Milan After Hours
After Hours is the Planned vs Rogue series where Katie brings you their favourite things the team did when the cameras weren’t rolling.
We may have mentioned once or twice in our Milan content that the ancient city was hit with a heatwaves while we were there. Our shoebox Air BnB was not at all equipped for temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius and despite our host bringing over 2 pedestal fans, it was close to unbearable in the middle of the day with the sun bouncing off the surrounding buildings and into our windows. As such, we sought refuge in the air conditioning of business and the shade of parks, and in the end we had an amazing time in Italy’s fashion capital. Here are some of our favourite things that we did in Milan when the cameras were off.
Trapizzino
The look in Benny’s eyes says it all.
When we were in Florence in 2019, we loved going to Mercato Centrale and taking turns picking out dishes to try. On one of Benny’s ventures, he came back with an interesting looking dough cone filled with meatballs and sauce. Little did we know that this thing, known as a Trapizzino and popular throughout northern Italy, would prevail as one of the most memorable dishes we ate on that entire European trip.
When Milan made its way onto the destination list for our trip in 2023, we were stoked to learn that we’d be staying just 5 minutes away from the main provider of Trapizzino. We practically ran there as soon as we’d dropped our luggage off, and we returned multiple times throughout our week in Milan. The classic meatballs is a clear winner in our eyes, but they’re all exceptional. The only downside? They gave Benny a weird look when he asked for parmesan cheese on his (we could see it behind the counter), and then refused to do it. That was odd.
Craft Beer in Navigli
Grab a beer and pull up a seat on the fence running along the canal in Navigli.
There are a few beers that come to mind when thinking about Italy’s brewing scene. Peroni, Birra Moretti, and Menabrea, for example. But Italy’s craft beer scene is growing and thriving, making it an absolute dream for travellers like Benny and I. In Milan’s Navigli district (where we stayed - I 1000% recommend it) there was no shortage of places to get a local brew and sit along the canal.
In particular, we loved the aptly named Navigli Craft Beer. Serving only Italian craft beers in all different styles, as well as a short but delicious menu of paninis, this is an amazing place to relax and soak up a warm Milanese evening. We liked it so much, that we ended up drinking a whole keg dry (although I choose to believe it wasn’t entirely full when we arrived).
We stopped into a few other speciality bars during our time in Milan and enjoyed some weird and wonderful bevvies, which you can read all about in Benny’s blog.
Admire the Galleries
Even from the outside you can see this is no ordinary shopping mall.
Officially named Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan’s oldest functioning shopping mall is a haven for designer labels and fine dining. But if you’re like us and travel with a strict budget, fear not! The Galleries is well worth a visit regardless of your spending habits.
Aside from window shopping at the likes of Prada & Gucci, another free, albeit strange, attraction here is Milan Bull in the floor. There are four mosaics built into the floor throughout the building, each representing the major cities of Italy. For Milan, it is a red cross on a white background. For Turin, interestingly, it is a dancing bull, or Torino (hence the name) in Italian. But the mosaic itself is not what I’m recommending here. It is the swarms of tourists following an interesting legend, the origins of which have been lost in time, that says spinning on your hell on the bulls genitals (yep) will bring good luck. I don’t know about you, but that is certainly something I find amusing - I mean interesting - to watch.
If you’ve watched our episode in Milan (if you haven’t, what ARE you doing??), you’ll recognise this architecturally stunning beautiful from not one but two stops on my planned day. Marchesi 1824 and The Camparino in Galleri are both housed here, and both have wonderful views over the lower level if you head to their second floors. At the Camparino, I recommend heading upstairs to Sala Spiritello, a sensory-focused cocktail bar that opens just in time for aperitivo hour each day.
Local Bakeries, Delis & Confectionary Stores
I don’t have a head of visuals of these as they really just became a part of our lives.
Benny and I love to eat out while travelling, finding restaurants and cafes brimming with locals and trying things we’ve never heard of before. However, when we’re on the go for months at a time, neither our bodies nor our wallets appreciate the constant decadence.
Going to local grocery stores, delis, bakeries and the like is one of our favourite things to do in an unfamiliar city. It gives such a good insight into the culture and culinary habits of your surroundings, and is typically much more cost effective than dining out. Benny even highlighted it as a top tip to feel like a local when travelling.
Whilst we often stocked up on basics like yoghurt, muesli, fruit and salads for easy meals in our accommodation, we would also head out in search of a deli or bakery ahead of dinner. A couple of massive arancini, a big slice of veggie tart, or just some crispy, loaded focaccia and a fresh salad was a welcome meal even when squashed into our shoebox apartment. Our Air BnB was across the road from Pan Per Focaccia, which kept us well-fed that week.
Milan also has no shortage of confectionary stores specialising in all things from macarons to cannoli. La Cannoleria Siciliana is one such place, where they pipe fresh fillings into their crispy homemade shells right before you. Best enjoyed whilst sitting in 2 inches of water in the kiddy pool you irresponsibly put on the roof of your Air BnB.
Pasta Fresca da Giovanni
As you can see, this meal was so good that Benny tried to steal MINE.
When I say Pasta Fresca, I don’t literally mean just any old fresh pasta. Of course, in Italy, if you find somewhere serving genuine fresh pasta it is likely to be good. But THIS, Pasta Fresca da Giovanni, is OUT OF THIS WORLD GOOD.
Benny and I were lucky enough to be in Milan for our 9th anniversary. Considering we were 3 months into a 5 month trip around Europe, we agreed to skip the typical gifts and fancy meal plans and just find somewhere local. This could very well go down as the best anniversary meal we’ve had.
As the name suggests, all pasta here is made daily on premise. The limited menu is written on a chalk board to allow for season ingredients to come and go. The wine list is limited to ‘house white’ and ‘house red’ and you don’t need to spend long choosing between a Menabrea or a Menabrea if you’re after a beer. I had a rich tomato-based fettuccini with a big load of fresh ricotta on top. Benny got the classic spaghetti carbonara. We were both completely blown away by the quality and freshness of the dishes, and the service was warm and welcoming too.
There’s only a few tables so come early or be ready to wait. Out of all the places we ate at in Milan, this is easily top of my list for places to return to. It may well make my top 5 across all of Italy for me if I’m completely honest.
If any of my references to our episode in Milan didn’t make sense to you, make sure you fill the gaps by watching it NOW! It’s full of tips of what to do and definitely what NOT to do.
