Restaurants in Porta Romana (Milan)

Don Juan

This is an ideal place for unrelenting carnivores who want to feast their eyes, and their stomachs. It is a very attractive restaurant, the walls are yellow and red, there is an open-plan kitchen and a splendid bar in leather, wood and iron. Don Juan serves imported Argentinian meats and the best cuts from the European market. You should try the Puchero de Carne, and the Riserve San Juan. The desserts are typically Argentinian and very satisfying. The list of wines is pretty impressive as well.

Lifegate Café

Lifegate is an Italian café in Milan that serves organic, mainly vegetarian cuisine. They value quality of life and respect for the environment. Sourced from organic agriculture and the fresh produce market, the ingredients used are fresh, seasonal and healthy and retain their original flavors. Try a pizza made with organic wheat or kamut flour and served with tasty vegetable toppings: including “prosciutto vegetale.” The Lifegate also boasts of a warm and inviting atmosphere. Special menus are available for children. Check website for more details.

Pow Wow

This fashionable venue has separate rooms for different styles of music. Popular with young people. It has a pool room at the front with table football, and it also has two dance rooms and a garden. It is all decorated with feathers and masks inspired by the Lakota Indians. Visitors will usually have to queue to get in. The music is mostly rap, hip hop, jazz and soul and they organise live music evenings.

Havana Music Café

This bar offers live music, cocktails and creole food - all the right ingredients to recreate the magic atmosphere and rhythms of Havana in Milan.

La Salumeria Della Musica

The former chain factory in which this large shop is located is an impressive backdrop. There is a large food counter where meats and cheeses can be bought, and there is a wine counter and a bar. Eat to the sound of live music, and when it gets late dance to the funky tunes. Check out the website for the upcoming events.

Biblos

Biblos is located in Via Madonnina, not far from the Castello Sforzesco, the Piccolo Teatro, and Brera. It offers live music from 10:30p every evening! The shows have different groups playing depending on the evening, and take place on the upper floor. On the ground floor there are games and karaoke organised by the DJs. There is a wide range of cocktails to choose from, and there are sandwiches, snacks, and La Crepizza! (a speciality never heard of before) to eat. A purchase is obligatory.

Shiva 2

Shiva is both a nice restaurant and a well-known take away joint. The owners are from the Punjab as one can see from the menu: so go for Chicken and Lamb Tandoori rather than seafood. Friendly service and reasonable prices make a dinner at Shiva an experience you'll probably want to repeat. Good location in the centre of the lively nightclubbing area of Ticinese.

Lucky Seven

Far away from the city centre, this club (you need membership to get in, but they will give you the free card on the premises) is the right place to enjoy real Sri Lankan food in an inexpensive and informal way. A no frills loft with a big buffet presenting a wide choice of any hot, spiced food you care to name. Excellent price/quality ratio and lively atmosphere, the Lucky Seven will delight you for sure.

Cerro Ardente

This is a lively place for group lunches or dinners, which serves excellent slices of pizza. The furnishings are very simple, with old tables and benches. The restaurant extends over two floors; the lower floor is reserved for large groups. The waiting staff are pleasant and will make sure your evening is enjoyable. It is ideal for after theatre meals, and for young people without money to burn! You come here especially to eat great slices of pizza. You can have it plain, or topped in thousands of different ways. Some desserts are home-made, others are commercially made.

Hostaria Pascone

A restaurant where you will find good cooking at low prices. It is a great place to go with a group of friends and is always busy. Unpretentious furnishings, but a smart and comfortable atmopsphere. Bare bricks, wooden chairs and the pleasant Pascone family whose members are all busy in the dining room or the kitchen in some capacity. There is a sweet alcove with a round table, where small groups can dine set apart from the rest of the customers. The restaurant is an underground tavern reached by a lift. The food is excellent and the prices good value. There are Truffles with Porcini Mushrooms, Linguine pasta with mussels to mention two first courses, and a selection of meat and fish dishes as main courses. Try the roast potatoes as they are fantastic. Everything is home made: from pasta to bread to desserts.

La Cantinetta

At the top end of Via Ripamonti in one of Milan's more historically interesting areas, we find this pleasant pub which helps to create that attractive atmosphere of Porat Romana. The atmosphere is very pleasant, there is air-conditioning. The clientele is varied but plenty of regulars that enjoy the restaurant's remarkable romantic potential. The house specialities include the tagliata but there are other meat dishes and all types of traditional cuisine.

Dongiò

This restaurant is located in the elegant Porta Romana area of Milan, one of the city's richest zones in terms of historical monuments and architectural attractions. The interior is almost spartan in its decor, and does not allow much space to frivolous decoration. The service is simple and polite. The cuisine is inspired by Calabrian cooking, and the first courses are the restaurant's real strong point. The pasta is all home-made, and many of the dishes include sausages and chilli. You should also try the Beef Roulades and the Cotolette di Caciocavallo, a type of cheese from Southern Italy.