As you might have known, I had recently proposed to Kristie in Italy with a fake ring last December. If you haven’t read our full story, you can do so right here, but here is the TLDR version: The engagement ring got stolen in Milan on our second day there, but I still proposed with a fake ring a week later in Sorrento.
Aside from the panic and tears we both went through in Milan on our second day, we were still able to enjoy the city which is dubbed as the fashion central of the world. It is also one of the largest European cities which boast in its art, culture, entertainment and commerce. This can be clearly seen by the grandiose architecture of shophouses, cathedrals and museums. Kristie enjoys architecture but she will love them more if it has the words Prada or Gucci on the outside.
Upon our arrival, Kristie was excited to explore the town for the most important activity, shopping. Our priorities led us to Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a beautifully designed mall filled with designer brands. As the oldest mall in Italy (it first opened in 1880), the mall has become a national landmark and a tourist hotspot. We wasted no time by going into all the stores, and exploring the latest European fashion trends.
Not far from the mall is the largest cathedral in town, The Duomo, and a few museums. As it was starting to rain, we decided to get in line to enter the Royal Palace which was apparently exhibiting a collection. Little did we know that most of the artworks actually came from The Met in New York City. Nevertheless, we still enjoyed the quiet stroll around the museum while enjoying its Gothic architecture.
The next day, we were greeted with clear blue skies which was the perfect chance for us to get into the top of the Duomo and walk on its roof. My recommendation is that you should only get the tickets for the stairs if you feel comfortable with walking the spiral stone staircase with 919 steps. Otherwise, paying a little extra for the elevator is definitely worth it. Once we recovered our breath, we were greeted with a great sight of the city below through the antique arches and spires of the cathedral. We then proceeded into going to an even taller part of the roof where we could actually sit down for a while and enjoy the clean air and blue skies (unfortunately, I don’t get much of this in Jakarta).
After that, we explored town for a little bit. A tip for traveling around Milan is to get a subway day pass for just one zone as it also works for the buses and trams. Although, I would caution you to be careful with purchasing your tickets by using the machines as there usually are people hanging around the ticketing machines offering help in exchange for a tip for their “services”. You definitely won’t need that as the ticket machine can be set to English.
Our next stop was another museum, Pinacoteca di Brera. The building was actually used as Napoleon’s palazzo and now housed multiple artworks, both modern and traditional pieces were housed here. A running exhibition by a photographer caught our attention with his rendition of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper. It was definitely easy to lose track of time when admiring the artworks in this museum and before we knew it, our stomachs were rumbling.
Food was actually what led me to the choice of traveling to Italy. Known for its pasta and pizza, I made sure that I have to hit all of the best restaurants in town. That being said, here is a list of the best food we enjoyed in Milan.
Brunch and Cafes
Pavé is a cosy cafe and bakery which is usually packed for brunch. I highly recommend their croissants and coffee for their awesome looking mugs.
LùBar is an upscale brunch restaurant which is situated near government buildings. It’s interior is similar to what a scene from Alice in Wonderland would look like. We ordered their toast and fresh cannoli. I must say that the cannoli was the best I have had.
Marchesi 1824 is situated above the Prada store in Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle and is well known for its pastries and coffee. We had coffee with ginseng there. My feedback is that this drink does require an acquired taste.
Don’t judge, but we did get some boba from Shaker Bubble Tea as we were missing some Asian delights. We got their rose milk tea and was honestly surprised at how good it tasted. Although it was not as good as the bobas in Asia or New York, we thoroughly enjoyed staying out of the rain in its cozy pink-ish interior.
Notable mentions include Starbucks (biggest Starbucks in Europe) and the Moleskine Cafe.
Lunch and Dinner
Pescaria. There is definitely nothing to hate about this place. Italy is known for its seafood and this restaurant is a great example on how to take fresh seafood and give it a modern twist. We both thoroughly enjoyed every single dish we ordered which included fresh clams, shrimp salad and the friend octopus burger. I was a little stunned at the price at first but it was definitely worth it when we were served our food on huge platters. This was definitely the best restaurant of the trip.
God Save the Food is in a great location where most of the visitors during lunch are office workers. Their menu comprises of Asian fusion but I chose to be more risky and ordered a beef tartar. I am glad I took that risk as the dish tasted great.
Spontini serves great single sliced pizzas at a great price. They do not skimp on the ingredients. We ordered one slice of the ham and mushroom pizza. Spoiler alert: it was great!
Piz is a family style pizzeria which is all in all a fun place to dine in. Upon entry, we were shown to our seats and was offered a slice of pizza and a small glass of wine. We then ordered our pizzas and were surprised at the huge size. After the end of the meal, we were offered a shot of local orange liquor by the chef. As we approached the cashier to pay, we were offered another round of liquor. It was some of the best service I have received from a restaurant.
