Pesa Pubblica

Among the liberty palaces of Porta Venezia, every day there’s a new discovery and the appearance of diverse, sleek bistros is continuous. One of the most beautiful is Pesa Pubblica, in via Melzo, that already became one of our favourite places. The restaurant is placed inside the palace that, at the start of the last century, was used as a public weighing facility for commercial goods before entering town through the eastern gate of Porta Venezia.

Red brick walls, large windows with metal fixtures and velvet armchairs- Pesa Pubblica’s space is essential and elegant. And if you’ll have the luck or the foresight to occupy one of the tables close to the windows, you’ll enjoy an exceptional view on one of the most representative and admired liberty palaces in Milan: the Guazzoni House, with its gorgeous decorations of cement and wrought iron.

The cooking exalts Italian tradition and the simplicity of all the dishes made with fresh and genuine ingredients. The menu looks like the pages of small notebook pages, the food list is written with a typewriter. Among the many treats the mandatory dishes to try are the lasagna, the meatballs with tomato sauce and the soups. Bread and pastries are handmade, with sourdough, without any other yeast added.

On account of it being open from seven to two in the morning, you can start or finish your day at Pesa Pubblica. You could eat breakfast, have a happy hour or a drink after dinner with a nice selection of cocktails and wines, or stop for a healthy centrifugate in the middle of the afternoon, opting, during warm days, for the dehors. It’s great for a lunch break and, if you have free time, it’s great as a little break before diving in the shopping area of Corso Buenos Aires. In short, this little corner of paradise will easily become the centre of your days.