Table Of Contents
- Nonna Mafalda’s Striatelle
- Hua Cheng
- Panattonin
- Trapizzino
- Trattoria Sabbioneda Da Romolo
- Grouse
- Pescaria
- Pescetto
- De Santis
- Li-sei Deli
- Mabuha
- Trattoria La Rava e La Fava
- La Sidreria
- Alhambra
- Antica Hostaria Della Lanterna
- La Vecchia Latteria
- Trattoria San Filippo Neri
- L’isola del gusto
- La Prosciutteria Milano Navigli
- Pizza Am
Who said that eating well in Milan necessarily means emptying your wallet? In a city where the average price of a meal in starred restaurants touches stratospheric heights and even 4-star restaurants have gone from 100 to over 150 euros, finding a satisfying dining experience without bleeding yourself dry seems like a feat.
Yet, hidden among historic alleys and lively neighborhoods, there are small culinary treasures where value for money defies all expectations.
So here is a guide to the best cheap and nice restaurants in Milan, where you can eat well at a reasonable price. Not only pizza, but also special meals to explore Milan’s culinary offerings. What do you say? You will see that you just need to know where to look.
Nonna Mafalda’s Striatelle
Le Striatelle di Nonna Mafalda is a family-run eatery born from the dishes of Nonna Mafalda, the creator of the striatelle (similar to a stuffed piada) recipe. On the menu, in addition to striatelle, we find homemade pasta and Abruzzo’s arrosticini.
Where: Via Vigevano 11, 20144 – Milan.
Price: about 20/30€ per person.
Hua Cheng
A Chinese (Spartan) trattoria in the heart of Milan’s Chinatown, prized for the quality of its food and variety of dishes. Hua Cheng’s menu includes a wide range of Chinese specialties: spring rolls, dumplings, meats in different sauces, shrimps, soups, grilled fish, snails, fresh noodles and more.
Where: Via Giordano Bruno 13, 20154 – Milan.
Price per person: about 20€.
Panattonin
In ancient times, the “Panattonin” was a small panettone that could be eaten all year round. Hence the idea of the creators of this original place, Roberto and Andrea, who offer sandwiches made with panettone dough with the addition of honey and pumpkin. This is street food with a gourmet twist. To grab and go or to eat on the spot.
Panattonin can be eaten in both sweet and savory gourmet versions. Savory versions include one with elephant ear schnitzel, ossobuco, and vitello tonnato. In addition to sandwiches, you can also eat traditional Milanese first and second courses with tasty side dishes.
Where: Via Mosè Bianchi, 101 – Milan (Lotto).
Price per person: about €5 to €13. You can consult the menu.
Trapizzino
After its great success in Rome, Trapizzino has become a reference point for street food lovers in Milan as well. Every day you can find 5 stable Trapizzini on the Menu (Double cream, Parmigiana, Meatball with sauce, Chicken cacciatore and Tongue in green sauce) and 3 rotating proposals among seasonal flavors. Also find tasty supplì. Our favorites sausage and mushroom!
The Trapizzino is a mix of pizza and tramezzino stuffed with wonderful Roman food.
Where: Via Marghera, 12 (Wagner), Corso Lodi, 1 (Porta Romana) and Ripa di Porta Ticinese, 2 (Navigli).
Prices: trapizzini cost 5€, supplì 2€.
Trattoria Sabbioneda Da Romolo
In the Porta Venezia area we find this trattoria, to be included among the cheap restaurants in Milan, which makes us discover the flavors of the past. Typical, small and cozy place where you can find homemade dishes of excellent quality such as cassouela excellent, stuffed pastas as well. Friendly and helpful staff (which is not taken for granted).
Where: Via Alessandro Tadino, 32 – Milan (Porta Venezia).
Prices: you eat well and spend less than €25 per person. The price may rise a little with drinks.
Grouse
If you like chicken, stop by Grouse. Different versions of this meat seasoned with ginger, truffle, citrus, chili, with spices, or classic with rosemary. Plus a whole range of really delicious sandwiches. We tried the chicken with ginger and really liked it. Easygoing but nice venue. Full menu here.
Where: Piazzale fratelli Zavattari, 4 (Segesta) and Viale Monte Nero, 29 (Porta Romana).
Prices : prices range from 5-6€ to 15.90.
Pescaria
For those who like to eat with a twist in Milan there is Pescaria. This restaurant offers a new way to enjoy fish, raw and cooked, with extreme combinations. Large sandwiches super-stuffed with the freshest fish tartare and lightly fried.
Where: Via Solari, 12 (Sant’Agostino area) and Via Nino Bonnet, 5 (Porta Garibaldi).
Prices: Tuna Tartare sandwich at 13€, the Vegetarian one at 9€. You can consult their menus here.
Pescetto
A nice place for those who like to eat fish in Milan. At the raw counter you can choose the fish and decide how to cook it: grilled, pan-fried or fried. You can also eat it raw. They also offer dishes from the kitchen, such as octopus with potatoes, shrimp lasagna and rice, potatoes and mussels.
Where: Via Alessandro Volta, 9 – Milan (Moscova).
De Santis
Another place to try is the historic De Santis sandwich shop, active since 1964 and an icon in Milan. Small but stylish retro venue has an endless list of sandwiches. But don’t think you are eating a banal sandwich eh. On the contrary. This is real art, a feast for the taste buds. Excellent creations with exceptional combinations. Just to give you an example: the Nadia sandwich has Piedmontese meat tartare, sun-dried tomatoes, mustard, capers, oil, salt and pepper. The Sheila has fig jam, gorgonzola and Culatello di Zibello DOC. Again, the Fiordo has Norwegian salmon, goat cheese in wine, lemon and pepper.
Isn’t your mouth watering? You can see them all here.
Where: Corso Magenta, 9 – Milan (Cadorna).
Li-sei Deli
Delicious Korean place near the Darsena. Truly a love. Run by Okhee together with her husband Kihyuk. You will find great typical dishes from Korea cooked with love and passion in this lovely place. For an alternative and very cozy evening Li-sei Deli is the right fit. Very good bibimbap (the classic Korean dish with rice, vegetables, egg and meat). Definitely drop in.
Where: Via Vigevano 9 – Milan (Porta Genova).
Prices: Bibim guksu (Cold flour noodles with vegetables and hot sauce for €11, Bibimbap for €12 and there is a lunch menu for €18.
Mabuha
Mabuhay is small but very cozy and they have Filipino food. We like it a lot. They are very nice and make sure everything is good and you feel comfortable. Very reasonable prices considering it’s in the center of town. Super recommended.
Where: Bastioni di Porta Volta, 9 – Milan (Moscova).
Prices: 10 to 13.50€ per plate. Appetizers 2-3.50€.
Trattoria La Rava e La Fava
Trattoria La Rava e La Fava is a restaurant known for its Piedmontese cuisine and cozy atmosphere. It is, moreover, known for its use of white Alba truffles, available in the fall, and porcini mushrooms. Appetizers include fava bean balls, an unusual dish to try.
Where: Via Principe Eugenio 28 – Milan.
Average price per person: 20/40€ per person.
La Sidreria
Among cheap restaurants in Milan, you cannot miss this authentic Milanese trattoria that offers Italian food to eat in unlimited quantities. The menu changes monthly and you can eat as much as you want of what’s on it. An encore, a trio of first courses? You can. We like dessert so much that we want to eat it 4 times? Then go for 4 times. Heaven. Ah, unlimited is also the Cider that is tapped directly from the barrel present in the room!
Find the menu for everyone here and the vegan menu here.
Where: Via Arcangelo Corelli, 31 – Milan (Ortica).
Prices: 25€ fixed price per person to binge as much as you want. 30€ on weekends.
Alhambra
Among the cheap restaurants in Milan we also feel like putting Alhambra. You eat at affordable prices but you decide that as you pay according to how much the dish weighs. That’s right, because you choose the dishes from the counter, all vegetarian with an oriental twist, and then based on how much you have taken you pay. Of course, the more you fill up the more the cost goes up.
Where: Via San Gregorio, 17 – Milan.
Antica Hostaria Della Lanterna
Here you find the essence of genuine Milanese tradition. A place with an intentionally spartan and homely decor that will make you feel like a guest in the home of a Milanese family doc. The specialty of the house are the hearty and flavorful pasta dishes, with special mention for the gnocchi with zola and pistachios, a real treat for the palate. The antipasto of sliced meats, carefully prepared, is a strength recognized by even the most demanding customers. The generous portions, the very high quality of simple and familiar dishes, and the salami that deserves special mention. Even the prices seem to belong to a bygone era, a true economic oasis in Milan’s gastronomic jungle.
Where: Via Giuseppe Mercalli, 3 – Milan.
Prices: about €25.
La Vecchia Latteria
La Vecchia Latteria is a rare gem: an authentic dairy a few steps from the Duomo, on a side street of Via Torino. This small, family-friendly eatery, with its white tiles and vintage photos, offers vegetarian and vegan cuisine that will win over even the most skeptical palates. The menu offers thoughtful and distinctive dishes, with low prices ranging from 8€ for an omelet to 13€ for more elaborate first courses. Simple but surprising combinations create tasty and light dishes that leave you satisfied. The vintage and rustic atmosphere, remaining true to the style of the 1950s, adds a touch of authenticity.
Where: Via dell’Unione, 6, 20122 – Milan (Center).
Prices per person: 15/20€.
Trattoria San Filippo Neri
Trattoria San Filippo Neri offers the best of Italian cuisine daily with scrupulous attention to ingredient selection. The real strength of this restaurant is its incredible value for money: you can have lunch for less than 10€ by ordering a first course, while for 13€ you can enjoy a first course accompanied by a side dish or dessert. The menu varies daily, offering such delights as rice and lentil soup, Milanese tripe with beans and potatoes, or ricotta and spinach ravioli with parmesan cream. Upon entering the trattoria, you will be greeted by cooks intent on kneading meatballs on sight, a sign of the authenticity that permeates every aspect of the restaurant. For dinner, you can choose from several first courses for €9 or indulge in a Milanese veal chop with a side dish for €17.50.
Where: Viale Monza, 220, 20128 – Milan (Pasteur).
L’isola del gusto
L’isola del gusto dispels the myth that eating fish in Milan is necessarily expensive. This place stands out for its very quick business lunch with a fixed-price formula that includes first and second course for only 15€. The fish is extremely fresh and of surprising quality. We recommend the tagliolini with real clams and zucchini flowers. Price? Only 14€. In the evening, the restaurant delivers on its promise of high quality at low prices, making the experience accessible to those who want to indulge in a seafood meal without compromising their budget. The ambiance is simple and authentic, with no frills but impeccable and fairly quick service.
Where: Via Angelo della Pergola, 4, 20159 – Milan.
La Prosciutteria Milano Navigli
Perfect option for those looking for a cheap restaurant in the lively Navigli area. This place with a rustic atmosphere, with salumi hanging from the ceiling and a décor that mixes tradition and modernity, offers a dining experience centered on gourmet taglieri, Tuscan schiacciate and mouthwatering porchetta. For €15.90 per person, you can order a tagliere so plentiful that it is often difficult to finish it. The selection of cured meats and cheeses is of high quality, accompanied by excellent Tuscan focaccia and homemade jams. The staff is warm and caring, helping to create a convivial atmosphere perfect for aperitifs, dinners with friends or family lunches.
Where: Ripa di Porta Ticinese, 53, 20143 – Milan.
Pizza Am
This lively and colorful, if tiny, place serves pizzas with a surprisingly light and digestible dough (not the classic pizza that stays on the stomach). The Positano and Pometto are among the most popular specialties, with a focus on vegetarian variants. The staff greets you with small welcome gifts such as a glass of prosecco or appetizers, immediately creating a convivial atmosphere. Ideal for quick business lunches (immediate invoice and Satispay payment available) or for a quick snack before a show at the nearby Teatro Carcano.
Where: Corso di Porta Romana, 83, 20122 – Milan.
Prices: the Gustosa Marinara for €7, the Margherita €9, the Pometto €12 and the Positano €10.