The story
Tucked into Milan’s Città Studi neighborhood, Panificio Exana Fabiano has earned a devoted following—and a 4.5-star rating—thanks to its no-frills, daily-made Italian classics. Local food personality Franchino Er Criminale calls it “my favorite bakery in Milan,” singling out the crostatas as “among the best I’ve ever eaten.” He acknowledges prices run “a bit high compared to Verona,” but insists the quality makes the trade-off worthwhile.
The bakery’s traditional roster includes Focaccia Olio e Rosmarino, a savory Rustico con Verdure, and the fan-shaped Ventaglio. But the crostatas are the clear standouts: one brims with apricot jam, while another features an Austrian-style dough layered with cinnamon, walnuts, and peach jam. For sincere Milanese baking that feels like a neighborhood secret, this is the place.
Synthesised by AI from every creator’s review. First reviewed 2023.
Most-loved dishes
AI summary of what 5 dish mentions say about the food
“This is one of the top three best ventagli we've ever eaten. It's buttery, delicious. You can taste the butter, the quality of the raw ingredients is excellent.”
What creators say
1 creator has covered Panificio Exana Fabiano. Most active: Franchino Er Criminale
This is my favorite bakery in Milan. Everything is made by him daily, the crostatas are among the best I've ever eaten. Prices are a bit high compared to Verona, but the quality is excellent.
Dishes mentioned
Focaccia Olio e Rosmarino
This focaccia is perfect. The dough is good, it's cooked well, seasoned well. The rosemary and that oil, that little oil that wraps around your mouth, give it an amazing kick. This is the real focaccia — perfect for breakfast, mid-morning, lunch. Delicious.
Rustico con Verdure
The puff pastry is good, a bit soft, but a good puff pastry. It's cooked well inside. The filling is made by him with love and compassion. This is good too.
Ventaglio
This is one of the top three best ventagli we've ever eaten. It's buttery, delicious. You can taste the butter, the quality of the raw ingredients is excellent.
Crostata in Teglia alla Marmellata di Albicocche
The shortcrust pastry is soft, not the type I personally prefer — I like it hard, crunchy. But it's good. The jam is good too. People in the comments say 'Franchino, what do you expect, homemade jam?' But there are quality jams and low-quality jams, it's not about being artisanal.
Crostata Impasto Austriaco con Cannella, Noci e Marmellata di Pesca
This is a crostata with an Austrian dough, he makes it both normally and on a stone, I think on refractory stone. In the dough there's cinnamon, walnuts, and various crumbled biscuits. The jam used is peach. Look how beautiful this is! Look inside, you see the walnut pieces, the biscuits, the cinnamon that pushes a lot. The craftsmanship, the love, the passion — it's all in this crostata. Mamma mia.
