Bars & cafes – All our local tips

It’s not easy to give a strict definition to this place… it’s actually at the same time a trendy cafe, an art library, a fashion shop.

It’s located right in the middle of one of the most trendy areas of Milano, just a few hundred meters from the Garibaldi train and metro station. When you enter the main door you’re in a typical Milanese courtyard with a lot of plants where there are the tables of the cafe. Right in front of you there is the proper cafe (on the right) and the fashion shop (on the left). I never entered the shop and the cafe is good but quite expensive.

The most interesting part is on the left: there are stairs that lead to the upper floor. There you find a very good library specialized in books about design, art, architecture, photography, fashion that really worth a visit! There are also a free art gallery called Galleria Sozzani that hosts exhibitions (often about photography) where you can enter for free. They had The World Press Photo 2009 a few months ago and now there is an exhibition about Floris Neususs (till August 2nd).

If you go there, don’t miss out on the architecture of the courtyard: a very typical one of our city.

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10 Corso Como | Art & culture, Bars | Cocktails € 10.00
Corso Como 10 | Brera/Porta Nuova | +3902654831
Cafe: Mon 18:00 – 00:00, Tue – Sun 11:00 – 00:00

In the area between the red metro stop Wagner and the red metro stop De Angeli you can find many good pizzerias, the odd Chinese or Japanese restaurant. But not a great quanitity of bars. Whilst the more sophisticated crowd may head to Smooth (Via Buonarotti), the younger crowd usually head to via Ravizza and more than often Akkademia Bar.

With outside seating, it’s busy all seasons and on tap you can find the good quality beer such as Czech Pilsener Urquell, London Pride and Guiness. It’s décor is a little interesting, I think it’s an attempt at an English style club without the grunginess! The cocktails are fresh and tasty. The crowd is younger than surrounding areas, usually in the range of 18-30.

It’s a perfect place for a pre or post dinner drink in this popular restaurant district in Milan. It’s also close to the just re-done Teatro Nazionale nearby in Piazza Piemonte which is currently showing Beauty and the Beast.

If you are a bit hungry you can find a late night snack of french fries or popcorn. Yes, that’s right, popcorn isn’t only reserved for movie cinemas! Open till 02:00, it’s at it’s busiest during the Happy Hour (18:00 – 22:00) or after 23.00.

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Akkademia Bar | Bars, Snacks | Cocktail € 7.00
Via Ravizza 1 | Fiera | +39243981132
18:00 – 02:00 daily

This bar with DJ’s is one of my favourite places in town; full of energy, hosting different dj’s every night. It is a very tiny spot, crowded and with loud music, often referred to as a hole in the wall style bar. Definitely not a place for a good chat!

I love the kitch decoration and the atmosphere, very informal (no door selection, no dress code, no charge for entrance). You can have fun and even dance for a while. The music is usually electro/trash, but it can depend on the DJ. The crowd is usually young, alternative and up for it.

The only inconvenience is that they close at 02:00, a bit too early considering that after ten minutes you will forget it is a bar and not a club! If you want to go for a beer (or two), consider that the place starts to kick off at 23:00 and during the week it can be a little quiet. Check out the website for what’s on.

Only one down side, if you are fussy about your toilets, this is not your place!

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Atomic Bar | Bars, Music | Beer € 6.00
Via Felice Casati 24 | Centrale/Greco
21:30 – 02:00 daily

You came to the country of wine but you prefer a good beer when you hang out with your friend? This is the right place for you!

The owner, Antonio, is a real beer lover and even has a diploma as “master brewer”! In the list there is one of the best selections of Belgian beer you can find in Milano and, if that’s not enough for you, ask to have a look in the fridge behind the bar. There there are some “special” beers, usually in 75cl bottles, that change from time to time. If you don’t know what to choose ask Antonio or Davide (the other guy behind the bar) for a suggestion.

Beside your drink you can also have something to eat… if you’re hungry I would suggest a “tagliata” (sliced grilled meat): it’s a bit expensive, but usually very good!

The audience is mostly composed by students: actually there are two universities (Università degli Studi and Politecnico) just a few hundreds meters away. The place is very “woodish” and warm and it remembers an old Belgian or French pub. The music is usually soft so you chat with your friends without any problem.

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Au Vieux Strasbourg | Bars | Beer € 5.00
Via Strambio 32 | Porta Vittoria | +390270630062
10:00 – 02:00 daily

In a city famous for happy hour bar-hopping and fabulous cocktails, this bar is a veteran: it’s been serving lunch, dinner and drinks since 1907. And as fashions came and went, the stylish interior decor hasn’t changed, making for a cool yet cozy retreat.

People from Milano love to come here just as they get out of the office to get their 6 pm beer, while on their way to dinner or more cocktails or whatever. At the same time, the very convenient location helps a lot of stranded tourists find it and mingle, making for a diverse crowd.

Personal tips: go for a Mojito (a friend called it one of the best she ever had, and she had the real thing in Cuba!) or a Negroni Sbagliato (a Milano favorite: Martini, Campari and spumante).

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Bar Magenta | Bars | Cocktail € 5.00
Via Giosuè Carducci 13 | Centro | +39028053808
Tue 17:00 – 03:00, Wed – Sun 08:00 – 03:00

Italy may be renown more for its wine than its beer, but a number of breweries all around the country have been making very nice brews for more than a century. In the last decade, a few small brewers have been upping the ante by turning out small productions of very high quality beer, meant to be consumed locally.

Birrificio Lambrate is one of those; in business since 1996, today their brewery (located in a beautifully traditional part of the city) turns out 1000 litres a day. They also run a typical pub where you can try any of their beers (and cocktails too, if you have friends who can’t stand beer): you should try the classical Montestella, an atypical pilsner, as well as Lambrate, a 7.0% double-malt amber.

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Birrificio Lambrate | Bars | Pint € 4.20
Via Adelchi 5 | Porta Vittoria | +390270638678
Mon – Fri 12:00 – 15:00 & 18:00 – 02:00, Sat 18:00 – 02:00

If you have read my article on the “Au vieux Strasbourg” (see this article), this is a quite similar place… in fact the owner is the same guy, Antonio!

They have a very good selection of beers, mostly Belgians, as you can imagine from the name! It’s a quiet place never crowded with a very mixed audience. The style of the room closely remember a French café, with wooden furniture and an art nouveau atmosphere.

If you go there in a hot summer evening order a glass of Blanche de Bruxelles. It’s nearly impossible to find it in Milano, and there they have it draught… and it’s the most refreshing beer I have ever tasted!  Beside the list you receive when you sit at a table, they have also a few “special” beers usually in 75cl bottles. Since they change from time to time you have to ask what they have when you’re there.

If you want a good advice, don’t hesitate to ask to the bartenders!

Since now it’s summer don’t miss a glass of Blanche de Bruxelles… the most refreshing beer I’ve ever had!

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Brasserie de Bruxelles | Bars | Beer € 5.00
Viale Abruzzi 33 | Porta Vittoria | +390229419148
18:00 – 02:00 daily

This is a favourite place for a beer, particularly during the colder months as it’s a particularly cosy place. In the summer it’s absolutely packed, so less cosy, but still good for beer. They serve a good Italian brewed favourite Menebrea (www.birramenabrea.com) and the Prague favourite from Staropramen (http://www.staropramen.com/english/index.html).

Books on the shelves, electic chairs and tables, beer and wine served in ceramic cups all contribute to the cosy atmosphere. They don’t do the normal happy hour buffet but you can order fantastic value cheese and salame platters if you’re feeling a little peckish.

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Coccio Birreria | Bars | Beer on tap € 5.00
4 Alzaia naviglio pavese | Ticinese/Genova
Tue – Sun 18:00 – late

It’s very difficult to find a place where you can have a good beer that is not too touristy or too expensive just near Duomo. One of them is the Football Pub. Probably it’s due to the fact that it’s well hidden in a small road on the right side of the very crowded via Torino, just in front of the Fnac shop.

The atmosphere is that of a typical English pub, warm and with a lot of wood around. On the walls there are scarfs and signs of different football teams. Usually it’s a quiet place, but in the evenings when there is an important football match it’s full. In that case quite a lot of people arrive to watch it on the big screen in the main room.

The service, like in most pubs in England, is not at the table, so don’t wait for the waiter and go to ask for your drink at the bar. There is a choice of a few English, Scottish and Irish draught beer, like Guinness or Tennents super.

In the main room there is also a round table with a chessboard… if you are in two and want to play on it, just ask the bartender!

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English Football Pub | Bars | Pint € 5.00
Via Valpetrosa 5 | Centro | +3902864464
Mon – Fri 12:00 – 15:00 & 18:30 – 02:00, Sat 13:30 – 02:00, Sun 14:30 – 23:00

Frida calls itself a “garden with cocktail bar, wine bar, art gallery and more”, and that’s an accurate description of this space that blurs the lines, making itself appealing to all kind of people.

The inside looks like a “bohemian” living room: the tables and seats are all different, on the walls you can see photos or paintings by local up-and-coming young artists, and you can even taste absinthe. There’s a separate area that looks like a greenhouse (heated in the winter) for groups including smokers; from there you can reach a shop selling unique clothes and other items, either authentic vintage from the ’60s and ’70s or modern but of vintage inspiration.

Frankly, neither the cocktails nor the food are the best you can get in Milano; on the other hand, they are cheaply priced and served with a smile. In other words, this is a place you go to for the company and the atmosphere. And if you find yourself with an appetite, you can always cross the street and buy a wonderful samosa at the indian fast food just opposite, before going back in to finish your beer.

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Frida | Bars | Cocktail (happy hour) € 5.00
Via Pollaiuolo,3 | Centrale/Greco | +3902680260
Mon – Fri 12:30 – 15:00 & 18:00 – 02:00

If you mention “Galleria” in Milano, everybody will think of the magnificent Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, the biggest and best of several shopping arcades built in the mid 1800s. But unless you happen to have won a big lump of money, few of us can afford the restaurants those restaurants (much less to shop in the very upscale stores).

Galleria Meravigli is more recent, built in 1930s in an airy Liberty style; it’s much smaller, and it doesn’t host fancy shops. On the other hand, it’s the beautiful setting for a different night out with good food, great food and, on most weekends, exciting tango nights!

Tango has a big following in Milano. Forget about plain rooms with elderly gentlemen and women, here it’s an experience for all ages; it’s a young and fashionable dance, without losing all its charme and romanticism.

Even if you can’t dance you can en

joy (with an excellent cocktail in your hand) the sight of people confidently dancing around the floor in sensual embraces, with the music ranging from traditional tangos from almost a century ago to the latest electronic tango successes by bands such as Gotan Project and Bajofondo.

And who knows, maybe the music and the atmosphere will lure you into trying a few steps–the regulars will be more than happy to show you the ropes.

An insider tip: try the maracuja vodka sour, probably the best in Milano!

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Galleria Meravigli | Bars, Music
Via Meravigli 3 | Centro | +39028055125
19.00 – 02.00 daily

In a small quite hidden road a few years ago a very nice wine bar opened that tries to combine wine, food and art, as the name says.

As you enter you find a very elegant atmosphere, with a perfect mix of old and rustic stuff (like some agriculture tools on the walls), some flowers and some characteristic art pieces. The art pieces are usually modern paintings from some emerging artist… and, if you want, you often can buy them as well!

The wine choice is very good and you can have both a full bottle or a single glass. It has also a kitchen that prepare a small number of dishes that are served with particular wines. As you enter just on your right there are stairs that go to the basement. Downstairs there is, in my opinion, the best room of the place, where they keep all the bottles they sell.

Unluckily you can’t have your wine there for safety reasons (there is no an emergency exit), but you can of course go there to chose a bottle to take upstairs or take away. They mostly don’t have very famous brands, but just minor high quality ones at affordable prices. Obviously the bartender is a sommelier and will be very happy to help you to find the right wine!

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GAV, Gusto Arte Vino | Bars | Wine € 5.00
Via Accademia 56 | Centrale/Greco | +390228901370
Mon – Thu 18:00 – 0.00, Fri – Sat 18:00 – 01:00

Henry’s Café is a spacious pub tucked in a street shooting off Piazza 24 Maggio; although in the Ticinese area, it’s a far cry from the crowded, noisy, glamourous bars that you can find a short walk from there. This makes it the perfect place for when you just want your Guinness without having to dress nicely and be sociable. Of course, this being Milano, beer is not all you can get: any cocktail is good, and the buffet may not be fancy (usually “tartines” and french fries) but it’s quite reasonable.

To me, the main attraction to this place is that it’s conveniently located: when I visit Spazio Forma (see the Spazio Forma article) for a photo exhibition; the background music in the pub is usually low enough that you can discuss what you just saw, and afterwards you can walk to a restaurant or another in the area.

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Henry’s Café | Bars | Pint (happy hour) € 5.00
Viale Col di Lana, 4 | Ticinese/Genova | +39028373335
18:00 – late daily

Hop is fantastic place for a cold beer and a relaxed atmosphere even on a cool winter’s night. What makes it even better is that the beer is Italian and locally made.

In particular, you can find beer from the local brewery – Lambrate. They do a nice salad or sandwich should you feel a little hungry but this place is really about the beer.

Wednesday night’s are popular with the university crowd. On the weekend you may find some live music, tending on the Hip Hop side. Appropriate perhaps?! A recommended stop for the beer lover.

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Hop Birreria | Bars | Beer € 5.00
Via Regina Margherita 4/8 | Porta Romana | +390254122690
12:30 – 15:00 & 18:30 – 02:00 daily

With the summer hitting in full force again Hora Feliz is the place to be between 19:00 – 22:00! But be warned you may have to wait a bit for a seat but this year they have filled the footpath with as many tables as possible.

Whilst there are numerous bars in the young and lively area of Il Colonne (The Columns) and Piazza Vetra, this bar is unbeatable in terms of price to value ratio during the Happy hours. It usually attracts a young, value-conscious crowd.

Along with a 6 euro beer or a 7 euro cocktail, you can help yourself to a very big range of buffet food. Hot pasta, sausages and chips, fresh salads, Parmesan cheese, corn chips and salsa, foccacia and tarts for dessert. If you hang around till after 21:00 you may also get to taste their tasty focaccia with Nutella.

I find just before 19:00 or a little after 21:00 can be the best times to arrive and find a place. The cocktails are fresh and well mixed and the staff work hard to serve everyone as quickly as possible.

Anyway, while you’re waiting, you can help yourself to another plate of free food! If you happen to stop by after 22:00 and you’re feeling peckish, you can also find some tasty plates of Mexican style food.

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Hora Feliz | Bars, Snacks | Cocktail € 7.00
Via San Vito, 5 | Centro | +39028376587
18:00 – 02:00 daily

In the area around Piazza Leonardo there are two of the most important universities in Milano: the Politecnico and the Università degli studi. This means that there are also a lot of places where the students have their lunch.

Unfortunately in the evening the area is definitely not rich of hangout places. One of the exceptions is the J.J. pub. J.J. stands for James Joyce, the Irish writer of Ulysses.

The interior features a very typical Irish atmosphere with wooden bar and tables and comfortable sofas. The draught beer selection is good, with Guinness, Bulldog, Wieckse Witte and a few others.

It’s a good place for lunch too. If you go there you can order a pasta, that, differently from most of the places in the area, is prepared at the moment with a choice that varies from day to day. The prices for the food are not too high and the quantity is good (especially if you order the “piatto unico” option for pasta).

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J. J.’s Corner | Bars, Restaurants (Pasta) | Dish € 5.00
Via Edoardo Bassini 41 | Porta Vittoria
09:00 – 02:00 daily

As the name suggests, this is a Bavarian restaurant, which means good beer and good food! The decoration is carefully tended: from furnishings to the clothes the waiter wears!

The menu offers most of the typical Bavarian dishes such as Spatzle or wurstel. I suggest you to try a brezel (they are served from a long wooden stick) and the potato salad.

Beers are obviously tasty and good, but if you prefer an alcohol-free drink you can order an apple-cider! I really recommend it.

Reservation is a must. The central room is very noisy, so if you are planning a romantic evening I suggest you choose room Sala Caccia or room Kuche (furnished as a typical Bavarian kitchen).

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Kapuziner Platz | Bars, Restaurants (Bavarian) | Beer € 3.00
Viale Lazio, 4 | Porta Romana | +39254101270
Mon – Sun for dinner only

A friendly cocktail bar, L’elettrauto owes its name to the previous business on its premises, a car repair shop.

Accordingly, this is not the kind of place you go to see and be seen but a rather relaxed bar where you can enjoy what you are drinking as well as the conversation: perfect for relaxing with colleagues and friends after a day at the office, which is what I often do.

It can be busy at times, but even if you have to stand, by the time you are over your first drink a table will have become available. Cocktails are quite good, and they have a nice wine list too (I’ll try sometime!).

The buffet is rather light, consisting mostly of raw vegetables and cheese; this can be good or bad, depending on whether you need to watch you waist line.

A word of warning: make sure you get there early (18.30 preferably), this place is so popular you may have a hard time finding a table inside, any day of the week.

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L’elettrauto Cadore | Bars | Cocktail € 7.00
Via Pinaroli, 7 | Porta Vittoria | +390255191781
19:00 – 01:00 daily

My friends and I have had for a few years a recurrent appointment to go out on Thursday nights. But as you surely know, sometimes it’s hard to get everyone to agree on where to go: beer or wine, a small bite or a nice restaurant? When we can’t get an agreement, someone usually says: La Ratera?

A small pub with a sizeable covered courtyard, they specialize in quality beer from different countries (from Sardinia to Belgium, they have a nice list), but don’t forget wine drinkers either.

Perhaps more surprising for a pub, their food list is quite long and rather different from what you would expect of a pub. Dishes like ‘Roast lamb with sweet garlic  sauce and Brussels sprouts’ or ‘Parma culatello with onions “Duchesse de Bourgogne”‘ sound (and look) like they would be more at home at a high-scale French restaurant. Unfortunately, another thing they have in common is the size of the portions, not particularly generous; but unless you are really starving, I assure  you will enjoy the experience thoroughly.

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La Ratera | Bars, Restaurants (International)
Via Ratti, 22 | Hinterland | +390248202932
19:30 – 01:30 daily

Whilst some may mourn the loss of Le Trottoir from the original Brera zone, this bar is alive and kicking in another part of town in a very historic building next to the new Porta Ticinese (one of the city doors).

It’s really centred perfectly in the heart of Milan’s nightlife. It is a historical meeting point for the artistic scene but on the weekends it is more of a live music venue with energetic, live music usually of the funk and soul genre.

On the second floor, a DJ plays dance/top 40 whilst the outdoor seating area can be great for a little peace and quiet. It can get a little crowded on the weekends but it’s a good place to pick up the pace a little after a quieter drink in the nearby Navigli area. You will find people from all walks of life here!

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Le Trottoir | Bars, Music | Entry from 22:00 € 10.00
Piazza XXIV Maggio 1 | Ticinese/Genova | +39028378166
11:00 – 02:00 daily

Located on the Naviglio Grande, one of the canals that run through Milano, this is a very pleasant spot in the summer, when you can sit outside and people-watch while cooling in the breeze and under the water nebulizers. In the winter it becomes a cozy and attractively warm place, thanks largely to the decor of the room, a traditional wood and orange palette.

Small and crowded, but not so much to disturb you while you feast on the platters of excellent cheese, salami and cured ham–or any other dish from their interesting menu. Cocktails are very good, and they have a nice wine list too.

The staff is very friendly, and if you go there often you will start feeling a little bit like you are among friends-you will see the same customers again and again, making you feel like you are in some kind of funky living room instead of just a bar.

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Luca e Andrea | Bars, Restaurants (Northern Italy) | Cocktail € 6.00
Alzaia Naviglio Grande 34 | Ticinese/Genova
12:00 – 02:00 (at least) daily

In an area bustling with bars like Navigli, it may be hard to choose your spot, or to define why you prefer one to another.

Why do I like Mag? Maybe it’s because of its hip yet relaxed mood, or its decor, modern expect for the classic wooden bar. It could be because of its owners and staff, exuberant and very friendly. Or just as likely, because it’s probably the last decent bar to close in this neighborhood. But quite frankly, I think it’s because a positively fantastic Green Apple Vodka Sour that has sent more than a few first- time visitors away a lot more drunk than they expected!

If all this is not enough, to round it off they always display paintings or photos from local artists, and sometimes have live music. There is also free wi-fi available.

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Mag Cafè | Bars | Cocktail € 7.00
Ripa di Porta Ticinese 43 | Ticinese/Genova | +390245489460
08.00 – 01.00 daily

If you want a good sandwich and you’re in Città Studi area there is a small pub, full off students at noon: the Neon pub. You can find a great assortment of sandwiches, from classical flavors to something more exotic, like ananas or herrings.

The atmosphere is particular, with some walls in bricks and others painted with bright colors. The walls are decorated with a lot of neon signs, that gives the name to the place.

Beside the sandwiches, as in any good pub, there is a good selection of beers. Most of the draught beers are English or Irish, plus a couple of Belgian ones. A curiosity is that all the bartenders are women.

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Neon Pub | Bars, Snacks | Sandwich € 3.00
Via Valvassori Peroni 61 | Porta Vittoria
09:00 – 01:00 daily

Don’t get confused by the name, Nidaba theatre is not a theatre but a live music pub. Just right in Navigli area you can find one of the few live music pubs in town.

The place is very small  and you will be surprised by how many musicians they can stuff onto the extremely tiny stage!

The main advantage of this pub is that you have music 7 nights a week, you don’t have to pay any entrance and a beer is 6 euros, the normal standard in the area.

The atmosphere is hot and dark, sweaty i would say, as i imagine jazz clubs should be in New Orleans. But it is not just about jazz, one of the good points of this place is that every day you can have different kinds of music and you can have fun like I did with a fantastic irish music group or an amazing 50’s American rock and roll band (it seemed like they were from the tv series “Happy Days”!).

A nice place if you want to do something different and escape from the often poshy Milan atmosphere… check out the website for what’s coming up!

Music usually kicks of around 22:00 – 23:00.

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Nidaba Theatre | Bars, Music | Beer € 6.00
Via E. Gola 12 | Ticinese/Genova | +390289408657
21:30 – 02:00 daily | Closed in August | Music 22:00

In the 30s in via Plinio a small wine reseller opened, that received the wine directly from Tuscany. Nowadays the shop is still there, but it’s also a very nice and quiet wine bar.

It offers hundreds of different bottles of wine, mainly Italian ones, that you can take home or drink there. If you don’t want to drink a full bottle you can always take just a glass. There is a selection of different wines (among them both red, white, rosé and dessert wine) that are opened every week.

The owner is really kind and can give you good advices… just explain him what kind of wine you’re looking for and he’ll find the right bottle for you!

The atmosphere is very pleasant and quiet: warm and old fashioned but with some modern spots that perfectly fit in the place. There is also a kitchen that prepare a few dishes.

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Ombre Rosse | Bars | Wine € 5.00
Via Plinio 29 | Porta Vittoria | +390229524734
Tue – Fri 10:00 – 01:00, Sat 10:00 -13:00 & 16:30 – 01:00, Sun 17:00 – 01:00

Are you a rugby fan stuck in Milano during the Six Nations Championship, but not really enthusiastic about watching the game home alone (or heaven forbid, at the hotel)? What about a nice pint of Guinness in the company of other supporters of your team? You have found the right place!

A standard pub patronized by a very international crowd (with a predominance of Irish blokes as you could expect) most of the year, it becomes a very animated if a bit rowdy place when the tournament is on. You can be sure to enjoy the game much more, while you down a pint after another of your favorite brew (usual suspects including Guinness, Beamish and Strongbow; Foster’s too, in case you miss your drink from down under).

The food is standard pub fare, which is to say pretty basic; but that’s forgivable, and it would get in the way of getting pissed anyway. Just remember to play nice with other patrons and with the neighbors.

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Pogue Mahone’s | Bars
Via Salmini,1 | Porta Romana
Mon 18:00 – 02:00, Tue – Fri 10:00 – 16:00 & 18:00 – 02:00, Sat 13:00 – 02:00, Sun 10:00 – 02:00

Everybody who lives in Milano or goes there for just a few days there knows what a “happy hour” is: a rich aperitif where you pay the drink and the food is included.

Nearly every bar in Milano now offers it, usually between 18:00 – 21:00. The big difference is in how much and how well you can eat. From this point of view the Slice Café is one of the best: it offer a big buffet with a great variety of food, different types of pasta (warm and cold), pizza, cheese, salami, vegetables, and sometimes fruits and cakes.

During summer, from June to September, after 20:00 the road out of the café, that run alongside the Naviglio Pavese, is closed to cars. Then you can take your happy hour seated in a table outside, just on the border of the channel.

The only drawback of this place is that is quite well known and is always full. In the entrance you can give your name and than the waiter will call you as soon as a table is free. This can often take 20 minutes or more, depending on the day and on the time you arrive. Especially in winter when the tables outside are not available

If you don’t want to wait just follow the Naviglio and in the following 100 metres there are a lot of others places that are not as good as the Slice but aren’t bad either!

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Slice Café | Bars | Happy hour € 8.00
Via Ascanio Sforza 9 | Ticinese/Genova | +390258105366
For happy hour 18:00 – 21:30 daily

No I’m not talking about Hollywood, nor about some Italian starlet. Stardust has a nice decor, but its location in an obscure square away from the center (with some renovation going on in the street) keeps it from being really fashionable.

This suits me just fine though, as it guarantees I’ll find place on one of the comfy outdoor rattan sofas to relax and drink their excellent cocktails-including my usual favorite, the Negroni Sbagliato, which is very good here. By now it’s definitely too cold to sit outside, but that may be just as well: a lot of care has obviously been put in the design of the interior, which is very hip and high tech; in fact, at times you may feel like you should dress up to get there–not the right place for a casual beer.

And what about their buffet? Well stocked, rich of anything you may want (from pasta to raw veggies to fruit and sweets), it may well replace dinner.

Plan on parking as soon as you find a spot and walk a little, as parking space can be hard to find in this area.

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Stardust | Bars | Cocktail € 8.00
Via Sansovino, 30 | Porta Vittoria | +390287396991
Open daily

Turnè Bar is definitely one of my favourite bars in town. It was created by two young guys and they had an instant success.

The atmosphere is very warm and cosy, the music is diverse and not too loud for good conversation and the service is always good. It’s the kind of place where you can easily feel at home and it’s filled up with a relaxed and not pretentious crowd.

The big night is Wednesday night, when, after 22:00, the bar becomes packed with people from all walks of life but perhaps a little more open than the usual Milanese crowd and of course the best part, beer prices remain 4.50 euro all night! On Sundays, to chill out from the busy weekend, you can catch an Italian or foreign cult movie.

There is a light but good quality aperitivo from 18:00 – 21:00 including fresh pasta and couscous as well as salame and cheese but you can always have a toasted sandwich or salame and cheese platter at any time of night. They also offer a wine tasting menu, perfect with those cheese and salame platters!

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Turnè Bar | Bars | Beer € 5.00
Via Paolo Frisi, 2 | Porta Vittoria | +39243981132
18:30 – 02:00 daily

This bar is just a few minutes away from Piazza Duomo but as it is tucked away in a small street you may not find it. Although, I must say I’m always surprised by how many do!

A good place for a post shopping or Scala drink without the exorbitant prices you can find around the Duomo. It’s not a place that gets really busy later in the evening so it’s a great place to enjoy a quiet drink and chat with friends. Although it can get full with the banking crowd from 19:00 – 21:00.

On the weekends it can get a little more interesting with a DJ playing Top 40 music and very strong cocktails. These strong cocktails have seen some people getting a little excited and getting up and dancing on the bar! It generally kicks on till 2am-3am depending on the owner’s mood!

It’s a great place if you want to organize a big group get together such as a birthday.

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Victoria Cafè | Bars, Music | Drink € 6.00
Via Clerici 1 | Centro | +39028053598
18:00 – late daily