I spent Easter with my family by Lake Como and ended the vacation with a couple of days in Milan with my husband, my sister and my brother-in-law. As I hadn’t been in Milan for six years I had honestly forgotten how nice the city is. It is so stylish and clean, has great food, amazing shopping and lovely hotels. What more can you ask for?

Here are my tips for a couple of days in Milan:

Stay

Senato Hotel

Definitely the Senato Hotel! It is perfectly located, has a great bar, great breakfast and wonderful staff. Read my full review here.

Eat

DRY

DRY is a trendy cocktail bar and pizzeria decorated with an industrial twist. The cocktail menu is overwhelming and you can create your own pizza by choosing a base and then the toppings from the menu.
We paid aprox. 175€ for pizzas, desserts and cocktails for four persons.
(There are two restaurants and we ate at the one on Via Solferino, which is within walking distance from Senato Hotel)

Un Posto a Milano

This is the kind of place you wouldn’t expect to find in a large city like Milan. In the city center (or at least only 10 minutes by metro from the Duomo) among residential apartments, you find Un Posto a Milano, an antique farm turned into restaurant, guest house, flower boutique and bar. There is a relaxed atmosphere at the place where locals come (with their dogs!) to have the daily menu and creative souls come to work with a coffee on the side.
We had the daily menu (2 courses, bread and a glass of wine) for only 15 € per person. Definitely worth a visit, especially if you wish to escape the busy city center for a few hours.

Juicebar Milano

If you plan on staying at Senato Hotel and enjoy their delicious breakfast every morning (with lots of Italian cakes!) and then head out for dinner and drinks in the evenings, you’ll probably feel a need for some lighter food for lunch. This is where Juicebar Milano comes to the rescue: They offer salads, healthy bagels, smoothies and juices to go or to stay. The Juicebar is located just 5 min walk from the Duomo.

Cioccolati Italiani

A trip to Milan isn’t complete without an icecream from Cioccolati Italiani. The queue is long, but the waiting time is worth it. All icecream cones are filled with hot melted chocolate coming from a fountain before the ice comes in. The decoration of the icecreams is impressive and watching the staff work, makes the waiting time pass fast.

Pasticceria Marchesi

Marchesi is the place to go for high-end pastry in elegant surroundings. There are three outlets in Milan, but the one in the Galeria Vittorio Emanuele is the most exquisite one with a nice view to the always busy arcade.
Tip: The place is also great for buying (edible) gifts.

Papermoon

This is the classic choice in Milan. Papermoon is located right in the city center (5 min walk from the Duomo) and serves delicious down-to-earth Italian food (pastas, pizzas etc.).
I didn’t visit on this trip, but I have been told that the food is exactly as good as when I was there six years ago.

Do

Shopping at the Quadrilatero della moda

The Quadrilatero della moda means the “Fashion Square” and is a high-class fashion district formed by four streets (Via Montenapoleone, Via Manzoni, Via della Spiga and Corso Venezia). If you don’t go for shopping, then at least take a walk here and watch the fashionable people and nice cars outside the boutiques.

Stroll in Galeria Vittorio Emanuele

The arcade Galeria Vittorio Emanuele is one of the world’s oldest shopping malls. It was built in 1877 and still impresses with the glass loft and dome in the middle. Also the floors are beautifully decorated and there is a nice selection of shops and cafés inside.

Visit the Cathedral

The Duomo of Milan is impossible to miss as it is huge and located right in the city center. If you get up early, you might be lucky to get first in line, but if not, you will probably have to wait long for getting in as the queue is always tremendously long. If you manage to get in, you will get the chance to walk on the roof of the cathedral and watch the city from above. However, if you don’t feel like standing in line, another option is to enter the shopping center, La Rinascente, right next to the Duomo and take the elevator up to the top floor from where there is a nice view to the roof of the Duomo.

Visit 10 Corso Como

10 Corso Como is a combined café, book shop, fashion store and art gallery. It is located on a cosy street which is the perfect place to spend an afternoon.