Nano Bleu is delightful. I didn't expect to find myself in a toy store on this business trip to…read moreMilan. I don't have any kids and actually having kids or being around kids is the furthest thing from my mind, But, I also didn't expect my work mates to be so bloody boring. We can't go out and party EVERY night. Sometimes we have to stay put and be on call so to speak. Desperate for some entertainment, (I can't understand Italian, so no point in turning on the television) I went after the one game that just about anyone can enjoy-Rumikub. So I wondered around the Duomo area in search of a toy store and stumbled upon Nano Bleu. My Italian is horrible but the staff was really friendly. They spoke just enough English that we could hack through the conversation about Rumikub. Luck was with me that day! They had it. But more importantly, the store is very lovely. The shelves are made from wood with rounded corners. That detail doesn't seem important until you are experiencing it. Everything is in its place. They have a giant collection of stuffed animals. It actually made me feel like a kid again. The staff is great. The place is lovely. I might go back for a stuffed animal!

From the owner: Nano Bleu is an old fashion toy store with a large selection of toys, right in the heart of Milan…read more If you are looking for a gift you are sure to find something here, with FREE delivery to your address if you are staying in Milano.

It was the bright lights that drew me in to this shop between the Naviglio Grande and the metro…read morestation. Pretty colors and all sorts of ceramics. Lamps, crafted bowls, plates, dishes. Made by hand in Turkey, so not really a gift from Italy but it's pretty stuff and I bought three small bowls and a ceramic coaster. Very impulsive of me but I liked the stuff and it traveled well. [Review 10729 overall, 497 of 2019.]

From the owner: Carpe Diem Milano, il negozio in Porta Venezia che da 25 anni si distingue per l'estrema…read morericercatezza e selezione di articoli da regalo, oggetti di design, progetti all'avanguardia, accessori alla moda e articoli vintage.

I took the train into Milan specifically to go to this bookstore. I wanted to hold a real book…read moreinstead of attempting to read on my phone and being constantly distracted by messages and nonsense. American Bookstore wasn't an Amazon-styled warehouse of books. They had no catalog. You just look at the shelves and pick something out. And they have an immense selection to peruse and ponder. There were a lot of classics and plenty of new titles. They even had a large selection of rare books with a staff dedicated to restorations. It felt right out of The Nineth Gate. I spent an hour pulling volumes and pondering before I made my selection. It was one of the best hours I've spent in days but will be penultimate to when I open the book later on.

Unique bookstore that sells American books and historical pictures and maps. Books upstairs but the…read moremaps and pictures are all in the basement area. Just a cool stop in Milan that's unique and the owner is very helpful and engaging, especially with the maps and artwork.

In my Erasmus days in Copenhagen I used to spend quite some time at Tiger, a shop selling stuff for…read more10 dkk ("Ti'er" means 'a ten danish kroner coin') up to 30 dkk. Anyhow, there I could find cups, notebooks, candle holders, snacks, napkins and all kinds of cute stuff. So it was a great surprise to find it here in Milan a few years later! There are 3 or 4 other Tiger shops in Milan, but I think this one in Via Meravigli is the one I prefer, although is not big, they have lots of stuff for 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10... euro: from candles to napkins, cute dishes, cups, tea bags, spices, some drinks, cookies, notebooks, cookware, coloring books for children, bike accessories, jewelry holders, wrapping paper, you name it! If you're throwing a dinner party, kids party, garden tea or whatever the occasion, you can drop by and find at least one thing to buy for you event. The only thing I don't like is how crowded it can be on lunch hour and the long queue to pay, but apart from that it's great!

This store reminds me of Spencers. There are a lot of fun…read moreand weird things at this store. It's the perfect place to buy gag gifts.

Right before Christmas, the triad (my mum, my daughter and myself), decided to head to the center…read moreto check out the decorations and shop for stocking fillers (silly useless gadgets to stock "la calza"). I spotted a few Target bags and my heart skipped a beat... YES, the logo on the bag was off and that alone should have been a red flag.. but i still had my hopes up it would be THE Target store... But, like all dreams, reality bites. .. We still got in to check quite a few useless (and debatable) gadget: way overpriced for the low chinese quality. Another review claims it may remind the shopper of Spencer's. I disagree, Spencer's got SWAG and funny stuff... this place has NEITHER. Needless to say, we came out empty handed and slightly unhappy. There's nothing I'd be able to purchase there.