Guide on where to eat, drink and have fun in Milan.
Enjoy an aperitif
Usually between 5-7pm bars in Milan offer “aperitifs”. Previously, I thought an aperitif was just a pre dinner cocktail like an Aperol Spritz when in fact it’s a few drinks where you are also served complimentary food/snacks. There’s a bar opposite the Duomo Cathedral (Bar Duomo) that brings you crisps, olives and sometimes meats, pizza and bread. Although the drinks can be pricey you seem to get more for your money with the food (plus it’s an unreal view!).
Visit Duomo Cathedral and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping centre
These are the two key tourist attractions you want to tick off your Milan bucket list and they are right next to each other! I found Milan to be a bit of a concrete jungle (this is due to much of it being destroyed and rebuilt after World War Two) but these two sites are architecturally stunning!
Window shop round Montenapoleone
Montenapleone is a few stops on the metro from Duomo and brings to the an up market shopping district. While the vast majority don’t have the money or inclination to spend hundreds on clothes, being in one of the fashion capitals on the world it’s fun (well, I think it’s fun) to window shop and see what designs could soon be replicated on the local high street. We walked around with our mini suitcases after checking out of our apartment before our train to Florence and it was a nice way to spend an hour.
Take a day trip to Lake Como
Lake Como was my favourite place in our entire Italy trip. You can either get the train from Milan to Como and do a boat tour from there or book an inclusive trip where a coach takes you from Milan to Como then provides audio commentary while you’re on the boat. The tour we did took us to Bellagio which was a beautiful town! The boat/ferry trip itself was amazing- make sure you get to the front of the queue to secure an outdoor seat if you want to get the best panoramic views of Lake Como.
Try a Risotto alla Milanese
The Risotto Milan is a saffron flavoured risotto. At first I wasn’t sure if this would have as much flavour as my usual mushroom go to but I was happily proven wrong- it was divine! If you’re around Duomo take a few streets back from the centre and Bar Marino does great food at a fairly reasonable price.
Use the Metro
Milan has a great metro system- it’s reliable, clean, affordable and accepts contactless card payment! We used it from Milano Centrale to Port Romano (our apartment) and back to Duomo.