'Bar' Crawl With Me in Milan

If there is one thing that I am passionate about, it is a good coffee shop. Back at home, I have a running list of all of the local places I have tried, and I regularly make it a habit to try new ones and rate them. I like to think that I am an excellent judge, as I’ve worked at a few coffee shops and cafes in my time.

Now, given the title of this blog, you might be a little confused… and here I have to admit I might have click baited you… but I certainly didn’t lie! In Italy, coffee shops are typically called “bars”; a lot of them also stay open until the evening and serve drinks. Coffee culture in Italy is incredibly different than it is in the United States, and after being here for about two months, I decided it was time to familiarize myself with the local places in Milan. The mission? To find the PERFECT place. 

The vibe (especially coziness) of a coffee shop is super important to me, and I’m impartial to places where it’s normal and acceptable to sit down by yourself and pull out a book or a laptop. Laptop-friendly cafes aren’t super common in Italy, so this was a bit of a challenge. In my attempts to find THE perfect shop, I decided to hit a few of them all at once. So of the list of shops below, I hit several in the same day, and the entirety of this list in about a week and a half. So, without further ado, I present to you, the bars! Imagine the sound of a drumroll for dramatic effect. Okay perfect. Thanks guys.) 

Specialty Milano - V.le Bligny, 36, 20136 Milano MI

An adorable little shop tucked away by Bocconi, this place was the first bar on my list. I was particularly excited because of the location, as it’s not too far from where I live. This place has banana bread, cinnamon rolls, and all sorts of treats that are phenomenal. The guys who work here are also super nice. If you’re in the program and live in Ripamonti or Giovanale, this place is close by.  

Hygge - Via Giuseppe Sapeto, 3, 20123 Milano MI

For those of you who don’t know, Hygge is a Danish word that is both an adjective and a verb; there is no translation into English, but picture being cozy by the fire, candles flickering, a cup of tea, and a book in hand, the people you love around you. That’s Hygge. It’s finding community and comfort, especially in the winter. As I mentioned earlier, a coffee shop level of being cozy is the ultimate test for me. So, of course, I simply had to check it out. 

This bar embodies its namesake. It’s cozy and comfortable inside, with a huge wooden table designed to bring members of the community together. They have an extensive brunch menu, and when I went I tried the french toast. And seriously. It was insane. I’ve included a picture because of how beautiful it was, but honestly, I dreamt about this cappuccino and french toast for days after going. I included a few pictures of this place, as well as the french toast and coffee that we had!

Pan Milano - Via Leopoldo Cicognara, 19, 20129 Milano MI

My friend Sarah posted a photo of an iced matcha latte with raspberry puree on the bottom, and I immediately freaked out and asked her where she got it, which is how I ended up here. Matcha is hard to hard to find at your average bar, they have it at a handful around the city, but they’re usually specialty shops with a focus on tea. Pan has quite the selection of baked goods, breakfast, and lunch options; but most importantly (to me anyway), they have a BEAUTIFUL iced matcha latte. If you go and were wondering, the specialty latte called “Pan’s Matcha Latte” is the one with the raspberry puree :) I’ve included a picture here of it. 

oTTo - Via Paolo Sarpi, 8, 20154 Milano MI 

My favorite on this list by far, this is a co-working, laptop-friendly cafe (between the hours of 9:30-12:30 A.M. and 2-6 P.M. on weekdays, at least) that is absolutely adorable. Nestled in Chinatown, this bar has indoor and outdoor seating at a variety of tables and chairs, which include comfortable ones. They also have a few specialty lattes, including a cinnamon caramel one which I am obsessed with. I actually have been three times since the day I started writing this research (guys I have no self-control with cafes and coffee someone take away my credit card), and I’ve tried the lunch here too. They have a few dishes and sides you pick from, and everything we tried was excellent. 

Gelsomina - Via Carlo Tenca, 5, 20124 Milano MI

This place is absolutely adorable. From vine-covered white brick walls to the wide selection of beautiful pastries, I loved my visit to Gelsomina. I will admit, I did come here because I heard a rumor they made iced lattes (I need to find more places that make iced lattes in Milan, the American in me is showing I fear), but I didn’t even end up getting one. The day I visited it was freezing, but the cappuccino I had was so wonderful. It was also decently priced, my cappuccino and pastry were about 5.20 euro.

Una Cosa di Ofelé - Via Scaldasole, 7, 20123 Milano MI 

Last Sunday morning, I made a last-minute reservation here so that a friend and I could get brunch. The whole place is beautiful, the outdoor patio area is covered, and they have lamps plugged in (outside, I know!) which gives it a cozy vibe. We had caffe lecceses, which were essentially iced espresso with something equivalent to sweetened condensed milk, but I think with almonds? I’m not exactly sure, the staff member who we talked to did not seem to know how to explain it. Regardless, it was phenomenal. Yumlicious, one could say. We also ate breakfast, and it was a really fun experience, they have cool and unique things here. One of the things we tried was the black rice pancakes, which have peanut butter and jam spread between them, and fruit/nuts on top.