There is nothing quite like Milan: Glamorous yet industrious, provincial and hearty while still distinctly cosmopolitan. That’s what makes this great Italian city so exciting for dining and wine—and perhaps what solidified it as host of the 2026 Olympics. For those traveling to the area this winter—or booking trips for the summer—look to this guide of Wine Spectator Restaurant Award winners for the best steak houses, seafood destinations and more. Plus, we include two essential destinations in the Verona area, close to Cortina d’Ampezzo (it is the Milano-Cortina Olympics, after all) and the host of the closing ceremonies. Read on for where to drink wine in Milan!
The Top Restaurants to Drink Wine in Milan
Plus, two bonus locations near Cortina d’Ampezzo in Verona!
Milan
Grand Award
Wine Strengths: Italy, Piedmont, Tuscany, Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne, France
Wine Selections: 2,500
Wine Pricing: $$$ | Food Pricing: $$$
Cuisine: European
Ristorante Cracco in Milan offers a polished take on contemporary Italian dining inside the iconic Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, right off the Piazza del Duomo. Chef Carlo Cracco’s tasting and à la carte menus are filled with reinterpretations of classics, including saffron risotto and stuffed pigeon. A Grand Award winner since 2019, the wine program leans Italian with depth and prestige, including benchmark Barolo producers such as Gaja and Aldo Conterno.
Carlo Cracco’s Ristorante Cracco has been a Grand Award winner since 2019. (Courtesy of Ristorante Cracco)
Best of Award of Excellence
Wine Strengths: Italy, Piedmont, Tuscany, Bordeaux, Burgundy
Wine Selections: 900
Wine Pricing: $$S | Food Pricing: $$S
Cuisine: Italian
Known For: Wine Tastings/Events, Chef’s Table Experience, Family Friendly, Historic Location, Special Occasions
A picture of old-school, cosmopolitan Milan, Acanto is located right off the Piazza della Repubblica in the center of town, housed inside the Principe di Savoia hotel. The dining room—with high-vaulted ceilings, crystal chandeliers and gold-accented walls—is an elegant backdrop to the à la carte and tasting menus prepared by chef Matteo Gabrielle (who grew up in Varese in northwestern Lombardy). Guests can also enjoy wine or tea service in the hotel’s plush salon or grab an experimental cocktail at the Principe Bar.
Acanto is tucked inside the Principe di Savoia. (Courtesy of Acanto)
Tip: Acanto is within walking distance to Milan’s oldest public park, Giardini Indro Montanelli, as well as attractions such as the Galleria d’Arte Moderna and the Museo di Storia Naturale.
Best of Award of Excellence
Wine Strengths: Champagne, France, Piedmont, Tuscany, Italy
Wine Selections: 3,140
Wine Pricing: $$$ | Food Pricing: $$$
Cuisine: Steak house
Known For: Wine Tastings/Events, Private Event Space, Date Night, Cozy & Intimate, Special Occasions
At Affinatore, the restaurant’s walls display its raison d’etre: Diners are surrounded by sleek glass cases showing off tantalizing selections of dry-aged steaks and top bottles from one of Milan’s most expansive wine cellars. With plush leather decor and polished wood accents, along with a cigar bar downstairs, the restaurant evokes a high-end, old-school club. Wine director Christian Scarica manages a jaw-dropping list that contains impressive verticals of Masseto, Château Lynch-Bages and many, many more.
Best of Award of Excellence
Wine Strengths: Burgundy, Italy, France, Champagne
Wine Selections: 2,140
Wine Pricing: $$$ | Food Pricing: $$$
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Known For: Wine Tastings/Events, Private Event Space, Cozy & Intimate, Special Occasions
Seafood is king at Langosteria, a sexy, low-lit destination in Milan’s Zona Solari. The menu offers ample selections of crudos, tartares, pastas and grilled dishes such as olive-studded tuna cheeks or spiny lobster. The wine program from director Valentina Bertini is massive, with over 17,000 bottles in the cellar for food-pairing excitement, including verticals from cult-favorite Burgundy producers and pillars of Italian wine. Langosteria operates several locations, in Paraggi, Paris and St. Moritz as well.
Langosteria boasts over 17,000 bottles on the list. (Danilo Scarpeti)
Best of Award of Excellence
Wine Strengths: Italy, Piedmont, France, Champagne, Burgundy
Wine Selections: 1,200
Wine Pricing: $$$ | Food Pricing: $$$
Cuisine: Italian
Seta in Milan’s Mandarin Oriental hotel delivers an elevated contemporary Italian experience that marries tradition with modern technique under the eye of chef Antonio Guida. The restaurant’s several tasting menus are stuffed with inventive bites—think raspberry risotto with herb cream—showcasing both regional Italian roots and global influences. Wine director Andrea Loi has curated an extensive selection of Italian labels from the likes of Biondi-Santi and Roagna, as well as international labels such as Krug.
Seta offers al fresco dining. (Courtesy of Seta)
Best of Award of Excellence
Wine Strengths: Italy, France, Portugal, Spain
Wine Selections: 610
Wine Pricing: $$ | Food Pricing: $$
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Known For: Date Night, Large Parties, Family Friendly, Open Late, Bar Scene
Tuya Milano almost evokes stepping into “the Matrix,” with jade green light washing the dining room from an elaborate, winding light display hanging above leather booths. The menu leans toward decadent, with dishes like foie gras–slathered tenderloin and octopus confit. Wine director Tama Mikula spotlights the restaurant’s collections of grands crus Burgundies and prestige bottles such as Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia and Bodegas Vega Sicilia. Tuya operates two other locations, in Greece’s Mykonos and the Romanian capital of Bucharest.
Tuya operates two other locations across Europe. (Courtesy of Tuya Milano)
Best of Award of Excellence
Wine Strengths: Piedmont, Tuscany, Trentino–Alto Adige, Italy, Burgundy, France
Wine Selections:800
Wine Pricing: $$$ | Food Pricing: $$$
Cuisine: Italian
Zelo, in Milan’s city center and housed inside the Four Seasons Hotel Milano, offers elegant Italian cuisine and wines in a light-filled dining room and serene courtyard setting. Under executive chef Fabrizio Borraccino, the menu offers seasonal creations and local classics with fine-dining flourishes. The wine program and expertly selected pairings feature an array of Italian selections, including Alto Adige producers such as Elena Walch and Cantina Terlano, designed to elevate each course.
Zelo is a part of the Four Seasons Hotel Milano. (Courtesy of Zelo)
Tip: Guests can enjoy the Calvisius caviar multi-course menu, with dishes like linguine with lobster and caviar.
Award of Excellence
Wine Strengths: Italy
Wine Selections: 160
Wine Pricing: $$ | Food Pricing: $$$
Cuisine: Steak house
One of seven locations worldwide (including an Award of Excellence winner in São Paulo), the Milan location of Barbacoa Churrascaria offers Brazil’s trademark gaucho-inspired grilling. As churrascaria style dictates, diners are offered an endless waltz of charred steak, lamb, chicken and sausage, served speared on swords. Top bottlings from the wine list include Antinori’s Tignanello and Prunotto Barolo.
Barbacoa Churrascaria combines Italian wines with Brazilian dining. (Courtesy of Babacoa Churrascaria Milano)
Award of Excellence
Wine Strengths: Italy
Wine Selections: 160
Wine Pricing: $$ | Food Pricing: $$$
Cuisine: American, Steak house
With 23 Restaurant Award winners around the globe, STK has defined itself as a go-to for wine and steak lovers wherever they may be. The Milan location offers an upscale lounge energy—a DJ appears late nights—accompanied by a menu stacked with USDA prime, Japanese Wagyu, Australian and European cuts of beef. The wine list runs the gamut: from sparklers such as Lombardy’s own Ca’ del Bosco to heavy-hitting reds such as Napa’s Opus One Cabernet Sauvignon.
STK Milan is one of nearly two dozen Restaurant Award winners in the franchise. (Courtesy of STK)
Verona
Grand Award
Wine Strengths: Tuscany, Piedmont, Veneto, Italy, Burgundy, Champagne, Bordeaux, France
Wine Selections: 4,700
Wine Pricing: $$ | Food Pricing: $$
Cuisine: Italian
Known For: Wine Tastings/Events, Historic Location
Antica Bottega del Vino is one of Italy’s most venerable wine institutions, offering a glimpse into Verona’s past through its elegant 19th-century interiors, classic local cuisine and Grand Award–winning wine program. In the heart of the old town, the location has roots as a restaurant since the 1500s, and since 2010 has been owned by a consortium of local producers including Allegrini, Zenato and Brigaldara.
Antica Bottega del Vino dates back to the 16th centry. (Courtesy of )
Tip: Olympic guests in Cortina d’Ampezzo shouldn’t miss Antica Bottega del Vino’s newest location in that host city, opened just in time for this year’s games.
Borgo Antico
Best of Award of Excellence
Wine Strengths: Veneto, Tuscany, Italy
Wine Selections: 1,015
Wine Pricing: $$ | Food Pricing: $$
Cuisine: Italian
Known For: Wine Tastings/Events, Private Event Space, Outdoor Dining, Large Parties, Historic Location
Around a 40-minute drive northwest of Verona in the hamlet of Pescatina, Borgo Antico honors the heritage and beauty of the surrounding Valpolicella area. The restaurant is tucked inside the 17th-century Villa Quaranta, a “wine hotel” and thermal spa resort owned by the region’s prominent Tommasi family. Wine is central to the dining experience and a stay at the villa, with guided wine tastings and tours of Valpollicella and Verona available.
Villa Quaranta offers lodging, dining and thermal spas. (Courtesy of Borgo Antica)
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