Milan tips by locals | Spotted by Locals city guide » Porta Vittoria

Turnè Bar – Relaxed and good value

Audrey Smith — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 10:31:35 +0000

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Turnè Bar is definitely one of my favourite bars in town. It was created by two young guys and they soon had success with its good value and relaxed atmosphere.

It’s warm and cosy, also in summer! The music is diverse and not too loud for good conversation and the service is always good. It’s the kind of place where you can easily feel at home and it’s filled up with a relaxed and not pretentious crowd.

The big night is Wednesday night, when, after 22:00, the bar becomes packed with people from all walks of life but perhaps a little more open than the usual Milanese crowd and of course the best part, beer prices remain 4.50 euro all night! On Sundays, to chill out from the busy weekend, you can catch an Italian or foreign cult movie.

There is a light but good quality aperitivo from 18:00 – 21:00, including fresh pasta and couscous as well as salami and cheese but you can always have a toasted sandwich or salami and cheese platter at any time of night. They also offer a wine tasting menu, perfect with those cheese and salami platters!

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Turnè Bar | Bars | Beer € 5.00
Via Paolo Frisi, 2 | Porta Vittoria | +39243981132
18:30 – 02:00 daily

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Piccola Ischia – A piece of sun from the south

Audrey Smith — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:05:58 +0000

Image by Audrey Smith

I tried this pizzeria based on a recommendation and I wasn’t mislead. This pizza is good!

One of my favourite starters is the Montanara (little mini fried pizzas, with tomato and Parmesan cheese on top) and instantly fell in love! Delicious! Such a small thing with so much flavour. In fact, the range of starters are all quite tempting but definitely on the fried and fatty end of the scale. However, there are a nice range of salads should you want something a little lighter.

The pizzas come in three sizes and I would recommend the medium accompanied with some starters. The service is attentive and lively and they are happy to joke around with the customers.

Finally, it’s really really good value and in a perfect location for those staying at a nearby hotel near Piazza Loreto. There are another two restaurants in via Morgagni, 7 and Viale Umbria. The one in Via Morgagni is decorated in a gloriously kitsch way, you can’t take it too seriously! Probably this one is my favourite one.

Bookings are recommended, it’s very popular, in particular the via Morgagni one. If you’re looking for a pre-drink, the last time I went to Viale Abruzzi I found a cosy bar on Via Donatello called SkipIntro. It’s also open till late. You can find it here.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Piccola Ischia | Restaurants (Pizza) | Pizza from € 10.00
Viale Abruzzi 62 | Porta Vittoria | +39022047613
Wed – Mon 12:00 – 15:00 & 18:00 – 23:00

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Eataly – Deli

Alessandra Gesuelli — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:23:18 +0000

Image by Alessandra Gesuelli

On piazza delle Cinque Giornate inside the Coin department store there is an Eataly shop. This is the Milan branch of the famous Turin shop, managed thanks to the collaboration with the Slow Food Movement. This association started many years ago to promote good food, zero miles products and local producers.

Eataly is a marketplace, an opportunity to taste and take home the products of artisans that produce high quality food at fair price. When I go there I like to take a basket and fill it with the best Italian cheese, salumi, fresh meat, good artisan pasta, so many sauces and mustards.

Eataly is a real heaven for Italian food lovers. There are some tables where you can have a snack or a brunch. I love to go there to buy bottles of craft beers from Italian microbreweries and the best Northern Italy red wine.

It’s also a great place to find a gift: if you don’t know what to chose there is a new service online or at the shop to buy a voucher from 50 euros as a gift to a friend. So you can bring home your wonderful experience!

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Eataly | Coffee & tea, Shopping, Snacks | Pesto 120 gr € 4.00
piazza Cinque Giornate, 1 | Porta Vittoria | +390292870066
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 20:00, Sat 10:00 – 20:30, Sun 10:00 – 20:00

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K2 – Good old fashioned Tuscan food

Audrey Smith — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:15:27 +0000

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This is one of the few places where you can still have the feeling of a real Italian “trattoria” as the town was full of 20 years ago. Now the majority of them have become fake places with unbelievable prices and “K2″ resists as one of the few “old schools” testimonials.

K2 is a Tuscan restaurant and the ratio of price to quality is probably unbeatable in town. With 25-30 euros maximum you can have a real taste of Tuscan food.

Don’t miss “paccheri al cinghiale” (big pasta tubes with wild boar sauce) and the real Fiorentina (a massive piece of t-bone cooked in the pizza oven). Some advice: as the Fiorentina is usually around 800 grams, if you choose it, don’t have anything else or you’ll explode!

Bookings are highly recommended.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
K2 | Restaurants (Tuscan) | Meal & wine € 25.00
Via Antonio Stoppani, 15 | Porta Vittoria | +390229406835
19:00 – 00:00 daily