5 Hidden Gem Restaurants in Milan: A Local’s Guide to Secret Dining Spots

Milan is a true Italian metropolis that moves at the same speed as other major cities like New York and London. It’s easy for big-name trattorias and Michelin-starred restaurants to dominate the landscape vying for a place on your Milan food tour.

Yet a city this size is also festooned with gem restaurants, bistros, and international eateries that don’t always show up in an internet search browser. Luckily, international travelers like myself and other professional foodies at Eating Europe have boots on the ground, tromping up some of the secret gems of the Milan food scene.

Milan’s Hidden Restaurants Are Worth Exploring

As an international city, Milan is overflowing with small restaurants, aspiring chefs, and international eateries of every stripe. Some offer you an authentic taste of Milanese cuisine that you can’t find at larger commercial places that cater exclusively to tourists.

Other hidden gems offer a taste of home that you might need after a long time traveling abroad. Still, other Milano restaurants provide a taste of other types of cuisine in what is truly a world city.

Milan’s Best Hidden Gem Restaurants

Milan has so many amazing restaurants that you can feel spoiled for choice. So, I compiled this list of my favorite hidden gem restaurants for you to consider adding to your Milan food tour.

Al Garghet

Photo credit: Al Garghet

Located on the outskirts of Milan, Al Garghet is a charming trattoria that’s secreted peacefully away from the busy city center. It’s surrounded by fields and Oratorio di San Matteo, which gives it an agritourismo vibe. Though, I admit to missing it on my first try!

The surrounding vibrant green fields and gardens give it a charming old-world ambiance. While I appreciate the warmth of the wood interior, I think the outdoor seating area is the place to be in fair weather.

The menu at Al Garghet focuses largely on Milanese cuisine with hearty risottos, osso buco, and Milanese cotoletta. Yet the dish I’m most blown away by is their risotto alla Milanese. They infuse it with saffron which gives the velvet-smooth risotto an other-worldly color and aroma.

Al Garghet (€€€) – Via Selvanesco, 36, 20141 Milano MI, Italy – Open Tuesday to Friday from 7:00 PM to 12:00 AM. Open Saturday and Sunday for lunch from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM with dinner service from 7:00 PM to 12:00 AM.

The Brisket

Photo credit: The Brisket

The Brisket is exotic by Milanese standards as it offers a taste of classic American barbecue in Milan’s vibrant Navigli district. You’ll find it near the Naviglio Grande canal and many of the area’s boutique shops. It’s my go-to place when I’m feeling a little homesick for comfort food.  

As you’d expect, The Brisket’s ambiance is rustic, with a Texas roadhouse industrial feel to the décor. Yet it has exposed brick, and Milano touches of elegance that remind you that you’re still in Northern Italy.

Of course, the menu at The Brisket is loaded with American barbecue classics, with their slow-smoked brisket being the star that shines the brightest. They also have other barbecue classics like Memphis and Kansas City-style pork ribs.

Yet, I feel that the true hidden gem on The Brisket’s menu is the pulled pork sandwich. It has all the low-and-slow smoky flavor you’d expect from a Virginia smoked pork shoulder.  

What sets it apart is the fresh-baked Italian-style bun, which perfectly absorbs the juices and the refreshing flavors of the Italian-style slaw. Together they elevate the pulled pork into a 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.

IYO

Photo credit: IYO

IYO holds the distinction of being Milan’s first Japanese restaurant to earn a Michelin star. You’ll find it in the bustling Porta Nuova district, near attractions like Piazza Gae Aulenti.

The ambiance at IYO embodies modern Italian elegance with Japanese minimalism. The sleek lines and warm lighting give it a fine dining atmosphere that would be perfect for a special occasion.

IYO’s Japanese menu focuses on traditional sashimi and Omakase sushi with wine pairings. On my last visit, I was blown away by their gyoza experience.

They’re Japanese pot-sticker dumplings filled with luxurious lobster and Wagyu beef. Each dumpling was an umami bomb erupting in my mouth in a way that was reminiscent of classic surf and turf.

IYO (€15-€30) – Via Piero della Francesca, 74, 20154 Milano MI, Italy – Open Wednesday to Sunday for lunch from 12:30 to 2:00 PM, with dinner from 7:00 to 11:30 PM.

Pacifico

Photo credit: Pacifico

Pacifico is a trendy Peruvian-Nikkei restaurant in Milan’s stylish Brera district. It’s near the Brera Art Gallery and Sforza Castle, offering up the far-flung flavors of the Pacific.

The ambiance is modern, with a lively, upscale vibe with Peruvian coastal décor. The warm lighting, colorful murals, and sleek furnishings make you feel like you’ve been transported to the outskirts of Lima.  

The menu Pacifico carefully blends Peruvian flavors with Japanese techniques to create a vibrant array of innovative dishes. Some of their standout dishes include anticuchos grilled meat skewers, ceviche made with fresh fish, and tiraditos, which are a Peruvian take on Japanese sashimi.

I honestly think this might be the best place in Europe for ceviche clásico. The bright citrus marinade they use chemically cooks the delicately sliced sea bass. It also helped it take up the aroma of coriander and cumin.

Pacifico (€10-€25) – Via della Moscova, 29, 20121 Milano MI, Italy – Open Tuesday to Sunday from 7:00 PM to 12:00 AM. Closed on Monday.

Trattoria Trippa

Photo credit: Trattoria Trippa

Trattoria Trippa, in Milan’s Porta Romana neighborhood, is one of those places that will challenge your culinary comfort zone in a good way. They specialize in tripe, which is prevalent throughout Italian food culture. Then master chef Diego Rossi elevates it creatively into a fine-dining experience.

The interior of Trattoria Trippa has finely polished Art Deco wood paneling, burnt orange walls, and ornately patterned tiles. This décor scheme gives the dining room a vintage charm with contemporary flair.

The dishes pay homage to Milanese culinary traditions while incorporating modern twists. This includes a wide range of tripe dishes as well as things like tortelli stuffed with ricotta and cherries.

However, I went with the grilled bone marrow. It came to me as a beef long bone, served with Italian accompaniments of bitter greens, rosemary, lemon, and salt. The marrow was roasted buttery-soft, which made it easy to smear on the crostini.

I gave it a sprinkle of salt and a squirt of lemon before popping it in my mouth. The salt woke up the beef flavor, while the lemon and greens cut the richness. I was also shocked by how much the aroma of the rosemary came through!

Trattoria Trippa (€40-€60) – Via Giorgio Vasari, 1, 20135 Milano MI, Italy – Open Monday to Saturday from 7:15 PM to 11:30 PM.

Tips for Finding Milan’s Hidden Culinary Gems

The easiest way to find Milan’s hidden culinary gems is to partner with a professional culinary guide service like Eating Europe. We have foodies and culinary experts on the ground whose passion is bringing their experience to you.

If you’re going to try to go it alone, the best move is to go where the locals go. This approach focuses on taking walking tours of popular culinary districts and neighborhoods like Brera, Navigli, and Isola.

Modest lines outside of the seeming hole-in-the-wall restaurants are a good sign that the chef knows what they’re doing. Just make sure your Italian is sharp, as some of the staff at these hidden gems don’t have a complete command of English. 

Sources

Al Garghet. (n.d.). Al Garghet – Via Selvanesco, 36, 20141 Milano MI, Italy. Retrieved from https://www.al-garghet.it

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

IYO. (n.d.). IYO – Via Piero della Francesca, 74, 20154 Milano MI, Italy. Retrieved from https://www.iyo-restaurant.com/

Pacifico. (n.d.). Pacifico – Via della Moscova, 29, 20121 Milano MI, Italy. Retrieved from https://wearepacifico.it/ 

Trattoria Trippa. (n.d.). Trattoria Trippa – Via Giorgio Vasari, 1, 20135 Milano MI, Italy. Retrieved from http://www.trippamilano.it/