Milan Travel Guide
WANT TO KEEP THAT LA DOLCE VITA FEELING? HERE ARE JUST A FEW THINGS TO SEE/DO IF YOU OPT TO EXTEND YOUR STAY IN MILAN FOR A WHILE LONGER.
EAT
CRACCO
+39 02 876774 Corso Vittorio Emanuele IIMichelin-starred chef Carlo Cracco offers his innovative take on Milanese tradition in a chic, modern space. In addition to the a la carte menu, two different tasting menus are available, one focusing on tradition, the other which allows Cracco to indulge his more experimental leanings. With modern twists on traditional Milanese dishes, this restaurant plays on contrasts of textures, flavours and colours.
ANTICA TRATTORIA DELLA PESA
+39 02 6555741 Viale Pasubio, 10La Pesa, as the Milanese call it, is one of Milan’s most-loved culinary spots and one of the oldest restaurants in town, placed right next to Corso Como’s buzzy nightlife. It also happens to be the exact spot where former Vietnamese president Ho Chi Min used to work as a cook in the 1930’s. You can’t leave Milan without having tried one of their traditional dishes, like the foiolo (Milanese style tripe) or the delicious hot zabaione (egg cream dessert).
LANGOSTERIA
+39 02 5811 1649 Via Savona, 10As the name Langosteria suggests, the restaurant is a temple to seafood, crustaceans in particular. Since the first location opened in 2007, followed by a bistro nearby in 2012 and a cafe in the city center in 2016, Langosteria has established itself as a stronghold of the Milanese seafood scene, and rightfully so. With raw-fish platters (make sure you choose the one with shrimp from Mazara del Vallo), seafood-topped pastas, and Catalan-style main courses, Langosteria manages to deliver an upscale experience without the too-cold formality usually associated with high-end seafood restaurants.
STAY
BULGARI MILANO
+39 02 805 8051 Via Privata Fratelli Gabba 7bBulgari, the mega-luxury brand, opened its first hotel in Milan in 2004. Located next to the Botanical Gardens in the prestigious Brera district, the property is tucked away on a quiet side street. With just 58 rooms, the Bulgari Milano has an intimate feel yet doesn’t skimp on amenities. There’s a newly renovated spa with a marble steam room, Swedish sauna, and treatments that use La Mer products, the prestigious Swiss skincare line. Their tranquil patio and restaurant is also a favorite spot for locals. “The Bulgari Milan is like home away from home and has the nicest and most relaxing garden in the whole city for a coffee or glass of wine,” says Milan resident De Santis.
FOUR SEASONS MILAN
+39 02 77088 Via Gesu, 6/8You know a hotel is doing something right if Manolo Blahnik, the emperor of shoes, calls your hotel his “home” of the last two decades. And he’s just one of many members of the fashion set to embrace the property. (Blahnik, however, is the only one who has collaborated with the Four Seasons Milano to design some of the chicest hotel slippers you’ll ever see.) Housed in an old convent with beautiful gardens, the vibe at the Four Seasons is relaxed elegance, but the service doesn't miss a beat. In fact, try giving the staff something they can’t do.
MANDARIN ORIENTAL
+39 02 8731 8888 Via Andegari, 9Since opening two years ago, the Mandarin Oriental has come into Milan with a bang. There’s Seta, its two-Michelin star restaurant, overseen by chef Antonio Guida, who specializes in modern Italian cooking. The hotel embodies a key strain of Milan’s DNA with extraordinary suites designed by two of the city’s most famous designers: Piero Fornasetti and Gio Ponti. The Forsanetti suite is nothing short of a masterpiece—and is worth a trip to the Mandarin just to live amidst his exuberant pieces, even for a few days.
SHOP
CANTINE ISOLA
+39 02 331 5249 Via Paolo Sarpi, 30This 120-year-old wine shop is located on Chinatown’s main thoroughfare. Although Cantine Isola sells more than 5,000 wines by the bottle, it’s best to stop in and savor the by-the-glass selection, which comes with crostini, charcuterie, and cheese boards. The pairings are themed: For example, when the national soccer team is playing, Cantine Isola serves the best sparkling wines from all over the country for the ultimate soccer-like “formation.” Tuesdays are poetry nights.
NILUFAR DEPOT
+39 02 36 59 08 00 Viale Vincenzo Lancetti 34What was once an oversized ex-industrial space that kept Milan Design Empress Nina Yashar’s most treasured overflow of design loot is now a full-on, full-sized three-story exhibition and display space spanning 1,500 square metres. Off the beaten track but well worth the trek from the city center, it will satisfy both art and design palettes that appreciate the greats like Gio Ponti and Ettore Sotsass as well as newer stars such as Martino Gamper and Massimiliano Locatelli. More central is Yashar’s beloved mainstay spot on Via Della Spiga 32, with a more limited but still brilliantly curated selection.
NATHALIE JEAN
+39 02 6208 6089 Via Solferino 48This city is full of architects, but there’s only one who’s designing jewelry that you can take home with you. This Québec transplant combines modernist minimalism and intense craft to make some highly conceptual anti-bling. Treat yourself to one of Jean’s artfully crafted, one-of-a-kind or limited edition pieces– preferably in gold. These pieces were made to last a lifetime, after all, and in Milan, you’ve got the chance to visit her only shop in the world, which just opened in 2014.
IL VALORE AGGIUNTO
+39 02 74 40 76 Via Mameli 3Managed by two chic Italian sisters, this loft conversion opens onto a quintessentially Milanese courtyard and is full of seductive antique and modern furniture, lamps and decorative objects. It is more private lounge than dusty, over-crowded shop, and the vast selection of textiles could easily keep you busy shopping for the entire day.
VIBI VENEZIA AT TEAROSE
+39 02 8699 8767 Via Croce Rossa 2Stylish and comfortable, and dating back centuries, these velvet slippers have become objects of desire thanks to Venetian sisters Viola and Vera Arrivabene, who say these soft shoes are also great for sneaking around a palazzo at night, should those be your needs.
PECK
+39 02 802 3161 Via Spadari 9Considered Italy's temple to gastronomy, Peck is a bastion of the city's culinary heritage with three floors dedicated to turning out the fabulously colorful display of foods that cram every counter.
CULTURE
TEATRO ALLA SCALA
Via Vittor Pisani, 19 Click here to buy tickets online.Book your tickets to see an opera in Milan's historical opera house, Teatro alla Scala.
MUSEO VIGNA DI LEONARDO
+39 02 48 16 150 Corso Magenta 65One of the most prestigious addresses in Milan, the Museo Vigna di Leonardo finally opened to the public this year. This hot spot is where the great master Da Vinci lived while painting The Last Supper and where remnants of his vineyard were recently uncovered. Famed mid-century Milanese architect Piero Portaluppi restored the property in the 19th century, and this year saw the first re-planting of the grape that Leonardo himself used.
PALAZZO CLERICI
+39 02 863 3131 Via Clerici, 5To ogle the best ceiling frescoes in town, swing into this magnificent 18th century palazzo that sits quietly on a narrow cobble stoned street in the city center. Painted by Tiepolo in 1740, the trompe l’oeil effect of the ceilings are, in two brief words, totally mesmerizing.
OTHER
LAKE COMO
Just one hour north of Milan sits Lake Como. October is a beautiful time of year to head here and take in the fall season with less crowds. Few things are better than a roaring fire, a glass of wine and a beautiful fall view of the lake and the Alps.
MILAN ARTICLES
Some more Milan articles that may be helpful:
Forbes
Condé Nast Traveler
Departures
OSTERIA FRANCESCANA
+39 059 223912 Via Stella, 22, 41121 Modena MOJust two hours southeast of Milan sits Modena, the home of Osteria Francescana, a restaurant ranked the world's best restaurant in San Pellegrino's "World's 50 Best Restaurants".