is not very good. - And the very last piece of advice - in the evenings, after about 19-00, many bars organize a so-called happy hour, when for a very reasonable fee (in each bar it is fixed, about 8 euros) you will be offered a large alcoholic cocktail and an unlimited bar of snacks, such as Swedish table. And the choice there is not very bad. So it turns out to be very profitable. However, the later you come to such a bar, the smaller the selection of snacks will be, because... Italians are very fond of this dinner format and lean on the bar without a twinge of conscience.
Panzerotti Luini(). This is something like an Italian “pie”. But this is not some chain, this is a famous and renowned cafe with its own secret of producing pies. It is produced in only one place, which is why this pie is unique. It's really worth a try, one pie costs 2.30 euros, depending on the filling. My favorites are pies stuffed with mozzarello and tomatoes. However, for a quick snack while standing or on the go (there is no room with tables as such) it is a very acceptable option. Certainly much better than what is offered as pizza in the Duomo area. And it is located right behind the Rinascento department store. Keep in mind, this place is listed in many guidebooks as one of the must-see attractions in Milan. In this regard, at lunchtime there is a real rush here, since the locals are also not averse to eating pies. But don’t be scared by the long queue – it moves very quickly. By the way, right opposite the Luini pie shop there is a very decent ice cream cafe. A standard portion costs 2.5 euros. Closed on Monday.
Happy shopping,
Olesya Maranova, stylist-shopper, Milan
You often hear that some dishes prepared in Milan are tastier than where they come from. Just look at the panzerotti, brought here by an entrepreneur from Puglia. This and other examples of gastronomic assimilation are in our article.
In contact with
Milanese food is delicious and quite easy to prepare. The main task underlying the tradition is to provide satisfying food, and not to irritate the palate with excesses.
Some exceptions to the rules usually involve some funny story. For example, the recipe for the famous risotto was invented by an artist nicknamed Saffron, known for his love of yellow shades. His friends jokingly said that give him free rein, and he would turn even risotto yellow. One evening, while entertaining guests, he did just that, and the recipe turned out to be quite successful. One thing is certain: those who love diversity cannot help but love Milan.
There are more ethnic cuisine establishments here in Italy: Tuscan trattorias, Chinese and Japanese restaurants, flatbread shops, Irish pubs, Mexican bars, pizzerias, steakhouses, kebab shops and so on. For centuries, Milan has been open to innovation and not afraid to experiment. What the Milanese liked became part of the local cuisine.
"Negroni sbagliato"
The famous cocktail “Negroni sbagliato” (literally “wrong Negroni”) also appeared by accident.
One day, a bartender at the Basso bar ran out of gin and replaced it with sparkling wine. The recipe has become popular all over the world, entering the top 30 cocktails that every bartender should be able to make.
Panzerotti with cheese
Milan has always attracted active and enterprising people. Many newcomers are so firmly rooted and have been doing their business for so long that they have become more Milanese than the city's natives. In this way Milan is similar to New York. Let us mention a number of especially high-calorie dishes intended for those who engage in heavy physical labor or must work in the cold. These are panzerotti, cassella, ossobuco and minestrone.
Kassela
This complex and high-calorie dish of Milanese cuisine consists of savoy cabbage and pork stewed in a pot.
Stewed cabbage goes well with tomatoes, onions, celery and carrots. Pork sausages, as well as tails and skin add a special piquancy to the dish.
According to legend, the recipe for this dish was learned by the beloved of a Spanish officer, who worked as a maid in a noble Milanese family. It was at the end of the 16th century, during the period of Spanish rule.
Whether it was true or not, the dish became very popular in the capital of Lombardy. Many years later, Arturo Toscanini called cassela his favorite dish.
Risotto Milanese
The onion is fried in butter and olive oil, the rice is slightly dried and soaked in white wine, and then poured with meat broth and cooked in a frying pan so that its core remains slightly hard. It is then mixed with butter, Parmesan and saffron, which gives the dish its famous yellow color. Before serving, the dish is sometimes served with a piece of gold leaf.
The history of the appearance of this dish is interesting: it is believed that it is the fruit of an experiment by an eccentric artist. In 1574, he decided to amaze his guests and added saffron to the risotto, thus giving it a deep yellow color. According to another version, this is the work of alchemists who believed that gold has a magical effect on the heart.
Ossobuco
Ossobuco is a traditional Milanese dish. Braised veal shanks, cut into rounds, are often served on a bed of Milanese risotto.
Soft meat surrounds the marrow bone. The brain is eaten with a teaspoon or a special spatula, which is jokingly called “esattore”, which means “tax collector”.
The recipe for the dish was first mentioned in cookbooks of the 18th century. Later, various innovations were added to it, such as tomato sauce.
Before placing the shank in the pan, lightly coat it in flour. Another important ingredient is the so-called. "Gremolada", a mixture of grated garlic, lemon zest and parsley, added to the dish just before serving. It gives a characteristic color and a special taste.
Green peas, carrots, beans or mashed potatoes are often used as a side dish. Sometimes fried bacon is added. Another side dish option is polenta, a porridge made from corn flour, also a traditional dish of Lombard cuisine.
Vegetable minestrone
The original recipe for this soup is not easy to find: its ingredients varied depending on the seasonal vegetables.
So, at different times of the year, legumes, all types of cabbage, beets, lettuce, celery, carrots, potatoes, spinach, parsley and fennel were added to it.
The inexpensive soup became popular among ordinary Milanese in the first half of the 19th century. The word "minestrone" was not included in the New Dictionary of Synonyms of the Italian Language, published in 1858, probably because the name was not yet in use outside Milan. But it became widely known not only throughout Italy, but also in many countries of the world, after Pellegrino Artusi, a historian, literary critic and gastronome, published his recipe in the pages of his book “The Science of Cooking and the Art of Good Food” in 1891.
Miquette
This bread, hollow inside, is shaped like a star. It is served at the table and also at picnics. There are different versions about the origin of the name.
It is believed that its predecessor was a small, 50-90 gram Kaiserzemmel pie, popular in Austro-Hungarian cuisine. The Milanese removed the crumb from it, and the result was a light and crispy bun.
Panettone
Panettone is a cake approximately 30 cm high, a typical Christmas delicacy of the Milanese, now famous throughout the world.
We find the first mention of panettone already in the 15th century. Raisins or candied fruits are often added to the dough, and its recipe is very simple: yeast, butter, eggs and flour. Panettone goes well with a cup of coffee, sweet wine and champagne, custard, chocolate, sabayon.
There are many legends about its origin. According to one of them, there was a pastry chef named Tony in Milan, and panettone came from “Pan de Tony,” that is, “Tony’s bread.” According to another, it was invented by a cook at the court of Ludovico Moro, who was forced to urgently bake sweet bread with butter and candied fruits instead of the Christmas dessert he accidentally burned.
A more reliable version is that this cake has long been baked in Lombardy at Christmas. It was part of a religious ritual and, according to ordinary people, had healing properties. Due to its size, it was called “pan grande”, or “big bread”, which was later transformed into the modern “panettone”.
Modern kitchen
The innate inclination for innovation and curiosity of the Milanese could not but affect such an area as gastronomy. Milan's successes in this field over the past ten years have influenced the gastronomic culture of the entire country.
Modern cuisine pays great attention to detail, healthy eating, the right choice of products, rethinks traditions, making dishes lighter, and adopts the best from other cultures, including oriental cuisine.
Modern trends try to take into account the tastes of young people, which are constantly evolving. You can call this a new Renaissance, where not only ingredients are important, but also cooking techniques, a special attitude to all the nuances of preparing dishes.
Adherents of this approach have found a grateful audience in Milan: chefs with an international vocation work here. Many of them have charisma and talk about their works on television and participate in various discussions. After all, no matter what you say, they still argue about tastes. Especially about the taste of your favorite dishes!
Fusion style kitchen
Milan was and remains a multicultural and multi-ethnic center. It is not surprising that it was here that the fusion style was born, an alloy of refined taste and passion for new discoveries.
It takes excellent taste to combine different ingredients and find a point of balance, reinterpreting and enriching existing dishes. The result is spring rolls with gorgonzola cream and pork meatballs in a light broth with Franciacorta wine, chicken curry with grana cheese pudding.
Such dishes will not leave anyone indifferent. Fusion is a flight of fancy, creativity, bringing together distant countries, a willingness to try and accept innovations. In Milan you will find many restaurants whose chefs adhere to this philosophy.
Friends, I greet you!
We continue to dig through our dirty laundry and create travel stories from our recent trip to Italy. I hope you have already inquired about taking a trip to Italy, how things are there and what you can cook up for yourself, if you know how.
Today I will pour liters of information on you about all the methods and means that we used in Italy to obtain food.
So, the main question of the text is where to eat inexpensively in Milan in order to also be satisfied. Let's look, figure it out, check receipts from restaurants and look through the menus of establishments.
Let's get started.
In the course of this printed story, I will not show off my encyclopedic knowledge to you or pretend to be a gourmet and connoisseur of Italian cuisine. I have always considered Italians to be the happiest gluttons in the world.
Eat the incomparable pasta as a bite with Greek or Caesar salad, simultaneously dipping a good piece of pizza into the sauce and polishing the “surface” with a glass of fragrant Chianti. Well, how can a person be angry, dissatisfied, and simply offended after that?
If there is happiness in culinary pleasures, then it should be permanently based in the territory of luscious Italy.
In the text you will not find lists of top restaurants in Milan, awarded Honored Masters of Knife and Fork "Misha and Lena."
During the conversation, I will simply talk about our experience of subsistence on the streets of northern Italy, as well as give some tips and advice. Stay close, because some information is better not to fall on deaf ears.
If you don’t want to listen to me, then you can listen to the experts. They will not only tell you, but also will show Milan gastronomic on your next trip.
Pizzerias in Milan
This is where the first bummer awaited us. We couldn’t get enough of the thin layers of dough, decorated with colorful vegetables and cheese. Either we were looking in the wrong place, or they put the wrong thing on our plate. But during our entire trip we never saw tasty, juicy and unforgettable pizza.
The unconquered image of a soulful tasting of the first dish of Italy in the evening hours remains in my memory. on the steps of the canals of Venice . There, pizza really claimed to be a work of art and a culinary masterpiece. Here... I am disappointed!
Thick, thick layer of pizza
A couple of times we went to a pizzeria, where we were offered various types of pizza with incredibly thick dough. This is what the pizza looked like made in my mama, when she was learning the basics of hitherto unprecedented cooking back in 1996.
Well, okay with that 1996, but what is going on in Milan? Do the Milanese really like these piles of dough?
Moreover, these pieces stuffed dough (I won’t call them pizza) are in the embryonic stage of preparation. Before selling, they are put into a special oven or (oh, my bastard!) a banal oven and brought to readiness. Well, at least they do without microwaves.
Pizza in restaurants
In various establishments you can order pizza for your table. It costs a lot: 7-12 euros , and sharing it with anyone else is to your own detriment. It is unlikely that one serving can kill two birds with one stone and feed two family members at once.
Among the shortcomings I would like to note:
- careless decoration of the top ball and uneven distribution of ingredients
- economical use in making cheese (it would seem!).
The first time it seemed to us that the cook made sausages and dropped cold cuts on pizza , but not spread out. The view was very mediocre.
But the first time we found almost no cheese on an ordinary pizza, we ordered a pizza with 4 cheeses in another cafe. There was already more cheese here, but still, it was clearly not enough.
If our restaurants in Sevastopol saved so much on cheese, they would only see customers at the moment of opening.
Pizzeria around the corner
Desperate to try a slice of the coveted pizza in a restaurant or fast food cafe, I decided to look for an ordinary pizzeria in Milan. Mopeds making deliveries were roaming along the street, which means there must be such organizations.
From our experience of a trip to Venice, we remember very well these simple but incredibly useful establishments, where after 10 minutes of waiting you could already leave happy with a box of hot pizza in your hands.
But here's the bummer. I spent 3 days combing my area for such places, and at the same time I looked out of the windows of the tram and bus - nothing! Once I was lucky enough to see something like a pizzeria, but I can’t give a damn.
But all around full of some bakeries , where you can buy bread, pies, croissants and other kilocalories.
Most likely, the situation here is the same as with sushi delivery in Sevastopol. Someone in the kitchen puts together an order and sends out nimble students on mopeds on call.
Restaurants in Milan
Valuing my time and eyes, I have long given up searching for the places I need using the reports of other travelers and the website Tripadvisor. Despite the fact that this is a very exciting method, it is very unproductive and time-consuming.
I love to use guides from independent travelers . Why? Because everything is always thought out as a whole and the cafes and restaurants you need are presented along the course of the action, and not as separate types of attractions.
I have painfully vivid memories of those first family scandals while traveling, when, attracted by a map and an idea, I forced my family members to travel kilometers in search of an imaginary cafe.
So this time I just opened "Milan in 1 day" and I already had 10 options for where to sit during lunch in the city center.
Expensive cafes and restaurants
Judging by my scale of values, my upbringing and religion do not allow me to spend 30-50 euros on food per person at one sitting. This is beyond both my budget and horizons.
Therefore, I missed all the star restaurants “with a view of the Duomo...” or “located on the roof of a 5* hotel...”.
When I have access to a corporate credit card or unlimited access to the kitchen and bar of any establishment, then I will be the first to tell you about all the delights of haute cuisine. Well, while I’m paying the bills, then... Sorry.
Menu of the day or menu al giorno
This is a very good opportunity to eat up during lunch for the sum about 10 euros. This is an analogue of what we are used to business lunch .
The content of this menu will vary from restaurant to restaurant.
Pay close attention to small alliances - after all, they are the whole point. Where you might think of an enumeration with the conjunction and (e – in Italian), there may be only or (0 – in Italian). So just because there’s a lot of text, that doesn’t mean you’ll see all of it on your desk.
Well, as a rule, drinks are not included in the menu, and this is another expense item.
In addition, the menu of the day is served mainly on weekdays and strictly at the hours indicated on the advertisement. Usually from 12.00 to 14.00, plus or minus half an hour. After this, you will only order from the menu.
Lunch siesta
Despite the fact that Milan cannot be called a hot city, the catering staff here is faithful to traditions.
Most cafes and restaurants close for the lunch siesta.
That's why don't delay lunch and before 3 p.m. at most, eat the portion allotted to you. Otherwise, you will have to wait until 17.00-18.00 or eat pies from the nearest supermarket.
Milanese aperitifs
After work hours and before dinner, roughly speaking from 17.30 to 21.00, in many establishments of the city there is a gathering of local residents for traditional gatherings with a glass of cocktail. Something in our spirit happy hour.
You are offered a series of alcoholic cocktails, either at a discount or complete with free snacks.
It often looks like this. The cafe bar puts out various kinds of snacks (tapas) in the form of olives, cucumbers, French fries, mini-slices of pizza, etc. on the bar counter or individual tables. Someone manages to do this eat too much and then don’t go to dinner .
Cafe Milan
Cafes or cafeterias in Italy are wildly popular among Italians in the morning. If only the heroes of Shnur’s song can afford to drink coffee on the way to work in a cafe “You’re lucky, you’re not like everyone else, you work in an office!” , then even pensioners drink it outside the home.
By the way, it’s worth saying that it costs only 1.00-1.30 for regular espresso or 1.20-1.60 for cappuccino. And if for us it’s some tens of rubles or hryvnias, then for them “that’s a price of one ruble” or practically nothing!
The coffee, by the way, is very, very strong. It's not even coffee, it's some kind of coffee concentrate! But more on that below.
In the morning at the cafe you can order coffee with a croissant and right at the bar, like all decent Italians, arrange your breakfast . In these same cafes you can buy water, chewing gum and tobacco products. Cigarettes are around 4.00 euros per pack.
Prices for bread and bakery products are 0.90 – 1.50 euros.
As it turns out, you can also order tea here. But it will be tea in a teapot and costs 3.00-4.00 euros.
Coffee Lungo or Americano?
I think you are familiar with our gradation of coffee concentration Ristretto-espresso-Americano . I don’t take into account all cocktails containing milk such as cappuccino, latte.
So, in Venice we always took Lungo coffee for ourselves and asked for it separately add hot water . All this was served to us in medium-sized mugs, into which you could easily add hot water at your discretion.
For all 5 days in Northern Italy, when we asked for café Lungo, we were given a banal ristretto. Take a simple mini espresso cup and pour in exactly half or a little more coffee. There is simply nowhere to add hot water.
Despite the fact that many bartenders (and women) winced at my order of cafe Lungo e un po acua caldo, this was the only way to drink normal coffee, although still strong.
Why not immediately order yourself an Americano coffee?
As it turns out, everyone’s reaction to such an order is different, but in any case, the drink you will receive is not what you expect. Someone will make you a double portion, someone will pour some coffee-colored glazes, and someone will... grab the kettle from the coffee machine, where coffee dripped yesterday using a filter method.
But! In any case, they charged us the price 1.5-2 times more expensive, What is the cost of an ordinary drink? For what? A tax on those who can't drink their coffee concentrate?
Restaurants and cafes to note
Friends, I hope you have enough information for the course of a young fighter. Let's end with a bit of clarity and go through some names that might be useful to you at first. Then you will decide everything according to the situation and try to cope with hunger using any available means.
I will give some tips, but it’s easier and more convenient to have maps maps.me on your phone and put the necessary tags at home.
If you don't know anything about cards maps.me, then it’s amazing to me how you can still travel around the world. Be sure to brush up on your knowledge at my colleague's.
Cafe-bar Magenta
From what I mentioned guidebook, this is cafe number 1. The cafe opened its doors back in 1907 and has been maintaining its brand for more than 100 years. Everyone hangs out here, from students to white-collar workers.
The coffee is delicious, the selection of cocktails is massive, the ambiance is authentic, and the prices are reasonable. In general, you can go. By the way, in the evening, after 18.00, prices for daily items: tea, coffee, croissants almost double.
Open from 7.30 to 02.00, and the busiest time here is early in the morning and from 18.00 to 21.00. Located next to the station metro Cadorna and the area of the same name.
Gelateria Ciacco
One of the most popular ice cream parlors in the city. We've been here too. Yes, the ice cream is delicious. Costs 2.00-3.00 euros depending on the size of the glass.
In addition, here you can have coffee with a croissant or brioche with cream as standard. Prices for coffee and sweets, like everywhere else, are not high.
Open from 8.00 to 21.00. Located 30 meters from the entrance to Pinakothek Ambrosiana .
This is a good option to eat a satisfying and inexpensive meal, but without any frills. But, to be honest, what you need for lunch, especially if he found you next to Duomo Cathedral.
Here you can order from the menu or order for yourself combo menu for 9.00 euros . You will be offered a choice of first course, second course and vegetables, all on 1 plate. Don’t be alarmed, the first course is not borscht or solyanka. Italians have pasta, risotto and salads as their first choice.
In general, they will give you a full plate, whatever you ask for, but you have to pay for drinks separately. Water is 2.00 euros, sprite is 3.00 euros, and a beer or glass of wine is 4.00-5.00 euros.
Nourishing, but not very tasty. Eatery…
Open from 12.00 to 23.00. Located 150m from the Duomo Cathedral. For reference, take McDonalds on the halfway.
Panzerotti Luini
When we migrated through the streets of Milan in the center at lunchtime, we saw a line that stood at this bakery for local panzerotti. There is a lot of noise and everyone is happily chewing. We didn’t want to eat fast food, but we noticed the place.
One evening we remembered this miracle food in national colors and decided to try the delicacy. And what came of it?
Ordinary pies fried in oil, but instead of our usual fillings: potatoes, cabbage, rice with egg, they have mozzarella with tomatoes, mozzarella with ham, pesto with spinach and sweet flavors.
In general, if you wanted to eat a Milanese cheese pie for 2.50-3.00 euros apiece, then this is the place for you. Although our pies are much cheaper!
Located two steps or 100 meters from the cathedral, next to the trattoria Al Cantinone. Open from 10.00 to 20.00
Cafe-bar Brera
Not a bad bustling place on a famous street. People drink coffee here in the morning, have an inexpensive lunch at lunchtime, and hang out with local youth in the evening.
Located opposite the entrance to Pinacoteca Brera . Open from 07.00 until victory. If you don’t like something there, then opposite there is a similar establishment with the name Jamaica .
Camparino in Galleria
But I recommend visiting this place to all lovers of liqueur-based cocktails Campari. This is a signature bar located at the entrance to gallery of Vittorio Emanuele II and the façade overlooks the famous Duomo.
Here you can try their signature cocktails, and in the evenings stop by for a traditional aperitif, which I wrote about above.
That's how we do it, before we go to La Scala theater , popped in here for half an hour to have a cocktail.
In the evening, somewhere from 18.00 to 20.00, all sorts of snacks are put on the counter here. So pay 5.50 for a Campari Clasico cocktail and enjoy it with snacks overlooking the gorgeous Milan Cathedral.
Fabulous!
Opening hours are approximately from 8.00 to 20.00.
Milanese ordering system
You just need to get used to this and know not to make waves and not move against the current. So, the order in small trattorias, cafes and bars, operating mainly without a waiter, looks like this:
- You choose what you want and voice your order to the distributor or just check the menu
- Now you go to the checkout and competently pay for what you have chosen
- With the receipt, you return either to the bartender or to the place where your order will be given to you, where you wait for the coveted services.
And so the crowd of people circulates in a chaotic manner. The stackers and distributors still have time to carry on a dialogue with someone, so it all looks like one big mess.
I personally I prefer our distribution system , where you go to the cash register with a tray of selected delicacies and they count you out. How, without knowing the ford, you pay for your order at the checkout, and then go and see what you paid for.
Food from supermarkets
Given the modest set of utensils and time, we had no desire to cook in the apartments we rented. But the urgent need to save money required a little magic at the stove.
In general, for breakfast we bought 100% provisions from the supermarket, and sometimes dinner consisted of boiled dumplings or pasta. So what to do? So 300 euros for provisions flew away in 4.5 days. Otherwise, I would generally go beyond the strategic reserves on the Master Card.
What can you profit from on the shelves of popular Carefour or Ashan? Yes, in principle, the same as ours. But there are many more options for cutting synthetic meat and vegetables in plastic baskets.
We took small dumplings by weight with meat (was it with meat?), plastic vegetables without taste, and pasta with various sauces.
Personally, from my experience visiting southern Italy, the situation in Milan in terms of products I would call it catastrophic . Although our capitals live in the same time pressure.
But a man will tell you about pizza))
Loading...