Where to Eat and Drink

Fioraio Bianchi

According to Jonathan Franzen, the pressure to fall in love in Paris is so strong that it becomes almost inhibiting. The same could be said for Fioraio Bianchi (above left), which seems to have been designed for romantic, whispered dinners.

Latteria San Marco

Authentic Italian cooking courtesy of Arturo and his wife, who wakes at 6am every morning to peel and cook fresh vegetables for lunch. Its cosy, nostalgic style (above right) is an ode to the aesthetic taste of all the grandmothers of Italy.

The Bar at Ralph Lauren

Milanese are excited by the new Ralph Lauren bar, housed in an historic residence where Carla Fracci once lived. The designer was involved in every detail, from the placement of furniture to the playful cocktail mixers (tiny Polo mallets).

Tratorria Milanese Dal 1933

For anyone in the difficult position of having to defend Milanese cuisine, this is the place to bring guests. Apart from a few concessions, all the dishes are decidedly Lombard. You’ll find mondeghili, costoletta, valdostana and risotto with ossobuco. Don’t let the title ‘trattoria’ fool you: the staff wear bow ties, there’s a good wine list and it's popular with families when there's something to celebrate.

Where to Shop

Fratelli Galantino

A grocer's with a difference; their fresh fruits and vegetables are so beautiful that if a photoshoot calls for a still life, this is where the assistants are sent to buy it.

Oro Incenso E Mirra

Back in the 60s, the ladies of the Milanese upper crust were wearing anonymous pearl necklaces when Giovanna Frossi returned from India with incredible Mogul necklaces and multicolored bracelets. Since then, she has never stopped. A true globetrotter, the jewelry and objects on display in her shop bear witness to exotic places and sumptuous times, as well as her personal adventures.

Arjumand's World

The brand of fabrics and wallpapers founded by decorator and textile designer, Idarica Gazzoni, bears the name of Arjumand, the Mughal princess to whom the Taj Mahal was dedicated. Idarica's wonderful shop on Via Santa Marta is cosy and full of exuberant, colorful fabrics and papers: from patterns inspired by Mongolia to those extrapolated from Japanese screens; from ikat to gold leaf.

Maddalena Tabasso Antachita

The curious objects and antiques in this shop speak for themselves, but if you want to know more, have a chat with Maddalena and her mother who, with their telepathic abilities and repertoire of quips, seem to have stepped out of a moving Nora Ephron film. Maddalena’s grandfather had seven children, four of whom went on to become antique dealers. A special family, a special shop.

Where to Stay

Grand Hotel et de Milan

An institution. Helped by its strategic location, it became the hotel of choice for diplomats and businessmen from the end of the 19th century, also thanks to the exceptional presence of a telegraph. But artists and men of letters did not disdain it either, and in their case one can imagine that they were rather attracted by the intriguing neo-Gothic architecture, the winter garden or the convenience of an avant-garde hydraulic lift (restored and still functioning perfectly!)

Antica Locanda Solferino

There are eleven rooms at this boutique hotel, reached by a picturesque corridor furnished with satirical lithographs and a multilingual bookcase of romance novels. Ask about the room with jasmine on the terrace: it was Fellini’s favorite.