"For those who knew Milan before 2015, when the city hosted the World 's fair (Expo : be warned it 's changed. A lot. Especially in terms of eateries. Myriad new places, international as well as Italian, trendy, gimmicky, what have you, an over abundance of glitzy joints, heavy on the price, and light on the quality. It 's a jungle out there! Many traditional places have closed, especially the places we enjoy for lunch, a set menu, designed for city center workers preferably also those who work on Saturdays at a price as close as possible to €10 for a first and second course, with side of vegetables, and water, maybe wine and coffee too being replaced by these new offerings. So, finding exactly what we were looking for, right in the heart of central Milan, on Via San Giovanni sul Muro, a street that boasts lovely antique jewellery stores, where Via Meravigli becomes Corso Magenta, was a total delight. The more so that the place was fun. We ate in the first floor dining room, up the rather narrow spiral staircase, a jolly room with its typical red check trattoria tablecloths, and all. The food was fine (at €14/head, for three choices of first and second courses, wine, good choice €10/bottle , and the atmosphere was great. Busy as it was, the wait staff took great care of us, and service was swift. Who else was eating there? a group of Alpini soldiers at the next table, keenly discussing an upcoming event they were organizing, some tourists, Italian and otherwise, and some locals, looking like they came here often. And so will we! What we didn 't do was step across the street to Marchesi, the wonderful pastry shop and bar, now owned by Prada, for a post prandial coffee, as Burla Gio included that in its set menu, but that would be a great way to end a meal, before heading off, five minutes down Corso Magenta, to Santa Maria delle Grazie to see The Last Supper (if you have tickets! , or, as we did, a visit to Leonardo 's Vineyard at the Casa degli Attelani, across the street."
Al Forno
