Brera

Labyrinthine streets, antiques and artwork, and late-night party time

Noteworthy for: The Italian tradition of the passeggiata, when the whole family dresses up in their best clothes and parades the streets greeting friends and family.
Tipple of choice: Join the Milanese crowds for an aperitivo of sparkling prosecco in a street-side bar. Radetzky Café is one of the coolest and buzziest bars in Brera.

Just east of the Castello Sforzesco and heading north to Piazza Garibaldi, this charming tangle of narrow cobbled streets is lined with sleek antique shops, design emporiums and contemporary art galleries. Around every corner is an ancient church; the wonderfully baroque Santa Maria del Carmine, the austere façade of basilica San Simpliciano or the Renaissance colonnades of chiesa di Sant’Angelo.
Monday and Thursday see the atmospheric local food market in Piazza San Marco, where fine local produce is sold alongside second-hand tat and dubious DVDs. After dark the bars, restaurants and cool clubs of Brera come to life and in summer spill out onto the streets; late in the evening il tutto Milano rock up to enjoy their nightly passeggiata before sitting down to dine around midnight.