COFFEE AND COUTURE咖啡與雲裳
UNWIND IN MILAN’S FLAGSHIP ILLYCAFFÈ在米蘭的illycaffè旗艦店內享受咖啡時光
STROLL DOWN MILAN’S upscale Via Montenapoleone and you’ll walk past high fashion stores, jewellery brands and exclusive Italian shoemakers. It’s one of the most glamorous streets in Milan’s fashion district, the Quadrilatero della Moda.
No surprise then that illycaffè chose the exclusive Milanese street to open its new flagship café earlier this year.
Connoisseurs of the Trieste-born coffee brand will find the elegant café in a chic courtyard hidden within a historic building at number 19. Spread over 1,500 square feet, the new space also boasts a 645-square-foot garden with a glass roof.
The stylistic elements of the coffee brand – inspired by the iconic red and white of its logo – permeate the new café. The café counter – the core of all traditional Italian coffee bars – is rendered in the brand’s trademark red. Behind the counter are jars of illy coffee, the signature white espresso cups and a state-of-the-art coffee machine.
The menu is just as sophisticated. Expect the brand’s superior blend of coffee and gourmet pastries as well as light lunches and quick bites for a pick-me-up between shopping trips. As the sun sets, there’s a nod to the much-loved Milanese aperitivo with sparkling wines and creative cocktails. Dinner is just as much of a gourmet experience: signature Milanese dishes, mouthwatering fresh fish and classic Italian pastas. Plus, there are seasonal monthly menus: in November, expect dishes incorporating mushrooms and white truffle.
Art is also significant. Hanging on the wall is a mosaic evoking Bauhaus artist Xanti Schawinsky’s illy illustration; while above is a chandelier made up of cups from the illy Art Collection, each created by a contemporary artist or designer.
Want more illy? Nearby is Milan’s Piazza Gae Aulenti, where the brand opened its first store in 2015. illy.com/montenapoleone
沿著米蘭名店雲集的Via Montenapoleone大街而行，就會經過多間高級時裝品牌專門店、高級珠寶店及頂級意大利鞋履店。這是米蘭時尚熱點Quadrilatero della Moda其中一條最奢華瑰麗的購物大道。
難怪深受咖啡鑑賞家喜愛的咖啡品牌
illy，今年早前選擇在這條高尚大街開設全新的旗艦店illycaffè。
這個源自的里雅斯特的咖啡品牌，在Via Montenapoleone大街19號一座古老建築的雅致庭園內，開設這家優雅的咖啡室。咖啡室佔地1,500平方呎，另外還有一座645平方呎的玻璃穹頂花園。
全新的咖啡室到處可見以品牌商標的紅色及白色為靈感的元素，令人一望而知是
illy咖啡室。沖調咖啡的櫃檯（這是所有傳統意大利咖啡吧最重要的部分）使用品牌的招牌紅色。櫃檯後面放著一罐罐illy咖啡、白色的espresso咖啡杯及最先進的咖啡機。
這裡的餐點同樣精緻可口。除了品牌 的頂級咖啡之外，還有精心巧製的糕點，以及簡單的午餐和小食，方便顧客在逛街購物途中稍事休息。夕陽西下時，深受米蘭人喜愛的aperitivo餐前酒時段隨即展開，供應各式汽酒與創意雞尾酒。晚餐的菜式與咖啡同樣令人回味無窮：經典的米蘭菜式、令人垂涎的鮮魚和傳統意大利粉等，款式繁多。此外，還有每月更換的時令餐牌，11月可以嚐到合時的菇菌類與白松露入饌的佳餚。
藝術在illy咖啡室同樣佔有重要地位。牆上掛著一幅馬賽克拼貼畫，內容是包浩斯藝術家Xanti Schawinsky為illy創作的插畫。天花板懸掛了一盞以illy Art Collection咖啡杯組成的吊燈，每一隻均由一位當代著名藝術家或設計師創製。
意猶未盡？不妨前往illy於2015年在
Piazza Gae Aulenti廣場開設的首家專門店。
illy.com/montenapoleone