Published: 2/10/2024

 A Complete Guide to Milan Aperitivo

No trip to Milan is complete without taking time to soak up the Milan aperitivo scene.

As I was researching for my November 2023 Milan trip, Milan’s Aperitivo culture was definitely one of Milan’s biggest selling points. After all, I am the woman who went to Santa Fe with the singular goal of earning a Santa Fe Margarita Trail t-shirt. I’m not going to say no to a good happy hour. 

But I found aperitivo a little confusing. In the United States, we’re used to everything coming with a well-defined price tag. That Milanese restaurants and bars were just going to give me a complimentary plate of snacks or access to a buffet when I ordered an early evening seemed . . . unlikely.

However, I’ve returned for my travels to Milan and am happy to report that aperitivo in Milan is just as delightful and delicious as it sounds.

In this post, I’ll answer all your questions about aperitivo in Milan. I’ll cover what aperitivo is, when it is each day, favorite aperitivo drinks, the best aperitivo spots in Milan, and why aperitivo is one of the best things to do in Milan.

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What Exactly Is Milan Aperitivo?

If you’re like, wait, what the heck is aperitivo, allow me to explain . . .

Just like Americans have happy hour and the Spanish have tapas, aperitivo is a time in the early evening when Italians gather to enjoy a drink, share snacks, and socialize. There’s a very human desire to gather and unwind at the end of the day and the Milan Aperitivo accomplishes this objective so well.

Like an Irish pub, aperitivo is as much, if not more, about socializing than drinking.

Almost every Milan restaurant or bar offers aperitivo, which usually starts around 5 p.m. and wraps up by 8 p.m. Restaurants often have a special, limited aperitivo drink menu to order from. With each drink order, they’ll bring you either a complimentary plate of snacks or give you access to a buffet.

Dinner in Milan often isn’t served until after 8 p.m. so aperitivo is meant as a pre-dinner snack. But this is no bowl of peanuts or popcorn to tide you over like you might get in an American bar. We quickly discovered that you can enjoy full, well-rounded meals just by hitting up a restaurant’s aperitivo.

In fact, many people argue that Milan doesn’t have an aperitivo culture at all. Rather, the Milanese celebrate “apericena.” While an aperitivo means you enjoy a few snacks with your drink, an apericena is a casual early dinner.

Since the Milanese credit themselves with putting in long hours at the office, it’s not surprising that they, like their fellow productivity-obsessed Americans, prefer an earlier dinner so they can get back in the office bright and early the next morning. As an American tourist, I definitely appreciated the option to eat my dinner on the early side in Milan

Aperitivo meaning

It doesn’t take a linguistic expert to see the similarity between the Italian “aperitivo” and the French “aperitif.” Both words come from the Latin word “aperire” which means “to open.” In both French and Italian cultures, these words refer to a drink enjoyed before a meal to whet the appetite.

While you’ll find everything from Moscow mules to wine, beer, and even soda pop on Milan’s aperitivo drink menus, in general an aperitivo is bitter, bubbly, and brightly colored. You’ll be forgiven if you call these drinks cocktails. However, an aperitivo’s generally low alcohol content sets it apart from American style cocktails like martinis or old-fashioned.

A brief history of aperitivo

Milan is considered the godfather of Italian aperitivo culture. You’ll find aperitivo all over northern  Italy – we found a great one in Lake Como! Other large Italian cities like Rome, Naples, and Venice have also picked up on the custom, but in general, aperitivo offerings fizzle out as you head south in Italy. 

The rise of aperitivo in Milan is associated with the invention of Campari in nearby Novara in 1860. Since the late 19th century, Milan has been the place to go for bright, refreshing spritz drinks like Milano Torinos.

As aperitivo gained popularity in Milan, restaurants and bars started offering increasingly elaborate snacks and buffets to accompany the early evening drinks. Now it’s a bit of a competition to see which Milan establishment can offer the best aperitivo experience in town.

What makes aperitivo in Milan special

For me, what makes Milan aperitivo so special aren’t the drinks themselves. I like a spritz as much as the next person, but what I really love is food and you can sample so many classic Italian dishes with Milan restaurants’ aperitivo offerings.  

While in the United States we think nothing of throwing back a couple cocktails or beers on an empty stomach, in Italy the marriage of food and alcohol is so intrinsic that they even serve panettone – the famous Italian yeasted Christmas cake – with prosecco.

We loved aperitivo culture so much, we spent a lot of time brainstorming how we could offer aperitivo state-side. (Watch out Grand Marais and Grand Rapids, we might be coming for you!) But we’re not sure the American consumer is quite ready to embrace aperitivo on this side of the Atlantic.

Part of the charm of aperitivo is the randomness of it. The food you receive with your drinks is totally at the discretion of the restaurant. You might get potato chips, fresh baked buns, or a full-on buffet groaning with a selection of favorite Italian dishes. Aperitivo offerings are also influenced by seasonality.

Honestly, the only real downside to Milan aperitivo is that it would be lonely to go to alone. At an especially crowded Friday night aperitivo, we sat beside a solo woman waiting for the rest of her group and she looked noticeably uncomfortable. You really want at least one friend at aperitivo to chat with and so you can “cheers” (or “cin cin” in Italian) your drinks. 

Favorite Milan aperitivo drinks

Very popular liqueors used in Milanese aperitivos are Campari, Aperol, and vermouth. These give the drinks their signature reddish-orange hue. I prefer the gentler Aperol which uses rhubarb, gentian, and other herbs for its bitter notes. Both Campari and Aperol have distinct citrusy overtones, but Aperol comes off decidedly orangey, while Campari packs the punch of a tart grapefruit.

Here are some popular aperitivo drinks in Milan:

Aperol spritz

At this point in time, the Aperol spritz is probably the most popular aperitivo drink. It’s also my personal favorite. There’s just something so refreshing about this aperol, prosecco, and club soda drink; it feels like summer in a glass.

Milano Torinos

The OG Milan aperitivo, the Milano Torino is equal parts Campari and sweet vermouth. For a bubbly version, add a splash of club soda.

Negroni

This bright red cocktail is a mixture of gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari. It’s a little bitter for my liking and I do like gin. 

Negroni sbagliato

This is just a Negroni, but with the gin swapped out for prosecco. Famously it was invented at Milan’s Bar Basso when a bartender accidentally grabbed a bottle of sparkling wine instead of gin. The prosecco really softens this drink nicely. If you don’t think you like negronis, try the sbagliato version instead.  

Franciacorta 

The Milanese love their bubbles! Franciacorta is a sparkling wine that comes from a very small region of northern Italy just east of Milan. If you like prosecco, I recommend try the more local Franciacorta while in Milan. It’s more flavorful with tighter bubbles than your typical prosecco.

Gewürztraminer 

I don’t know how popular this white wine is in Milan, but I do know it’s delicious! We were served this slightly sweet, fruity wine when we asked for white wine at Larky Bistro. While the name sounds very German, the wine we enjoyed hailed from the Trentino region of northern Italy.

Favorite Milan aperitivo spots

You don’t have to look far in Milan for an aperitivo spot. Since the city is known for its aperitivo culture, basically every bar and restaurant in the city offers aperitivo from about 5 – 8 p.m. In fact, Milanese restauranteurs seem to enjoy trying to out-do each other when it comes to aperitivo offerings.

We did find that the more complimentary food offered with your drink, the lower the quality of the drink itself. I’d recommend grabbing your aperitivo drink at an actual bar. Then round out your meal at a restaurant with an aperitivo/ apericena buffet. Just order wine at the buffet spot.

If the aperitivo scene is a little confusing at first, you can ask your server what the procedure is. We found wait staff more than happy to explain. Since so many people in Milan move to the city for school or work, they were probably once a stranger here themselves.

Bar Basso

A true Milanese landmark, Bar Basso is the inventor of the Negroni sbagliato. We loved its retro vibe. Your drink comes with a light snack of green olives and potato chips.

La Hora Feliz 

This lively neighborhood restaurant tops almost every list of best aperitivo places in Milan. Their aperitivo runs from 5 – 11 p.m. and is truly an apericena rather than an aperitivo. We visited on a Friday night and found both the inside and outside seating areas packed. We were basically shoehorned into a table next to the bar.

The buffet is massive and as a result, the line can move slowly. You can absolutely heap your plate with pastas, salads, polenta, and even tiramisu. Our server was shocked when we headed out after just one drink, but we still had a couple spots left to hit on our day’s itinerary.

Ravizza 1871

Considered one of the best cheap aperitivo spots in Milan, you’ll find this centrally located aperitivo spot a couple blocks behind the Duomo. While many restaurants in this touristy area are known for their exorbitant prices, we enjoyed a full meal for the cost of one drink.

Each drink got us up to two trips to their generous buffet. The server also delivered a platter of warm filled buns to our table.

Larky 

This sweet little bistro was located very close to our Airbnb just west of central Milan. While their aperitivo plate really favored Parma ham, they charmed us with their friendly, helpful service and excellent wine selection.

Conclusion: Why You Should Experience Milan’s aperitivo scene

If you are headed to Milan, you must check out at least one aperitivo during your visit. Not only is this an economical way to feed yourself dinner in Milan, it’s one of the best ways to merge into Milanese culture. After a busy day of sightseeing, there’s no better way to cap your day in Milan than with a glass of bubbles and a full plate of savory Italian snacks.

Check it out – I think you’ll love it! 

If you liked this Milan aperitivo post, check out my other Italy content!