Milano

Price for two: €€
Portion: Moderate
Overall experience: 3/5
Website: https://www.milano.ie/

When you can’t go to Italy, but Italy comes to you, find yourself in Milano, a restaurant serving mouth-watering authentic Italian pizzas and other dishes. Milano is a restaurant chain present in many cities in Ireland. And so, I decided to visit the first Milano restaurant in Ireland, which was on Dawson Street, Dublin. As you enter this restaurant, it might feel like any regular restaurant having ample space, lavish interiors, soothing music (I used the Shazam app to find out details about some of the songs they were playing) and gracious staff. However, when you taste their dishes, you realise it is nothing like the regular pizza parlours you visit. So, instead, you can taste some of the most delicious pizzas in Milano, here in Dublin.

As I mentioned, there is ample space in this restaurant, and I chose this place to catch up with a dear friend I met after a long time. When two girls have to catch up, believe me, you need the space and the quiet environment Milano provided us. Fortunately, since we were meeting for Sunday brunch, the restaurant was not crowded, but if you plan to visit during rush hour, I suggest making reservations.

We first got some coffee and then ordered a starter called ‘Pollo Milanese’. The starter comprised two pieces of succulent buttermilk ‘Chicken Goujons’ coated in rosemary breadcrumbs. This dish was served with basil and pine kernel pesto, rocket, slow-roasted tomatoes, and grand Milano cheese. This was quite flavoursome and very different from the regular chicken goujons you get in other eateries; you must try it to know the difference.

We then went on to our main course, and we both looked forward to ordering a pizza from the varied menu they offered us. After much speculation, we ordered the ‘Leggera Gamberetti’ pizza. This was a large pizza which two people with medium-sized appetites shared and finished. The pizza consisted of succulent garlic ‘King Prawns’, tomato with garlic, red onion and baby plum tomatoes with parsley and a squeeze of lemon. The thin-crust pizza was delicious, and the king prawns blended well with the pizza base with its lemony twist.

The dishes here were reasonably priced, and our bill came within €€. In addition, the restaurant had a vibrant feel and was a perfect place to have an intimate pizza date or catch up with a group of friends. So, now you know where to grab your next pizza from when in Ireland.