suggestions for milan
 

For a business trip later this month (April), we will have one free day and night in Milan. Looking for suggestions of how to spend the day/what to do and see, as well as recommendations for where to eat.

Looking for a restaurant where the food is very good, one that locals might enjoy, more casual (not "fancy"). Thinking along the lines of a wonderful small family run kind of place rather than the michlin guide 5* kinds of places.

Appreciate your suggestions. Thanks

Also, is it a good idea to call ahead from the U.S. to make a dinner reservation for a Sat. night, or can we do that once we get there?

I'd call ahead for reervations on a Saturday night.

You are probably already too late to make reservations for Da Vinci's Last Supper.

How would you like to spend the day in Milan? There are several interesting museum destinations but also shopping. Do you enjoy city life? Or would you prefer to see a bit of scenery outside Milan?

Milan is a large place. Do you want to eat somewhere near your hotel?

Sorry for the delay in responding.

We will have just spent a week in Florence and Bologna on business, and I am returning to Rome/Florence/Sienna/Venice this summer for vacation, so I am not as much interested in traveling outside the city unless there is a very convenient and easy day trip that is a must see.

I am probably more interested in the best way to spend a day in Milan; my traveling companions are surely interested in shopping, possibly museums/cultural sites too, so I would be interested in your suggestions for both of those.

Regarding dinner, we will be happy to have your suggestions regardless to proximity to our hotel.

Thank you again.

As for the best way to spend a day in Milano, people like to argue about whether the Duomo is actually an artistic achievement or not, but it is unquestionably quite a feat of engineering and craft, so I think you don't want to miss it. The famed Galleria (which I find rather uninteresting) is right there, and La Scala is only a few steps away if that interests you at all.

My favorite museum in Milano is the Pinoteca Ambrosiana which is filled with both marvelous artworks and unusual, quirky holdings (Napoleon's glves, for instance, or a room entirely made of malachite). It is just a few steps from the Duomo and it is a rather small museum that can be seen in an hour.

Quite near the Duomo and the Pinoteca Ambrosiana is an incredibly charming grocery store that serves rich and delicious vegetarian lunches (gnocchi, risottos, baked pastas): Alla Vecchia Latteria di Via Unione. It is on Via Unione, 6 and it is just a few blocks from the piazza of the Duomo.

The Sforzeca castle also has some important artworks, but it is a vast place, so it is good to spend a little time with a guidebook ahead of time deciding what you want to see.

There are also important modern art museums in Milano and the area of modern art galleries is concentrated around the via Brera -- which is also is loaded with many stylish bars, often crammed with fashion models, and makes a great spot for lingering over cocktails before dinner.

For shoppers willing to mortgate their houses, a stroll along the Via Montenapoleone (San Babila metro) is an eye popper. Every major fashion house has its headquarters and main retail store here. All around the area of Via Montenapoleone you can find incredible Milanese patisseries serving the best hot chocolate you'll ever have and marvelously rich cream puffs and ice creams (Cova on Via Monteneapoleone and Sant'Ambroeus on Corso Matteoti.)

For dinner, you didn't say what hotel you are staying at. Milano is filled with excellent restaurants, but you'll apart from the Latteria near the Duomo, it's not easy to find the kind of family run place you find in other parts of Italy, because Milan is so stylish. However, not everything is formal or terminally hip.

If you tell your hotel concierge what you are looking for, they can steer you, I'm sure, to the right place.

For me, a perfect day in Milano is the Pinoteca Ambrosiana in the morning, lunch at the Latteria, a lot of windowshopping (or how about a haircut), an afternoon pastry, a nap at the hotel, and evening stroll along the via Dante or in the area of the Brera, windowshopping in art galleries or bookstores, topped off with cocktails in a bar, then off to the restaurant for a great meal.

http://www.cntraveller.co.uk/Guides/...lt.aspx?Page=3

Buon viaggio!

Two restaurants we enjoyed in Milan were Tre Fratelli and La Uccettina. We were able to walk in without a reservation to each one -- Tre Fratelli on Friday evening, and the other one on Saturday. From what you've mentioned, I think you'd enjoy either one.

Oh right -- I meant to say that I misunderstood you about reservations. If you get your heart set on something, ask your hotel to make you a reservation, but you needn't call ahead from outside Milano.

we really enjoyed spending time at the science museum, it is in walking distance from the duomo. It has a great section on leonardo da vinci. The duomo is still under scaffolding, the underground diggings are ok but don't compare to others. We found lots of excellent menswear shops but found women's fashion fairly boring. An excellent restaurant is the hosteria borromei in via borromei no 4, excellent milanese food

Hi ronnie56-You might be able to make reservations for Last Supper on internet before you go.
DH and I were there once in March and managed to cadge the last group of the day when we approached the box office at around 11. If you do go, please report back about the other fresco in the room-I'm having a complete meltdown-it's in much better condition. Also, if the weather's good, you can walk on the roof of the duomo if you wish-awesome building. Good luck!

thank you everyone for your suggestions!

Second the recommendation for Hostaria borromei.

When is that scaffolding coming off the Duomo?!?!?!? It's been going on forever!

I do like the tiny Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, however.