
Milan has confirmed itself as a city capable of offering top-notch dining experiences without necessarily emptying your wallet. From the traditional flavors of Lombard cuisine to international influences, via vegetarian and vegan options, the Milanese city always has something for all tastes and budgets.
In fact, there are several affordable places where you can dine without compromising your budget and spend a pleasant evening. Even the authoritative Michelin guide recommends some cheap Milan restaurants where you can eat without spending mind-boggling amounts of money.
The Michelin guide is one of the most established guides in the culinary field. It is, in fact, an annual publication dedicated to tourism and gastronomy, published by the French company Michelin, which is one of the world’s leading references for assessing the quality of restaurants but also hotels.
A restaurant can take from 1 to 3 stars, white flowers with a red outline with six petals. One star is good, two very good, 3 represents the maximum and means absolute certainty of eating superbly. In addition to the red star there is also the green star for those places that make use of eco-sustainable practices.
Where to eat in Milan good but cheap? This is an excellent question, and you will surely be amazed at the wealth of alternatives on offer. The restaurants we explored prove that quality recognized by the Michelin Guide is not synonymous with prohibitive prices. On the contrary, these places are proof that with a little research it is possible to enjoy excellent dishes, prepared with passion and first-rate ingredients, without spending too much.
What are these budget restaurants recommended by the Michelin guide?
So get ready to discover the places recommended by the Michelin Guide as great places with good value for money and selected restaurants with good food while being reasonably priced:
Tripe
Trippa is one of the inexpensive restaurants we find in the Michelin Guide. A typical osteria among the most quoted and well-known in the city. Making reservations here is very difficult, best done well in advance. It is always in high demand. Elegant but simple and warm restaurant in which to rediscover the flavors of the past, of tradition. The quality of the raw materials and the talent of chef Diego Rossi make it one of the best trattorias in town. Creative, cozy and good, Trippa’s menu changes daily according to seasonality and the chef’s flair.
📍Address: Via Giorgio Vasari 1
Mater Bistrot
Among the cheap restaurants recognized by the Michelin guide is Mater Bistrot, an intimate and cozy little place in the Cinque Giornate Square area where you can enjoy high-quality, almost “starred” dishes but at affordable prices. In the kitchen the signature of chef Alex Leone.
The kitchen of Frigoriferi milanesi
Within the artistic-cultural context of the same name we find this restaurant, a Slow Food presidium. An elegant and minimalist place with a strong imprint linked to tradition. Chef Marco Tronconi offers a very tempting creative cuisine, read the menu to believe. Frigoriferi Milanesi is recommended by the Michelin guide as an inexpensive place since the bill here is no more than 35 euros for three courses. From fish to meat, you’re on the safe side here with everything.
📍Address: Via Giovanni Battista Piranesi 10
Mezzolitro Wines and Cuisine
A corner of Abruzzo in Rho. Acclaimed by the Michelin Guide with the Bib Gourmand, an iconic Michelin mascot, Bibendum, licking its chops, indicating an enjoyable dining experience, this restaurant delights with authentic dishes and traditional flavors. Savor spaghetti alla chitarra and sheep’s milk arrosticini in a familiar and welcoming environment. With a menu that guarantees high quality at low prices, lunch or dinner here does not exceed 40-70 euros. A culinary experience that combines the mastery of regional cuisine with unbeatable value for money.
📍Address: Via Pomè, 10, 20017 Rho MI
Dongiò
With Dongiò, we take a leap back to Calabria. In fact, if you want to taste the excellent cuisine of Southern Italy but at affordable prices, the Michelin guide also recommends this restaurant among the cheap but excellent quality restaurants. A simple, cozy and convivial environment with good and genuine traditional Calabrian dishes, active for more than 3 generations, since 1987.
📍Address: Via Bernardino Corio 3
Serendib
With Serendib we really change countries and move among the flavors, aromas and spices of India and Sri Lanka. The place is very colorful. On the website we read: legend has it that the Great Mother India wept a tear of joy: this is the island of Serendib, which translated means “to make happy,” now Sri Lanka. Our recipes are a delicious and rich blend of spices, aromas, herbs, which today are imported directly from us and delicately mixed together like the colors of the rainbow. A tasting menu with some of the most competitive prices in town. If you like new and spicy dishes this is the place for you, and if the Michelin guide says so … there’s no doubt about it.
The Capestrano
At Il Capestrano you will find true Abruzzese cuisine. Arrosticini, sheep tartare and many other delights. A family-run restaurant where you can find the true flavors of Abruzzo in a harmonious blend of tradition and innovation. A fine restaurant with regional cuisine that will give you pleasant moments. Also for the wallet.
📍Address: 14 Gian Francesco Pizzi St. There is another location at 14 Sabotino Ave.
La cucina de’ Mibabbo
After India, Sri Lanka, Calabria and Abruzzo, we come to Tuscany with this cozy typical trattoria with lofts and exposed brickwork. Rustic but with its own elegance that churns out tosche delights. Genuine cuisine, handed down from father to son. Here the Florentine steak is a must, cooked in a vacuum at 50° and then finished in the charcoal oven. Even the ingredients are only Tuscan: the onion from Certaldo, the
prosciutto Bazzone, red bean from Lucca, mortadella from Prato, and Biroldo from Garfagnana so as to create 100% tasty and typical dishes.
📍Address: Via Lazzaro Papi corner, Corso Lodi
La Pobbia 1850
At La Pobbia 1850 you will find the most authentic Milanese cuisine. A long history behind this restaurant, a landmark in the city: risottos, giallo and al salto, the mondeghili, savoy cabbage rolls and nervetti salad. And then Costoletta alla Milanese, Ossobuco in Gremolada, Rostin Negaa, Cassoeula and grand Bollito Misto, and much more. La Pobbia is an old farmhouse with classic taste with antique furnishings, fireplaces and a beautiful garden for outdoor dining.
📍Address: Via Gallarate 92
Da Giannino l’Angolo d’Abruzzo
This restaurant has won recognition from the Michelin Guide with the Bib Gourmand, a hallmark of high quality cuisine at surprisingly affordable prices. As you enter, you are enveloped in a lively and welcoming atmosphere, where the close tables create a familiar and authentically Italian ambiance. The cuisine here is a tribute to Abruzzo tradition: perfectly grilled sheep arrosticini, tagliatelle alla chitarra with lamb sauce, and many other dishes that tell stories of mountains and valleys. The value for money is extraordinary; with a menu featuring generous dishes and genuine flavors, you can enjoy a full meal for no more than 35 euros per person.
📍Address: Via Rosolino Pilo, 20, 20129 Milan, Italy
Dry Aged
“Dry Aged” in Milan is a restaurant that has caught the attention of the Michelin Guide for its exceptional balance between quality and price. Specializing in dry-aged meats, it offers innovative dishes with premium ingredients. The modern atmosphere and attentive service, along with a varied menu, make this an affordable dining experience, with a full meal costing no more than 50 euros, justifying its place among the restaurants selected by the Guide with good food and, at the same time, a reasonable cost.
📍Address: Via Cesare da Sesto, 1, 20123 Milan
Mater Bistrot
The Michelin Guide again selected Mater Bistrot in 2025 for its ability to offer high quality cuisine at affordable prices. Credit is due to chef Alex Leone, who offers dishes that are a perfect balance between tradition and innovation in an ode to contemporary Mediterranean cuisine. The creative use of local and seasonal ingredients, combined with innovative techniques, allows the restaurant to keep costs down without compromising culinary excellence. This approach perfectly reflects the philosophy of value and quality sought by the Guide.
📍Address: Via Pasquale Sottocorno, 1, 20129 Milan, Italy
Le Nove Scodelle
The Michelin Guide recommends it as one of the best Chinese restaurants in Milan. The good news is that you won’t have to mortgage your house to eat here. This restaurant stands out for the authenticity of its dishes, far from the Westernized versions we often find in the city’s trendiest establishments. The menu offers a wide selection of soups and dishes typical of the Chinese province of Sichuan. You can’t miss their steamed dumplings, expertly prepared by hand and served in a bamboo basket. Some recipes may be quite spicy, but rest assured because the spiciness of the dishes is always displayed on the menu.
📍Address: Viale Monza, 4, 20127 Milan
Remulass
A small treasure hidden in the center of the city, Remulass offers creative and tasty dishes that celebrate the best of Italian and traditional Lombard cuisine, with a focus on seasonal and zero-mile products. The atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming, perfect for a dinner with friends or a romantic evening. The menu changes regularly, offering a selection of vegetarian and vegan dishes, as well as traditional proposals revisited with a modern twist. Try: the pumpkin risotto with porcini mushrooms and tangerine.
📍Address: Via Nino Bixio, 21, 20129 Milan, Italy
Altatto
Altatto Bistrot is an ode to creative vegetarian and vegan cuisine. We recommend trying the €65 menu, which allows you to explore a culinary philosophy based on respect for the earth, artisanal work and the seasonality of local products, which are transformed into dishes that enhance the variety of tastes, colors and textures of nature, without having to spend a fortune. The menu, which changes weekly, is a riot of colors and flavors that will surprise even the most discerning palates. You can also have a wine tasting, selected with the same principles in mind.
📍Address: Via Comune Antico, 15, 20125 Milan
Toast
Listed in the Michelin Guide Italy 2025, Brindo, located just outside Milan in Cusago, enchants with a menu that changes with the seasons, offering culinary surprises with every visit. The quality is excellent: from the freshest fish served in crudités, tartare and carpaccios, such as red shrimp and scallop carpaccio with stracciatella, almonds and guacamole, to the innovative orzo mantecato with violin artichokes and smoked swordfish. The atmosphere is casual but refined, with an excellent wine selection and recommendations that are always relevant. A finale with a perfect creme brûlée completes an experience that combines tradition and innovation without sacrificing the wallet.
📍Address: Via Libertà, 18, 20047 Cusago MI
Whether you are visiting Milan or residents looking for new gastronomic experiences, do not hesitate to explore these restaurants, authentic culinary wonders.
Remember: the true essence of Italian cuisine lies not in luxury, but in the quality of the ingredients, the passion of the chefs and the convivial atmosphere.