All Classical

When Ezio and Renata Santin brought this restaurant to the top of the culinary world, this little village located on the Naviglio Grande, a 45- minute drive from the center of Milan, became identified with the famous restaurant. Thirty years after its golden age, Antica Osteria del Ponte is now run by another young couple. Chef Maurizio Gerola does the cooking, with the great Ezio Santin sometimes lending a hand, while Maurizio’s wife, Laura, runs the service with style and grace.  Read more...

The Piazza Belgioioso is the location of two of Milan’s most famous houses: the home where the poet Allesando Manzoni lived andthe elegant Boeucc, which opened in 1696, nearly 100 years before Manzoni was born and almost 200 years before the unification of Italy. Palatial is a good way to describe the various dining roomswhich serve asanideal settingfor Marco Pasi’s substantial cooking, which features finely prepared classic dishes.Make sure Read more...

Though it started life as one of the many Tuscan trattorias in Milan when it opened in 1962. Over the decades the restaurant became one of the most celebrated in town. Ten years ago, Aimo Moroni and his wife decided to retire, leaving the restaurant to their daughter Stefania and the young chefs, Fabio Pisani and Alessandro Negrini. The search for Read more...

In the 1980s, Claudio Sadler was among the inventors of Italian modern cuisine: a whole generation younger of Gualtiero Marchesi, he shared with the maestro a passion for contemporary art which evolved in some of the earliest instances of what we consider “plating”. Today, his eponymous restaurant is still busy innovating: though most of the dishes in the menu are Read more...

Founded in 1966 by Vittorio Cerea, today the restaurant is run by his wife Bruna and her five children. In 2005 the family moved the restaurant from its original location in Bergamo to a grand pavilion in Brusaporto. The focus is on elegant preparations of fish and seafood, and the quality the restaurant sources is so exquisite it is difficult Read more...

Opened in 1926 as a small family restaurant, over the years dal Pescatore has evolved into one of the greatest restaurants in Europe. Still run by the same family, Nadia Santini and her son Giovanni run the kitchen, but there are days when you might find Nonna Bruna lending a hand. Some people claim that their signature dish, pumpkin tortelli, Read more...

Directly overlooking Lake Garda and midway between Milan and Venice, Villa Feltrinelli is a wonderful place for a luxurious escape. Its restaurant, with chef Stefano Baiocco at the helm, is just one more reason to never leave the hotel. Baiocco employs a light hand, and the extremely refined cooking focuses on vegetables, often featured in clever interpretations of traditional dishes such as carbonara dumplings with broccoli. The service is classical, and the wine list is both Read more...

Veranda is the main dining room of the luxurious Villa d’Este Hotel. Originally built as a private residence in the late 16th century by the architect Pellegrino Tibaldi, it was converted into a luxury hotel in 1873. The kitchen is run by Michele Zambanini, whose elegant cooking excels in his seafood dishes like risotto with borage, perch and black garlic.The wine list is short but thoughtful. From the large glassed-in patio, the views Read more...

Thirty years ago, Breton-born chef Philippe Léveillé decided to call Italy home, making a life for himself in the kitchen of this restaurant. With his unique way of combining Mediterranean ingredients with the butter-based cooking of France, he found an audience with both international gourmets and the local population. His menu includes a number of classic dishes, such as risotto with mushrooms and sweet cheeses or cold pasta with oysters and caviar, or his new creations such as Read more...

In the 30 years of its life, La Peca (which means “the print” in Venetian dialect) has left an indelible mark on the Italian gastronomic scene. Brothers Nicola and Pierluigi Portinari have earned their fame with a cuisine that is joyful and generous while remaining subtle, and that combines creativity and local tradition. The flawless service, managed by Pierluigi and his wife, Cinzia, perfectly matches the cuisine, as does the large wine list. The location, 40 minutes Read more...