Good ’hoods: Milan’s Brera district

Milan’s artistic quarter, Brera is the city’s prettiest neighbourhood, its pedestrianised streets dotted with hip clothing stores, antiques shops, art galleries and lively restaurants. Visit in April during Brera Design Week and you’ll find the district more alive than ever. Its hidden courtyards and palazzos provide the perfect backdrop for scores of events, from installations to showroom exhibitions promoting the latest in designer furnishings. The best way to explore Brera is simply to wander on foot, losing yourself along the district’s cobbled streets.

The Longevity Suite

Via del Lauro 1
Founded in Milan, this leading network of biohacking and anti-aging clinics is renowned for its high-performance, high-tech protocols that provide a holistic approach to wellbeing. Among the clinic’s most popular cold-therapy sessions is the Cryosuite Total Body, a chamber with temperatures of between -85°C and -95°C that’s said to boost metabolism, reduce inflammation, enhance athletic performance and reduce recovery time. As well as rejuvenating facials, there are body sculpting treatments, detox nutrition therapies and bespoke wellness programmes.

Brera Botanical Garden

Via Brera 28
Established in the 18th century by Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, Brera’s leafy botanical garden long served as a centre for research and learning for pharmacy and medicine students. It’s a delightful spot in which to take a tranquil stroll, particularly in summer when its shaded grounds provide a welcome respite from the heat. Medicinal plants are displayed alongside scented shrubs, summer-flowering bulbs, cultivated food plants and rare and protected plant species.

F. Pettinaroli dal 1881

Via Brera 4
This historic family-run stationery shop (above) is a treasure trove for vintage globe and map enthusiasts, with owner Francesco – one of the country’s foremost cartography experts – scouring antiques markets and fairs throughout Europe to source prized collectors’ items. You’ll also find a wealth of leather goods handmade by Italian artisans, from key rings to notebooks and pencil cases. Founded in 1881, this is one of Milan’s oldest stores.

Mandarin Oriental, Milan

Via Andegari 9
Occupying four 18th-century palazzos, Mandarin Oriental, Milan marries traditional Milanese design with Asian touches in a subtle nod to the group’s Far Eastern heritage. The hotel’s two leafy courtyards exude serenity and feel a world away from the maelstrom of the city centre. Head to the Mandarin Garden come early evening and you’ll find a sophisticated local crowd gathering over top-notch aperitivo. There’s a fabulous spa with heated swimming pool, while amiable staff provide near faultless service.

Palazzo Citterio

Via Brera 12
The Pinacoteca di Brera’s collection of 20th-century Italian and international art is housed in the Palazzo Citterio, which opened with much fanfare at the end of 2024 – the project had been in the making for more than half a century. The palazzo houses the private art collections of Emilio Jesi and Andrea Vitali, with more than 200 works by the likes of Carrà, Morandi, Modigliani and Braque.

Pinacoteca di Brera

Via Brera 28
Founded by Napoleon in the early 19th century, the Pinacoteca di Brera is Milan’s foremost art gallery, housing an outstanding collection of Renaissance masterpieces, including Giovanni Bellini’s Pietà, Andrea Mantegna’s Lamentation of Christ and Francesco Hayez’s The Kiss. At the glass-panelled Transparent Restoration Laboratory in Room XVIII, you can watch conservators painstakingly restoring works to bring them back to their original splendour.

Trattoria del Ciumbia

Via Fiori Chiari 32
Step inside this traditional restaurant and you’ll feel as if you’ve stepped back to 1960s Milan. Interiors are all dark wood panelling, with rattan chairs, retro wall sconces and chequered floors in forest greens, mustard yellows and dark reds. You can tuck into Milanese and Lombardy favourites such as mondeghili (Milanese-style fried meatballs), cotoletta alla Milanese (the city’s much-loved veal cutlet) and ossobuco di vitello alla Milanese – a hearty meat dish served with golden-hued saffron risotto.

Piazza del Carmine

20121 Milano MI
This delightful square is home to the pretty Chiesa del Carmine (above), with a Lombard Gothic brick façade designed by Carlo Maciachini, renowned for planning the city’s impressive Cimitero Monumentale (Monumental Cemetery). Come summer, take a seat at one of the tables that spill on to the square at LùBarino, a small kiosk serving up refreshments and light bites. From the square, stroll the cobbled Via Madonnina, lined with perfumeries, loose-leaf tea stores and shoe shops.

Sadler

Via dell’Annunciata 14
Michelin-starred Milanese chef Claudio Sadler crafts light and simple Italian dishes that marry culinary traditions with a contemporary touch. He’s known to spend months thinking up each dish, drawing pastel sketches to study the correct balance of ingredients before bringing his creations to life in the kitchen. At his restaurant, you can learn about the chef’s culinary vision with monthly hands-on cooking classes, and there are regular themed evenings, too. A good-value business lunch is available on weekdays.

Cavalli e Nastri

Via Brera 2
Specialising in luxury vintage fashion, Cavalli e Nastri is one of the city’s best vintage stores for pre-loved couture clothing and accessories. Dating as far back as the 1920s, its archive has made it a Milan fashion institution, with constantly changing pieces ranging from collectible handbags by big names such as Gucci to limited-edition accessories by the likes of Dior and Hermès. As well as the flagship Brera location, there are two other branches in the city.

The Bvlgari Bar

Via Privata Fratelli Gabba 7b
Few places in Milan can claim to have as peaceful and leafy a location as The Bvlgari Bar. The expansive gardens, which lie a skip and a hop away from the Brera Botanical Garden, are truly delightful, shaded by oriental planes and palm trees. There’s no better spot to enjoy an alfresco cocktail come summer – drinks are served with scrumptious finger food overseen by acclaimed chef Niko Romito.

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