image provided by Symmetry Breakfast
If you’ve been following Curious Appetite on social media, you might have seen we launched a new food tour in Milan!
Dedicated to discovering the city’s most storied eateries and culinary delicacies, our Insider’s Milan Food Tour is for curious travelers who want partake in Northern Italian coffee culture, indulge in proudly made sweets, comforting primi (first courses) laden with butter and melted cheese, and much more.
But why Milan? Milan is one of Italy’s most exciting cities for food. Possibly the most. Historical occupations coupled with decades of migration from around Italy, Europe and around the world have forged one of the most elegant food scenes in the country.
In fact, in the 1980s, the city was given the monkier “Milano da bere”, loosely meaning a city “to take in” in honor of its avant guard culture, architectural vibrancy and, most importantly, its decadent cuisine.
Milan is also arguably Europe’s fashion capital (sorry Paris). Armani, Versace, Prada, Miu Miu and Moschino were all founded in Milan and the majority of Italy’s fashion labels are now headquartered in the city.
But Milan’s fashion filigree extends well beyond the 19th and 20th centuries. The city has been at the heart of excellence since the Renaissance and late Middle Ages when goods were imported here via Genoa and Venice. In the 16th century, Milan gave its name to the English word "milaner" or "millaner", meaning fine wares like jewelry, cloth, hats and luxury apparel.
Today there is a dedicated Italian word to describe the quintessential elderly Milanese woman – sciura. A sciura is well-heeled, elegantly dressed and often easily recognizable by her glamorous confidence. She is Isabella Rossellini or Sophie Loren. The sort of woman who charms with her class and her love of all things exquisite.
In February 2026, Milan and nearby Cortina will host the Winter Olympics. So ahead of this momentous sporting event and to celebrate the launch of our Insider’s Milan Food Tour, here are seven reasons you should visit Milan.
The first recipes mentioning Risotto alla Milanese appear in cookbooks starting in the 1800s.
Risotto
The famous Risotto alla Milanese first landed on the city’s shores in the 16th century when Milan was ruled by the Spanish. Some say it is an offshoot of paella, while others point to the fact that saffron flowers, which give the dish its vibrant golden color, were being cultivated and traded in the late Middle Ages in northern Italy. Others still argue that in medieval Sicily, saffron pilaf was a popular dish among the Arabs and Venetian Jews.
Whatever its origins, Risotto alla Milanese is taken very seriously by the locals. Heaping spoonfuls of carnaroli are cooked to creamy perfection in a sea of chicken stock and dry white wine. Lashings of Parmigiano and butter are added for a rich finish and then of course, there’s the saffron – an ingredient worth more than its weight in gold! Just a pinch is needed, but there’s no denying this dish is as luxurious as the city itself.
Risotto alla Milanese is decadent enough on its own, but in local restaurants you’ll often find it’s served with ossobuco slow cooked until spoon-tender with midollo (bone marrow) for a lift of extra richness.
The Last Supper
The line to see Milan’s Duomo is nothing compared to the one you’ll encounter should you wish to see The Last Supper. Leonardo da Vinci’s 15th century masterpiece is housed in the very unassuming refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Humidity, the passage of time and WWII have all played their part in degrading the mural, which was originally commissioned to gaze upon the refectory’s monks as they broke bread in the communal dining hall, but a not-uncontroversial restoration in the ‘90s has restored the work to its former glory.
Today, The Last Supper has a very strict timed entry and climate-controlled regime, which means a limited number of visitors can see the work each day. But if you book well in advance, you won’t be disappointed. The mural is ethereally beautiful, and visitors have described an almost spiritual aura pervading the room in which it stands.
Chocolate, candied chestnuts and other sweet treats.
Pastries and sweets
Milan is home to some of Italy’s oldest pastry makers and sweet-serving cultural institutions, many of which dish up the divine local treats known as mignons. Taken from the French word for "cute" or "small", mignons are miniature pastries, often with intricate designs and flavors.
Milan is also the birthplace of the panettone. This yeasted sweet bread has become quite the status symbol in recent years. Designers like Dolce & Gabbana have teamed up with bakers to make ultra luxurious versions complete with collectable tins that retail for more than $100.
But Italy’s favorite Christmas-time treat has much more humble origins. Legend tells the tale of a young cook named Toni who saved a Christmas banquet in the 15th century after dessert was burnt to a crisp. The Duke of Milan loved his rich brioche bread so much he named it "Pane di Toni" after the young cook.
A traditional panettone is soft and buttery, deceptively difficult to make at home and studded with plump raisins, but today you can find versions filled with everything from chocolate to pistachio, hazelnut spread and an array of Italian liquors.
World class cocktail scene
Milan has been serving stellar cocktails since the 1930s, when it pioneered the 'futurist mixology' trend that paved the way for the rise of the aperitivo. While the Spritz and the Negroni aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, Milanese mixologists have elaborated on the customary red-orange palette, pouring an array of jewel-toned beverages brimming with technique and innovation.
From the classic to the new, Milan’s cocktail scene is unparalleled, building on its roots as the birthplace of the Negroni Sbagliato (you can still try the original at the site of its invention – Bar Basso – in Milan’s centre) to a city that prides itself on being highly conceptional, while never failing to champion quality ingredients and, more often than not, local artisan producers.
Milan is home to an array of DOP (Designated Protected Origin) cheese and cured meats.
Cheese!
Gorgonzola, mascarpone, crescenza, bitto, and Bergamo’s taleggio- Lombardy is one of Italy's most prolific cheesemaking regions and home to some of Italy's most delicious cheeses.
The climate plays a big part in this. In the north, nutrient-rich alpine pastures make for unique mountain cheeses like Valtellina Casera, a semi-hard semi-skimmed cow's milk with hints of hay and dried fruit. Head down into the plains around Brescia, Milan and south towards the Po River, and you’ll find a rich blue from the famous town of Gorgonzola or Bagoss, a savory, slightly spicy, and piquant hard cheese flavored with saffron.
Further afield in Mantova, you can try nutty and salty Grana Padano, which is similar to Parmigiano Reggiano (also produced in Mantova), while in Bergamo, taste semisoft, washed-rind Taleggio with its strong aroma and fruity tang.
Fine dining
Milan has more than its fair share of hole-in-the-wall eateries and much beloved local trattorias, but it also boasts plenty of Italy’s best fine dining establishments. More than 100 Milanese restaurants grace the Michelin Guide, 21 of which have one-star or more – making Milan joint winner with Rome for the Italian city with the most Michelin stars.
Superstar Italian chef Enrico Bartolini helms the city’s only 3-star restaurant, the elegant and contemporary Mudec. He’s in excellent company with other celebrity chefs Alessandro Borghese, Carlo Cracco and Ernst Knam, as well as fellow Michelin stars Andrea Aprea and Antonio Guida. For a full list of Milan’s starred dining establishments, consult this guide.
But Milan has plenty of other modernist dining options off the Michelin map worth having on your radar to compliment old-school, family cooking.
Ruins in Milan.
Roman history
It’s not all about fashion, food and luxury in Milan. Milan was founded in 600 BC as a Celtic settlement. Its name, Mediolanum, meant the ‘central place’ in the Po Valley or maybe ‘half woolen’ from a boar that was its ancient symbol. From 222 BC, it was conquered by Rome and less than two hundred years later, would become the capital of the Western Roman Empire.
Most of the Roman ruins are located between Piazza S. Sepolcro (one step from the Duomo) and Corso Magenta, a street that is a veritable treasure chest. Make a beeline for the Colonne di San Lorenzo in front of the Basilica di San Lorenzo Maggiore, one of the oldest churches of Milan. The sixteen marble Corinthian columns were brought there in 4th century, probably after they were removed from a 2nd century pagan temple.
