20-07-2015

The best food in the Navigli area

Ten (plus one) places where to dine well around Milan’s canals, undergoing a true rebirth

While the possibility of reopening the original ne

While the possibility of reopening the original network of the Navigli is being discussed in Milan, the two main canals in town, Pavese and Grande, are enjoying a significant relaunch (photo by Elisa Pella)

Navigli, in Milan, have always been a place to enjoy, with bars and restaurants. Crowded and noisy, often avoided by more refined clients. However, there have recently been more and more chances to enjoy some of the most inspiring areas in town.

Continuing our selection of the best culinary offer in Milan, this time we present a trip between Naviglio Grande and Naviglio Pavese, recommending ten places not to be missed. Plus a location that is not exactly a restaurant yet deserves equal attention.

- Al Pont de Ferr, Ripa di Porta Ticinese, 55 (+39.02.89406277)
For 25 years this elegant Osteria has been guided by Maida Mercuri, a long-time sommelier. A Michelin star arrived thanks to Matias Perdomo who a few months ago left the kitchen to Vittorio Fusari. The average price is 80€, tasting menus for 65, 75, 130€

- Erba Brusca, Alzaia Naviglio Pavese, 286 (+39.0287380711)
Once an old inn, today it is a restaurant with a splendid outdoor space to be enjoyed in the summer. Alice Delcourt is in the kitchen and picks a large part of the raw materials in the vegetable garden outside the veranda. The average price is 50€

Rebelot

Rebelot

- Osteria di Porta Cicca, Ripa di Porta Ticinese, 51 (+39.02.8372763)
A sober decor yet with a particular personality welcomes the guests in this small restaurant in which fish and a recognisable influence from Liguria characterise the menu. During milder months the tables outside are very pleasant. The average price is 50€

- Rebelot, Ripa di Porta Ticinese, 55 (+39.02.84194720)
This is the more rebellious brother of Pont de Ferr. Besides the wine list, which is also managed by Mercuri, people come here for the original cocktails and a menu that includes both tapas and gourmet dishes. The average price is 45€

- Rita, Via Angelo Fumagalli, 1 (+39.02.8372865)
This is one of the best places in town when it comes to drinking well. However, the culinary offer is also pleasant and of high quality, with recipes enhancing the excellent raw materials. The average price is 30€

Taglio

Taglio

- Sadler Ristorante, Via Ascanio Sforza, 77 (+39.02.58104451) / Chic 'n Quick Trattoria Moderna (+39.02.89503222)
It is one of the most famous places in town and rightly so. Season after season Claudio Sadler, two Michelin stars, continues his search for gastronomic excellence. Trattoria Moderna, a cheaper and more informal location, was born next to it a few years ago. The average price in the restaurant is 120€, in the trattoria 60€

- Al Mercato Taco Bar, Via Casale, 5 (+39.02.36767328)
This is the latest of Eugenio Roncoroni and Beniamino Nespor’s original creations. They are capable as few others of interpreting international street food. In this case they interpret the best Mexico has to offer with a menu that is both rich and simple. The average price is 35€

- Taglio, Via Vigevano, 10 (+39.02.36534317)
It is a restaurant, a bar and a shop. A modern establishment in which the cooking of Domenico Della Salandra ranges from comfort food to Eggs Benedict, the best in town, to the most classics Italian recipes. The average price is 35€

Mercato Metropolitano

Mercato Metropolitano

- Tano Passami L'Olio, Via Villoresi, 16 (+39.02.8394139)
Tano Simonato’s restaurant has a Michelin star. Here you can enjoy an atmosphere that is both elegant and homely. Dishes are very rich, complex and creative and are paired with specially selected olive oil. The average price is 100€

- 28 Posti, Via Corsico, 1 (+39.02.8392377)
A bistro offering contemporary cuisine. Neapolitan Marco Ambrosino, who completed an internship at Noma, is the chef and offers an ambitious and articulated cuisine, though perhaps it is not always perfect. The average price is 45€

- Special guest: Mercato Metropolitano, Via Valenza, 2
As anticipated, this extra location is not a classic restaurant but a real Farmer’s market, around 15,000 square metres wide. Here you can find hundreds of producers and a series of stands offering excellent street food, crafts beers, cocktails, wines. For lunch or for a different night.


Fuori Expo

Stories, tips and tastings from the city of the 2015 Universal Exposition

by

Niccolò Vecchia

Journalist, based in Milan. At 8 years old, he received a Springsteen record as a gift, and nothing was the same since. Music and food are his passions. Author and broadcaster at Radio Popolare since 1997, since 2014 he became part of the staff of Identità Golose 
Instagram: @NiccoloVecchia

Author's articles list