Milan Aperitivo
Milan does aperitivo better than anywhere, which means the bar is high and the options are overwhelming. These are the nine I keep going back to, one for every mood.
LùBar Via Palestro 16, next to the Villa Reale. A Mediterranean restaurant with a Sicilian soul and one of my favorite places in the city, full stop. The garden and the cortile are the thing, sitting outside there with an espresso martini is a very specific kind of good evening. I've taken almost everyone I know at some point, and the reaction is always the same. It feels special in a way that's hard to explain before you've been, and completely obvious once you have.
Ombra de Vin A wine bar in Brera that feels more like a private cellar than a bar. Exposed brick, dim light, an enormous selection, and a crowd that is genuinely international without feeling like a tourist spot.
Bar Basso Via Plinio, 39. The birthplace of the Negroni Sbagliato, either something you already know or something that is about to change your evenings permanently. Order the Sbagliato in the oversized glass. This is the one to bring people who want to understand Milan.
Nottingham Forest Viale Piave, 1. On the World's 50 Best Bars list long enough that it barely needs an introduction. Your drink might arrive in a miniature bathtub, a sneaker, or a skull. It sounds like a concept until you're sitting there and it just works completely. One of the more singular bar experiences in the city.
Bar Picchio Where I spent a significant portion of my master's degree. Three euro Aperol Spritz and a crowd that is almost entirely students and locals who have been drinking there since before the students arrived. It has no interest in being anything other than what it is, and that is exactly why it works.
Officina Milano Via Giovenale, 7, near the Navigli. On the World's Best Bars list and for good reason. The space channels a refined New York loft, large backlit counter, serious bottle selection, signature cocktails that feel considered rather than clever.
Camparino in Galleria Piazza del Duomo, 21. Inside the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, which means the setting does a lot of work before you've even ordered. It is the most sophisticated expression of Milanese aperitivo culture. Order a Campari Seltz, stand at the bar, and watch the Galleria fill up around you.
Salmon Guru Via Ezio Biondi, 4, in the Sempione area. The Milan outpost of Diego Cabrera's celebrated Madrid bar, divided into four completely distinct spaces including an Animal Print Room and a Tropical Speakeasy.
Mandarin Garden Via Andegari, 9. The courtyard garden of the Mandarin Oriental, which puts it in a different category from everything else on this list, more refined, more hushed, more intentional. The food is overseen by a double Michelin starred chef and the signature cocktails are designed around a around the world concept.
The rule in Milan is simple: aperitivo starts at 6, you stay for two drinks, and somehow it's always midnight.
