Is Milan moving beyond Instagrammable restaurants to authentic experiences?
Milan’s restaurant scene is evolving from selfie-friendly spots to more true-to-Italian dining, highlighting the revival of trattorias and Sogni’s innovation
Milan may be in Italy, but it offers a distinctly different culinary experience. This is not the Italy of hearty bowls of ragù sauce found in Bologna, nor is it the pizza-filled streets of Naples, where food is treated with reverence. In Milan, food is less about nourishment and more about presentation; the city focuses on styling your dining experience rather than just satisfying your hunger.
So, when a Milanese person heads out for dinner, the main question is rarely “What shall I eat?” More often, it’s “What shall I wear?” The answer typically hinges more on the restaurant’s ambience than the chef’s culinary skill. Diners may look for features like marble tables, soft lighting, and perhaps a flattering mirror in the restroom for a quick selfie.
Yet a subtle change is stirring in Milan. People are beginning to seek depth alongside design, and authenticity alongside aesthetics. The city that once prioritised appearance above all is quietly pivoting toward a richer, more meaningful dining culture.
Instagrammable Restaurants Take Over Milan’s Dining Scene
Once, a restaurant’s ultimate goal was to earn a Michelin star, a respected symbol of culinary excellence. Today, these accolades feel somewhat passé. Diners—especially Millennials—have fundamentally changed the dining game in recent years. They’ve moved away from the Michelin Guide and now turn to social media platforms like Instagram and, more recently, TikTok, in search of something less tangible yet far more shareable: an attractive backdrop.
@jasminechidiuto I feel like this is a must visit in Milan, so beautiful and decent prices aswell, highly recommend #milan #placestoeatinmilan #gloriaosteria #milanrestaurant #restaurantreview ♬ La belle vie - Sacha Distel
When it comes to dining, social media has gradually shifted the spotlight from culinary quality to visual appeal
Why Millennials Prefer Aesthetics Over Authentic Dining
The reason behind this shift is clear. In 2025, it’s not newspaper reviews that build a restaurant’s reputation; rather, it’s all about metrics: likes, shares, and, most importantly, Instagrammability. A long line outside a restaurant is more likely to be driven by a viral video or a popular bathroom selfie than by a critic’s endorsement. Today, a restaurant is as good as its grid.
In this new economy, the recipe for success has less to do with the menu itself and more with the skills of a savvy social media manager, along with a carefully curated Instagram feed. While good food is appreciated, it is no longer an absolute necessity.
Unsurprisingly, the trend has taken deep root in Milan, a city known for its style. With its dense population of influencers, models, and fashion devotees, Milan provides the perfect setting for the fusion of gastronomy and self-presentation.
What Makes a Restaurant Instagrammable in Milan?
New restaurants open and, before anyone has had a chance to taste the tiramisù, the city is already abuzz—about the marble countertops, designer chairs, and flattering lighting for the perfect selfies. Conversations about dining have largely shifted from food to décor and Instagram-worthiness.
This change comes with its drawbacks. Dishes that were once meant to be enjoyed hot now cool slowly under the glare of phone flashlights. The choreography of service is interrupted by the choreography of content creation. While chefs may focus on composing flavours, diners are busy composing their posts. The meal itself becomes a secondary event, with its significance consumed elsewhere—online, later, by a broader audience.
This trend runs counter to Italian tradition, where eating has never been just about sustenance; it has always been a ritual of communion. To sit at a table was to bring people closer together, to share both food and presence. Phones were once unwelcome intruders at such gatherings; now, they are placed between the antipasti and wine glasses, ready to capture every bite.
How Gen Z Is Changing Milan’s Restaurant Culture
And yet, a countercurrent has begun to emerge, even in Milan. Generation Z, born under the permanent glow of digital technology, is exhibiting an unexpected nostalgia for the analogue.
They are flocking to trattorie, those stubbornly authentic, traditional places where recipes remain rooted in history and regional culture. In these eateries, aesthetics are incidental rather than contrived. Perhaps because they have known nothing but the virtual realm, this generation is now seeking something weightier, less rehearsed, and more genuine.
@citybeat.it Classic Milanese dinner spots #milan #nightout #dinner #restaurant ♬ O mia bela Madunina - I Ciapa Rat
In a search for more genuine experiences, Gen Z is driving the resurgence of trattorie serving authentic Milanese cuisine
Trattorias Are Back: Gen Z’s Taste for Tradition
The resurgence of trattorias suggests a harmonious balance between authenticity and aesthetics, indicating that these two aspects can coexist.
This idea is supported by other examples in Milan’s dining scene, which, while far from the traditional concept of the trattoria, combine a less performative approach with a renewed emphasis on quality food, without neglecting the elegance of interior design and a few Instagram-worthy spots.
If restaurateurs are willing to embrace this approach, Milan’s future could integrate the traditions of the past alongside the appeal of visual spectacle, allowing both to thrive without one overshadowing the other.
Sogni in Milan: Where Style Meets Culinary Tradition
Consider Sogni, an immersive restaurant tucked behind a heavy, dark door in the heart of Milan. This space, a former kindergarten, has been transformed to offer the paradox the metropolis craves: elegance laced with nostalgia, avant-garde edge softened by a sense of home. Inside, inventive cocktails and Italian cuisine share the stage with tech house beats. The lighting hovers somewhere between domestic glow and theatrical spotlight, preserving the bones of the old building while draping it in contemporary polish.
On its website, Sogni declares: “Our attention to detail and care for the finer aspects found in the ambience are reflected and elevated in the dishes. The recipes are carefully designed to create a menu that respects and showcases the seasonal offerings and traditions of various Italian regions.”
@yassonthego THE BEST restaurant in Milan 📍Sogni #creatorsearchinsights #food #milan #milano #milanrestaurant #thingstodo #dinner #italy ♬ CHIHIRO Aaron Hibell remix - Aaron Hibell
Immersive restaurant Sogni comes across as the perfect combination of aesthetic appeal and food quality
It is, in its own way, a manifesto, demonstrating that a restaurant can be both beautiful and serious, and that pursuing aesthetics does not have to come at the expense of food quality.
Hidden in plain sight, Sogni embodies a possibility of reconciliation. Here, diners can both photograph and enjoy their meals, curate and savour their experiences, indulging in both appetite and vanity. While Milan has long prioritised style above all else, Sogni suggests that perhaps style and substance can, at times, share a table.
Alice Bayumi
Marketing and Communication Management for Fragrances & Cosmetics, Master’s student, Milan
A version of this article originally appeared on Anima, an editorial project created by students from Istituto Marangoni’s Marketing and Communication Management for Fragrances & Cosmetics Master’s programme: Alice Cucciarelli (Editor-in-Chief), Francesco Fava (Art Director), Alice Bayumi, Silvia Genova, Matilde Lucchini, and Maddalena Rado (Editors).