Nottingham Forest ★ 4.6
Nottingham Forest on Viale Piave is the city's longest-running experimental cocktail bar, open since 1986 in the same room. Located in Porta Venezia.
The Milanese aperitivo is the 18:00 ritual of a Campari spritz or Negroni with a tray of small bites (olives, focaccia, salumi, panzerotti) included with the price of the drink. The city's signature social institution.
The aperitivo tradition was built in Milan around the Camparino bar (founded 1915 in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the city's marble shopping arcade), the original house bar of Campari, the bittersweet red aperitif invented in 1860 by Gaspare Campari in Novara. The bar-with-snacks model spread through the city in the postwar decades; by the 1980s it was the Milanese 6pm ritual. The modern aperitivo culture (a drink plus a tray of free small bites, around €10 to €15) is now an obligation rather than a luxury; the bars compete on the quality of the tray as much as the drink. Camparino remains the historical reference; modern bars like Ugo and Nottingham Forest run cocktail-driven takes.
4 editor picks for Aperitivo Milanese in Milan, ranked by editorial score. All Milan signature dishes · Aperitivo Milanese across every city.
Bar Gattullo ★ 4.3
Bar Gattullo at Viale Porta Lodovica has served Milanese espresso and house-baked cornetti since 1962. Order the traditional milanese espresso and cornetto.
Camparino in Galleria ★ 4.2
Camparino in Galleria at the Piazza Duomo corner of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is the bar where Davide Campari himself served the first Campari Seltz.
Ugo ★ 4.1
Ugo on Via Corsico in Navigli is a small speakeasy with faux taxidermy and antique decor, where the cocktails are built around unexpected flavour.
Learn to cook it, or eat it with a guide
Aperitivo Milanese makes more sense with someone from Milan explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
Taste Aperitivo Milanese with a local in Milan
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Private tour · 7 hours
Milan: Private City Tour with Transfers and Champagne
Discover Milan's top sights on a private tour with a local guide. Enjoy a private chauffeur service with a Mercedes luxury vehicle and sip on champagne during transfers.
from€2,900 Check dates
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11 hours
Milan Day Trips: Barolo Wine Tour with a Private Driver
Explore Piedmont on a day trip wine tour with a private driver.. Visit beautiful towns & famous wineries of the most iconic Italian wine region. Taste local specialtie...
from€990 Check dates
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Multi-day trip · 2 days
2 Days in Milan: Fashion, Food and Culture
Discover Milan in 2 days with a 5-star hotel included, visiting the city with our guide and tasting the typical products of the area
from€870 Check dates