Isola – Working-Class Heroes & Popular Milan

Isola was a working-class and immigrant neighbourhood. Today it is one of Milan's most dynamic food districts, but the old Isola is still there.

We meet at Piazza Cairoli and take a 10-minute metro or tram ride to Isola. We start with coffee and a Milanese pastry, then taste local salumi and cheese, Milanese pizza at a family-owned pizzeria that has been there since the '70s, handmade fresh pasta with saffron and cotoletta alla Milanese, with Italian wine or beer. We finish with affogato or gelato.

Between stops we talk about the people who built the neighbourhood and about how it changed.

Before you come: come hungry, because there are 5–6 tastings, enough for a big lunch. Wear comfortable shoes, and bring an ATM ticket (not included).

Practical details

What you taste: About 5–6 tastings: coffee and a Milanese pastry, local salumi and cheese, Milanese pizza, saffron pasta, cotoletta alla Milanese, affogato or gelato, and Italian wine or beer.

Small-group: Monday–Saturday, 10:00

Private: Monday–Saturday, hotel pickup

Meeting point: Piazza Cairoli

Getting around: We start at Piazza Cairoli and take a 10-minute metro or tram ride to Isola. Please bring an ATM ticket (not included).

Languages: English or Hebrew · private tours also in Italian or Russian

Guide: Isabella Bianco or Itay Novik

Price: €105 per person · private from €420

Good to know

Do I need a public transport ticket?

For Isola and Chinatown, yes: we take a short 10-minute ride from Piazza Cairoli, so please bring an ATM ticket (not included). Behind the Duomo is on foot only.

How does the private-tour hotel pickup work?

We meet you at your hotel anywhere within the city and continue on foot and by public transport (tickets not included). If your hotel is far out, we meet somewhere more central to save time. A private driver can be arranged on request.

Will the tour run if only a few people book?

Yes. Our tours always run, whatever the group size.

Can you cater for my diet?

Yes: vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, kosher, halal and allergies. Just mark it when you book.