The Best Courtyard Aperitifs in Milan

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Milan prides itself on being a city that perceives the aperitif as sacred. The Milanese capital is full of places ready to welcome customers from all over the world with their ever-changing specialties, concepts, and atmospheres, which inevitably incites you to experience and discover them.

However, when the summer heat sets in, cooling off with a beer or sipping a glass of wine is not enough. People tend to seek out peaceful and charming hideaways, where you are not only guaranteed to drink and eat well but relax completely.

The courtyards on the streets of our city are the answer to your needs. These oases allow you to take refuge away from the sounds of cars and trams, and the stress and frenzy to toast with friends and partners to the summer, waiting for holidays, study breaks and scheduled holidays.

With this ranking, we selected the best that combine beautiful venues and excellent culinary proposals, essential for the aperitif. Here, the only things that remain are tranquility, excellent food and wine, and Mixology.

LùBAR

Via Palestro, 16

Inside the majestic beauty of Villa Reale is LùBar. A bar-bistro in the south wing of the structure, once a transit porch for coaches and lemon house, now restored as a winter garden. The restaurant serves Sicilian specialties, revisited in line with new trends and cosmopolitan preferences.

Bar Martini

Corso Venezia, 15

Chic and sophisticated to the right point, the Martini Bar is the result of the synergy between Martini and Dolce & Gabbana, who have created a glamorous corner in the city that offers customers a complete sensory experience. The air is international, and the lunches, aperitifs, and dinners in the beautiful courtyard have the flavors and colors of Mediterranean cuisine, plus some imaginative touch of the chef.

COVA

Via Montenapoleone, 8

Historical Milanese pastry shop with over two centuries of activity behind it, a meeting place with timeless charm that attracts a varied clientele from all over the world: Cova is synonymous with craftsmanship, Italian spirit, and excellence, offering a cosmopolitan elite clientele quality products to be enjoyed, this season, in the beautiful courtyard.

Al Cortile

Via Giovenale, 7 

A hidden treasure conceived by the Food Genius Academy on the occasion of EXPO 2015. It is a 200-square-meter loft that even houses showrooms for emerging artists, architects, and designers. Here, to satisfy your hunger, the best students of the Academy take care of it from the kitchen. Once they have finished their studies, they join the brigade, according to the application of the “learning by doing” method of learning.

CANTEEN

Via Archimede, 10

Canteen, by Luca Guelfi, is an energetic Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Bar. Here, you can enjoy aperitifs in the courtyard, in front of a lush vertical garden, while sipping one of the drinks by the mixologist behind the bar, among over 100 labels of fine tequila and Mezcal.

Tenoha Milano

Via Vigevano, 18

In the Tenoha concept store, the worlds of design, catering, coworking, and events intersect. The restaurant-bistro boasts a charming and quiet inner courtyard and offers aperitifs and traditional Japanese cuisine thanks to the tasty delicacies proposed by chef Sawayama.

Carlo e Camilla in Segheria

Via Giuseppe Meda, 24

A chic and traditional Italian gastronomy, Carlo e Camilla in Segheria is a cocktail bar that welcomes customers from the afternoon to after-dinner as the place to be for lovers of tasty stops in refined locations while sipping quality drinks with the ingredients and cooking techniques of haute cuisine.

Fonderie Milanesi

Via Giovenale, 7

Here, nothing is left to chance. With a refined style and keen attention to detail, this haunt is far from the usual clichés and hopes to make people feel at home in their living room. The inner courtyard offers a charming atmosphere where climbing ivy, lanterns, and hanging lights surround you while you savor a drink or enjoy a glass of wine, helping you to forget that you are in the middle of the city.

Officina

Via Giovenale, 7

Founded outside Officine Riunite Milanesi and located inside an old city courtyard, Officine Riunite is both a cocktail bar and a charming terrace, which brings the atmosphere of a past Milan back to life.

10 Corso Como

Corso Como 10

Within this multi-purpose space, 10 Corso Como is the crossroads where the worlds of fashion, art, and food intersect. Seize the opportunity to take a tour here, but don’t forget to stop in the whimsical courtyard afterward for an aperitif. This courtyard is a peaceful haven where you can forget the frenzy of the city that you’ve become so accustomed to over the years.

Deus Café

Via Thaon di Revel, 3

Accessible through a small entrance hall, you will soon find yourself led to a charming courtyard dotted with pergolas, vines, and comfortable sofas. Open every day at almost every hour in one of Milan’s bustling neighborhoods, Deus Cafè is a sanctuary for lovers of good wine and a must-stop for fans of aperitifs in captivating venues.

Un posto a Milano

Via Privata Cuccagna, 2

Inside Cascina Cuccagna, between shops, a nature travel agency, and the Ciclofficina Cuccagna, you will find Un Posto. This bar-restaurant with a 0 km menu is now a landmark in Porta Romana for those who want to kill some time in a summery, green oasis. Here, you can sip a good cold beer on tap or in a bottle, a cocktail, or a glass of wine and toast to the summer.

Rotonda della Besana – Rotonda Bistro

Via Enrico Besana, 12

The aperitifs and events hosted at Rotonda della Besana are a must in the city for their dynamism, beautiful background music, and unique atmosphere. Quench your thirst at the Rotonda Bistro and stock up on drinks.  A reminder that there’s no table service here, so you are free to sip your drink on the lawn under the stars!

Santeria Paladini

Via Privata Ettore Paladini, 8

This independent factory by Santeria hosts exhibitions, concerts, and literary presentations in its space. Since 2011, Via Paladini 8 has been the ”original,” and was joined in 2015 by the sister location in Viale Toscana. This mini-universe houses a bar/bistro that serves up international food and wine, a record store, a bookshop, and a ”totally green” outdoor courtyard, considered to be one of the most famous and beloved on the east side of Milan.

Spirit de Milan

Via Bovisacca, 57/59

The result of a creative project that transformed the Cristallerie Livellara, Spirit de Milan is an energetic place that boasts a dance floor, a stage, and a restaurant inside, so you can dine while still having fun, along with a large outdoor courtyard to host your favorite drinks!

mare culturale urbano

Via Giuseppe Gabetti, 15

In the western part of the city, there is a center for artistic and cultural development, but to put it simply it is a meeting place. “Mare birre e Cucina” is a restaurant, pizzeria, and urban seaside bar that will delight you with Mediterranean and Neapolitan specialties, as well as good beer – ça va sans dire.

Frida

Via Pollaiuolo, 3

Frida is a well-known name, hidden on the streets of the bustling Isola district. Here, where along with the bar is a small vintage shop, you can sip a refreshing beer, wine, cocktail, or try something to eat, all while chatting with old friends in an immersive green indoor courtyard.