Aperitivo in Milan
Aperitivo in Milan is a central part of the culture as in other main cities of Italy where there are more bars than grocery stores. Milan’s aperitivo scene is lively and widespread across most neighbourhoods. A good aperitivo is more than just the drink alone. It’s a combination of the perfect refreshing cocktail, nibbles to tide you over before dinner, and the kind of atmosphere that allows you to sit back and while away the time as afternoon turns to evening. In summertime the streets are packed as people socialise with an Aperol or Negroni, relaxing after a long day of work. Usually when you purchase a drink during aperitivo hour, complimentary snacks are offered ranging from olives and chips brought to your table, or an entire buffet of hot and cold food. It would be an endless list to name all of Milan’s best aperitivo spots but the below is a place to start.
Brera
Brera is known as the design district of Milan and one of the most beautiful areas of the city. Characterised by cobbled streets, old buildings with juliet balconies and colourful shutters, ancient churches, boutique clothing stores, artisinal perfumeries, galleries and designer furniture stores. There are also many restaurants and bars found in the narrow laneways.
Cinc is in the heart of the Brera with a few outdoor tables, potted olive trees and vintage bikes parked outside. It’s in a pedestrian-only street looking onto an ancient building that used to be a church. It’s small enough to feel intimate and still offer plenty of people-watching entertainment.
cincbrera.it
Via Marco Formentini, 5, 20121 Milano
God Save the Food is a small chain of four eateries throughout Milan. A favourite among models at fashion week in the Tortona area for its big salads, sandwiches, fresh juices and coffees. The Brera outpost on the other hand, is a popular spot for aperitivo. Right outside a 15th-century Romanesque church in the cobblestoned Piazza del Carmine, it’s the perfect place to relax with an Aperol. Help yourself to the aperitivo buffet of snacks inside.
godsavethefood.it
Piazza del Carmine, 1, 20121 Milano
Between Brera and San Marco is N’Ombra de Vin. Although there are a few tables on the street outside for summer days, this wine bar is a place to keep you warm in winter. Cocooned in the dim lighting, high beamed ceilings, arches, columns and wall to wall bottles of wine, you’ll find yourself unwrapping your scarf and shedding your layers in no time. This family business first opened in 1973 by Venetian Giacomo Cora. In this very cellar during the 5th Century the Friars of the Augostine order had their refectory or dining room. Napoleon’s army even frequented these cellars as well as the great Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Visitors like these suggest what importance this locale has had to the city of Milan over the centuries. Giacomo Cora transformed the old walls of these historical cellars into a wine shop which still boasts the best wines from both France and Italy today. Now under the direction of Cristiano Cora since 2007, N’ombra de Vin has evolved into a vibrant venue with a gourmet bistro, evening wine tastings, events and live music with DJ sets.
nombradevin.it
Via San Marco 2, 20121 Milano
Carrobbio
Il Chiosco Mentana is a little drinks kiosk in the middle of a quiet piazza in central Milan. Locals park their vespas in front and sit at one of the small tables or stand around the piazza with their cocktails. When the weather is nice, this open-air spot is a gem.
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Piazza Mentana, 20123
Naviglio
One of the busiest areas in Milan for aperitivo with an abundance of bars lining the canals, the Naviglio area draws crowds every night of the week.
La Prosciutteria is the best place for a glass of wine and wooden boards piled high with freshly sliced prosciutto, cheese, bread and house made dips. Sit outside to admire views of the canal or inside where legs of prosciutto hang from the ceilings and wheels of cheese are piled high throughout the rustic rooms. There are other branches of La Proscuitteria throughout Milan and other main cities of Italy.
laprosciutteria.com/milano
Ripa di Porta Ticinese, 53, 20143 Milano
Mag Café is a coffee spot by day and a bar by night. Sit in one of the carved-out wine barrels with a perfectly shaken cocktail and selection of nibbles with a front row view of the canal. Need to escape the rain? Huddle inside amongst the eclectic collection of vintage knick-knacks that decorate the room.
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Ripa di Porta Ticinese, 43, 20143 Milano
Backdoor43 is next door to Mag Café and owned by the same team but it’s unlikely that you’ll notice it. When every bar on the canal is packed wall to wall, Backdoor43 is not a bad fallback option. Claiming to be the smallest bar in the world, the 4-metre square cocktail bar passes takeaway drinks through a little window in the wall by a mysterious masked barman. A speakeasy like you’ve never seen before. Take your cocktails and go for a stroll!
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Ripa Di Porta Ticinese 43, 20143 Milano
Ticinese
La Fonderie Milano leads you into a back lane, through some tall metal gates and into what feels like a secret pebbled courtyard before you even get to the front door. Choose from inside seating next to the long open buffet of aperitivo nibbles, or outside in the back-garden area. Order a drink and help yourself to the amazing spread of hot and cold food. Book a table in advance if you want to avoid waiting.
fonderiemilanesi.it
Via Giovenale, 7, 20136 Milano
Colonne di San Lorenzo is a lively area amongst Milan’s youth in the evenings. A little grungier and closer to the Naviglio, this piazza is home to an ancient church- Basilica of San Lorenzo and ancient roman ruins of old columns and frescos. Visit one of the bars in the vicinity or grab a takeaway and sit in the piazza to take in the surroundings.
Piazza di San Lorenzo, Corso di Porta Ticinese, 20123 Milano
Sixieme is an interesting concept bar with an ancient inner courtyard. A tranquil oasis of greenery in the busy centre of Milan. Like a cross between an art gallery and a bar, Sixieme focuses on minimalism with beautifully crafted signature cocktails and modern food.
sixieme-bistro.com
Via Scaldasole, 7, 20123 Milano
Garibaldi
Want to brush shoulders with the who’s who of Milan? 10 Corso Como is a designer fashion boutique that doubles as a renowned bar. Small tables are dotted through a courtyard that’s covered in vines and greenery. Former fashion editor and publisher Carla Sozzani conceived 10 Corso Como with the gallery and bookshop at its core, surrounded by food, fashion, music, art, lifestyle and design. At the time of opening in the early 90s it was quite new and radical for the retail space to have such a collaborative outlook and was labelled as a “concept store” which is now very popular in today’s scene.
10corsocomo.com
Corso Como, 10, 20154 Milano
Cimmino 104 is located between Garibaldi and Moscova metro stations right next to the iconic Gucci mural. Crowds gather here on the street outside at aperitivo time due to its location embedded in one of the business hubs of the city. A stone’s throw from Corso Como and Brera, its convenient location and opportunity for bar hopping across a number of different watering holes makes this a great spot to start the night.
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Corso Garibaldi, 104, 20121 Milano
Chinatown
If you find yourself in Chinatown or are looking for an aperitivo spot before a Chinese dinner, there’s no better place than Cantine Isola. The little wine bar was born in 1896 under Giovanni Isola. A hole in the wall on the main road of China Town, it gets packed wall to wall with people most nights. Join the queue for the bar and enjoy a glass from their extensive, curated list of wines.
cantineisola.com/it/
Via Paolo Sarpi, 30, 20154 Milano
Citta Studi
Bar Basso is the one and only place to go if you want a truly old school aperitivo experience. Here is where the Negroni Sbagliato originates and cocktails here were being served to thirsty locals of Milan in 1947 before cocktails and sprits had even become readily available to the public, only served in upscale hotels for the wealthy. Don’t expect any trendy décor or modern dishes here. This is as classic as they come.
barbasso.com
Via Plinio, 39, 20020 Milano
