Sea-to-Table Since 1933

The story of the Premiata Pescheria Spadari begins in 1933, when Alfonso and Franco Campiglio, together with Giovanni Battista Bolchini — later joined by Gaudenzio Maffezzoli — set out to bring fresh fish into the heart of Milan, founding the fishmonger's on the street that bears its name, Via Spadari, just steps from the Duomo.

From the very beginning, Spadari stood out for the quality of its catch, its care for the customer and an innovative vision of the fishmonger's trade. Historical accounts recall that Bolchini helped give the profession a new image, arriving elegantly dressed at the fish market.

Through the Second World War the shop kept trading without interruption until the end of the conflict, becoming a landmark for the city and winning the affection of the Milanese thanks to the deep sense of duty of its founders. In those years, alongside fish, the shop also sold game and other foodstuffs. It was even mentioned by Cochi e Renato in the famous song «A me mi piace il mare», which recalls that «there's still fish now in Via Spadari» — a sign of how deeply rooted it already was in the Milanese imagination.

After more than eighty years in business, in 2017 the Premiata Pescheria Spadari was recognised as a Historic Shop (Bottega Storica) by the City of Milan, for its contribution to the commercial and gastronomic identity of the city.

Over time the business has evolved: from the historic fishmonger's a bistrot dedicated to the sea was born, where the catch is turned into freshly made dishes, keeping the freshness of the raw ingredient and the traditions of the house at its heart.

In 2021, after 88 years at its original home on Via Spadari, the business moved to Via Santa Maria Valle, staying within Milan's historic centre and preserving the values that shaped its success: quality, expertise and a passion for the sea.

Despite the pressure of unchecked consumerism and the growing depersonalisation of relationships, Pescheria Spadari still strives today, with tenacity and remarkable resilience, to remain authentic and honest. Moving just a few steps from Via Spadari to Via Santa Maria Valle, it has continued to bring the sea into the heart of the city, working with small and very small producers who share the same values.

Like Il Sale Nostro, a wonderfully fragrant, exceptional salt made with love by Emma Musajo; or Il Chicco del Mulino, a farmstead along the Naviglio Pavese whose origins date back to the 17th century, tended by the Noè family, who safeguard and pass on a piece of the history of southern Lombardy. A story made of the same care and devotion as the famous mondine (rice weeders) who, between April and May, sowed, transplanted and weeded the young rice plants, tending the land with patience, hard work and respect.

To come to Pescheria Spadari means being welcomed with a smile, a sincere word and an embrace. It means reassuring one another that perhaps not all is lost, and that even in the heart of an unstoppable metropolis like Milan there still lives a warm humanity, made of authentic relationships, trust and sharing.

Spadari is not simply a fishmonger's. It is a piece of Milan's history that for more than ninety years has brought the sea into the city, combining family tradition, careful selection of ingredients, respect for producers and attention to people. And, like the perpetual motion of the sea's waves, the Spadari movement carries on.