Caffé Milano

I moved to Tucson from Italy in 2012. After a few months living here, I started to crave food from home. I tried many Italian restaurants. I never found an authentic enough place. Then I discovered Caffe Milano. I loved it so much that I started to work here and I stayed for years. I’m leaving now because I’m moving to Phoenix to stay closer to my fiancé. But I can say this restaurant is a gem. I’m from Bologna, Italy and the owners are from Torino, Italy. You can breathe Italian culture when you step in. The owners are amazing people that care so much about the food and the wine that you will be tasting. Caffe Milano is local, is family owned, is honest. It doesn’t get better than that. I suggest you to go and try the menu, the traditional foods, but also, explore, try new things. If you don’t fully understand the menu, ask suggestions to the wonderful servers. Chef Fulvia is so passionate and creative, you won’t be disappointed. Caffe Milano is the best restaurant. Go and judge for yourself!

I came back here to see if I could improve upon my first attempt at dining here. I was very impressed with the prompt service and quickness of order during the lunch hour
Pasta is pretty good. Sauce doesn’t integrate well with noodles. Bread is offered to soak it up. I’d enjoy being able to order a plain Alfredo sauce rather than the more complex Alfredo sauce offering. Overall, the establishment does a good job of offering hearty dining with fast lunch time service and meals that satisfy.

The food was good, but the waitress was not terribly attentive. We got our dessert with hair in it. The waitress asked if we wanted another, but we were grossed out by then. The manager never came over to see if he could do anything to make up for the inconvenience. The cook came out of the kitchen to have an argument with the waitress for being accused of the hair. Even though our entrees were tasty, it was not a pleasant experience. We won’t be going back.

My pet peeve is when you walk into a place that has no other customers waiting and you are ignored.
I walked up to the counter about 12:45 and the only employee in sight was one who eventually appeared from the back kitchen but immediately went to the phone, never looking up or to her surroundings. And I eventually surmised she was taking a pick-​up order that must have required intense focus. She was the only designated person it appears to be behind the counter but she was very determined to make sure she didn’t look up to see if there were actual in/​house customers around as well to endanger her of multitasking and acknowledgment. A simple «I’ll be right with you» solves the issue of a customer feeling ignored and wondering if they exist.
There was another female employee appearing who actually made eye contact with me briefly and fussed with the espresso machine behind the counter a bit but then disappeared and had no intention of assisting me. Clearly she wasn’t allowed to butt-​in and take an order to assist an already busy employee. That was Single-​mindness’ territory.
The worst thing you can do is ignore a potential customer. Mind you this was the lunch hour when a customer walking in shouldn’t be a surprise.
I was going to try this place but went to street Taco again instead, which I already appreciate for their respect of the customer. No, they didn’t have fettuccini Alfredo but they did acknowledge me.
Another time… and maybe you’ll look up from the phone next time? Or have another employee step in? I’m really glad you were busy. I couldn’t share the credit in that. Alas, you could have been busier.

We had a 5:30 reservation on a Wednesday evening prior to attending a concert at the «next door» Fox Theater… it doesn’t get any more convenient than that!
The food is delicious, plentiful and authentic Italian in every sense of the word. For an appetizer my wife had the delicious house salad while I enjoyed the Caprese tomato and mozzarella plate. The Caprese dish could easily be shared! It was flavorful and delicious– tasty mozzarella, sweet red peppers, artichokes and tomatoes (ok– the tomatoes were disappointing but we are in the desert, not Jersey)…
Most of the entrees are large and can be easily shared… My wife’s dish, the spaghetti carbonara, was absolutely the best we have ever had. I equally enjoyed the meaty lasagna which was flavorful and slightly spicy. The only downside to the lasagna is it could easily be more cheesy and less dry…
We were too full to try the nice selection of desserts offered but we did have an espresso and café Americano to top off our meal. Nice selection of coffee choices also… All in all, a great restaurant in Tucson that we will make sure we will visit over and over whenever we are in the area…

My pet peeve is when you walk into a place that has no other customers waiting and you are ignored.
I walked up to the counter about 12:45 and the only employee in sight was an employee who eventually appeared from the back kitchen but immediately went to the phone, never looking up or to her surroundings. And I eventually surmised she was taking a pick-​up order that must have required intense focus. She was the only designated person it appears to be behind the counter but she was very determined to make sure she didn’t look up to see if there were actual in/​house customers around as well to endanger her of multitasking and acknowledgment. A simple «I’ll be right with you» solves the issue of a customer feeling ignored and wondering if they exist.
There was another female employee appearing who actually made eye contact with me briefly and fussed with the espresso machine behind the counter a bit but then disappeared and had no intention of assisting me. Clearly she wasn’t allowed to butt-​in and take an order to assist an already busy employee. That was Single-​mindness’ territory.
The worst thing you can do is ignore a potential customer. Mind you this was the lunch hour when an employee walking in shouldn’t be a surprise.
I was going to try this place but went to street Taco again instead, which I already appreciate for their respect of the customer. No, they didn’t have fettuccini Alfredo but they did acknowledge me.
Another time… and maybe you’ll look up from the phone next time? Or have another employee step in? I’m really glad you were busy. I couldn’t share the credit in that. Alas, you could have been busier.

Delicious and Authentic Italian restaurant– the owners are from Italy and it shows in the quality of both the food and the atmosphere.
I’ve been here twice, this most recent time for Mother’s Day. We had the caprese salad which is fresh and light, and for entrees I had the spaghetti pomodoro and my mom had the pasta with sausage and mushrooms in red sauce (the name slips my mine as it’s long– and in Italian). Fresh bread was served and was also very good.
Overall we had great service and delicious food. Can’t wait to go back next time I am in Tucson and craving Italian.

Great food, great service. A friend said sitting on the patio reminded him of sitting at a café in Europe.

I’m about one visit away from giving this place a «5 star.» The atmosphere is warm and inviting, the food is delivered quick (which is great for us lunch folk). There’s a patio out front when it’s nice out. There was some great jazz playing on the speakers on my recent visit– some serious jazz, man. My co-​workers were eating before I had paid for my order at the counter, that’s how fast they deliver. Though I’m off pasta right now, I did have some of the pasta/​soup a few months ago, and it knocked my socks off, and as a lunch special came with an ice tea and was $ 10 for the whole caboodle.
Today’s visit I got the «Greek Salad» and a coffee (hmmmm, so rich, delicious. more on that later) and the salad was amazing down to the last bite. Perfectly huge chunks of salad and cheese and olives and soft, moist bread. I devoured it. My co-​workers had some incredible looking pasta and LARGE quantities. You could probably divide it up, and take the rest home for dinner. All under 8 or 9 dollars.
And the coffee. I noticed a huge list of the various kinds they carry. I’ll be returning soon to sample. I have a feeling this is a place that does coffee very well. I’m quite impressed, great food!

Tuna made perfectly. Seafood over pasta made perfectly. Plan to eat here when downtown. No other restaurant comes close to this gem.

Creative menu, each course stood on its own. Romantic ambiance… family owned. We will return.

Always an awesome experience– little nervous since Carlos sold he business but the new owners have maintained the excellence we have come to expect here. Amazing food, service and ambiance.

Every time I have eaten here, the service and the quality of the food has been phenomenal. I’ve had the gnocchi and the walnut ravioli, as well as the orecchiette ai quattro formaggi and all, from start to finish, have a beautiful flavor, consistency, and mouth-​feel. The servers are perky, funny, knowledgable and incredibly nice, and the food is worth the price. Definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Tucson, and some of the best Italian food I have had in the States.

Melt-​in-​your-​mouth-​five-​star-​goodness!
Magnifico! Bravo!
We ordered the LASAGNE ALLA BOLOGNESE: layers of homemade pasta smothered with meat sauce, bechamel and parmesan cheese. Perfetto! The meat is obviously home-​ground, not any of this cheapo hamburger from the grocery. The flavor, perfect, the texture, perfect, the pasta, sauce, and cheese – all perfect.
We also had the SALMOME AL CARTOCCIO: salmon cooked in parchment paper with garlic, lemon juice, italian parsley, fresh vegetables. Wow! Perfetto! The salmon was not over done and not under done. Flaky but tender and juicy. Soooooo good.
Oh, our anitpasto was the CAPRESE: fresh mozzarella (in water), organic tomatoes, fresh basil, kalamata olives, oregano and extra virgin olive oil. Great invention. Wonder who thought of that? «Hey, let’s put mozzarella on some tomato slices and top it off with basil.» But it works and it works well. Nice and refreshing.
Service was very cheerful. Loved our waitress.
Definitely a five star restaurant. And so reasonably priced, too.

Wow this place was so amazing!!! Such a cute atmosphere too. My food was AMAZING and my boyfriend’s was even better. I will definitely be returning! Also, this place is super vegetarian friendly :)

If I could give this place NO stars I would. We went there this week before the Judy Collins concert at the Fox and it was a TOTAL nightmare. It took us over an hour and 20 minutes to get our food. Yes — it was theater night. Did they not know that? The waitress was beyond curt, never offered to refill our drinks not bring more bread. When my husband asked her for an update after waiting an hour, she snapped his head off and said she wasn’t the cook and was doing the best she could.
It gets worse. After an hour & fifteen minutes, my husband want up to the OWNER, told him how long they had been waiting and he then turned the hostess and said «Have they really been waiting that long?» Yikes! We were not the only unhappy customers and friends who were there before us had to leave for the concert without ever getting served. Translation? No dinner
So how was the food? Two of my friends got the salmon which they said was okay. Their vegetables? Some were hot & some were COLD! I got the chicken Marsala which was fair at best. Unevenly pounded and some pieces of the chicken were tough.
99% of my reviews on Unilocal are positive but trust me when I say this was a debacle & I will be spreading the word and never return. Too many great restaurants in Tucson with great service, great food & people who appreciate your business.

SICK before we finished our entrees! Serious GI distress that didn’t leave us for over 24 hours. Not food poisoning, but indigestion on a bad level.
The only reasons it gets two stars are: the caprese salad was tasty (and I don’t think the cause of the ick) and the ambiance was decent.
I had a special – mussels in white wine with spaghetti noodles. My wife had the spaghetti with meat sauce. Both were equally bad tasting or no tasting even before their hidden powers of sickness were unleashed.
RUN away from this place!!!

This place never gets old. The hours are a pain and obnoxious to get use to. But the dishes made up for it. My usual is the spaghettini with swordfish. Upper delicious:)
We usually sit outside and enjoy the downtown Tucson area.

Wonderful dinner location. Great place for a group or couple. My sister in-​law is from Italy and loves to eat here when in town.

Great food and excellent service. Café Milano was always pretty goo, but under new chef/​ownership it is truly wonderful. Last night, before a Fox Theater show, we had an early dinner. We started with two shared appetisers. the Cozze Alla Diavola was a treat. Plump mussels in a complex tomato based sause. The Insalata Caprese was very good as well.
For the main course we both ordered the Lasagne Alla Bolognese and it was to die for. Hint: a single order would have been more than enough for two serious eaters.
A trusted older restaurant has become great with the new family which has just come over from Italy. We will return soon with friends.

Spaghettini Pomodoro e Basilico. Simple, and still my favorite meal from childhood. When I am at work and craving pasta & sauce at lunchtime (or macaroni & gravy, as I grew up calling it), I head over to Caffe Milano. My last visit, I let myself indulge in a luscious Bolognese house-​made lasagne — delish!
Ownership of the Downtown caffe has recently changed hands, but the menu has remained the same. They do offer daily specials, though, and I suspect they may differ a little from the previous proprietor.
Milano has a walk-​up and order counter, at which you will be given a number to identify your table. This makes wait time significantly less if you work Downtown and want to have ample time to enjoy your lunch (without having to rush back). It is a charming little place, and you will most likely overhear some of the staff speaking in Italian whilst dining.
I have only visited the caffe during lunch hours, with pasta as my mainstay. They offer breakfast and dinner, as well, and I hope to make it back soon to try out some of those menu items. One of the staff has tempted me with an antipasti plate, so I don’t think it will be that long!
Make sure to check out the pastry/​dessert case and the house peach iced tea!

Had a great lunch today at Caffe Milano! My son had an event downtown, and we stumbled upon Caffe Milano by accident. I had never been to Caffe Milano, and I was pleasantly surprised upon entering the café that in addition to the décor– with attractive posters from Milan, Italy, I could actually hear Italian being spoken at the cash register. It seemed some Europeans had sought out the café’ for just this reason. Although a bit tucked away, on a somewhat obscure corner of Congress Street, the restaurant is colorful, very authentic Italian, and reminds me of a small Café that would be right at home in either Europe or New York.
The food is equally as good as the ambiance, and I noticed they serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The lunch menu seems to cater to mostly a business crowd, and my son and I both enjoyed very delightful Panini sandwiches. Their lunch menu also offers various (amazingly delicious sounding) pasta dishes, soups, salads, and Bruschetta, as well as various side dishes and desserts. My son had the Galleria ($ 6.75) which is a very good sized sandwich with Prosciutto, brie cheese, olive spread, lettuce, & mayo. I had the Prada, ($ 7.25), which was Tuscan bread with smoked salmon, goat cheese, and spinach. The panini sandwiches come with a side. I had the Milano salad and my son had the pasta salad. Everything was delicious, and best of all– we finished off our lunch with a fabulous slice of their homemade apple cake and an illy espresso.
The prices are fair, the service is friendly and efficient, and best of all– the food is extrordainarly good. Just like Trip Advisor does, I also highly recommend Caffe Milano. I will for sure be back when I’m in the area again!

Unilocal has done it yet again! I decided to check out Caffe Milano after reading all of its great reviews, and it definitely didn’t disappoint.
I had the pasta salad of the day, which was farfalle with pesto served with a mixed baby greens salad and Italian bread. I’m fairly picky about pasta salad, and was initially weary of it being served atop salad, but it was wonderful. The pasta was cooked to al dente perfection and the pesto was fresh and tasty without overwhelming everything else. I could have done without the shaved carrots and peas served in the dish, but those were easy enough to avoid so it was fine. The bread was also superb, though I should preface this statement with a declaration of my love for all things bread-​related.
My friend had a pasta dish that was penne in a creamy red sauce with spinach and mushrooms, which was also great. She said she particularly liked that it had a tiny bit of spice to it, but it wasn’t too spicy for her to keep eating.
I also had the house iced tea which I would recommend to anyone who has ever in their life thought they might want an iced tea. Though I didn’t get coffee this time around, I do appreciate that they serve illy coffee.
I would probably have given this place a 4.5 if it was an option. The service was quick and the staff friendly, but we waited in line to order for quite a while, and there were only a few people ahead of us.

One of my favorite restaurants in Tucson, Because Caffe Milano, I don’t need to step foot in Tavalino (for the price you pay here they should offered better coffee) nor Vivace.
Big statement? You bet! best restaurant coffee, Tarimisu and best panna cotta and most authentic Italian food you can get in this town. This place was introduced by a good friend of my
who used to stationed in Italy for 5years and this guy know his Italian food… Myself had eaten quite a few places in New York and little Italy in Windsor, Canada. Not to claim I know Italian food very well but I always happy and satisfied when I leave Caffe Milano if you know what I mean.
Little short introduction about this place… Carlos the husband is the front man and his wife is the chef, everything are homemade (yeah I know, heard that before). There are few times of the year they will just closed the restaurant and go back to Italy for a month. So always a good idea phone ahead not just see if they are open but get a reservation since they filled up the little dinning room rather quickly.
P.S Don’t you mention Zona78… no… no… no!