Want to try the best coffee in Milan Italy? You’ll love these historic cafes in Milan serving fantastic coffee and delicious sweet treats. I lived between Paris and Milan for two years, spending lots of time trying all the best coffee shops the city has to offer. Read about the best cocktails in Milan next!
Best coffee in Milan
Finding fantastic coffee in Milan is easy! It’s Italy!
There are many, many, many cafes in Milan and narrowing down this list to the best spots worth your time, was not a task we took lightly, so rest assured that these are the very best cafes that Milan has to offer (in our humble opinion that is!).
We always prioritize historic cafes over specialty coffee houses when we travel and Milan has several fabulous cafes from which to choose.
Italian coffee vocabulary that will help you order the perfect cuppa
- Espresso : very strong, short, black coffee (the strongest coffee hit)
- Cappuccino : espresso and steamed milk topped with a layer of milk foam (aka. Heaven!)
- Macchiato : espresso topped with a small amount of steamed milk or milk foam (the milk takes a bit of the edge off the strong espresso)
- Shakerato : espresso shaken with ice in a cocktail shaker (although this is an iced coffee drink, it retains the strength of a pure espresso)
- Affogato : a scoop (or sometimes more!) of ice cream topped with an espresso (so, so delicious!)
Best coffee shops in Milan
Without further ado, drum roll please, after much delicious research, this is our list of the top coffee shops in Milan, the places you need to know about to have the best coffee in Milan!
Get excited, visit the spots on this list and have an amazing cup of coffee and delicious sweet treats.
Cova Montenapoleone
Cova is the oldest cafe in Milan and it may be my favorite cafe on this list. The Montenapoleone location is really special with rich wood interiors and beautiful porcelain cups. The coffee is fantastic and the selection of sweets is irresistible.
Cova recently opened a small cafe inside of the Milano Centrale train station, so if you are arriving/leaving by train or planning any day trips during your stay in Milan, make sure you leave some extra time to stop by and pick up a cappuccino and gianduja (chocolate-hazelnut) cream filled croissant.
Address : via Montenapoleone, 8
Taveggia 1909
Established in 1909, Taveggia 1909 moved to its current location in 1930. This historic cafe is a popular meeting spot for the Milanese.
The day we visited there was an Italian mom sitting with her two daughters having an after school snack and coffee, Italian friends meeting for coffee and at least one or two business-meetings-over-coffee taking place.
Address : via Uberto Visconti di Modrone 2
Marchesi 1824
Marchesi 1824 has three locations in Milan, each one more fabulous than the next!
The best known location is the one inside the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuelle. It is lovely to have coffee with a view of the galleria from above. I especially love having coffee here in the morning when you see everyone dressed for work both inside the cafe stopping for a quick espresso and brioche, and below hustling to work.
Sit and stay a while or have a quick coffee standing up. Don’t hesitate to try one of their pastries as well. They are outstanding!
Address : Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Bar Luce
Bar Luce is Wes Anderson’s cafe created for the Fondazione Prada.
Stop for coffee here and be immediately transported to a Wes Anderson movie set!
I love the fun pastel colors, vintage arcade games and delicious coffee and pastries, of course.
We had a great experience at Bar Luce. The only thing we didn’t love was that it’s not dog friendly which is very unusual in Italy. (Italians love dogs and Violette, our sweet yorkie, is always the star of the show everywhere we go.)
Address : L.go Isarco, 2
Gelateria Umberto 1934
Affogato : a scoop (or sometimes more!) of ice cream topped with an espresso. Make sure you try one in Italy!
Gelateria Umberto is the best spot to stop for an affogato. The affogatos here look similar to the famous affogatos at Vivoli in Florence. While this is technically a gelateria (ice cream shop), it is also a cute little cafe serving delicious coffee.
The coffee cup is filled with a very generous portion of delicious gelato (there are several flavors from which to choose!) and topped with hot espresso. The result is delicious! The perfect pick-me-up while exploring Milan.
We ordered a chocolate affogato and a pistacchio affogato with a portion of panna (whipped cream) on the side. Both flavors (and the panna!) were absolutely divine.
This cafe is very tiny. There are only two spots to sit outside but it’s definitely worth waiting for a seat and taking some time to savor your affogato in the sunshine.
Gelateria Umberto on Instagram
Address : Piazza Cinque Giornate, 4
Vergani
This is one of our favorite coffee spots in Milan. (I think it’s Hugo’s all-time favorite spot!) It’s historic and fun and famous for its Panettone.
Panettone : a sweet Italian pastry bread willed with candied fruits.
The last time we were in Milan, we were staying about a 20-minute walk away from here and visiting almost daily, drinking more espressi, cappuccini and pasticce than we care to count!
Since we have been lucky enough to spend so much time in this cafe, we have tried lots of different pastries.
They are famous for their Panettone, so definitely plan on trying a slice (available year round, although panettone is typically a Christmas treat).
The one below is a 10 kilo Panettone!
Address : Corso di Porta Romana, 51
Pasticceria Gattullo
Pasticceria Gattullo is a chic and sophisticated historic cafe in Milan that you definitely don’t want to miss during your trip.
It is clearly a gathering place for locals. When we visited on the weekend, we saw chic groups of friends meeting for morning coffee with their young kids.
There is a 70s feeling in this cafe from the wood paneled walls to the cream and chocolate brown coffee cups.
Pasticceria Gattullo on Instagram
Address : P.le di Porta Lodovica, 2
Where to stay in Milan
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- Max Brown Hotel Missori – modern design hotel perfectly located close to the Duomo.
- Petit Palais Hotel de Charme – this charming hotel is a converted 17th century convent, conveniently located in central Milan. Take advantage of your stay there to have a drink in front of the fireplace in the salon!
- Hotel Vittoria – this hotel is bursting with nostalgic charm! Guests rave about the hotel breakfast, so this could be the hotel for you if you love a great hotel breakfast to start your day.
- Chateau Monfort – this is where we stayed the last time we booked a hotel in Milan. The design is fun and whimsical and the hotel is a member of the prestigious Leading Hotels of the World. If you stay here, make sure to leave time during your trip to go for a drink at the beautiful hotel bar. It’s a highlight for sure!
Activities to book in advance in Milan
- Visit the Duomo Milan – make sure you visit the iconic Duomo complex in Milan including the beautiful rooftop with one of the best views in the city!
- See Leonardo’s Da Vinci’s Last Supper – visit one of the most famous paintings in the world tucked away in a tiny little church in Milan.
- Visit La Scala – schedule a visit to one of the World’s most spectacular opera houses.
- Milan Food Tour – no trip is complete without adding a food tour to your itinerary.
- Day trip to Lake Como and Lugano – explore two of the most stunning places closed to Milan with ease by joining this small group organized tour.
Read more about Milan
- Discover the best cocktails in Milan
- Plan some day trips from Milan
- Explore the fascinating San Bernardino alle Ossa
Best coffee in Milan
We hope you enjoy these historic cafes in Milan during your trip!
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