The best bars to drink at in Milan (2024)

The best bars to drink at in Milan (1)

Photograph: Courtesy Fonderie Milanesi

One of the best nights out in Italy, the best bars in Milan serve crazy cocktails, Campari and creative craft beers

Written by Emma Harper & Angelica Frey

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Spent your days strolling through art galleries, snapping fabulously aesthetic photos and shopping till you (hopefully not literally) drop? Sounds like you need a drink. Well, luckily for you, the drinking opportunities in Milan are pretty endless.

Milan’s bar scene has all of the swanky cocktail bars you’re most likely picturing, but it’s no one trip pony; alongside them are basement wine bars, beer haunts and aperitivo counters full of tantalising snacks. On our list we’ve got everything from terraces for an afternoon tipple to late-night spots for a boogie (and then some). Ready? Here are the best bars in Milan.

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Emma Hughes and Angelica Frey are writers from Milan. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

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Where to drink in Milan

1.Radetzky

Radetzky is a bit of an iconic venue in Milan, serving up a load of fantastic cocktails and aperitifs. It’s known best for the shabby-chic sofas that sit outside, and come post-work time, big crowds gather to sip and laugh. Radetzky has been around since 1988, but has never lost its old-school charm, proving that the charm of 1980s Milan has never faltered. The buffet snacks (focaccia, pizza, cold cuts and the likes), are all included in the drinks, and there’s breakfast, lunch and dinner options.

2.Bere Buona Birra
  • Craft beer pubs
Photograph: Courtesy CC/Flickr/Alan Levine

More clubhouse than a bar, this craft beer spot in Porta Romana is upfront about its priorities: its name translates to “drink good beer,” after all. The informal venue occupies a small storefront featuring playful art on the walls, loads of stools and a few nondescript wooden tables. But most people congregate around the bar’s six taps and the two coolers full of bottled craft Italian and European beers; crates on the opposite wall showcase bottles you can buy and take home.

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3.Nottingham Forest

The second you step into Nottingham Forest, you might be disoriented by its Disneyland-ride decor (even though, now that ‘immersive experiences’ are a thing, it might be unwittingly trendy). The menu, which adapts the most refined culinary techniques (including chemical reactions) to the art of mixology, is anything but a Disneyland-like experience. Don’t call those in charge of your cocktails ‘barmen’ or ‘mixologists’, as at Nottingham Forest, they are bar chefs and, true to their role, wear toques. You shouldn't expect to see Brian Clough in here, either.

4.Pasticceria Massimo 1970
  • Café bars
Photograph: Courtesy Massimo 1970

This neighbourhood favourite in Porta Romana, run by brothers Luca, Fabio and Massimo Crinò, is first and foremost a pastry shop. But don’t let the display cases full of mouth-watering sweets deter you: the venue is equally renowned for its inventive cocktails, many of which are Luca’s creations. Not only does Luca concoct the recipes, but he also creates his own Vermouth and Campari-style liquor.

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5.N’Ombra de Vin
  • Wine bars
Photograph: Courtesy Yelp/Lorena S.

Buttressed by the walls of San Marco Basilica, this wine cellar in Brera is where people go to see and be seen. N’Ombra de Vin was opened by Giacomo Cora, who transformed what used to be the refectory of the Friars of the Agostine order in the 16th century into one of Milan’s best wine shops. Today, the grand cellar is run by Giacomo’s son, Cristiano.

6.Bar Basso
  • Cocktail bars
Photograph: Courtesy Yelp/Raffaella M.

Thenegroni sbagliato(a ‘wrong’ Negroni made with spumante in place of gin and mixed with Campari and vermouth, which you’ve probably heard of from TikTok) was first created at this classic Milanese cocktail bar and is still served today in an enormous glass. Located in Città Studi, an area buzzing with students, Bar Basso fills up during Salone del Mobile, the annual design week, when it becomes the after-party venue of choice.

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7.Santeria

What started in 2011 as an unassuming space for creative strivers in Città Studi, the university-neighbourhood hub on the East Side of Milan, evolved into a space that houses an art gallery, a restaurant, a performance space and a bar that has, according to its own website, ‘80 types of gin, 30 types of bitters, 40 types of tequila and mezcal, 10 different vodkas, 50 rums, 70 whiskeys, 70 liquors and 20grappas.’The staff at Santeria also concocts craft cocktails using ingredients such as peanut-butter-flavoured bourbon and grilled yellow peppers. Say what?

8.Fonderie Milanesi
  • Italian
Photograph: Courtesy Fonderie Milanesi

Housed in an old foundry with soaring ceilings and a sprawling patio, Fonderie Milanesi can be relied on for solid cocktails and anaperitivobuffet that prioritises quality over quantity. Close to Bocconi University, this hidden spot at the end of a gravel road attracts a younger crowd, although it’s hopping with people of all ages duringaperitivohours.

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9.oTTo
  • Café bars
Otto

During the day, oTTo’s distressed wooden tables are covered in Apple laptops that belong to freelancers. Comeaperitivotime, the computers are replaced with glasses of wine and cocktails. Get here early to snag a seat, but don’t be concerned if you’re left to twiddle your thumbs: all ordering takes place at the bar, and there’s no table service for drinks.

  • Cocktail bars

A reliable spot for inventive cocktails, Rita & Cocktails stands out in the Navigli. The canal area is teeming with mediocre establishments, and this contemporary bar is like a port in the storm. The speciality here is fresh, quality ingredients and clever flavour combinations. Outside the glass-encased patio, the main focal point is a bespoke wooden bar that practically fills the room.

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