If you’re traveling to Italy, you can find some of the best pasta in Milan, one of the most posh and cosmopolitan Italian cities.
Milan is considered Italy’s fashion capital, but it’s also a culinary hub for classic options like risotto alla Milanese, veal Milanese, raw seafood, and ossobuco.
Consider these meat and fresh pasta dishes when researching Milan pasta restaurants—you can’t travel to Italy without trying them.
This guide to the best pasta in Milan will help you find the tastiest places to eat in the city, regardless of the type of pasta you want to sample.
Check out my other Milan posts for more Italy travel recommendations.
Park Hyatt Milan Review
Milan Airbnbs
Book my favorite activities in Milan through GetYourGuide below:
Where to Find the Best Pasta in Milan
1. Mama Rosa
We loved Mama Rosa so much that we ate there twice! The interior of this small restaurant is beautiful, and the service is excellent.
The menu is heavy on seafood dishes, and our waiter helped us pick some delicious options for fish and pasta.
Mama Rosa’s flavor combos are interesting—our server encouraged us to choose some dishes we probably would have skipped based on the menu descriptions.
They ended up being some of our favorite food experiences in Milan, full of butter and garlic, my favorite.
Many restaurants in Milan will give you complimentary limoncello to finish your meal, and Mama Rosa was super generous with their pour.
2. Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia
Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia is at the top of many can’t-miss Italian restaurant lists and serves fresh homemade pasta in a chic, intimate setting.
This spot was originally a simple trattoria when founded by the original chefs Aimo and Nadia Moroni in 1962.
It’s now one of Milan’s most famous restaurant highlights and boasts two Michelin stars.
The food is imaginative, offering creative interpretations of classic Italian dishes and Milan food, like risotto with zucchini flowers.
3. Dongiò
Dongiò is a family-run, traditional trattoria serving some of the best pasta in Milan.
The specialty pasta dish is spaghetti alla tamarro, a simple yet delicious tomato sauce made with ‘nduja (spicy sausage paste).
If you’re vegetarian, the parmigiana di melanzane is a great option—it’s like the OG version of eggplant parm, with fresh vegetables and rich parmesan cheese.
The dining room is always full of locals, making this one of the best places in the Milan city center to find good food at reasonable prices.
4. Langosteria
Langosteria is considered one of Milan’s top fish and seafood restaurants, but the pasta is exceptional, too.
While it can be pricey, the atmosphere is relaxed, and the soft lighting and charming decor give the space a warm, inviting vibe.
If you try raw seafood in Milan, this is the place to do it. They have oysters and raw fish platters that pair beautifully with the restaurant’s pasta dishes.
5. Trattoria Trippa
As the name suggests, Trattoria Trippa specializes in tripe dishes—if you’re vegetarian or not an adventurous eater, they also serve chicken and classic pasta dishes, like ravioli.
Trattoria Trippa uses high-quality ingredients, and the chef trained in the Dolomites at the Michelin-star restaurant St. Hubertus.
This is a great spot to try Milanese risotto with grilled bone marrow, one of the restaurant’s house specialties.
6. 28 Posti
28 Posti is located in the Navigli District, and its name refers to the amount of seats available in the restaurant.
They serve contemporary Italian cuisine, with several unique tasting menus consisting of multiple courses.
You can try anywhere from five to 10 unique dishes at 28 Posti, ranging from savory pasta to mouthwatering desserts.
7. VUN Andrea Aprea
VUN Andrea Aprea is a two-star Michelin restaurant in the Park Hyatt Milan, one of my favorite hotels in the city.
Chef Andrea Aprea creates beautiful, contemporary dishes that give traditional Italian food a fresh, modern twist.
We loved this Milan restaurant’s inventive flavor combinations and plate presentations.
8. Nebbia
Nebbia isn’t just famous for serving some of the best pasta in Milan—it’s also a fantastic spot for risotto.
The atmosphere is minimalist and chic, and the chefs have worked at some of the world’s top restaurants.
The traditional Milanese dishes at Nebbia are mixed with unexpected ingredients and flavors, creating a one-of-a-kind dining experience.
9. Nero 9
Nero 9 specializes in high-quality meats cooked over charcoal and served with tasty pasta dishes.
Customer reviews rave about the servers’ ability to pair red wine with each meat dish—leave room to try the delicious tiramisu.
While meat is the bulk of Nero 9’s menu, they also offer exceptional, freshly made pasta.
10. Pizzeria Spontini
Dining out in Milan can get pricey, so I’m sharing my rec for the best cheap meal in the city.
If you’re searching for the best pasta in Milan, I bet you also enjoy pizza. Spontini is famous for its pies and serves delicious lasagna with bolognese or pesto sauce.
There are several Spontini locations around Milan, and you can’t miss them because there’s usually a line out the door.
Spontini serves huge pizza slices for around 6 Euros—you can add toppings like prosciutto and mushrooms.
It’s perfect for a quick lunch while sightseeing, or you can grab a slice to enjoy beneath the Duomo at night.
11. Pasta Fresca Brambilla
Pasta Fresca Brambilla is a can’t-miss spot to buy fresh pasta of all shapes and sizes.
If you’re traveling with vegetarians and meat-eaters, this restaurant is perfect for a low-key, filling lunch.
The cozy, minimalist atmosphere is warm and welcoming, and the pasta is out of this world—try the braised ravioli!
12. Pasta Fresca da Giovanni
Rounding out this guide to the best pasta in Milan is Pasta Fresca da Giovanni, a family-run local favorite.
Pasta Fresca da Giovanni specializes in classic pasta made in-house, and every dish is bursting with fresh flavor.
The menu is also updated with weekly specials, so there’s always something new to try—I could eat pasta here for lunch every day and never get tired of it.
With this pasta Milano restaurant roundup, you’ll enjoy the best pasta in Milan during your Italian vacation.
Check out my Milan content for more recommendations.
FAQs
Milan is located in the northern Lombardy region of Italy.
Traditional food in Milan includes ossobuco, risotto, and minestrone.
I suggest Dongiò.
Elise Armitage is an entrepreneur and founder of What The Fab, a travel + lifestyle blog based in California. At the beginning of 2019, Elise left her corporate job at Google to chase her dreams: being an entrepreneur and helping women find fabulous in the everyday. Since then, she’s launched her SEO course Six-Figure SEO, where she teaches bloggers how to create a passive revenue stream from their website using SEO. Featured in publications like Forbes, Elle, HerMoney, and Real Simple, Elise is a firm believer that you can be of both substance and style.
