Where do I start on restaurants in Milan?
Milan is THE fashion city so even restaurants are slave to fashion more than anywhere else. If you recall the recent ceviche-mania across London restaurants, it does not really compare to what happened to pizza and burger restaurants.
Let’s get those out of the way first. For pizza the leader is Pizzium and the runner-up Lievita’ (they have 6/7 types of Margherita). For Burger go to Fatto Bene or Pescaria (mostly fish). You need to consult the websites to check out the menu. They are extremely varied and interesting.
For fish you have essentially 3/4 places. Langosteria, the place I brought Paul Day to. They have a main restaurant and a bistrot. You have Da Giacomo very see and be seen but the fish is very good. Finally you have two establishments like Al Porto and the Arrow which are old school but very good. A new opening is Bar Mare close to where I live these days. I have yet to try it. Alice within Eataly in Piazza XXV Aprile is also very tasty.
The Modern Italian Bistro I normally go to is Osteria Brunello, allegdly with a Tuscan slant but it is really an italian bistro. The Cotoletta is properly made (on the bone and cooked in fat) and they have Bartolo 2006 at EUR 130 or Biondi Santi 2010 BdM for the same monies.
Other places I would strongly recommend: Osteria 28 Posti another modern bistro, L’Erba Brusca the most frenchy bistro but still so milanese, Ratana’ quintessential Milanese (though Milanese cusine is more suitable for fall/winter. Manna is not really central but excellent.
The restaurant I go to the most is a very very unpretentious Bacco Da Carola e Andrea near Giacomo. He is a chef from Salder (two ** Michelin). For meat go to a real Tuscan restaurant (your menu will be prosciutto al coltello, fiorentina and courgette/potato fires and a bottle of Pergole Torte): il Giardino Dei Segreti.
Re aperitivo, I would hit Radtezsky in Largo La Foppa. This is THE place and very Milan. You may not like it but it will give you a feeling for the city. There are another zillion of places but should you feel the urge hit the only real wine bar in Milan: Cantine Isola where you can have everything you like and the best bargains are on bottles that are very difficult to get in the UK.
Milano is the world capital of sandwiches with all sorts of top ingredients. Hit De Santis in Corso Magenta and you will not be disappointed. Avoid lunchtime (1330/1430) because it is popular with students with the nearby Universita’ Cattolica. Though now classes are over.
Finally other random places: Trattoria Mauselli for Piemontese fair, Osteria del Nuovo Macello, Aromando Bistrot (an AMAZING cellar with old bottles), Al Pont de Ferr (At the Iron Bridge) another v good traditional restaurant), Dry which makes wonderful cocktails and excellent pizzas, N’Ombra de Vin a wine bar with an amazing selection of bottles, grab one and drink it (same price as take away but no one knows)
For breakfast go to Pave’, Cucchi, Blend, Taveggia or the best bar in Milan: Bastianello (reassuringly expensive in an Italia way).
I forgot the Skandi/Italian cusine of Essenza but it may be a little too modern.
The top blog is Dissapore.