{"id":904,"date":"2025-09-20T23:52:56","date_gmt":"2025-09-20T15:52:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php\/2025\/03\/07\/milans-10-most-quirky-and-unusual-bars\/"},"modified":"2025-11-23T09:56:06","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T01:56:06","slug":"milans-10-most-quirky-and-unusual-bars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/?p=904","title":{"rendered":"Milan’s 10 most quirky and unusual bars"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In a city known for fashion and elegance, you’d expect Milan’s bar scene to be sophisticated \u2013 and sure, it’s possible to sip aperitifs with the beautiful people in a vine-covered garden. But the city is also blessed with a surfeit of quirky watering holes, so if you know where to go, you can also knock back shots in a converted 18th-century church or play pinball in a bar designed by Wes Anderson.<\/p>\n

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\"Bar
Bar Luce was designed by Wes Anderson \u00a9 Attilio Maranzano \/ Fondazione Prada<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Wes Anderson\u2019s cinematic world<\/h3>\n

This bar’s kitsch design and pastel colour palette draws you in like one of Wes Anderson\u2019s whimsical movies \u2013 which is perhaps unsurprising since the cult film director is the brains behind Bar Luce\u2019s design. From the 50s formica tables to the Steve Zissou-themed pinball machine, the experience is like being immersed in Anderson\u2019s cinematic world. Housed in the elegant Fondazione Prada, the bar also draws inspirations from the city itself; look carefully and you\u2019ll notice details from Milan\u2019s iconic Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.<\/p>\n

\"Un
Un Posto a Milano is a bucolic oasis in the heart of the city \u00a9 Un Posto a Milano<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Country life in the inner city<\/h3>\n

You\u2019ll forget you\u2019re in the city at Cascina Cuccagna, a former 18th-century farmstead that has been beautifully repurposed as a cultural space, guesthouse, restaurant and bar known as Un Posto a Milano. While the kitchen emphasises locally sourced ingredients, some direct from their vegetable garden, the drinks menu includes sulphate-free Italian wine, craft beers and quality cocktails. It also hosts a weekly farmer\u2019s market along with creative classes and events.<\/p>\n

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Hanging out by the pool at Bagni Misterioisi \u00a9 Stephanie Ong \/ Lonely Planet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cocktails by the pool<\/h3>\n

Bagni Misterioisi is a 1930s public swimming pool and theatre space that\u2019s been painstakingly restored by Fondazione Pier Lombardo and is now one of the city\u2019s most popular summer haunts. Not only does it make for a scenic dip, you can also sip cocktails poolside or sprawl on its lawns over an aperitivo. It has a full program of events, from tai chi classes to art shows, dance performances and electronic music concerts. In winter the swimming pool transforms into a magical place for ice skating.<\/p>\n

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Where drinking is sacrosanct<\/h3>\n

In a country famous for its many churches, it seems almost fitting to go for a casual drink in one. La Chiesetta, a tiny 18th-century church in Milan’s Chinatown neighbourhood, makes this possible. Its faded frescoes and gothic arches provide the atmospheric setting for cheap shots and themed cocktails (Sangue di Giuda aka \u2018Blood of Judas\u2019 anyone?) This boisterous locale gets busy so it\u2019s best to get here early at the weekend if you want a seat.<\/p>\n

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Drinks amidst the greenery of L\u00f9Bar \u00a9 Lucilla Bonaccorsi Beccaria \/ L\u00f9Bar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The elegant winter garden<\/h3>\n

Sitting in L\u00f9Bar is like being in an elegant winter greenhouse. Housed in the neoclassical Villa Reale, its large windows have original details from the 1700s, while its greenery includes everything from palm trees to cacti. The brainchild of three siblings passionate about the food from their home region, it goes without saying that the Sicilian-inspired menu is excellent. The Villa is also home to the Galleria d’Arte Moderna and a dreamy kids\u2019 park, which provides yet another excuse to visit.<\/p>\n

The smallest bar in the world<\/h3>\n

Imagine renting your own private bar for a couple of hours, where you can choose every detail, from the music to the glassware, while a masked mixologist whips up cocktails according to your tastes. Welcome to BackDoor43. Billed as the smallest bar in the world, at 4 sq m with space for only four people (including the barman), drinking here is an intimate experience. If that sounds too claustrophobic for you, you can get take-away cocktails outside, by ordering through a small window (only on weekends).<\/p>\n

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\"Sophistication
Sophistication in the courtyard at Corso Como 10 \u00a9 Stephanie Ong \/ Lonely Planet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Italian fashion concept<\/h3>\n

Fashion, art and design have no finer home than Corso Como 10, the famed concept store started by fashion magazine editor Carla Sozzani. And while various branches can be found in big cities around the world, there\u2019s nothing quite like the original. Housed in a 20th-century palazzo, it offers high-end fashion, a design bookstore, gallery, a rooftop garden and a restaurant and bar. Its vine-covered courtyard is the place to sip cocktails with the well-heeled.<\/p>\n

A Milanese institution<\/h3>\n

Step back into a time of 60s glamour at Bar Basso, with its chandeliers, velvet seats and waiters in white shirts and black ties. Famous not only for having served everyone from Frank Sinatra to a former President of the Republic, it\u2019s a veritable Milanese institution for one very good reason. It was the first place to offer \u2018aperitivo\u2019 (a drink plus light meal) to the public and and the beloved Negroni Sbagliato cocktail was invented here. You can still enjoy this drink here in its original form: in a large goblet (known as the Colossus) with an enormous block of ice and a slice of orange.<\/p>\n

\"The
The Botanical Club has an impressive selection of gins \u00a9 The Botanical Club<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The gin-lover’s choice<\/h3>\n

It’s all about gin at The Botanical Club, which not only has over 150 well-known and hard-to-find gins from all over the world, but also produces its own brand \u2013Spleen et Id\u00e9al. It\u2019s Italy’s first small-batch distillery and a chic place to imbibe with its minimal aesthetic and lush overhanging greenery. It also serves up a mix of fancy modern dishes, such as vegetable tempura or Hawaiian Poke. Choose from two locations, the original bar in Via Pastrenga or the bigger and bolder one in Via Tortona.<\/p>\n

Searching for the 1930s<\/h3>\n

There\u2019s something irresistible about the speakeasy 1930, and it\u2019s not just the feeling that you\u2019re in on one terrific secret. It\u2019s also the inventive cocktails and classy vintage decor that takes you back to the time of American Prohibition. Hidden by what appears to be a Chinese convenience store, entry is only granted by invitation, which is notoriously hard to come by. If you don’t know someone who’s already a member, the best way to gain entry is by sweet talking the staff at Mag Bar (the parent bar of this locale), in particular owner and bar manager Flavio Angiolillo.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a city known for fashi<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":905,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-italy-travel-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/904","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=904"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/904\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":952,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/904\/revisions\/952"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/905"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=904"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=904"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}