Milan Lifestyle | Aperitivo, Navigli & Brera

18:00 - 21:00

Aperitivo. 🍸

It is not just "happy hour." It is a cultural institution. You buy a drink (usually €10-€15), and you get access to a buffet of pasta, cheese, prosciutto, and focaccia.

The Rule

Don't treat it as a free dinner (even though everyone does). It is meant to "open the stomach" (aprire) for the actual meal later.

The Drink

Order a "Negroni Sbagliato" (Mistaken Negroni). It uses Prosecco instead of Gin. It is lighter, bubbly, and purely Milanese.

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SPRITZ Orange Hour

Da Vinci's Waterway

I Navigli. 🛶

Milan used to be a city of canals like Venice. Most were covered up, but the Navigli Grande remains. It is the nightlife center of the city.

Leonardo's Locks

Leonardo da Vinci designed the lock system to transport marble for the Duomo. You are drinking next to Renaissance engineering.

Antique Markets

On the last Sunday of every month, the canal banks turn into a massive antique market. Find vintage sunglasses and old maps.

Mag Cafe

A bohemian bar with velvet armchairs and excellent cocktails. It feels like a 1920s living room.

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Fortune Tellers

Cobbled Streets

Bohemian Chic

Brera District. 🎨

The artistic soul of Milan. Narrow cobbled streets, art academies, and fortune tellers sitting at small tables. It feels like a village within the metropolis.

Bar Brera:

Sit outside at Bar Brera across from the Pinacoteca. It is the prime spot for watching art students and fashion designers mix.

The Origin

Bar Basso. 🥃

The historic bar where the Negroni Sbagliato was accidentally invented in 1972. It hasn't changed since.

The Glass

They serve the cocktail in a massive, custom-made chalice with a single giant ice cube. It is an icon of design itself.

The Crowd

During Fashion Week or Design Week, this is the place to be. You will drink shoulder-to-shoulder with the world's top designers.