My wife and I stayed in Milan for four days at the Hotel Soperga, which is just about half a block away 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. read more