Enrico Bartolini

Chef Enrico Bartolini collects Michelin stars the way some people collect stamps: he's the most starred chef in Italy, with a galaxy of restaurants and the rare distinction of once being awarded four stars in a single year. This is the flagship, on the third floor of MUDEC, Milan's Museum of Cultures, and the only three-star in the city — a pared-back room of concrete and glass that keeps all the drama on the plate. His watchword is "intensity and fullness of flavour," contemporary Italian cooking with deep roots, run day to day with resident chef Davide Boglioli. The dish to know is the beetroot risotto with gorgonzola, an earthy, funky modern classic that lands on nearly every table. Proof that Milan does substance as well as style.