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!

Good people, good food, good beers (and a great selection of). Perfect cozy place if you're looking…read morefor something different than the usual Italian eatery. Highly recommended

AVOID! Here's why:…read more Went twice. First night service a little slow but excellent Belgian beer. Second night. Full service side and we were told outside was open - we sat same table. Watched two other tables fill, get waited on, food served and we were ignored - not even greeted. Served walked past us repeatedly. After 25 mins we left. I've looked at other reviews and best I can tell they just don't like tourists.

Very worth and a popular spot by Arco della Pace! We first arrived at 18:00 on a Monday and luckily…read morethe good weather meant we could sit outside. 15 euros for one drink and unlimited food - mainly pasta, pizza, dessert, and rice (that could pass for biryani). The best was the spinach ravioli and fracado drink. This was such a good deal!! Very worth it and we totally could have just had dinner here with small plates. By the time we passed by at 21:00, it was popping outside. We did see some flies around the kitchen, by the desserts. Which is why it's not 5 stars.

Recommended by the people in the hotel I was staying. Only and last recommendation, I will take…read more The area is nice and it seems there are options for the apéritivo hour - many places circling ( the under construction piazza ) what annoys me - I took the trouble to come here on my last day - a complete waste of time . They have a buffet for apertivo - all you can eat always a bad sign - food was not made with any care The Negroni - not made with any care If your someone coming to Milan to experience - good cuisine and drinks even for apertivo - skip this

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.

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

We saw this place on social media and decided to give it a try. As a tourist in Milan, I probably…read morehaven't tried the best Italian food yet, but the food here was pretty good. The best part? It's very affordable -- you just need to order a drink, and all the food is free. During our four-day stay in Milan, we actually came here twice because we found the value to be excellent. The food is served buffet-style, so the portions are generous, and it comes with a drink. I'd definitely recommend this spot if you're near the Duomo and want a full meal with lots of variety. It's a great way to try small portions of many different dishes, so I'd mainly recommend it for the variety rather than the quality of each individual dish.

We were here in December of 2024. We were in Milan for a little less than a week but somehow we…read morebecame regulars here. The staff made us feel at home the first night which made us want to come back. Apertivo and late night were spectacular. The apertivo food spread was beyond incredible and we want to come back to Milan almost solely to visit here again. Could not possibly recommend this anymore for anyone looking for the apertivo experience or just a wonderful bar with good drinks and staff that will welcome you with open arms!