My wife and I stayed in Milan for four days at the Hotel Soperga, which is just about half a block…read moreaway from the Ottolina Café. We discovered the place on our first morning when we stopped in for coffee -- then we returned at the end of the evening for a nightcap. And then we came here morning and night for the next three nights. The food and drinks/coffee were great and reasonably priced, but the service is what sets this place apart. On our first evening here, we were into our second beverages when the owner surprised us with a small meat/cheese tray to go along with the peanuts or chips that were customary at most places throughout the Tuscany region. Even though some nights we would be the only people left, the owner would not hesitate to fire up the meat slicer (which had already been cleaned for the night) to prepare us a special snack. The owner didn't speak a lot of English (but he spoke a lot more English than I spoke Italian), but we managed just fine... and even developed a bit of a friendship. I was sad when we left Milan, in part because it meant we would no longer be starting and ending our days at the Ottolina Café.

coffee is great, staff is super friendly, typical Italian atmosphere :)…read more Come for a chat with friends or just a cuppa coffee

This special watering hole is a must visit. Worth the walk or drive as it's not in the city center…read more You will likely see the owner crafting drinks behind the bar. Try not to fan girl. Seating is mixed with squishy couches and intimate tables. The cocktail menu is creative and unique. You'll feel like you're sipping drinks in someone's tricked out living room. I highly recommend!

Divey but not and super cute . Drink is absolutely delish . Worth a visit and a great…read morerecommendation by a local . It was surprisingly open when everything seems to be closed this time of year . Oh and the bartenders will accommodate in English !

The best of a night at several bars on the Navigli. Read my profile and my reviews, you'll find…read morethat I am a pretty experienced booze hound. Pinch is a total replica of American hipster craft cocktail bars, in Milan. The bartenders wear suspenders and do tricks with shakers. I'm waiting for an ironic mustache, preferably like the Moretti guy has. The drinks are exceptional. When I was there, they had one made of green tomatoes and mountain pine liqueur that was a taste party in my mouth. The aperitivo snacks are also really excellent, a small tray of various interesting crunchy things. No potato chips -- we're talking samosas in wonton wrappers with sweet chili sauce, Indian curry rice, a ham-arugula roll, and baba ghanoush. My second drink didn't quite match the first, but it was close. Also, the only bar in Milan that gave me *zero* grief about wanting a simple glass of tap water. In fact, they just give you one. Mega bonus points for that. I'm sick of paying for "aqua panna Toscana" that I neither need nor want. Been drinking Milan tap water in my hotel room for four days now. It's fine. Pour it on. Food offerings from the regular menu are a little hit or miss, but on the other hand, I had kind of stuffed myself with aperitivo. Had I been hungry, might've been a different story.

Another perfect cocktails bar in Navigli! And yet I thought this Milanese neighborhood was only…read morefilled with bars with bad & cheap drinks, loud music and greasy aperitivo food (well, there are plenty of bars like that but thankfully not all of them). Pinch is a new bar right in Ripa di Porta Ticinese, not in the pedestrian part of the Naviglio, which means they don't have outside seating - except for the tables at the windows. It has a retro vibe, as if you entered a 1920s bar, dim lights, soft 1920's music; elegant but not ostentatious atmosphere. The cocktails list has about 15 signature cocktails, all with an explanation of the alcoholic level (medium or high), taste (fresh, spicy, bitter, etc.) and of course the ingredients, classic cocktails with a twist, made extremely well, with good ingredients. They also have a food menu but I didn't check it out since we were there for the aperitivo - which then turned into after-dinner drinks. I had the "South of the Border" with tequila, chartreuse vert, lime juice, sugar syrup and fresh mint, it was fresh and delicious, then I had another one and another one... just to be sure they were made perfectly ;) For the aperitivo, our cocktails were 8 euro each and the waiter (who looked like Robert Pattinson) brough a small tray with some snacks: rice and salad in small glasses, chips, mini-sandwiches and a couple of vol-au-vents - not enough to fill our stomachs completely but also not the average greasy aperitivo food. Nice staff, a full bar with quality bottles and clean bathrooms complete the experience. Too bad it's far from my house, but worth the subway trip back!

Fantastic crepes and a great selection of drinks as well! I've never hit two five star places in a…read morerow, but I've made great luck today with these side restaurants. The menu of crepes here is extensive- from savory sandwich-like crepes to a plethora of sweet crepes, this Creperia will satisfy any crepe lover! They must have a hundred crepes on the menu. The selection of sweet crepes ranges from a lot of different fruit varieties like kiwi or berries, to combinations with all kinds of creams, custards, and chocolate fillings. I am also impressed with the drink menu. There are a couple pages of cocktails, plus a beer and wine selection. The cocktails are WORTH IT. I got an Irish whiskey and it was so gorgeous! The bar is also very cool; they've got a lot of character with the way they've decorated this place. I highly recommend this creperia for a drink and a snack. Close to Quadrilatero d'Oro too!

I was wandering home from the Scala late night when I stumbled upon this cute little bar/crepe cafe…read more(open late at night, big plus!). Their beer around the world select was quite funny for an American (Duff + Bud), and their crepe were absolutely heavenly! I tried the chestnut crepe topped with bananas, which turned out so ridiculously good I ate another one! (darn, so much for not sleeping on a full belly) The service was very nice and friendly too - Look forward to coming back very soon when I'm back in Milan!

Excellent place with lots of history. Food was amazing and the staff were very friendly. We don't…read morespeak Italian (only English and French) and it was no problem.

I have to update my score from 4 to 5. Today I tried the pain au Chocolat (which they call…read more"fagottino") and it was a proper croissant dough with a delicious chocolate filling. Crunchy outside and soft inside, with a beautiful honeycomb structure. Absolutely delicious. Skip the classic Italian Cornetto/brioche, go for the croissants. Espresso and cappuccino were very good too.

Armani Bamboo Bar/ Restaurant Milan…read more This modern, chic restaurant serves good food in a pretty space. We stopped in for lunch and were surprised that the restaurant was virtually empty. While the hostess/initial server was a very abrupt, very haughty (with more than a tad of condescension) unpleasant, British woman, (so unpleasant that we were going to leave) the rest of the staff was better, some staff members even rising to the level of gracious. GianPaulo, for example, was attentive, accommodating and very pleasant, so we stayed. We opted to share the shrimp appetizer, which was quite tasty. We then opted for the salmon poke and seared tuna salad (their version of the nicoise). The salmon poke was not bad. The seared tuna salad excelled in both plating and flavor. The tuna was fresh and lightly seared, and the vegetables were also fresh and prepared perfectly al dente. As the restaurant was quite empty, after the initial unpleasantness, we enjoyed a peaceful, relaxing lunch. While we wouldn't "rush back" to Bamboo Bar, it's well located, has a pleasant ambiance, and the seared tuna salad was quite good.

A for atmosphere. Gorgeous place. Great staff…read more F for food. Come for the 25 euro drinks. Eat anywhere else.

Highly Recommend!…read more Great service and the restaurant was very nice and organized with good ambiance. Service was excellent. Staff were very nice and helpful. Food was excellent. Everything we had was fresh.

Intro: After grabbing dinner in the Navigli district, my buddy and I were looking for some drinks…read morein the area. Ugo was mentioned in my guide book and it was a short walk so our decision was made. We made our way and we were seated at a table inside. Ambiance (4/5): Ugo is a sophisticated cocktail bar and the decor and ambiance match. While I was there with my buddy, I thought to myself: this would make for a good date spot. Service (5/5): European service has a reputation for being slow and inefficient. And not terribly friendly. The opposite is true at Ugo. The bartenders were friendly, checked on us promptly, and closed us out quickly when we were ready to leave. This is not the norm in Italy and it was a nice surprise. Food (N/A): We had dinner earlier so drinks only for us. Drinks (5/5): First off, I appreciated the creativity of the menu itself. The signature cocktails were named after board games and there was a short description to make the connection between the game and the drink. The creativity shown on the menu matches the sophistication of the drinks. If you're looking for an elaborate cocktail, you'll find that at Ugo. The cocktail I ultimately chose had cachasa in it (a Brazilian liquor). You don't find this spirit often so I jumped on the opportunity. The cocktail itself lived up to my expectations and then some. Overall: If I lived in Milan, Ugo would be a part of my regular rotation.