Top Lunch Spots in Milan

Italy is synonymous with good food, but it is also a place that is known to savor their breaks – especially lunch breaks! Of course, pasta and pizza are usually the top two lunch choices, but Milan is peppered with a variety of restaurants that will surely make your taste buds water! 

SlowSud 

In the north but want a taste of the south? SlowSud is the answer. According to the owners, “SlowSud is a perfect balance between the flavors of tradition and the modernity of a service thought out down to the smallest details.” This perfect combination of fresh ingredients and slow Sicilian cooking is sure to tempt any customers to try out this menu. A few of their most-loved dishes include caponata, parmigiana and polpo and patate. Another bonus is that the restaurants offer a fun experience for its customers not just through food but also atmosphere with swings instead of chairs on a couple of tables. And don’t fret if the restaurant is booked because luckily for you, there are three SlowSud locations in Milan including near the Duomo and Porta Romana.

Miscusi

Just like SlowSud, Miscusi is another spot where the food is so good that one location just doesn’t cut it. So, let’s try six Miscusi locations in Milan! At Miscusi the choice can be yours when it comes to your meals of pasta as you can customize the pasta to be gluten free, choose your sauce and add cheese or nuts if you wish. “Since we cooked the first Paccheri Tricolore, we have given ourselves a very clear goal for miscusi: to spread a lifestyle of simple ingredients, home-like atmosphere, timeless traditions and respect for the environment,” according to the site. A restaurant with mouth-watering pasta and a penchant for being environmentally aware? Sign me up! 

Pasta Madre

More pasta, please! Make your way to Porta Romana to try your hand at another pasta favorite and specifically, homemade pasta. “The selection of materials from small producers is a cornerstone of Pastamadre, which only uses materials that have been tested or come from places known personally over the years. The kitchen does not like to elaborate, or cover and overload, flavors but, on the contrary, tries to bring the original flavor to the dish,” states the site. This statement alone shows just how dedicated Pasta Madre is to keeping the authenticity and true originality of their dishes. Some fresh favorites are pasta con le sarde and paccheri con ragu di polpo.

Panino Giusto

Just like the name says, it is the “right sandwich.” At Panino Giusto, where they pride themselves on fresh ingredients and a sustainable environment, customers will undoubtedly have an experience that keeps them returning for more. “We favor the use of Italian raw materials from the supply chain, traceable and from local producers, involving our suppliers in a product selection process that ensures maximum quality and valorisation of the territory,” according to the site. And they take their sandwich-making seriously as the Sandwich Masters – Il Maestro del Panino – are trained at the Accademia del Panino Italiano. Since its opening in 1979, it’s obvious it’s a popular choice as it has grown to five locations, including the oldest spot on Corso Garibaldi. 

Vero Sapore Greco

Italian food is incredible, but if you want to switch it up, give Vero Sapore Greco a try for a taste of the Greek homeland. “I travel all over Greece in search of typical, authentic and original products to offer and cook according to traditional Greek recipes … I want you to taste these authentic flavors that taste like home like the ones I ate when I was a child,” according to owner Cristiano Mavroidis.  Specializing in typical Greek dishes like gyros, suvlaki, moussakas and more, there’s no doubt you’ll want to travel to Greece  – even if just for a quick lunch break in Milan.

Bioesseri

It’s impossible to list lunch spots without mentioning at least one pizzeria in Milan. Bioesseri is a pizzeria with majority Sicilian-based ingredients to accompany their two locations in Milan and in Palermo, Sicily. There’s no doubt that the pizza here will make you question returning again for dinner. A dough prepared with stone-ground flour and naturally leavened for 72 hours guarantees a product of absolute quality,” according to the site. Another bonus is that the dough is available in wholemeal spelled and gluten-free versions. And if you’re not in the mood for pizza, they also offer delicious appetizers, salads and first and second courses. 

Assaje

Another popular pizza joint is Assaje, the Napoli-based pizzeria. Expect long lines on weekends if dining in, but believe me, it is worth the wait. Besides the satisfying tastes of their appetizers like the zeppoline di alghe marine and fiori di zucca or their pizzas including the Diavola or the classic Margherita, the menu is affordable and the service is quick. Check out this happening spot in one of their five locations around Milan.

Living in Italy means living la dolce vita, right? This most certainly means checking out one of these places and taking your sweet time at lunch. And when you do that, you’ll have another reason to look forward to your day because that new lunch spot will be calling your name. 

Article by Mary Catherine Holcomb for Easy Milano

Featured image by Farhad Ibrahimzade