Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.
We've compiled the best of the best in Milan - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
Your main problem at Pavè will be deciding what to order among rows of cakes, tarts, classic Italian brioches (with sweet fillings like cream and jam), and other pastries. When everything is this drool-worthy, your best strategy is to come with friends and share your favorites. The hip café and bakery with floor-to-ceiling windows is a favorite of locals who wait in line for a spot at weekend brunch and lunch. There's a second location, Pavè–Break, at Via della Commenda 25.
The café at this foodie paradise at its original 1883 outpost near the Duomo features Italian specialty foods such as excellent cheeses, charcuterie, vegetables in olive oil, seafood, and sandwiches. It also reinterprets classic dishes like Russian salad and pâté, which can be washed down with a fine selection of wines by the glass or a bottle from its cellar of global labels. You'll also find Peck at City Life near San Siro and in Porta Venezia.
From day to night, step into the chic living room of 142 for whatever you are craving. Drink coffee and eat a homemade brioche at a bar decorated in crown caps or eat lunch or dinner at tables with a hand-painted Pollock flourish, while browsing a selection of art books. The influence of Sandra Ciciriello (who co-founded a Michelin-starred restaurant and worked as a fishmonger before starting 142) is evident in the fish-focused menu. There's also a selection of pastas and risotto with a twist. End the meal munching on caramel corn bonbons and salted caramelized popcorn from an oversized red-and-white striped box.
The 15 different types of daily breads along with tarts, croissants, and a decadent selection of other desserts have a French influence at this bakery with sidewalk tables and chairs and a viewing window into the bakers behind the scenes of it all. Grab an easy breakfast, lunch, or aperitif as you soak up the aroma of fresh-baked baguettes.
Whether you stop for a cappuccino and one of their gigantic brioche (similar to a croissant) filled with jam, cream, or an unconventional salted-caramel for breakfast, an afternoon break with a selection of minicakes, or to eat a quick sandwich, any craving can be satisfied at Marlà—the acronym for the first names of the two owners, Marco Battaglia and Lavinia Franco. Keep in mind that you may not have room for dinner if you stop by this sea green–and-white modern café in the afternoon.
The Zàini family opened its chocolate factory here in 1913, on a side street off Corso Como. Today, its black-and-white marble-tile-floored and chandelier-lit café is a stop for coffee paired with a Zàini classic like Emilia (dark chocolate named after the family's nanny) or Boero (cherry cordial); or dozens of cakes and other sweets. There's a second location at Viale Piave 17, in Porta Venezia.
