From the finest vintage boutiques to enviable espressos, we’re sharing under-the-radar Milanese must-sees in some of our favorite neighborhoods. First up? Brera, one of the oldest and most picturesque pockets of the city, known for its bohemian bars, chic artistes, and glimpses of the most incredible private courtyards you’ve seen in your life. How to while away a day there in high-vibe style? We’ve got plenty of ideas…
Start your morning by joining the Milanese masses (and their teeny tiny dogs) for a stroll around the city’s famous Sempione Park and the impressive 15th Century Sforzesco Castle that looms over it. From there, it’s a short walk to the Brera breakfast institution Panarello, where the most on-the-go (and in-the-know) Milanese order their espresso with the best cannoncini in the city, puffed with as many soft, sweet tiers as an LDJ Big Skirt. Make a sweet statement in the queue in our short and sassy Choux – the perfect pairing with your morning pastry.
Via della Moscova, 52, Milan; Panarello.it
10am – Rock n’ Stroll
Think Milan isn’t as beautiful as Florence or Rome? You’re not wrong – but, this “brutta sorella” is graduating to goddess status as a wander through Brera’s charming cobbled corners, passing by the utopian Botanical Gardens and the world-class Accademia di Brera will prove. After you’re done admiring the intricately frescoed doorframe of the 15th Century Santa Maria del Carmine church, head to the Pinacoteca di Brera gallery to witness more exquisite Italian artwork spanning the centuries. As you meander, do as J.J. does and look out for Brera-ites leaving their mammoth wooden doorways for a glimpse of Milan’s famously phenomenal internal “cortili”.
A magnet for Milan’s art crowd since the 1950s (they pour out of the nearby Accademia di Brera like passata out of a can), Rigolo serves up classic, but often overlooked, Italian cuisine that’s beloved among true locals. Think Lombardian osso bucco, tagliatelline with squid, Tuscan fagioli and – if you’re still hungry – a crave-worthy chestnut cake. In typical Italian style, each of its four rooms is decorated to celebrate the culture of La Dolce Vita. Get your own slice of the good life by letting the impeccable owner – Renato – order your dishes for you. We promise you won’t be disappointed.
Via Solferino, 11, Milano; Ristoranterigolo.it
We LDJ ladies love us some vintage, so trust us when we say that Raw Milano is the sort of vintage jewel box you could lose entire afternoons in. Dreamt up by our LDJ friends and interior gurus Constantino Affuso and Paolo Badesco, Raw specializes in vintage haute home curiosities (vintage rattan chairs, zinc watering cans, footed bathtubs) which they lay out in store a la ultimate traditional Milanese apartment. Oh, and that girlfriend of yours who is notoriously hard to buy gifts for? Raw’s unusual contemporary pieces – from the world’s chicest kitchen utensils, to Dali-esque ceramics, to John Derian coffee table books – are sure to impress even the most aloof of your amicas. Still foraging for Italian treasures? Pop by nearby Cavalli e Nastri and Madame Pauline for the finest vintage in all of Lombardy.
Via Palermo,1, Milano; Rawmilano.it
Considered the primo parlor for iconic artists, scholars and bohemian personalities in its heyday, Bar Jamaica made Milan famous for having as much brains as beauty. Its atmospheric walls are still the perfect place to shoot some high-brow breeze over a Campari soda: sit street-side for front row people watching (practically a sport in Italy) or do as the locals do and prop yourself at the bar instead.
Via Brera, 32, Milano; jamaicabar.it
We love ourselves a no-frills, no-fuss house wine, but what makes this Sunday dinner spot divine is Italo, La Libera’s legendary and molto Milanese owner. Proud owner of the most Italian mustache in Milan, you can catch him and his bespoke bowties as he makes his nightly rounds, making sure his patrons’ pappardelle al ragù di vitello is perfetto.
Via Palermo, 21, Milano; Ristorantelaliberamilano.com
