Image by Alessandra Gesuelli

Pizza al trancio. This is the expression you have to keep in mind when you enter this place. Because pizza al trancio (literally slices of pizzas) is the specialty of Spontini, near corso Buenos Aires.

Spontini is really a Milan institution, opened in 1953 as a spot for pizza to go, now this pizzeria is a popular hangout among families and young people. There are other two restaurants in Milan, one in viale Papiniano and another in via Marghera. I think that cheap prices, friendly service and delicious food are worth a visit.

The interiors are simple and on the walls there are photos which show the preparation of a pizza. The pizza here is soft and thin, served in slices with different toppings. The ingredients are not a secret: water from Milan, white flour, tomato sauce from Emilia, mozzarella, anchovies and oregano, then salt, pepper and olive oil. Just for lunch you can also have the lasagna. I love it, the sfoglia is prepared with a very tasteful ragù.

Prepare to queue, especially on the weekends.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Spontini | Restaurants (Pizzeria) | Trancio pizza € 4.50
via Spontini 6 | Centrale/Greco | +39022047333
Mon – Fri 11:45 – 14:30 & 18:00 – 23:30, Sat 11:45 – 14:30 & 18:00 – 00:00, Sun 11:45 – 14:30 & 18:00 – 23:00

Image by Alessandra Gesuelli

What about a coffee break while shopping in Milan? Torrefazione Il Caffè Ambrosiano is an institution on the central Corso Buenos Aires 20.

This torrefazione serves excellent espresso and cappuccino. In the morning I go to have breakfast there with cornetti. There are no tables to seat inside, you just stand up and have your coffee!

It’s also a deli that sells different coffee blend, chocolate bars, truffles and sweets. The same little company also owns another shop in corso XXII Marzo 18 and two outside the city.

During Christmas festivities it’s a great place to go for a gift. In this little café I can buy hampers with coffee and sweet delicatessen and they are not so expensive compared to others. The coffee is blended in the Italian traditional way. During spring and summer it serves excellent caffè freddo or shakerato.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Torrefazione Caffè Ambrosiano | Bars, Coffee & tea | Espresso € 0.90
Corso Buenos Aires 20 | Centrale/Greco | +390229525069
07:00 – 20:00 daily

Image by Alesssandra Gesuelli

Macelleria Ercole Villa is considered one of the best butchers in Milan. From 1959 Ercole Villa and his family have run this jewelery of meat in Viale Brianza, near piazzale Loreto. Actually not the right place for a vegetarian!

When I moved to this area I started to buy my meat here. They have high quality from Piedmont region, which is considered more tasteful and here you can also find particular cuts of meat, good for some traditional recipes.

If you invite your friends for a dinner home it’s a great idea to come here in the afternoon. I always explain to the butcher what I want to cook and he suggests me a good one. If I’m preparing lesson or bollito misto, he chooses the best pieces.

Mr. Villa is very proud of his meat. All the meat sold here comes from outdoor and organic farms. No intensive farming! Mr. Villa personally knows all the local farmers, chooses the animals and he’s sure about their feeding. This place has been recommended in many cookbooks. The meat here is considered to be part of a food and agricultural culture to keep alive.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Macelleria Ercole Villa | Shopping | Pork 1 kg € 12.00
viale Brianza 11 | Centrale/Greco | +39026693118
Tue – Sat 08:30 – 13:00 & 15:00 – 19:00, Mon 08:30 – 13:00

Image by Alessandra Gesuelli

The risotto is like a religion in Milan. For me the temple of this religion is Abele la Temperanza in via della Temperanza, near viale Monza. This restaurant is an old trattoria. Although renovated, it keeps intact the atmosphere of the Old Milan, with black and white photos on the walls, autographs from celebrities who spent their nights here and all kinds of historical memorabilia.

On the menu I like to taste the Tris of Risotto: three different kinds of rice. At Abele you can try almost 100 different kinds of risotto, three per day, because every day they change the selection. This is the right place to have the risotto allo zafferano, a must in Milan! For a good one you have to wait 30 minutes, so you can relax, have a starter and drink the good house red wine.

From the Milanese cuisine you can also try brasato, coppa di maiale and different soups. They have a seasonal menu and the food is very well prepared. The trattoria opens at 8 pm and you can’t be late! Booking is essential, it’s always packed!

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Trattoria Abele la Temperanza | Restaurants (Milanese) | Risotto € 9.00
via Temperanza, 5 | Centrale/Greco | +39022613855
Tue – Sun 20:00 – 01:00

Image by Alessandra Gesuelli

This pizzeria is one of the best kept secrets in town. In summer, you can sit outside, around wonky tables on the pavement or in the light green interior. If you don’t know where it is you will never notice it. It’s on the chaotic Viale Brianza, near Piazzale Loreto.

At Pizza Big you can experience the real thin-crust and crunchy Roman pizza. Something rare to find in Milan, where most of the pizzas are thick and smooth. Every time I go there I always feel like I’m in Rome again.

The owners have a wood-fired oven and you can choose among almost 70 different toppings accompanied with a good selection of beers.

Don’t expect pineapple though! The toppings are strictly traditional with fresh and seasonal products. You can also try the calzone. The desserts for me are delicious: plain pizza filled with chocolate!

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Pizza Big | Restaurants (Pizza) | Pizza € 6.50
Viale Brianza 30 | Centrale/Greco | +39022846548
12:00 – 14:30 & 19:30 – 23:30 daily