Milan often gets a bad rap; it’s cold and gray, drab and industrial, they say. But that’s just because they don’t know it well enough. As the focal point of a whole host of creative trades, Milan might actually be one of Italy’s most dynamic and forward-looking cities, with the places to prove it. Also, rather unfortunately, the metropolis is often treated as a stopover point to more glamorous vacation spots like Lago di Como; to truly get a taste of Lombardy, it’s best to spend a few days in both. Here, 34 places to experience the best of Milan and Como (and avoid the tourist traps of the latter).
RESTAURANTS
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LA LIBERA
One of Milan’s first specialty breweries, La Libera has expanded its menu since 1979 to offer craft beers, wine options, and an expansive menu of creative dishes. We love that they kept the original bar, which pairs well with repurposed vintage furniture, vibrant orange walls, and the warm presence of the proprietary duo, friends Gino and Italo. Must Order: Risotto al salto, costoletta alla milanese, gelato al forno, and fichi gratinati allo zabaione.
VIA PALERMO 21, 20121 MILANO
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BAR QUADRONNO
Come to this down-to-earth, wood-paneled bar for the epic pressed sandwiches. If you’re feeling a little nuts–and trusting–order the “Pazza idea !!!!! ???”, made according to whatever crazy idea the barista has that day.
VIA QUADRONNO 34, 20122 MILANO
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TRIPPA
This place is the lovechild of street food, our grandmother’s cooking, and a trattoria. As the name suggests, the focus at this cozy, small trattoria is on tripe and lesser-used cuts of meat, though the fresh pastas are also excellent. It’s the type of home-cooked food we love to eat, but not necessarily to make ourselves. Book ahead! Must Order: Vitello tonnato, trippa fritta.
VIA GIORGIO VASARI 1, 20135 MILANO
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FIORAIO BIANCHI CAFFÈ
This flower shop/bistro in the heart of Brera, Milan’s trendiest neighborhood, has a cozy, Parisian vibe. The interior is decorated by an abundance of flowers, all available for purchase, and you can also order tailor-made arrangements. Their lunch and dinner menus boast dishes as elegant as the bouquets, though you can also stop in during the morning for just a coffee, pastry, and to pick up a few fresh stems.
VIA MONTEBELLO 7, 20121 MILANO
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TRATTORIA DEL NUOVO MACELLO
The costoletta is the reason to come here. Nuovo Macello encapsulates the enduring spirit of old Milan while constantly renovating its cuisine with an elevated, creative touch. Must Order: The costoletta done the original way, the mondeghili, and salami.
VIA CESARE LOMBROSO 20, 20137 MILANO
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LA FAGURIDA
Ask for a table on the balcony overlooking the lake and delight in an expansive menu of roasted meats and fish. Choose polenta uncia as an accompaniment, and wash it all down with a glass of something local while watching the colors change over the waters.
VIA ROGARO 17, 22016 TREMEZZO
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OSTERIA SALI E TABACCHI
This osteria, opened by the Lafranconi family 20 years ago, focuses on the excellences of the territory: find a filet of daily-caught fishes with rosemary potatoes and panna cotta with meino crumble and raspberry sauce, all served in a homey environment. Choose one of the few tables outside for a bit of people watching.
PIAZZA S. ROCO 3, 23826 MANDELLO DEL LARIO
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ITTITURISMO RISTORANTE MELLA
One of the best seafood restaurants in town, Ittiturismo offers tasting menus–showcasing the freshwater fish of the lake, of course–in a charmingly rustic room with views of the lake.
PIAZZA S. GIOVANNI BATTISTA 6, 22021 BELLAGIO
FOR A SNACK
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PAVÉ
Across town in Milan’s fashionable Porta Venezia is Pavé, a contemporary pastry shop and café founded in 2012 by three friends hoping to make an artisanal bakery cool. The result is an industrial-style space marked by mismatched furniture, an open kitchen, and the best pain au chocolat outside of Paris. Expect more flaky, buttery, laminated pastries, naturally leavened focaccias, and bright, fresh fare for lunch and brunch. Pavé is also a great coworking spot during the week.
VIA FELICE CASATI 27, 29124 MILANO
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PASTICCERIA SISSI
Wes Anderson vibes and a fantastic brioche alla crema; join the queue outside this tiny but beloved Milanese bar in the east of the city. Owned by an Italian-Senegalese family and packed to the rafters every weekend, Sissi serves up an excellent array of pastries (both sweet and savory), along with impeccable service. Get there early for a table in the intimate garden at the back, loveliest in the spring when the wisteria blooms.
PIAZZA RISORGIMENTO 6, 20129 MILANO
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LOSTE CAFÉ
This modern bakery doles out sourdough loaves, delicate pastries, and fantastic Italian coffee in a Scandi-style space. There are two locations–one on Via Guicciardini in the city center and one on Via Varesina on the outskirts–from which to pick up cardamom buns, laminated with coffee and orange, or double-baked almond croissants. Come lunchtime, there’s also a tight, thoughtful menu of seasonal plates.
VIA FRANCESCO GUICCIARDINI 3, 20129 MILANO
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ORSONERO
At the forefront of Milan’s specialty coffee scene, this minimalist’s favorite is run by Italian-Canadian couple Giulia Gasperini and has become a go-to for flat whites, iced lattes, pour overs, and mono-origin espressos. Their house-blend coffee is prepared especially for Orsonero by local roaster His Majesty The Coffee.
VIA GIUSEPPE BROGGI 15, 20129 MILANO
FOR A DRINK
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BAR BASSO
This iconic 1950s bar invented the internet-famous Negroni Sbagliato–and you better believe the cocktail, served in comically large glasses, is still one of the best in the city. The vintage red neon sign, grand chandeliers, pink walls and ceilings, and staff in starched white button-downs have become somewhat iconic; stylish with a touch of humor.
VIA PLINIO 39, 20133 MILANO
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OSTERIA ALLA CONCORRENZA
The focus is on local producers at this cozy wine bar near Porta Venezia. Order the tagliere with topnotch prosciutto or a selection of the creative crostone. Written on a chalkboard menu, the daily options include the likes of pancetta and artichokes, or taleggio and mostarda.
VIA MELZO 12, 20129 MILANO
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E/N ENOTECA NATURALE
In the Casa Emergency building near the Basilica of Sant’Eustorgio, Enoteca Naturale has a fantastic range of natural wines, hand selected by Rocco, who, with the owners, has built a lively wine bar that has become a place of reference for the city. The beautiful garden is a godsend during the hotter months.
VIA SANTA CROCE 19/A, 20122 MILANO
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BOTTEGA E CAFFÈ DA LUCIANO
This little, family-run bottega could not be more perfect for a lakeside aperitivo (though it’s also a great lunch option!). Stools and a counter allow you to wine and dine outside with the water practically lapping at your toes. Order the tartare and the affettati, a platter of local cured meats (which you can also purchase from the bottega to take home).
VIA VECCHIA REGINA 61, 22010 LAGLIO
TO VISIT
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TRIENNALE DI MILANO
Milan’s leading museum of art and design, Triennale di Milano–housed in the Parco Sempione’s Palazzo dell’Arte, designed and built by Giovanni Muzio in the 30s–offers a permanent collection with seminal works of Italian design, rotating exhibitions, concerts, and other public events.
VIALE EMILIO ALEMAGNA 6, 20121 MILANO
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CASA MUSEO BOSCHI DI STEFANO
One of the Milan municipality’s museums, Casa Museo Boschi Di Stefano might have the greatest collections of 20th-century art in the city. Thanks to couple Antonio Boschi and Marieda Di Stefano, who acquired 1,817 artworks, over 200 are on display on the second floor of a residential building designed by Piero Portaluppi. Here, in what the founders called an “inhabited museum”, you can find art by the likes of Lucio Fontana, Giorgio Morandi, and Pablo Picasso.
VIA GIORGIO JAN 15, 20129 MILANO
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FONDAZIONE PRADA (AND BAR LUCE)
In a complex of buildings designed by Rem Koolhaas, find rotating contemporary art exhibitions under the chairmanship of Miuccia Prada and her husband Patrizio Bertelli. For post museum refreshment, head to the on-grounds Bar Luce; in 2015, American director Wes Anderson not-so-accidentally designed this café complete with formica furniture, retro arcade games, and pastels on pastels.
L.GO ISARCO 2, 20139 MILANO
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VILLA NECCHI CAMPIGLIO
A 1930s rationalist masterpiece designed by Milanese architect Piero Portaluppi, this villa was once a summer residence for the wealthy, industrialist Necchi Campiglio family; the travertine floors, boxed in with green marble, the monolithic stone fireplace, and the large sliding doors made of German silver all demonstrate the high standard of living of the Milanese industrial bourgeoisie. Now a museum with decorative arts, paintings, period furniture, and Art Deco interiors, Villa Necchi Campiglio also forms the backdrop of Luca Guadagnino’s 2009 film I Am Love (Io sono l'amore) starring Tilda Swinton.
VIA MOZART 14, 20122 MILANO
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NESSO
Take a Riva boat and head to the secret waterfall of Nesso, which plummets down through the middle of the village and into the lake; one of the most picturesque spots on the lake, Nesso certainly gives weight to Como’s fairytale reputation!
NESSO, 22020 COMO
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GALLERIA RAMO
This contemporary art gallery in Como city center is a minimalist’s dream. With rotating exhibitions and artist residencies, Galleria Ramo is managed by couple Simon and Benedetta, who certainly have a fantastic eye.
VIA GEROLAMO BORSIERI 4/D, 22100 COMO
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COMO-BRUNATE FUNICULAR
Via funicular, head up to Brunate, a pretty village perched at 715 meters above sea level where, thanks to the fresh breeze, you can get a bit of respite during the warmer summer months and, above all, enjoy the exceptional views of the Alps and the lake.
VICOLO DUOMO 22100 COMO
TO STROLL
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LABORATORIO PARAVICINI
Tucked away in Via Nerino 8–inside a secret courtyard in the historical center of Milan–this atelier was founded in the early 90s by Costanza Paravicini, who was inspired to create high-quality, handmade tableware that could be used everyday, not just on special occasions. Since then, the laboratory has become popular around the city for its tableware, vases, and tea and coffee sets–a must for those looking for a creative yet refined table.
VIA NERINO 8, 20123 MILANO
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RAW MILANO
This interior design store has a stunning collection of vintage objects–from wicker baskets to kitchen accessories, plush armchairs to delicate china–alongside some contemporary options in a multi-room space.
CORSO MAGENTA 10, 20123 MILANO
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CARGO MILANO
On the northern outskirts of the metropolis, this furniture shop and concept store in the old Ovomaltina factory is one of the hippest spaces in Milan and doubles as a café and co-working space.
VIA PRIVATA ANTONIO MEUCCI 43, 20128 MILANO
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THE CLOISTER
Just a few minutes from the Duomo, this vintage clothing store in a Milanese palazzo has a beautifully curated collection of clothes, mid-century furniture, contemporary design objects, and books and magazines from independent publishers, including the Italy Segreta Quotidianno.
VIA VALPETROSA 5, 20123 MILANO
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TALEA LAKE COMO
A greenhouse turned concept store and event space, Talea sells beautiful antiques from all over Italy, as well as organic products, plants, herbs, and flowers grown on couple/owners Giorgia and Davide’s farm. Local artisans also contribute hand-crafted objects made especially for the shop–farmhouse chic at its finest. (In the summer, they can also organize picnics in the meadows of their farm, right by the lake.)
VIA CAROLINA PULICI 31, 22032 ALBESE CON CASSANO
HOTELS
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MAISON BORELLA
In a city of high-end hotel options, it’s hard to find someplace that actually feels homey. Architect-owned Maison Borella, right on the Navigli canals, easily fills that gap. In a former balustraded home with an internal courtyard, the boutique hotel offers cozy, simple, and well-priced rooms, each of which is charmingly different.
IZAIA NAVIGLIO GRANDE 8, 20144 MILANO
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ALBERGO DIFFUSO CÀ SPIGA
Wooden beds, pastel walls, and lakefront rooms; simplicity doesn’t get better than this albergo and b&b in Torriggia.
VIA TORRIGGIA ALTA 10, 22010 LAGLIO
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PALAZZO ALBRICCO PEREGRINI
Inside the medieval walls of Como city center stands this 15th-century palazzo turned luxury boutique hotel. Managed by the attentive and passionate Lidia–alongside Noa, the hotel mascot and family golden retriever–Palazzo Albricci Peregrini is designed with family heirlooms and unique artisan-made furniture–the best place to live the fairytale of Como.
VIA GIUSEPPE ROVELLI 28, 22100 COMO
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21 HOUSE OF STORIES NAVIGLI
In a pretty, lively neighborhood, a modern, conceptual and very pleasant hotel! We loved the friendly staff and the delicious breakfast.
7 VIA ASCANIO SFORZA, NAVIGLI, 20136 MILANO
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