I had heard and read rumblings about Pasticceria Sissi, the most famous pastry shop in the entire Zona Tricolore. Started by owner Sissi and her Senegalese husband, Zig, Pasticceria Sissi has been around since 1990 and has been deemed by some Milanese people as the best brioche in all of Milan. Now, that’s quite a statement. Brioche’s come in different forms and everyone has their own opinion on what makes the perfect brioche. For me? The perfect brioche is warm, fresh out of the oven, doesn’t have too much filling and is flaky enough on the outside, yet doughy enough on the inside. But – that’s just my opinion.
Location: Piazza Risorgimento, Zona Risorgimento
Hours: 6:30AM – 8PM
Why Go Here: The famous brioches filled on the spot and the Caffè Senegalese
From the outside, Pasticceria Sissi seems small, but when we step inside we realize how narrow yet long the pastry shop is. Not only is it intimate, but it is packed. So much so that it’s hard to make out the décor in the place. We are elbow to elbow with people around us. I’m able to make out pink walls, wood tables, and vintage posters on the wall, but that’s about it. That’s what we get for showing up at 9AM on a Saturday – try and avoid the weekends!
We elbow our way to the pastry counter and order their famous brioche. What makes their brioche so famous is they make them every couple of hours to keep them fresh so they never get stale, only use artisanal ingredients, and most importantly – add filling on the spot. You are able to choose between chocolate and cream. They cut open your brioche, whip out their pastry bag and fill it to your hearts desire – and they don’t skimp out either.
We then squirm our way over to the “bar” or coffee counter. We were on a tight schedule so decided to stand to make it quicker and avoid paying the extra sit down fee that is charged in Italy. We ordered 2 cappuccinos and 2 freshly squeezed juices. While waiting on our cappuccinos, I noticed there was a beautiful outdoor courtyard in the back with space heaters in the winter. There’s only a handful of tables outside, but a nice respite from the otherwise mobbed atmosphere inside.
I have to say, the brioche was interesting. It personally is not my favorite brioche in Milan, but it is one of a kind and a must try. The fresh filling was amazing, but I found the brioche itself to be a bit cold for my tastes. The brioche felt like more of an after thought, while the filling was the main star. I can’t say it wasn’t good, because it was, it just wasn’t my type of brioche. That said, it was super filling, I wasn’t even able to finish it! The cappuccino, on the other hand, was insanely amazing and so was the fresh squeezed orange juice (a must with any cappuccino in Italy).
For those who want to try something new, the Caffè Senegalese is a go to at Pasticceria Sissi. In the summer it’s espresso mixed with chocolate ice cream and in the winter it’s espresso mixed with hot chocolate with a dollop of whipped cream on top. It’s one of Zig’s most renowned additions to Pasticceria Sissi. I honestly would’ve tried it, but that and the filling brioche was a bit heavy to do together! I would go with one or the other.
Overall, I would rate my experience at Pasticceria Sissi an 8/10. I honestly think that going on a weekend was a mistake because the amount of people made breakfast overwhelming. Patrick and I felt like we were scarfing down our meal trying to hurry because there were so many people around us and on top of us. It was giving us anxiety. It wasn’t exactly a relaxing breakfast experience. In fact, I overheard an Italian say, “This is crazy. This is more crowded than New York’s Fifth Avenue.” And I promise you, it was. Had we perhaps come back on a weekday, I feel my review would be different. I’ll have to give another go…at a quieter time!
