Among secret gardens, English verandas and pedestrian areas with candle lit tables, here are the five addresses to note for outdoor dining in the centre of Milan, with culinary proposals of Italian character and international “drive”.
El Porteño Gourmet – Via Speronari 4
At the feet of the new #designdestination in the centre of Milan, Speronari Suites has opened the new gourmet address for lovers of Argentinian cuisine and cosy atmospheres: El Porteño Gourmet. Here, Latin American flavours meet Italian savoir faire in a fine union that combines the beauty of the location – recently enlarged with outdoor tables on the pedestrian road – and the quality of the culinary offering. The typical Argentinian dishes – made up of juicy slow-grilled delicacies, empanadas, panqueque al dulce de leche – are reinterpreted and updated with Made in Italy influences, like pasta and chef’s salads. And sipping a mate by candlelight (a traditional infusion prepared using the leaves of a native South American bush), you can fully taste the “new Milan”, a metropolis that hungers for the future.
- Site: https://www.elporteno.it/gourmet
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/el_porteno_gourmet/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElPortenoGourmet/
- Tel: +39 02 49428140
Al fresco – Via Savona 50
A green oasis (and vaguely “English”) is hidden – so to speak – in the middle of the Tortona area: it’s called Al fresco, aptly named for the atmosphere of the location. Here at street number 50, among the wisteria of a romantic terrace (once hosting private events, now open to the public) and a veranda garden that is a treasure chest of plants, bric-à-brac ad lamps that warm hearts and tables, you can sample classic and creative cuisine, with invariably fresh dishes such as the red tuna tartare, guacamole and sprouts, or raspberry cheesecake with biscuit and almond crumble. The crown jewel is the wine list, for a voyage from north to south of the boot, from the more classic Prosecco and Franciacorta to the eternal champagnes and Ferrari (brut, perlé, rosé), as well as ribolle gialle and pinot grigi.
- Site: https://www.alfrescomilano.it/menu-pranzo/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alfresco_milano/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alfrescomilano/
- Tel: +39 02 49533630
T’imo – Via Cavriana 38
Between Ortica and the Forlanini area, in the spaces of the ancient Cascina Sant’Ambrogio (originally a monastery, then a farmhouse), the first Milanese “agro-restaurant” comes to life. At T’imo, managed by CasciNet association, you can enjoy a tasty organic lunch, an aperitif with garden hors d’oeuvres or a social dinner (every Friday evening) and refresh yourself in the shade of the fig trees. Customers themselves choose the menu – a triumph of aromatic herbs and country perfumes: from tarragon to savoury and from lovage to orange thyme – from a selection of seasonal vegetables (cultivated by the Rete Agricola CSA – community supported agriculture, Milan) and proteins to add to a base of carbohydrates. Here, with a generous but nutritionally balanced dish, Milan rediscovers its bucolic vocation and forgets the traffic and whirlwind heights of the city centre.
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimoAgriristoro/
- Tel: 389 189 7059
Ratanà – via G. de Castillia 28
Located in the shadow of the UniCredit Tower and the Bosco Verticale, the two faces of new Milan, is one of the first Italian “Modern Osterie”, preparing not only excellent first dishes, but also promoting sustainable culinary culture. At Ratanà, modernity and tradition meet in the skilled hands of chef Cesare Battisti, who creatively revisits Lombard tradition in an elegant and friendly atmosphere. Wines of the best labels, carefully selected by sommelier Federica Fabi, and bread from Eugenio Pol, expert in “natural” baking, contribute to creating a unique taste experience, for a menu that changes monthly according to the seasonality of the products and the ethics of the livestock and the crops. Completing the image is a lovely outdoor area, available from April to September, to enjoy the green of the Isola quarter and its eclectic architectures.
- Site: https://www.ratana.it/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RistoranteRatana/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ristorante_ratana/
- Tel: +39 02 87128855
Gli Orti del Belvedere – Via Orti, 10
Never has a name been so appropriate in describing the mission of a place: bringing all of the colours and flavours of gardens (and seas) to Milan, focusing on sustainable cuisine that begins with small producers, which is the mission of the team headed by chef Lorenzo Cornegia. Among the delicate climbing vines and Tuscan olive trees, in the outdoor space of this restaurant, opened in 2015 and facing its namesake Via degli Orti in the Porta Romana area, you can sample dishes from the water and earth – like grilled cuttlefish with asparagus cream and bean salad or lava-rock grilled octopus with fava bean puree – with an eye for balancing flavours without altering the organoleptic properties of the foods. Counterbalancing the marvellously fresh cuisine is a wine cellar stocked with the best Italian labels and emerging producers, with a wink to the bio-dynamism of the wines.
- Site: https://www.gliortidelbelvedere.it/about-us/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gliortidelbelvedere/
- Tel: +39 02 49781425
