Visiting the fashion capital of Europe doesn’t have to cost the earth. My trip to Milan, Italy was full of all the delicious things you expect when visiting Italy but without breaking the bank. Obviously, I can’t be held responsible if you go wild in the designer fashion houses picking out a shiny souvenir, but I can point you in the direction of some delicious dish.
Our Airbnb was based in the Navilgli district of the city, with gorgeous canals which were man-made to transport all the marble for the impressive Duomo, which is now lined with apertivo bars and restaurants for a relaxed but buzzy atmosphere. We were also close enough to the city centre to walk in or grab the metro so we didn’t feel too far out of the action but benefited from the reduced Airbnb prices. Our apartment was owned by a local bistro owner so as well as being in a great location we received breakfast included in the apartment rate each morning. We were ready to explore, fuelled by strong Italian coffee and pistachio cornetto.
We took a free walking tour with Citywalkers, which at 3 hrs long and spanning the birth of the city right up to the modern day as well as all the fascinating twists and turns in the middle. Our guide was knowledgeable and engaging for the whole tour, and more importantly as a local, at the end of the tour gave us some excellent food recommendations. We immediately went to one of them for lunch, after all, 3 hours of walking and soaking in historical facts is hungry work.
Da Zero is a part of the slow food movement, with the menu focusing on local ingredients and these are rare and excellent products at risk of extinction that careful farmers, breeders and fishermen make to continue the heritage of the ingredients for generations to come. I went for the autumnal pizza special, of smoky fatty strips of Pancetta, pumpkin purée and earthy walnuts, paired with a charred blistered sourdough pizza dough crust, making it the best fuel for further exploring the city.
The guide also recommended Pasta d’Autore, on Saturday night the queue stretched down the street but moved along nicely, we probably waited for 45 minutes to get seated, but I would have been happy to wait longer if it still meant I could have a taste of the freshly made pasta and tiramisu. The menu just conveys the care and quality of the ingredients. We were fortunate to sit opposite the kitchen, so could watch the pasta being made and dishes created in front of our eyes. Simply pick from the fresh pasta types made that day, then select the sauce you want to pair with the pasta, what size (I went for the regular, the large size looked a beast!) and then you can customise the dish with the addition of either a 125g portion of Buffalo Mozzarella or Burrata Mozzarella.
I went for the Pomodoro – Agro sarnese-nocerino tomatoes with fresh basil and Extra Virgin Olive oil and the paccheri rigati as one of the fresh pasta of the day as a whole buffalo mozzarella. Funnily, I would have never ordered a dish like this at home, thinking it was a cop-out to order such a simple dish. However, it was one of the best pasta dishes I’ve ever had, including ones I’ve been fortunate enough to have at high-end restaurants. The freshness of the sauce and pasta shone through and had me savouring every drop of sauce.
When a restaurant states that the dessert is made to Nonna’s recipe, then you know it’s going to be the real deal. I ordered the Tiramisu and oh my goodness, the lightest mascarpone filling whilst being indulgent and rich. Strong coffee-dipped sponge fingers and a dusted crown of cocoa. My only regret was only ordering only one portion of it, I will have to plan a return visit as soon as possible.
Apertivo time is an important way of life and one that I could happily adopt at home. Navilgli canals are lined with bars offering all sorts for apertivo, ranging from bowls of salted crisps and nuts up to fried aubergine slices, finger sandwiches and mini sliders included along with your Aperol Spritz. Most spritzes can be around 6 euros depending on the location, which makes an affordable refreshing way to wind down from the day.
Our first stop as soon as we checked into our Airbnb was to have a Campari at Zog bar and along with the usual nibbles we ordered some bruschetta, I went for the Goats’ Cheese with Fig Jam which paired delightfully with the Campari. A slightly bigger nibble but with those great flavours, it fuelled conversation and laughter.
Keeping on the Campari train, a few doors down we had a Grapefruit Campari from Sofa Café, in this snug cosy bar, with the tartness of the grapefruit with the Campari to wake up the senses, it would be a cute date spot or to catch up with a friend.
The Terrazza Aperol has one of the best views in the city, overlooking the sun-drenched marble front of the Duomo, where you can sip refreshing Aperol and watch the tourists below as the sun sets. The golden hour is the peak time for people to try to get a spot on the terraces for the Duomo views, we didn’t have to wait too long to be seated, however, we didn’t want to wait for a terrace spot, as we had a nice view through the bar inside with a much shorter wait. A selection of apertivo snacks was presented to us, including a mini slider burger, meatballs, mini salmon and walnut bagels and dried cheese pockets. Just be prepared the Aperols are 19 euros each, but the view is worth it and the people-watching is the perfect holiday sport with Aperol in hand.
We were in the city for a long weekend, and there were plenty of other food places that you’ll be spoilt for choice, but above is a great selection to get you started on eating around Milan.
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