Your Cheat Sheet to the Best Milan Cafés — 10 Trusted Local Institutions Where the Interiors Are as Good as the Coffee

Known to everyone as Italy's design capital and, to some, as the world's, Milan is hands-down one of the most frenetic, ever-productive cities in the country — trust a native. How do my fellow Italians succeed in keeping up with its non-stop rhythms? You guessed it right: we ride on caffeine, and never underestimate the importance of an afternoon break, or where that takes place. Should you be looking to experience the northern Italian destination like one of us, the first thing to do is search for the best Milan cafés to (re-)ignite the body, the soul, and the mind: places where local creatives go to mingle and draw from each other's inspirations on a daily basis, recharging in style before heading back to their offices and studios.

Luckily for you, the city has no shortage of such places; the opposite. But, staying true to Livingetc's mission to bring life to design, I have selected ten locally trusted addresses where coffee and pastries, though exceptionally good, will become an afterthought once you see the decor. Chosen, like our curation of the best Milan hotels, for their unexpectedly inventive interiors, and their role as the go-to meeting point of Milanese culture insiders, the entries below makes great design instantly accessible in a feast for the eye. Comprising storied institutions and bold, rising newcomers, these are the best Milan cafés we think you should know.

Pan

Via Leopoldo Cicognara, 19, 20129 Milano MI

Among the establishments mentioned in this curation of the best Milan Cafés, Pan might well be my favorite. Recently endorsed by culture PRs Giulia Milza and Maria Azzurra Rossi, co-founders of MINT LIST, as a must-know spot for Milan Design Week 2025, chefs Yoji Tokuyoshi and Alice Yamada's project is a stunningly executed encounter between Milan's coolness and Japan's world-influential minimalism. More than just a coffee shop, Pan was born as a Nippon-inspired bistrò. Here you'll find straight-from-the-oven viennoiserie, fluffy loaves of bread, including the Japanese shokupan, and responsibly sourced coffee blends, alongside a worldly brunch offering and organic wine. Edgy and iconic, the interiors captivate guests through sculptural, aquamarine green surfaces, like that of the textural resin bar counter and layered ceiling, and minimal play of pale woods and chrome details.

Bar Luce

L.go Isarco, 2, 20139 Milano MI

There are two kinds of trendy Milan Cafés: those that hint at new ways of being together and savor the simple pleasures of life, like in the case of Pan's boundary-breaking exploration of hospitality, and those that vigorously bring back the city's past. I am sure you won't need any further hints to know what group Bar Luce, the in-house coffee shop of pioneering art organization Fondazione Prada, belongs to. Conceptualized by none other than award-winning American director Wes Anderson, this spirited drink destination revives the old-days allure of Milan via an Art Nouveau-meets-mid-century-Italy scheme.

Ornate decorations transform the ceilings into intricate friezes, spherical Art Deco lighting hangs from above, lime, bubblegum pink, and mint green modular 1960s-style furniture sculpts the space into shape, while jukeboxes and pinball machines add an even more openly nostalgic touch to the decor. Crafted in collaboration with the filmmaker by Baciocchi Associates, Bar Luce is a universe of its own, and sells custard-filled pastries, tartlets, ice creams, and savory snacks similarly out of this world.

SUNNEI

Via Privata Pietro Cironi, 15, 20133 Milano MI

Landed at the start of March right on time for Milan Design Week 2025, SUNNEI's new Milanese flagship, housed within the former recording studio that also hosts its headquarters, is a multifunctional space that sews the gap between the burgeoning fashion brand and its cult following. A project by local architecture studio 2050+, the concept store unfolds across a retail-dedicated area, a gallery space, and a brand new, sleekly minimalist café. Sited in the up-and-coming neighborhood of Argonne, in the eastern end of the city, this freshly unveiled coffee shop isn't just a captivating manifestation of industrial interior design, with bare white walls, clear-cut geometrical lines, and matte chrome finishes setting the mood for a sophisticated afternoon date. But its innovative baking and drink offering, which juxtaposes unusual flavors like chocolate and balsamic vinegar, will surprise you just as much as the store's cinematic interiors.

SIGNOR LIEVITO

Via Maestri Campionesi, 26, 20135 Milano MI

I first heard about the Milan-based architect Hannes Peer while chatting with Murano glass chandeliers disruptors 6:AM about the early days of their studio, but it only took me a rapid glance at his projects to fall for his essentially striking vision. At SIGNOR LIEVITO, one of the coolest coffee shops and bakeries in the whole of Milan, this is out in full force. Located in the time-traveling Porta Romana district, where the city's original architecture coexists with suggestive examples of its contemporary artistic genius, the space winks at the organicness of the ingredients used within it through its textural and naturally tinted, Scandi-inspired modern rustic decor.

Characterized by a shape-focused design where straight and round lines are the only details needed to please the eye, this unusual forno started out as model-turned-baker Natalia Nikitina's passion project, rapidly growing into one of the most beloved hotspots in town. The edible answer to slow living, SIGNOR LIEVITO has artisanal baking at its core, relying on three types of yeast, sourdough starter, and rye as the main ingredients behind its offerings. Cosmopolitan at heart, the shop draws from Nordic design, French boulangeries, and seashore kiosks to offer a holistically invigorating experience to devoted Milanese customers and passersby, whether through its delicious caffeinated hot drinks or fragrant viennoiserie.

Strucchi x Cassina Café

Via Durini, 16, 20122 Milano MI

Another fresh addition to the Milanese coffee scene, the Strucchi x Cassina Café, situated at the same address as the trailblazing house's flagship on Via Durini 16, reunites two of the things the city knows how to do best — vermouth and bitter-based cocktails and awe-inspiring design — under the same roof. Launched this month on time for Milan Design Week, this capsule bar was conceived by Strucchi founder Paolo Dalla Mora as a captivating meeting point for locals and temporary visitors alike. Sculpted from dark marble and opaque chrome, and featuring a Negroni-like red as its only color accent, this growingly popular aperitivo destination is a true work of art, as are the beautifully labeled bottles on display on its shelves. At once minimal and eye-catching, the futuristic decor of the Strucchi x Cassina Café makes it stand out from the rest of the best Milan coffee shops. Ideal for a pre-lunch aperitivo, an afternoon espresso, or an evening drink, the space is a salon for the creative-minded, and one bound to boom soon.

Cafezal BiM Bicocca

Viale Piero e Alberto Pirelli, 1020126 Milano MI

The fifth location of the coffee roastery group to be unveiled in Milan, Cafezal BiM Bicocca has opened its doors to the public earlier this month. Part of the renovation efforts that have seen the historical, industrial Pirelli 10 building thoroughly brought back to life by local firm Piuarch, this brand new Milanese café rises within an innovative and sustainably designed hub aimed at fostering business, retail, and culturally relevant initiatives, all in the same place. Open from the morning till early evening, Cafezal BiM Bicocca will accompany guests from breakfast to aperitivo time thanks to its artisanal, specialty coffee selection and tasty, patisserie-focused food offering (come on the weekend to try its brunch). As avant-garde as the rest of the complex, the interiors are warm, playful, and elegant, with statement pendant lighting and curvilinear furnishings in the tones of brown, light blue, and pale yellow setting the tone for a relaxed break. For the most productive ones, Cafezal BiM Bicocca doubles up as the perfect work café, with plenty of space to focus on your daily deliverables without compromising on an uplifting atmosphere and style.

Orsonero Coffee

Via Giuseppe Broggi, 15, 20129 Milano MI

A city known for its drunk-at-the-counter, speedy espressos, Milan has only recently started to embrace the specialty coffee phenomenon, diversifying its caffeine-powered scene through responsibly sourced blends and a more worldly understanding of what caffé is and could be. Situated near the Porta Venezia neighborhood and the buzzy Corso Buenos Aires, Canadian barista Brent Jopson's Orsonero Coffee was among the first establishments to drive this conversation forward. In nearly ten years of activity, the space has become synonymous with high-quality, single-origin filter coffee and standout espresso, besides platforming the experimentation of local baking maestros. Its meticulously crafted, wood-clad minimalist interiors let the drinks and pastries be the real protagonists, bridging the gap between Milan's centuries-old coffee tradition and its globally inspired future.

Marchesi 1824

Via Santa Maria alla Porta, 11/a, 20123 Milano MI

Milan has got its fair share of stuck-in-time places, but few of them beat the charm of Marchesi 1824, the city's most widely loved pastry shop. Whichever of its three local outposts you decide to stop by at, be it the historical Via Santa Maria alla Porta one or the equally magical Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and Via Monte Napoleone's, be ready to be transported to a different dimension, where baked goods and candies look straight out of a painting and the interiors have a not-so-casual, pale green and pink plush Prada vibe (the made-in-Italy fashion colossus acquired a major stake in the Pasticceria in 2014). Hot drinks are served in sleek, old-style silverware and precious China porcelain, sweet treats are displayed so aesthetically that it is almost a shame to bring one home, and the precious-looking packaging infuses the whole experience with a Wes Anderson-esque tone.

La Baloss

Via Lecco, 6, 20124 Milano MI

Retro-fueled globetrotters won't want to go anywhere else after stepping inside Alice Balossi's water-colored pastry haven, La Baloss. A former Bake Off Italia contestant (2014), she joined forces with interior design and architecture professionals Francesca Carmelini, Roberto Rezzoli, and Silvia Moro to conceive a space that could serve as a wunderkammer for her vibrantly delicious creations. With its faux terrazzo flooring hand-painted by a local artist and a mid-century, American diner style, La Baloss is a portal into a different dimension, the only explicit reference to the city of La Madunina being the minty green that acts as the coffee shop's trademark. From flaky pastries and cream-filled maritozzi to towering cakes, biscuits, and focaccia, here is where great taste is at.

10 Corso Como Café

Corso Como, 10, 20154 Milano MI

One of Porta Garibaldi's unmissable stops for fashion, art, and design-addicted travelers, 10 Corso Como is, at once, a concept store, a gallery space, a hotel, and a coveted aperitivo hotspot. Originally founded by Carla Sozzani in 1990, the platform has recently undergone a thorough revamp under the creative leadership of Tiziana Fausti, 10 Corso Como's new owner. What stayed the same, though, is the daring, instantly recognizable aesthetic that has distinguished each of the destination's rooms since the very beginning, including its café. Open from breakfast to dinner, this leafy, eclectic spot is frequently visited by influential local talents and aspiring artists alike, offering plenty of occasions for creative networking. A beautifully conceived example of indoor-outdoor living, visiting the café feels like stepping inside the lushest of greenhouses, only with continental breakfast options and gourmet Italian cuisine at hand.

FAQs

How Did We Pick the Best Milan Cafés?

No trip to the Italian design capital is ever complete without a piping-hot, drunk-at-the-counter cup of coffee (yes, you won't even need to order an espresso to receive one). To ensure you know where to find the best cafés in Milan, I have drawn on recommendations from local culture insiders between designers, artists, and creative PRs, among others, as well as pulling from my own experience of the city. The resulting selection of Milan coffee shops brings together addresses where native or 'adopted' Milanese like to meet daily to savor quality blends in an equally noteworthy setting. In this interiors-led edit of the best Milan cafés, I haven't just paid attention to the meticulously researched food and beverage offering of each spotlighted location, ensuring it accurately reflects the world-class status of the Italian culinary tradition, but I have also relied on my connections and personal knowledge to bring you the hottest, best cafés in Milan for design-conscious travelers. So, as we say in Italy, if it's mouthwatering coffee and pastries you are after, sei in una botte di ferro! Trust us, you are in good hands.

What Coffee Is Milan Famous For?

In Milan, expect your coffee to have a rounded, medium roast profile. Compared to other cities, and particularly the southern Italian coffee capital, Naples, the Milanese like their espresso to have more gentle, less bitter notes. This makes for a creamy, nuanced hot drink that fills you with energy without feeling overly strong.

What Coffee Do You Drink at Night in Italy?

Few things are taken more seriously in Italy than our coffee consumption. The idea is simple: enjoy a foamy cappuccino exclusively at breakfast (no capuccinos should ever land on your table after 11 AM, and any is strictly forbidden alongside a meal, or right after lunch or dinner) and go for a caffé liscio ("black espresso") or macchiato ("with milk") thereafter, including as a way to round off your evening feasts.

Keen to explore Italy's creative melting pot like one of the personalities that shape it from within? Nina Yashar's guide to Milan, part of our Hidden Trails series, sees the NILUFAR gallery founder and art dealer take us along her places of affection, from architectural gems with a Hollywood credit and under-the-radar Asian restaurants to her favorite cultural appointments recurring in the city. Hungry for more? Check out our interiors-led edit of recommended restaurants in Milan, where award-winning gastronomy and design innovation collide.