Best Burgers in Milan: Navigli to NoLo

The best burgers in Milan are spread across the city’s going-out districts: the Navigli canals in the south-west, Isola north of Porta Garibaldi, Porta Venezia and NoLo in the north-east, and Città Studi around the Politecnico. Brera, in the centre, holds the more polished addresses. Styles run from American smash burgers to thick patties topped with Lombard cheese.

Evenings in Milan start with aperitivo, a drink served with snacks in the early evening, and burger bars tend to fill after it. Lombardy supplies the toppings worth seeking out: Gorgonzola, the blue cheese named after a town just outside the city, and Taleggio, from the valleys above Bergamo. The city’s own meat classic is the cotoletta alla milanese, a breaded veal chop fried in butter, and it sets the bar for anything crumbed and fried that ends up in a bun.

Burgers in Milan: key facts

• Neighbourhoods to explore: Navigli, Isola, Porta Venezia, NoLo, Città Studi and Brera.
• Lombard cheeses: Gorgonzola and Taleggio, both made in the region.
• When locals eat: aperitivo in the early evening, dinner after 20:00.
• Currency: the euro (EUR), used in Milan as across Italy.
• Getting around: five metro lines, M1 to M5. Porta Genova (M2) is the stop for the Navigli, Isola (M5) for Isola.
• What our guides check: opening status, full street address, and a date on every price and rating.

Every guide we publish on Milan is dated and lists only venues, addresses, prices and ratings we could verify. Compare Milan with Rome, Turin and the rest of our burger guides by city.