Monocle Travel Guide: Milan

Milan has a reputation for being industrious but look in the right places and you’ll discover that it also knows how to let its hair down. Don’t take our word for it: don your snappiest gear and see for yourself.

Few things will be handed to you on a plate in Milan – except, perhaps, a generous portion of rich and creamy risotto con ossobuco. The Lombard capital has an enviable wealth of restaurants, shops and galleries but the best are often hard to find. This is a city that rewards those who take the time to tap on a closed door and look beyond an unassuming stone fac¸ade.

Naturally, as a mecca for fashion fans and design aficionados, Milan can also be a fast-paced and dizzying affair. That’s where we come in. We’ll steer you towards the top bars for a negroni and reveal our favourite spots in which to savour both innovative fare and authentic cucina Milanese. We’ve sifted through the city’s labyrinthine retail offering for the tailors making the sharpest suits and the homeware shops packed with rare finds. Plus the hotels that we long to hunker down in, from polished renaissance palazzos to cosy family-run boutiques.
Monocle reports from around the globe. As its editors and correspondents dart from city to city, they get to know the best places to rest their heads, stretch their limbs, and kick back with a contact in a hard-to-find cocktail bar. That information is now available in The Monocle Travel Guide Series: a line-up of titles that speaks to readers in an informed but informal way about everything from architecture to art, late-night bars to early-morning markets. Designed to be compact and collectible, these books go beyond the traditional tourist beats to make sure visitors get the best out of a city - no matter how short their stay. The guides are also discerning: they will not list a hundred places to eat, but they will focus on what is best for any occasion.