A classic sightseeing tour on your first day here can actually be a really good way to get a feeling of the city and of which things are in the same area. Here we have a list of the best tours Milan has to offer.
Hop-on Hop-off tours.
With thedouble-deckers you can buy tickets for either 24 or 48 holurs (repspectively €22 and €25) with departure from Piazza Castello (find on map)
In Milan you can also do your sightseeing from a tram, TraMilano, a charming and different way to vist the tourist attractions. This costs €15 and departs from Milan’s central station (find on map) near the Zara shop, check the link above for more precise details.
If you have the MilanoCard you get a 15% discount on tickets.
Segway tours.
See Milan from a segway in small groups with 8 participants, choose between the day tripof 3 hours. or the night tripof 2.5 hours. Both trips are €75 and start on the ´corner of Via dei Chiostri and Via Ancona (find on map) there is a 30 minute orientation before the trip begins.
Tours on the canals (April-September).
You can go on a boat trip round the Milanese navigli and see the city from a different perspective. You can book tickets in advance here: Call Center +39029094242 every day 10 am-6 pm or by email Monday-Friday info@navigareinlombardia.it
The evening tour of the canals costs €10 and is 40 minutes long with departures at 9 pm – 9.50 pm -10.40 pm. You must purchase the tickets at the point of departure but you can book here:,Call Center +39029094242 every day bewtween 10 am and 6 pm or with an email to info@navigareinlombardia.it
If you’d like an aperitivo while sailing through the navigli the the Happy Boat tour is what you’re looking for,it’s on every Friday and Saturday at 7.30 p.m. and costs €22 cocktail and buffet included in the price. You can book tickets here: Autostradale Viaggi – Milano 2, Passaggio Duomo (find on map) 1, P.zza Castello (find on map). Tel. +390230089900 email – info@autostrdaleviaggi.it
Rickshaw tours with VELOLEO
An untraditional and green way to visit the city is by rickshaw or bike taxi, they organize both shopping- and city trips and prices €25-45 for 1/2 and 1 hour respectively. The trips start from both Piazza Castello, Piazza Duomo and Piazza San Babila. You can also book online and personalize your trip here.
The view from the roof of Duomo is breathtaking especially on clear days, were you can see the Alps from up there.It’s a really good idea to reserve tickets in advance so you can skip the line. Book here.
If you’re in Milan for 72 hours or less, you should consider getting a MilanoCard. Read more here.
One of the questions we get most is “When is it good to visit Milan?” so here is the list of the very best things going on. Remember to check out our calendar for the exact dates, as they can vary a bit from year to year.
Milano Design Week/Fuorisalone – one week in April. A week with very lively cosmopolitan atmosphere and cocktail parties combined with the up-and-coming designers’ bid on what the future will look like.
Piano City – 3 days during the penultimate weekend of May. There is piano music everywhere with lots of fantastic free concerts in the city’s parks, squares and several of Milan’s beautiful courtyards. The concerts go on 24 hours a day and the city teems with life and people.
Scala Filarmonici plays a free concerts on Piazza Duomo – the second Sunday of June with a speciel guest perfomance – this is a speciel and magical evening where thousands og Milanese of all ages fill up Piazza Duomo for a very speciel night.
Estate Sforzesca – from the beginning of June to the end of August there is entertainment almost every night in the central courtyard of Castello Sforzesco of theater, dance or music, a wonderful way to spend the summer evenings with the locals. Bear in mind that July and August are the hottest months in Milan and when we say hot we means sweltering; temperatures up to 35 degrees Celsius and they don’t go down much at night
TRI.P. at Triennale di Milano – an experrimental music festival in June/July with some of contemporary music’s most exciting names.
MITO September Music – a festival which every year focuses on a theme and offers performances in both Milan and Turin for 20 days in the beginning of September.
JazzMi – Milano jazz festival the first two weeks of November november. Some of the world’s finest jazz musicians come to Milan to play..
Artigiani in Fiera – Enormous Christmas market at Milan’s fair during the first week of December, actually the atmosphere in Milan during the month of December is wonderful with lots of ice skating rinks and Christmas markets. Read more about them hereand here.
Opening Night at La Scala theater– the new season at Teatro della Scala starts with an opera on December 7th remember that if you want to experience this very speciel night, you have to book your tickets a long time in advance. You canfind the links in our events calendar.
Milan Fashion Week – February and September, the city is hectic during this week with cocktail parties and many other things.
Sales in Milan – July/August and January/February for the exact dates check our shopping guide.
A very characteristic local experience in Milan is visiting the big open air markets with fruit, vegetables. cheese, fish, charcuteri and good bargains in shoes and clothes, there are several every day except on Sundays. There’s life, commotion, genuine Italian atmosphere and competitive prices. We have chosen the most central ones for you.
See Milan from a different perspective with bike tour rentals. You can also rent a bike for the entire time you spend here or use one of the many electrical scooters.
If you’d like to have your “own” bike during your stay you can rent it at the historical bike shop Rossignoli, which you find here:
71, Corso Garibaldi.(find on map) open Monday 2.30-7 pm Tuesday-Saurday 9 am.-12.30 pm/2.30 -7 pm
40, Via Solari (find on map) open Monday 3.-7.30 pm Tuesday-Friday 9 a.m.-12.30 p.m./3-7.30 pm Saturday 9-12.30 p.m.
Cost 1 day €12 2 days €24 3 days €34
4 days €43
5 days €52
6 days €59 1 week €65 Deposit €100,00
Rossignoli also organize tours of the city on bicycle in Italian and English and to book and get information call +3902804960 some days in advance.
You can also rent bikes at Baco bicycle store at 52,Via Solari, for information cal +390235994089.
There are also other guided tours of Milan in bicycle in English. Here are the 3 most popular ones:
BikeMi is a bike sharing service a bit like Boris-bikes in London. It’s a great feature in public transport, but beware Italian traffic habits.
BikeMi is part of the public transport system, you must register at ATM (Milan’s municipal transport agency) and to do that you need to have a valid credit card (so they have security for the bike and possible damages) read about the legal and practical issues here. You can get a card for either 1 week, it’s €6, or for a single day, €2,50.
Cycling Italian Style Cycling in Milan is a risky business. Milan is a car city, and cyclists are not respected as equals in the traffic.
So remember to signal your intentions in the traffic clearly, so the drivers have time to give you space. Take it easy and don’t insist too much.
Two important tips: Keep an extra eye on the tram rails (believe you us; it is the voice of experience telling you this) and remember that the cobble stones get extra slippery when it rains.
Short trips are the cheapest BikeMi is meant to be used for short trips and it becomes proportionally more expensive the longer you use them If you change bicycles frequently the trips can end up being totally free of charge. If you forget to deliver the bike within 24 hours, there’s a stiff fee.
0 – ½ hour: €0,00
½ – 2 hours: €0,50 every half hour.
2 – 24 hours: €2,00 every started hour
Over 24 hours: €150 fee
Summer operating hours. April 1st-November 2nd the service will run Sunday-Thursday 7 am.-2 a.m. Friday and Saturday the service will operate 24 hrs a day.
Junior BikeMi. The municipality of Milan has now added a bicycle service for kids aged 6-10, you’ll find the junior bikes near some of Milan’s parks Parco Sempione/Piazza Castello (find on map), Giardini pubblici Indro Montenelli (find on map), Parco delle Basiliche (find on map),Parco Don Giussani (find on map) and Parco Ravizza (find on map) the bicycles are available between 7 a.m.-1 p.m. and helmets are mandatory. Read more here.
MoBikeand OFO.
Mobike (on the left in the photo) and OFO.
2 operators in the dockless or free flow bike sharing service, also called Uber for bicycles, have arrived in Milan, you need to download the apps for the services in order to begin to use it. Find the links for the app download here.
The first one is Mobike, the orange and black bicycles you have probably seen around the city, The price is €0.30 for every half hour.
The second is OFO with the characteristic yellow bicycles that technically are of a slightly better quality It costs €0,20 for the first half hour, €0,30 for the second half hour and €0,50 every half hour after that. You can also rent the bike for a whole day at €5.
Electric scooters.
The newest means of transport on Milan’s ride sharing scene is the electric scooter but please pay attention as the traffic rules aren’t completely clear yet with regards to where you can use them (bicycle paths or pavements?), age or speed limits. Find the links for the app download here.Gem
Why carry around a guide book when you can have all you need on your smartphone (which, of course, is indispensable).
Milan Tourism has published a comprehensive list of apps made especially for visitors. Here are the most important ones:
Guida Milano A classic city-guide full of all the normal tourist attractions and it links text and maps. Languages: English, Italian, Spanish, Russian and Chinese (Download for iPhone | Android)
VisitMilano A great app for visiting Milan with information on Public transport, exhibitions, concerts etc, a little simpler than Guida Milano above (Download for iPhone | Android)
Spotted by Locals. This app has more than 70 city guides – including the one for Milan – and tells you what is worth seeing in the opinion of the people who live in Milan. Lots of great features.
(Download for Android | iPhone)
Car2Go the popular international car sharing service is also present in Milan.
(Download for Android | iPhone)
DriveNow The new car sharing service is now also in Milan. Languages: English, German and Italian (Download for Android |iPhone)
Enjoy. The car sharing company for Italy’s biggest oil and petrol company ENI. The cars are all FIAT 500. (Download for Android | iPhone)
Share’ngo Little yellow electric cars for car sharing. (Download for Android | iPhone)
Free2move.
Car sharing aggregator. (Download for Android | iPhone)
Urbi. Car sharing aggregator. (Download for Android | iPhone)
ATM Milano Official App This is a great app for public transport, it tells you which bus and metro stops are near you, you can plan your trips and you can also use it to find the BikeMi hubs (See the article on public transport). (Download for Android | iPhone)
MyTaxi If you need to call for a taxi and don’t speak Italian the easiest thing is to use the official app myTaxi. (Download for Android | iPhone)
Uber The world’s most famous ride sharing service is legal in Milan and works fine so if you cannot get a taxi or you have to wait too long this is a good alternative. (Download Android | iPhone)
Electric scooters is the new big thing for ride sharing in Milan, be careful out in the traffic because there are no rules yet about how fast, where, how old, how. Here are the 4 apps you can download to use them:
Lime – Your ride anytime. Download for Android | iPhone)
Bird – enjoy the ride. Download for Android | iPhone)
Dott – your ride, your way
Download til Android | iPhone)
Circ – electric scooter sharing (Download for Android | iPhone)
Mobike A dock-free bike sharing service, where you can find a bicycle near you. The price is €0,30 for every half hour. (Download Android | iPhone)
OFO A dock-free bike sharing service, where you can find a bicycle near you. It costs €0,20 for the first half hour, €0,30 for the second half hour and €0,50 every half hour after that. You can also rent the bike for a whole day at €5. (Download Android | iPhone)
The Milanese love going on day trips outside the gates of the city as they say and there are lots of wonderful places nearby. Here is the Insider Guide to the greatest places
Como.
50 km north of Milan is Como by the beautiful Lake Como surrounded by mountains.It takes about 1 hour from Cadorna station to Como lake and a return ticket is a little under €10. It’s a cosy and very beautiful small town with antique town walls and a great shopping area in the historical center and actually also the place where our personal love affair with Italy began many years ago.
Como is famous for its silk and we recommend you visit the outlet Diffusione Seta located at 8-11, Piazza Cavour (find on map).
When we were there last we had lunch at the super neat Ristorante Sociale, 6, Via Rodari (find on map) – prices are reasonable and and the food is local and solid – but next time we are planning on trying out the much more sophisticated restaurant with all the great reviews The Market Place, 55, Via Rovelli (find on map).
Another fantastic thing to do here is to take the ferry from Como (just by Piazza Cavour) for e.g.Bellaggio or out to see the incredibly beautiful villas, located in the area.
You can go from Como with the funicular up to Brunate where on a clear day you get an amazing view of Lake Como and the Alps.
During the summer the great outdoor swimming pool Villa Olmo, 20 minutes walk from the train station, is open every day from 9 am-7.30 pm, tickets are €8.50 for the whole day and €5.50 for the afternoon for adults and €4.50 (full day) €3.50 (afternoon) for children. You have to book online and sadly the page is only in Italian (!) but follow the “prenota” button and insert the date you want to go here and then click prosegui (continue). You can also rent sun beds (lettini) and beach umbrellas (ombrelloni).
There are several antique markets in Como: On the first Sunday every month 8 a.m.-7 p.m. on Piazza San Fedele (find on map) On the second Wednesday every month (Except January and August) 8.30 a.m.-7 p.m. in Porto Torre, Viale Carlo Cattaneo (find on map) On the last Saturday every month (except January and August) in Via Muratto og Piazza Ferretta (find on map) On the third Sunday every month. 8 a.m.-7 p.m. (except January and August) in Via Spallino (find on map)
Bergamo.
Then there is Bergamo, situated about, 45 minutes away by train from Milan. You can go from the stations of Stazione Centrale, Cadorna and Garibaldi
Bergamo is one of the few towns in Italy whose historical center is still located within the original town walls which have maintained their original aspect.
Bergamo is divided into two parts Bergamo Bassa (low Begamo) and Berrgamo Alta (high Begamo), Bergamo Alta is the historical part of the town which you can get to either by the city funicular or by taking the 45-minute hike up.
There are monasteries, historical buildings and an ancient botanical garden.
There is an antique market in Begamo Alta on the thrid Sunday of every month (except August) on Piazza Vecchia (find on map)
Among the many lunch places in Bergamo:. Hostaria del Relais San Lorenzo, 9, Piazza Mascerono (find on map) Antica Hosteria del Vino Buono, 25, Piazza Mercato delle Scarpe (find on map)
A villlage built by the Crespi family for the workers on their factory. It was very advanced for its time (late 1800s) with free education for the children of the employees, a free indoor swimming pool and the first village in Italy to have modern public lighting. In 1995 the village was entered nto the UNESCO World Heritage List. The directions on how to get there can be found here.
Isole Borromee and Stresa.
The Isolee Borromee (the Borromean Islands) are located in the Maggiore Lake and can be reached from Stresa by boat, they are lovely at all times of the year but are paricularly stunning during springtime, They are famous for their amazing palaces and gardens. There are three islands: Isola Bella with the Borromean Palace and gardens, Isola Superiore (Fishmerman’s Island) a tiny island with a beautiful fishing village and Isola Madre with a botanical garden and Palace.
Stresa is quite close to Milan and can be reached from both the Central Station and the Garibaldi station, the trip takes about an hour.
Stresa has a lot of great restaurants where you can have lunch, some examples: Antica Stresa, 34, Piazza Cadorna (find on map). Astoria, 21, Corso Umberto I (find on map)
But you can also eat on Fisherman’s Island (Isola Superiore), example Belvedere, Via di Mezzo (find on map).
If you feel like pampering yourself go for a day to the San Pellegrino spa (terme) (find on map), you need a car to get up there. Prices and opening hours here. A small piece of advice; go on a weekday.
Lodi.
Lodiis another town that is very near Milan, it takes about 35 minutes with the train going to Bologna, and you can catch it from both Stazione Centrale and Cadorna. Lodi is a lovely little town whose interesting archtecture dates all the way back to 1160.
There is an antique market in Lodi on the first Sunday of every month (except January and August) 8 a.m.7 p.m. on Piazza Castello (find on map)
A couple of good places to have lunch in Lodi are: Antica Trattoria il Gattino, 71, Corso Mazzini (find on map) Il Pomodoro Pelato, 48, Via Cavour (find on map)
Vigevano.
And please don’t miss Vigevano in the province of Pavia. It takes about an hour to get there and we recommend taking the train from Porta Genova railway station (find on map)
Vigevano is an incredibly beautiful art town with an amazing renaissance square Piazza Ducale, considered one of Italy’s finest. There is also a castle, Vigevano’s own Castello Sforzesco which was transformed from a fortress to the residence of a prince in 1492-94 by Ludovio Sforza. Furthermore Vigevano is famous for making shoes and there is a shoe museum inside the Castello Sforzesco with no admission.
There’s an antique market in Vigevanoon the thrid Sunday of every month (except August) in the area between Piazza Piazza Martiri della Liberazione, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and Via S. Croce (find on map).
Good places to have lunch in Vigevano: Cappuccetto Rosso Bistrot, 4, Via Carrobbio (find on map) Cafe del Mar, 34, Via Leonardo da Vinci (find on map)
Wine and Food.
If you love wine and great food there are some areas we recommend you visit and you could spend the night in one of the many agrotourisms. Some great areas are Franciacorta, Asti and Langhe (where, among other towns, Alba is located).
There are many food and wine festivals in both Piedmont and Lombardia. These festivals are great for getting an insight into small communities and their seasonal products (wine, truffles, cheeses, chestnuts, mushrooms, pumpkins etc.)
Star-studded restaurants outside Milan.
If you came to Milan by car there are lots of great restaurants in Lombardy. We want to mention:
D’O Davide Oldani’s wonderful restaurant with 1 Michelin star, located in San Pietro all’Olmo, Cornaredo (find on map). Davide Oldani is the chef who invented the concept Pop Cuisine (Cucina Pop). Remember to book well in advance.
Cannavacciuolo Bistrot. 1, Piazza Martiri della Libertà in Novara (find on map) which belongs to Antonino Cannavacciulo, one of the new judges in the Italian edition of Masterchef.
Antonino Cannavacciuolo also runs the restaurant (with 2 Michelin stars) and hotel Villa Crespi at the beautiful Lago d’Orta.
You can find the Michelin guide’s other suggestions here.
One of our favourite things is to have a great brunch at the weekend. We have selected some of the best Milan has to offer divided by area. Prices are € – €15-20, €€ – 20-40, €€€ – 40-60. One of the peculiarities of brunch places in Milan is a rotation system so you won’t be able to hang out for the entire duration, it is necessary to book if you want to be sure to get a table (we have included their phone numbers).
We would love to hear from you so if you feel like sharing your opinion about the brunch places on our list or know a place you’d like to recommend then use our form here.
Radetzky €€ 105, Corso Garibaldi (find on map) +39026572645 8-1.30 am Monday to Thursday, 8-2 am Friday and Saturday and 10-1.30 am Sunday – great location and service.
When you are abroad you want to get close to the locals … So why not do a cooking course with the Italians?
When you’ve been traveling a lot you begin to look for experiences that get you closer to the local population, because who wants to sit at the hotel and have dinner when you could be out meeting people and getting some fun anecdotes to tell.
It may take some courage, but isn’t it the courageous decisions you never regret? So if you feel like a slightly different evening in the company of Italians, try a cooking course in Italian. Nothing beats “I learned how to make this sauce from a chef in Milan” when your friends come over.
You can choose the very personal experience with a course in English at a private home,Clara opens the doors to her home in the center of Milan for morning courses between September and June and on market days she takes you to the local open air food market to pick the fresh seasonal products for your cooking class.
Aurora holds both morning and evening classes with a professional chef and she lves by the yellow metro line 4 stops from Duomo. If you can’t make it to her courses (or for some reason don’t feel like participating) you can still come and have dinner with the paticipants.
Both Clara and Aurora put emphasis on the fact that their courses aren’t just about cooking but also about socializing.
Another possibilty is the cooking school Teatro7(Find on map) where they teach in Italian but you can be certain that they will try anything with a combination of gestures and English to make you understand. And if Italians have bad English skills their gesturing is formidable.
You are guaranteed to have an entertaining evening and you will learn to make some great food. At Teatro7 you get the course including dinner from €75 to €150. Check out our Right now in Milan (in the menu) for courses.
Important instructions for booking a course online as the course calendar only exists in Italian: first click on the red Guarda il Menu button next to your course, on the next page click on “prenota il corso” at the top of the page (book) and then the rat of the instructions are in English, if you don’t receive a confirmation via email within 24 hours, send an email to iscrizioni@teatro7.com – you won’t be able to attend if you don’t have the email. The course calendar is here.
For those of you who are only in town for a short visit we have made a mini route where you get all the best Milan has to offer in terms of both shopping, food, architecture and culture. For our first express shopping route we have chosen the area from Piazza Gae Aulenti to Piazza della Scala, from the new and modern to the old and traditional.
Start on Piazza Gae Aulenti; Milan’s newest area, where you should see the internationally acclaimed buildings “Bosco verticale” (the vertical forest))
On the piazza you find the famous Muji,
Grom ice cream,
Replay store with Italian denim and a nice bar where you can have your morning coffee,
and Illy café – the world’s best espresso.
Located under the square is the supermarket Esselunga if you want to shop for specialties.
From there continue down Corso Como and check out the famous design store and art gallery at no. 10 – good place for lunch.
at the end of Corso Como turn left and check out High Tech with all you can desire for your home and on the square (Piazza XXV Aprile) is food temple Eataly
Continue into the Brera area (Via Solferino, Via San Marco and Corso Garibaldi) which is the old artistic neighbourhood of Milan with lots of quirky and chic stores and galleries.
If you’re here on either a Monday or a Thursday it is worth your while to visit the open air market in Via San Marco.
Continue down to Piazza della Scala with Milan’s famous Scala theater.
If you still have energy and time to spare you are now directly behind Piazza Duomo just walk thorugh the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele which links Piazza della Scala and Piazza Duomo and you have Milan’s cathedral right in front of you.
Now you are probably starving and you are close to several good restaurants e.g. Langosteria Cafè,4, Galleria del Corso (find on map) excellent seafood €€€, Piz, 34, Via Torino (find n map) genuine Neapolitan pizza €, I 12 Gatti,11/12, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II on the corner of Piazza della Scala (find on map) with a fantasic terrace on the top of Milan €€ and Mama Burger,18, Via Agnello (find on map) good quality burgers €.
In Milan there are flea markets every Sunday and besides them there are little markets in the city both on weekdays and at weekends. Here you can find those unique objects you won’t find anywhere else.
The flea market in the Navigli area every last Sunday of the month
If you like antiques, flea market bargains or vintage there are various possibilities in Milan and surroundings.We have chosen the best ones and comment on them.
The flea markets in the surroundings of the city are easier to get to if you’ve got a car. Here you can really find many unique Italian things for your home at very good prices – remember to haggle!
It’s a good idea to be polite and cheeky when haggling. Italians love negotiating!
If you are tired of having the same IKEA objects at home as everybody else, then take advantage of your trip to Milan to find some unique pieces.
You’ll find everything you find at a normal flea market: Jewellery, toys, hats, chandeliers,vases, lamps, mirrors, cupboards, furniture, vintage – at all price levels.
“Mercatino di Brera” (find on map) the third Sunday of every month from 9 a.m.-6 p.m.this market is located in one of the most beautiful areas in Milan and you should expect pricy objects.
“Artigianato e Collezionismo” every second, third and fourth Tuesday + every first Sunday of every month from 8 am to 7 pm in front of Pinacoteca di Brera in Via Brera (find on map).
“Mercatino del antiquariato” in the Navigli area, one of the city’s most interesting markets. the last Sunday of every month 8 a.m.-6 p.m. (find on map)
“Mostra mercato di antiquariato” in Piazza Diaz (find on map) on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Thursdays + 3rd Sunday of every month from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. – just behind Piazza Duomo.
“Little Market” products of craftmanship and collectors’ items, in Piazza Sant’Eustorgio (find on map) every 1st Friday and Saturday of every month.
“Mercatino” vintage and collectors’ items every 2nd and 4th Friday and the last Saturday of every month close to Porta Venzia/Corso Buenos Aires in Via Spallanzari (find on map).
“Fiera di Senigaglia”: in the Navigli area, every Saturday 9 a.m.-7 p.m.in Ripa di Porta Ticinese (find on map) along the wharf. Here you find everything Indian, South American and African craftwork, new and second-hand clothes, old furniture, perfumes, candles, books, comics, records, videos and DVDs.
“Festivalpark”: Every Saturday and Sunday at. 7 a.m.-3 p.m., here you find clothes, shoes, watches, toys, kitchenware, bicycles etc. This market is in Via Sacile (find on map) near Milan’s wholesale vegetable market.
Brera flea market
Flea markets in the outskirts of Milan.
First Sunday of the month Corsico on Via Togliatti (find on map)
Time: 7 a.m.-5 p.m
Second Sunday of the month Buccinasco on Via Emilia (find on map)
Time: 7 a.m.-5 p.m
Third Sunday of the month Corsico on Via Togliatti (find on map)
Time: 7 a.m.-5 p.m
Every third Sunday of the month at the flea market in Corsico, there’s a flea market for children. Here you can find games, books, clothes and lots of other stuff.. Time: 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Fourth Sunday of the month San Donato Milanese Snam parking place on via Emilia (find on map)
Time: 7 a.m.-5 p.m
Fifth Sunday of the month; San Donato Milanese Snam parking place on via Emilia (find on map)
In most countries we go directly to the restaurant and have a drink while we study the menu. In Milan you start with an aperitivo.
The aperitivo is an appetizer: a glass of wine or a cocktail with snacks, that you have before going out for dinner – at around 6-8 p.m..
Over the last couple of years the Milanese aperitivo, or as they call it happy hour, has evolved from being a quick cocktail into becoming an event that sometimes stretches over the entire night and the snacks have become a buffet, that doesn’t wake your appetite but stills your hunger.’
Via Tortona/Via Savona area:
Via Tortona /Via Savona (find on map) is an area with many cool brunch/lunch places and small boutiques and in the evening it’s a great place to have an aperitivo.
Gogol & Company 101, Via Savona (find on map) is a charming bookstore/art gallery/café/bar with a great aperitivo in unusual surroundings.Opening hours Tuesday-Sunday 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
Outside the beaten track but relatively close to MUDEC and Corso Vercelli:
Tagiura ristorante, 5,Via Tagiura (find on map) – not extremely central but an absolute must for aperitivo and lunch.
Isola area:
Another good area to have an aperitivo together with the Milanese in is the very cosy Isola area (find on map). The best street is Via P. Borsieri (find on map) where the legendary jazz place Blue Note is too.
Here you also find super cool and beautiful Café Gorille, 20, Via Gaetano de Castillia (find on map) which is rich on atmosphere.
Navigli area:
The Navigli area is also rich on aperitivo places such as Manhattan Navigli at 13, Ripa di Porta Ticinese (find on map).
Mag café at 43, Ripa di Porta Ticinese (find on map).
Porta Romana Area:
Swami Cafë (find on map) – near Porta Romana, 12, Viale Montenero.
Lacerba Cocktail bar, 4, Via Orti (find on map) in the Porta Romana area. This place is fast becoming one of the favourites with the choosy Milanese.
Brera area:
God save the food, 1, Piazza del Carmine (find on map) high quality buffet and cocktails right in the center of Milan in Brera.
Terrazza di Maison Moschino, Hotel Moschino,(find on map) it is a little pricier than most places (10-15€). It’s on 12, Viale Monte Grappa , super chic and very fashion.
Radetzky €€ 105, Corso Garibaldi (find on map) 8-1.30 am Monday to Thursday, 8-2 am Friday and Saturday and 10-1.30 am Sunday, not the cheapest place in Milan but great location and service.
On your way back from a shopping tour Tramè is a great place to have an aperitivo, in the middle of Brera and very lively (find on map) you may already know the place from a lunch! You won’t get any snacks here, just an excellent drink but you can try some of their delicious sandwiches with it, but you have to buy those on the side..
Porta Vittoria area:
That’s Vapore 5, Corso di Porta Vittoria (find on map).
Corso Buenos Aires area.
MINT Garden café, 12, Via Felice Casati (find on map) a very cool place to have your aperitivo near Corso Buenos Aires.
Pandenus,15, Via Alessandro Tadino (find on mapt) has great cocktails, a fantastic buffet and a super cozy atmosphere.
Nottingham Forest, 1, Viale Piave (find on map) it has made it to the prestigious list of 50 Great Bars of the World published by the English Class Magazine. Very international crowd and their cocktails are pure molecular science.
Bar Basso, 39, Via Plinio (find on map) One of Milan’s historical cocktailbars, Inventors of the drink Negroni Sbagliato. Close to shopping area Corso Buenos Aires.
Mimmo
In the same area you’ll find Settimo Senso, 19, Viale Abruzzi (find on map) – Good and cheap, super service!
And then there is Mimmo very close to Porta Venezia at 34, Via Sirtori (find on map)
If you want a gourmet experience, then try out these amazing places at reasonable prices. We have also selected the best vegan restaurants in Milan – look for VEGAN in the list.
We would love to hear from you so if you feel like sharing your opinion about the restaurants on our list or know a place you’d like to recommend then use our form here.
If you do choose to dine at a restaurant with Michelin stars (1-2) you should expect to spend around €130 per person.
Italian restaurants generally have very high standards and one thing Italians are really into, is quality food. So it’s a good idea to follow the locals around lunch and dinner time.
Food is one of the most important aspects of life in this country; Italians discuss what they’ll have for dinner while they’re having lunch, So if a restaurant has a lot of Italian guests you are sure to eat well.
Besides the names you can find in the Michelin guide we recommend the following places. The price levels are varied – € 20-30, €€ 30-50, €€€ >50 – but note that it isn’t necessary to spend a fortune to eat well.
Langosteria Café 4, Galleria del Corso (find on map) right in the center of the city
Brera.
Pizzeria Sibilla, 14, Via Mercato (find on map). Phone +390239663561 great pizza but come early, you cannot make reservations here. €
Carminio, 3, Via del Carmine (find on map) Phone +390272022992. Known for the menu which changes from day to day depending on the best fresh ingredients of the moment. €€/€€€
Temakinho which boasts three of the hottest restaurants in Milan right now. One is in 53, Corso Garibaldi(find on map). Phone +390272016158 €/€€
Risoelatte 6, Via Manfredo Camperio (find on map) Phone +390239831040. Charming little restaurant furnished in the style of the sixties, homemade cooking. €€
El Tombon de San Marc, a wonderful restaurant with traditional Lombard cuisine, you need to book a tbale here for both lunch and dinner 20,, Via San Marco (find on map), Phone +39026599507. €/€€
Trattoria Masuelli San Marco 80, Viale Umbria (find on map) Phone +390255184138 , this place is a real gem with northern Italian cuisine at its very best and an incredible atmosphere. €€
I 12 Gatti 11/12, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele (corner 1, Piazza della Scala) (find on map) Phone +390236594689, located on top of the Galleria with an amazing view it’s a must-see. €/€€
Antica Foccacceria San Francesco 15, Via San Paolo (find on map) Phone +3902875411, genuine Sicilian Food in the heart of Milan. €/€€
Langosteria Café, 4, Galleria del Corso (find on map) Phone +390276018167 excellent seafood and service €€€
Piz, 34, Via Torino (find on map) Phone +390286453482. Milan’s best Neapolitan Pizza, the menu only features 3 kinds of pizzas but they are absolutely worth the wait. Be prepared for a line but it moves quickly €
Cracco, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II (find on map) Phone +3902876774. 1-star Michelin restaurant. €€€
Parco Sempione area.
Terrazza Triennale 6, Viale Emilio Alemagna (find on map) Phone +390236644340 possibly the most amazing view in Milan and incredible food. €€/€€€
Antica Pizzeria Leone, 9, Via Carlo Ravizza (find on map) Phone+390248001829, good Nepolitan pizza. €
Pizza Lievità, 11, Via Carlo Ravizza (find on map) Phone +390284561374. good Neapolitan pizza. €
There is an excellent restarant near this area, it requires you to take the metro from the DeAngeli station and get off at Primaticcio and then walk about 5 minutes but it really is one of Milan’s gastronomical gems and has 2 Michelin stars called IL Luogo di Aimo e Nadia at 6, Via Privata Raimondo Cuccoli (find on map) Phone +3902416886. €€€
Navigli area.
Hostaria Certe Notti 16, Via Giovanni Enrico Pestalozzi (find on map) Phone +390289122631. the specialty of the house is “Gnocco Fritto” (appetizer) €/€€
Antica Osteria Del Mare 105, Via Cardinal Ascanio Sforza (find on map) Phone +390289546534. Seafood €€
Temakinho, 37, Ripa di Porta Ticinese (find on map) Phone+39028356134, at the moment one of the hottest restaurants in Milan especially for lunch. €/€€
Al Coniglio Bianco, 12, Alzaia Naviglio Grande (find on map)Phone +390258100910 .Typical local food from Lombardy. €/€€
Antica Foccacceria San Francesco 15, Via San Paolo (find on map) Phone +3902875411, genuine Sicilian food in the heart of Milan €/€€
Il Caffè della Pusterla, 22, Via Edmondo de Amicis (find on map) Phone +390283633659. A typical Milanese place, where you can get anything from breakfast to dinner. Fantastic atmosphere. €/€€
Porta Venezia area
Mandarin 2, 22A, Via Garofalo (find on map) Phone +39022664147. An unusual combination of Sicilian and Chinese cuisine €€
If you’re with your children in Milan then buy 3 day’s access to the civic museums for just €12 an adult (under-18s don’t pay). You can get it online or, easier, at the ticket sale at the first museum you visit. There are lunch ideas mentioned after every museum.
Rent a different bike for the kids at the park. In the Giardini Pubblici Indro Montanelli (find on map) and Parco Sempione (find on map)you can rent the beautiful originale 3-wheel take bike Alternative Byki from 1959,it costs €5 for 20 minutes.
Museo nazionale scienza e tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci. The Leonardo Da Vinci museum is a must for children from age 6 and up. There is enoughentertainment to last you several hours on a rainy day.
The most diversely talented person ever to have lived is painter, inventor etc. Leonardo da Vinci, and Italy’s national technical museum, located in Milan, is also his official museum. It combines the chance to actually try out some of his inventions with the more traditional exhibitions.
Ideas for lunch. Eat some pizza or foccacia on the square in front of the musum, Buy it here: Panificio Sant’Ambrogio, 3, Via San Vittore (find on map) Ristoro Monterosso, 11, Via San Vittore (find on map)
Museo di Storia naturale – Dinosaurs and other monsters
Museo di Storia Naturale is yet a perfect place for children from age 6 if they like dinosaur skeletons and everything to do with wild beasts. Unfortunately the homepage for the museum is only in Italian and rather dry but the museum itself is excellent.
It’s located in a great park with a wooden jungle gym and a really cozy outdoor café, BAR BIANCO where you can get coffee, ice cream, frozen yogurt, soft drinks and lunch. The park also houses a genuine old-fashioned merry-go-round, a little train and bumper cars for very young kids.
Milan Cathedral (Duomo)
The city cathedral is very impressive on the outside and rather gloomy on the inside. You should spend your time visiting the roof which has an extraordinary view of the whole city and when the weather is clear you can see the Alps in the background. Either take the elevator up or get a fun experience walking all the way up the crooked old stone staircase
You can go get lunch at either Luini (find on map) or Mama Burger (find on map) – both good cheap lunch places.
Castello Sforzesco
The city’s impressive medieval castle Castello Sforzesco where you can choose to just walk right through the beautiful courtyards to the Sempione park, which contains playgrounds and ample lawns where you can have your sandwiches, you can eat at Bar Bianco (find on map) or try the incredibly vast choice of sandwiches at the kiosk on Piazza Castello left of the fountain when coming from Piazza Cairoli.
On the other side of the park you find the entrance to the design museum Triennale di Milano.
But you could also visit the inside of the castle, where there are various art museums, displaying historical weapons, paintings, musical instruments and furniture. Especially the weapons tend to appeal to kids.
Take a trip on the tram.
It’s really kind of awesome and cheap entertainment at €1,50 for adults (it’s a regular ticket for public transport and children under 11 don’t pay when accompanied by an adult, every adult with a valid ticket can bring 2 children under 11). Milan has old, very elegant trams that were built between 1928 and 1932. Remember to purchase the ticket before you get on the tram. You can get them at newsstands (edicole) and some bars.
If you are up to it, you can now get bikesharing bikes for kids at the weekend. Read about the new BikeMi Junior here.
If you are here between the months of June and September there are public swimmingpools in Milan. Read more here.
Check also our post on classic sightseeing here. Milan offers canal tours and double-deckers.
Milan is an amazing city for night life and there are lots of clubs and Piazzas where you meet the young, the rich and the beautiful – and perhaps the famous.
The club scene is very young most places. a good rule is that the average age is higher Fridays (20-25) than Saturdays (16-21), because high school students have school on Saturday (!) here. Remember not to go earlier than midnight/1.00 p.m
\ Cavalli Club – For a more adult crowd (25-40). It’s located in Via Luigi Camoens, right next to Torre Branca and the museum Triennale di Milano (find on map).
Do you prefer bars to clubs If you’re not that crazy about clubs, the area around Le colonne di San Lorenzo (here is the map) is full of cool bars with outdoor service and lots of life on Friday and Saturday nights..
And of course you mustn’t miss the Naviglio district (See map here) This area is packed with cool bars – just to mention a few: \ Spazio Movida \ Rocket
One of the classics for nightlife by Corso Magenta (find on map). \ Bar Magenta
Two fantastic places with great cocktails on a high level in the area around Bocconi University (See the map here): \ Pravda \ Zinc
