The Best Pastry Shop In Milan Is Pasticceria Marchesi 1824

If you find yourself in Italy and you are looking for an old-school formal place for a delicious breakfast, Marchesi 1824 is the best pastry shop in Milan.

When you are traveling in Milan, Italy and you are looking for something delicious to eat, there is an endless supply of cafés and bars that can feed you well. If, however, you are looking for one of the oldest and most renowned pastry shops in the City, look no further than the more than 200 year old classic: Marchesi 1824.

Founded in 1824 by the Marchesi family, this historic pastry shop continues to earn an excellent reputation of quality food due in large part to the artisanal production of Panettone, the popular Italian dessert bread created in Milan. While across Italy Panettone is usually available during the Christmas season, and a variation called Colomba available only during Lent, in Milan you can enjoy it all year round, including at Marchesi 1824.

Today, Marchesi 1824 is no longer a family-owned business. In 2014, the fashion house Prada bought the Pasticceria, but why would a fashion brand want to expand into the food business? It’s about more than the sweets: It’s another example of how Miuccia Prada wanted to give back to her native city.

The Atmosphere

Being owned by Prada, and having their flagship location in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, you might imagine that the  atmosphere is stylish and elegant and you would be right. The real question is why did they allow someone as grungy as me to be seated?

There is a bar/counter where you can enjoy a quick espresso or cappuccino, but there are also quite a large number of tables spread throughout the space. The staff are dressed well and the space is sparklingly clean. 

The location, in the Galleria, couldn’t be better. It is centrally located and near the Duomo, so if you are beginning to feel a little tired of sightseeing, stop in to grab a quick snack, or have a seat and give your feet a break.

Breakfast Pastries And More

If you are looking for a delicious breakfast, they have it here and so much more. Of course, since you are in Italy, you can find the standard selection of cornetti, both empty and filled, Pain au Chocolat, and Donuts (ciambelle). You can get these individually, or as an assortment boxed up to take with you.

In addition to standard breakfast fare, they have cakes, both multi- and mono-portioned, in a large variety of flavors. Being a Pasticceria, they have individually portioned pastries that you can eat there or take to go. For us, we ordered assorted pastries that were served on a metal tower with three plates of sweets that reminded us, both in formality and presentation, or High Tea.

Practical Information For Visitors

Although this is more formal of a restaurant than I am used to, or have recommended, the process for ordering is the same. When you are met at the door, you can choose to eat at the bar (counter) or grab a table.

At the table, a member of the waitstaff will arrive quickly. If you are at the bar, you can just order from the barista. When it was time to pay, I grabbed the attention of the server, and they brought the credit card machine right over. Oddly, the server manager took my card and ran it through herself. This is unusual in Italy, even though it is quite common in the US. 

As for pricing, this one will hurt a little bit. However, you didn’t eat here because of the cornetti. You wanted the ambiance, style, formality and selection of sweets. Given the style and location, you should expect to pay a little more, but the prices aren’t absurd. They are just a little elevated.

Navigating The Visit

This restaurant is accessible, with an elevator on ground level that brings you right to the restaurant. We were there in what might be considered breakfast time, and the crowds weren’t that bad at all. We easily were seated, but by the time we left, all the seats were taken.

This is what I would consider a tourist spot, at least as much as the Galleria itself is as well. This doesn’t take away from the experience but it might influence when the crowds will arrive. I also read that it is a very popular place during Milan Fashion Week, but I can’t confirm that first hand.

The restaurant is open everyday from Monday to Sunday from 7:30AM – 9:00PM. My favorite location is found in the Galleria, here:

Is Marchesi 1824 Worth a Visit?

Yes, I believe it is worth a visit. Even if you are only looking for a nice gift to bring back home, their selection would be difficult to beat. I enjoyed the formality after four years of getting my cappuccino and cornetto in more typical bars around Rome and treating yourself to a special experience is something I’ve grown to appreciate more as I’ve gotten older.

Looking For More About Milan?