Restaurants

Geared to business, as the city is, Milanese are more willing than Italians elsewhere to break the sit-down-meal tradition and grab a sandwich or other light fare on the run. And with so many students and young professionals underfoot, Milan has no shortage of pizzerias and other low-cost eateries alongside its world-class dining options.

A Taste of Bitter Love

For some people, the allure is the signature salt shaker-shaped, neon red bottle, often neatly lined up on windowsills in restaurants and bars. Others know it for its placement in vintage Art Deco posters. For many people, it's simply a bitter alcoholic concoction that tastes like cough medicine. But for any self-respecting Milanese, it's the reward at the end of a hard day at work and the beginning of a good night on the town.

Love it or hate it, Campari is the soul of Milan and is at the heart of all its signature cocktails. Campari is a bitter alcoholic drink that was invented in 1860 in Novara, a city in the Piedmont region. Today, Campari is manufactured in Piedmont at the home of its sweeter friend, Cinzano. (The vermouth company was purchased by Campari Group in the 1990s. The group is now headquartered just outside Milan in Sesto San Giovanni, though all the drinks are manufactured just outside Turin.)

Together, Campari, vermouth, and a splash of seltzer make up the americano, a drink that is usually served in streetside cafes with an orange slice on its rim. Its cousin, the negroni, skips the seltzer in favor of gin and is also often served with orange garnishes; however, the negroni is often served without fruit at swankier night spots as the night goes on.

What is it that gives Campari its unique bitter and tangy essence? Only two people know. Local lore says that the secret blend of herbs is guarded by the manufacturing director and one other undisclosed custodian. One thing that is known, and frankly should have remained a secret, is the ingredient behind its almost fluorescent red hue: the squashed skeletons of South American insects. Negroni, anyone?

Bar Zucca/Caffè Miani, at the Duomo end of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II (tel. 02-8646-4435; www.caffemiani.it; Metro: Duomo), is best known by its original name, the Camparino. It's the most attractive and popular of the Galleria's many bars and holds the dubious distinction of having introduced Italy to what has become the country's ubiquitous red cordial, Campari, a viciously red liquid that tastes like hair tonic even when cut with soda water, as is traditional. You can sample one -- along with a selection of light dishes to wipe the taste off your tongue (as you might gather, I'm not a fan of the popular Campari soda) -- while lingering at the tables set up in the Galleria with a bit of Duomo facade view, or in one of the Art Nouveau rooms inside.

For gelato, some of the best in the city can be found at Grom, Via Santa Margherita 16 (tel. 02-80581041; www.grom.it), right by La Scala; Corso di Porta Ticinese 51, near the San Lorenzo church; and Corso Buenos Aires 13, perfectly placed for a break from your shopping spree. I'm not a big fan of chain stores in any form (there is even one of these in New York), but if there is better old-fashioned gelato anywhere in northern Italy, I've yet to taste it.

Strollers in the atmospheric Brera neighborhood sooner or later stumble upon the Gelateria Toldo, Via Ponte Vetero 9 (tel. 02-8646-0863; Metro: Cordusio or Lanza), where the gelato is wonderfully creamy and many of the sorbetto selections are so fruity and fresh, they seem healthy.

The Pasticceria Confetteria Cova, Via Montenapoleone 8 (tel. 02-600-0578; Metro: Montenapoleone), is nearing its 200th year in refined surroundings near the similarly atmospheric Museo Poldi-Pezzoli. It's usually filled with shoppers making the rounds in this high-fashion district. You can enjoy a quick coffee and a brioche standing at the long bar, or take a seat in one of the elegant adjoining rooms.

The Pasticceria Marchesi, Via Santa Maria alla Porta 13 (tel. 02-862-770; Metro: Cardusio), is a distinguished pastry shop with an adjoining tearoom. Since it's only steps from Santa Maria delle Grazie, you can enjoy the old-world ambience and a cup of excellent coffee (or one of the many teas and herbal infusions) as you dash off postcards of The Last Supper. You'll want to accompany your beverage with elegant pastries, perhaps a slice of the panettone (cake with raisins and candied citron) that's a hallmark of Milan. No one prepares it better than Marchesi. It's open Tuesday to Sunday 8am to 8pm.