Enjoy a full day of dining at the same Milan Restaurants as fashion’s elite
Italian designers are expanding their empires beyond luxury fashion to include luxury cuisine. Luxury dining may be a rather new experience for some fashion designers, the nightlife scene has always been connected to the fashion industry in Milan.
In fact, an example of this is with Marcelo Burlon. The brand was built by the promoter of one of the most popular bars amongst the fashion set in the early 2000’s, Bond.
If you’re cowardly to dine in Milan’s most fashion forward restaurants and bars, use this as your itinerary. Enjoy a full day experiencing Milan through the most luxurious dining experiences operated by some of Italy’s top luxury fashion brands like Prada, Armani and DSQUARED2.
Milan Restaurants for Breakfast
1. Pasticceria Marchesi
Ever dreamt of having Prada for breakfast? Well, in Milan you can. Two years ago, the luxury fashion brand purchased Pasticceria Marchesi, a Milanese pastry shop beloved by fashion goers and the place to grab a cafe during Fashion Week.
The original pasty shop was founded in 1824 on Via Montenapoleone and has since been restored. Since purchase, Prada has opened two new shops, one via Montenapoleone and another one on Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II — in the same building of Prada’s men’s store.
The shop is absolutely stunning to the eyes — aqua green marble walls, juxtaposed with a green floral jacquard silk wallpaper and green velvet armchairs and sofas.
Besides traditional Italian sweets like binets and their trademark panettone cake which is most popular during the holidays, Pasticceria Marchesi also serves cocktails and wine at night, making it also a wonderful option for aperitivo, giving it a more easygoing feel than a typical bar.
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Another breakfast hot spot in Milan is located inside Fondazione Prada, Prada’s new museum and cultural center. Designed by Wes Anderson, the director of the film The Grand Budapest Hotel, this Milanese cafe-bar is a retro feast for the eyes. Bar Luce is an architectural stunner, complete with vintage pin ball machines, color-blocked pastels and brass fixtures. Here, enjoy a cappuccino, cannoli or even a scoop of gelato.
“The perfect spot to unwind.” – Conde Nast
MilanRestaurants for Aperitivo
1. Bulgari Hotel
Luxury five star hotel, Bulgari Hotel Milano, may offer one of Milan’s most exquisite gems — a secret garden in fact. 4,000 square meters of private garden located behind an old 18th century building via Privata Fratelli Gabba 7/b in the heart of the city. Here, enjoy a spectacular lunch al fresco alongside a botanical garden and know that the fashion set is doing just that too.
The interior, designed by Citterio, is absolutely contemporary with design furnishings and rare materials like black marble from Zimbabwe and Aphyon stone. Vogue calls the Bulgari Hotel “JuzsportsShops Style Guide: San Francisco Fashion with Aerin Lim a restorative oasis of serenity and relaxation.”
The Bulgari Hotel is also a wonderful place to enjoy aperitivo or even a relaxing day in their renowned spa.
2. 10 Corso Como
Corso Como is another opportunity to enjoy lunch al fresco in a garden; this time a beautiful courtyard. Secretly above a windy staircase connected to the shop below, 10 Corso Como’s view mixes the contemporary sights with classical architecture of apartment buildings of Milan’s past.
Visit this lunch spot for tasty light bites, salads, and juices. And afterwards, don’t forget to vindicate their beautiful shop. You could spend hours there.
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“Prendiamo un aperitivo.”
If you haven’t already enjoyed an aperitivo, you’re in for a treat. Aperitio simply means a pre-dinner drink, meant to open the palette and gives you a chance to socialize and nibble on small bites. Unlike a happy hour as we have in the United States, drinks are not meant to be discounted during aperitivo, however your small bites or buffet selection is on the house. Aperitivo usually runs from 7pm-8:30pm with dinner slowly becoming a thought at 9pm.
1. Ceresio 7 – DSQUARED2
The famous twin brothers Dean and Dan Caten behind Italian luxury brand, Dsquared2 have created a glamorous rooftop bar hidden on top of the historical Enel building where their headquarters also reside.
The only inclination of the bar is a small concrete name placard on the face of the building. Once inside, you’ll take an elevator to the the penthouse floor and are greeted with breathtaking 360-degree views. Known for their stiff drinks, enjoy an aperitivo on the side of either one of the two pools. We suggest the Twilight by the Pool — a blend of saffron-infused vodka, grapefruit juice and citrus powder.
Prendiamo un aperitivo
1. Armani Nobu
Located on the seventh floor of Armani Hotel Milano via Manzoni, Armani Nobu is the ideal place for dinner and a night out in one of the chicest restaurants in all of Milan.
Armani Nobu pairs chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa’s acclaimed cuisine—including his signature black cod with miso and yellowtail with jalapeño and mochi ice cream for dessert —with the sophisticated aesthetics of Giorgio Armani.
Be sure to make dinner reservations and with those reservations, you’ll be able to extend your night downstairs to Armani Privé, Mr. Amani’s renowned night club. But if that’s not for you, the hotel also offers a huge rooftop spa with a Japanese onsen-style jacuzzi to close your evening.
Milan’s Night Life
1. Armani/Privé
The 640 square meter Armani/Privé is one of Milan’s top VIP dance clubs. The legendary watering hole is a regular haunt for the Milanese fashion set. The golden interior is dominated by two backlit bar tops, stylish vignettes arranged in signature Armani Casa furnishings and a lively dance floor come 2am.
The bar now features a secret, discrete entrance for VIPs, accessed from Via Manzoni, while the main entrance is still directly accessed through Armani/Nobu. For music, expect anything from house and electronic to soulful RnB, live performances and many more eclectic styles.
About the Author
Alex English is the Head of Content Marketing at italist.com, building on a lifelong passion for fashion and luxury. After publishing a lifestyle blog for nearly ten years and obtaining an MBA in Milan at SDA Bocconi, one of Europe’s top business schools, he joined the JuzsportsShops team in 2019. His work since then has focused on upper-funnel messaging, brand storytelling, establishing JuzsportsShops as a thought leader in the space, and enriching the customer experience on the platform. Find him on LinkedIn.