What to eat in Milan
A cutlet on the bone, fritters made from leftovers and a cake sold by the kilo — three dishes Milan eats all year, plus an aperitivo where only the glass is on the bill.
- Cotoletta alla milanese
- €12 at a budget spot
- Mondeghili
- €13
- Risotto and ossobuco
- no confirmed price for this page
Milan eats four things that repeat from one end of town to the other: a bone-in cutlet at noon, mondeghili made from yesterday's lunch, panettone sold by the kilo before the year is out, and an evening aperitivo on the Navigli, where only the glass is on the bill. Risotto with saffron and ossobuco are just as constant, only without a confirmed price for this page.
On the bone, not off it
The cutlet is veal, breaded and fried in butter, traditionally on the bone — off the bone it's already a different dish, closer to a Wiener schnitzel. At a budget spot a portion runs €12; at most places it's double to triple that.
Fritters that waste nothing
Mondeghili are fritters made from leftover cooked meat, mixed with bread, egg and nutmeg, then breaded and fried. They started as a way to use up what was left of the Sunday roast, and today sit on the menu as a dish of their own, €13.
The pair no old tavern goes without
Risotto alla milanese gets its colour from saffron, and ossobuco is made from a veal shank with the marrow left in, usually served over the same risotto. The price depends on the place and isn't confirmed for this page, so they're mentioned without a figure — ask for the day's price before you sit down.
A cake weighed, not counted
In Milan panettone is sold by the kilo, not by the slice, and the artisan bakeries' price runs past €39.90/kg. It's bought before the year ends, but the good bakeries keep it in stock out of season too.
Aperitivo on the Navigli: only the glass is on the bill
On the Navigli in the evening you sit by the canal, order a drink, and a buffet comes with it — pasta, pizza slices, salads. The charge is on the drink, €10, and the food from the buffet comes with it for as long as it's out.
WWhere to stayWhich district sits closest to this same canal:Where to stay in Milan →
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
What is mondeghili?
Fritters made from leftover cooked meat, breaded and fried; €13 as a dish on its own.
Is cotoletta alla milanese the same as a Wiener schnitzel?
Not quite — the Milanese version is traditionally fried on the bone and in butter; off the bone it's closer to the Viennese one.
How much is aperitivo on the Navigli?
€10 for the drink, with a buffet included.
Ready for Milan?
Where to next
The best time to visit Milan
→Milan sits on a plain with no sea nearby, so summer can turn heavy and humid — the best months are May, June…
Lake Como · 39 km
→A cathedral and a funicular in the town itself, then a boat up the lake to Bellagio, Varenna and the villas on the shore — all from one base.
How well does Milan suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
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