Local food in Milan – best places and what to try

Local food in Milan – best places and what to try
What is the local food in Milan and in Lombardy and where you can try it?

Every Italian region and every province has its own list of local dishes.

Milan is the capital of Lombardy, it is situated in the North of Italy, where people grow rice and mais and the forests are full of mushrooms, deers and the lakes are full of fish.

So, the typical local food of Lombardy and Milan is made of this products.

The classic dish is the yellow risotto or risotto milanese. It is rice cooked with Safran and cheese.

Very often they add to risotto an ossobuco – a tasty spinal bone.

local kitchen Milan

Of course you know the famous Parmigiano and Mozzarella cheeses. Nonetheless milanese are proud of their the local cheese Gorgonzola. It is a creamy, soft cheese with blue mold. But if you like seasoned solid cheese, then you should try Grana Padano, it can remind you Parmigiano cheese, but it is less salty and a bit softer.

In Milan they also eat the Cotoletta milanese – it is fried breaded meat, sort of schnitzel.

Of course there are typical sweets and deserts in Milan! In Christmas period you should try Panettone, in the Easter period everywhere in Milan you will find Colomba. And all year around you will find different Lombardia cakes: La torta dei Donizetti, la torta di latte. Or sort of sweet caramels made of thick jam: la persicata.

The last, but not the least thing to add is the places.

Where you can find the best local food in Milan!

Of course the best home kitchen you can find in family restaurants and family trattoria.

Check this list, but remember that family restaurants can have very particular working days and working hours. Check before you go there!

  • Trattoria della Madonnina (Via Gentilino, 6) – small family restaurant with very simple interiors, but very tasty kitchen. Do not be surprised by the small entrance. Inside they have a big space and very cute terrace.
  • Trattoria Da Tomaso (Via Gaetano de Castillia, 20) – a small family holds this trattoria for more than 50 years. Real home kitchen of Milan. They do not have a menu! Every day they cook some fresh dishes and when you come, you choose between 2-3 dishes of the day. And you will be impressed to see very modest prices.
  • Osteria Del Verme (Via Jacopo dal Verme, 14) – this is the place for people who want refined interiors. Anyway the food is really good. Lots of delicious local starters and dishes.