Milan's Best Cafés, Bakeries, Gelato, and Sweets
Collected by
Erica Firpo
, AFAR Local Expert
Morning, afternoon, or evening, Milan knows how to do caffè culture right. Known as "bars" in Italy, these local spots serve coffee drinks and pastries in the morning, and delicious savory and apertif menus in the afternoons.
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Via Cesare Cantù, 3, 20123 Milano MI, Italy
Milan invented the art of bel cafè, the pedicured bar for a delicious morning coffee or afternoon aperitivo. Passerini has a delicious selection of pastries for mornings and afternoons, and is the ideal hideaway for an aperitivo in the city...
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Via Monte Napoleone, 8, 20121 Milano MI, Italy
Caffè Cova, Milan's old world pastry shop and original fashion caffe. Its pastries are perfect and more than delicious, but what takes the proverbial cake is the aperitivo and its presentation. Black tie serves cater drinks like Negroni sbagliati...
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It's worth a peek inside Zaini, Milan's historic chocolate maker, which began creating delicious chocolate confectionaries in the 1910s. Celebrating a 100-year anniversary, Zaini opened the via Carlo de Cristoforis location in honor of a century...
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Via Brera, 23, 20121 Milano MI, Italy
My friend Andy says you can't go to Milan without having an evening in Brera, the tiny artsy area adjacent to Milan's fashion center. Bar Brera is the hangout of choice for expensive liquor and people watching.
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Via Plinio, 39, 20020 Milano MI, Italy
Bar Basso is one of the oldest cocktail bars in Milan. It's appeared in many films and is a piece of history in the city. It's always been a privileged meeting place for designers, journalists, artists, and writers. Here you can taste the best...
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Via Spadari, 9, 20123 Milano MI, Italy
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Viale Monte Nero, 46, 20135 Milano MI, Italy
We finally found it! Officine Del Gelato Milano; a modern, absolutely delicious gelato parlor. They had us coming back (three times in one day) until we had tried every flavor—including every kind of gelato popsicle. It was a guilt-free treat and...
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