Pasticceria Cova
Milan
In operation for 200 years, the Quadrilatero's most historic bar was bought by LVMH and got a subsequent subtle nip-and-tuck eschewing any showy…
Apollo Club
Milan
Milan’s creative crowd loves to hang at this multifunctional space incorporating a handsome vintage-style bar with club chairs and chesterfields; a 30…
Nottingham Forest
Milan
If Michelin awarded stars for bars, Nottingham Forest would have one. This eclectically decorated Asian/African tiki bar is the outpost of molecular…
oTTo
Porta Garibaldi & Isola
How to define oTTo? It’s where you go to feel at home when you don’t want to be at home (or in your hotel). Come here for breakfast; hang out with the…
Pasticceria Marchesi
Corso Magenta & Sant'Ambrogio
If you’re looking for an elegant coffee accompanied by a delicate array of biscuits and pastries, this is the place for you, although you may have to…
Baladin Milano
Milan
At the end of super-chic Via Solferino you’ll find this lovely gastropub where Piedmontese brewer Teo Musso serves his line of Baladin craft beers…
Vinoir
Milan
This small, spare bar at the quieter end of the Navigli Grande harbours a generous and unusual selection of natural and biodynamic wines. Servers are…
Cantine Isola
Porta Garibaldi & Isola
Only octogenarians make use of the table at the back – everyone else hovers near the beautiful old bar, balancing plates of bruschetta and holding glasses…
Bamboo Bar
Milan
In a city full of designer drinking dens, the Bamboo Bar literally raises the bar with its double-height windows offering up incredible city views. Expert…
Mag Cafè
Milan
Don’t get distracted by the cosy eclectic decor, complete with wingback armchairs, marble-topped tables, a patchwork of Persian rugs and huge lampshades…
BASE
Milan
In the former Ansaldo factory complex you’ll find a cultural centre brimming with workshops, markets, film nights and open-air parties (especially over…
Backdoor43
Milan
One of Milan’s best secrets: a hidden space the size of a walk-in wardrobe that can be rented out as your private bar for 90-minute intervals. With just…
Pasticceria Marchesi
Duomo & San Babila
After acquiring an 80% stake in the historic Marchesi pastry shop, Prada opened a more modern cafe version of it in the Galleria. Decked out in green…
Ricerca Vini
Corso Magenta & Sant'Ambrogio
Sure, it’s a wine shop, but it’s a bar and a rather good restaurant, too. What better place to sample your options before committing to carry home one of…
Camparino in Galleria
Duomo & San Babila
With a history dating back to the inauguration of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II arcade in 1867, this art nouveau bar has served drinks to the likes of…
Straf Bar
Duomo & San Babila
A busy nightly aperitivo scene kicks on until pumpkin hour at the Straf's super-sexy hotel bar. The decor is along the now-familiar mod-exotic lines: wood…
Fonderie Milanesi
Milan
Hard-to-find Fonderie Milanesi, a former metal foundry, is tucked down the bottom of an industrial yard off Via Giovenale. Locals love it for its stripped…
The Spirit
Milan
From the metal-studded door with its mysterious porthole to the sleek, sweeping wooden bar and canary-yellow bar stools, The Spirit is a serious and…
Ceresio 7
Porta Garibaldi & Isola
Heady views match the heady price of aperitivi (pre-dinner drinks) at Milan's swanky rooftop bar, sitting atop the former 1930s Enel (electricity company)…
Pasticceria Marchesi
Milan
Decked out in baby pink, gold and peppermint green, Marchesi’s Quad cafe is as easy on the eye as its pastries are on the taste buds. Inside you’ll find a…
Octavius Bar
Porta Garibaldi & Isola
Despite its unpromising exterior in an intimidating, glassy skyscraper on Piazza Gae Aulenti, the Octavius surprises with its warm, glossy wooden interior…
Club Plastic
Milan
This is Milan’s most historic club – its original location was frequented by the likes of Andy Warhol and Keith Haring (you can still see the door Haring…
Bar Rita
Milan
This sleek American-style co*cktail bar serves seriously creative co*cktails and classics with a twist. Try the signature 'old-style' negroni with gin,…
Armani Privé
Milan
In the basem*nt of the Armani superstore, this club has a Japanese–modernist aesthetic, the calm of which you’ll need after the hysteria of getting in and…
HClub Diana
Milan
Secreted behind a vast leather curtain at the back of the Sheraton, aperitivo at HClub Diana is one of Milan's most varied. Grab a freshly crushed peach…
Botanical Club
Porta Garibaldi & Isola
This bar-bistro is Italy’s first foray into microdistillery and a favoured haunt for gin-and-tonic lovers. The inventive co*cktails include unusual…
Cafezal
Milan
There’s a new micro-roastery cafe on the block and it’s bringing third-wave coffee culture to Milan in a big way. Forget your classic Italian espresso …
1930
Milan
Jazz, cigars and elaborate co*cktails are all part of the allure of this exclusive speakeasy with a secret location. Behind a fake shopfront of waving cats…
Lacerba
Milan
A homage to Futurism, Milan’s most infamous art movement, Lacerba has dishes from Futurist Marinetti’s kooky culinary manifesto (death to pasta!), as well…
Officine Riunite Milanesi
Milan
Littered with old cars, motorcycles and vintage signs, Officine is a huge, dimly lit retro workshop-cum-bar unlike anything else in the city. Fancy…
Bar Picchio
Milan
It’s an old-man bar with oodles of charm: think ’70s interior, vintage prints and a whole lot of laminate. During the day, you'd never believe this is one…
Ugo
Milan
Hipster home Ugo has a retro vibe that will appeal to latter-day Gatsbys who find themselves in need of a rum or whisky-based co*cktail such as Whip &…
Le Biciclette
Milan
Bicycles are the theme of this cosy art bar and bistro, and they hang stylishly from the walls alongside works by emerging artists. Still popular with…
Frida
Porta Garibaldi & Isola
The jumble of tables in the heated courtyard and the comfy couches inside make it easy to bond over beer or regional wine with an arty crowd. The…
Radetzky Cafe
Milan
Fabulous banquette and window seating make Radetzky one of the most popular aperitivo places on this stylish, pedestrianised strip. In keeping with the…
Dry
Milan
The brainchild of Michelin-starred chef Andrea Berton, Dry brings together everyone’s favourites: co*cktails and gourmet pizza. The inventive co*cktail list…
Tempio del Futuro Perduto
Porta Garibaldi & Isola
With its ominous-sounding name (literally ‘Temple of the Lost Future’) and abandoned industrial locale, you can’t help but imagine this will be the place…
Botanical Club
Milan
Milan’s second Botanical Club takes its airy contemporary cue from the Chipperfield-designed MUDEC museum opposite. Its fern- and palm-filled interior,…
Bere Buona Birra
Milan
Milan’s co*cktail craze may be taking the town by storm, but Filippo Garavaglia’s neighbourhood beer shop-cum-brewery pulls in punters with a well-priced…
N'Ombra de Vin
Milan
Set in the atmospheric surrounds of a one-time Augustine refectory, this enoteca (wine bar) gets packed with an older upmarket kind of crowd, especially…
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