Salsamenteria di Parma San Babila — Restaurant in Milan

Walking through the Duomo dodging tourists, venturing into Zara to buy a suit at the eleventh hour for a wedding close by, we are sweating and quite knackered by lunch time with no desire to sit at any of the spot around us that reek of tourist trap. But we are too far away from the places we booked or got recommended. I gently yanked my wife’s hand and proceeded to walk down the shade of a small street I noticed that look like an oasis away from all the aforementioned madness. We immediately took to the relaxed and casual atmosphere of this tiny spot that serves honest food from Parma and the whole Emiglia Romana region. The cold cuts are the stars of this show, mortadella, prosciutto, cavocollo, all delicious in a tray you can order big (humongous) or medium (acceptable size for humans). We decide to order a trifecta of cheeses and the Gorgonzola was to die for, and the waiter recommended a taste of three raviolis, which we thought would be too much but it I was not, living up to the spirit of the whole place. They don’t try to upsell you here, they want you to enjoy your experience to the max. Best thing I noticed walking in? Not a single tourist like me; mostly Italians, la Nonna, and a brigade manning the door, floor and the to-go window with a smile on their faces and treating everyone the same. The wine comes in porcelain vessels, which is the tradition in Parma. The vino was amazing, the bread crispy, and the whole hour we spent there made us understand Milano is not a city filled with souvenirs stores and cheap sushi spots. You can still eat, and be treated like a king, a few steps away from their own...

Definitely worth more than the rating says. We went on a Thursdays evening at 7 and getting a table for two was a breeze.

It didn't seem like a touristy place which was confirmed by the amount of local patrons we witnessed. Unfortunately we didn't speak a lick of Italian but luckily the person on the counter was great at explaining the food to us as well as giving recommendations which turned out to be excellent.

The food was top notch. We had tagliatelle with ragu and Tripletta di tortelli both of which were excellent and perfectly portioned. At first glance it seemed the food would not be enough but by the end we barely had room for dessert.

Having said that, the tiramisu was divine. If you're not fond of any alcohol in your dessert then have no fear, if there was any in the tiramisu it melds so nicely that you wouldn't be able to taste it.

The Panna cotta however might get a bit too bland if you only order it simply by itself. The toppings are definitely mandatory.

We did only visit this one spot in Milan so I can't say I'm unbiased. But we did so after much research and it paid off.

The wait staff were extremely polite and very helpful. There was a moment where it seemed like we had a communication gap and they brought an extra dish that we had removed from our order. They didn't even once make it seem like it was anyone's fault.

It's understandable when there's a crowd and the restaurant staff want you to finish up and go away so they can serve more people. but the wait staff did not make us feel like that for a second even when we ourselves felt like we were extending...

Great pork, ham, and beautiful gnocchi!

This place was a chance find on our search for dinner while trawling google maps. It's a quaint place that is cosy, and gave warmth from the cold outside.

We started with some red wine (Nabucco 2012), which they serve in ceramic bowls as per Salsamenterian (Parma) tradition, and the food quickly came.

The gnocchi al Ragu (9.00€) was the best I've ever had, light and soft rice cakes complemented by the rich red sauce and minced beef. The Lasagne all'Emiliana (9.50€) came in a small pan but its flavour was a good balance between cheesy and meaty. Our Porcellata (16€) featured pork braised to a tenderness that would melt in your mouth, and some potato mash on the side to complement the beef's saltiness.

We ordered the Salumi platter as well, choosing a medium Parma ham (17.50€) and Coppa ham (14€) which tasted great with the complimentary bread and pesto dips. At this point we were too full so we decided to takeaway the ham for later.

Ended off with a tiramisu (€5) in a jar that was nice but a little too creamy for our liking.

Overall the prices are a little on the steeper side particularly for meats, which makes sense as they specialise in ham (due to their Parma origins). However we enjoyed our meal and would recommend it to...