Milan: Restaurants & La Scala
 

Two questions: <BR>1. Looking for some good restaurants in downtown Milan, cheap(I know this is an oxymoron in Milan, but its worth a try) to moderately expensive. <BR>2. Tickets to LaScala. We will be there one night and I would like to get tickets. I've tried the website, but they won't return my e-mails also don't seem to go on sale until close to the time of performance. How do I get tickets?

We went to La Scala in February this year (no opera, violin concert instead) and I successfully ordered through the la scala site - I had better luck searching in the Italian version than the English version for dates. You get real proficient in Italian, real fast. I ordered the tickets on-line, and got them via registered mail (hee hee the registered mail 'coupon' was bright orange, the inx were in Italian and French, the clerk at my post office was in a tizzy - duly impressed when I could read it). The tickets weren't available on-line until about 2 months before the performance. When are you going? I checked the site, and it looks like through February it's ballets and a concert. Fidelio is done in December, and Tosca opens in March (ok there's something called Wozzeck at the eom February, but I'm not an opera cognizetti to know if that's one or not) <BR> <BR>In the Galleria V Emmanuel there are a couple of good restaurants; they ain't cheap, bubba, but the portions where we ate were healthy, so we could have skipped the appetizer, soup, etc. and saved a buck or two. <BR> <BR>Paolo seems to have a list of good addresses. Do a search on the forum with Milan restaurants for his recommendations.

There are self-serve ticket machines at La Scala, if the performance isn't sold out, or, 3 hours before show time, put your name on a list then return an hour before showtime to claim your tickets. That's ALOT of fun. <BR>There are a few self-serve restaurants around La Scala and the Duomo piazza, you can get a good meal for about $15USD, including salad, wine, and desert.

Elvira: I'm like to go see Tosca in March. Was two months ahead sufficient time to get decent seats?

Good afternoon, David <BR>First suggestion is the Ristorante DA <BR>BRUNO, via Gonzagna, 6, an inexpensive <BR>ristorante which is located south <BR>out the Duomo Pza. thru the Pza Diaz <BR>and to the right to the Gonzagna. Have <BR>used four or five times with excellant <BR>results, total about one full block <BR>south. <BR>Check www.lascale.milano.it/ <BR>Have a good trip, Richard of Hickory Hills, IL&gt;

David: <BR>We had excellent seats, but it wasn't an opera. Seats for an opera at La Scala are as coveted as 50ydline tickets for the Packers. There are a gazillion season ticket holders, and the rest of the tix go pretty fast. If you or someone you know speaks Italian, I'd call La Scala and get as much info as possible. <BR>If you have reservations at a hotel, you might contact the concierge to see what s/he suggests. They sometimes have 'pull'. <BR>Or, claim you're Maria Callas's nephew, and haven't been able to bear to go to the opera since she died, and this is your first attempt, just to see if you can handle it emotionally. Those Italian sorts will LOVE it...

WARNING!! We saw Wozzeck in SF this year. It was probably the most awful opera I've ever been to. My best advice is to steer clear of that one. One restaurant in Milan which is not too expensive and is very traditional is Tre Pini. Confusing to get to--you need to take a taxi.