What toseeto see and do
÷ Arrive for aperitivo BETWEEN six and eight in the evening, ng, Milanese flock to bars which compete ete to offer the best ‘aperitivo’ — snacks cks served free with drinks. The neat little tle plates of bruschetta, mozzarella and nd crisps served in the legendary Bar ar Basso on Via Plinio aren’t the most ost sophisticated in town. But it’s worth rth visiting this pink- walled bar ar (unchanged since the 1950s) for the he 500-strong drinks list alone, which ch includes an incredible negroni sbagliato cocktail. Invented here, it’s served in huge glasses with a brick-sized ice cube. Address: Via Plinio, 39. 20020
▪ A brush with genius
MILAN may be groaning with galleries and museums but few of them are free — except on the first Sunday of the month. Time your visit to coincide with this, and spend a morning exploring works by Canova and Boccioni at the Gallerie d’Italia ( gallerieditalia.com) opposite La Scala, then walk round to the Museo del Novecento ( museodelnovecento.org), located in a 1930s palazzo, where the focus is on 20th-century art.
▪ Vinci and the vine
GETTING into the Santa Maria delle Grazie church to see Da Vinci’s The Last Supper is an arduous (and expensive) process requiring booking months in advance. Far more accessible (and cheaper) is the La Vigna di Leonardo ( vigna dileonardo.com) museum across the road which explores the Renaissance genius’s interest in wine and viticulture. It includes a garden, complete with vines from the fields that were once his own vineyard. Admission £8.50.
▪ For your Isola only
FORMERLY a fairly forlorn bluecollar neighbourhood, Isola has become one of Milan’s most creative and diverse places. There are no Gothic or Renaissance masterpieces here, just fantastic, low-key stores, cafes and bars. Start with a traditional meal of Italianstyle steak and potato skins at II Bue e la Patata ( ilbuelapatata.com) on Via Luigi Porro Lambertenghi, then bargain- hunt amid the footwear and hosiery of the Mercato Isola (on Via Garigliano every Tuesday and Saturday). There’s also live jazz (on Thursday and Sunday evenings) at the boho Nordest Caffe on Via Pietro Borsieri.