Anybody remember books, the real physical thing? In times of E-books and hectic urban life, folks carrying around all essential items of daily survival on their iPhones, those little, dusty, specialised book shops from our childhood have practically disappeared. All of them? – Nope, thanks to the group of friends behind Gogol & Company there is hope for all of the folks who enjoy the feeling of holding a real old-school book in their hands.

Being rebels by heart, Gogol’s founder went against the trend of mass taste mega-stores and created a counter-trend. The result is a little stretch of paradise, a shop cum café with an excellent selection of books from independent editors and small/medium publishers, ranging from children’s books and comics to rarities and fiction. People just love it, thus, finding one of the vintage leather lounge chairs free to sit down and start reading needs a bit of luck.

The look-and-feel of Gogol is best described as NYC-style with an Italian twist. The atmosphere is a quirky, funky mishmash of cozy living room, cafeteria and private library. In Italian maybe it’s best described as ‘salotto’. Food-wise, the buttery croissants are delicious, non-coffee addicts will be happy about the organic tea selection.

During happy hour Gogol’s location, off the beaten track overlooking a quiet piazza (close to the Tortona design district), is an ideal setting to have aperitivo in an unusual environment, tranquil enough to catch up with friends or simply soak in some serene moments after a hectic day.