It’s essential to know where the nearby grocery stores are in your neighborhood. Milan Italy has a large number of grocery stores, both large chains and small independent ones. For Expats and tourists visiting the city, it’s always worth knowing where the nearby stores are so that you can do your groceries or pick up snacks, cold drinks or household items as and when the need arises.
As a visitor or an Expat living in Milan, one thing that you’ll quickly notice is that the city is a real melting pot of world cultures and cuisines. As a result, you have a great choice of both Italian and international grocery stores. So, even if you’re missing the food from your home country or simply like to try out new international dishes, you’ll be absolutely spoiled for choice!
The Best Grocery Stores In Milan.
The following are some of the best grocery stores in Milan:
Carrefour.
Carrefour is a large chain that has hypermarkets, supermarkets, minimarkets and express stores. Milan has numerous Carrefour stores where you can buy all your groceries including fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, condiments, snacks, chocolate, cold soft drinks, beer, wine and spirits. There’s a huge selection of frozen food as well which can often work out to be much cheaper than buying the unfrozen alternatives.
Carrefour has frequent discounts on selected lines which makes the store great if you’re shopping on a tight budget. On top of your groceries, you can buy cosmetics, household cleaning products, toiletries, and in the larger stores you can often find cut-price electronics and household appliances.
Mix Markt Milano.
This specialty Eastern European grocery store has a fantastic selection of items from nations including Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine and more! The store is hugely popular with Eastern European Expats who are missing their home cooking but it’s also a good place to find top quality pickles, meats and other unique specialities that you’d be unlikely to find elsewhere in Milan.
In the Mix Markt Milano, you can find everything from cheeses, cold meats, fish, pickles, jams, pastries and sweets, all at competitive prices. You can also get your basic essentials such as milk and bread in the store. The store sells Eastern European alcoholic beverages and soft drinks too, if you need to quench your thirst.
As well as providing top quality groceries, the Mix Markt Milano makes lovely gift boxes that each have a nationality theme. For instance, you can buy a box of selected food and drinks that are from Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria or Romania; an ideal gift for a friend or family member.
Conad.
Conad is one of the biggest supermarket chains in Italy and provides its customers with high quality products at very reasonable prices. Conad has over 20 stores in Milan. Conad has large supermarkets and smaller, inner-city minimarkets scattered throughout Milan, so no matter where you are living you won’t be too far away from your nearest store.
You can get all your groceries in one place at your local Conad store. Each store has a great selection of fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, cheese, snacks, chocolates, soft drinks, beer, wine and spirits. You’ll always find numerous bargains in the store so if you’re doing your main weekly shopping at Conad’s you can often save quite a lot of money on the bill.
International Grocery.
This neighborhood grocery store is located just a stone’s throw from Milano Centrale train station and has an excellent choice of fruit and vegetables, cold drinks, snacks and household items. One of the store’s main features is that it is one of the few locations in Milan where you can buy fresh Halal meat at a low price. This makes the store popular among the Muslim residents of the city although even non-Muslims often say that they prefer the taste of Halal meat.
The International Grocery also sells a wide range of food from countries such as Bangladesh and Asia so it’s a great place to visit to find unusual spices, freshly cut herbs, such as coriander, and a massive variety of imported, packaged food.
New Continental Market.
If you’re looking for a grocery store that sells food from every continent on the planet, then look no further! The New Continental Market sells a wide range of food from Asia, Africa, South America and Europe. You can buy fresh fruit, vegetables, imported packaged foods, sauces, spices, herbs, soft drinks and an interesting array of alcoholic beverages.
New Continental Market also has a huge selection of frozen food so even though many items have been imported from all corners of the earth it maintains its freshness. As well as food and beverages, the store sells cosmetics, toiletries and other essential items.
This international grocery store is frequented by Expats who are living in Milan but it also has a loyal local following. The counter staff are extremely friendly which means if you’re a little unsure what you need for a particular recipe, or where to find something in the shop, then don’t hesitate to ask and they’ll be happy to help.
Esselunga.
Esselunga is an Italian chain that provides its customers with a fantastic range of groceries and is ideal for both weekly shopping and bulk buying. Esselunga has more than a dozen locations in Milan and provides top quality in-store service. Alternatively, you can order online and have your groceries delivered to your front door.
There’s a lovely selection of items in Esselunga including fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, cheese, snacks, sandwiches, chocolates, cold soft drinks, beer, wine and spirits. You can also buy all your household items, cleaning products, cosmetics and toiletries. If you haven’t got time to cook yourself some food in the evening you can buy pre-cooked meals, such as lasagna, to eat immediately or take away to have later.
U2 Supermarket.
This upmarket Italian chain sells top quality products at prices that are a little higher than some of their discount competitors. Even so, the quality of fresh food and the other items on offer in U2 Market is genuinely worth the extra cost. There’s a superb range of fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, cheese, bread, snacks, chocolate and more. The chain also sells cosmetics, toiletries, household cleaning products, soft drinks, beer, wine and spirits.
If you want to save a little money while shopping in the store you can buy the U2 Supermarket branded products which are usually significantly cheaper than the other alternatives. Most of the stores have free on-site parking for their customers and even a pet area where you can tie up your dog while you’re doing your shopping!
Kai Foodstore.
Kai Foodstore is an Oriental grocery store that is located near the Milano Centrale train station, and despite its small size, it stocks a vast range of items from all over Asia. At first glance, it might be a bit confusing because the store has so many huge piles of fresh fruit, vegetables, imported packaged food, and much more besides; however, if you just ask the counter assistant they’ll be happy to point you in the right direction!
Although Kai Foodstore sells items from all over Asia its main specialty is Chinese and Japanese food. This means you can find an astounding selection of noodles, authentic sauces, condiments, herbs and spices. There is also a refrigerated section where you can find some real specialties such as Takoyaki and Gyoza. In one section of the store, you can browse authentic teapots, chopsticks and other Oriental cooking utensils.
Lidl.
Lidl is a large European chain that has around 20 stores throughout Milan. This discount supermarket is a good place to buy low cost fresh fruit and vegetables as well as basic staples such as rice, pasta, dairy, bread, condiments and honey. You can also buy cheap household cleaning items, cosmetics, toiletries and in the bigger stores you’ll find electrical appliances, garden seeds and tools.
Although Lidl is a no-frills brand and has a utilitarian feel, the quality of the produce is always very high and so it attracts a large customer base who are looking to save money without sacrificing quality.
Kalinka Russian Grocery Store.
This gourmet Russian grocery store stocks everything that you might find in a genuine supermarket in Moscow and consequently attracts Russian Expats from all over the city! Kalinka Russian Grocery Store stocks a wide range of fruit, vegetables, seafood, soft drinks, beer, Russian spirits and a selection of frozen foods.
Of course, no Russian grocery store would be complete without authentic Salmon and Sturgeon Caviar and this store won’t let you down! You can also find imported canned goods, beer snacks, confectionery, meat products, dairy and sweets. The in-store staff are always welcoming and can help you locate anything you’re looking for.
Milan Has A Great Selection Of Grocery Stores.
Milan is a truly cosmopolitan city and this is certainly reflected in the wide range of supermarkets and grocery stores in the city. As an Expat living in Milan, you’ll always be able to find a grocery store that sells food from your home country. However, if you’re just looking for an all-in-one supermarket there’s plenty of choice, including all the major Italian retail chains.
