Milan

Welcome to Milan

La Dolce Vita might have been set in Rome but were Fellini alive today he'd re-shoot in Milan. Home to the stock market and big business this is where Italy wears its wallet. But it's also where the world wears its clothes. A global haute couture capital alongside Paris and way ahead as the world's dress design centre, it's sexy, sophisticated and stylish. It's also shopper's heaven - be it of the window variety or actually in Versace - but it's not all about Gucci boots and million dollar suits. Theatre, cinema and the opera are all thriving, the club scene hops and we haven't even started on the food. So whether it's over al fresco aperitifs in a laid-back urban bar or over the bony shoulders of catwalk queens in the latest high-style bolthole, sit back and watch sophistication in its sexiest incarnation. Forza Milano!

BARS AND RESTAURANTS 

CHANDELIER

Via Broggi, 17

+39 02 202 404 58

avg. cost 90EUR per person

The Chandelier Restaurant and Bar is one of the most striking places in Milan for mood and food. Like something out of a Fellini film, the place exudes a glittery and chic atmosphere. The place has so much character it is easy to get diverted from one's original quest for eating and drinking. Like a Louis XV Palace, Chandelier is as much an antique store as it is a glowing bar and restaurant. Of course there are chandeliers a plenty, but other novelties crammed into the venue make it look more like a Sotheby's auction house than a place to eat and drink.

Still, the music resounds throughout, and the food is as fabulous as the great menu. Dress to impress, as this is a hot spot for designers and other chic personalities.

GOLD by Dolce and Gabbana

Via Carlo Poerio 2/a

+39 027 577 771

avg. cost EUR 70 per person

Dolce & Gabbana have opened one of the most luxurious, sumptuous restaurants and bars in Milan named Gold, 1800 square metres of stone, weather, glass and... gold.  Already a firm favorite with the glamorati, reservations for the restaurant are essential. 'Check in' at the entrance, which feels more like the reception of a five star hotel than a restaurant, before heading up to the first floor restaurant or the lower-key ground floor bistro and bar / cafe.  Cigar devotees should head for the smart smoking room to enjoy some of Havana's finest.  The cuisine is traditional Italian mixed in with Sicilian influences (no doubt courtesy of Domenico Dolce who was born near Palermo) like pasta alle sarde (with sardines) or gnocchi all'astice (lobster), but also the gold is eatable so make room for the dessert of gold and chocolate.

FASHION CAFÉ

Via San Marco 1

Inspired by the top venues in the most vibrant cities in the world, the owners Guido Cancellieri and Stefano Graziani, restored one of the historic location in town to its former beauty and glory – the Fashion Cafè in via San Marco in Milan- making a strong yet exquisite design statement, and providing outstanding customer service anytime, around the clock, coupled with a fine wine selection, delicious cocktails, an excellent music selection played by International Dj, a rich breakfast, brunch menus and the unmissable happy-hour. Along with the Vintage Sunday Brunch, a design market, notable artists’ and young designers’ exhibitions (respectively once every two months and every two weeks) carefully selected by talented insiders.  Fashion Café — An architectural project based on a “home experience”, but also a hot favorite with industrial magnates, models and young up market Milanese trendsetters.

Café l'Atlantique

Viale Umbria 42, Porta Romana

Milan is a mecca for interior design mavens. Therefore it should come as no surprise those metropolis’ bars and clubs are renowned for their stellar interiors. Here, some of the city’s most beautiful sights can only be seen inside. The Café Atlantique is a prime example. The cool combo of disco and restaurant offers a shocking contrast of minimalism and bombastic design. An especially eye-catching piece is the glass chandelier by Philippe Starck hangs over the bar in the room’s middle. Everyday locals and celeb VIP’s alike flock to this elegant lounge. The crowds get so great that the doorman usually has to turn people away. The DJ spins tunes that cater to every taste, including salsa and more. For good reason, Café Atlantique has been recognized as Milan’s best club on multiple occasions.

DANCE CLUBS 

HOLLYWOOD RYTHMOTEQUE

Corso Como 15

Situated off Metro stop Garibaldi in the heart of downtown Milan, the nightclub Hollywood Rythmoteque lies on Corso Cosmo, a street brimming with nightlife. Just like the real Hollywood in Southern California, Club Hollywood attracts international superstars and has a steep cover charge for those lucky enough to get in. Despite the club's abundance of VIP areas, Milan's beautiful young crop of visitors and locals mingle on the dance floors at this enormous club, dancing the night away with the hippest of Italian crowds.

JUST CAVALLI HOLLYWOOD

V. le Luigi Camoens c/o Torre Branca

Just Cavalli Hollywood is located in Parco Sempione, at the foot of the Torre Branca, a tower designed by Giò Ponti as one of the attractions at the Triennale architecture show in the 1930s. At that time, the tower was highly innovative. Today it is considered a true work of art.

Just Cavalli Hollywood is fully justified in standing alongside the Tower. Multi-faceted fashion designer Roberto Cavalli created it, and it has recently been given a new look in terms of its interior design, with consultancy from architect Daniele Beretta. The restaurant has a semicircular structure in steel, with walls and ceiling in plate glass, and floors in teak. Inside, colors are principally black, with the animalier-motif cushions that have become a hallmark of the Cavalli style. Furnishings and mise en place are distinctive and highly sophisticated. The restaurant has a high-tech audio and lighting system, with fibre-optic mini-spotlights. There are lounge and chill-out areas under the canopy outside. In evening hours, the ambience acquires a mellow fascination with its sofas, cushions, torches, candles and chandeliers.

ARMANI PRIVÉ

Via Pisoni 1

Giorgio Armani’s exclusive new nightclub Armani Privé is a private members only establishment which can only be properly defined by the French term: Privé - exclusive, luxurious, selective, and meticulously designed. The Japanese décor is evident with a tatami-style floor, and opaque port-hole panels. Geometric shapes filter down to cube shaped armchairs and minimalist neutral colours enlivened with striking touches of red and black. Celebrities from the music world like Beyoncé Knowles and Hollywood legends such as Dustin Hoffman appreciate the atmosphere of personal expression. Contemporary cuts entice guests to the dance floor, while areas for enjoying conversation create a subtle vibe. Combined with an impeccable level of service, Armani Privé aims to capture the essence of the brand within a nightclub venue.