La Briciola

A favorite neighborhood restaurant of Brera residents, La Briciola is the passion project of the owner and chef Gianni Battista Valveri, who not only presides over the kitchen but greets his guests like old friends (which many are). The décor merges Italian bistro (mirrored walls and shelves of wine bottles) with bric-a-brac charm (framed photos of guests and collections of objects), while the menu focuses on simple, classic Italian dishes served to perfection. Carpaccio starters include carpaccio of avocados and hearts of palm or of artichoke. Whether you order buffalo mozzarella with cherry tomatoes, risotto Milanese, gnocchi, cacio e pepe or grilled fish, you may find it ranks among the freshest and tastiest you can remember.