36 Hours in Milan

36 Hours in Milan
By INGRID K. WILLIAMS
Copyright by The New York Times
Published: May 19, 2011
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/05/22/travel/36-hours-in-milan.html?hpw


APPEARANCES matter in Milan. For proof, just stroll past the sights: the majestic Gothic cathedral, the stately Teatro alla Scala opera house, the smartly dressed Milanese (yes, they’re an attraction, too). But the true charm of Italy’s most cosmopolitan city is its refusal to coast on these beautiful treasures. A few blocks from Leonardo da Vinci’s 15th-century masterpiece “The Last Supper,” an ambitious project is inching toward completion: CityLife, a new center-city neighborhood featuring a trio of dazzling, futuristic skyscrapers. And in advance of hosting the 2015 Expo, the city is already blossoming with new museums and restaurants. In Milan, Italy’s future is already on display.

Friday

4:30 p.m.
1) DESIGN SHRINE

Design is a religion in Milan, so start by paying your respects at the high altar that is the Triennale Design Museum (Viale Alemagna, 6; 39-02-724-341; triennale.org). The museum, on the edge of the leafy Parco Sempione, is the first dedicated solely to Italian design. Where else could you expect to find a supersize Campari bottle beside a Brobdingnagian replica of a rainbow-hued Ferragamo sandal? A special admission rate on Thursday and Friday evenings lets you embrace another of Milan’s sacred rites, the predinner aperitivo, at the new ground-floor DesignCafe.

8:30 p.m.
2) THE FIRST SUPPER

Zucca e Melone (Via Gian Giacomo Mora, 3; 39-02-8945-5850; ristorantezuccaemelone.it) is a delightful restaurant that opened last year with a fresh farmhouse feel and charmingly absurd décor (think lime green and violet walls with chairs painted bright orange, yellow and purple). And the menu is as creative as the color scheme. Traditional strudel is reimagined as a savory appetizer with caramelized onions and taleggio cream (12.50 euros, or $17.60 at $1.41 to the euro), while tortelli stuffed with pumpkin is topped with sage butter, pecorino and a cookie crumble (14.50 euros).

11 p.m.
3) A MAN, A PLAN, NAVIGLI

Take a postprandial passeggiata — it’s required — past Porta Ticinese to the glowing canals and waterside drinking dens of the Navigli neighborhood. Designed in part by Leonardo, the narrow canals were neglected for decades, but recent preservation efforts have spurred the area’s emergence as one of the city’s hottest night-life destinations. Seek out Spritz (Ripa di Porta Ticinese 9; 39-02-8339-0192; spritz-navigli.it) for the lounge’s namesake drink, an Italian classic. Then hop over to El Brellin (Alzaia Naviglio Grande, 14; 39-02-5810-1351; brellin.it) for a glass of vino in the garden, or to the cozy beer pub Al Coccio (Alzaia Naviglio Pavese, 2; no phone) for a Baladin beer. After that, it’s your call.

Saturday

10 a.m.
4) NEW KID ON THE PIAZZA

After years of restoration, the resplendent white marble facade of Milan’s soaring Gothic cathedral, the Duomo, gleams anew. But lately, all eyes have been on its neighbor on the piazza, the Museo del Novecento (Piazza Duomo; 39-02-8844-4061; museodelnovecento.org), which opened in December in the renovated Palazzo dell’Arengario. A strikingly modern interior features a spiral ramp that whisks visitors up to the galleries, where an extensive collection of 20th-century Italian art includes works by Umberto Boccioni, Carlo Carrà and many others. The museum’s showpiece, however, is the view from the top floor, where floor-to-ceiling windows frame a stunning panorama of the Piazza Duomo.

12:30 p.m.
5) A SICILIAN LUNCH HIT

The views are also superb from the museum’s buzzy new third-floor restaurant, Giacomo Arengario (Via Marconi, 1; 39-02-7209-3814; giacomoarengario.com) — provided you can score a table on the terrace. If not, console yourself with a cannolo at nearby Antica Focacceria San Francesco (Via San Paolo, 15; 39-02-4507-1057; afsf.it), a family-friendly cafeteria-style spot that serves up Sicilian specialties like ragù-stuffed arancine, caper-dotted caponata and thick slices of sfincione. This location, which opened in 2009, was the first outpost of the 176-year-old original in Palermo, an establishment famous for its refusal to pay pizzo (Mafia protection money).

2 p.m.
6) HIGH STREET ART

You may not be in the mood to try on couture after lunch, but there’s still reason to visit Via Montenapoleone, the main avenue of Milan’s haute fashion district. Tomorrow’s trendsetters strut past the glittering windows of Gucci, Pucci and Prada, but for the best street style, look underfoot. In a project called “Sopra il Sotto,” five of the world’s top street artists, including Shepard Fairey and Space Invader, designed 20 eye-popping manhole covers that were recently installed along the fashionable street. The colorful mosaics and cartoons smiling up from below will remain until December 2011, so watch your step.

3:30 p.m.
7) NOUVEAU GELATO

Dinner is still hours away, so swing by Il Gelato Centogusti (Piazzale Lagosta; 39-02-6900-9770; centogusti.it) for a sweet treat to tide you over. This spacious gelateria has 100 flavors to choose from, including unconventional concoctions like cream of celery and black sesame. Feeling overwhelmed? Try the newest scoop in town, Officine del Gelato (Viale Montenero, 46; 39-02-5990-4118; officinedelgelato.com), a bright little shop, opened in June, serving gelati made with natural ingredients.

4:30 p.m.
8) ART AND DESIGN

Ikea this is not. At Spazio Rossana Orlandi (Via Matteo Bandello 14/16; 39-02-467-4471; rossanaorlandi.com), every nook of the sprawling compound — a retail store, showroom and gallery — is packed with fantastical pieces of designy art and arty design. The proprietor, Ms. Orlandi, a fervent supporter of emerging designers from around the world, has curated an eclectic mix of lively pieces. Fancy an electric-blue pig statue for the front lawn (1,200 euros)? Or an embroidered deer head (8,000 euros) to hang above the fireplace?

8 p.m.
9) RISOTTO ROULETTE

In the Lombardy region (of which Milan is the capital), rice has traditionally trumped pasta as the preferred primo, and risotto is the sumptuous specialty. For an authentic taste, take the M1 (red) metro to the Pasteur stop and head to Da Abele (Via Temperanza, 5; 39-02-261-3855), an unassuming trattoria northeast of the city center. Only three risotti are offered each night, but with the options changing daily, the dark wood tables of this locals’ favorite stay crowded. On a recent evening, the menu pitted a fragrant spinach, pear and Gorgonzola risotto against a creamy version with celeriac, bottarga and Montasio cheese (9 euros each).

10:30 p.m.
10) LIQUID ARTS

Since you’re already far outside the ring, make an evening of it and head to Birrificio Lambrate (Via Adelchi, 5; 39-02-7063-8678; birrificiolambrate.com), Milan’s first craft brewery. You’ll know you’ve arrived when you spot an inked and pierced crowd on a narrow side street using parked cars as ersatz coasters. If you can (politely) elbow your way to the bar, order a pint of Domm, a Bavarian-style weizen, or a pale, hoppy Montestella (5 euros each). Prefer not to struggle for your tipple? The scene at the nearby Gusto Arte Vino, or GAV (Via Accademia, 56; 39-02-2890-1370; gustoartevino.it), a chic wine bar with walls adorned with art, is decidedly more subdued.

Sunday

9 a.m.
11) BODY POLISH

Immerse yourself in emerald and gold at the serene subterranean spa in the Bulgari Hotel (Via Privata Fratelli Gabba 7b; 39-02-805-8051; bulgarihotels.com). Arrive early for a solitary dip in the shimmering pool and an undisturbed steam in the sultry hammam, before submitting to an aromatherapy massage (120 euros). You will emerge refreshed and as polished as one of the haute jeweler’s precious gems.

Noon
12) SPACEY SPACE

Head north to the city limits where a former factory has been transformed into HangarBicocca (Via Privata Chiese 2; 39-02-6611-1573; hangarbicocca.it), a cavernous space bursting with mesmerizing, large-scale art installations. It’s a bit of a trek, but one worth making. The main exhibition area is a dark, hauntingly lunar-like scene dominated by Anselm Kiefer’s monumental work “The Seven Heavenly Palaces.” Around Mr. Kiefer’s seven colossal, spotlighted towers, an ever-changing exhibition has sprouted with innovative works like a melting wax sculpture, inverted scaffolding, and an enormous image of an old woman made of photosensitive grass. When you’ve reached your daily quota for wide-eyed wonderment, rehash the experience over brunch (20 euros) at HB Bistrot, the on-site cafe.

IF YOU GO

Opened in 2010, Hotel Milano Scala (via dell’Orso, 7; 39-02-870-961; hotelmilanoscala.it) riffs on an opera theme, but the modern hotel’s eco-conscious efforts are no act. Doubles from 170 euros ($240).

Near the Duomo and next door to the food-and-wine emporium Peck, the art-filled Hotel Spadari al Duomo (Via Spadari, 11; 39-02-7200-2371; spadarihotel.com) may have the best location in town. Doubles from 230 euros.

For understated luxury, nothing tops the Bulgari Hotel Milan (Via Privata Fratelli Gabba 7b; 39-02-805-8051; bulgarihotels.com). On a private street beside a botanical garden, the hotel is a calm jewel set in a bustling city. Doubles from 520 euros.