Dear Friends, parallel to Via Durini, just a few steps from Piazza San Babila, hides the narrow Via Cerva, where Trattoria da Pino is located. Since 1968, this popular place has been serving as a meeting spot for locals, a lunch place for those working in the city center, and a point of attraction for curious travelers. Don’t be surprised, but sometimes the owners, the Ferri brothers, shout “Silenzio!” at the top of their lungs because the trattoria gets so noisy that you can’t even hear conversations at your own table!
The restaurant only opens for lunch and is closed on Sundays. There are no reservations, and that’s part of the place’s charm. Of course, this is not a romantic restaurant, more like a colorful lunch spot for a small group (it might be hard to find a table for a big group). On Saturdays, between 12-13, it’s easier to get a seat without waiting, but you probably won’t hear the “silenzio” shouts either.
Here’s how it works: you enter (you’ll probably have to wait in line outside), you ask for a table at the bar, wait, and then you’re led to the back of the restaurant with the menu in your hand, where you finally sit in a cozy and simple interior.
Orders are taken lightning fast, the staff works diligently, and the simple food is delicious, filling, and very, very affordable. Pastas and risottos start at 7 euros, and the lunch set menu starts at 15 euros!
They say that even though the restaurant is usually closed in the evenings, Mauro happily fires up his ovens again if there are enough reservations – at least twenty guests. So keep that in mind if you don’t want to jostle around during lunch!
Well, we managed to break two bottles of balsamic vinegar in just two minutes there last Saturday. Hopefully, they’ll let us in next time!
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