Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées
Stresa
You might baulk at room prices (guests have included Princess Margaret and the Vanderbilts) but you can still slug back a Manhattan on the terrace with…
Must-see nightlife in The Italian Lakes
Porta Garibaldi & Isola
Founded by Italian rock-star Vasco Rossi, Alcatraz is now a multifunctional venue for live concerts, DJ sets, fashion shows and a weekly dance club. The…
Como
This boutique brewery fills a big hole in Como’s drinking scene with its changing line-up of six draught beers and an extensive list of over 50 bottled…
Cremona
A short stroll from the duomo, La Hacienda is an anchor of Bergamo's youthful, good-cheer drinking scene. Stop in for first-rate cocktails and good wines…
Lake Como West Bank
The lakeside terrace here provides some of the most expansive views of Como's glittering waters. Set 300m northeast of Menaggio's cute cobblestone centre,…
Pavia
A reference point on Pavia’s aperitivo scene is this friendly all-day bar, which serves up a bountiful selection of snacks on its period counter come 6pm…
Lake Garda
This hip, multitasking cafe-bar next to a medieval tower can be a laid-back cafe in the morning, an exhibition space after lunch, a cocktail halt as the…
Bellagio
All gleaming walnut wood, glinting mirrors and regiments of bottles, the art nouveau Bar Rossi is one cafe not to miss. Revel in the elegant interior or…
Porta Garibaldi & Isola
So laid-back you might have trouble getting served, this sunny cafe-bar invites long, lazy afternoons. The young, local crowd have such a thing down to an…
Como
If you're lucky you'll bag one of the clutch of tiny tables beside the ranks of wine-bottle-lined shelves. It's a smart, modern setting in which to sample…
Milan
This Navigli canal-side bar has a fine selection of craft beers, ranging from light lagers to robust hop-heavy bitters. Soak it all up with panini and…
Milan
A local favourite, this old-style bar recalls the city of Buenos Aires. It attracts a laid-back, diverse crowd from breakfast through to aperitivo to late…
Mantua
All of Mantua passes through Caravatti at some point during the day for coffee, spritz or Signor Caravatti’s 19th-century aperitivo of aromatic bitters…
Brescia
A garrulous laid-back crowd crams into this buzzing bar to sip on luscious wines and sample platters of meats, cheeses and artichokes (€4 to €9).
Desenzano del Garda
A perennial favourite on a busy piazza, flashy Caffè Italia is popular for its outdoor seating, light seafood lunches and psychedelic cocktails.
Duomo & San Babila
With its wacky moulded orange counter, bubble lights and low-slung '70s seats, this bar dedicated to the classic Aperol spritz (a cocktail made with…
Milan
Ricardo Griffini's Bar Bianco was built as a milk bar for the Tenth Triennale (1954). Still popular with mums and toddlers in the daytime and a hip…
Milan
Retro Cuore has heart and soul by the bucket-load with its vintage '50s furniture, TVs screening cult films, and Hawaii Five-O cocktails including piña…
Milan
This squat lies somewhere between an arts-and-culture centre and a nightclub. It offers an array of wild dance nights, political conversations and art…
Milan
It’s a discreet place, the kind that doesn’t even have a sign – just two shopfront windows. But inside it’s brimming with charm, a cosy jumble of…
Milan
Drinks with a view are the USP of this dock-side conservatory bar, which serves up breakfast, coffee, snacks and aperitivo from dawn until dusk. In winter…
Duomo & San Babila
Tucked beneath the arches of Palazzo Reale, this period cafe with a secluded upstairs reading gallery is a good place to grab a coffee or mid-morning…
Milan
Combining two of Milan's favourite things: aperitivo and sushi, Chinese Box can't really go wrong. Which is why punters cram into this hip little bar to…
Corso Magenta & Sant'Ambrogio
Grab a seat amid the local scene in this historic art nouveau bar. Drift in during the day for espresso, sandwiches and beer on tap, or join the crowd of…
Milan
Bhangrabar is famous for its cushions and its couscous and curry aperitivo, served with a side of African percussion on Fridays. Indeed, music and other…
Milan
Overlooking Parco Sempione, the Triennale's cafe is a large, white, light space with an open kitchen and fittings displaying suitable design cred. It's a…
Bergamo
The Fly is one of several pubs in the Città Alta plugging birra artigianale (craft beer) made by a couple of local Bergamo micro-brewers. Look out for…
Milan
Retaining its theatrical character, this one-time bordello, converted by the curia into a pharmacy, now serves 'alchemical' cocktails for the pleasure of…
Milan
A shakeup in management means that long-term fans of Rebelot are in for a bit of a surprise. The tapas-like dishes now veer towards the traditional and…
Milan
Living has one of the city's prettiest settings, with a corner position and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Arco della Pace. The bounteous…
Milan
With its thick black-and-white striped wallpaper, zigzag parquet flooring and sculptural furnishings by Borsani and Fornasetti, Les Gitanes is as high…
Lake Garda
Next to the 13th-century Porta San Michele, this typical Italian, open-all-hours coffee and snack halt is a relaxing place to escape the tourists and…
Mantua
Come early if you want to stand any chance of elbowing your way through the cool crowd to Pupitre's bountiful aperitivo bar laden with punchy salami…
Milan
Tents, which are trussed up in Cavalli's key look for the season, create a camp carnival atmosphere under the Torre Branca. Yes, it's a circus, and the…
Milan
It may have been open since the Franco-Austrian war, but the decor at this popular bar belongs firmly in the 1950s. It’s all about the wine, here; perhaps…
Milan
Bar Jamaica may no longer be the bohemian dive that gave Milan a reputation for brains as well as style, but it's still an unpretentious watering hole…
Lake Maggiore & Around
At the end of the climb to Santa Maria, you can drink in the magnificent views with a well-deserved drink on the terrace of Ristorante Montorfano.
Milan
No seating, just some of the best coffee in Milan, in a wood-panelled, period bar.
Corso Magenta & Sant'Ambrogio
Actors and artists mill around tables, anticipating or reviewing the evening's entertainment at Teatro Litta, an 18th-century palazzo with a charming…
