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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.

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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

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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.

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Torrefazione Caffè Ambrosiano | Bars, Coffee & tea | Espresso € 0.90
Corso Buenos Aires 20 | Centrale/Greco | +390229525069
07:00 – 20:00 daily

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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.

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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

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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!

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Trattoria Abele la Temperanza | Restaurants (Milanese) | Risotto € 9.00
via Temperanza, 5 | Centrale/Greco | +39022613855
Tue – Sun 20:00 – 01:00

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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!

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Pizza Big | Restaurants (Pizza) | Pizza € 6.50
Viale Brianza 30 | Centrale/Greco | +39022846548
12:00 – 14:30 & 19:30 – 23:30 daily

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Ratanà is located in a former train station building in the Isola area, near Porta Garibaldi Station. It’s difficult to spot because is surrounded by scaffoldings. In this area between viale Melchiorre Gioia and corso Como they are building brand new skyscrapers for the Expo 2015, here there will be a stylish residential area and the new Fashion City.

I discovered Ratanà during an art event. Even if it’s not far from where I live, I never noticed it. The old building has been completely renovated to host Ratanà restaurant and Fondazione Riccardo Catella, located at the second floor, an organization who supports young talents and cultural projects. They host several exhibitions and events. The building is surrounded by a nice garden with a playground for kids. This coming summer they are planning to have a calendar of events just for them.

Ratanà serves Milan classics like risotto and cotoletta alla milanese. I like the onion soup, the polenta and the dessert sbrisolona. For lunch they have a special menu for 18.00 euro (drinks and coffee included).

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Ratanà | Art & culture, Restaurants (Milan) | Lunch menu € 18.00
via De Castillia 28 | Centrale/Greco | +390287128855
Oct – May Tue – Fri & Sun 12:00 – 00:00, Sat 18:00 – 00:00 |Jun – Sep Mon – Fri 12:00 – 00:00, Sat 18:00 – 00:00

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Image by Alessandra Gesuelli

Milan is famous for its Navigli. When you mention these artificial canals, mostly built between 12th and 16th century, you immediately think about nightlife, because all along Naviglio Grande and Naviglio Pavese you can find bars, pubs, restaurants and trattorie.

When I moved to Milan five years ago I discovered that for those who live here, Navigli also means riding a bicycle on a sunny weekend, and taking a relaxing walk out with kids and family. Naviglio Grande or Pavese are too far from my home and too busy so I chose another one: Naviglio della Martesana

Naviglio della Martesana is one of the most peaceful canals in Milan. They say that it was partly designed by Leonardo da Vinci. When I go walking along this Naviglio in the city I really feel relaxed. The best thing to do is to take the underground, get off at the stop “Turro”, and head to the canal.

I regularly go to an amazing Greek restaurant, Myknos, just on the riversides, where I can experience a real taberna atmosphere. Close to the riversides there are also tiny veg gardens, a country touch in the center of Milan, while on the water I like spotting birds and enjoying the silence, so close to the busy viale Monza!

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Naviglio Martesana | Art & culture, Relaxing | Free
Via Tofane 1 | Centrale/Greco
24 hours daily

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Image by Alessandra Gesuelli

Castello Sforzesco is one of the most famous spots in Milan. Everybody knows it, just like everybody knows the Duomo. But not everyone is aware of the Castello’s hidden secrets: its underground galleries.

After almost two years of works, I had the chance to visit the Strada Coperta della Ghirlanda, or Galleria della Ghirlanda, recovered and opened to the public.

Strada Coperta della Ghirlanda is an amazing gallery shaped as a horseshoe, half a kilometer long, built by Francesco Sforza in 1454. Originally it was part of the Castle underground defense system.

In the XVI century it was used by the soldiers to reach other military outposts. In the Middle Ages it was linked to the city wall and was connected to the outside buildings and to the country streets out of the city. On Saturdays there are guided tours to visit the Strada della Ghirlanda and other tunnels.

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Il Castello | Art & culture | Tour € 10
Piazza Castello 1 | Centrale/Greco
Sat 14:30 & 16:00 for guided tours

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Porta Venezia is a splendid area in Milan, famous for the original art nouveau style in some houses and buildings. Villa Invernizzi is a quiet and not so crowded place, a pleasant refuge where I like to go in the middle of a busy area. Situated in the quiet via Cappuccini, this villa is famous for its garden where you can spot pink flamingos. The villa is not open to the public. So you can only catch a glimpse of the flamingos from the entrance gate. But it is definitely worth the visit.

Villa Invernizzi is a beautiful building and its essential secret garden with flamingos is a symbol of the art nouveau concept, which aims at surprising guests. The villa is just an example of the splendid liberty buildings you can find in Milan.

In the same area I love to walk around and see from outside, Palazzo Castiglioni in Corso Venezia, which was designed by Giuseppe Sommaruga; the casa Felisari (1910) at the corner of via Settembrini 11 and via Boscovich 28, 30, 32 and then three Berri-Meregalli houses, all designed by Giulio Ulisse Arata, in via Mozart 21, via Barozzi 7 and via Cappuccini 8. This last one is a real masterpiece. You can’t miss it.

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Liberty Houses in Porta Venezia | Art & culture, Relaxing
Via Cappuccini 20 | Centrale/Greco
24 hours daily

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Image by Alessandra Gesuelli

All the seasons are good for a mushroom risotto. This recipe is more related to winter and autumn, but you can enjoy it in spring too. In a city it’s not always easy to find the right place where you can buy fresh mushrooms and good dried ones. This place for me is La Fungheria, a little gourmet shop just near Piazzale Loreto in viale Abruzzi 93.

It’s a real heaven for food and mushrooms lovers. Inside, you can find shelves of different kind of dried mushrooms together with truffles, sauces and preserves. In a corner you can find little boxes of fresh mushroom.

You can also buy bottles of wine. If I need a good recipe I can ask to the shop owner or the assistant. They are friendly and give a lots of useful tips. Trust me! You can also buy rice and pasta from local and independent producers. Zero miles cuisine.

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La Fungheria | Shopping | 100 gr of dried porcini € 6.90
Viale Abruzzi, 93 | Centrale/Greco | +39229526034
Mon – Sat 09:00 – 13:00 & 15:00 – 19:30

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