This Italian city takes its food seriously – these are the 17 best Milan restaurants to book

Moebius Sperimentale

Named for French cartoonist Jean Giraud’s pseudonym, Moebius evokes the surreal whimsy that characterised the work of its eponym. The 700-square-metre former textile factory multitasks as a cocktail bar, tapas bistrot, live music venue, vinyl shop, and a fine-dining restaurant: the Michelin-starred Moebius Sperimentale. Enclosed in a suspended glass “box” of sorts that gazes down at the ground floor, the restaurant seats 12 (including six at the chef’s counter) and is reached via a staircase tucked snugly beside a 700-year-old Andalusian olive tree. There, chef Enrico Croatti offers three tasting menus – Mare (sea), Terra (land), and Libertà (freedom) – that revisit tradition with innovation and haute techniques. The imaginative dishes often borrow from the classic Italian canon, like the signature agnolotti with veal bone marrow, saffron, and grana padano cheese drizzled with gremolata, a lemon and parsley sauce. Before or after dinner, hit up the ground-floor cocktail bar, which ranks seventh on the World’s 50 Best Bars list. Jaclyn DeGiorgio

Address: Via Alfredo Cappellini, 25, 20124 Milano MI
Website: moebiusmilano.it

Da Martino

The Carmignani family, who have owned Da Martino since 1950, just reopened their beloved trattoria following a significant revamp, trading the old-school ambience for a more modern aesthetic with terrazza floors, wood details and shades of terracotta. But much else remains unchanged – the owners still take their ingredient sourcing as seriously as any Michelin-starred chef, crafting a menu that changes daily and leans heavily toward Slow Food Praesidium products. Once November arrives, expect the cardo gobbo (hunchback thistle) from Nizza Monferrato fried and served with a stracchino cheese fonduta. In the summer, you might find panissa, or chickpea fritters, in a wild garlic sauce with marinated zucchini and quartirolo, a soft, crumbly cheese from Lombardy. Though two standbys endure: the “elephant ear” style cutlet, made with pork instead of veal, always served with fried shank, and a warm house-made apple cake, accompanied by a scoop of fresh mascarpone. Alongside the menu, the Carmignani family tends to one of the most intriguing wine cellars in town, with about 200 small producers from France and Italy, including bottles from elusive gems like Cantina Pizzo Coca in Valtellina and Claire Naudin in Burgundy.

Via Carlo Farini, 8, 20154 Milano MI

https://www.damartino1950.com/