Six restaurants the Milanese keep quiet about
Looking for an outstanding restaurant, ice-cream parlour or deli in Milan? Turn to the people working in the hospitality sector, who know all the best places.
Milan-based couple Chiara Pino and Riccardo Ganelli left their jobs in fashion to open Bar Nico in 2023 (they were later joined by their friend Nicolò Terraneo). It has since become a hot spot in their home city’s Acquabella neighbourhood, drawing a loyal crowd with its natural wines and Mediterranean small plates. “We’re not doing anything particularly special here,” says Pino when Monocle joins her and her two business partners for lunch. “Milan just didn’t have a natural-wine scene until a couple of years ago.”
That might be true but Bar Nico is flawlessly executed. You’ll find the minimalist space, designed by Milanese practice Sagoma Studio, on the ground floor of a modernist apartment block in a former tyre shop (it was a pasta factory before that). The interior is furnished with Thonet’s bistro chairs, a large aluminium counter and wine shelves. “We serve wines from smaller vineyards in France but also bottles from Italy, Austria and Germany,” says Ganelli, who trained as a sommelier and oversees the selection.
With Bar Nico, Pino, Ganelli and Terraneo are leaning into Milan’s contemporary side. It’s this milieu that the trio introduce to Monocle on a tour of their hometown. As we prepare to set off, the conversation turns to what makes the city tick. “It takes a little effort to fully appreciate Milan because it’s a secretive place,” says Terraneo. Having guides with local knowledge and packed address books full of reliable trattorias and ice-cream shops certainly helps.
Here are the Bar Nico team’s favourite places in the city:
1.
Trattoria del Nuovo Macello
Via Cesare Lombroso 20
“This place brings the heritage of Milanese cuisine up to speed,” says Terraneo, who eats lunch at this trattoria as often as he can. “There’s one man who always calls the restaurant to place his order 10 minutes before the kitchen closes so that it’s ready when he arrives.”
trattoriadelnuovomacello.it
2.
Chiesa di Santa Maria Annunciata
Via Neera 24
In this church in the south of Milan you’ll find US minimalist artist Dan Flavin’s final installation. He completed its design two days before he died in 1996. Come here for a moment of quiet contemplation.
parrocchiachiesarossa.net
3.
Pavé
Via Cadore 30 and Via Cesare Battisti 21
At its two locations in the city, Pavé serves the best artisanal ice cream. Pino’s rates the almond and amarena cherry flavour highly.
pavemilano.com
4.
Massari Giovanni Fiorista
Piazza Giuseppe Grandi 24
Florist Giovanni Massari sells bouquets with dramatic flair. “I love to drop by and catch up with him,” says Pino, who regularly picks up flowers here.
+39 02 7012 6975
5.
Cinema Godard at Fondazione Prada
Largo Isarco 2
Movie nights don’t get much more chic than this. The programme at Fondazione Prada’s in-house cinema ranges from classics to buzz-worthy new releases.
fondazioneprada.org
6.
Peck
Via Spadari 9 and Via Tommaso Salvini 3
This small deli chain is a Milanese institution. With two locations in the city (and an outpost in Forte dei Marmi on the Tuscan coast), it has been a reliable one-stop shop for the finest cheeses, cold cuts, wines and pasta since it first opened in 1883.
peck.it
