Bars and Cafes in Downtown (Milan)

Caffè Idriko

The sensation is that of colliding with a waterfall of cool water. The walls of the Idrico are entirely re-covered by panels of blue, grey, and white fiberglass-resin that simulate, and seek to re-construct, the tidal movement of the sea. Even the long curving bar is re-covered with a thousand small water blue tiles and, in a certain sense, seeks to follow the movement of the tides of the sea. The furnishings are not a marine style but, much more appropriately, one finds small satinized steel metal tables and chairs that match with a dry end of the millennium style. A thousand small tables welcome you even outside the bar at Happy Hour or after-dinner when the interior is bursting. Strongly not recommended to those that suffer sea sickness and have never been in a boat.

Tribeca Lounge

This young bar has thrown itself with all of its might into the Milanese nightlife and has, with full right, acquired a place of honour among the most à la mode bars in the city. It is divided into two parts: bar and restaurant. The kitchen is unequalled with respect to its aperitifs. The bar is typically New York in style, with photos of famous personalities that dominated the 60s and 70s adorning the walls. Founded by Simona Ventura and Giuliano Pagliuca amongst others, it is packed to the gills with models, theatrical performers and TV stars after performances.

Shu

The two enormous golden hands in the fiberglass-reinforced plastic that support the ceiling of this very new restaurant bar, give a new esoteric meaning to the third millennium. The bar harmoniously fits high-technology with the ancient beliefs that Shu was the God expected to support the celestial vault. The floor is done in a resin enriched with tiny chrome tiles. The ambience is dominated by intense green light that's wisely used and furnishes and illuminates the interior together with the bar in a 'Space 1999' style. Happy hour is rich with fresh fruit, original dishes, pasta and desserts from the restaurant.

Cap Saint Martine

In this bar, now in vogue for a good ten years, one always finds a crowd of important people. The cocktails are excellent accompanied by excellent snacks and cold plates at Happy Hour. In marine style, this bar always succeeds in being in vogue through periods and diverse generations: at aperitif time it is possible to find young and not so young lovers of this kind of meeting place, while the evening is mainly populated by young students. The bar is always full with the crowds often spilling out onto the pavement. Be wary of parking here, the Cup Saint Martin regulars have to share the small space available for the cars together with all the residents of Ticinese.

Bar Rattazzo

The Rattazzo bar seems to be one of the peaceful places. In the zone where there is the highest concentration of stylish bars and pubs of recent years, where, right ahead appears the bar sponsored by the most famous modelling agency in the world, the Rattazzo succeeds, nonetheless, in competing against all others thanks to its laid back, relaxed style. It has no secrets; there are no men at the door searching to evaluate, with a solitary glance, who you are, where you come from and, above all, how big your bank account may be. It offers only that which you seek: to drink.

Yguana Café

This American-style bar and restaurant, popular with models and their retinue, offers mostly underground music and thumping sound. Try the house cocktails, created on site from zealously guarded recipes. The bar is large so you are able to carve out a niche for your own private party.

Victory Navy Pub

Frequented by university students, professionals and figures from the fashion industry and the showbusiness world, this bar resembles the interior of an elegant sailing ship and features a spacious and heated outdoor space. The service is very good, there is a choice of over 500 cocktails and an excellent selection of whiskeys (including 8 and 30-year-old Bowmore). For the more refined there are oysters and champagne. Not to miss if you believe that details make all the difference.

Yar

The bar is, other than an excellent restaurant, a precious place with more than fifteen different types of vodka. Apart from the room deliberately dedicated to the restaurant, there are two other areas dedicated to the bar and bistro. At Yar, where both the furnishings and the personnel are excellent, it is almost impossible not to find models or model-types. There are many reasons that may bring you to visit the bar not the least of which is the air of grandeur, typical of the Russians, that permeates within. The cocktails are prepared carefully and the bistro offers, at any hour, typical Russian dishes based on smoked or marinated fish, together with differing qualities of Beluga caviar always available. It is certainly one of the few Milanese bars in which there is an unusual calm that allows people to hold discussions in tranquil peace.

Jamaica

In the most acclaimed, publicized, and talked about zone of Milan of the magnificent years of Milan for "drinking", in Brera, one finds the Jamaica. While it was a meeting place for poets and artists at a time when the world was in a state of revolutionary turmoil, today at the Jamaica students and people of every age meet looking more to drink and have fun than to dwell upon the best social systems. Nonetheless, the Jamaica conserves all of its charm of a vanguard bar with its sparse and simple furnishings which help one to immerse oneself in the days when fashion, decorations and superfluous taste were everything. The tables which today occupy the street, a street free from automobiles, allow you to enjoy a cocktail a few metres from the Pinacoteca di Brera. Who knows, in the evening you could even meet a new boat designer or sailor, more or less by profession who have all but replaced the old cultural vanguard.

Cova

Cova opened in Via Monte Napoleone in 1817. It still has a luxurious, old fashioned atmosphere and is famous for its Sachertorte, of Austrian origin, covered in chocolate and filled with jam. However, the true speciality here is the 'Pan di Toni' or 'panettone'.

La Bottega del Vino

In Via Victor Hugo, not far from the cathedral, Peck offers more than 400 kinds of wine. They have the precious Chateau Petrus d'annata, Chateau d'Yquem and Californian wines. Naturally, they also have the best Italian and French wines, such as Brunello di Montalcino and Beaujolais.

La Versiliana

In Via Cesare Correnti, at the columns of San Lorenzo, there is a small street on the left that has some interesting window shopping. One of the windows is Versiliana, where Giunetto Cardelli, the famous ice-cream maker, reveals his recipes and offers his delights in this café and tea room. The venue also has an open-air garden. A speciality is the fruit ice cream.