Breakfast
Locals never sit still for the first
meal of the day. Breakfast is a
quick over-the-counter affair. If
you really want to do it like a
Milanesi, combine your morning
coffee with a girella, a spiral-
shaped pastry layered with
custard and raisins.
Explore
Part of the joy of business trip to Milan is the opportunity to seek out new
leads between appointments. The Brera neighbourhood is home to
museums, local restaurants and design stores, while Milan’s fashion
houses and flagship stores can all be found on Via Montenapoleone.
Meetings
The city is flat, compact and not
particularly car friendly. Avoid
the motors and use Milan’s
cycle-sharing scheme to get
about. Between meetings in-
dulge in a mid-morning sit down
in Pasticceria Cova.
in spring 2013. His new
T-shirt line, WilhelmWalter
(
wilhelmwalter.com),
launches this month.
ARTHUR'S PLAN
9
AM
Commute using BikeMi
(
bikemi.com
),
Milan’s cycle-
sharing scheme. The city is
flat and compact, but watch
out for crazy Italian drivers.
11
AM
Breakfast is a
caffè e
brioche
,
not a sit-down
feast. If you’re peckish,
plan a mid-morning
meeting at Pasticceria Cova
(
pasticceriacova.com
)
on
Via Montenapoleone. This
street is home to Milan’s
fashion houses, flagship
11
PM
Hit closing time at
another classic Milanese
haunt. Bar Basso (
barbasso.
com
)
is an age-old boozer
that specialises in just one
drink: the gin, vermouth
and Campari-laced Negroni
Sbagliato.
MIDNIGHT
OK, I’m biased,
but it doesn’t get any more
Milanese than the brand
new Armani Hotel (
hotels.
easyJet.com
).
Gualtiero Marchesi
Born in 1930, this Milanese
native was the first Italian
chef to receive three
Michelin stars (in 1985) – and
the first chef in the world to
give them back (in 2008).
GUALTIERO'S PLAN
8
AM
Start with a business
breakfast at Il Marchesino
(
gualtieromarchesi.it
),
my
bar and restaurant situated
in Milan’s renowned opera
house, Teatro alla Scala.
Morning coffee is best paired
with one of our delicious
girelle
,
a spiral-shaped pastry
layered with custard and
raisins – crisp on the outside
and soft on the inside.
10
AM
My normal working
day is a hectic mix of
frenetic moments and
Figure 1.
How to spend your morning
Take advantage of the city’s early buzz – but avoid the
drivers racing to work
stores and one-off boutiques.
11.30
AM
Nearby is the Villa
Necchi (
casemuseo.it
),
one
of Milan’s many ‘historic
house’ museums. Designed
in the 1930s by local boy
Piero Portaluppi, visit for
a period vision of art deco
splendour.
NOON
Lunch is early in
Milan – and lengthy too!
The fashion industry
frequents Ristorante
Giacomo Arengario
(
giacomoarengario.
com
).
It’s housed inside
a glass cube above the
newMuseo del Novecento
(
museodelnovecento.org
).
2
PM
Milan is Italy’s shopping
capital. If you don’t return
home inspired – and laden
–
you’ve made a fashion
faux pas. Corso Como 10
(
10
corsocomo.com
)
is a
boutique/bookshop/gallery
rolled into one. Excelsior
(
excelsiormilano.com
)
is a brand-new concept
fashion store, where Marc
Jacobs meets Manalo
Blahnik. Rossana Orlandi
(
rossanaorlandi.com
)
is
a top-shelf objets d'art
emporium.
6.30
PM
It’s aperitivo hour.
More business is concluded
over cocktails and
complimentary nibbles
(
like
mozzarella di bufala
or
sushi) than in eight hours
of work. The garden of the
Bulgari Hotel (
bulgarihotels.
com
)
is the fashionistas’
favourite.
9
PM
Dine at a Milan
institution. Try La
Terza Carbonaia
(
terzacarbonaia.it
)
if on
a budget or Papermoon
(
papermoonmilano.com
)
if
someone else is paying.
the fashionista
the chef
20% 20%
60%
Arthur Arbesser
After seven years designing
for one of Milan’s leading
fashion houses, the Vienna-
born designer will launch
his own womenswear
collection, Arthur Arbesser,
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M I L A N
