Milano.

When I think Milan. I think the Duomo, Costoletta alla Milanese, polenta and Prada.

Milan is one of the fashion capitals of the world.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. The Original Prada Store is here founded in 1913. This store houses the women’s collection and some housewares. Whether you are there to browse or there to buy. It’s a beautiful store. the men’s store is across the way.

The galleria house many high end luxury stores along with restaurants and a great gelato place, Savini. You don’t even need to look at the stores. Look up! The Renaissance Revival architectural style is a reason to visit. There’s more crowds as the day goes on. So if you want a picture with no one present, try early morning.

Attached to the galleria, is Camperino in Galleria. This Campari Headquarters is where you can drink an espresso at the bar in the afternoon and have an aperitivo in the sala at night. Campari Seltz is made with a high powered seltzer gun. Another classic is the Milano Turino aka MiTo. Campari with 1757 Vermouth di Torino Rosso. This cocktail later gets juiced up with gin to become our favorite, the Negroni! But that was in Florence and for another time. *wink*

I’m the other side of the hall is Terrazza Aperol. While it is not owned by Campari, it’s still a fun place. FYI. There will always be a wait. So. Be patient. Once you are there, it has a glorious view of the Duomo. You feel like you can touch it. In typical Aperol Style, there’s lots of orange. And with each cocktail you get a few cute snacks. Not high quality like Camperino but still does the job of satisfying my Aperetivo needs.

I did explore but stayed around the Duomo.

Al Cantinone serves classic Lombardian cuisine like the Costaletta di Milanse. Pounded and bread veal chop with the little rib and Milanese risotto (saffron). Add a glass of white wine and I was in heaven. *cotaletta is without a rib.

Yes. I ordered two main dishes and ate most of them.

This is where I was reminded about the “coperta” which is a cover charge. Consider this as a tip or gratuity. There is no need to tip extra over this. If your waitress was outstanding, go for it but not necessary.

Check out my post about customs and etiquettes. This covers tipping and Starbucks culture.

Ristorante Don Lisander is a quaint romantic spot steps away from Teatro all a Scala. The food was amazing and the ambience was perfect. We sat on the patio and it was exactly what we wanted. Serving traditional regional dishes. Ossobucco being one of them.

Salsamenteria di Parma was a fun cool spot. Meat and Cheese. Go with people. I ate alone and it was great but a lot of food. Small, fast and fun. I drank my wine out of a bowl! I found this place stemming from my craving of polenta. Fried polenta with Gorgonzola. Yes! Fair warning. Very tight squeeze. So if you’re not comfortable with small cramped places, this may not be your jam.