Restaurant in Milan, Italy
Michelin-noted Japanese worth the Corso Lodi trip.
Izu holds a Michelin Plate for 2024 and 2025 and a 4.3 from over 1,000 Google reviews — making it Milan's most credentialled Japanese Contemporary option at the €€€ tier. The recently refurbished room works well for dates and business dinners, and the sommelier-led wine and sake list gives it a clear edge over most peers at this price. Easy to book and well-suited to special occasions without the outlay of Milan's top fine dining rooms.
Izu, on Corso Lodi in Milan's southeast, earns a Michelin Plate in both 2024 and 2025 — a signal of consistent technical competence rather than fireworks, but meaningful in a city where Japanese restaurants rarely hold sustained critical recognition. If you are planning a special dinner and want something that sits between casual sushi and full omakase theatre, Izu is a serious candidate. The price tier (€€€) positions it below Milan's constellation of €€€€ fine dining rooms, which makes it a genuinely useful middle option for occasions that call for something considered but not ceremonial.
The room itself, after a recent refurbishment, reads as an elegant bistro rather than a traditional Japanese interior. The atmosphere is composed without being stiff , the kind of setting that works for a date, a business dinner, or a quiet celebration where you want the food and the conversation to share equal billing. On the sound front, expect a measured ambient level: not the silence of a tasting-menu temple, not the din of a fashion-crowd izakaya. The post-refurbishment fit-out has clearly prioritised comfort over statement.
The menu covers the expected range , sushi, uramaki, sashimi , alongside a category labelled "Izu special creations" and a selection of dishes that draw on both Asian and Mediterranean references. The ownership is Chinese, the culinary focus is Japanese, and the result is a kitchen that works within a defined tradition while leaving room for its own interpretation. That Mediterranean inflection is worth noting: for a Milan audience, it functions as a bridge rather than a distraction, and for visitors, it makes the menu more navigable than a strictly orthodox Japanese format might.
Wine list at Izu is an asset that many Japanese restaurants in this price tier do not bother to develop properly. Here, an experienced sommelier oversees a list that includes both a curated wine selection and, as you would expect, a range of sakes. That combination matters more than it might seem. The ability to match a sake to sashimi and then pivot to an Italian white for a Mediterranean-inflected course is exactly the kind of fluency that makes a multi-course dinner cohere. For a celebratory dinner where you plan to drink well, this is the detail that gives Izu an edge over Japanese restaurants that treat the drinks list as an afterthought.
If wine is a priority for your table, ask to speak with the sommelier directly rather than ordering off the list alone. The combination of sake depth and Italian wine knowledge in a single list is not common at this price point in Milan, and it is one of the clearest reasons to choose Izu over a comparable Japanese venue with a thinner drinks program. For context, if you are looking at the full range of what Milan's dining scene offers on the wine front, our full Milan wineries guide gives a broader picture of the region's producers.
Booking difficulty is rated easy, which is a meaningful advantage for spontaneous occasions or group dinners with less planning lead time. Address: C.so Lodi, 27, 20135 Milano. For planning purposes, see our full Milan restaurants guide, full Milan hotels guide, full Milan bars guide, and full Milan experiences guide.
For other high-quality dining destinations across Italy, see Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler in Brunico, Dal Pescatore in Runate, Quattro Passi in Marina del Cantone, and Reale in Castel di Sangro.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Izu | Japanese Contemporary | Recent refurbishment at this long-standing restaurant on the city’s main square has given it the feel of an elegant bistro. Although the owners and managers here are Chinese, the cuisine focuses on Japan and includes all the usual classic options (sushi, uramaki, sashimi etc), as well as a series of “Izu special creations” and various dishes influenced by Asia and the Mediterranean alike. There’s also a good wine list (including, as you might expect, a few sakes) overseen by an experienced and knowledgeable sommelier.; Michelin Plate (2025); Michelin Plate (2024) | Easy | — |
| Enrico Bartolini | Creative | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Cracco in Galleria | Modern Cuisine | Michelin 1 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Andrea Aprea | Modern Italian, Italian Contemporary | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| Seta | Modern Italian | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| Horto | Modern Italian, Modern Cuisine | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
A quick look at how Izu measures up.
Japanese Contemporary menus at this price tier typically accommodate pescatarian and gluten-aware requests with advance notice, and Izu's format — which spans sushi, sashimi, uramaki, and Mediterranean-influenced dishes — gives the kitchen flexibility. check the venue's official channels before booking to confirm specific needs. Vegetarian options are plausible given the menu breadth, but do not assume without checking.
Izu sits on Corso Lodi in Milan's southeast and reads as an elegant bistro following a recent refurbishment — not a traditional Japanese interior. The ownership is Chinese, but the cooking is firmly Japanese-led, supplemented by 'Izu special creations' that draw on Asian and Mediterranean influences. Booking is rated easy, so you are not fighting for a table weeks out. Come expecting a wine-forward Japanese experience rather than a spare, minimalist omakase setting.
At €€€, Izu holds two consecutive Michelin Plates (2024 and 2025), which signals consistent technical competence at this price point. The addition of a developed wine and sake list, overseen by an experienced sommelier, adds value that most Japanese restaurants at this tier skip. If you want straightforward sushi in Milan for less, you can find it — but Izu's food-and-wine pairing case makes the spend feel justified.
For Italian fine dining at a higher tier, Seta and Andrea Aprea both carry stronger Michelin credentials. Cracco in Galleria and Enrico Bartolini are the city's prestige Italian options if Japanese Contemporary is not your priority. Horto is worth considering if you want a vegetable-forward, modern European format. None of these are direct substitutes for Izu's Japanese-Mediterranean format, so the comparison depends on whether cuisine type or occasion formality is driving your decision.
The menu covers classic Japanese formats — sushi, sashimi, uramaki — alongside 'Izu special creations' that blend Asian and Mediterranean influences. The special creations are the differentiator here; the classics are well-executed but available elsewhere in Milan. Ask the sommelier for a sake or wine pairing recommendation, as the list is a genuine asset. Specific dish names are not confirmed in available data, so ask the server what is current when you arrive.
Tasting menu availability and pricing are not confirmed in current data, so call ahead to check the format. If a tasting option exists, the combination of Michelin Plate-level technique and a sommelier-led pairing programme would make it a reasonable case at €€€. For a guaranteed tasting menu experience with a stronger Michelin pedigree, Seta or Andrea Aprea are safer bets in Milan.
Yes, conditionally. The post-refurbishment bistro feel and Michelin Plate recognition give it the right register for a birthday or anniversary dinner, and the wine programme adds a celebratory option that many Japanese restaurants at this price do not offer. It works best for a party of two or a small group where the Japanese Contemporary format suits everyone at the table. If the occasion demands maximum formality or a longer tasting experience, Seta is the stronger call.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
