Centrale/Greco Milan – All our local tips

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!

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Atomic Bar | Bars, Music | Beer € 6.00
Via Felice Casati 24 | Centrale/Greco
21:30 – 02:00 daily

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.

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

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!

Details about this spot (Show on map)
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

Before I moved to Italy, one of the first things that came to mind was FOOD! Salami, cheese, pizza, pasta oh and all coupled nicely with some wine of course! And of course, Italy didn’t disappoint me.

When it comes to cheese and salami I would recommend a visit to a fabulous jam-packed delicatessen just off the Corso Buenos Aires shopping strip.

Being Australian, my knowledge of Italian cheese was limited to Parmesan (Parmigiano) and Mozzarella and sadly, the only mozzarella I really knew was the copied version we put on our pizzas.

Now I can safely say that I have managed to try a reasonable percentage of the many cheese and cured meats Italy has to offer, but there is always something new to discover. Grab a few servings when you’ve worked up a hunger after shopping or maybe grab a few things for a picnic and relax in the nearby Giardini Publici (Public Gardens) near Porta Venezia.

MM Metro Lima is the closest stop.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Salami & Cheese | Shopping, Snacks
Via Tadino / Via Vitruvio | Centrale/Greco
Mon 08:00 – 13:00, Tue – Sat 08:00 – 13:00 & 15:30 -19:30