Restaurant in Milan, Italy
Milan's most recognised casual wine bar.
Ranked #229 in Opinionated About Dining's Casual Europe list for 2025, Osteria alla Concorrenza is Milan's most credentialled neighbourhood wine bar and one of the easiest quality bookings in the city. Open evenings Monday through Friday and all day Saturday, it suits pairs or small groups who want serious wine without the formality or cost of Milan's fine-dining tier.
Osteria alla Concorrenza is one of Milan's most consistently recognised casual wine bars, ranked #229 in Opinionated About Dining's Casual Europe list for 2025, up from #325 in 2024. If you want serious wine in a neighbourhood setting without the formality or price point of Milan's fine-dining circuit, this is a strong booking. It won't suit everyone — the format is wine-bar-first, food is secondary, and Sunday closures and evening-only hours (Monday through Friday from 6 pm) mean your window is narrower than you might expect. But for the right visitor, it earns its place on a Milan itinerary.
Osteria alla Concorrenza sits on Via Melzo, 12, in Milan's Porta Venezia district, a neighbourhood known for its aperitivo culture and a more local-facing energy than the centre. The osteria format in northern Italy traditionally favours intimacy over spectacle: expect a compact room, close-set tables, and a bar that dominates the layout. This is not the place to celebrate with a large group expecting formal service; it works well for two, or a small group of four who want to talk wine rather than perform an occasion. The spatial experience is part of the draw — it reads as a working wine bar, not a curated concept space.
Given the wine-bar format and the depth implied by three consecutive years of Opinionated About Dining recognition, Osteria alla Concorrenza rewards return visits more than most casual spots in Milan. On a first visit, arrive on a weekday evening , Tuesday through Thursday tends to offer a more relaxed pace than the Friday rush. Use this visit to orient yourself: the wine list is the main event, so let the recommendation guide you toward a regional Italian bottle you wouldn't already know. A second visit, leading timed for a Saturday when the kitchen opens at noon, gives you access to the lunch service that weekday evenings don't offer , Saturday's 12 pm opening is the only daytime slot in the week, making it the right moment to eat more deliberately alongside the wine. A third visit, if you're a regular Milan traveller, is where you push into the less familiar selections and stay later into the evening. The midnight close gives you room to linger without feeling rushed.
Saturday lunch is the most flexible entry point logistically and the most useful for a meal-focused visit. Weekday evenings suit the wine-first format better for solo visitors or pairs. Booking is easy relative to Milan's more competitive tables , this is not a venue where you need to plan weeks in advance in the way you would for Seta or Andrea Aprea. That accessibility is part of the value proposition. Sunday is closed, so don't build a Sunday itinerary around this address.
Quick reference: Via Melzo, 12, Milan. Open Monday–Friday 6 pm–12 am; Saturday 12 pm–12 am. Sunday closed. Booking: easy. Google rating: 4.4 (386 reviews). Opinionated About Dining Casual Europe 2025: #229.
The address puts the venue in walking distance of the Porta Venezia and Lima metro stops on Line 1 (red line), making it accessible from central Milan without needing a taxi. No price range is listed in our data , budget for wine-bar pricing consistent with the neighbourhood, which typically runs below the fine-dining tier without being cheap. There is no published dress code, and the osteria format strongly implies casual dress is appropriate. For Italy-based wine bar comparisons, Antica Bottega Del Vino in Verona operates a similar format with a larger cellar and a slightly more formal register , useful context if you're building a broader Italian wine-bar shortlist.
If you're building a Milan dining itinerary across several nights, Osteria alla Concorrenza fills a role that none of Milan's €€€€ fine-dining tables can: a credentialled, low-formality wine stop where the bill won't anchor the evening. Enrico Bartolini, Cracco in Galleria, and Andrea Aprea are all operating at a completely different price point and require advance planning; they are destination meals. Osteria alla Concorrenza is the kind of place you add to the same trip as a counterweight , wine-focused, neighbourhood-paced, and booked with far less effort.
For diners comparing wine-bar options specifically, Lady of the Grapes in London offers a useful frame of reference: both venues prioritise natural and Italian-leaning wine lists in a casual setting. Osteria alla Concorrenza's OAD trajectory (Recommended in 2023, #325 in 2024, #229 in 2025) suggests it is pulling more attention from serious wine travellers each year, which is worth factoring in if you're planning a visit in peak season.
For fine dining worth building a trip around, Osteria Francescana in Modena and Uliassi in Senigallia are the two Italian restaurants in their tier most likely to justify the journey. Closer to Milan, Dal Pescatore in Runate makes a manageable day trip for a long lunch. For more Milan options across categories, see our full Milan restaurants guide, full Milan bars guide, and full Milan hotels guide.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osteria alla Concorrenza | Wine Bar | Opinionated About Dining Casual in Europe Ranked #229 (2025); Opinionated About Dining Casual in Europe Ranked #325 (2024); Opinionated About Dining Casual in Europe Recommended (2023) | 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 | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
This is a wine-bar-format venue, not a full-service restaurant, so arrive expecting wine-led eating rather than a structured multi-course dinner. It sits on Via Melzo in Porta Venezia, a neighbourhood built around aperitivo culture, which sets the tone accurately. Osteria alla Concorrenza has placed on Opinionated About Dining's Casual Europe list three years running (including #229 in 2025), which signals consistent quality rather than a one-season flash. Saturday is the only day with a lunchtime slot; every other visit is an evening affair, with the kitchen running until midnight.
Only if your version of a special occasion is a low-key, wine-forward evening rather than a formal celebration. For a milestone dinner with theatrical service and elaborate tasting menus, look at Seta or Andrea Aprea instead. What Osteria alla Concorrenza offers is the kind of occasion that feels significant because the wine and food are genuinely good, not because the room insists on it — and three consecutive years of OAD recognition backs that up.
Specific menu details are not publicly documented for this venue, so it's worth contacting them directly before visiting. Wine bars with a strong food component in Milan typically carry cured meats, cheese, and small cooked dishes, which limits options for vegans and some allergy situations. If dietary needs are a deciding factor, confirm in advance rather than assuming flexibility at the door.
For a step up in formality and spend, Seta and Andrea Aprea are the clearest alternatives for serious dining in Milan. Horto is worth considering if you want a more contemporary, produce-led format. Osteria alla Concorrenza sits in a different category from Enrico Bartolini and Cracco in Galleria — higher-commitment, higher-spend evenings — so the comparison only applies if you're deciding between casual and formal, not between like-for-like venues.
Specific menu items are published details are limited for this venue. Given the wine bar format and three years of OAD recognition, the wine list is the primary reason to visit — food ordering should follow the wine rather than lead it. Ask staff for their current pours and build the food around whatever they're pouring well that evening. Check the venue's official channels for the latest details.
Dinner is the default format Monday through Friday, and the wine-bar setting is designed around an evening pace. Saturday lunch is the only midday option and gives a more relaxed, meal-focused entry point for those who prefer eating over late-night drinking. If you want food to be the centre of the visit, Saturday lunch is the more practical choice; if you want the full Porta Venezia aperitivo atmosphere, a weekday evening is closer to what the venue is built for.
No booking data is publicly documented for this venue, but a wine bar ranked #229 on OAD's Casual Europe list in 2025 — up from #325 in 2024 — will draw a crowd, particularly on Friday and Saturday evenings. Booking at least a week ahead for weekends is a sensible precaution. Walk-in chances are better on weekday evenings earlier in the service window, before 8 pm.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
