A peek into the Mercato del Duomo in Milan central

Spending a day in Milan inevitably means that at some point you’d have to think about food. I had a lovely Panzerotti at the world famous Panzerotti Luini as a snack. That was all well and good and sustained me for a couple of hours. However, it soon became apparent that all that energy spent window shopping had to be replenished. This is where the Mercato del Duomo (Market Dome) comes in. Designed by Michelle de Lucchi, the Mercato del Duomo covers 4 floors and 3000 sq metres. It is best described as a dedicated food hub for good quality fresh produce and cooked food. It is a cross between fast food and curated gourmet food. It reminds me of the Mercado da Ribeira in Lisbon. They are also both designed and marketed for cooking classes.

The entry point is close to one of the more established coffee houses in Milan, the coffee bar Motta opened in 1928. Croissants, other pastries and coffee can all be enjoyed here away from the hustle and bustle outside. A Bronze sculpture of an ancient olive tree created by Adam Lowe marks the entry into the Mercato del Duomo.

This floor (Primo Piano) can only be best described as a posh man’s super market. Fresh produce and food such as pasta, fresh meat, wine, cheese, pizza and pastries can all be found.

I spent a few moments at the bakery where samples of bread were being handed out. Samples of cheese were not too far away either.

In the foyer area there is was a jam tasting session. There was also a rather large comfortable sofa which seemed to have magical powers to make everyone who sat in it to instantly get on their phones. Behind the sofa and in large lettering was a reminder of where I was – the Mercato del Duomo.

On the next two floors are restaurants and a wine bar, namely the Bistrot Milan, Spazio Milan and the Niko Romito Education Cooley school.

A rather bland vegetarian dish of pasta with pesto, and a little bit more exciting pasta with broccoli and a beer was what was heartily consumed at the Mercato del Duomo. I understand a total  of 13.5 million Euros was spent on the Mercato del Duomo and it shows. This is a design heavy and concept foodie hangout which says much about Italians love for beautiful things.