The Ritual of Aperitivo
“Aperitivo - The Italian’s answer to Happy Hour ”
When I lived in Milan, my friends and I looked forward to our aperitivo nights every week. Aperitivo is a time in the early evening when you gather with friends, have a drink, and enjoy some snacks. It was a time we looked forward to people watch, hang out and talk about our day. I loved how the entire atmosphere in the city always shifted during aperitivo, from bustling and busy to relaxed yet lively.
As a tribute to the ritual of aperitivo in Milan, I’ve ranked below some of the best spots in the city, inclusive of elevated locations to more budget friendly options. I am admittedly no food critic but had a lot of fun reflecting on some of my favorite spots and memories made at each one.
Associazione Salumi e Vini Naturali
District: Brera
Price: €€€
Located in the Brera district of Milan, is the Associazione Salumi e Vini Naturali. When you enter off the street, it looks like any other restaurant. But if you keep walking to the back, you’re transported to a beautiful garden. Vine laced brick walls and candlelight encapsulate the space, providing a serene and tranquil setting. It is the perfect place to enjoy an evening in Milan.
When my family and I went, we split a bottle of wine and a selection of meats and cheese. They also gave us this incredible fresh bread to pair with the food. I am ranking this #1 mostly due to the ambiance but also because of the friendly and knowledgeable waitstaff, diverse wine options, and fresh bread and meat/cheese selection.
Basket of bread and wine
Associazione Salumi e Vini Naturali
2. La Prosciutteria
District: Brera, Navigli
Price: €€
Also located in the Brera district of Milan, is La Proscuitteria. La Proscuitteria is a franchised restaurant in Italy - they have locations in Milan, Florence, Rome, Venice, Verona, Bologna, Turin, Padua, and Rimini. There are two locations in Milan: one in Brera (the one I’ve been to) and one in Navigli (the nightlife river district in Milan).
The signature item to get at La Proscuitteria is a board with a variety of meats, cheese, fruit, olives, and spreads on bread. The selection changes daily based on what they have available. La Proscuitteria is known for creating some very aesthetically pleasing boards but the quality of food lives up to the presentation. Everything I’ve ate here has always been delicious and fresh.
This ranks #2 on the list because well.. it is a chain.. so not inherently unique to Milan. However, each La Proscuitteria I’ve been to across Italy has maintained the cozy atmosphere of a local spot. The food has always been tasty and the waitstaff kind. It is consistently a great go-to for fair priced wine and food in an inviting space.
3. DIY Aperitivo in Parco Sempione
District: Centro Storico - Parco Sempione
Price: €
Some of my favorite memories in Milan were spending time in Parco Sempione with friends. There were ~ maybe ~ a couple of times when my friends and I ditched class in place of hanging out in the park (sorry Mom and Dad). The atmosphere in Milan during the spring and summer is lively and warm. Being around fellow Milanese enjoying Parco Sempione, really made Milan feel like a community and home versus a big city.
To have a successful DIY aperitivo, you need two things: snacks and alcohol. Luckily near Parco Sempione is a Panini Durini, which is a Milan-based sandwich shop with toast and panini options. One of our favorite things to get here was the avocado toast (pictured below) because they somehow manage to fit basically an entire avocado on the toast. Panini Durini has plenty of other panini options to choose from, another favorite of mine to order was the brie and proscuitto panini.
Also close to Parco Sempione is Pam. Pam is local grocery chain in Italy. Here there are plenty of options to purchase some more snacks and wine or spritz. A favorite snack of my friends and I to get here were the chicken nuggets from the hot bar, also pictured below. Chicken nuggets and avocado toast may not be the most traditional spread for an aperitivo but they were certainly tasty.
Of course anything DIY will generally be less expensive, so this is a good option for anyone on a budget or anyone looking to get a glimpse life of what life in Milan looks like for locals. I’ve ranked this #3 for these reasons and because Parco Sempione is truly one of my favorite places in Milan.
4. Terrazza Aperol
District: Centro Storico - Piazza del Duomo
Price: €€€
Terrazza Aperol is located right on Piazza del Duomo so it has an incredible up close and personal view of Milan’s main attraction. I would recommend going around sunset to watch the sky slowly change colors and the lights illuminate the Duomo.
Overall, I only went to Terrazza Aperol once and will probably not be going back next time I visit. This is one of the more touristy places in Milan and caters to more of a non-traditional crowd. They played YMCA while we were there, which was odd but fun (included video below for evidence). This is on the pricier sides for aperitivos, I believe it was around 20€ for one drink and a plate of light snacks. You really are paying for the view, which is worth it, but this is just not the spot to be a regular at. Because of the high price and average food/drink but fun vibes and good view I ranked this spot #4 on the list.
Aperol Spritz & Snack Plate
Terrazza Aperol
5. La Hora Feliz
District: ~In between Centro Storico / Navigli
Price: €
La Hora Feliz is the place to go if you want to get lots of food for a very low price. I believe it was around 10-12€ for a large drink and access to the all-you-can-eat buffet. I wouldn’t necessarily say the quality of the food here is the best in Milan BUT the quantity of food cannot be beat.
La Hora Feliz has a daily aperitivo with a wide variety of food options - there is pasta, salad, meat, cheese, fried food, and dessert available in the buffet. My personal favorites were the pasta salads and the tiramisu they served here for dessert. At La Hora Feliz, you will certainly not leave hungry - especially if you’re eating like our crowd of broke university students that needed a hearty meal to last us going out until 3am.
I always had such a fun time here, the waiters were friendly and it was consistently a crowd of students and locals. I’m ranking this #5 because while I am a big fan, if you’re just visiting Milan this is probably an aperitivo you can skip.
