Milan may not be the prettiest or most historical city in Italy, but it is definitely the capital of fashion and you get incredible good food (as everywhere in Italy). The biggest plus though is that – thanks to the AlpTransit finished last year – travel time from Zug is only 3 hours (3.5 hours from Zurich) and thus, it’s suitable for a day trip. I made use of this proximity recently and had an amazing spring day in Milano. Has I have been there already a couple of times – also for a long weekend – I know my way around and the places to go to for shopping and meals. 🙂
Accommodation
Should you want to spend a long weekend there i.e. overnight, I can recommend the hotel Manin. You know it is always about “location, location, location” and that’s even more true when you are staying for only a few days in a city. The rooms are nicely decorated and spacious enough for a city trip. A real plus is the breakfast buffet which can be enjoyed in their dreamy backyard on sunny days.
Shopping
Usually, I have a sights and activities part in travelogues. For Milan, I decided to only write about shopping. For the usual tourist attractions, you’ll find enough material using Google.
The Brera neighborhood is great for small boutiques with unique assortments.
One of my favorite shops is Tità Bijoux. They design unique jewelry made of lace, but also metal. All pieces are hand made. Thanks to the lace, also the big earrings are light. They do also have an online shop if you can’t make it to Milan.
Tità Bijoux
Via Madonnina, 13, Milan
Opening Hours: Tues-Sat 10.30am-7.30pm, Sun 11.30am-7pm, Mondays closed.
Between the center and the train station is a great outlet store called Matia’s Fashion Outlet. As it is a bit off the beaten path, it is not overcrowded and well assorted. They have mainly high-end brands such as Armani, Tod’s or Fendi. However, they also have Patrizia Pepe or Polo Ralph Lauren.
Matia’s Fashion Outlet
Piazza Carlo Mirabello, 4, Milan
Opening Hours: daily 10am-7.30pm
I am less excited about the other well-known outlet store, DMagazine Outlet. Located very centrally, the store is very messy and you have to really dig to find a real bargain. It’s just not my thing.
DMagazine Outlet
Via Monte Napoleone, 26, Milan
Opening Hours: daily 10am-7.30pm
More outlet shopping options are located outside of Milan. As this article is about a day IN Milan and not close to Milan, I don’t cover these malls here. If you are interested in outlet centers outside of Milan check out this article: http://www.wheremilan.com/outlet-factory-stores-milan/
Cuisine
For a quick lunch, I recommend le Spighe Cafè which is just around the corner of the Opera house Teatro alla Scala.
Considering the location, prices are more than reasonable and their piadine are delicious (approx. EUR 7):
If you’ll have room afterwards, they also have good and inexpensive ice cream:
Just note that piadine are only served for lunch, if you decide to have a snack instead of dinner there, they also serve a great grilled ham and cheese. Get yourself an Aperol Spritzer with it (a steal for EUR 5 and really strong! 🙂 ):
Le Spighe Cafè
Via Giuseppe Verdi 2, Milan
Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-7.30pm, Sat 8.30am-8pm, Sun 10.30am-7.30pm.
For a fancy lunch (or a dinner should you stay overnight in Milano), I recommend Spazio Milano. It is operated by young cooks of Niko Romito Formazione, which is an haute cuisine school founded by Niko Romito, a three Michelin star cook in the Abruzzo region. So you’ll get Michelin star quality dishes for more than reasonable prices in an incredible location (just opposite the Milan dome). I opted for traditional Italian dishes and had delicious Gnocchi with tomato sauce and then braised beef with mashed potatoes. And of course in such a restaurant, you get an amuse bouche.
Unfortunately, the sliced cucumber tasted bland, even though it was marinated. But it only got better from there. The fresh bread was crisp and tasty and the olive oil of first quality. The highlight of the meal were the Gnocchi with tomato sauce and ricotta:
The main dish was an incredible tender braised beef with deliciouse sauce and – for my taste – too liquid mashed potatoes. I believe it was on purpose, but I personally like mashed potatoes rather clumpy, i.e. with pieces.
I couldn’t manage to eat any dessert, although the items on the menu were mouth-watering. A complimentary sweet was served anyway. A grape jelly that was not too sugary and had a concentrated grape taste:
The interior design is kept simple, which I like. Unfortunately, the air conditioning is not strong enough and on a sunny day, the big windows make the room very warm. I read in some threads that the portion sizes were too small. Please note that this menu is made for a 2- or even 3-course menu. If you only order one dish, this won’t be enough usually. However, two courses were more than enough for me and with a glass of wine and gratuity I paid EUR 50.
Spazio Milano
Mercato del Duomo – Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Opening Hours: daily 12.30-2.30pm and 7.30-10pm
Reservation recommended.
Another option for lunch or dinner is the Osteria di Brera in the Brera neighborhood (surprise, surprise 🙂 ). Especially the alfresco dining option is a real plus.
They serve excellent seafood pasta and fish tartare as appetizers. All garlic-free!
As a Tiramisú lover, I had to order this dessert.
It was okay, but I’ve had better. Prices at this restaurant are fair. Of course, it is a bit touristy, but who said that touristy restaurants can’t serve great food?
Osteria di Brera
Via Fiori Chiari 8, Milan
Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 12-2.30pm and 6.30-11.30pm, Sat-Sun 12pm-11.30pm.
Reservation recommended.
If you fancy a drink, the Terrazza Aperol (also located in the Mercato del Duomo) is a great option. In fact, they also serve snacks in the evening, which can easily substitute a dinner. You’ll have to pay an entrance fee though. On a suny day, the view and the comfortable chairs make more than up for this money!
Terrazza Aperol
Mercato del Duomo – Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Opening Hours: daily from 11am-11pm, on Saturdays open until 12am.
Conclusion
Great shopping, delicious food and cool cafès and bars to hang out – Milan has it all. In short: Milan is always worth a visit.
Travel Tips
- Take the train to Milan. From Switzerland it’s fast, on time and you get directly to the center of the city. If you book a saver ticket 2-3 weeks in advance, you can travel as low as CHF 64 (Zug-Milan and return); check the sbb website. These tickets can even be cheaper than a bus ticket and the journey is surely much more comfortable.
- Do not travel in July and August. Not just because of the heat, but because everything – I repeat EVERYTHING – is closed during this time.
- While most shops are open on Sunday, smaller ones are closed Monday morning. Take this into account when planning your trip.
