6 Habits You Pick up Living in Milan

On on average week, how often do you visit a specialist bakery or pastry shop? Hardly ever, right? That would seem indulgent, besides there is probably only one nearby. Well, in Milan every street seems to have at least two pasticcerias, so when it’s time for a coffee (which is practically all the time in Italy!), it’s hard to resist a delicious baked treat to accompany it. Eating cake, biscuits and pastries for breakfast is also the norm here. Some pasticcerias are traditional and grand, transporting you to a bygone, more glamorous era, while others seem to be stuck in the 1970s.

Typically, they offer treats from all regions of Italy, but Neapolitan and Sicilian pastries seem to dominate: sfogliatelle (seashell-shaped filled pastry), baba au rhum (yeast cake with rum), Zeppole di San Giuseppe (fried dough with pastry cream and cherries), cannoli (Sicilian pastries filled with ricotta), to name a few.In addition, for every religious or national festival, there is a pastry or cake to accompany it, and of course, it’s important to sample these seasonal varieties. For example, handmade panettone (originally from Milan) in December, chiacchiere around Carnivale, fiadone at Easter. Longstanding and much-loved pasticceria in Milan include Cucchi, Cova, Gatullo, Marchesi and Panarello.

Cucchi, Corso Genova, 1, 20123 Milan, Italy, +39 02 8940 9793

Cova, Via Montenapoleone, 8, 20121 Milan, Italy, +39 02 7600 5599

Gatullo, Piazzale di Porta Lodovica, 2, 20136 Milan, Italy, +39 02 5831 0497

Marchesi, Via Monte Napoleone, 9, 20121 Milan, Italy, +39 02 7600 8238

Panarello, Via Speronari, 3, 20123 Milan, Italy, +39 02 8646 2264

A surprising amount of Milan’s major museum and art galleries are open late on select weeknights and at weekends. Often they are incredibly quiet at this time, so you can view the masterpieces virtually undisturbed and sometimes with the added bonus of free entry – several museums offer free entry in the last two hours before closing. Taking in some art before you head out to spend the night in a bar adds a new, cosmopolitan dimension to your week. The following all offer extended opening hours: Fondazione Prada, La Triennale, Museo Novecento, MUDEC, Palazzo Reale and Pirelli Hangar Bicocca.
Fondazione Prada, Largo Isarco, 2, 20139 Milan, Italy, +39 02 5666 2611

La Triennale di Milano, Viale Emilio Alemagna, 6, 20121 Milan, Italy, +39 02 724341

Museo Novecento, Via Guglielmo Marconi, 1, 20122 Milan, Italy, +39 02 8844 4061

MUDEC Museum of Culture, Via Tortona, 56, 20144 Milan, Italy, +39 02 54917

Palazzo Reale, Piazza del Duomo, 12, 20122 Milan, Italy, +39 02 8846 5230

Pirelli HangarBicocca, Via Chiese, 2, 20126 Milan, Italy, +39 02 6611 1573

Native Milanese love to tell you that their city is frenetic and has a fast pace of life, yet the speed at the which they walk suggests otherwise. Unlike London or New York where dawdlers are practically knocked off the pavement by the stream of commuters hustling to work in the morning, in Milan, no one ever looks to be in a rush. At first, you find yourself tutting and huffing behind people in the metro, but eventually, you relax and adjust to a slower stride. Why rush? No one seems to be upset if you’re late!

As Italy’s financial and industrial capital, Milan has a reputation for being a city full of workers obsessed with issuing invoices and putting in long hours. But, the Milanese are still Italian and therefore, lunch is very important. You’ll find the weekday lunch break is a respected ritual. The concept of quickly eating a sandwich at your desk just doesn’t exist here and your boss won’t think any less of you if you actually take the full hour. At 1pm, everyone leaves the office and has lunch with their co-workers. Because the likes of Pret A Manger and Starbucks have yet to invade Italy (and let’s hope they don’t!), most people go to the local café or bar and actually sit down at a table. It makes for happier, better-nourished and more productive workers. Long live the lunch break!

The concept of aperitivo hour took off in the 1920s in Milan, which is the birthplace of the bitter spirit Campari. You can enjoy aperitivo all over Italy, but in Milan, it’s a ritual and they do it best – between the hours of 6pm and 8pm, the whole city seems to be enjoying a spritz and nibbles. In theory, you’re just supposed to have one drink, then move on to dinner, but when your glass of wine or prosecco is served with delicious Sicilian nocellara olives, soft mortadella cheese and fresh bruschetta, it’s tempting to have another (and another) and suddenly, it’s time to call it a night. It certainly beats two pints of lager and a packet of crisps, which is the typical dinner substitute when you go for drinks after work in London!

Milan has one of the most enviable locations in Central Europe, situated between the Ligurian coastline, both the Alp and Dolomite mountain ranges, Piedmont wine country and many beautiful lakes. As a result, the weekend getaway options are endless. Milan’s most fortunate families will rent an apartment in the mountains for winter and spring, and a seaside or lakeside apartment during the summer. During June and July, before the mass exodus in August when the city is uncomfortably hot, escaping the city to go swimming or hiking is the only option. It’s a tough life! Check out our guide to the best day trips from Milan.