My Milan

I have been going to Milan - usually late summer - since the year 2000 when a friend invited me for a girls' shopping weekend. That first trip was so exciting and an eye opener. There were so many individual boutiques with names I'd never heard of and of course the major brands all enclosed in a relatively small area in the city with prices way cheaper than any in London. As you can imagine we went crazy buying our new winter wardrobe and I still have my ankle boots from Miu Miu plus a few other items from that time. Quality and design is timeless. As each year passed, my haul got smaller with Italian brands becoming more global and prices evening out. We still continued to go as an annual ritual becoming more discerning with our buying and instead enjoying each other's company with an espresso or prosecco and watching the world go by.

2018 was the first time we missed going and went to Berlin instead. This year we decided to reignite our affair with Milan and go back in late spring, this past weekend as it happens, for a completely different experience and it worked out very well.

Apart from the fact that it rained for most of the weekend we had a fab time. We stayed at the Park Hyatt Hotel right in the centre of Milan, a few steps from the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. We got a great rate deal which enabled us to stay there and it was such a pleasure. Everything you would expect from a 5 star hotel, our bathroom was large enough to swing more than the proverbial cat.

Friday evening we had a cocktail and snacks at the Mio Lab bar in the hotel, and met up with my nephew who is in Milan for 3 months with a model agency. We had dinner at Ravello 18 a few minutes walk away which has a small menu of reasonably priced seasonal local dishes. 

Saturday was spent shopping in and out of the rain, mostly at our favourite brands for clothes, Marella, Max & Co and Penny Black and Sephora and Kiko Milano for make up. We had lunch at Granaio Caffe and Cucina, a delicious asparagus risotto with a glass of prosecco.


After more shopping we sauntered back to the hotel late afternoon to put our feet up for an hour before venturing down for pre dinner drinks at Mio Lab bar again with it's beautiful glass blown ceiling lights looking like space ships hovering overhead. We tried the Red Ginger martini. A mix of vodka, lime, ginger and raspberry it was sublime. Drinks are always accompanied with a small slate of pintxos, olives and nuts included in the price.

We had been recommended to go for dinner at Langosteria known for it's fabulous seafood dishes. I had Linguine con aragosta, pomodoro confit e basilico which is simply fresh ribbon pasta and lobster with a tomato sauce. Absolutely delicious! This restaurant is very popular so reserving a table is essential.


Strolling back to the hotel after dinner we went past the Duomo looking stunning in the evening light and the shop fronts with their beautiful windows more elegant and stylish than they appear in daylight.

Back at the hotel for the last night of our weekend, we watched the end of the Eurovision final in all it's camp glory place Great Britain undeservedly at the bottom of the pile. 

In our usual fashion, we spent Sunday morning at the Rinascente department store searching out last minute finds before our journey home. We had lunch with an obligatory glass of prosecco at God Save the Food Piano -1 (Lower Ground Floor) Design Supermarket.

Our love of Milano restored after more than a year away, I'm certain we'll be back again very soon.