There’s a whole lot more than Campari to the evening aperitivo
Evening drinks in Milan, are more main event than prelude. Here are four of the best bars in town.
Evening drinks in fashionable Milan are more main event than prelude. Here’s a guide to four bars where the aperitivo includes stellar snacks, ambience and a few surprises.
The classic aperitivo
A bright neon sign beckons passers-by into Bar Basso, in the quiet, student-oriented Citta Studi neighbourhood. Inside, the establishment, opened in 1947, still has the inviting feel of a gentlemen’s club where bartenders in white shirts and ties reign over a chandelier-topped bar. Everything has seemingly been in place for decades.
The cocktails exude a vintage quality, too — lots of old-fashioned favourites, including the Negroni Sbagliato, the signature Italian sip the bar introduced to the world in the early 70s. This variation on the classic Negroni cocktail (equal parts Campari, gin and sweet vermouth) substitutes a spumante, or sparkling wine, for the gin. The whole thing came about as a bartender’s error — indeed, sbagliato translates as “mistaken” — but one that inadvertently gave the Negroni a sweet, bubbly lilt. Via Plinio 39, barbasso.com.
The crafty aperitivo
If Bar Basso represents Milan’s cocktail past, Rita & Cocktails, opened in 2002, exemplifies its trendy present. This perennially buzzy nightspot, located in the bohemian neighbourhood surrounding the Naviglio Grande canal, places a big emphasis on craft-cocktail wizardry: Think drinks with multiple ingredients.
The room itself, with its light wood floors and panelling, looks a little like a sauna with booze-lined shelves. Try to secure a table (or a spot at the bar), and make a point of ordering one of the Campari-based drinks, since that’s where Rita really shines. Consider, for instance, the Giulietta, combining Campari with Dom Benedictine liqueur, limes and a syrup made from a dark-brown sugar, among other ingredients. Rita also excels in the food department. An assortment of complimentary goodies accompanies every drink order: Mine included beef tartare with oversize capers, a mini pizza, green olives and an overflowing portion of crudites. Like a good many Milan bars, Rita also has a small dining menu. Via Angelo Fumagalli 1, facebook.com/RitaCocktails.
The suave aperitivo
Il Bar, a posh hangout in the even more posh Bulgari Hotel Milano, gives Milan its reputation as Italy’s sleekest, most fashionable city. The hotel is a joint venture between the luxury-goods brand and the Ritz-Carlton hotel group. Glass walls overlook a spacious garden and in pleasant weather, the patio itself is the place to be.
You’ll pay for the privilege of drinking here. The signature cocktail, the Bulgari, costs a whopping $US23 ($30). This refreshing affair in the aperitivo tradition combines Aperol (Campari’s lighter sibling), gin and fresh orange juice, among other ingredients. But you’ll consider it a bargain when you factor in the treats that accompany it — a two-tiered mini feast of small plates with selections that change regularly. The crowd — well-heeled locals mingling with international business travellers — makes for entertaining people-watching. Via Privata Fratelli Gabba 7b, bulgarihotels.com.
The arty aperitivo
Located within the Prada Foundation’s contemporary art space in an industrial neighbourhood, Bar Luce looks a little like an art installation itself — an odd mash-up of an old-fashioned Italian coffee shop with the twee, offbeat sensibility of film director Wes Anderson who designed it, imbuing it with a 1950s aesthetic. That translates into a vivid-pastel colour scheme and Formica countertops, and a couple of pinball machines (themed around some of the director’s movies).
The aperitivo here is more of an all-day affair. The relatively short cocktail list includes long-forgotten American favourites like a Harvey Wallbanger alongside a selection of Italian-style “spritz” cocktails. The free aperitivo culinary accompaniments add a note of generosity: few bars will set a bowl of macadamia nuts before you. Largo Isarco 2, fondazioneprada.org.