Some cities are made for wandering. Milano is made for wandering well dressed.
It’s a city we keep coming back to — for fashion weeks, work, inspiration and, let’s be honest, very long lunches. Behind the polished palazzi and perfectly dressed Milanese is a city that knows exactly how to enjoy itself. A quick espresso at the bar, a little vintage hunting, incredible design, pasta that needs absolutely no reinvention and an aperitivo that somehow turns into dinner.
This is our Milano. The places we love, the tables we return to and the addresses we never leave the city without visiting.
WHERE TO EAT IN MILANO?
SANT AMBROEUS
A Milanese institution since 1936 and one of those places that always feels right. Beautiful interiors, proper Italian classics and exactly the kind of old-school glamour we love. We like it for dinner: dress up a little, order something delicious and stay for one more glass of wine.
LANGOSTERIA
Seafood, beautiful plates and a room that always feels alive. The kind of place to dress up for, order too much and let dinner take as long as it needs to.
TRATTORIA TORRE DI PISA
Tucked away in Brera and exactly what we want from an Italian trattoria. Traditional, lively, unfussy and perfect for a long lunch between shops and galleries.
BAR QUADRONNO
Tiny, iconic and wonderfully Milanese. Come for a quick lunch and order one of their legendary panini. Nothing fancy, everything right.
TRATTORIA DEL CIUMBIA
Another Brera favourite. Classic Italian food in a setting that feels nostalgic in all the right ways. Come hungry.
GIACOMO MILANO
There are restaurants you try and restaurants you return to. Giacomo belongs firmly in the second category. Old-school Milano, beautiful interiors and always a good idea.
BICE
A true Milan classic. Elegant without trying too hard and the kind of address that reminds you why some places simply never go out of style.
WHERE TO GET GOOD COFFEE/MATCHA?
LA BRUMA
Probably our favourite coffee stop in Milano. Good coffee, a beautiful crowd and exactly the right atmosphere to start the day — or take a break from it. Come for a quick coffee, stay longer than planned.
ONITSUKA TIGER CAFÉ
When we’re in the city centre, this is our other coffee stop. A little Japanese energy in Milano, hidden inside the Onitsuka Tiger world. Coffee, matcha and something sweet between shops. Fashion and caffeine under one roof? Obviously, we’re in.
WHERE TO VINTAGE SHOP IN MILANO?
MADAME PAULINE VINTAGE
One of our favourite vintage stops in Milano. Come with time to browse because the best finds are usually the ones you weren’t looking for. A little fashion treasure hunt, basically.
SHOP THE STORY
Another address we never skip when we’re in vintage mode. Beautifully curated pieces with a past — and the kind of shop where “we’re just looking” rarely ends well.
WHERE TO SLEEP?
CASA BRIVIO
Our kind of Milano stay. Intimate, beautifully designed and much more like having your own Milanese address than checking into a big hotel. Quiet enough to escape the fashion-week madness, central enough to dive straight back in.
We could happily move in.
WHAT TO SEE WHEN IN MILANO?
FONDAZIONE PRADA
Come for the contemporary art, stay for the architecture — and definitely leave enough time for Bar Luce.
Designed by Wes Anderson, Bar Luce feels like stepping onto a movie set, only with better coffee and pastries. Yes, it’s very photogenic. But it’s also genuinely worth the stop.
PRADA GALLERIA
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II has always been a must, but there’s now even more reason to spend some time here.
The new Prada Galleria brings together fashion, culture and the history of the house around Prada’s historic Milanese home. Make your way upstairs to the Osservatorio Fondazione Prada for contemporary visual culture — and a completely different perspective on the magnificent Galleria below.
VILLA NECCHI CAMPIGLIO
One of those places that makes us want to move to Milano immediately.
Architecture, interiors, art, garden, pool — we’ll take the whole thing, grazie. Even if you’ve been before, it’s worth going back.
THE DUOMO
Obvious? Yes. Skippable? Absolutely not.
No matter how many times we come to Milano, walking into Piazza del Duomo and looking up still does something. Go inside, walk around, people-watch — and then disappear back into the little streets around it.
MARCHESI 1824
Because no Milano trip is complete without something sweet.
Espresso, pastries and those beautiful pistachio-green interiors. Even a quick stop feels like an occasion. And if you’re already wandering through the Galleria, there really is no excuse.
OUR PERFECT MILANO DAY
Start with coffee at La Bruma, wander through Brera and squeeze in a little vintage hunting at Madame Pauline. Let lunch at Torre di Pisa last slightly longer than planned, spend the afternoon at Villa Necchi or Fondazione Prada and head back to Casa Brivio for a quick change.
Then: dinner at Sant Ambroeus, Giacomo or Langosteria.
And maybe one last drink at Bar Basso, a classic and such a vibe!
Because Milano rewards a little effort.
Dress up. Walk everywhere. Order the pasta. Buy the vintage. And always leave room for one more espresso.
WHAT TO PACK?
COCO Y MARIA DOES MILANO
Milano calls for pieces that look polished without trying too hard. A little colour, a good knit, great trousers and something unexpected — basically our favourite kind of suitcase.
- OSCAR SWEATER LIME & PRUNE - Because Milano can handle a colour combination. Wear it with wide-leg trousers, denim or layered over a shirt.
- EL CARDIGAN GREY - Our throw-on-and-go knit for coffee runs, vintage hunting and those just one more shop afternoons.
- EL PANTALON - The perfect city trouser. Easy with sneakers all day, polished enough to take straight to aperitivo.
- OLGA DENIM - Wide-leg, high-waisted and made for walking around Brera. Add a knit, loafers and sunglasses. Done.
- LA CAMISA PALMA - A little cropped, a little unexpected and exactly right under a jacket.
- CAMILLA CAMPERA - The overshirt that earns its suitcase space: jacket, layer, last-minute outfit saver.
- DOLLY TURTLENECK BLUSH - Soft merino and a touch of colour under tailoring. Very Milano, very Coco.
Packing rule: bring fewer pieces, make more outfits — and save some suitcase space for vintage.
See you in Milano.
Coco y Maria xx