Where to eat inexpensively in Milan

The capital of world fashion – Milan – the most beautiful city in Italy. One of the facets of its unique charm is the amazing national cuisine.

Where in the city center can you taste delicious pasta, pizza and panzerotti, drink excellent Italian wine, and have a cheap and quick meal? We open interesting places on the gastronomic map of Milan.

Best budget eateries and restaurants

Il Politico – a diner in the city center, right by the Sforza castle, a local specialty – big sandwiches for 5 €;
Macelleria Equina Pellegrini – a popular cafe at the butcher’s shop (no seating, only tables on the street) with fantastically delicious steak and tartare, average bill for two with wine – 22 €;
Spontini – a chain of inexpensive pizzerias in Milan, a large slice of pizza costs 5-6 €;
Oro bianco – here you can try real mozzarella, as well as refresh yourself with panini and crostoni (6.50-7 €);
Pasta fresca da giovanni – a godsend for those who want to eat Italian pasta (made here by hand) and at the same time save on lunch. 2 pastes – 10 €, working hours – from 12 to 15 hours;
Viva – a restaurant with inexpensive and tasty food and drinks (pizza – on average 4.70 €, beer – 3.5 €, coffee – 1 €);
7’s Gio Farini – a cafeteria with a view of the Duomo di Milano, coffee costs 1-3 €, pastries and sandwiches – 1-7 €;
Pasta d’Autore – a pleasant restaurant specializing in pasta (huge portion – 12 €);

Luini – an inexpensive snack bar in the center of Milan, its specialty is Italian panzerotti pasties for 2-3 €;
Piadineria Artigianale Pascoli – a cafe in the Piazza Argentina area, a good place to eat piadina inexpensively (4.50-7 €);
Al pizzetta – pizzeria with original small pizzas (about 15 cm in diameter), their price – 4 €;
Zibo cuochi itineranti – the cafe is famous for its delicious ravioli for 9 €;
Pizza AM – a small pizzeria 20 minutes walk from the Duomo, you can eat pizza here for 8 €.

Inexpensive cafes and restaurants in Milan

Panini durini

If you find yourself in the center of Milan and are looking for a quick and cheap place to eat, check out the Panini Durini café near Palazzo della Ragione. The secret of the invariable popularity of this place among the townspeople and tourists is inexpensive and delicious Italian fast food.

For 5-7 € you can refresh yourself with panini with Parma ham, bresaola, salami, mortadella. And for connoisseurs of caffè italiano, a large selection of coffee drinks (on average € 1-2), pastries and desserts (€ 2-4) will be a pleasant surprise.

La Caveja Piadineria

An excellent fast food cafe located near the Monumento Ai Carabinieri in the center of Milan. Here you can quickly, and most importantly, a hearty and inexpensive meal.

The menu consists almost entirely of traditional flatbreads – piadin – with a variety of fillings: meat, fish, vegetable and even sweet, with nutella. Piadins cost from 5 €. Also, La Caveja Piadineria makes good alcoholic cocktails: Spritz Aperol (with Prosecco), Negroni (based on Campari liqueur) and others.

Luna rossa

At first glance, Luna Rossa looks like other inexpensive cafes in Milan: small, modest and clean premises, a queue of hungry local residents and a simple menu of focaccia, pizza and calzoni. But once you dine here at least once, you won’t feel like looking for anything else.

At Luna Rossa, you can eat real pasta – it is prepared according to 30 different recipes, ranging from the classic Al Pesto and Alla Carbonara to Al ragù di anatra (pasta with duck stew). The pizza in the restaurant is also excellent – it’s not for nothing that the Milanese themselves willingly run here to dine.

Another nice bonus is a lot of delicious Italian desserts, including the famous tiramisu and panna cotta. The cost of food is on average 6-10 €.

Pizzeria Piccola Ischia

Piccola Ischia is popular in Milan: 15 minutes after opening, there is literally nowhere for an apple to fall inside. Perhaps the main reason for this is the delicious and inexpensive pizza, which everyone from young to old is in a hurry to eat. It can be ordered in any of 3 options: piccola (€ 2.50-6.50), media (€ 3.80-16) and grande (€ 5.50-13).

Inside, the Pizzeria Piccola Ischia hall is designed like a small old town square with tables. From above, from stylized decorative balconies, ordinary Milanese “glance” curiously at the guests of the restaurant.

The attractiveness of the pizzeria also contributes to the quite budgetary prices for food in Milan – calzoni and panini cost in the range of 4-10 €. Italian alcoholic drinks are represented by wines, liqueurs (including limoncello) and beer.

POMET by Pasquale Pometto

The best restaurants in Milan city center don’t have to be pretentious or ultra-expensive. To be convinced of this, be sure to drop by the light of Pasquale Pometto, one of the greatest Italian pizza makers of today.

And even if the pizza from the Pasquale master is a little more expensive than in simple eateries around the city (its price here is from 10 to 13 €), but you will just lick your fingers! The service is incredibly impressive: good-natured, hospitable and cheerful. Already at the entrance you will be greeted with a glass of sparkling Prosecco and slices of pizza to sample and quickly escorted to a free table – if there is one, of course. The restaurant is extremely popular and there are queues even on the street.

Just a few dozen meters from POMET, there is another inexpensive Pasquale Pometto – Piz.

San tomaso

An excellent restaurant on a quiet street near the center of the Old Town – one of the best inexpensive places in Milan. Despite the fact that there is always no end to visitors, the atmosphere inside is family-friendly, and many come here to take a break from the endless hustle and bustle.

The main things to try at San Tomaso are pasta, wine and desserts. Tagliatelle with shrimp and zucchini, trophy with pesto sauce, spaghetti with octopus – you can enjoy them for only 8 €. A glass of local wine will be a pleasant addition to your meal, and for dessert, be sure to try tiramisu – it is deliciously prepared here.

Salsamenteria di Parma

If you want to diversify the menu and eat delicious and inexpensive meat delicacies in Milan, be sure to pay a visit to Salsamenteria di Parma. The restaurant is located in the city center, not far from the majestic Milan Cathedral.

The local menu seems to be created to get acquainted with the national cuisine of the country. There are also famous Italian cheeses: parmigiano, pecorino, mozzarella, gorgonzola – and several types of classic corn polenta, and, of course, amazing lasagna. But the “highlight of the program” is still meat snacks and dishes: prosciutto, pancetta, mortadella, salsiccia, stewed pork cheeks, beef stracotto, carpaccio, trippa. The cost of food is in the range of 9-15 €. The portions are large.

The restaurant has an interesting tradition – to serve wine in bowls. But if it seems too extravagant to you, ask for glasses or glasses – your request will be immediately fulfilled.

La Prosciutteria Milano Brera

Authentic Italian prosciutto, one of a network of establishments throughout Italy. You will not feel such an incredible atmosphere in any other restaurant in Milan. As expected, hams and sausages are hung from the ceiling, and the shelves on the walls are lined with bottles of the best wine. There are many tables in the small room – a bit crowded, but very cozy and colorful.

The choice of food – for every taste: inexpensive panini, salads, cheeses, hams, sausages, several types of prosciutto. A glass of wine costs from 5 €. For two to drink alcohol, you can order a huge wooden board with a variety of snacks (15-20 €). In all respects, a great place to enjoy excellent wine and delicious meat and cheese delicacies.

Another prosciutria of the chain – La Prosciutteria Milano Navigli – is located at Ripa di Porta Ticinese, 53.

Osteria Al 29

This pleasant family run osteria is located in Corso Magenta, one of Milan’s central streets. Despite the favorable location – about 10 minutes walk from the Duomo – food prices here are quite reasonable (5-20 €), and locals tend to eat more at the restaurant than tourists.

Inside, the osteria is decorated in a cozy home style. The walls are decorated with photographs of the famous Italian actor Toto (Antonio Vincenzo Stefano Clemente).

The menu includes not only the timeless Italian classics: pizza, pasta or ringtones. For lovers of juicy meat, they will be happy to cook grilled pork chop or salsiccha, while fans of seafood dishes can taste squid, shrimp and lobster.

Antica Trattoria dei Magnani Al Cantinone

The history of this trattoria dates back to the time of Silvio Pellico, an Italian writer of the first half of the 19th century. Thanks to the fact that the writer came here to eat, evidence of a small tavern near Piazza San Fedele in Milan has reached us.

Partially rebuilt in the 20th century, the building still retains the old trattoria. During the daytime (from 12.00 to 15.30) it works like a bistro, all meals cost up to 8.50 €. Special daily offer – side dish, first and second courses can be ordered for only 9 €.

And in the evening (from 18.00 to 21.00) a pleasant surprise awaits guests again. Those looking to save on food will love the Milanese tradition of aperitifs. Alcohol orders over € 10 are accompanied by an unlimited buffet of a variety of snacks. A great opportunity to drink delicious cocktails and a hearty, inexpensive snack.

11/01/2020

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