5 Instagram-friendly spots to eat well in Milan

Milan is full of excellent spots to grab a bite. Here’s some of the best places to have breakfast, lunch, aperitivo, dinner and brunch…and take beautiful pictures to post on Instagram too!

Gelsomina, near Milano Centrale

Gelsomina (Via Carlo Tenca, 5 – tra Repubblica e Porta Venezia) it is an hidden gem. This bakery inspired by southern Italy style and cooking (Sicily and Campania in the lead!) offers a great variety of exquisite pastries and sweets, from ricotta-filled cannoli to pistachio croissants and Neapolitan sfogliatelle. You cross the threshold and immediately feel in a Mediterranean garden, among plants of prickly pears and majolica. The irresistible detail is the unmatched vintage plates and cups that the owner has collected over the years, on which cakes and cappuccinos are served.
@gelsomina_pasticceria

Gelsomina

Lu Bar, Milan Villa Reale

Lu Bar (Via Palestro, 16) – the café / bistro is located inside Villa Reale in Milan, which houses the Gallery of Modern Art. The restaurant is truly unique, perhaps the most charming spot in Milan because it is located inside a real winter garden with huge windows that overlook the park of the Villa and the courtyard. You have lunch on wicker chairs, surrounded by palm trees and ornamental plants. The kitchen tends to be inspired by Sicily, a place dear to the owners.
@lubar

Lu Bar

Sixième Bistrot, Porta Ticinese district

Sixième bistrot (Via Scaldasole, 7) – an eclectic and chic place hidden behind a doorway of an old Milan building, within the bohemian Porta Ticinese district. There is a design gallery that exhibits pieces of vintage furniture with a colonial taste, a flower shop and a nice bistro where you can have an aperitif but also grab a bit. It has recently become also a boutique hotel, with a bunch of charming rooms.
https://sixieme-bistro.com/

Sixieme Bistro

Aimo e Nadia bistrot, Via Matteo Bandello

Aimo e Nadia bistrot (Via Matteo Bandello, 14) – it is the “light” version of the historic Michelin-starred restaurant “Il luogo di Aimo e Nadia”. Why light? Because it offers a menu of a few traditional Italian dishes with a contemporary twist…and more affordable prices. The service and quality are impeccable and the place is super cozy, made of an eclectic mix of modern pieces and works of contemporary art, supplied by the nearby design shop of Rossana Orlandi (an institution in Milan).
@aimoenadia

Aimo e Nadia Bistro

Penelope a casa, Ripamonti district

Penelope a casa (Via Ripamonti, 3) – a truly welcoming restaurant with a spectacular décoration. The dishes are those of the Italian tradition, with a slight preference for Abruzzo cuisine (the owner comes from Abruzzo). The brunch is original because it is made of “grandma’s” dishes … those that are eaten at Sunday lunches at home, with the whole family and relatives.
@penelopeacasa_milano

Penelope a casa