Milanese cooking is a buttery, meaty counterpoint to the rest of Italy: saffron risotto, breaded veal, fried panzerotti and the sacred ritual of aperitivo.
Risotto alla milanese (saffron rice) and cotoletta alla milanese (a breaded veal cutlet, often served bone-in) are the pillars; panzerotti - fried, filled pockets of dough - are the street snack; and from 18:00 the bars lay out aperitivo buffets that can pass for dinner.
The legendary panzerotto shop baking fried dough pockets since 1888. Choose sweet or savory - the classic is tomato and mozzarella - and eat standing in the alley; the queue moves fast.
A white-tablecloth institution serving Milanese classics since 1933. The saffron risotto and ossobuco are benchmarks, the room is old-school elegant, and the staff have seen it all.
A modern trattoria that reworks the Milanese repertoire with a light touch - risotto, tripe and seasonal plates in a bright room locals fill nightly. Book ahead.
One of Milan's two-Michelin-star temples, run with quiet genius since 1962 - Italian produce and technique at the highest level, in a dining room that feels like a family home grown famous. A splurge worth planning around.
The historic café where the Campari spritz was born in 1915, on the Galleria's threshold. Aperitivo here is a rite of passage - stand at the counter, watch the Galleria crowd, order a spritz with the little savory snacks.