Not all products of Milan and Lombardy can be found in restaurants, so to fill in I went, as usual, to Peck, a jewel of a fancy grocery store laid out on four elegant floors with a stunning wine cellar featuring the world's best vintages along with a few modest Lombard reds like the robust, rose-gold Sassella, the somewhat milder Grumello and the light, nut-flavored Inferno. Of the extraordinary cheeses of this dairyland province, the noblest is the tangy, complex Gorgonzola. Milder but seductive examples are taleggio and stracchino and the frothy, freshly piquant mascarpone.

Founded in 1883, this smart food emporium is an institution in Milan’s gastronomy scene and a must for any foodie. Counters groan with freshly made produce, from cold cuts and cheeses to condiments, conserves, pastries and over twenty types of fresh pasta all handmade on site. You’ll also find a deli assortment with a wide range of dishes to go, from vitello tonnato (veal in tuna sauce) to marinated baby artichokes and Italian seafood salad.

Opened in 1883, Peck is a high-end grocery store that caters to the kind of crowd that want the very best without compromise or delay. From the wide array of chocolate to the large selection of wine, this historic landmark has something for everyone. From cured meat packed with flavour to readymade meals using the finest ingredients, each item in this store is chosen with the kind of care and passion that translates into any language.

The café at this foodie paradise near the Duomo features Italian specialty foods such as excellent cheeses, charcuterie, vegetables in olive oil, seafood, and sandwiches. It also reinterprets classic dishes like Russian salad and pâté, which can be washed down with a fine selection of wines by the glass or a bottle from its cellar of global labels.

Before taking the train to Rome, we picked up a spread of antipasti at Peck, a vast and pristine food shop in Milan. In addition to a huge selection of cheeses, fruit, salumi, and bread, Peck sells prepared specialties like meatballs, potato croquettes, and caprese salad.

(Somehow I find the eventuality of you taking home half a lobster garnished with mayonnaise and gelatine worth a few hundreds euros somewhat unlikely). However, if you are, like me, a sucker for food markets and delis displaying the best (and sometimes freakiest) produce, you must pay a visit to Peck. One of Milan’s oldest gastronomia – originally founded by a Czech emigré in the 1883 and taking up multiple floors of an old building near the Duomo – it is a triumph of opulence and displays any food imaginable, from the butcher section which showcases monstrously big Carmagnola Grey rabbits, to the bricks of Milanese patè, to its endless deli section with a cornucopia of offers.

Peck (Via Spadari 9; tel. 02/802-3161) is still the number-one gourmet spot, although competition is keen from the Eataly megastore in Piazza XXV Aprile (www.eataly.it) for all Italian comestibles. The top floor of the La Rinascente department store in Piazza del Duomo is another haven for foodies, with its Obika mozzarella bar and fine selection of packaged Italian goods (as an added bonus, you get a close-up view of the Duomo). Opened in 2015, the Mercato del Duomo (www.ilmercatodelduomo.it; tel. 02/8633-1924) in Piazza del Duomo aims to be a “gourmet cathedral” directly across from the actual cathedral.

Established in 1883 and at the time only offering smoked meats, Milan’s Peck has evolved into an iconic food and wine lover’s paradise with an unrivalled reputation. Italy’s most famous food store, Peck is spread across three levels, and offers everything from oils, vinegars, pasta and cheeses to truffles, seafood, top-notch take-away meals and, downstairs, a wine store like no other. Boasting one of Italy’s most comprehensive retail wine offerings with over 3,000 labels from around the world, the cellar is also a great spot for a drink at the bar — often quieter than you’d expect.

No matter where you live, whenever you think of Italy, food is one of those things you may want to experiment if you come around and share with friends and relatives once home. The time sufficient to meet your need for trying all that Italy can offer might be too long, though, unless you come to Milan and enter Peck, one of the most ancient food halls in town where local produce are presented and served with the same care you would expect in a boutique. Specialties at Peck's include Italian ham, pasta, olives, oil, over 100 cheeses and Piedmont white truffles.

La storica gastronomia di via Spadari ha aperto un bistrot in cui si utilizzano i selezionatissimi prodotti della bottega. Al momento dell'aperitivo potete accompagnare un bicchiere di vino della cantina (circa 3000 etichette a disposizione) o un cocktail come il Gin&VodkaSaladMartini con tartine gourmet - e deliziosamente vintage: uova di quaglia, insalata russa, gambero in salsa rosa - ma anche una selezione di formaggi e affettati. L'aperitivo si fa anche da Peck CityLife, con tavoli all'aperto.

Another historic place for Milan food is Peck – The Italian Temple of Gastronomical Delights, a store that has been around since 1883!. It has a very long history where the ownership of the place changed hands quite a few times – yet it still remained and lasted all this time, with branches opening up in other parts of the world as well. This store offers a mind-boggling selection of cheeses, meat and countless other treasures like chocolates, pralinés, pastries and freshly made gelato.

It’s the same panettone as we know it, but cut horizontally like a giant sandwich and filled with salty ingredients. Peck makes it only on request: you can even personalize the dough with truffles!. (My family sometimes prefers to buy the dough and fill it ourselves at home with salmon and butter, salsa rosa and gamberetti, or gorgonzola cheese and walnuts.) It’s not Christmas without a slice from this institution: the special golden packaging with stars is iconic for every Milanese.

This epic gourmet shop is a must-visit in Milan, but what many don’t realize is that tucked inside, just past the gelées and pralines, is the splendid gelato counter. Whether you’re escaping the queue at Ciacco or simply craving something cool, this is a smart (and delicious) detour. The rotating lineup usually includes a dozen or so refined flavors—think raspberry and lychee, coffee, fiordilatte, and even panettone, available year-round.

Stocked with the finest Italian foods and produce, Peck has a fresh butcher, a delicatessen counter with antipasto and Italian cured meats such as prosciutto, Parma ham, and bresaola, fresh produce, a cheese counter with buffalo mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano, and gorgonzola, handmade pasta filled with foie gras, truffles, and caviar, and dessert, pastry, and gelato department. Peck also has a restaurant and an extensive wine cellar.

In the realm of gourmet food shopping, Peck stands as a culinary landmark in Milan. Nestled close to the Piazza Duomo, this renowned delicatessen is where we can explore an exquisite selection of high-quality local and international goods. From finely aged cheeses to artisan cured meats, Peck invites both locals and visitors to indulge in the finest ingredients that contribute to Milan’s status as a stalwart of Italian gastronomy.

The Milanese reference point for savvy gourmets was one of the first foodie destinations to introduce the Brunch ritual. Featuring a meld of tradition and innovation, the buffet features top-level creations spanning from fresh fish, fruit sushi and fried delicacies to salads, first or main courses. Though, eggs are the true protagonists, which come scrambled with gorgonzola cheese and zucchini or cooked in an omelette.

Peck Italian Bar (Via Cesare Cantu 3; tel: 02 86 93 017; www.peck.it/), owned by the gastronomic emporium that has been tempting residents and visitors with their sumptuous treats since 1883, has a first course, served at lunch, that’s a Milanese twofer: vegetable soup with risotto alla milanese. The Peck take-out foodie haven(Via Spadari 9; tel.: 02.80 23 161) often offers a delicious minestrone alla milanese.

One of the hallmarks of Milanese cuisine, Peck serves traditional Panettone with or without candied fruits and raisins. However, they offer much more than that too, serving diverse varieties with pear and chocolate, orange, pineapple, and ginger. This year, pastry chef Galileo Reposis has formed a new recipe with coffee, white chocolate, and pistachios that will amaze both your eyes and your taste buds.

Historical deli in the heart of Milano, near Duomo square with three levels of luxury food and an entire floor dedicated to top iconic wines from all the world. The wine shop is open every day but you can also enjoy an aperitif there with an amazing wine list by the glass. The wine selection is available all day long – simply pick the bottle from the shelf – served alongside delicious food.

The “Italian Temple of Gastronomical Delights,” Peck is the ultimate in gourmet food shopping in Milan and has been since its opening in 1883. It has a vast selection of cured meat, cheese, bread, as well as prepared specialities including salads, marinated vegetables, croquettes among other goodies. High-end items include truffles, caviar, porcini mushrooms and foie gras.

Peck is located just around the corner from the Duomo and, when it comes to Italian food, this place really has it all. It is a heaven for Italian food fanatics. Within this one locale, you can find just about every type of Italian eatery: a cafe, restaurant, gastronomy, butcher, pastry shop, fruit and vegetable stand, rotisserie, and even a wine cellar.

It's no overstatement to call Peck a temple of gourmet foodstuffs. Hit up this exclusive, high-end grocery if you're looking for a 3,800-euro bottle of vintage Krug champagne, or something a bit more reasonable, like an 8-euro jar of truffle butter. Their custom gift boxes make really, really extravagant souvenirs to take home for lucky loved ones.

Peck is a super high quality establishment, where they pride themselves on sourcing the best ingredients possible. No expense is spared on the produce and the end result is food that will absolutely blow your mind. The best way to enjoy their offering is with a couple of friends at the weekend, picking and sharing lots of small tasting plates.

Milan’s chefs head to renowned wine and food emporium Peck Food Hall daily. Here, check out the seemingly endless displays of meats, cheeses, fresh pasta and fruits that speak to the country’s bountiful agriculture. Downstairs in the wine cellar, navigate the maze-like corridors to find a bottle to go.

If you have responded to the siren call of the delicious food displays in Milan's best-loved delicatessen on Via Spadari, you’ll want to head straight to Peck Italian Bar around the corner, which is part of the deli's ever-expanding empire. Like some of the city's old grand caffès,…

Alongside Piazza Duomo sits Peck, a food establishment featuring a restaurant and deli. In the deli, you’ll find an array of food products but more importantly, you’ll find fresh pasta made in house daily. There’s an array of types and usually they differ depending on the season.

L'insalata è composta da petto di pollo al vapore, dorati crostini di pane ai cereali, pancetta croccante prodotta da Peck, sedano e scarola. La salsa Caesar, che va a condire l'insalata, definisce il tocco della storia gastronomia milanese che usa la sua ricetta segreta.

Peck is preparing to make this Christmas an unforgettable one too, thanks to the wisdom of its pastry chefs and chocolatiers. In addition to panettone and pastries, there are also food and wine compositions with which you can give a very special gift.

And for most international tourists, Italian food is the one and only attraction that drives them to Italy. If you went to visit Milan but missed Italian food, it must be a cause for regret. So you must taste the food of Italian chefs.

From Piazza del Duomo, make a small detour to visit the delightful San Satiro church, featuring a breathtaking trompe l’oeuil from Bramante, and the nearby Peck shop, the temple of high end Italian food and wine.

Peck is also a gourmet and recommended restaurant and bar in the nearby Via C. Cantù. Ingredients and products are all top quality and from selected producers of the best food, purchases can be made online too.

A place of worship for Milanese lovers of gastronomy and true gourmands since 1883, panettone is available every day of the year at Peck’s too. The variant with orange, pineapple and ginger is remarkable.

At Via Spadari 9 you’ll find Milan’s most famous gourmet food and wine shop: Peck is a high end Milan institution, like Milan’s version of Harrods food hall in London, or Citarella in New York.

Buy here exquisite gourmet food: high quality cheeses, cold meats, wines, liqueurs, chocolates etc. Address: Peck, Via Spadari, 9, Milan, Italy