5 seafood bistros to try in Milan

While it might seem counterintuitive to many, Milan’s fish market is one of the most important in Italy and among the most modern in Europe, celebrated for the quantity, quality and freshness of seafood arriving from all over the peninsula. The city is home to countless excellent seafood bistros, and discovering them is pure pleasure, as well as an essential experience for lovers of coastal cooking.

And since creativity never runs dry along Milanese streets, these spots we recommend are veritable hotbeds of great flavour, innovative dishes and fresh concepts waiting to be explored, winning over both eye and palate.

Here is where to go and what to order for a culinary journey spanning tradition and experimental twists, bringing that distinct feeling of an escape to the seaside.

U Barba

Via Decembrio, 33

In Ligurian dialect, ‘U Barba’ means ‘the uncle’. This osteria brings a corner of Liguria to Milan, with an olive-tree courtyard and a bocce court that nod to the building’s past as a neighbourhood bowls club. Today, the Genoese osteria, with its warm, rustic vintage interior, serves genuine regional staples such as the famed focaccia di Recco con formaggio, homemade trofie and testaroli with pesto, and pansoti con sugo di noci. Let yourself be won over by the seafood dishes and fresh catch that make U Barba a bistro well worth trying.

A’ Riccione Bistrot

Via Procaccini, 28

A dependable benchmark since 2008, A’ Riccione is the Milanese seafood bistro run by brothers Giuseppe and Dante di Paolo. Step through the doors and you are greeted by an elegant setting, while the kitchen delivers on expectations with polished starters, pasta dishes and mains, refined recipes and tempting tasting menus. At the entrance, the fish counter awaits with a Grand Plateau Royal and an extensive selection of oysters and shellfish, among many other highlights.

Langosteria Bistrot

Via Privata Bobbio, 2

Business lunches and fine dining go hand in hand at Langosteria Bistrot. Seafood enthusiasts and lovers of sophisticated combinations will find plenty to delight in. Dynamic energy drives the kitchen and the venue itself in the vibrant heart of the Tortona district: polished yet convivial, with a lively spirit reflected in colourful plates and the essential peppery kick of extra virgin olive oil. And while King Crab is an undisputed star on the menu, the tempting fish counter in the dining room instantly catches the eye.

Pescherie Riunite

Corso Cristoforo Colombo, 11

You walk in, order straight at the counter, choose how your fish should be cooked, take a table in the dining room, and enjoy a relaxed meal, ideally paired with a good glass of wine. Pescherie Riunite is the new concept from Seven Group: a fishmonger dressed as a bistro with everything in place for memorable lunches and dinners at great value. For the indecisive, there is no need to worry: each day features a concise blackboard menu of house specials (starters, first courses, mains and a few desserts) to inspire your order.

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