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By far the trendiest restaurant in Milan at the moment is an unassuming trattoria called "Trippa" - an almost unadorned restaurant with dark wood tables and chairs, paper napkins and placemats. No chichi, no design, no glamor, but right in the heart of the fashion metropolis of all places. However, chef and host Diego Rossi is considered a superstar in the industry in his home country. His specialty: classic Italian cuisine, including a lot of offal. Such as the eponymous tripe (Italian: "trippa"), which Rossi fries so crispy that it nearly melts in the mouth. His interpretation of the classic vitello tonnato is also impressive, in which he foams up the tuna cream and folds it into each individual slice of veal.

Down-to-earth cuisine is booming

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Rossi is by no means the only Milanese chef riding the wave of nostalgia and exploring traditional home cooking. In this modern and, by Italian standards in particular, very international city - which does not necessarily have the best reputation when it comes to traditional cuisine and long-established trattorias - there is now a surge in eateries that are successfully focusing on down-to-earth dishes.

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One of these is the "Frangente" by Federico Sisti. The chef comes from Romagna, on the Adriatic coast, which probably explains why fish plays an even more important role here than in other trattorias in Milan. Guests rave about the mixed pasta with crustacean bisque, the puree of white cannellini beans and calamari; or a cotoletta alla milanese (known as the local equivalent of the Wiener schnitzel), which Sisti serves as an unusually thick piece of meat and with a correspondingly juicy pink center.

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Another "neo-traditionalist" is Cesare Battisti. His restaurant "Ratanà" is housed in a former train depot, decorated with modern works of art and designer lamps. The result is a familiar osteria atmosphere with a modern twist - a mix that is also reflected in the menu. The risotto alla milanese, for example, which is prepared with saffron and bone marrow and garnished with gravy, is well-known in the city. Or the ossobucco, which Battisti gives a personal touch: He purées the vegetables of the soffritto, the root vegetables, and serves it as a creamy sauce with the slices of veal shank.

Fantastic cuisine at Bulgari

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Of course, the wealthy and glamorous financial metropolis is also home to a number of notable upscale restaurants. One of the most exciting ones is certainly the one run by Niko Romito in the elegant five-star hotel "Bulgari". The three-star chef is known for his almost unpretentiously presented dishes with intense flavors and perfect cooking times and consistencies.

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And so you sit in the elegant setting of the luxury hotel, often between fashion designers, professional footballers and models. And enjoy seemingly simple dishes of a quality you have hardly ever experienced before. These include spaghetti al pomodoro, in which the tomatoes are first dried in the oven, giving the sauce intense flavors. Or tubettoni, a pasta variation with zucchini, mint and parmesan. The crispy suckling pig in orange sauce or the now legendary interpretation of cotoletta alla milanese are also fantastic.

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However, you don't necessarily have to dig deep into your wallet to enjoy Romito's fantastic cuisine. In his second restaurant, the "Spazio" on the fourth floor of the landmark Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, you can eat almost as well. And on top of that, in a more relaxed atmosphere, at lower prices - and with a view of Milan Cathedral, another Milanese landmark.

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In the style of her famous chef, Executive Chef Gaia Giordano serves dishes that are reduced to the essentials. For example, the cupped and lightly seared mackerel fillets, which she serves minimalistically on a cream of citrus fruits and parsley. Or the southern Italian pasta cacio e pepe, a kind of signature dish from the master: here, in the egg pasta region of northern Italy, it is served with tagliatelle instead of the original spaghetti.

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A visit to the "Spazio" also has the advantage that you can enjoy an aperitif in the "Camparino", located on the opposite side on first floor of the elegant historic shopping arcade - one of the most beautiful day bars in Italy.

Aperitivo Heaven

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Aperitivo is certainly an important topic in Milan - and the "Bar Basso" is another legendary place to enjoy one. It is said that the Negroni Sbagliato was once invented in this spacious corner bar with its old-fashioned flair and mostly creative clientele. This "falsely made" Negroni contains Campari and vermouth, just like the properly made Negroni, but instead of gin Prosecco is added to the mix - which makes it a lot lighter than the original.

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A more recent aperitif bar, however, is the "Cà-Ri-Co", which Milan's most famous bartender, Domenico Carella, opened a few years ago in the creative district around the Navigli. The perfectly mixed drinks are accompanied by small dishes such as oysters, swordfish skewers or tacos with beef tartare. All in all, "Cà-Ri-Co" is also the perfect way to start an evening in Milan - because regardless of whether you are dining in one of the neo-trattorias or in a top restaurant: it all starts with an aperitivo.

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