Italia__-_November_2016

performance, seeing how the scenery

was held up – although in this

instance the drama was happening five

storeys below as Milanese ground their

heels into the mosaic testicles of the

bull of Turin, part of the ground floor

of the Galleria. It’s a local custom.

There are also two new hotels

in the Galleria, occupying third-

floor rooms that used to be city

administration offices. The bedroom

views – down into the Galleria

from one hotel and out towards the

Duomo from the other – provide

unique perspectives on the city.

For lunch I returned to the area

near Milano Centrale where The New

York Lounge had opened a few weeks

earlier. This predominantly black

diner offers rapid, light lunches to

office workers but then transforms in

the evening into a bar where Davide,

the manager, told me models come

in for a drink or two. Their presence

lures in the customers who want to

catch a glimpse of these goddesses. Per

head of population, Milan probably

has a higher proportion of models –

and aspiring models – than any other

European city and, not surprisingly,

bar-owners love them.

I spent the afternoon trying

to sleep in my ambassadorial bed

back at the Principe. I was due to

go out for a truly Milanese evening

in the company of Melanie Payge,

celebrated personal shopper and

stylist, and a friend I like to catch up

with when in Milan. I imagined I’d

need some stamina. We met up in

the hotel lobby but when I asked the

doorman for a taxi it turned out all

of Milan’s taxi drivers had just gone

on strike. Despite Melanie’s very

expensive shoes, we decided to parlay

this into an opportunity to discover

the new Metro Line 5 and set off on

foot. It’s all research, after all.

We were headed for Ceresio 7 for

an aperitivo by one of the twin pools

of this rooftop restaurant. I think

Melanie was amused that I hadn’t

heard of it. I was probably the first

person she’d met who wouldn’t

WHERE TO EAT

CAFFETERIA DECANTO •^13

Piazza Scala, 6 (angolo via Manzoni)

+39 02 8901 4372

Part of Gallerie d’Italia but accessible from

Via Manzoni, this stylish new café is a great

place for coffee, pastries and chocolate

tart. Its lunches are less good value.

●€^

NEW YORK LOUNGE •^14

Via Fabio Filzi, 33

+39 02 6671 1225

http://www.newyorklounge.it

Rapid breakfast and lunch service gives way

to a nightclub atmosphere in the evening.

A new venture by three very ambitious

young Milanese men who dress in black.

●€^

CERESIO 7 •^15

Via Ceresio, 7

+39 02 3103 9221

http://www.ceresio7.com

The epicentre of the Milanese dolce vita.

You have to book well in advance to eat

here but the reward is rubbing shoulders

with the extremely beautiful and powerful.

●€^ ●€ ●€

55 MILANO

Via Piero della Francesca, 55

+39 02 3493 6616

http://www.55milano.com

There’s always a buzz at the cavernous 55

Milano. Its décor is eclectic, its clientele

young and you could live indefi nitely on

the generous aperitivo snacks.

●€ ●€

ACANTO •^16

Piazza della Repubblica, 17

+39 02 6230 2026

http://www.dorchestercollection.com

At Hotel Principe di Savoia the new chef

Alesaandro Buffolino (late of Rome’s Hotel

Eden) is updating Italian classic dishes

with a light lunch menu and gourmet

dining in the evening.

●€ ●€ ●€

VUN •^17

Via Silvio Pellico, 3

+39 02 8821 1350

http://www.hyatt.com

In the Milanese dialect Vun means

‘Number One’, an ambitious name for

this Michelin-starred restaurant whose

executive chef Andrea Aprea sees his

décor as “tools to accompany the visitor

into a sensory experience”.

●€ ●€ ●€

DISCOVER ITALIA!

DON’T MISS

HIGHLINE

GALLERIA

For €12 you

get a unique

view of Milan

in this new city

attraction. Not

only can you

photograph

the rooftops

of Milan and

the Duomo,

but also the

exoskeleton of

Galleria Vittorio

Emanuele II

itself.

Via Silvio

Pellico, 2

☎ +39 02

4539 7656

http://www.highline

galleria.com

38 ITALIA! November 2016

➤ KEY TO RESTAURANT PRICES

(full meal per person, not including wine)

●€ Up to €25

●€ ●€ €26-€50

●€ ●€ ●€ More than €50

As long as you have a drink in your hands

you can continue to hoover up snacks

Outside the New York Lounge

The Gray Hotel

The swimming pool bar at the New York Lounge

IT144.48hrsMilan.sg4.indd 38 28/09/2016 13:54pm