This is a guide for people traveling to Milano (for me it's Milano and not Milan) for the weekend. The guide is based on my likings and my taste that I gained during my exchange program in Milan and also based on all trips I've made there before and after... enjoy!
SHOPPING
As Milano is one of the world's fashion capitals, shopping is almost crucial, if you visit the city. If you are into ridiculously expensive luxury brands then Via Monte Napoleone, Via Sant'Andrea, Via Gesù, Via della Spiga, Via Borgospesso and the whole neighbourhood around these streets are the place to visit. Even if you don't want to spend five years of savings, the area is anyway worth to visit. It is nice to go inside the shops, as they are decorated with a vivid fantasy. Via Monte Napoleone is almost all the time decorated with something funny. One time it was full of plastic cars, another time filled with lamps etc. In the corner of Via Monte Napoleone and Via Alessandro Mansoni you can find the big department store of Armani. I suggest to drink a coffee at the cafeteria, it is nicely designed.
Having coffee at Armani's
If you are into more common shops like Benetton, H&M, Zara and Mango you will find them between the metrostations San Babila and Duomo, the whole Corso Buenos Aires and on Via Torino. On Via Torino (and Corso di Porta Ticinese) you can also find teenage wear at Pull & Bear and Bershka, cheap everyday clothes at Promod, basics at American Apparel and more bohemian cottonwear at Muji.
The street design on Via Monte Napoleone
If you have the possibility to move a bit away from the center of the city you will find more shops and small boutiques. A good area for these are the bigger and smaller streets between metrostations Conciliazione, Wagner, De Angeli and Gambara.
My favorite shops:
All boutiques in the Brera area! (You can find the Brera area pretty much inside the area with the corners at the metrostations Turati, Moscova, Lanza and Montenapoleone). In the area you can find shops that sells the most amazing dresses made of feathers, handmade ballerinas, 2nd hand fur and everything trendy in between.
Moschino! (Via della Spiga 30) if you have a "what shall I wear???" problem, this shop gives you a LOT of fantasy to try new, funny, crazy and superfeminine things :)
Shoe boutique on via Rembrandt! I don't remember the name and the exact address but it is the best shoe store in the city of Milan. They sell shoes in good materials for nothing.
THE ballerina shop! (between the male and female Zara on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and on Corso di Porta Ticinese) sells all kinds of shoes but the ballerinas are the ones to go for! You can find them in a bit different materials and colours depending on the season. They cost 39.90-49.90 euros and looks good for 2-3 seasons :)
Promod! in the Duomo-end of Via Torino is a shop (too) full of relatively cheap clothes. Sometimes you will not find anything and sometimes you want to try on half of the shop. New garments every month! I have bought my basics (tops, t-shirts..) from there and I also every time find nice scarves :)
The downstairs at La Rinascente- department store! The downstairs have a cute cafeteria, really cool and interesting books, a lot of design pieces for your home and a great variety on all kinds of nice office supplies.
Massimo Dutti! (in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II) if you like Zara and Mango but you want something you haven't already seen on everyone...
Tezenis, Yamamay, Intimissimi! (3 different underwear stores that you can find tons of everywhere) I would almost make a bet with you, that you will not find a good bra in any of these shops but as certain I'm of that I'm also as certain that you will find cute panties and tops and nightgowns :)
Madina. A cheap and cute make-up store in the Brera-area.
APERITIVO
As well as Milano is one of the fashion capitals, you could easily say that Milano is also the capital of aperitivos. You can find aperitivos in other cities but nowhere as much places and which such a variety in food as in Milano!
WTF? Aperitivos? Basically bars, clubs and cafeterias put out food that you can eat for the price of one drinks. So, you go to an aperitivo place, order a drink, pay it and then you go and get fod from the food buffet. The idea is to eat a small snack while you are drinking your pre-dinner drink and talk and socialize with your friends. However, the food buffets tends to be really big in Milano so you can easily compensate your dinner with it.
aperitivos at Bhangrabar
I will not list all my favorite aperitivo places here, cause there are so many and places change all the time. I suggest to go to the following areas/streets and choose for yourself :)
Navigli
The smaller streets that leaves from Via Torino
Brera
Corso Sempione
Don't be scared to get a bit lost in narrower streets, that's where you usually find the greatest aperitivo-places!
GELATO
Gelato is icecream in italian and I honestly think you can eat gelato in Milano at any season. The places even have different flavours depending on if it's winter and christmas time or summer and hot weather! The words you need to know is cono and coppa/copetta ( cono = cone and copetta = cup) and then just order and taste whatever looks good! Mmmm :) Places worth mentioning:
Crazy Ice (Via Pasquale Paoli 4) - makes icecream of anything! You can find the wierdest tastes like basilica, beer, curry, kir, sake, mojito but also the classical supergood ones. This is my favorite icecream place on earth! And everyday new tastes. The best thing is the place! You can walk along one of the naviglos, on the cute small bridges and in to the supercute small shops that sells amazingly cute things. Love it!
Chocolat (Via Boccaccio 9) - a place that is specialized in chocolate-tastes but has also a few berry/fruit-tastes, but mainly to mix the chocolate with. The place has a supercute design and sells also other chocolate-items. My favorite is nocciola and cioccolato al peperoncino which is hazel nuts and peperoncino chocolate. Mmmm :)
Gelateria Marghera (Via Marghera 33) - the place has always a queue... a big variety, good taste and a reasonable price.
Gelato at Chocolat
RESTAURANTS
I would suggest to get far away from the restaurants near Duomo-area. There you pay a lot for something untasty and you get bad service. Actually, Milano is full of really cosy places so just head a bit out of the center and find a place! I have liked to eat in Brera, in the old Fiera, in Navigli and my favorite restaurants are between Città Studi and Giardini Pubblici.
If you are just spending your weekend in Milano, shopping and having fun, then I suggest to eat as much as possible on aperitivos and forget about dinner ;)
BEER BARS
Even if italian are really into the whole wine thing they also have one of the best beer bars! You can find beer from almost any country in the world and the bars are usually really nice!
La Belle Alliance (Corso San Gottardo) - is a place where I've spent maaaany evenings in great company. They have a thick list of biers and this is the place where I fell in love with Bloemenbier.
Woodstock (Via Lodovico il Moro) - a similar place to La Belle Alliance. They also have good food. And I like the place cause they have my favorite tequila flavored Mexican beers like Desperados and Tequieros.
Tortuga (Via Burlamacchi 1) - nice area, good beer :)
What girl wouldn't like to drink a beer in flowerpaper???
Please comment and share your own thoughts on Milano and make this a great info-package!
