Dinner in MIlan or Parma?
 

In September I will be staying in Milan and taking a day trip to Parma. But I'm not sure whether my wife and I should stay in Parma for dinner or head back to Milan for dinner.

Any guidance? I'm sure both have their choice of fantastic restaurants, but is there a benefit to catching an earlier train back to Milan I may not be aware of? Or it perhaps better to stay later in Parma and take a later train back?

Thanks for any help

I would say... these italian trains... you never know... and head back to Milan.

Last train back:
Parma 22:32 Milano Centrale

Trattoria Tribunale in Parma is great we went for dinner and had Prosciutto with melon and Tortellis washed down with sparkling Malvasia. Cost around 18.00 per head with coffee and torta.

I would be nervous the whole time at dinner if I stayed in Parma, thinking about catching the train on time instead of relaxing and taking my time to enjoy. Counting minutes is not my idea of a nice dinner when I am on vacation. And yes, the trains can be unreliable sometimes.

Our rule is if it's going to get late and there is a way to go, we make sure to get to our destination for the night, then have dinner. You can have lunch or sit at a cafe in Parma. My two cents.

What day of the week will it be? If it is Saturday or Sunday, you could make your major meal a big lunch in Parma, and have a light dinner later at night when you are back in Milan. We ate at Ristorante Angiol D'or last September, on a Saturday. (Actually, it may have been Oct 1)

After wandering around this nifty university town and not finding a place for lunch that offered the "foodie" menu I'd expected, we checked out this place near the duomo. The garden room was nearly empty, except for a well-dressed family of four and ourselves...at nearly 2 PM, but it began to fill up as we enjoyed a three course meal. Our starters (after a light amuse bouche, and some wonderful bread served in brown paper bag-bowls) were grilled eggplant with tomato and buffalo mozzerella with a yummy pesto olive oil sauce, and a unique pistachio flan with a cheese sauce. We drank a delightful rose wine with our meal that was perfect on a warm sunny day. I had a delicious breast of guinea hen with balsamic and raspberry drizzled over it, while my DH had grilled pork chops accompanied by potato flan and fresh vegetables. People around us were enjoying plates of Parma ham and drinking Lambrusco with relish. We split a Duchessa di Parma for dessert (a rich, nutty cake using hazelnuts generously, dusted with powdered sugar and embellished with red berries and dark chocolate.) It was a wonderful meal, exactly what I'd expected from this region famous for its food!

I would have the tasting menu at Parizzi for a fabulous lunch and head back to Milan for a light dinner. It is IMHO, a gastronomic gem.

p://www.ristoranteparizzi.it/