Nerino Dieci Trattoria, Via Nerino - Milan

Wherever i go, i always try to find the best local food at that city. Since we're in Milan, we're looking for a delicious Italian food. This time we gonna try to have a dinner at trattoria. Trattoria is a family owned restaurant, which usually serve traditional - local food. It's less formal than ristorante, so you don't need to wear a formal clothes to dine in here. With a help from TripAdvisor, i found a famous trattoria who serve a tasty Italian food. It's Nerino Dieci Trattoria.

Nerino Dieci Trattoria is located at Via Norino, a small street next to Via Torino. We visited this place after had a wonderful day at Duomo. For having dinner, we've made a reservation before by email because this place is always full.

Like other Italian restaurant, they divide their menu into 4 parts, antipasti (appetizer), primi (first), secondi (second), and dolci (dessert). Usually, each person will order one from each menu, and it will be served in sequence. However, we're not kind of person who can eat that much. So we decided to order some recommended dishes, and asked them to serve it together so we can share it.

Complimentary bread 

Italian food is always identic with pizza and pasta. In here, we decided to order some pasta to try the authentic taste of them. As i expected, the pasta was really delicious. It's cooked perfectly al dente, the texture of pasta that i only get in Italy.

Octopus with Pesto, Olives and Cherry Tomatoes €10

Bucatini with Cheese, Pepper and Bacon €9

Black noodles with Clams and Spicy Salami €10

Spaghetti with Lobster & Sauce €15

Not just pasta, Nerino Dieci also serve the authentic Milanese food. Most people knows, Milanese food known for their saffron risotto (which is served with osso bucco) and cotoletta. Even they don't have saffron risotto on their menu, but they have cotoletta, a veal breaded cutlet. And for replace the saffron risotto, i ordered a risotto with Pecorino cheese which taste good.

Risotto with Aromatic Herbs & Pecorino Cheese €8

Veal Cutlet €14

Fresh Tuna Fish with Pistachio Crust €15

A dinner won't be complete without dessert. To make it complete, i ordered watermelon sorbet and creme brulee. The watermelon sorbet was extremely good. The freshness of the flavour make it perfect to be consumed in summer.

Creme Brulee €5

Watermelon Sorbet €4

I really recommend this restaurant to anyone who are looking for the authentic Milanese food. The food are very delicious and it also comes with reasonable price. The location which is at the city centre, make it reachable for everyone, including those who only have a short time in Milan.

Nerino Dieci Trattoria
Address : Via Nerino, 10, 20123, Milano MI, Italy
Website : http://www.nerinodieci.it/
Phone : +39 02 3983 1019
Opening hours : Mon - Fri 12.30 - 14.30 (lunch) & Mon - Sat 19.30 - 23.00 (dinner)

[Europe] First Day in Milan - Duomo di Milano and Around

Milan is one of big and famous city in Italy. This city become a must visit place for people who travel to Europe for the first time. And Yes! It was the first time for me to go Europe. So i put Milan into my itinerary and we explored this city in 2 days.

We came to Milan after a visit to Barcelona , with RyanAir. RyanAir is one of budget airline (beside EasyJet) that could be an option while traveling in Europe. It doesn't take a long time to fly from Barcelona. It took around 2 hours until we landed at Milan Bergamo Airport. From the airport we took Terravision Bus (it costs €5 one way) and it's going straight to Milano Centrale Railway Station which takes 1 hour to reach it. From here you can take any public transportation to reach your destination. Our accommodation is very close with this station, so we decided to just walk. During our trip in Milan, we stayed at Hotel Berna and i really recommend you to stay here. The price is not really cheap but it's also not too high for a 4 stars hotel. We paid €134 for 1 night (city tax not included). Honestly, it's quite hard to find a good accommodation with affordable price in Milan. At the first time we were looking for a hotel around Duomo, but the room rates is too high. Probably it's because we travelled in summer. At least, we found Hotel Berna and decided to stay here because the location is really close with the station, so it's gonna be easy for us to reach this hotel with our luggages.

First day in Milan, we decided to go to Duomo di Milano, the famous landmark in Milan. Going to Milan is not complete without visiting this cathedral, which is the one of largest cathedral in the world. Next to this gothic cathedral, you'll find Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the popular places for shopping in Milan. This place become one of my favorite places for shopping because they have different ambience with another shopping places. As a world's oldest shopping mall, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele still have a European classic design for the interior. It doesn't looks like another shopping mall. It's an outdoor place but with a roof and it's a perfect spot for take pictures. There's a lot of famous high end brand in here, such as Louis Vuitton, Prada, but that's not what i'm looking for. I've done shopping with those fashion brands while in Paris . When in Milan, there's 1 store that you must visit, it's Ferrari store.

OK, i'm not a big fan of automotive. But we're in Italy, the place where Ferrari was born. Visit the store to buy their merchandise i think it's a must things to do. Beside only for shopping, there's a Ferrari simulator at the basement which is good for you who wants feel the experience of racing. By paying €25, you'll feel the true feeling of speed and movement of a race car (over 300mph). Even though it's only for 10 minutes, but it remains a good experience, especially if you're a fan of sports car.

Shopping in Milan is not always expensive. Right across Duomo di Milano, you'll find Via Torino street, which has a lot of stores selling affordable stuff. You can find many fashion stores in this street such  as OVS, ZARA, H&M, Terranova, and another Italian local brand. Not just a clothing store, but you also can find a beauty stores such as Kiko Milano, Essence, Shaka, Kiehl's, and Lush.

Terranova at Via Torino Street

(Also read : Cheap "Fashion & Beauty" Shopping Guide in Europe)

Hopping for one store to another of course made us feel exhausted, especially it's summer!! The heat really made me sick. However, thanks God, we're in Italy, and this place has a perfect "medicine" for me. It's Gelato!! Around Duomo, i found many gelato shops. I've tried some of them, but my favorites are Cioccolati Italiani, Grom, and Savini.

Stracciatella & Cherry

Chocolate & Pistachio

Beside gelato, we also found some tasty foods around Duomo. We bought it as a quick bites to restore our energy. There are  panzerotti from Luini Panzerotti, and also pizza from Pizzeria Spontini which is located right across Ferarri Store. I also found another takeaway retaurant that you will like (especially if you're Asian). It's Musubi. To be honest, i never thought that i will eat Japanese food in Europe. But after 2 weeks exploring Europe, my Asian blood told me to grab those Japanese rice boxes for a quick bites lunch. Thankfully i found this Japanese "mini" restaurant, because the foods are so tasty.. (You can read more about quick bites food around Duomo here)

Aurelia enjoyed her panzerotti

My shopping route ended at Via Torino street. However, before we went back to hotel, we decided to have a dinner at Nerino Dieci Trattoria. This restaurant have a top place at TripAdvisor , and has accepted many certificates for their food. For having a dinner (or lunch),  you need to make a reservation before because this restaurant is always full. We arrived 20 minutes before they opened, but people have started to queue, waiting for the door to open. I'll reviewing this restaurant at the next post.

[Europe] Cheap "Fashion & Beauty" Shopping Guide in Europe

Europe, known as a place with a high living cost. Start from the food, transportation, accomodation, and shopping. We're not talking about the high-end brand such as Prada or Louis Vuitton. We're talking about some local boutiques such as at Saint German area in Paris. They're selling local brand clothing with high price. For example, they are selling 1 simple dress for €200. Of course they use a good quality fabric for their clothes. But still, not everyone can afford it.

However, not every store in Europe selling stuffs with high price. During my Europe Trip, i found some stores which selling a good fashion and beauty stuff with the cheap price. At this post, i will write about that stores.

Lefties
Lefties is one of the main affordable fashion companies. The Lefties brand is designed for all ages of customers. They have 3 sections, men, women, and children (baby, boy, and girl). If you're a young women / men, you gonna love their style. With a good fabric, they're selling 1 T-shirt only for €2. How cheap is that!!! Not every country in Europe have Lefties. But you can find it in Spain, Portugal, Russia, and Mexico.

Zara
Who doesn't know Zara???? They have more than 2000 stores in over 88 countries in the world. So, why do i mention Zara at this article?? Actually, at other countries, Zara doesn't have a very cheap price. But if you go to Spain, you will see they're selling all their stuffs with very low price. €3 for a t-shirt, and €4 for a bottle of perfume. It's a very good deal. How can the price is very different between in Spain with another country? Because Zara is a Spanish fashion brand. So, when in Spain, don't forget to go to Zara, and shop a lot!

Massimo Dutti
Massimo Dutti is another fashion brand that founded in Spain, precisely in Barcelona. Don't ask about the fabric. Everybody knows Massimo Dutti has a very good quality fabric, and that's the reason why the price is not as cheap as Lefties or Zara in Spain. But if you compare it with prices in other countries, it's much cheaper. Just talk about men's trousers. Usually, the price gonna be €100. But in Barcelona, you can buy it with half price.

Carpisa
Not just a clothing store, but you can also shop for a bag with cheap price in Europe. Just looking for. a store called Carpisa. Not just a bag for woman that you can buy from this Italian brand. Because they also sell wallet, men's bag, and luggage. It's not hard to find this store in Europe. You can find Carpisa almost in every city in Europe such as Barcelona, Milan, and Rome.

Mango
Another clothing brand that you can find in every city, but don't forget to shop here while in Barcelona. Mango has a lot of stores in Barcelona and they all offers with affordable prices. If you want to get the "cheaper" stuff, you can visit Mango Outlet in Barcelona. In here, you can get any clothes, accecories and any other fashion stuff from Mango, with 70% - 90% discount and i think it's a very good deal (if you compare it with its normal price). This outlet is located at Career de Girona, about 15 minutes walk from Plaza Catalunya.

Terranova
Well, this Italian clothing brand might be not as famous as any other clothing brand. But you can find this store in some of European city such as Rome, Milan. This cheap urban clothing brand, not just sells women's stuff but also for men. They have a good style, fabric, and of course with affordable price. €4 for men's shirt and €4 for women's blouse, definitely its a good place for shopping.

OVS
OVS is a store with full of cheap clothes that you can find in Milan. But in here, you're not only shopping for clothes or accecories. They also have a beauty corner for make up with affordable price such as Shaka, Essence, etc. Essence become a famous make up brand that you can find in Europe. Not just because their low prices, but they also have a good quality and a lot of variants. €1 for a nail polish, you'll don't want to missed it.

Kiko Milano
If you see the name, you'll know that Kiko is a make up brand from Milan. But it doesn't mean you only can found it in Milan. Kiko has a lot of stores in Europe and it's not hard to find. You can find Kiko store in most every train station in Italy such as Rome, Venice, and Italy. Kiko's price is not as low as Essence. But their quality is better than Essence.

Well those are some stores that i found in Europe which selling a good fashion and beauty stuff with low price. If you have another recommendation for cheap places for shopping in Europe, just comment below.