Milanese seafood fanatics have spent a long time arguing over whether Trattoria del Pescatore or Ristorante Il Consolare is the better restaurant. The answer, according to consensus, is that there isn’t one. The latter is certainly sexier—the interiors are in wood, the lights are dimmer, and there’s an array of outdoor tables which are lovely to sit at in the summertime—but the former’s stripped-down feel has a certain charm to it. It also depends what you like to eat. The vongole with bottarga are better at Il Consolare, whereas Il Pescatore makes a delicious Catalan lobster, covered with cherry tomatoes and dowsed in copious amounts of olive oil. The owner is from Sardinia, and, in true Sardinian fashion, he’ll insist on serving you goat cheese for dessert. Oddly, it makes for a good finishing touch. —Elena Clavarino
Elena Clavarino is the Senior Editor for AIR MAIL