Eating Out in Milan on a Student Budget
GUEST AUTHOR: Aida Loggiodice, Spotahome Student Ambassador
5 places you simply must try!
Someday I will have to get a shirt that says “Don’t speak to me when I’m hungry”.
Ever since moving to Milan I have found that my infinite love for food and admittedly finite budget cannot coexist.
Luckily for me though, my incredibly permanent hunger has led me to find places in which they can, believe it or not! If you are anything like me, here are a few of the best places to
eat out in Milan while on a student budget:
1. Sanya Ayce
Second only to how fashionable people were, one of the first things I realized when arriving to Milan was the ridiculous number of all-you-can-eat sushi buffets in the city. So of course within the first few nights I gave into the temptation and went to try one out for myself. The correct way of describing the experience would be an endless table of sushi with a side of self-doubt and just a pinch of guilt. The self-doubt because you actually don’t know if you are going to be able to fit those last two rolls and the guilt because you ponder whether or not the restaurant will go out of business after you are done eating there.
What makes this particular all-you-can-eat restaurant stand out from all the others is their extensive menu offering not only Japanese sushi but also traditional Chinese and Thai dishes.The price is additionally an all-time low at just 10,40 euros for a lunch that if done right, will be your last meal of the day.
Viale Toscana 19
2. COTÒlicious
Okay so this one is technically not a restaurant but rather a small booth right by Bocconi University.
In fact they themselves have trouble listing their address but fear not, you will also find them on food delivery websites like Deliveroo and Ubeareats if you can’t seem to find them
in real life!
Now, what this place has done is taken the typical concept of the Milanese cotoletta and turned it on its head. Not only can you choose what type of “cut” you want (with or without bone), you can also choose what type of breading you’d like with options that vary anywhere from paprika to pistachio.
All menus come with a choice of sauce, a side dish and a drink all for the underwhelming price of 8.90 euros! (Or 12.90 if you want to share a big menu between two or are just one particularly hungry person) The best part? You’ll spend more time choosing which sauces you want than waiting for the food, that’s a promise.
Viale Bach 1-C01 (angolo Via Bocconi)
3. Arepaz
It could be because I am half Venezuelan but I like to believe this next one is simply because I have excellent taste in food. I’ve taken several people to this place and not a single one has ever disliked it or well, at least not to my face...
If you are sitting there wondering what an arepa is, it’s okay, it’s never too late to become an arepero or arepera, my dear friend.What is it exactly? The simplest way to describe it is a sandwich with dough made from corn flour. Now you may be wondering what do you put inside it? An easier question would be what not to put inside it, to be fair. We put meat, beans, chicken, cheese, avocados and sometimes all of the above, together.
And I know your next question is when would you ever eat such a thing? Arepas can be eaten at any time of the day, and when I say anytime, I mean it: I’m talking breakfast, I’m talking lunch, I’m talking the just-came-back- from-school-and-I’m-hungry meal, I’m talking dinner and I’m talking midday snack. No joke.
Check it out if you’ve been trying to find a good arepa place or if you simply want to try something different, only for 6.50€.
Viale Cassala 9
4. Bao Bing
If I had to tell you how many times I have been to this place since I arrived in Milan, it would be extremely embarrassing so I am not going to. Let’s just say it’s enough times for the people to remember my name and my favorite order every single time...
Not long after starting classes I found this tiny restaurant lodged in between two pizza places as I was walking home with a friend of mine. Immediately, we were drawn to the sight of two ladies making what appeared like dumplings through the window. Outside a sign stood proud and tall: “Chinese food made in the original way!” We decided to venture in and check it out for ourselves and well, it did not disappoint.
Although the menu is not super extensive, everything on it is as yummy as it is fresh. I mean I am not lying when I say you can literally watch them prepare the food you’re going to eat and I always eat here for less than 10 euros for my order of dumplings and noodles. Yum, I’m getting hungry just thinking about them.
Viale Bligny 26
5. Mayflower Pub
Aperitivos. You know them. You’ve heard of them. But have you actually ever been to one worth going to? That’s the real question. Milan is so covered with aperitivo places that every
two steps you take, lo and behold: there’s yet another one luring you in with unlimited food for a limited price. Okay maybe that’s a little bit of an exaggeration but you catch my drift...
The Mayflower Pub is a cozy, rustic restaurant decorated with the purpose of making you feel like you are at your grandma’s home -except there’s alcohol involved. Compared to other aperitivos the selection of food is much more varied: surprisingly, it’s not just chips and breadsticks! My grandma’s house with an all you-can-eat buffet and a yummy cocktail for only 8 euros? What could be better!
Alzaia Naviglio Pavese, 52
So yeah, someday I probably will have to get a shirt that says “Don’t speak to me when I’m hungry”. Thankfully as long as I stay in Milan that day will not be today.
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