Milano Linate Airport

Linate may be compact, but its food scene punches well above its weight for a city airport. The post-security departures area houses a handful of solid options that genuinely reflect Milan's culinary identity rather than defaulting to anonymous airport fodder. Longtime travellers will tell you to make straight for the Roadhouse Grill if you want a proper sit-down meal, but the real hidden gem is the Signorvino wine bar, where you can pair a Franciacorta prosecco with a generous charcuterie board before your flight.

For something quicker and unmistakably Milanese, the grab-and-go counters near the main departure gates stock excellent panini stuffed with bresaola and rucola, tramezzini triangles layered with tuna and olive, and the occasional slice of focaccia that would hold its own in any city bakery. Bar Bistrot is the favourite among business travellers who know Linate well — espresso pulled correctly, a warm brioche on the side, and staff who move with the efficient rhythm of a good Milanese café.

Sweet tooths are well catered for too. The Lagardère travel retail outlets carry Vergani colomba and panettone depending on the season, and you can usually find decent gelato in the warmer months from the Aroma café counter near gate six. Prices are, predictably, a notch above street level, but by international airport standards the quality-to-cost ratio is genuinely respectable. If you have a forty-minute wait, it is worth sitting down properly rather than rushing — Linate rewards the unhurried passenger.