Gourmet products local specialties and wines Lombardy

A piece of Bergamo history dated 1476. Situated in the enchanting Piazza Vecchia, the retro and elegant décor will take you back to an atmosphere of yesteryear. The bar offers excellent pastry specialties such as torta donizetti, the traditional local sweet cake with apricots and pineapple slices. There is also a fast food restaurant at lunchtime. You will enjoy the beauty of the setting, although the service is sometimes a little slow. And if you are in too much of a hurry, you can simply lean back at the bar to have a coffee!

Since 1957, Faravelli is to gastronomy what Cartier is to jewellery. In the showcase meats, hams, cheeses and succulent prepared dishes (white bean pasta, soups, roast portions and so on) with products of the highest quality and freshness. Within a few metres, there is also a delicatessen selling all kinds of seasonal delicacies, and a well-stocked wine and champagne library, which completes the setting. You come here for special occasions as well as for your lunch sandwich.

"We do it in front of everyone" is the motto of this amazing café, at the crossroads between an ice cream parlour, a restaurant and a pastry shop. Cioccolati Italiani does everything possible to fulfil its mission of promoting chocolate culture: a view of the production laboratory, dark and white chocolate fountains (where you can fill your cone), ice-cream tasting and a pleasant veranda. A real temple dedicated to chocolate served in all its variations; gelato, however, wins first prize: smooth, velvety, creamy, a real treat!

Villas and abbeys make you hungry? The Besuschio pastry shop in the town's central square has been satisfying both big and small hungers for over 170 years. Macaroons, pralines, chocolates, but also traditional specialities such as pan de fraa, a tender cake named after the bread that the monks used to distribute to the poor, or the tegola (tile) of San Bernardino, made with butter, almonds and hazelnuts. There is a lovely terrace under the arcades where you can sip a cappuccino or a glass of wine with a brioche or some petits fours.

A temple of torrone since 1836, Sperlari is the great specialist in sweets of all kinds. Supplier to the Royal Household since 1921, this beautiful shop of delights is well worth a visit. Its window display seems to be straight out of a children's book, so full of colours and delicacies! Apart from the traditional nougat(torrone) with almonds, honey and egg white, you will find all kinds of colours and shapes: chocolate, pistachio, but also jams, sweet liqueurs and sweets.

A paradise for gourmets, Mangili is the perfect address if you want to take home a small basket of Bergamasque flavours. From the butcher's department you will choose the Bergamo sausage, among the pasta one or two portions of fresh casoncelli (to be eaten quickly!), among the cheeses a nice slice of taleggio and, on the delicatessen shelves, some nougats or dry cakes. We let ourselves be advised by the boss, very friendly and good advice. Some good local wines. And then, of course, let yourself be tempted by everything else!

A candied fruit merchant worthy of the Thousand and One Nights! The store alone is worth the detour: wooden counters, shelves covered with glass jars and marble worktops set a deliciously Belle Époque tone. Over a hundred varieties of dried and dehydrated fruit, including Thai papaya, Sicilian pistachios, Tuscan pine nuts, Calabrian figs, and even ginger, kumquat, cedar, wild strawberries and red berries. A brand whose quality has been guaranteed since 1908.

Probably the chicest market in town. Parallel to via Brera, a stone's throw from its boutiques and pinacoteca, along the elegant via San Marco, in the shadow of the church of the same name, this beautiful market is far from being just a neighborhood market. The Milanese come here to buy a few items at unbeatable prices. Indeed, the sweaters, shoes and jewelry sold here are always at the cutting edge of fashion. Clothes, shoes, flowers but also meat, fish and vegetables, all of which are as beautiful as they are good.

Vittoria, the founder of Gelato Giusto, is a graduate of the Académie Culinaire de France and has worked with Lenôtre and Valrhona... This should be convincing enough in terms of the quality of her ice creams, which have absolutely nothing to reproach themselves for. When she decides to produce a new flavor, she studies it down to the last detail and doesn't stop until she's sure she's achieved perfection. Alongside the great classics, originals such as ricotta, blood orange and pear-chocolate are well worth discovering.

Here's yet another address to discover on Via Spadari. The store's motto is "de la glace et c'est tout" ("ice cream and that's all"), a slogan that says it all. Ciacco has made a name for itself in Milan for the quality of its ice cream, the aim being to create ice cream without any natural or chemical additives. Among the twenty or so flavors available in summer and winter, you'll find apricot, pistachio and pumpkin, as well as cheesecake and salted butter caramel. Open weekday mornings, the shop also serves good coffee and delicious stuffed brioches.

A Pavia institution! The store, just a few steps from the Basilica di San Michele, exudes the authenticity of the shops of yesteryear. This gelateria, open since the 1960s, offers excellent ice creams (the hazelnut flavor is absolutely delicious). Its unctuous hot chocolate is just as delicious, if ice cream isn't what you're craving in the middle of winter. Try it with your eyes closed! An essential stop-off on a stroll through the city center, or between one visit and the next.

An exceptional estate, born of the passion and love of founder Vittorio Moretti. The Bellavista vineyards cover more than 190 ha, and more than 1,150,000 bottles are produced each year. To give you an idea, Bellavista is the official supplier of Milan's Scala! The estate's care is not confined to wine alone: an enchanting garden completes the estate, ranked among the most beautiful in Italy. The estate is home to Relais & Châteaux l'Albereta and the restaurant of top Italian chef Gualtiero Marchesi.

The Zamberletti café-pâtisserie is one of those addresses that seem to have no sense of time passing by. Under the arcades of the central corso , it is the ideal stop for a little black ristretto at the counter, a brioche jam at breakfast or a glass of prosecco around 6pm. Zamberletti is also an obligatory stopover in Varese to bring back sweets in your basket, including Dolce Varese, the local speciality. The pastries make us all envious, it's a feast for the eyes and the mouth. The plus: online shop.

Vigevano isn't just famous for its shoes; sausages are also part of the local culinary heritage. Just 100 m from Piazza Ducale, here's a butcher's shop renowned for its specialties. Try the pig liver sausage, a true gastronomic experience, but also ham, preserves in oil and parmesan! What's more, the store has an air of yesteryear about it; everyone here is on a first-name basis, and the friendly staff reflects the tranquility of the town.

Visiting the Ca' del Bosco estate and cellars is a sensory experience that combines the pleasure of good wine with a love of beautiful things. The estate is dotted with works of contemporary art, while the cellars, entirely designed by renowned architects, look more like a spaceship than a traditional wine cellar. You will discover how these great vintages are produced, through the different phases of production and in the laboratory. At the end of the tour, you will be able to order your favourite bottles

On Corso di Porta Romana, here's a small panificio with a tempting shop window where you'll find focaccia and pizza, as well as cookies to fill a small hunger during your visit to the district. Taste the pan meino: this tasty cookie flavored with elderflower is a Milanese specialty eaten mainly in April. In November, you can also try pan dei morti, with dried fruit, which is excellent! Beware of the bill: the products are of high quality, but the prices are a little high.

A small forneria in Cremona's historic center, where you can find pizza or focaccia to take away for a quick lunch. The quality is top-notch, the service friendly and all at reasonable prices. For dessert or a snack, the cookies and pastries are excellent. A word of advice: try the torta Cremona.A Cremona speciality, this tart made with almonds and jam is a real delight! A good idea for a souvenir to pack in your suitcase, alongside the indisputable local torrone .

Cannoncinois one of Milan's favorite pastries. These little rolls of puff pastry with pastry cream are irresistible. Serge has made a name for himself among the Lombardy capital's many pastry shops with his " gourmet " cannoncini, often cited as one of Milan's best. These are filled on the spot with crème pâtissière, pistachio or sabayon. The patisserie also offers excellent macaroons and, during the festive season, the unmissable panettone. All to eat in or take away.

Since 1967, a triumph of charcuterie, cheeses and mostarde have been on display for the enjoyment of gourmets and gourmands alike. It's an old-fashioned shop that looks like something out of a Cinecittà film, and it's worth visiting just to feel that the past isn't totally gone. Salame and culatello mantovano, as well as the very, very hot fruit mustards, are the must-try specialties to fill your basket with. Giovanni, the owner, will be happy to advise you.

The best pastry shop in Crema, where the inhabitants of the town have been buying Sunday cakes and pastries for years. Its traditional cake, the spongarda, a cake filled with candied fruit and jam, is always appreciated for the quality of its ingredients. A few tables, on the terrace or inside, allow you to take a break for a coffee or a cappuccino, from breakfast to evening. The morning buns are well filled, the fruit tarts are very creamy and the shortbread delicious!

Almost a hundred different cheeses from Italy and elsewhere, not to mention a vast selection of charcuterie in this delicatessen a few steps from the centre. The team knows each cheese or sausage by name and will tell you its story. To bring home good regional products. Good idea: the address also sells bread, so ask for a panino to be made, topped with the shop's delicacies.

Open since 1966, Martesana has five locations in Milan. It stands out for the quality of its pastries (awarded several national and international prizes), without being overpriced. Open all day, you can enjoy breakfast or a snack, indoors or on the terrace. The address is particularly renowned for its panettone, excellent with candied fruit. At Easter, you'll also fall for the colomba with its almond glaze, the Italian Easter dessert par excellence.