Cocktail Hour in Milan

Forget tiny serves of peanuts to snack on while sipping beers at pubs. In the Brera quarter in Milan customers are presented with entire buffet tables when purchasing a cocktail at certain bars within specific hours. Neat displays of cheese and salami platters, pasta in various shapes and sauces, as well as fresh potato salads and mini bread rolls are amongst the dishes supplied. Basically you buy a drink and, though pricey, you are technically being served dinner for free (or for the price of an expensive drink).

Teetotallers, don’t panic, you can find a large selection of expensive non-alcoholic cocktails as well.

These very happy hours start at around 5pm and last for about 2-3 hours, depending on the bar policy. Once you buy a drink you are given a disposable plate and plastic cutlery and you can head straight to the buffet table and pick your favourites. Therefore, it’s not exactly silver service but does it really matter when it is all complimentary with just one drink?

Of course the earlier you get there the more choices you have. However, towards the end of ‘dinner time’ sometimes the generous cooks pull out one more pasta dish for the latecomers so that nobody goes home disappointed.

Tables and chairs outside keep up with the outdoor European café culture and offer an ideal ambience for warm evenings in the city. It is definitely a great get-together spot for mates casually socialising after an arduous day at work or a great pit-stop after a stroll around the city or a mad shopping spree.

If you prefer a more stylish setting you might want to head straight to Osteria del Corso, where Italian VIPs hang out. This is a popular spot for the rich and famous and therefore, chic dress codes and fat wallets are indispensable.

~ Karen Cini
(2010)

Images: Wikipedia Commons and Karen Cini

Tags: Bar, Brera Quarter, Italian Food, Italy, Milan

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