Discover Milan in just 36 hours!
The fashion- and design city of Italy is Milan. Stylish and majestic, with the most beautiful stores and design restaurants. Not long ago I had the privilege to be in Milan for 36 hours on a coffee journey with illy! Just about long enough to check out the best hotspots. The food in Milan is amazing like in every Italian city. Pure meals with so much taste and a beautiful glass of wine. Make sure to bring a LBD (little black dress) or a proper shirt to complete your Milan trip in the typical Italian sense of style!
This mini Milan City Guide gives you the best discoveries so you can also get to know Milan in 36 hours. Enjoy!
The best hotels in Milan
Milan has so many beautiful hotels! They go from very expensive and luxurious, like the Armani hotel, to small boutique hotels. I really like the Nhow hotel in Milan which is situated in the suburb Navigli. Or stay the night at Starshotel Echo only a stone’s throw away from Central Station. It’s the eco hotel pictured underneath. Townhouse has a few different hotels on a small scale in Milan. Townhouse 12 is my favourite!
Coffee in Milan
When you think about Italian coffee, you think espresso and illy. All through the city you will find an illy coffee Espressamentes to sit down to have a (tiny) break from shopping. And did you hear the rumor yet that we will get our own illy coffee caffe in Amsterdam this fall? When you’re not in the city center it’s nice to to go independent coffee hotspots, like Taglio!
Where to shop in Milan
For cute boutiques you have to visit suburb Brera and go to streets as Via Solferino and Corso Garibaldi. Other nice shopping streets are: Corso Vittorio Emanuele, Corso Buenos Aires, Via Torino en Porta Ticinese. Have a bit of money to spend? Go visit the ‘golden triangle’ streets: Montenapoleone, Via Manzoni and Via Della Spiga. Finish off with a drink at Duomo 21. Not the cheapest to go to, but it has a beautiful view!
Aperitivo in Milan!
Around five o’clock it’s aperitivo time in Italy. The moment to have a drink and a tasty bite with friends or colleagues. At a lot of places you will get a few bites with your drink. It makes your € 10,-wine so much cheaper at once! ;-). During my trip to Milan I really enjoyed 10 Corso Como for a nice apperitivo!
Good restaurants in Milan
Bad food is not something you will really find in Italy. Although… you definitely want to stay away from touristy eateries. Go where the locals go! To an osteria on the corner or a stylish restaurant. Milan has got it all! Go to Parma&Co for lunch, it’s so nice. In the evening the beautiful courtyard of Fonderie Milanese in the suburb Navigli will attract your attention for a nice dinner for sure. It’s a very nice suburb with a lot of authentic and very affordable restaurants! Wanna go out for brunch in Milan? Go to Maya and La Bicyclette.
Nightlife in Milan
Italians are so stylish! And the cocktails are so expensive! ;-). Despite that, don’t miss out on the nightlife in Milan! From clubs to rooftop- and cocktail bars. Fancy hotspots to go to are: Dry, Nottingham Forest and Foresta Wood Bar. You will get some sleep in the plane back home! KLM already has flight from € 118,- to Milan. Book your ticket in advance to make it an affordable trip!
PS: My 36 hours to Milan was for a coffee trip through Italy with illy. An amazing journey where I learned all about the real espresso. Read all about that coffee travel story here!
