CreDa

The ‘gastronomia con cucina’ format, in truth a revival of a traditional dining model, is having a real moment in Milan. It is an easy formula to love: takeaway solves the daily dilemma of what to cook without dirtying a single pan, delivering hearty, wholesome food, while anyone looking for a sit-down lunch or dinner with dishes cooked to order can settle into a warm, relaxed dining room. That is precisely what you find at CreDa (spelt like that because it combines the initials of the two chefs), which opened a few months ago in Via Orti, now one of the city’s top food streets. The interior instantly puts you at ease: encaustic cement tiles, a small fireplace, wood and marble tables, mismatched yet charming plates, and colourful cushions and fabrics that make you feel right at home. Outside, there is also an outdoor terrace framed with plants and brightly coloured tables, perfect for sunny days.

Crescenzo Morlando and Dario Pisani are two chefs in their early thirties from Campania, both with experience in major international and Michelin-starred kitchens. After working side by side for several years at the school of La Cucina Italiana, they chose to seal their professional partnership and friendship by embarking on this new venture together. With such credentials, it goes without saying that CreDa takes its cues from traditional Neapolitan cooking, steeped in the warmth only grandmothers’ memories can evoke, paired with an uncompromising focus on quality ingredients and a distinctly contemporary ambition to offer guests a 360° enjoyable experience.

The menu features dishes from the deli counter, prepared fresh every morning, including parmigiana di melanzane, polpette al ragù, gnocchi alla sorrentina and more. At lunch and dinner you can also order hot dishes cooked on the spot, such as pasta e patate, spaghettone aglio, olio, peperoncino e peperone crusco, and baccalà maritato. For dessert, pastiera is a fixture, alongside a classic Tiramisù and the ‘Mi Creda’ cake with dark chocolate and sour cherries, the signature of pasticceria Morlando, the family bakery of Vincenzo.

Cover photo: Carlotta Coppo