There is no gastronomic avant-garde that matters: traditional dishes always remain at the top of the preferences of a large segment of consumers. Because they are comfortable, immediate, carefree, taste of home and crown a type of experience that is not very demanding, often even on the final bill. Risotto giallo alla milanese, cotoletta, ossobuco, cassoeula (or bottaggio) and mondeghili are the five Milanese specialities that we have taken into consideration to crown as many Champions of tradition, a special prize in the Lombardy - The Best of Milan and the Other Provinces 2024 guide dedicated to their best interpreters in the capital.
Milan’s risotto giallo, where to eat it
L'Alchimia
Restaurant. It is now part of the "salon buono" of Milanese restaurants, with the added touch of the cocktail bar beside the comfortable dining room in which the brigade, directed by the highly experienced Alberto Tasinato, moves (well). Service, after all, has always been a strong point of the restaurant, which has also gradually evolved positively in the kitchen. Evident is the growth of Giuseppe Postorino, who, without losing the thread of (Mediterranean) taste and a good hand in classic Piedmontese-Lombard cuisine, delivers good blows on the creative front. See the rabbit from Carmagnola, the wafer of raw amberjack, Nebrodi ham, peanut cream and confit tomato, or the Risotto Milano 1775, Milanese-style mantecato rice, ossobuco royale, foie gras and black truffle. Underground wine cellar well stocked and well managed, including niche producers and selected references, also available by the glass.
L'Alchimia - v.le Premuda, 34 - 02 82870704 – ristorantelalchimia.com
Cotoletta alla Milanese, where to eat it
Trattoria del Nuovo Macello
Restaurant. There is an eternal need for places like the Traversone family's Trattoria (refined, albeit informal) where experience and passion allow them to hold high the flag of Milanese tradition on the one hand and market cuisine on the other. Always with centred proposals and in the case of the first strand among the city cults: in the Assaggiando Milano appetisers there are perfect mondeghili, the risotto with saffron stigmas, superior butter and Lodigiano Riserva is always precise and the rib of veal aged 40 is fanatically done. The dishes with the catch of the day, such as the remarkable plin with seafood sauce, are also well executed. Business breakfast at 20 euro, improved service compared to the past.
Trattoria del Nuovo Macello - via C. Lombroso, 20 - 02 59902122 – trattoriadelnuovomacello.it
Arlati dal 1936
Restaurant. An icon of city dining, in vogue for almost ninety years and characteristic in its rooms - dei Tondi, dei Grafici, la Saletta - with furnishings inspired by art and music. The ambience has not changed over time and neither has the cuisine, which is reliable in its repetition of Milanese classics. The cornerstones are all there, from the risotto al salto to the yellow risotto with ossobuco, from the mondeghili to the luganega stew with chiodini mushrooms, to the monumental rib steak. Mention for the ossobuco with potatoes, not to be missed. Valid wine list and professional service.
Arlati dal 1936 - via A. Nota, 47 - 02 6433327 – trattoriaarlati.it
Cassoeula, where to eat it
Piazza Repubblica
Restaurant. The Milanese "adventure" of Matteo Scibilia, the experienced chef, and Nicoletta Rossi, the skilful hostess, who until a couple of years ago was at the Osteria della Buona Condotta in Ornago, is going swimmingly. The many regulars under the Madonnina appreciate the good lake and traditional Lombard cuisine and the well-structured menu that caters for all needs. If cotoletta and tortino di riso alla milanese are a guarantee, don't miss the cassoeula, or bottaggio, also in its version with goose, one of the best in town. The wine list follows the rest, the ambience is neat and the service friendly and helpful.
Piazza Repubblica - via A. Manuzio, 11 - 02 62695105 – Facebook
Mondeghili
Trattoria Sincera
Trattoria. The sign says almost everything about the restaurant, in the heart of Lambrate: two rooms, a small one at street level that still has the air of the bar that occupied it until last year and a larger one upstairs with 1960s-style furnishings. The "sincerity", in addition to the ambience, comes from the cuisine - entrusted to Federico Boni - which includes all the Lombard classics (he is also one of the award-winning Ambassadors of the Territory), "from the Alps to the Po" as the founders emphasise. You come here to eat patè and mondeghili, risotto with marrow and 'il' minestrone, rognone trifolato ai porcini and costoletta alla milanese. Desserts include torta Helvetia or mille feuille with strawberries. There is also an extensive charcuterie and cheese menu. Lunchtime menu of the day. Informal service, excellent wine list, totally Lombard, and looking for the best in Oltrepò Pavese and Valtellina.
Trattoria Sincera - via N. A. Porpora,154 - 389 8741577 - trattoriasincera.it
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