The Milanese are described as the antithesis of Romans. They are fast-paced, efficient, and quiet. Their style of dining is not different. In the business capital of Italy, the three-course meal accompanied by wine that is favored by Roman politicians is a complete no-no. However, business lunches are a kind of social gathering that the city’s bankers, fashionistas, entrepreneurs, and executives can’t avoid. When it comes to discussing business, establishing relationships, making deals, or simply chatting over a bowl of risotto and sparkling waters, Milanese power brokers have their preferred places to go that generally speaking, haven’t changed much in years. It’s important to note that there are some places that aren’t accessible to the public.
The Milanese prefer private space, and there are few places that are more private and quiet as the town’s “circoli”, Italian for private clubs for members. Every prominent local celebrity has at least one membership. Most have several. It is likely that this is the location where important business conversations are happening in the time of the day (in the evenings similar to Romans and the Romans, the Milanese prefer to have dinner events in their homes when they want to talk shop). In terms of restaurants, the most popular venues that are ideal for meetings during lunch are the ones which offer the following: privacy for customers and a fine dining experience with more casual a la carte choices and fast, impeccable service.
In a handful of these restaurants, frequent customers — to protect their confidentiality and journalistic source protection I’m not going to mention their names typically consume more than one meal at lunchtime, to allow into multiple meetings. A starter with a dining companion and an easy main dish or salad at a separate table with a different. The majority of these spots have been relocated around the city throughout the years, however their ethos has remained the same: stylish but secluded. Certain of them evoke the décor of certain luxury Mayfair establishments with their carpeted floors and walls with panels. Others offer a classic Italian style, with their elegant white tablecloths that are never worn out and crystal clear, sparkling glasses that are an absolute necessity when you’re eating Italian haute cuisine, especially for drinking wine. Many of the city’s powerful brokers who eat out regularly and are restaurateurs (a small but influential group of business professionals as individuals) serve a nutritious menu, including grill-cooked chicken breast or fish fillet, served with a side of steamed veggies.
Romans would be furious and many Italians would consider these types of slack-minded meals “hospital food”. But for Milanese they don’t care about the food (which is, in fact even if it’s simple, is likely to be delicious) is what matters most however, it is it’s the conversations (and the promise of going back to work in a state of alertness). Of course, it’s not the chicken breasts grilled to perfection that has made these restaurants well-known and made some of them into a popular dining spots for elite travelers and even influencers. It’s the risotto-giallo, also known as all’ossobuco and riso al salto (sauteed rice) brasato raw fish platters, and the tagliatelle bolognese. These are all worth trying out while in town. Il Baretto VIA DELLA SPIGA 26, 20121 MILAN Excellent for seafood dishes like octopus that is smoky with lobster and lentils, served with onion and tomato and a wide French and Italian wine menu and excellent cocktails. Not ideal for: A casual, low-cost dinner: Don’t make use of map-based apps to find the restaurant as you’ll likely be directed to the wrong place. The entrance clearly marked is located between two boutiques: Sergio Rossi and Borsalino boutiques. Open Monday-Saturday, 12:30pm-3pm and 7pm-midnight. A main dish and an antipasto with a drink will cost around EUR80 per person. Website and directions Il Baretto chef Ciro Sequino The restaurant is now located in the Via della Spiga location, Il Baretto has retained its English members’ club vibe.
The moment Il Baretto turned 50 in 2012, its owners Ermanno Taschera as well as Vincenzo Zagaria gathered 1,200 VIPs to mark the anniversary. Il Baretto has been a popular choice for Italian high society, TV stars and financiers for years. In the 1970s and 1980s, Fiat owner and chief Gianni Agnelli and the former premier Giulio Andreotti were never unable to make an opportunity to visit in town. Today, the Agnelli family, as well as the scion John Elkann and his brother Lapo and his brother Lapo, are regulars. They are also part of the two Milanese industrial dynasties: Moratti and Pirelli and the chief executive of Pirelli, Marco Tronchetti Provera. Il Baretto is renowned for seafood dishes like Catalan-style lobster. The restaurant that has a more international crowd in the evenings for both leisure and business it has recently moved to a new location three times in the past, even though it’s not been away from Milan’s fashionable quarter. The restaurant was once it was located at Via Sant’Andrea, it then was relocated inside the luxury Baglioni hotel in Via Senato — but it still had an entrance to Via della Spiga for the chic, sophisticated Milanese women who want to stop in for a quick meal while shopping.
The new location, in Via della Spiga — where you will find Tiffany as well as Dolce & Gabbana stores -is located within an upscale complex that is run by Hines, a leading world’s largest property developer. The restaurant is still retaining the English membership club vibe and tartan carpet floors, and antique horse prints that hang on the walls covered with wainscotingthe more modern decor gives it a modern look and feel. The outdoor dining area is a welcomed addition. Il Baretto’s outdoor area. It has become a popular choice for Italian elite since 1950.. The menu is basic but expensive, offering a wide range of seafood and fish dishes, along with typical Milanese dishes such as the salto riso which is a crisp saffron rice dish that has been fried in butter. You should try the penne Baretto it is which is a pasta dish that comes that comes with a delicious tomato sauce made from scratch and a selection of the home-cooked desserts like the pear or chocolate tart. The cocktail menu, which includes excellently-crafted classics such as negroni and americano as well, is worth noting.
Boeucc PIZZA BELGIIOSO 2. 20121 MILAN Suitable for private discussions in the dining room as well as a typical Milanese saffron-laced risotto. Not ideal for a romantic date, FYI Don’t show up wearing sandals and shorts. Breakfasts for business are served on Thursdays in the mornings (7.30am-9.30am). Reservations are recommended. Open Monday-Friday, 12.30pm-2.30pm and 7.30pm-11.30pm; Saturday, 7.30pm-11.30pm. Pastas and starters from EUR18 and mains starting at EUR30 (truffle choices during the season, starting from EUR60) Web site; directions Monica Brioschi and her husband are the owners of Boeucc from 2004 after when her father was the boss for the last 25 years. In Boeucc’s original form, Boeucc opened in central Milan in 1696. It is in its present place for over eight years. Boeucc also known as “hole” in the Milanese dialect, was first opened in central Milan in 1696, which made it one of the most storied restaurants in the nation. The first customers to patronize the restaurant were Giuseppe Mazzini, the revolutionary who established the union of Italy as well as Arturo Toscanini, one of the most famous conductors of the past.
In contrast to the squalid hole, it was in the past, the main dining room in its present location just a stone’s throw away across from La Scala, boasts vaulted ceilings with granite columns, and marble statues. These days, the patrons may be more ordinary, but still powerful according to modern standards. In the lunch hour on any date of the week, one is likely to see at least a dozen of America’s top businesspeople, many of them males in a range of fields which include healthcare, media, and finance as they sit at the spacious round and smaller square tables that are located in the dining room.
Milanese Saffron risotto in Boeucc Regulars are seated in the same place as the other guests and is served by a waiter who is familiar with the food and drink preferences of their patrons, which is a great advantage outside of the private club for members in a city that is booming and in which people have an image of being unfriendly. Some prefer to order the classic dishes of the restaurant like Risotto Milanese and the fried veal brain as well as zucchini flowers. However, the majority of customers prefer lighter choices like the raw artichoke salad topped with Parmesan shavings, or the puntarelle salad topped with cheese and anchovies. Boeucc’s famous Quarantott cocktail, made of Campari as well as rosemary (the entire recipe is a secret) is served every day, but is particularly popular during events, which are held in the private dining area.