The story
Tucked behind Milan’s Duomo, Cesarino il Mago del Panino has been a historic artisanal sandwich shop since the 70s, now with two locations near Corso Como and the Duomo. Franchino Er Criminale calls it “a fantastic, no-frills sandwich spot… with fresh ingredients, great value”—a fitting description for a place where a constant queue forms for quick, quality bites. The menu’s Numero 23 stands out, but the real draw is the simple, fast formula of quality bread and fresh fillings.
Riccardo Dose, blown away by the quality, rated every sandwich at least a 7/10 and praised creative combos like speck-gorgonzola-truffle and mortadella-pistachio-squacquerone, which he says he’s never seen before. Prices run €6.50–€8.50, with options ranging from the Della Mamma Paola to a Panino alla Nutella—no fuss, just excellent sandwiches.
Synthesised by AI from every creator’s review. First reviewed 2023.
Most-loved dishes
AI summary of what 13 dish mentions say about the food
Reviewers rave about the "Numero 23," a masterfully layered sandwich that delivers a perfect, messy bite. The overall vibe is of a no-frills, passionate temple to Italian street food.
“I got the number 23 — it's a big sandwich with finocchiona, grilled eggplant, and provola cheese. The bread is frozen, but they toast it well so it works. The finocchiona is abundant and good, the ingredients are fresh. For €7.50, it's a great deal, especially behind the Duomo. The place is always packed, I had to wait 10 minutes for my number 76. I give it an 8 minus — for a cold sandwich, that's excellent.”
What creators say
2 creators have covered Cesarino il Mago del Panino. Most active: Franchino Er Criminale, Riccardo Dose
A fantastic, no-frills sandwich spot behind the Duomo, with fresh ingredients, great value, and a constant queue.
Dishes mentioned
Numero 23
I got the number 23 — it's a big sandwich with finocchiona, grilled eggplant, and provola cheese. The bread is frozen, but they toast it well so it works. The finocchiona is abundant and good, the ingredients are fresh. For €7.50, it's a great deal, especially behind the Duomo. The place is always packed, I had to wait 10 minutes for my number 76. I give it an 8 minus — for a cold sandwich, that's excellent.
- Riccardo DoseLoved
PROVIAMO LA PANINOTECA MIGLIORE DI MILANO CHE NESSUNO CONOSCE - MAI MANGIATO DEI PANINI COSÌ GUSTOSI · @ 0:30
Cesarino is a historic artisanal sandwich shop from the 70s in central Milan, with two locations near Corso Como and the Duomo, famous for freshly made sandwiches with quality ingredients at honest prices (€6.50–€8.50), and we were blown away — every single sandwich was at least a 7/10, with creative combinations like speck-gorgonzola-truffle and mortadella-pistachio-squacquerone that we've never seen before.
Dishes mentioned
Spec Alto Adige
This is the number 14, Spec Alto Adige — speck, gorgonzola, rocket and truffle sauce. The truffle smell is incredible, and there's so much truffle sauce inside. The gorgonzola balances the truffle so it's not too overpowering. I don't usually like rocket but in this mix it works perfectly. The ingredients are incredible, perfectly combined. I'd give it an 8.
Mortazza al Pistacchio
This is number 18, Mortazza al Pistacchio — mortadella with pistachio, valeriana and squacquerone cheese. The squacquerone goes perfectly with this sandwich, it's delicious. The products make the difference here. I'd give it a 9, no question. I'm leaving some room hoping there's an even better one.
Della Mamma Paola
This is number 27, Della Mamma Paola — salmon, Philadelphia, tartar sauce and Soncino lettuce. It's even bigger than the others, real salmon. I was worried about the tartar sauce because I usually don't like it, but here it's delicious. As good as the other one, I think. And there's so much salmon inside. It's creamy. I'd give it an 8.5.
Pomodorini Datterini, Mozzarella di Bufala, Scaglie di Grana e Salsa al Basilico
This is number 33 — cherry tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, grana shavings and basil sauce. The basil sauce reminds me a bit of pesto. It's good, but I prefer the others. The interesting thing is you can taste every ingredient — the tomato, the grana, the pesto, everything. I'd give it a 7. It's very good and tasty, all the flavours come together.
Angelina
This is number 24, Angelina — porchetta and caciocavallo cheese. It's really oily and heavy, look at how much stuff is inside. The porchetta is incredible, devastating. Maybe the caciocavallo gets a bit lost because the porchetta is so strong, but I don't care — the sandwich is devastating. I'm completely oily now. I'd give it a 7.5.
