In Milan, Breakfast Is the New Aperitivo

Around a decade ago, breakfast in Milan wasn't a big deal. Italians, who generally aren’t big breakfasters, kick off their day with a swiftly sipped cappuccino. They may even scarf down a brioche, the Italian counterpart to the croissant, alongside it to hold them over until lunch.

Though recent years have seen a gradual shift in Milan’s breakfast culture due to the arrival of several eateries whose set-up deviates from the typical Italian “bar.” Outfitted with seating areas, these intrepid bakery/restaurant/natural wine bar hybrids are more akin to cafes, consequently rendering the most important meal of the day as convivial, varied, and leisurely as the aperitivo, the classic pre-dinner drinking ritual.

Here, in no particular order, are six breakfast places in Milan where patrons can eat (or even just caffeinate) at their own pace, seated comfortably at a table – not on their feet, throwing back coffee shot-style at the bar without being jostled by impatient customers eager to place their orders and be on their way. These locales, which serve savory items in addition to sweet, attract just as substantial a crowd for breakfast as they do for lunch and aperitivo. Plus, they provide apt alternatives for travelers eager to skip the hotel breakfast buffet.

1. The Gamechanger: Pavé

In 2012, Diego Bamberghi, Giovanni Giberti, and Luca Scanni opened Pavé, the first of its kind: an intimate “living room” of sorts where people can gather, eat, sip, converse, read, and merrymake. The ambitious, bar-raising pastry program and easygoing atmosphere garnered a warm welcome from the Milanesi, who have remained faithful ever since. Popular items include La 160, a brioche stuffed with 100 grams of apricot marmellata (reduced from 160 grams of the fruit); La Rossa, a raspberry riff on the 160 that recently evolved into a cylindrical rose-shaped shaped brioche; La Treccia al Caffè, a braided pastry with coffee powder; and fluffy cream-stuffed bomboloni, the Italian counterpart to the donut. Those seeking a savory bite can opt for the prosciutto and cheese croissant sandwich. Pavé, which doesn’t take reservations, is consistently packed, especially on the weekends, but the inevitable wait is worth it. What’s in a name? Pavé is the word for the large stone-block pavement that constitutes most of Milan’s streets. website

2. Canal-Side Idyll: Tipografia Alimentare

Immediately upon its 2018 opening, Tipografia Alimentare became a destination in and of itself. The Milanesi have never batted an eye at the location, which sits beside the Naviglio Martesana canal, outside the confines of the “ring” that delineates the city center. Sitting al fresco along the canal conjures an idyllic state of mind while the interior’s thoughtfully curated, typography-inspired aesthetic imparts a snug backdrop during winter. At this “bistrot and food hub,” Carla De Girolamo and her daughter Martina Miccione oversee the dining room and natural wine selection while chefs Antonio Demuru and Lorenzo Perotti helm the kitchen alongside pastry chef Nathan Danby. Several items have a lievito madre (mother yeast) base, and the cinnamon and cardamom rolls are worth the trip alone. On the savory front, the panino al pastrami or sfoglia salata are two satiating choices. Don’t go without a reservation. website

3. The One-Stop-Shop: Crosta

This Porta Venezia bakery and pizzeria opened in 2018 and instantly became a mainstay. Helmed by baker Giovanni Mineo and pizzaiolo Simone Lombardi, Crosta serves pastries and bread all day with pizza on offer for lunch and dinner. Breakfast includes sweet brioche and excellent savory bread-based items like pane di segale (rye bread) and toast with butter, mustard, stracchino cheese, and spalla cotta, a salami from Parma. Weekend brunchers can sample Chilaquiles, a Mexican dish with tomato sauce, garlic, onions, peperoncino, fried egg, corn tortillas, sour cream, cilantro, and Quartirolo Lombardo cheese. Lombardi’s mother is Mexican and he also tapped into her heritage to realize one of his most iconic pizzas. Part bottega that's stocked with superb artisan products, Crosta is inviting and cozy any time of the day. website

4. Scandinavian Vibes: Loste Café 

Owners Lorenzo Cioli and Stefano Ferraro met while working at Noma in Copenhagen. They returned to Italy after their respective stints abroad and opened Loste Café in January 2021. While the interior has a Scandinavian aesthetic, the minimalism associated with the style ends there. The bakery/specialty coffee shop/natural wine bar is equipped with a wood-burning oven, and the team churns out stupendous, crave-worthy eats. The menu changes regularly but sweet pastries include a cinnamon roll, pain au chocolate, and Kev, a shortcrust pastry filled with plum and custard. Savory options include a croissant filled with ricotta and prosciutto and La Salata, a ridiculously delicious ‘nduja- and fontina-filled brioche (see cover photo). Breakfasters can also opt for granola with fruit and yogurt while lunch is all about pizza and focaccia. website

5. A Little Bit Georgian: Tone Bread and Wine Lab

In June 2021, Giovanni Marabese opened Tone Bread and Wine Lab in the Città Studi neighborhood. To realize the concept, he incorporated influences from beyond –  the east, in particular – installing a traditional Georgian clay oven for which the spot is named. Head baker Marco Bianchi prepares an array of bread and other baked goods into which he couples inspiration from afar with Italy’s finest. The food changes daily, but the Georgian Khachapuri stuffed with ricotta, Quartirolo Lombardo cheese, and Casolet di Val di Sole, a raw cow milk cheese from Trentino, emerges from the oven at 11:00 a.m. habitually. Byrek is filled with red Tropea onions from Calabria, and focaccia changes with the season, a recent late-summer version packing peaches and rosemary. Sweets include rúgbrauð, a sweet Icelandic rye bread; guavinhas, Brazilian guava and cornflour treats; brioche with frangipane (an almond dough); and figs and whole-rye brownies. website

6. From Rome With Love: Gelsomina

Gelsomina, which skirts the Republica and Stazione Centrale districts, first opened in 2018. Today it’s two locations strong. Offering breakfast with a southern flair, Gelsomina is most famous for its assorted Roman maritozzi, centuries-old pastries composed of a sweet brioche that's been sliced open and filled beyond the brim with whipped cream, and Sicilian-style breakfast featuring brioche with granita. The bread comes from Panifico Davide Longoni, one of the best bakeries in town, and cameos in several savory options, which include pizzette with assorted toppings like San Marzano tomatoes, avocado toast, a savory girella (spiral pastry) with prosciutto cotto and fontina, and scrambled eggs with toast. The airy, southern Italy-inspired ambiance, complete with wrought iron touches, verdant flora, and blue and white tiling, enhances the charm. The second location is in east Milan’s Risorgimento district. _{websitewebsitewebsitewebsite}website

Cover photo: The “La Salata” brioche with 'nduja and fontina at Loste Café, credit: Jaclyn DeGiorgio