San Carlo Al Due — Restaurant in Milan

We visited San Carlo al Due on a Wednesday evening with our family (three kids) and immediately felt welcome. The service was warm, attentive, and incredibly kind to our children 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦. A lovely touch: one of the waiters even ran after us when we had forgotten a bag 👏.

The pizzas were fine 🍕 – exactly what you hope for in Italy – and the waiting times were pleasantly short, which is perfect when dining with children. The atmosphere is elegant yet relaxed, with well-kept tables under large umbrellas that make it comfortable even if it rains. The location right in the heart of Milan is, of course, fantastic. The pasta, however, was a bit oily and overall uninspired, and the prices are on the higher side (Aperol €14, large beer €8 🍹🍺).

One thing we struggled with was the coperto. I know this system is common in Italy, but I still don’t fully understand it – especially when the charge is as high as €5 per person (so €25 just for our family). It is mentioned somewhere on the menu, but not actively explained, which makes it feel like a hidden extra charge. More transparency would be fairer – why not simply say: “Before you order, you’ll pay €25 for sitting here and some bread.” 😉

Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A very nice, family-friendly (of you got the Money) restaurant in central Milan with excellent pizza and outstandingly kind service. We left with a smile and good memories – just be aware that the location and the coperto will Push...

We wouldn’t have visited this restaurant if it weren’t for the recommendation from our hotel reception, especially after seeing some surprisingly bad reviews. However, we’re so glad we gave it a chance!

San Carlo al Due served the best pasta and risotto we had during our entire 10-day trip in Italy. After following reviews and ratings elsewhere and being disappointed, this place was a pleasant surprise.

The service was excellent, and for the first time, we followed the waiter’s recommendations, which turned out to be fantastic. We highly recommend the Milanese risotto with veal ossobuco—it was hands down the best dish of our trip. The risotto was flavorful, and the veal was perfectly tender.

The seafood taglioni is also worth trying, though I’d give it a 4/5 as one of the large shrimp didn’t seem as fresh. That said, the rest of the dish was wonderful.

We also enjoyed the red wine recommended by the staff.

As other reviews mention, the prices are on the higher side, but considering the location and quality, it’s worth it.

Overall, we highly recommend giving this...

Sitting down at this restaurant was the BEST decision we have made!!! We came back two more times after our first. The food was to die for, the service was 10++ and the cocktails and wine were absolutely delicious. We have had seared prawns on cannellini cream, scallops au gratin with lobster butter, ravioli stuffed with scallops, roasted octopus tentacles, royal seafood plateau, pizza gourmet with pesto& mortadella and seafood risotto. Everything was 10+ except the risotto which although was full of seafood it had a peculiar tomato taste which I wasn’t too fond of. We have recommend the place to a family and they ended up thanking us for the recommendation.

Ledjan, our waiter, took the hospitality to a whole new level!! He knew how to conquer our trust and sympathy, he was extremely helpful, fast and on point. He knew what to recommend, when to bring in the next course and although all the waiters were amazing and polite, he was something else. The most hardworking man and team we have seen in a very long time!

Try this restaurant and you will...