The best restaurants in Milan’s Sempione neighbourhood
Known as one of Milan's liveliest areas, Corso Sempione and its surroundings offer culinary surprises well worth exploring
Big names, glamorous destinations, Michelin stars and a few unexpected gems. The Sempione neighbourhood is famous across Milan for its splendid park, the city’s largest, and for bars tailor-made for aperitivos and after-dinner drinks, bustling all year round and packed in summer. It is a historic, charming quarter that comes alive after sunset with evening energy and good spirits.
Beyond being one of Milan’s most vibrant districts, Corso Sempione and its surrounding streets host fine dining, standout culinary spots, scenic settings and international flavours designed to awaken the senses, above all taste.
Iyo Experience
Via Piero della Francesca, 74
Iyo arrived in Milan taking Japanese cuisine to the highest level, thanks to refined dishes, a handsome dining room and the backing of the Liu family, a benchmark for elite Asian cooking (their portfolio also includes Aalto, Iyo Omakase, Gong Oriental Attitude and BA Asian Mood). Yet the standout fact about Iyo is simple: it is the only Japanese restaurant in Italy to hold a Michelin star. Dedication, research and skill have allowed Chef Katsumi Soga, the master behind the sushi counter, and Chef Giampiero Brotzu to achieve remarkable results, earn a well-deserved star and set an impressive record.
El Porteño Arena
Viale Elvezia, 4
El Porteño Arena offers an immersion in Argentine warmth and passion, thanks to authentic decor and welcoming hospitality. In keeping with the group’s style, the design is sleek and contemporary, and the Viale Elvezia venue features a large bar counter at the entrance leading into a series of themed dining rooms, each distinct. The menu shares the same spirit: delighting the palate with the distinctive flavours of Argentina, where prime beef takes centre stage, whether as tartare, in an Argentine take on the classic burger, or grilled as fillet, steak and tagliata.
Bon Wei
Via Lodovico Castelvetro, 16/18
For lovers of Asian cooking, and Chinese cuisine in particular, Bon Wei needs little introduction. Chinese restaurants are all too often associated with rushed, uninspired dishes, but at Bon Wei, which means ‘good taste’ in Chinese, that is definitely not the case. Free of fusion trends, the restaurant remains faithful to authentic Chinese traditions, using fresh, top-quality produce that will win over even the most sceptical diners. A further reassurance comes from the management, who also run Dim Sum, another Milanese benchmark combining quality, flavour and refinement.
Tano Passami l’Olio
Via Francesco Petrarca, 4
Chef Tano Simonato gave his restaurant an unambiguous name: Tano passami l’olio showcases his passion for extra virgin olive oil, the undisputed star of his cooking. In his handsome dining room, a classic yet contemporary space blending art, elegance and cutting-edge kitchen equipment, his famous motto rings true: ‘There are two ways of eating: one to nourish yourself, the other to have fun; the beauty is that the second does not exclude the first.’ To experience it for yourself, all you need to do is book a table and enjoy dinner at Tano passami l’olio.
La Bullona
Via Piero della Francesca, 64
Beginning with its past, La Bullona started out in 1929 as an Art Nouveau railway station on Milan’s Cadorna-Bovisa line, operating until 2003. Charmed by the building, hospitality entrepreneur Pino Scalise (also behind Il Gattopardo, lo Chatulle, Kineo Cafè and Pitbull Cafè) transformed it into one of Milan’s most sophisticated and fashionable spots, undoubtedly the trendiest dinner-and-dance destination in town. The restaurant La Bullona serves seafood haute cuisine alongside a curated cellar that earned it Best Wine List in 2021, set within an expansive, visually striking space. An evening at La Bullona pairs gourmet food and fine wines with dancing, music and late-night fun.
Cinquantadue Taste Experience
Foro Buonaparte, 52
Top-tier Japanese tradition, showcased by master sushi chefs working behind the counter in a design-led lounge setting: Cinquantadue, set between Brera and Corso Sempione, catches the eye and wins you over with its flavours. Cinquantadue presents what it describes as an ‘evolved’ take on Japanese cuisine while respecting tradition, reminding diners that there is much more to Japanese gastronomy than just sushi. Opened in 2018 by Xiaobo Zhou, the restaurateur behind cult favourite Nishiki, the kitchen is led by Chef Sixia Li, who uses his talent to explore the many sides of Japanese cooking.
