Where to eat excellent meat in Milan: the 13 best restaurants chosen by Gambero Rosso

While the rise of the vegetable trend shows no signs of stopping - though there's much work to be done, especially in terms of criticism - the love for meat and everything associated with it continues unabated. Milan is generous to meat enthusiasts, not only in terms of "simple" steakhouses: there's the historical butcher shop that has evolved with its cuisine, offering aperitifs, lunches, and dinners with tartare, cuts, and cutlets; there's a rich array of South American restaurants where the parrilla takes center stage, and the folklore of the setting is an integral part of the experience; there's the classic and evergreen establishment with Tuscan specialties and much more. Here are the best places under the Madonnina for devoted carnivores and friends.

Where to eat excellent meat in Milan

Bacancito

Located in Porta Romana, it's ideal for a different evening in a relaxed atmosphere, accompanied by good music. The menu offers many tempting options, including selections of hams, Pata Negra first and foremost, tacos and empanadas with various fillings, tasty croquetas, bite-sized montaditos, tapas, and succulent grilled meats. The sangria pairs well, alternatively, there are cocktails and a selection of wines. Reservations are recommended.

Bacancito - via Crema, 16 - 324 6666267 - bacancito.it

Barbacoa

In a less busy street between Bicocca and Maggiolina, you'll find the only Italian churrascaria from the renowned Brazilian group with about fifteen locations worldwide. The absolute star of the show - striking and spacious - is the rodizio, a sequence of various meat cuts served directly at the table by "pasadores," always around with a large spit. From chicken thighs to beef sirloin with spinach, from spicy sausage to classic picanha. Lamb and crispy bacon are carved from the cart. Undeniable quality, great variety, and quantity (thanks to the red-green disc system) go hand in hand. Also, typical sides, classic cocktails, and a good wine list.
Barbacoa - via Scipio Slataper, 19 - 02 6883883 - barbacoaitalia.it

Beefbar Quadrilatero del Portrait Milano Hotel

Tucked away in a corner of the spectacular porticoed square created on the basis of the former archbishop's seminary, this is one of the city's most international venues, part of a premium chain present worldwide. A trendy place, given the environment (luxury steakhouse) and clientele, but with a kitchen far from ordinary. The extensive menu can be debated, but not the quality of the raw materials (prime cuts, including Australian Wagyu) and the consistently precise execution. The signature dishes are not Mediterranean, and the first courses and appetizers have an Italian touch: it's a must to try the french fries and house-made mashed potatoes. All in all, a bit of everything at significant prices. The "Milanese" wine list is logically accompanied by mixology. Many VIPs frequent this spot.

Beefbar Quadrilatero del Portrait Milano Hotel - c.so Venezia, 11 - 02 50037500 - beefbar.com

El Carnicero

A precious address (along with those on Corso Garibaldi and in Ibiza, in addition to the brand-new Casa El Carnicero near the Duomo, offering a more varied menu) for meat lovers, although there are vegetarian alternatives and fish dishes. Argentine beef and American Black Angus cuts end up on the "parilla" for perfect cooking, but there are also sausages, kidneys, and sweetbreads. For an even more satisfying sensory experience, there's Wagyu and ox meat. The kitchen serves hamburgers, ribs, pork belly, lamb, chicken, and other delicacies, accompanied by potatoes in various ways or salads. Good drinks here.

El Carnicero - via Spartaco, 31 - 02 54019816 - elcarnicero.com

CooD

A welcoming, modern venue furnished in a minimalist style, where you can stop for a cocktail during the aperitif hour, perhaps sitting at one of the tables in the indoor space with a vertical garden. Above all, it's a place to enjoy a quality meat dinner with carefully selected raw materials from different sources, focusing on quality and sustainability. The menu ranges from premium cured meats and knife-cut tartare to Milanese cutlet and slow-cooked dishes, ending with the main highlights cooked on the grill or barbecue. Additionally, there are first courses, some pizza and focaccia, and several options for vegetarians. Attentive and friendly service. Good drinks are available.

CooD - via Lecco, 1 - 02 82777025 -ristorantecood.com

Don Juan

A pioneer of South American cuisine, this place in Porta Romana has been strong since its inception, with a welcoming and characteristic venue, high-quality meat, and efficient service. It remains a destination for a diverse audience that appreciates the characteristic and suggestive rooms and the "parrilla," its strength. The cuisine doesn't disappoint, offering many empanadas and the inevitable dulce de leche. The best Argentine and Chilean red wines are available, not forgetting the classic Italian wines and excellent sangria. Business lunch from Tuesday to Friday; on Sundays, you can have lunch while watching a tango show.

Don Juan - via Altaguardia, 2 - 02 58430805 - ristorantedonjuan.com

Dry Aged

A beautiful place with an urban style and clear American inspiration, divided into three areas: a restaurant with an open kitchen, a New York Bar with a social table, and a reserved room in a far-from-ordinary cellar. The focus is on dry-aged meats from around the world, served on the grill. But there's much more: shredded chicken, its popcorn, foam of porcini mushrooms, and green sauce; fresh pasta tagliatelle, 36-hour dry-aged beef ragout, parmesan cream, and rosemary oil; Dry Aged tiramisu with coffee mascarpone cream.

Dry Aged - via Cesare da Sesto, 1 - 02 58107932 - restaurant.thedryaged.it

Macelleria Pellegrini

Established in 1949 as a horse butcher, over the years, it has significantly expanded its offerings to a wide range of high-quality meats and opened another modern location in the Città Studi area, Via Pacini 27. Both addresses offer a menu with preparations ranging from tartare to burgers, cuts to the monumental Pellegrini cutlet. Keep an eye on social media for hours.

Macelleria Pellegrini - via L. Spallanzani, 6 - 02 29400251 - macelleriapellegrini.it

Macelleria Popolare con cucina

An undisputed protagonist in the Mercato della Darsena, Giuseppe Zen manages several popular counters (including Panificio Italiano, now run by Adriano Del Mastro, based in Monza): there's this one dedicated to meat, a paradise for meat lovers, where you can buy prepared dishes or something to eat at the tables or while walking (sandwiches, bombette, arrosticini, hamburgers, mondeghili...); there's (R)esistenza Casearia, entirely dedicated to raw milk cheeses; there are also wines to accompany the bites appropriately.

Macelleria Popolare con cucina - p.zza XXIV Maggio c/o Mercato Coperto - 02 39468368 - mangiaridistrada.com

El Porteño Gourmet

Opened in 2019 on the eve of the pandemic, this one on Via Speronari is the flagship of the Dorrego Company, almost a twin brother to other locations (El Porteño Darsena, El Porteño Arena, El Porteño Prohibido e Flores Cócteles and the Roman ones) and linked, like all the "gourmet" ones in the chain, to a hospitality service, in this case, Speronari Suites. In the kitchen today is Matteo Torretta, a chef with a dense resume aiming for excellence here with a mix of the company's staples - asado, empanada, pickled chicken - and very Italian dishes reinterpreted in a gourmet key and linked to the gastronomic tradition of immigrants (gnocchi, fugazzetta, lasagna, milanesa).

El Porteño Gourmet - via Speronari, 4 - 02 49428140 - elporteno.it

Ribot

A solid place in business for almost half a century. Besides being a restaurant - with a touch of the old days - with many covers and a menu of Tuscan orientation, it is also a butcher shop, a bistro (separate), efficient delivery, and a suite inside Villa Prato Relais, in the upper Monferrato. The venue itself, always open and with a dehors, is a classic that doesn't rest on its laurels and continues to propose novelties related to the season and the house classics, Florentine steaks, ribs, and prime cuts first and foremost. Wash it down with great reds.

Ribot - via M. Cremosano, 41 - 02 33001646 - ribotmilano.it

STK Milan del ME Milan Il Duca

A venue in line with the environment that frames it: it's on the lower floor of one of the trendiest grand hotels in the city. Intimate and elegant setting, with background music and an international vision. The proposal revolves around the grilling of premium meats, from American Usda to Japanese Wagyu. But there are also other options, 360 degrees. A good-level cellar and valid cocktails are also available.

STK Milan del ME Milan Il Duca - p.zza della Repubblica, 13 - 02 84220110 - stksteakhouse.com

Varrone

A "cult" address for carnivores who want to go beyond the usual and enjoy seeing the long open grill fueled only by oak wood. The owner Massimo Minutelli - who started in Lucca and has now invested in pizza too - is an tireless researcher of special cuts worldwide, shouting "excelencia o muerte": Italian and Australian Wagyu, Japanese Kobe, Piedmontese Fassona, the best from beloved Spain. The excellent service and authoritative wine cellar are combined with a varied and tasty menu: from excellent street food to Piedmontese raw dishes, passing through a series of mashed potatoes, also offered in two tastings.

Varrone - via A. di Tocqueville, 7 - 02 36798388 - varronerestaurant.com