The capital of the Lombardy region in northern Italy and one of the major centers of world fashion, design and finance. Attracting millions of visitors every year for its rich historical, artistic and cultural heritage and as a fashion center, Milan is home to the gothic architectural marvel Duomo di Milano Cathedral and famous for Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” inside Santa Maria delle Grazie. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, La Scala Opera House, Pinacoteca di Brera, Fondazione Prada are other prominent buildings in the city.
Milan is a city that offers visitors different experiences in every season; We have been to Milan 5 times so far, and this is the main reason why we are still as excited as if we were going for the first time. The city has a vibrant life that always offers something new. It may not be as full of historical buildings as other popular destinations in Italy, but here you can always find a story to excite you. When planning your trip, making decisions based on the calendar of events and the weather is the best way to fully explore the city.
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When to go to Milan?
Milan can be visited all year round, but the ideal seasonal period is March-May (Spring). The weather is mild this time of year, the city is lively and the parks are colorful.
How many days to spend in Milan?
Milan is a big city; It would not be possible to visit it in just 1 day, you can only see its most famous buildings in 1 day. We think 4 days would be ideal to fully understand the city. If you want to go to Lake Como or Garda, you can dedicate a day to it. Or take a day trip to the nearby cities of Turin, Parma, Modena, Bologna, Verona or Genoa. Italy’s well-developed train lines make these cities accessible.
Transportation in Milan:
First of all, you need to get to Milan, with direct flights from Turkey to Malpensa and Bergamo airports. From the airports you can take a bus for 10-12euro to Centrale, the city’s central train station. The return is the same way. You can check out the tickets here.
If you are flying from within Europe, Linate airport is very close to the city. It would be good to prefer this airport too.
There are daily and single-ride transportation cards in the city. It is sold at metro stations. Instead of buying a single boarding pass, it is also possible to pay directly with your bank card in the metro, trams and buses. A single boarding ticket costs 2,20euro, a day ticket costs 7,6euro and a three-day ticket costs 13euro. Check the ticketshere.
In Milan, you can taste the best of Lombardy and Genovese cuisine. Our favorites from Milan, full of trattorias, 200-year-old patisseries, delightful aperitivo and original cocktail places:
Restaurants:
Aperitivo & Bars:
Patisserie/Bakery:
Coffee/café:
Street flavors of Milan:
• Rost Eat Navigli – Here you should eat Arrosticini, which we can call the Italian Çöp Şiş, and P11, one of the paninis.
– Zia Esterina Sorbillo 1935 – Here you can try pizza fritta.
– Luini Panzerotti – This is the most popular panzerotti place in the city, not bad.
– Bar Due Spade – This place is near Navigli, they make panzerotti every 2 weeks on Sundays, incredibly successful. Current menus and contact details can be found here.
For gelato:
What to see:
🌳Parks we love:
The cuisine of Milan and Lombardy is famous for the region’s rich agriculture and dairy products. Here are some dishes and products typical of traditional Milanese and Lombardy cuisine:
The afternoon cocktail hour is a Milanese tradition where you can enjoy a drink and light snacks.
Aperitivo is undoubtedly our favorite Italian tradition. An appetizer designed to whet your appetite, a pre-dinner (or post-dinner, if you prefer) snack plate accompanied by delicious cocktails.
It is not known when in history the first aperitivo took place. However, when we research, aperitivo is often the name of Antonio Benedetto Carpano, who created one of the first vermouth varieties in Turin in 1786.
Aperitivo, the Italian way of enjoying a glass of wine / a light cocktail and snacks – usually between 7 and 9 pm – is loved by everyone. In time, this simple tradition spread throughout Italy.
After a tiring city tour, it’s a good way to experience the local culture, sit at one of the tables lining the sidewalks, people watch, relax with a drink and enjoy the nice weather if possible.
In Milan, aperitivo is very popular. Aperitivo places are also numerous, so you can find a good one almost anywhere in the city.
U Barba Bottega if you are near Brera, Camparino serving since 1915 if you are near Duomo, Egalite if you are around Porta Venezia or La Prosciutteria with branches in different parts of Milan are pleasant addresses for this tradition.
If the weather is good, one of the best places to catch a good sunset is Navigli, famous for its canals. There are many places to go for aperitivo in the streets of Navigli, where the nightlife is very lively. That is why there is always activity on both sides of the canal.
Our favorite places for aperitivo in Navigli:
@grammcafe
@magcafe
@ginododici
@ugococktailbar
@florenoteca.milano
Our favorite street food and the addresses where you can find it!
Pizza al taglio: A type of pizza you can find everywhere, served with a thick pizza dough and topped with delicious cheeses.
Focaccia: An Italian bread with plenty of olive oil, crispy on the outside and porous on the inside. The classic version with fresh tomatoes, rosemary and sea salt is the most delicious.
Panzerotti: Discovered in the south of Italy, this delicacy is a fried dough with a filling. Although reminiscent of Calzone in shape and style, they are different products. Due Spade preparing Pugliese Panzerotti is one of our favorite places for this. But it only happens every other Saturday. It’s good to ask before you go.
Luini is Milan’s most famous place for panzerotti. Try the classic with tomato & mozzarella filling.
Pizza Fritta: This street delicacy is also deep-fried. There are two variants where ingredients are added before and after the frying process. We liked the one with tomato sauce and mozzarella filling, it was a bit fattier than panzerotti. Again, a popular address for this flavor around the Duomo: Zia Esterina Sorbillo
Arrosticini: It comes from the Abruzzo region of Italy, which has produced many chefs. It is flavored with oil, vinegar and salt. We can say that it is definitely more aromatic in taste compared to our çöpşiş. Slices of bread, also toasted with oil and salt, are served with it. After wandering around the cocktail bars around Navigli, Rost Eat was tried & loved in Milan.
Orecchiette: We couldn’t try it because it was closed when we visited, but it is a popular street food. Orecchiette type pasta served with your choice of toppings.
Gelato: The general name given to ice cream in Italy. The most common varieties are Fior di Latte and Stracciatella. Gelateria Concordia and La Romana are our favorites.
Today we go to a 200-year-old patisserie, Marchesi 1824.
Pasticceria Marchesi has been around since 1824 and is a good representation of the Milanese style. This elegant space, with its designs, original flavors and craftsmanship, has been preserved as it was on day one. This historic shop is located on Via Santa Maria alla Porta.
There are also two later branches in Via Monte Napoleone and Galleria. Marchesi has expanded beyond the borders of Italy, with a shop in London’s Mayfair district. The brand’s growth has been driven by its incorporation into Prada. But what is impressive is that the impeccable craftsmanship is never lost as it grows.
We were fascinated by the old photos of Marchesi shared by dear @gamzebiran, who visited Milan shortly before us. Thanks to her for the inspiration. From the photos at the end you can see how well preserved this 200-year-old branch is.
Marchesi’s Pannetone and chocolates produced with original recipes are very famous. Here, as elsewhere, you can be served at the table or have a quick bite at the bar like an Italian and take a short trip back in time. Prices are more affordable at the bar, but if you’re served at the table, coffees cost 3-4€ and pastry products range from 4-9€ on average.
Marchesi 1824, with its 200-year-old shop, is definitely a must-visit in Milan. They open early in the morning, so catch them before they get crowded and enjoy the bar.
U Barba is one of the places in Milan that stands out for its Ligurian cuisine.
We met for the first time on our 2022 trip, when we visited U Barba Osteria Genovese in Porta Romana and loved it. See the last three photos for location photos of this osteria.
U Barba Bottega Genovese is the venue’s newly opened aperitivo bar in the Brera district. We can say that it is more in the center of the city and very pleasant.
From the bar, you can choose from U Barba’s specialties: homemade pastas, Genoa-style focaccia and salads. They have a smaller menu compared to Osteria.
Since we were only in the area for a short time, we tried the trofie pasta, focaccia and pizzas prepared with Liguria’s famous basil pesto and the farinata with chickpeas. It was nice that when they found out we were sharing a portion of pasta, they divided it into 3 and brought it to us. 💚🌿
We couldn’t try the fried seafood, but we were left speechless.
Our cocktail recommendation to accompany these flavors at U Barba is Genovese Spritz.
What makes U Barba’s focaccia so delicious is that, unlike the classics, it is prepared by adding fresh cheese between two thin layers of dough.
Focaccia, pizza and farinata as a trio for €15, fresh pastas for €12. The full menu and details are available on their website.
The ones we tried at Osteria, apart from the fresh pastas and focaccia, we loved one of the desserts. The Crema Bruciata Alla Vaniglia, reminiscent of Creme Brulee, was very successful.
U Barba should be added to Milan plans with its osteria and bottega concept. Because it is a kitchen you will never get bored in!
Porta Venezia is one of the most charming areas of Milan; We can say that it is a region where the city’s Art Nouveau buildings are exhibited.
We start our route from Giardini Indro Montanelli, one of the oldest parks and important green spaces of the city. The Milan Planetarium and National History Museum are also in the park;
When you walk along Corso Venezia, you start to see buildings built in many different styles. Be prepared to see brutalist architecture next to art-deco facades on streets bombed during the Second World War, or styles from completely different eras next to medieval courtyard buildings.
Casa Galimberti and Casa Guazzoni , both designed by architect Giovan Battista Bossi, welcome us, located on Via Marcello Malpighi. Both of these buildings, whose facades are designed with different techniques, are very elegant. They have elaborate ornaments.
Another building in the same area whose facade impressed us is Cinema Dumont. One of the first buildings in Italy designed specifically for cinema, it was once home to the Welsh brothers’ cinema. Now it is a library.
P. Luraschi, Sheraton Diana Majestic Hotel, Palazzo Castiglioni, Palazzo Berri Meregalli, Palazzo Sola Busca and Casa Campanini are some of the notable buildings in the neighborhood;
Built at the end of the 19th century, via Abramo Lincoln, with its colorful houses, is another unique street on this route.
We continue walking on Via Melzo in the direction of Porta Romana. The activity on the street affects us as much as the facades of the buildings.
Our flavor stops on this route are @egalite_milano, a successful bakery, Kanpai with its Japanese Bar concept, Pasta Fresca Brambilla with its fresh pastas, Crosta with its breads and innovative pizzas, Nottingham Forest with its cocktails, Cafezal and Loste Cafe for coffee, Amici della Pizza and MARGHE for pizza and Signor Lievito, a bakery that we can now call Porta Romana.
There is a unique route from Porta Venezia to Porta Romana. It is waiting to be discovered with its Art Nouveau buildings, flavor stops, lush green streets, museums and parks.
A trip to Italy cannot be without pizza. In fact, it would be more accurate to say that it is impossible not to try the places that stand out with their different styles of pizzas. One of our favorite pizza places in Milan with its Neapolitan dough is Marghe.
Marghe has previously been recognized as one of the best pizzerias in Italy and is considered one of the best pizza places in Milan.
Marghe has two branches, Via Cadore and Via Plinio. We ended our walk in Porta Venezia, where we fell in love with the Art Nouveau details, at the Marghe-Via Cadore branch.
Our choices were Stracciatella for starters and ‘nduja for pizzas. Pizzas range from €9-12. If you like a Neapolitan pizza with fluffy edges and soft dough, Marghe in Milan is the right address.
Milan’s most impressive aperitivo venue: Camparino! At the entrance to the Galleria and just opposite the Duomo di Milano is the city’s most delightful bar, which has become the symbol of the Milanese aperitivo.
Aperitivo is a unique Italian ritual. Camparino is a place that continues this tradition and has become a symbol of the city spirit. As you can understand from its name, the story of this establishment begins with Caffè Campari, opened in 1867 by Gaspare Campari, the inventor of Campari bitters, on the corner of Duomo square. According to legend, Gaspare Campari’s son Davide Campari was born in the same year, and even became the first person to be born in the Galleria. Davide Campari must not have been able to break away from the Galleria because he opened Camparino in 1915. Famous Italian artists designed and decorated the space together. The painter Angelo d’Andrea also designed the iconic mosaic inlays for Bar di Passo.
Camparino is quickly becoming a Milanese symbol. It becomes a meeting point where politicians and celebrities often stop by and chat over 1-2 Campari. The Camparino is one of the values that has remained intact despite the wars Milan has survived. A mixology venue where tradition and innovation come together. You can enjoy classic cocktails such as Negroni, Sbagliato and Americano, or try signature cocktails such as Coffee Negroni, Seltz on the Sea, Our favorites were Seltz on the Sea and Sbagliato.
Our favorite is Seltz on the Sea, a Bar di Passo cocktail with sea scents. It is prepared with Campari, raspberry Dry Vermouth, Seltz and orange liqueur. It is incredibly pleasant to spend time at the bar for an aperitivo. The salty rolls, olives and polenta chips that come with the drinks are also delicious. An impressive aperitivo experience awaits you in this place, which was previously named one of the 50 best bars in the world. If you prefer to hang out at the bar, cocktails are 8-9 euros, while for table service they are 13-16 euros and they definitely deserve this money.
