6 Great Milan Bars for Experiencing Aperitivo
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Milan has a world-class aperitivo scene that may be the best in all of Italy. Discover six of the city’s best aperitivo bars and what to drink at each bar.
Milan is ideal for experiencing aperitivo.
The city, with its deep history of mixology, is where herbaceous liqueurs like Fernet-Branc and Ramazzotti were created during the 19th century. It’s also the city where numerous Italian cocktails, including the Americano, Fusettone, Gin Rosa, Milano-Torino and Negroni Sbagliato, originated.
And, while Gaspare Campari invented Campari in Piedmont’s Novara in 1860, the Campari Group has produced the bitter red apéritif in Milan for well over a century. Gaspare’s son Davide opened the iconic Camparino in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, further linking the globally popular liquor to Milan.
🇮🇹 Milan To Do’s
Milan is a popular destination, so you should book your tours, hotel and rental car ASAP. These are our top picks:
📸 Tours and Activities
1. Milan Food Experiences with Locals (a great way to taste the city)
2. Navigli Food & Drinks Tour with Eating Europe (wear stretchy pants)
3. Best of Milan: The Last Supper Tickets, Duomo & City Tour (we loved this tour!)
4. Milan Super Saver: Skip-the-Line Duomo and Rooftop Guided Tour (great if you’re short on time)
5. Como, Bellagio & Varenna: Small Group from Milan with Boat Cruise (fun day trip)
6. Bernina Red Train, Swiss Alps & St Moritz from Milan (explore a different country)
🏨 Accommodations
1. Hotel (rooms at all price points)
2. Airbnb (apartments with kitchens)
🚗 Rent a car to explore the region. Do NOT drive in the city.
What Is Aperitivo?
For the uninitiated, aperitivo is a pre-dinner event that occurs nightly throughout Italy, including Milan. It’s the time, typically between 6pm and 8pm, when locals and savvy tourists enjoy tasty drinks, savory snacks and friendly conversation. This happens at bars all over the city, particularly in Navigli as well as near the Duomo.
While some Milanese imbibe wine or beer (or non-alcoholic beverages) when they partake in aperitivo, most sip Italian cocktails crafted with Aperol or Campari. Light bites like olives and potato chips are typically free during aperitivo, though some Milan bars take aperitivo into apericena territory by providing hardier fare either on small plates or via a buffet. Apericena is a great option if you want to turn your aperitivo session into a light dinner.
It would be easy to confuse Italy’s aperitivo with America’s happy hour. And, yes, there are some similarities. But aperitivo is its own special thing. You’ll understand the difference when you’re sipping a Campari Spritz with a rooftop view of Milan’s Duomo or next to the Naviglio Grande, the canal that runs through Milan’s most animated nightlife district.
Our Favorite Milan Bars for Aperitivo
We weren’t aperitivo novices when we first visited Milan – we had previously experienced the pre-dinner ritual in Italian cities like Bologna, Rome and Venice. Perhaps that’s why we were so impressed by the way that the Milanese take aperitivo so seriously.
Now, after three visits to Milan, we’re ready to share our favorite Milan bars. They’re all great for experiencing aperitivo as well as for drinking later in the night.
1. Camparino in Galleria – Quintessential Milan Bar
Although it’s open from morning until midnight, aperitivo is prime time at Camparino in Galleria.
Located in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II with a front row view of the Duomo, simple yet elegant Camparino is one of the world’s most extraordinary aperitivo bars. Open since 1915 and included in the 50 World’s Best Bar list more than a century later, it’s a destination for both tourists and cocktail connoisseurs. While tourists come to gawk at the Passo Bar’s stunning Art Nouveau decor, drink connoisseurs linger longer with a Campari cocktail or two.
It should be no surprise that Camparino specializes in Campari cocktails considering its original owner was Davide Campari and its current owner is the Campari Group. Its menu features six classic cocktails, specifically the Americano, the Campari Seltz, the Campari Shakerado, the Campari Spritz, the Garibaldi and the Negroni. The bar also serves more complex cocktails crafted both with and without Campari.
Drinks are pricey (currently 19 euros each for the classics) so you’ll want to order just one drink plus a small bite. However, since there’s something priceless about sipping a perfectly crafted Campari cocktail at Camparino, you may want to order a second and maybe even a third.
Recommended Drinks
Americano, Campari Seltz, Campari Shakerado, Campari Spritz, Garibaldi and Negroni
Camparino in Galleria is located at Piazza del Duomo, 21, 20121 Milano, Italy.
2. Bar Basso – Home of the Negroni Sbagliato
Crowds flock to Bar Basso to sip jumbo glasses of sparkling Negroni Sbagliato. Those locals fill the centrally located bar every day except Tuesday. Giuseppe Basso opened the via Plinio bar in 1947 but things got real when Mirko Stocchetto bought the bar in 1967. Not only did Stocchetto invent the Negroni Sbagliato (a popular Negroni variation that replaces gin with Prosecco) but, more importantly, he was instrumental in popularizing the aperitivo concept in Milan.
Born in Venice, Mirko Stocchetto was an interesting dude. He learned the bar ropes from Giuseppe Cipriani at Harry’s Bar before moving to Milan. While running Bar Basso, he invented a lot of cocktails including the Negroni Sbagliato and the Rossini, a strawberry version of Cipriani’s lapeachy Bellini. Back in the day, crowds flocked to Bar Basso both for Stocchetto’s cocktails and his hospitality.
The bar is now helmed by Mirko’s son Maurizio. You’ll get snacks like green olives and potato chips with your aperitivo drinks. If you’re hungry, you can also order hot dishes like gnocchi alla Romana and gnudi with sage and melted butter. That would technically turn your aperitivo session into an apericena session.
Recommended Drink
Negroni Sbagliato
Bar Basso is located at Via Plinio, 39, 20129 Milano, Italy.
3. Ugo Cocktail Bar – Navigli Spot for Aperitivo
Head to Navigli if you’re young (in age or heart) and only have time for one aperitivo session in Milan. Essentially, Navigli is where younger Milanese whet their whistles after the work day ends. And, since this neighborhood has dozens of cafes and bars facing its two canals, the Naviglio Grande and the Naviglio Pavese, you won’t be alone.
Not all Navigli bars skew young. MAG, Rita and Tripstillery are prime examples. Ugo also fits into this category. Open since 2013 and in spitting distance from the Naviglio Grande, Ugo’s menu features signature cocktails and tasty food. It’s an ideal spot if you want to turn your aperitivo session into a more food-focused apericena session.
Ugo has a lively outdoor area and a cozy interior. Once you choose where to sit, you’ll want to order a crafted cocktail unless you’re more in the mood for wine or beer. The cocktails we ordered were inspired by the artists da Vinci and Gauguin. They arrived with a complimentary array of small bites – carrots, chips and avocado cream, focaccia, green olives, hummus and taralli.
Recommended Drinks
Creative Cocktails
Ugo Cocktail Bar is located at Via Corsico, 12, 20144 Milano, Italy.
4. Iter – Italian Bar with Global Flair
Those who tire of Navigli’s party vibe don’t have to go far to experience a more sophisticated aperitivo experience. Open since 2017, Iter is just a short walk from the canals but feels like a world away. The fusion bar has a chill atmosphere as well as an innovative menu that starts in Italy and spans the globe
Iter’s sophistication is no fluke – it’s part of Milan’s Farmily Group along with 1930 Cocktail Bar, Backdoor43, MAG and Tripstillery. Each bar has its own identity – Iter’s is a “gastronomic airport that highlights the Italian culinary tradition, yet leaves its gate open to contaminations of taste and culture from around the world.” Equally important, at least to us, Iter also has a disco ball in its restroom.
Choosing to stay local during our Iter aperitivo session, we ordered refreshing Fusettone cocktails crafted with Fusetti and pink grapefruit soda. Fusetti isn’t just a Milan amaro – the bitters are a Farmily Group creation. You can’t get any more local than that.
Recommended Drink
Fusettone
Iter is located at Via Mario Fusetti, 1, 20143 Milano, Italy.
5. Il Bar – Rooftop Bar With a Duomo View
Sipping an Italian cocktail with the Duomo right in your face is a Milan experience not to be underestimated. You can accomplish this travel goal at Il Bar, a rooftop bar at Piazza Duomo of the Italian department store Rinascente. The side view of the Duomo from the bar’s tables is especially fantastic, especially at sunset when the late day light shines upon the intricate cathedral’s many sculpture-topped spires.
Aperitivo prices at Il Bar aren’t cheap. (Classic Italian cocktails are currently priced at 17 euros and other cocktails even more.) However, once your factor in the breathtaking view, the value proposition is high. Plus, if you go for aperitivo, you can nibble on tiny snacks and potato chips while enjoying that view.
Recommended Drinks
Italian Cocktails
Il Bar is located at Rinascente, Food Hall 7th Floor, Piazza del Duomo, 20121 Milano, Italy.
6. Dry Milano – Cocktail Bar for Pizza Lovers
Thanks to its dual focus, Dry Milano has been a mecca for both cocktail connoisseurs and pizza lovers since opening in 2013. Yes, unlike most Milan bars which solely focus on liquid libations, Dry Milano excels at Neapolitan pizza as well as crafted cocktails.
Those pizzas are no joke. Dry Milano is currently rated 15th on the 50 Top Pizza World list, 11 spots behind Confine which is also in Milan. But don’t rule out Edris al Malat’s creative cocktails – they’re no joke too.
Although it opens at 6pm on every day except Monday, Dry Milano doesn’t have a specific aperitivo menu. That’s okay. You can create your own aperitivo experience by ordering cocktails and focaccia topped with prosciutto and/or tonnata. Better yet, order a pizza to go with your cocktails. We recommend the Piennolo Giallo pie topped with yellow tomatoes, pancetta, two cheeses and basil oil – it’s a colorful showstopper.
Recommended Drinks
Dry Penicillin, Hibiscus Margarita and Vintage Negroni
Dry Milano is located at Via Solferino, 33, 20121 Milano, Italy.
💡 Frequently Asked Questions
Milan has a great bar scene that starts at 6pm with aperitivo and continues into the wee hours of the night. The scene is lively enough to support both old-school drinking institutions and bars that focus on modern mixology.
Aperitivo is popular with both Milan locals and visiting tourists for a good reason – most bars offer drink specials and complimentary snacks during the pre-dinner nightly ritual.
While cocktails can be expensive at swankier Milan bars, the city’s bar scene has plenty of affordable options both during aperitivo and later in the night.
The following Italian cocktails are popular in Milan: Americano, Aperol Spritz, Milano-Torino, Negroni and Negroni Sbagliato.
🇮🇹 Milan Travel Checklist
Check out the coffee shops, food favorites, gelato shops, pizzerias and restaurants not to miss. Then check out our guide to eating in Italy as well as our picks for the best Italian foods and the best Italian desserts before your trip so that you don’t miss a delicious bite.
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