Last updated 22 February 2018
Entertainment, culture and fashion are just some of the good reasons to plan a visit to Milan! But, as you know, also your stomach needs to be satisfied… If succulent, tasty ad tempting are the adjectives your mind associates to the best meat cuts, maybe it’s time to change your mind as vegetarian and vegan cuisine are now offering new, juicy creations not disfiguring among the most traditional recipes. If you’re curious to taste some, there’s plenty of good news for you as the Italian capital of taste boasts a wide range of healthy vegetarian and vegan choices which are up to you to discover…
JOIA
Joia is the very first exclusively vegetarian and vegan restaurant in Italy to receive the award of a Michelin Star thanks to the creativity of its Chef Pietro Leeman. Each creation is light and savoury, as seasonal ingredients are the protagonists of the sampler menus available. Delight your palate with a tasty vegetarian version of foie gras, with a risotto made of oriental-style black rice with delicate touch of ginger and daikon and end with an eclectic ‘Gong’, a melt-in-your-mouth meld of milk foam, chestnuts noodles, corn crumble, tilia flavoured English cream, raspberry sauce and quince jelly nestled in a discreet glass small jar. A varied and precious wine selection will match every tasting in a bright, cosy atmosphere.
Open Mon-Fri 12pm-2.30 pm and 7.30pm-11pm. On Sat 7.30pm-11pm. Closed on Sundays.
Via Panfilo Castaldi, 18
M1 (red line) Porta Venezia
T: +39 02 29522124
www.joia.it
MANTRA RAW VEGAN
The raw philosophy is core to the restaurant’s culinary offer which boasts a vast selection of appetizing creations rigorously raw or cooked at temperatures of below 45°C in order to keep unaltered its ingredients’ nutritional properties. Get delighted by a cauliflower couscous with tamari sauce seasoned vegetable cubes, by a fanciful salad or by mushroom meatballs with nuts and tomato marinara sauce, maybe accompanied by a freshly squeezed fruit juice. And if you don’t have time enough for a full meal, take advantage of the quick snacks on sale, among which dried fruit chips, wasabi flavoured nuts or energizing organic detox boxes.
Open Mon-Sat 10am-12am. Closed on Sundays.
Via Panfilo Castaldi, 21
M1 (red line) Porta Venezia
T: +39 02 89058575
www.mantrarawvegan.com
SOULGREEN
For lovers of vegetarian-vegan cuisine, but not only, Soulgreen, an innovative bistro offering gluten-free fare and plant-based products. Open daily, it offers a selection of different menus designed for different times of the day including breakfast, brunch, lunch, teatime and dinner. The venue’s simple, fresh, healthy product are further enhanced by flowers and colours that highlight the benefits of each ingredient. Thanks to its choice of décor, a mixture of wood, neutral shades and plant-filled corners, the atmosphere at Soulgreen is relaxed and friendly. The offer is completed by its wine lounge, offering a selection of the finest Italian and international vintages produced by biodynamic and vegan wineries.
Open Mon-Tues from 11am-11pm, Sat-Sun from 10am-11pm
Piazzale Principessa Clotilde, corner of via Vespucci
M2 (green line) – M5 (purple line) Garibaldi F.S.
T: +39 02 62695162
www.soulgreen.com
GhEA
An appealing atmosphere where soft pastel colours meld with wood and iron details hosts one of the most varied vegetarian and vegan offers the city boasts, whose menu range from interesting vegan restyling of traditional meat-based recipes to a salad bar offering the chance to select one-by-one the ingredients of your salad. Wholegrains cereals and organic flours are the beating heart of each creation by Chef Antonio Tomaselli, colourful delicacies which satisfy eyes and palate at the same time especially is matched by biodynamic wines with the ‘Triple A’ trademark. On weekdays the lunch offer involves a buffet menu.
Open Tue-Sun 12.30pm-2.30pm and 7.30pm-12am.
Via Valenza, 5
M2 (green line) Porta Genova F.S.
T: +39 02 58110980
www.gheavegetariano.it
RISTORANTE BIORISO
‘Eat better, live better’ is this organic cooking temple’s motto. Ristorante Bioriso boasts a vegan menu, a vegetarian one, delicacies suitable for those suffering from celiac disease, as well as a traditional Milanese menu, the whole strictly biodynamic and local. Nestled inside an intimate frescoed space, it offers dishes varying from season to season, according to on the availability of their ingredients, though you can taste the house’s specialities anytime. An example? Pasta with seitan ragout, tofu salads, seitan Vienna sausage, tempeh, vegan pizza with rice-made mozzarella and a seitan cutlet. And for the most sought-after palates, pumpkin and amaretto biscuit of organic red turnip risottos are some tasty ideas you might like to savour.
Open daily 12pm-1.30pm and 7pm-9.30pm.
Via Vittorio Sciaiola, 3
M3 (yellow line) Affori
T: +39 02 6461646
www.ecohotelresidenza.it/bioriso
FLOWER BURGER
Whoever believes a hamburger must rigorously be made of meat, might change his mind after trying this burger restaurant. Its menu stands out for its various creations born from the matching of colourful homemade bread and veggie burgers made with seitan, tofu or chickpea patty, seasoned with tasty sauces. Among these, you can find Spicy Cecio, a savoury meld of turmeric flavoured bread, chickpea patty, spicy sauce and Tropea onions tartare, strictly to match with oven cooked potatoes. End your meal with the day’s cake, vegan of course, or if you’re in a hurry, take advantage of the takeaway service this small but appealing venue may offer.
Open Mon-Sun 12pm-3pm and 7pm-11pm.
Viale Vittorio Veneto, 10
M1 (red line) Porta Venezia
T: +39 02 39628381
Via Tortona, 12
M2 (green line) Porta Genova F.S
T: +39 02 39469907
www.flowerburger.it
