The story
Bar Quadronno, a historic Milanese paninoteca since 1964, inspires sharply divided opinions. Francesco Zini calls it an "authentic, old-school" sandwich bar with a warm vintage atmosphere, hailing the Pazza Idea as a must. But Franchino Er Criminale laments its "high price and small size" and "slightly cold service," despite calling it an "elegant bar with award-winning panini." Giovanni Fois counters that it offers "simple, affordable panini starting at €9," yet found pricier options "disappointing," calling it "a decent spot for a group of friends."
The menu embodies this contrast. Franchino highlights the award-winning Panino Premio con Bresaola, Mousse di Caprino all'Arancia Candita, Cipolle e Pepe Profumata di Vodka Martini, while Fois was unimpressed by the Tartufotto, Salame Piccante, Scamorza, Cipolla, Salsa Barbecue, and Palma d'Oro—the latter which Zini also found "interesting but overpriced." For a 4.2-star bar with a buzzy, neighborhood feel, the experience clearly depends on what you order and how much you're willing to spend.
Synthesised by AI from every creator’s review. First reviewed 2024.
Most-loved dishes
AI summary of what 6 dish mentions say about the food
Reviewers consistently praise Bar Quadronno’s panino con bresaola as a standout, calling it a “premio” for its perfect balance. The overall vibe is warm and unpretentious, with simple, high-quality ingredients that feel like a genuine neighborhood treasure.
“This is the Palma d'Oro, winner of Panino d'Italia 1998. €15. It has red prawns, bottarga, aurora sauce, and wild berries. The bread is thick, I can't pull it out. I didn't like it. In 1998 tastes were different. It doesn't taste bad, but it's not the best thing in the world.”
“We had to get the Palma d'Oro, which was awarded best sandwich in Italy in 1998. It has bresaola, olive paste, bottarga strips, and Aurora sauce. The bresaola is generous and very present in the mouth in terms of chew. I really like the bottarga and olive pairing, but I'm not sure if this is a sandwich I'd eat normally. I understand the ingredients and everything, but I probably wouldn't spend €15 on this sandwich.”
What creators say
3 creators have covered Bar Quadronno. Most active: Franchino Er Criminale, Giovanni Fois, Francesco Zini
An elegant bar with award-winning panini, but the high price and small size, plus a slightly cold service, keep it from being top-tier.
Dishes mentioned
Panino Premio con Bresaola, Mousse di Caprino all'Arancia Candita, Cipolle e Pepe Profumata di Vodka Martini
I ordered one of their award-winning panini — it has bresaola, goat cheese mousse with candied orange, onions, and pepper scented with vodka Martini. The mousse has orange zest, you can smell the vodka Martini nebulized on it. It's very good, but there's too much bresaola and not enough mousse, so it becomes dry. The panino is small, and for €15 I expected a napkin for my hands — they put a tissue inside the bag, but it gets soaked. The service was a bit cold, maybe because I was dressed casually. It's a top player panino, but I can't give it more than an 8 because of the size and the price.
Barco Quadronno is a historic Milanese paninoteca with simple, affordable panini starting at €9, but the expensive ones we tried were disappointing; it's a decent spot for a group of friends.
Dishes mentioned
Tartufotto
This is the Tartufotto, €15. It has wild boar prosciutto, stracciatella, lettuce, truffle oil. The bread looks dry, like bread from a supermarket. It's good but not worth €15. I can't taste the wild boar at all, it's just normal cold cuts because there are too many other things on top. It's too salty. I only taste salt.
Salame Piccante, Scamorza, Cipolla, Salsa Barbecue
This is the salame piccante, scamorza, onion, barbecue sauce. €9. It looks great, it's perfect. The salame is soft, not hard. It's delicious, a bit spicy. This is the best of the evening for me — much better than Porco Brado and even Cazzousanderia. It's just my taste.
Palma d'Oro
This is the Palma d'Oro, winner of Panino d'Italia 1998. €15. It has red prawns, bottarga, aurora sauce, and wild berries. The bread is thick, I can't pull it out. I didn't like it. In 1998 tastes were different. It doesn't taste bad, but it's not the best thing in the world.
Bar Quadronno is an authentic, old-school Milanese sandwich bar from 1964, with a warm vintage atmosphere and creative panini — the Pazza Idea is a must, while the award-winning Palma d'Oro is interesting but overpriced.
Dishes mentioned
Pazza Idea
I went for the Pazza Idea, which is a crazy creation by the barista. Inside there's Praga ham, tomatoes, zucchini, lime, and a herb-flavored mayonnaise. The whole lime slices are amazing — they give the sandwich an infinite freshness together with the zucchini and tomato. I've probably never eaten a sandwich like this before, I love the madness.
Palma d'Oro
We had to get the Palma d'Oro, which was awarded best sandwich in Italy in 1998. It has bresaola, olive paste, bottarga strips, and Aurora sauce. The bresaola is generous and very present in the mouth in terms of chew. I really like the bottarga and olive pairing, but I'm not sure if this is a sandwich I'd eat normally. I understand the ingredients and everything, but I probably wouldn't spend €15 on this sandwich.
