Hop is fantastic place for a cold beer and a relaxed atmosphere. With the heat, what’s more refreshing than a cold beer?! What makes it even better is that the beer is Italian and locally made. While beer isn’t Italy’s strong point, if you do like to try different beers, this would be a good place for you.

In particular, you can find beer from the local brewery – Lambrate. Also, they do a nice salad or sandwich should you feel a little hungry but this place is really about the beer. Happy hour is available at € 4 a beer with a plate of pizza bread.

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.

Nestled up against a part of an antique wall of Milan, the original confines of the city, it has a lovely outside garden with a gazebo and it really has a nice atmosphere in the warmer months. Mind you, if it’s a bit chilly, there is an inside section.

The crowd is on the young side and they play dance/pop music relatively loud. You will find it at it’s busiest from 20:00 – 22:00.

At € 8 a cocktail/drink, it is a little more up market than where I usually go but if you go at aperitivo time you can also fill up on the buffet with lots of veggies, pasta and rice. They have a small restaurant but I must admit I haven’t tried it.

Whilst Belgian food might not be what you had in mind when eating in Milan, Vent Du Nord does provide a nice interlude from Italian cuisine.

With the sea not even close, Milan also doesn’t seem like a top destination for seafood but it is actually the distribution centre for all of Italy, so all of the good quality stuff passes through Milan.

Fresh mussels cooked in a variety of tasty sauce options are the star of the menu here but I am also happy to come here for a late night cold beer and some tasty potato chips and mayonnaise. There are some tasty meat menu items too and the classic Belgian waffles for dessert.

Tucked away in a quiet street, yet easily accessible with the metro (Line 3, Stop Lodi) or Bus 90/91 you can find a little piece of Belgium. A great place to enjoy good food and a few beers with good friends.

With a recent visit, it was recommended that if you want to go on a Friday or Saturday night it is recommended to book at least one week ahead.

This little restaurant has got a cozy atmosphere: candle lights, a fresh rose gifted to each lady at the end of the meal, fragrant desserts and wines. All these details make this place perfect for a romantic dinner.

The menu includes only Sicilian specialties (even written in Sicilian dialect).

I highly recommend  to start with “antipasto misto” (mixed starters including mini fish burghers, marinated anchovies, tuna and sword fish carpaccio) then, if you like pasta dishes go for “Spaghetti Donna Isabella” (with mussels, shrimps ginger, garlic, and white wine).

There are also traditional Sicilian pasta dishes such as “Pasta alla Norma” (vegetarian alternative with fried eggplants tomato sauce, fresh basil and ricotta cheese). If you like fish there are many different varieties: mainly swordfish or tuna. Last time I was here I had tuna with caramelized onions: excellent!  

As a side dish go for the typical Sicilian salad made with fresh orange, red onion,  and fennel. The desserts are fabulous: you’ll have the chance to make your own “cannolo sicilano” with fresh ricotta, chocolate chips and pistachio: an experience you want to try!

One thing I’ll never get about Milano is what sort of mix brings a bar to popularity. Sometimes you see really cute places in very crowded spots totally empty. Some other times you are lucky to find hidden places packed with people and full of life. Goganga belongs to this second group.

This disco bar is placed at the end of a dark dead end street. The area is not spooky or seedy but the first time I got there I couldn’t help but wonder how it got so popular despite its location.

I’ll try to tell you some reasons here: the entrance is free, cocktails are good, music is nice, people are friendly. The space is not big like a real club but it’s not small like a simple bar. The industrial space is furnished with retro design pieces, which remind me of Pedro Almodovar’s movies from the seventies.

If you feel like dancing but you’re not in the mood for a pricey and posh club, Goganga is the place for you. Just be prepared to dance cheek to cheek with everybody, cause it’s always full of people.