Al Matarel

In the heart of Brera, Al Matarel is one of the last true bastions of traditional Milanese cooking. Opened in 1962 by Elide and her husband Marco, the restaurant feels like a living memory of old Milan. The cuisine is unapologetically meneghina: no modern twists, just generous portions, slow cooking, and deeply flavoured sauces. Butter, polenta, humble cuts of meat, and porcini mushrooms take center stage. Classics such as cassoeula, gnervitt, and oss buss are prepared according to tradition, alongside fresh pasta made daily, homemade desserts crafted by Elide herself, and seasonal white truffle from Alba.

In the 1980s, the dining room famously hosted Bettino Craxi’s Monday lunches, and it is said that more than a few chapters of Italian political history were written between a plate of oss buss and a bottle of Croatina. Today, Al Matarel remains an essential address for anyone seeking the authentic, unembellished flavours of Milan.