Top 5 of the most inventive restaurants in Milan

by hagerini

When you walk through Milan you will recognize quite fast that this city has a lot of trendy and inspiring restaurants offering you a positive atmosphere and even better food.  I set off to find and bring you my top 5 inventive restaurants in the capital of Lombardy:

1. 10 Corso Como Café – The hidden treasure

10 Corso Como Milan, Italy - best restaurants

When walking through the Corso Como street with all its restaurants and shops it`s quite easy to pass by the 10 Corso Como Café without noticing the entrance. Behind a discreet facade of gates lies a green artful oasis inside the courtyard of a large former garage. The place full of plants and flowers was created in 1990 by Carla Sozzani, the sister of Franca Sozzani the editor in chief of Italian Vogue.  First, it was an art gallery only, eight years later the Café was opened following a small hotel (with only three rooms) in 2003 and the Roof Garden in 2009.  On the ground floor, there is a restaurant, a bar and the entrance to the exquisite store that shows and sells works of art and fashion. On the upper level, there is the art gallery with regular exhibitions and the bookshop. Take a seat outside in the courtyard, inside the veranda beside the little fountain or at the bar either on the rooftop or under the beautiful light ceiling inside the building. There is no need to say that the dishes are served artfully. The seasonal orientated menu card will spoil your palate: salmon with gin-marinated melon and oil caviar or foie gras terrine with Nori seaweed as starters, “10 Corso Como” risotto with Mediterranean aromas or suckling pig with Sakura Sancho pepper as main courses and a pear strudel with almonds and cinnamon as a dessert. Enjoy the variety of tastes while listening to the in-house relax music.

Opening hours & booking:

Restaurant: Monday to Sunday, 7.30 AM-11.00 AM and 12.30 PM-15.00 PM
Café: Monday to Sunday, 10.00 AM-1.00 AM
Table booking: book online

Address:

Corso Como 10, Milan
Exit at the metro station Garibaldi FS (line 2 & 5)
10corsocomo.com

Prices:

Starters €12 to €20, main courses €15 to €35, desserts around €11
(Servings are rather little)

2. LùBar – Dine with a tropical feeling

The LùBar (“the bar” in Sicilian dialect) was founded by Lucilla, Lucrezia, and Ludovico Bonaccorsi, the children of the Italian fashion designer Luisa Beccaria. They started with a little “Chiringuito” (beach bar) in Noto, Sicily and opened the LùBar in the southern porch of the prestigious Villa Reale in Milan. When you`ve passed the archway and reach the patio you will recognize that Lucrezia is a passionate architect-scenographer: On the right side of the comfy garden terrace is a pink flamingo welcoming the guests before they`re entering the impressing foyer with a big bar counter. Stylish furniture, plants, and even pineapples will immediately give you a tropical feeling. But the best is yet to come, a gentle front desk greeter will bring you to your table inside the beautiful Orangerie winter garden with big windows, plants and an elaborate monument in the middle. On the menu, you will discover the Mediterranean dishes influenced by Sicilian flavors. Taste starters like pasta nests with orange blossom honey fired chickpeas dough and avocado, main courses like Spaghetti with bottarga of red tuna from Marzamemi and as a grand final a mignon cannolo and ricotta cheese.  The dishes are served well presented, you will dine amongst plants of all kinds, palms, and cactus. Tables and vases are designed in Morocco style, the chairs were even designed by Kartell (Milan design brand). Nu jazz music playing in the background creates a relaxing atmosphere, LùBar is a place to enjoy – so much that already famous Italian influencers like Chiara Ferragni or Giulia Valentina have visited it. After your visit, don`t miss it to have a walk in the adjacent Indro Montanelli Park.

Opening hours & booking:

Monday to Sunday, 08.00 AM-12.00 AM
For booking a table call +390283527769 or book online

Address:

Via Palestro 16, Milan directly at the Villa Reale and a few steps away from the Metro station Palestro (line 1)
lubar.it

Prices:

Starters € 5 to €12, main courses € 9 to € 18, desserts € 2 – € 8
(Servings are rather little)

3.  Un Posto a Milano – Escape the city life

Un posto a Milano Milan, Italy - best restaurants

I`ve seen a lot of special places in Milan but this one is unique: between high apartment buildings lies a little house named “Cascina Cuccagna”. It is one of the remaining 18th-century structured colonial farming houses in the metropolitan city. The former farm doesn`t even need a sign you will immediately spot it. When passing the archway you reach the inner courtyard and you will immediately think that you`re in the countryside instead of a metropolis. The building gives you a perfect impression of how the city looked like before all the skyscrapers and apartments were built. In the inner courtyard, there´s a little wholefood shop, a bicycle repair shop, a wonderful garden with trees, a small vineyard, plants wearing name tags and the restaurant “Un Posto a Milano” (a place in Milan), the one I would like to introduce to you today. During warm days you can make yourself comfy on the garden terrace in the middle of the green oasis or inside the ancient building where a fascinating interior design awaits you. Behind all this are 20 years of work, already in 1998 the founders were tired of the “asocial dimension of the city live, avoiding exchanges and relationships”. The idea to revive a universe of relationships came with the Cascina Cuccagna. Only in 2005, the municipality invites tenders for projects that should fulfill the building with life.  Time of concession was short, for the rest, only non-profit use was allowed and the winner had to undertake a conservative restoration. The money for the project comes along with loans from other banks and with donations from individuals. The mindset behind the community and the distinct feeling of nature are reflecting the menu card. Below certain dishes, a small presentation of its producer is written. On their website, you can read that they only work with farmers, fishermen, and breeders who respect animals and the land. The seasonally based menu card offers amongst others artisan cheeses and cold cuts from rural farms as a starter, homemade Cappelletti with olives as a first course, Asado lamb and bok choy cooked in a wok as a second course and plenty of sweet dessert variations. Make sure to check their website before your visit: every day there are meetings, talks, markets, and workshops and should you ever need a place to stay overnight use one of their beautiful rooms inside the guest house.

Opening hours & booking:

Tuesday to Sunday, 10.00 AM–01.00 AM (with light food e.g. sandwiches), lunch from Tuesday to Saturday 12.30 PM-14.30 PM and 12.30 PM-15.00 PM on Sundays, dinner from Tuesday to Sunday 19.30 PM-23.00 PM.
For booking a table call +39025457785 or book online

Address:

Via Cuccagna 2, Milan
Exit at the metro station Porta Romana (line 3)
unpostoamilano.it

Prices:

Starters €10 to €22, main courses €10 to €22, desserts around €5
Make sure to check the daily menu light for €15 or the tasting menu for €20

4. FUD Milano – Heaven for burger lovers

Fud bottega sicula Milan, Italy - best restaurants

FUD-Bottega Sicula is an excellent burger restaurant with branches in Catania, Palermo (both in Sicily) and since mid-July 2018 also in Milan. My brother and I could taste the mind-blowing burgers already in Catania, that`s why we`ve visited their third restaurant in Milan just one month after the opening. In order to explain why since our first visit in Catania we didn`t forget their food we have to take a closer look at their concept: FUD-Bottega Sicula was founded by in 2012 in Catania by Andrea Graziano. After coming back from his world trip he had the idea to create with genuine Sicilian ingredients exceptional burgers together with delicious starters and deserts. At FUD they even have their own drinks like the FUD Cola to taste. It`s a 100% Made in Sicily celebration, every dish on the menu is created with typical ingredients from a network of local Sicilian producers and farmers: starters with fried potatoes and special toppings like the “Provola della Madonia” cheese, tasting plates with cheese and meat specialties, burgers with Sicilian beef, Chiaramonte Gulfi donkey, Ragusan buffalo as well as desserts like the homemade cheesecake will bring you on a wonderful journey through different tastes. The menu card offers also a lot of vegan dishes like the “Parmigiana Burgher” or the “Spais Potetos”. It`s not possible to prebook a table by phone so make sure to arrive before 8 PM especially on weekends. In Catania FUD is already a “happening”, you will see a lot of (young) people meeting each other at the restaurant. This special culture reflects even in the restaurant´s own language called “Fuddish,” an original sort of Anglo-Sicilian language. From the menu card up to the restaurant decoration, you will find words like “SUITT DRIMS”, “RED UAIN”, “UAI FAI” or “CIS CHEIC”. Enjoy your stay and should your stay last longer than expected ask for the “RICARGI IOR FON”.

Opening hours & booking:

Monday to Sunday, 12.00 PM–01.00 AM
Table booking not available.

Address:

Via Casale 8, Milan directly at the Naviglio Grande nightlife area and a few steps away from the Metro station P. TA Genova FS (line 2)
fud.it

Prices:

Starters €4 to €20, burgers € 8 to €14, desserts around €5

5. Soulgreen – Vegan food for your health- & happiness

Soulgreen Milan, Italy - best restaurants

On the website of Soulgreen is written: “Our food, which we choose with the greatest attention to the quality of the ingredients and so that it has the least possible impact on the balance of the planet, can help anyone to improve their physical and mental energy “. The reflection of their commitment you will feel immediately when entering the restaurant: Plants are hanging from the ceiling, only natural materials (the tables are made of recycled wood) and soft colors are used. When swiping through the menu card on the provided iPad you will recognize the variety of their plant-based kitchen with recipes designed and created with natural organic and quality ingredients. No products of animal origin or products with gluten are used but you won`t even notice it when looking at the comprehensive menu card: beside appetizers, salads and pasta, you even get 100% vegan burgers packed with plant protein and anti-oxidants or a delicious dessert like the cacao mousse with avocado, cocoa butter, and hazelnuts. Highlights are also the freshly made juices or the themed bowls like the “Italian Bowl” with cecina, pepper salad, caponata, pesto sauce and tomatoes salad. The Italian, French or Australian vines you will drink are only biodynamic and are paired with each dish. You can place your order directly on the iPad. Your meal will be served very colorful, it will not only spoil your sense of taste but also your sense of sight. The restaurant`s nutritionist consultant, Andrea Flenda was living in India for years, where he has been involved in the well being of spirit and body. His dishes are designed to give pure energy and to let you feel healthier and thus happier. Besides the target of making their guests happy, Soulgreen also joins the “Proud to Give Back” charity program, guaranteeing 3 meals a day for 280 children and former workers in India.

Opening hours & booking:

Monday to Friday 12.00 PM-15.00 PM and 19.00 PM–22.45 PM
Saturday & Sunday 12.00 PM-16.00 PM and 19.00 PM–22.45 PM
For booking a table call +39026265162 or book online

Address:

Piazzale Principessa Clotilde, Milan
Exit at the metro station Garibaldi FS (line 2 & 5)
soulgreen.com

Prices:

Starters €4 to €12, main courses €12 to €15, desserts  €4-€9
(rather small portions)

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