@porkedbutt
I just returned from a 5 day stay in Milano (plus 5 in Turin, 5 in Lago Maggiore) and can say…
Rovello 18 (in its new location) should be at the top of your list! We were impressed with everything—the friendly, warm greeting, the comfortable, classy interior décor, the smooth service, the quite dapper uniforms of the wait staff, the extensive wine list, the attention to detail, even the bill tucked into a souvenir card and of course, our dishes. It was by far our best, most memorable lunch. Had we been hungrier, every dish looked appealing. A perfect little bistrot. We had the Tagliatelle con ragú di Salsiccia Bra, Vacca Vecchia and Torta Cinzia al Cioccolato (flourless chocolate cake) along with a bottle of Marchionni Bianco from Tuscany (Chardonnay & Trebbiano) , all for a very reasonable 87 euros. If you’re a single diner, you might enjoy sitting at one of the counter stools facing the open kitchen.
www.ristorante-rovello.it
As to Trippa, I dutifully followed the booking instructions (to the letter!), logging on exactly at 12 pm, 2 months in advance, and did find a lunch seating for one of our dates and hurriedly tried to fill in my cc info, but….lo and behold, the bots took every bookable spot and the table was gone by the time I had finished filling in my details. My HO friend told me that I should have immediately called to tell the restaurant what had happened in hopes of snagging that table, but alas, I didn’t so my attempt at Trippa was in vain. We attended a presentation recently by the chef at Madrid Fusion, which put it on my “must do” list but it wasn’t to be.
I had very high hopes for Ratanà in Porta Nuova, because I had read so many articles about it, but it wasn’t a favorite. But it did bring us up to this area to see the Bosco Verticale. The Ratanà interior tables were taken that day, and we had to dine in the outdoor courtyard where the service was lacking because of the heavy lunch crowd. Because the wait staff has to go up and down the entrance stairs constantly, those checking in have a difficult time doing so, as there is little space inside or outside to wait. It´s just a bit awkward. For our mains my husband ordered the pollo Marinato (??) and the acclaimed “best risotto in Milano”, which was divine, so my dish I can declare indeed memorable. 86 euros with the coperto and a bottle of simple Venti Serenaro from Emilia Romagna (we didn’t splurge at all on wine here). I would return but the overall experience at Rovello 18 was far superior to me.
Our first dinner we really enjoyed at Osteria Brunello (not on your list), and it didn’t appear to us a tourist restaurant, as there appeared to be many happy locals dining as well as visitors. With well-spaced tablecloth decked tables, attractive interior design, and quite a “buzz”, here many diners ordered (and shared) their acclaimed and very large cotolleta di vitello alla milanese (breaded veal cutlet) served with tartar sauce and pomodarini (cherry tomatoes) and oregano dressing, which won a Gambero Rosso award. Our tagliatelle ragu vitello and polyette vitello were hits, and we should have returned to order the cotolleta for lunch. I could happily repeat Brunello.
Our last dinner, at Frangente (on your list), was the least interesting décor wise, a small room with bare black tables but very friendly caring service from Madame. Here we heard more English speaking voices, as it’s quite close to the Westin Palace, just down the street. Our two mains—filet vitello and passatelli were quite pleasant but the best was the star dessert, the sablé Breton. With a bottle of Nebbiolo dÁlba, water and coper to, our bill came to €105.
Because we were staying at the Spadari al Duomo hotel, right next door to the legendary Peck, we had our aperitivi there, upstairs, after drooling at the gourmet items in the downstairs delicatessen. This was my 3rd visit to Peck and 4th to Milano.
My restaurant research came from my Osteria app, Gambero Rosso, Michelin Italy, Vogue Italy, one rec from Katie Parla (Ratanà) and Time Out Milano. Others on my “runner up” list: Aimo y Nadie, Trattoria del Nuevo Macello, Nebbia and the classic Trattoria Milanese, which we will try next time.
