4 Best Restaurants in Navigli, Milan: Where to Eat

Milan’s Navigli district is known for its picturesque canals and vibrant nightlife, with trendy restaurants that match its vibe. You’ll find traditional Milanese restaurants rubbing elbows with international eateries, making it a great destination for a Milan food tour.

Exploring Navigli: Milan’s Trendy Food District

The dining experiences in Navigli range from traditional Milanese trattorias to experimental fusion restaurants offering innovative international cuisine. The entire district is festooned with al fresco dining areas with charming views of the canals. Many of them are open late, letting you catch a great bite to eat after taking in Navigli’s vibrant nightlife scene. 

Navigli is full of trendy new art galleries, vintage boutiques, and cocktail bars. Apertivo culture is alive and well here with great artisanal cocktails that pair perfectly with the restaurant’s starter menu items. 

Must-Try Restaurants in Navigli

The eclectic nature of Milan’s Navigli district means you can find eateries like Trattoria Madonnina and El Brellin serving the traditional cuisine of Lombardy. Yet it’s also home to other restaurants like The Brisket, serving an Italian take on American Barbecue, and even Neapolitan pizza!

Trattoria Madonnina

Photo credit: Trattoria Madonnina

Trattoria Madonnina is one of the best restaurants in the Navigli district for authentic Milanese cuisine, at budget-friendly prices. It’s close to some of the area’s trendy art galleries and boutiques making it a great stop for a good meal after a long walking tour.

The atmosphere at Madonnina is relaxed, with retro décor, checkered tablecloths, and rustic furnishings. They have a modest outdoor seating area, which I think is the place to be when the weather is nice. Especially, if you’re in the mood for an aperitivo to help stimulate your appetite. 

The menu at Madonnina focuses on Lombardy cuisine made with simple, high-quality ingredients. You’ll find staples like cotoletta alla Milanese, and risotto alla Milanese, as well as specials based on what’s in-season.

I tried their cotoletta alla Milanese, which is a breaded veal cutlet that’s very reminiscent of a German schnitzel with a crispy crust enrobing velvety tender meat. They pan-fry it in butter which gives it a richness emblematic of Milanese cuisine.

Trattoria Madonnina (€20–€40) – Via Gentilino, 6, 20136 Milano MI, Italy – Open every day for lunch from 12:00 to 3:00 PM and dinner from 7:00 PM to 12 AM.

El Brellin

Photo credit: El Brellin

With Navigli’s picturesque canals in the backdrop, El Brellin offers a memorable dining experience for those who want to enjoy traditional Lombard and Milanese cuisine. You’ll find it near popular attractions like the Naviglio Grande and some of the district’s more popular art galleries.

The ambiance at El Brellin combines rustic elegance with a cozy, romantic, bohemian charm. The ceilings with exposed wooden beams, antique furnishings, and warm lighting, are cozy in cool weather. If it’s sunny, the outdoor seating provides a fantastic view of the canals, for al fresco dining.

The menu at El Brellin is a comfortable mix of traditional Lombard and Milanese cuisine, focusing on local ingredients and time-honored recipes. Standout dishes include ossobuco served with classic risotto alla Milanese and cotoletta alla Milanese.

However, while I think their secret gem is their antipasti menu with starters like insalata russa, my favorite is the polenta concia. It looks a lot like a typical polenta that’s perhaps a little loose. Yet they enriched it with extra butter and melted fontina cheese, which gave it an outstanding body and a lilt of grass-fed dairy.

El Brellin (€20–€40) – Vicolo Privato Lavandai, 20144 Milano MI, Italy – Open Monday to Friday from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM. Saturday and Sunday lunch from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM with dinner from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM.

The Brisket

If you find yourself itching for the taste of downhome barbecue in Milan, The Brisket might be the perfect place to scratch. Located near the picturesque Naviglio Grande canal and many of the area’s boutique shops, they’re also open late, which makes it a perfect stop to fill your belly with familiar foods after taking in Navigli’s vibrant nightlife. 

The atmosphere at The Brisket is rustic, the industrial feel you find in a lot of a Texas roadhouse barbecue joints. With exposed brick walls, the décor is a unique blend of American-style barbecue culture infused with touches of Milanese sophistication.

The Brisket’s menu is festooned with American barbecue classics, with their slow-smoked brisket as the star. They also have other classic barbecue dishes like Memphis and Kansas City-style pork ribs.

However, I think the secret gem here, that you won’t find replicated anywhere else in the world, is the pulled pork sandwich. It has all the slow-roasted smoky flavor you expect from classic pulled pork.

The tender fresh-baked Italian-style bun soaks up the juices in a way that industrialized American bread can’t. Then the crispy, refreshing, sharp flavors of the Italian-style slaw transform the whole sandwich into a truly unique barbecue experience.

The Brisket (€12–€30) – Ripa di Porta Ticinese, 65, 20143 Milano MI, Italy – Open Monday to Friday from 7:00 PM to 12:00 AM. Saturday and Sunday lunch from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM with dinner from 7:00 PM to 12:00 AM.

Pizzium – Via Vigevano

Photo credit: Pizzium

Pizzium is a somewhat rare Neapolitan pizzeria that you don’t find many of in Northern Italy. Located near the Naviglio Grande canal, and other popular attractions, it’s a great place to grab a slice while touring the area.  

The ambiance at Pizzium is cozy and modern, with minimalist décor. This keeps you from being distracted away from the wood-fired oven that serves as the beating heart of the open-concept kitchen.

Pizzium’s menu specializes in traditional Neapolitan-style pizza, with a variety of toppings that are familiar to an American palate. While their classic Margherita with buffalo mozzarella is as good as anything you’ll find in Naples, I’m secretly in love with their Diavola.

It has the crispy, delicate crust, sauce, and cheese of an iconic Neapolitan pizza. Then they top it with an artisanal spicy salami, which is taken to the next level of smokiness in the wood-fired oven.

Pizzium – Via Vigevano (€10–€20) Via Vigevano, 33, 20144 Milano MI, Italy – Open every day for lunch from 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM, with dinner from 7:30–11:30 PM.

What to Eat in Navigli: Signature Dishes to Try

The vibrant culinary scene in Milan’s Navigli district offers a wide range of must-try items.

Risotto alla Milanese is a saffron-infused traditional risotto made using the luscious butter of the Lombardy region.

Cotoletta alla Milanese is a tender veal cutlet breaded with crunchy breadcrumbs and fried in rich butter

Polenta Concia is fresh-cooked polenta that’s enriched with butter and luscious, melted fontina cheese.

Insalata Russa is a cold salad made from in-season vegetables like diced vegetables like potatoes, carrots, peas, celery, and sauced with mayonnaise or Russian dressing. 

Sources 

Trattoria Madonnina. (n.d.). Trattoria Madonnina – Via Gentilino, 6, 20136 Milano MI, Italy. Retrieved from http://www.facebook.com/lamadonninamilano/

El Brellin. (n.d.). El Brellin – Vicolo Privato Lavandai, 20144 Milano MI, Italy. Retrieved from http://www.brellin.com/

The Brisket. (n.d.). The Brisket – Ripa di Porta Ticinese, 65, 20143 Milano MI, Italy. Retrieved from https://www.thebrisketmilano.com

Pizzium. (n.d.). Pizzium – Via Vigevano, 33, 20144 Milano MI, Italy. Retrieved from https://pizzium.com/locali/milano-via-vigevano-33/