This is a favorite place for a beer at any time of the year and while it’s quite cozy inside now with the weather picking up (slowly) you can also drink by the canal.

It’s a little different from the usual bars in the Navigli area which can focus more on the Happy hour trade and cocktails and can lack a bit of atmosphere. They don’t do the normal happy hour buffet but you can order fantastic value cheese and salami platters if you’re feeling a little peckish.

Another cute thing is that they serve the beer in kitcsh ceramic beer mugs. They serve a good Italian brewed favorite Menebrea and the Prague favorite from Staropramen.

They don’t do the normal happy hour buffet but you can order fantastic value cheese and salami platters if you’re feeling a little peckish. It’s easy to find, just at the start of the Naviglio Pavese. The first canal if you are walking from the city centre. If you get there early you should have no problem finding a seat, later in the night after 22:00, could be more difficult.

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

Probably each single woman in Milan has got at least one pair of shoes by Mauro Leone. If you are a woman, and you love shoes (ever found a woman who disliked them ?) -this is the place you want to go.

Mauro sells mainly “last trend” shoes at affordable prices and this is probably why it is always so packed. The shop is very small, there is always music on and beautiful shoes displayed everywhere.

They do not accept credit cards, however in front of the shop there is an ATM machine, so remember to fill your wallet if you are planning to buy more then one pair (and if you are not from Milan and just visiting, I bet you will)

Remember: If you have the chance, do not go there on Saturday afternoon, the shop is very little and you will risk not finding enough space to get in.

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Mauro Leone | Shopping | Ballerinas from € 39
Corso di Porta Ticinese, 60 | Ticinese/Genova | +390289429167
Mon 15:00 – 19:30, Tue – Fri 10:00 – 19:30

The Locanda Greca is situated in a classic Milanese courtyard, a great example of old style Milanese housing, “Vecchia Milano”, nice in summer and winter.

The menu is classic Greek, dips, feta, moussaka, feta, kebabs, feta and feta! They also have some Greek wine but I can’t say it was anything special but the price is honest.

The Navigli area is a popular bar area but this is a nice place to stop for a bite to eat. Of course, afterwards to digest your meal you can take a “passeggiata” (walk, stroll) like a typical Italian along the canal, plus it’s a mini fashion show at the same time!

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Locanda Greca | Restaurants (Greek) | Dinner & wine from € 25.00
69 Ripa di Porta Ticinese | Ticinese/Genova | +390258101834
Mon – Sat 20:00 – 23:30

This bio-natural restaurant is in the inner court of a modern building just opposite the Navigli. It is a great place to go to if you are curious to discover what vegan food is, i.e. the food with no meat, no fish, no egg, no cheese, no milk … you would imagine you can only have salad but believe me, it’s an entire new world of ingredients and tastes to explore. Not only tofu and seitan but also hummus, wakame, kamut, soya, cereals and many others.

I suggest to try Mudra for lunch and to get the menu degustazione (sampling menu): for just € 9.00 (€ 15.00 for dinner) you have a single dish with 1st and 2nd course + side order. Also the aperitivo is a nice experience: you can order your glass of biological wine or beer and peck from the buffet but if you want to try something different, you can get a 20 minutes ayurvedic massage with it (€ 18.00 instead of € 8.00)

At the 1st floor there are often courses (dance, massage, yoga…).

Afer 21:30 you need to press the entry phone to get in the inner court.

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Mudra | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Relaxing, Restaurants (Vegan food) | Sampling menu € 9
Piazza 24 Maggio 8 | Ticinese/Genova | +3903454512459
Tue – Wed 10:00 – 22:00, Thu & Sun 10:00 – 23:00, Fri – Sat 10:00 – 00:00

Ok I must admint that “navigli”, is probably the most touristic area in town. Probably because, especially in summer, the atmosphere here is very relaxed and the water adds the “holiday feeling”. However if you follow my simple tips you’ll have the chance to experience one of the most romantic parts of the city.

Navigli in Milan is the name for canal. Originally it was built to connect Milan with the lakes and with Switzerland.

The are two main Navigli: Naviglio Grande and Naviglio Pavese: they are both nice but it depends on what you are looking for.

Naviglio Grande is more on the bohemian side. There are many restaurants, cafes and second hand shops. Here, each last Sunday of the month, a big Antiques Market is held (Mercatone Naviglio Grande). You’ll find furniture, items for the home, old books, jewelry etc. In my opinion is perfect for a pleasant walk on a Sunday morning in spring/autumn or to have a drink in the afternoon.

In Naviglio Pavese (just beside the other Naviglio) the atmosphere is younger. I recommend to come here at night in autumn or in winter, for a romantic walk. Unless you are looking for a party atmosphere, then come here on a Saturday night for a drink or two.

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Navigli | Relaxing, Festivals & events
Alzaia Naviglio Pavese, 2 | Ticinese/Genova
24 hours daily

A few days ago it was a rainy and cold afternoon in Milano. I was having a walk with a friend and we had this longing for a cup of tea and a slice of cake. I thought about this cute place on the Naviglio Grande called Nero Fondente. Their window is always full of beautiful fresh cakes that seem to tell you “come in and taste me!”.

The place is small and cosy, there is a little mezzanine and from the big window you can see the canal. The apple pie I had was delicious and still warm cause they had just got it from the oven. Everything there is home made and fresh. I can’t say which is the best period to go to Nero Fondente, since when it’s cold outside you can find a warm atmosphere, but in summer you can also stay just outside and have a fresh drink. I would say the style is country-chic and the service very accurate.

They are open daily, from early in the morning until late at night so you can walk in any time.

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Nero Fondente | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Slice of cake € 5.00
Alzaia Naviglio Grande 48 | Ticinese/Genova | +390289059084
08:00 – 02:00 daily

One day I was walking in one of my favourite streets in Milano when my attention was caught by a new window. I looked inside and I saw a cute café, very New York style. I kept it in mind and on the first occasion I went there to have breakfast with a friend of mine.

That’s bakery opened in October and it’s specialized in cupcakes. I had the chance to speak to the owner and he told me his story. He’s from Naples and he has been living in Milan for a few years working for a restaurant. On a trip to London he ran into a pastry shop in South Kensinghton and for the first time he tasted a cupcake. He was impressed by the beauty of this sweet so he asked for the recipe.

Noticing that cupcakes would have been new for Milano, he took the risk of opening this new café and judging by the number of people sitting at his tables you can say the risk was worth.

He offers cakes, brownies, cookies, special teas and coffees but also hamburgers. You can stay there, where the atmosphere is really nice, from the colors on the walls to the music, or take away. Or you can just stare at the window with the colourful little cupcakes, each of which looks like a piece of food art!

The challenge: can you tell what the “red velvet” one tastes like?!

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That’s bakery | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Cupcake € 4.00
Via Vigevano 41 | Ticinese/Genova | +39028394890
10:00 – 00:00 daily

You’re staying in Milano over the weekend, you wake up late on Sunday morning and you have a longing for a place where to have a long breakfast which slowly becomes a lunch: you definitely want to go to Anadima.

This lovely place is close to Naviglio Pavese, one of the famous canals of Milano. It’s a restaurant which offers a great buffet on Saturdays and Sundays. Even if it’s a total white space, the atmosphere is warm and homey and the furniture is nice with a few original details. The brunch buffet is very rich: you can have home made delicious cakes, pancakes with maple syrup, rice or pasta and different sorts of meat, fish and pies. Everything is fresh and really tasty.

The atmosphere is very intimate and relaxed, you can stay there as long as you feel like. What I like the most is the little mezzanine where some tables are, where you can have a view all over the place through the beautiful bricks arch.Just a tip: I would suggest to make a reservation, it’s likely full as it’s not that big.

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Anadima | Bars, Coffee & tea, Restaurants | Brunch € 20.00
via Pavia 10 | Ticinese/Genova | +39028321981
Mon 19:30 – 01:30, Tue – Sun 12:00 – 01:30

Cuore is the Italian word for heart and this place will certainly make yours beat. If you feel like having a good drink and listening to some refined tunes I would certainly suggest you to go to Cuore.

This bar is located in a tiny street very close to Colonne di San Lorenzo, the area where a lot of cafes, bars and restaurants are. It’s open in the evening and offers a cosy atmosphere where the music is not too loud to have a chat and the rhythm is frisky enough to shake your body. You never know whether you’ll find a crowd of people dancing or just some visitors sitting on the old sofas and colourful chairs sipping their drinks.

The style is a little retro, the lights are soft and there are some arty objects hanging on the walls. If you usually care about elaborated details you will like the place. You can find a nice mood created by the soul and funk beat matching with the vintage furniture and the articulated architecture of the space. Besides, it’s good that the entrance is free and cocktails are not too pricy. Cheers!

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Bar Cuore | Bars, Music | Cocktail € 7.00
Via Gian Giacomo Mora 3 | Ticinese/Genova | +390258105126
23:00 – 02:00 daily

One thing I like to do when I am travelling abroad is go to the movies: not only because I love cinema but because at the movie theatres you hardly find any tourists and you can feel like you live in the place you’re visiting.

In Italy this is a little bit hard if you don’t speak the language: probably not everybody know that films in Italy are translated from the original language to our beautiful one, not subtitled but really dubbed. So, don’t be surprised if you enter a cinema or switch on the tv and you hear George Clooney with an Italian voice.

Luckily in Milan someone thought that there might be somebody interested in hearing the original language version of the films and that’s why three movie theatres screen once a week original language movies.

It is usually a selection of the best movies of the seasons and each movie is shown on Mondays at Anteo spazio cinema (via Milazzo 9), Tuesdays at Arcobaleno film center (viale Tunisia 1) and Thursdays at cinema Mexico (via Savona 57).

You can look for the program and screening times on each cinema website or here http://www.cinenauta.it/avvenim.htm. Good news: the price is less than a normal ticket, it costs 6 euro.

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In the mood for cinema? | Cinemas | Ticket € 6.00
via Savona 57 (cinema Mexico) | Ticinese/Genova
Mon – Tue & Thu 20:00 (check the websites of the cinemas)