Antica Osteria il Ronchettino – Milan's post-station table

South of Milan's centre, where the city turns rural among the tower blocks of Gratosoglio, Antica Osteria il Ronchettino occupies a nineteenth-century farmhouse whose history as a resting place for travellers reaches back to the late seventeenth century, when the building worked as a post station for merchants, farmers and wayfarers before they continued into the city. Tradition holds that Napoleon spent a night here in 1800 after his horse went lame, and that the osteria's name comes from the broken horseshoe, or ronchetto, that resulted. The building later turned baker, butcher and trattoria with an attached bowling alley, before the Angelillo family took it over in 2000 and, together with the Meazza family, shaped it into the restaurant it is today. It is Selected in the MICHELIN Guide, recognition for a kitchen that keeps faith with risotto, ossobuco and the veal cutlet rather than reinventing them, now in the hands of young chef Eshak Nakhla.

01The room and the setting

The osteria occupies two buildings flanking a hidden inner garden and a separate summer garden, seating up to 150 guests indoors and a further 160 on the outdoor dehor in warmer months. Inside, red-brick arches, parquet floors, dark wood furniture, framed paintings and Persian rugs give the rooms their rustic character, most vivid in winter when the fireplace is lit.

02The chef

Eshak Nakhla, a chef of Egyptian origin still in his twenties, now runs the kitchen, and his arrival is credited by local critics with giving the cooking renewed energy and quality. His repertoire moves beyond the obvious Milanese canon: Cherasco snails grilled with shiitake mushrooms, veal kidneys with mash, and the timeless appeal of filetto alla Rossini sit alongside the historic dishes. He answers to owner Francesco Angelillo, whose family has run the osteria since 2000.

Insider tip

Open Tue–Sun evenings and Sat–Sun lunch; closed Mondays. Reached by tram 3 or 15.

03The cooking

The kitchen's compass points entirely towards Milan and Lombardy. Mondeghili — the city's historic meatballs — risotto alla milanese served with or without ossobuco, fried brains and a cutlet so large it has earned the nickname "elephant ear" are the dishes regulars come for. The risotto itself, made with Carnaroli Riserva San Massimo rice, has been praised for a balance and acidity that few in the city can match. Historic recipes are respected rather than reinvented, though a handful of off-menu dishes shift with the seasons.

04What to order

The restaurant's own menu and seasonal posts point to a handful of staples: a golden, crisp cotoletta alla milanese; ossobuco alla milanese served on a bed of saffron risotto; a veal tartare dressed with béarnaise sauce and radishes; a meat ragù pasta finished with basil; and, among the fuori carta, a rice pudding — risolatte — with raisins and maple syrup that returns to the table when the kitchen brings it back.

05Wine and drinks

The wine list is guided by sommelier Diego Laguzzi, built around a search for artisanal, independent producers rather than the obvious names, with national designations and a selection that crosses Italy's historic wine-growing areas. Frequent rotations and numerous bottles kept off the printed list complete the offer.

06When to go and booking

As published on the restaurant's own site in October 2026, the osteria opens Tuesday to Sunday evenings from 19:30, kitchen closing at 22:00, with a Saturday and Sunday lunch service added from 12:30, kitchen closing at 14:30; it is closed on Mondays. Booking is recommended, particularly for Sunday lunch. The address sits deep in Gratosoglio, a southern district built up with 1960s apartment blocks around the old farmhouse, reached from the centre by tram lines 3 and 15.

For a weekend. For a lifetime.