discussion Things to do/places to eat in Milan?

[Robert]

So I’m going to be in Milan for a couple days as part of an Italy trip and wondered if any ATRLers who’ve been of live in the region have any recommendations of things to do or good places to eat?
 

I went once before years ago and I remember the food was amazing but it didn’t seem like there was loads to do but given it’s a large city and one of Italy’s most prosperous, I feel this may be just due to being unaware as a tourist. I was quite young back then too. 

[BOAZ]

I just recently moved away from Milan, lived there for 8 years

 

well there's actually quite a lot to do tbh lol and I mean aside from going to Piazza Duomo. It depends on what you like to do.

 

interested in museums? Pinacoteca di Brera is a must, but I also always loved Museo del 900 and GAM - Galleria d'arte moderna. Mudec _ Museum of cultures is a messy ass institution but I guess somebody may find it quite attractive, they have a David Lachapelle exhibition going on at the moment, among others. Fondazione Prada is also very popular among pretentious artsyfartsy tanktop/black sweats/dr martens gay locals

 

this may sound strange but I also recommend a walk into the Monumental Cemetary. it's a beautiful place full of art and peace in the midst of the urban chaos. The sight from the rooftop of the Duomo Church is also amazing as it covers all of the city and you can also see the Alps during clear days.

 

restaurants? a lot of names sprung to mind, my favorites are not in the city center - also i understand tourists may find the city centers restaurants cute for the view and stuff but i promise you their cooking is not the best. for example, if you want a good quality pizza i suggest Pizzium or Capuano's. One of my all time favorites is quite far to reach, even with the subway/metro, but it's called Norman - pure pleasure, not even that expensive, and traditional cuisine. Another underrated one is called Bistrot 19.26 near the Moscova district

 

even though the tradition is more about getting a drink - we call that aperitivo! Basically you pay for a drink and you can eat whatever you want from the table. There are like billions of them lol. Right now I can only think of the Bhangra Bar, near the Arco della Pace (Sempione Park). It's a mess, they basically have gazillions of things to eat and it's also good most of the time . Or, you can choose to be fancy and go for one of the most famous' in town which is Terrazza Aperol, right in Piazza Duomo. The most famous place to go is always near the Navigli canals. It's full of people and places to go eat and stuff, nearby it's Colonne di San Lorenzo which is a square in front of a church. Recommended for cheap beers and weed lol

 

As for shopping Corso Vittorio Emanuele, Via Torino or Corso Buenos Aires. If you're a rich gal go to Via della Spiga in Montenapoleone (where all the luxury brands are)

 

don't forget to take a stroll near the Bosco Verticale in Garibaldi, they opened up a quite large park (Tree Library we call it) and with the right weather is nice. My favorite park had to be Giardini Indro Montanelli, in Porta Venezia.

 

well I wrote quite a lot but i miss that place. it's my second home. Lots to do there! have fun

[Daddy]

1 minute ago, BOAZ said:

this may sound strange but I also recommend a walk into the Monumental Cemetary. it's a beautiful place full of art and peace in the midst of the urban chaos.

THIS! Such a stunning place to take in!

[Robert]

16 minutes ago, BOAZ said:

I just recently moved away from Milan, lived there for 8 years

 

well there's actually quite a lot to do tbh lol and I mean aside from going to Piazza Duomo. It depends on what you like to do.

 

interested in museums? Pinacoteca di Brera is a must, but I also always loved Museo del 900 and GAM - Galleria d'arte moderna. Mudec _ Museum of cultures is a messy ass institution but I guess somebody may find it quite attractive, they have a David Lachapelle exhibition going on at the moment, among others. Fondazione Prada is also very popular among pretentious artsyfartsy tanktop/black sweats/dr martens gay locals

 

this may sound strange but I also recommend a walk into the Monumental Cemetary. it's a beautiful place full of art and peace in the midst of the urban chaos. The sight from the rooftop of the Duomo Church is also amazing as it covers all of the city and you can also see the Alps during clear days.

 

restaurants? a lot of names sprung to mind, my favorites are not in the city center - also i understand tourists may find the city centers restaurants cute for the view and stuff but i promise you their cooking is not the best. for example, if you want a good quality pizza i suggest Pizzium or Capuano's. One of my all time favorites is quite far to reach, even with the subway/metro, but it's called Norman - pure pleasure, not even that expensive, and traditional cuisine. Another underrated one is called Bistrot 19.26 near the Moscova district

 

even though the tradition is more about getting a drink - we call that aperitivo! Basically you pay for a drink and you can eat whatever you want from the table. There are like billions of them lol. Right now I can only think of the Bhangra Bar, near the Arco della Pace (Sempione Park). It's a mess, they basically have gazillions of things to eat and it's also good most of the time . Or, you can choose to be fancy and go for one of the most famous' in town which is Terrazza Aperol, right in Piazza Duomo. The most famous place to go is always near the Navigli canals. It's full of people and places to go eat and stuff, nearby it's Colonne di San Lorenzo which is a square in front of a church. Recommended for cheap beers and weed lol

 

As for shopping Corso Vittorio Emanuele, Via Torino or Corso Buenos Aires. If you're a rich gal go to Via della Spiga in Montenapoleone (where all the luxury brands are)

 

don't forget to take a stroll near the Bosco Verticale in Garibaldi, they opened up a quite large park (Tree Library we call it) and with the right weather is nice. My favorite park had to be Giardini Indro Montanelli, in Porta Venezia.

 

well I wrote quite a lot but i miss that place. it's my second home. Lots to do there! have fun

Thank you, these all sound great!

[KeshaSwift]

 

42 minutes ago, BOAZ said:

I just recently moved away from Milan, lived there for 8 years

 

well there's actually quite a lot to do tbh lol and I mean aside from going to Piazza Duomo. It depends on what you like to do.

 

interested in museums? Pinacoteca di Brera is a must, but I also always loved Museo del 900 and GAM - Galleria d'arte moderna. Mudec _ Museum of cultures is a messy ass institution but I guess somebody may find it quite attractive, they have a David Lachapelle exhibition going on at the moment, among others. Fondazione Prada is also very popular among pretentious artsyfartsy tanktop/black sweats/dr martens gay locals

 

this may sound strange but I also recommend a walk into the Monumental Cemetary. it's a beautiful place full of art and peace in the midst of the urban chaos. The sight from the rooftop of the Duomo Church is also amazing as it covers all of the city and you can also see the Alps during clear days.

 

restaurants? a lot of names sprung to mind, my favorites are not in the city center - also i understand tourists may find the city centers restaurants cute for the view and stuff but i promise you their cooking is not the best. for example, if you want a good quality pizza i suggest Pizzium or Capuano's. One of my all time favorites is quite far to reach, even with the subway/metro, but it's called Norman - pure pleasure, not even that expensive, and traditional cuisine. Another underrated one is called Bistrot 19.26 near the Moscova district

 

even though the tradition is more about getting a drink - we call that aperitivo! Basically you pay for a drink and you can eat whatever you want from the table. There are like billions of them lol. Right now I can only think of the Bhangra Bar, near the Arco della Pace (Sempione Park). It's a mess, they basically have gazillions of things to eat and it's also good most of the time . Or, you can choose to be fancy and go for one of the most famous' in town which is Terrazza Aperol, right in Piazza Duomo. The most famous place to go is always near the Navigli canals. It's full of people and places to go eat and stuff, nearby it's Colonne di San Lorenzo which is a square in front of a church. Recommended for cheap beers and weed lol

 

As for shopping Corso Vittorio Emanuele, Via Torino or Corso Buenos Aires. If you're a rich gal go to Via della Spiga in Montenapoleone (where all the luxury brands are)

 

don't forget to take a stroll near the Bosco Verticale in Garibaldi, they opened up a quite large park (Tree Library we call it) and with the right weather is nice. My favorite park had to be Giardini Indro Montanelli, in Porta Venezia.

 

well I wrote quite a lot but i miss that place. it's my second home. Lots to do there! have fun

I actually needed that too , so thanks! Any recommendations for Bologna and florence?

[BOAZ]

13 minutes ago, KeshaSwift said:

 

I actually needed that too , so thanks! Any recommendations for Bologna and florence?

never lived in either of them but Bologna is super fun, especially at night, even just throwing yourself in the crowd, guys are sooo much more relaxed and open than in Milan - where you have the most open but also the most pretentious, snob people. As for what to see, i LOVE Mambo museum (you can see i'm a museum nerd lol) and my favorite place to eat there is called Nonna Rosa...just...WETTING myself just thinking about the food there

 

Florence i must admit i haven't visited as much, but I mean you can't go wrong there. It's like the most beautiful place on earth. I was always there because of work or with school so I haven't had the opportunity to explore restaurants and stuff other than the amazing museums there. I don't think I ever even went out at night? lol

 

[truthteller]

visit bathhouses and eat d***s

[KillingYourCareer]

Since you've already been there, let me recommend some lesser known things: Cimitero Monumentale, Chiesa di San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore (with stunning frescoes), and Basilica di San Lorenzo Maggiore (idk if there's a guided visit in English, it's very interesting). As for the food I always eat at foreign cuisine restaurants when in Milan so my only recommendation for Italian stuff is to stay away from places on main streets and squares and with waiters outside luring in tourists

[KillingYourCareer]

1 hour ago, BOAZ said:

My favorite park had to be Giardini Indro Montanelli, in Porta Venezia.

Wait same

[Last Boy on Earth]

The best thing to do in Milan is leaving. Worst city I’ve been to

[KillingYourCareer]

42 minutes ago, KeshaSwift said:

 

I actually needed that too , so thanks! Any recommendations for Bologna and florence?

For Florence I recommend just taking a trip for Tuscany alone, easily the most stunning region of Italy. Rent a car and get around. There's TOO much to see and even though Florence is amazing, the best bits of Tuscany are outside of it (and sometimes outside of cities in general).

[KillingYourCareer]

2 minutes ago, Last Boy on Earth said:

The best thing to do in Milan is leaving. Worst city I’ve been to

What didn't you like about it? I actually would've expected you to appreciate it of all people! It's an interesting mix of modern and ancient, some people like the contrast others don't (I'm not a huge fan myself but still)

[Last Boy on Earth]

5 minutes ago, KillingYourCareer said:

What didn't you like about it? I actually would've expected you to appreciate it of all people! It's an interesting mix of modern and ancient, some people like the contrast others don't (I'm not a huge fan myself but still)

I think having gone in January was not the best idea cause I’m too sensitive to the cold and it was cold AF. But idk I didn’t see anything interesting besides the cathedral and the things around it. I also went out at night and felt the people cold and also the place as well, I had never been to a club where I could feel the cold of the street coming inside ?.

 

The only thing I enjoyed was the aperitivo. I have a friend who’s moving there now and I will wait until she settles and try again because for sure there are some gems in the city that i have missed. But having been around the world it’s def the most disappointing one I’ve visited 

[KillingYourCareer]

4 minutes ago, Last Boy on Earth said:

I think having gone in January was not the best idea cause I’m too sensitive to the cold and it was cold AF. But idk I didn’t see anything interesting besides the cathedral and the things around it. I also went out at night and felt the people cold and also the place as well, I had never been to a club where I could feel the cold of the street coming inside ?.

 

The only thing I enjoyed was the aperitivo. I have a friend who’s moving there now and I will wait until she settles and try again because for sure there are some gems in the city that i have missed. But having been around the world it’s def the most disappointing one I’ve visited 

I understand you as I detest traveling with the cold. For Italy I recommend mid-seasons (like April or October) when hotel prices are lower and the climate is lovely. And you can always go to superior places like Bergamo (my favorite city in the world, it's super romantic) or Lake Como which are half an hour away! If it still disappoints you then I recommend a lovely trip to Ankara or Podgorica just to get out-disappointed.

[Dragonfly]

I was there last month, for 3 days

I definitely recommend a day trip to Lake Como

 

[Tedwards]

Also going to Milan in a few weeks, and making note of these suggestions!! 

 

Curious if anyone has any particular nightlife recommendations? 

[KeshaSwift]

2 hours ago, BOAZ said:

never lived in either of them but Bologna is super fun, especially at night, even just throwing yourself in the crowd, guys are sooo much more relaxed and open than in Milan - where you have the most open but also the most pretentious, snob people. As for what to see, i LOVE Mambo museum (you can see i'm a museum nerd lol) and my favorite place to eat there is called Nonna Rosa...just...WETTING myself just thinking about the food there

 

Florence i must admit i haven't visited as much, but I mean you can't go wrong there. It's like the most beautiful place on earth. I was always there because of work or with school so I haven't had the opportunity to explore restaurants and stuff other than the amazing museums there. I don't think I ever even went out at night? lol

 

 

2 hours ago, KillingYourCareer said:

Since you've already been there, let me recommend some lesser known things: Cimitero Monumentale, Chiesa di San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore (with stunning frescoes), and Basilica di San Lorenzo Maggiore (idk if there's a guided visit in English, it's very interesting). As for the food I always eat at foreign cuisine restaurants when in Milan so my only recommendation for Italian stuff is to stay away from places on main streets and squares and with waiters outside luring in tourists

 

2 hours ago, KillingYourCareer said:

For Florence I recommend just taking a trip for Tuscany alone, easily the most stunning region of Italy. Rent a car and get around. There's TOO much to see and even though Florence is amazing, the best bits of Tuscany are outside of it (and sometimes outside of cities in general).

Thanks guys, much appreciated