Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Restaurants near the Duomo
€
(Via S. Radegonda, 16, 2 blocks east of the Galleria Vittorio
Emanuele II;
%
02-86461917; www.luini.it; no credit cards; Tues-Sat and Mon
until 3pm, closed Aug; Metro: Duomo)
has been a Milan institution since 1948,
and it's so good they've even opened a branch in London. You'll have to elbow
your way through a throng of well-dressed patrons at this stand-up counter in
order to plunk down
€
2 to
€
3 for the house specialty:
panzerotto,
a pocket of
pizza crust stuffed with all sorts of ingredients, including the basic cheese and
tomato.
Luini
55
Busy
La Crêperie
(Via C. Correnti, 21, an extension of Via Torino, about a 10-
min. walk southeast of Piazza del Duomo;
%
02-8395913; www.la-creperie.it;
Mon-Sat, closed July 15-Aug 25; Metro: Sant'Ambrogio)
is an ideal stop for a light
lunch or a snack while visiting the nearby church of Sant'Ambrogio or Museo
Nazionale di Scienza. Crepes come in both the meal (prosciutto, cheese, and so
on) and the dessert variety (I recommend the Nutella, with its creamy hazelnut-
chocolate spread). They've recently expanded beyond crepes to serve other foreign
and exotic hand-held foods, such as
hot dogs americani
and waffles.
€
(Via Spadari, 9;
%
02-8023161; Mon-Sat, closed Jan 1-10
and July 1-20; Metro: Duomo)
is Milan's most famous food emporium, its glitter-
ing cases filled with a wonderful selection of roast veal, risottos,
porchetta,
salads,
aspics, cheeses, pastries, and other fare from its exquisite larder for
€
3 to
€
12.
You can eat at the stand-up bar where, especially around lunchtime, it can be hard
to find elbowroom, or you can put together a gourmet picnic to go.
€
-
€€
Peck
55
€€
-
€€€
For a sit-down meal, head to Milan's most classic restaurant since
1933,
La Milanese
(Via Santa Marta, 11;
%
02-86451991; closed Tues,
Dec 25-Jan 8, Apr 24-May 2, and July 20-Aug 31; Metro: Cordusio),
tucked into
a narrow lane in one of the oldest sections of Milan just west of the Duomo. In
the three-beamed dining room, Milanese families and other patrons share the
long, crowded tables. Giuseppe prepares traditional Milanese fare, and you can
even try their twin specialties--without pigging out--
risotto e osso buco,
a half-
portion each of
risotto alla milanese
(rice cooked with saffron and beef marrow)
and perfect
osso buco
(tender veal shanks on the bone) for just
555
€
21.
Restaurants in Magenta & Brera
€
Any time one of my Milanese friends says “Hey, let's go get pizza!” they
invariably take me to
Pizzeria Grand'Italia
(Via Palermo, 5;
%
02-877759;
no credit cards; Metro: Moscova).
It serves up a huge assortment of salads, pizzas,
homemade pastas, and
focacce farcite
(focaccia bread stuffed with cheese, mush-
rooms, and other fillings) along with wine and oil from the Furfaro family's farm
in Tuscany. Rather than get a whole pie, you get one thick-crusted mega-slice
topped however you like it. The late hours make this a prime nightspot, and part
of the fun is watching the chic, young Milanese stopping buy for a snack as they
make the rounds of the nearby Brera district bars and clubs.
55
