Milan never disappoints. It's not a key tourist town, but it certainly has some sights away from the Duomo which are well worth seeing, such as the Brera museum. But the absence of milling crowds is refreshing in itself and that means that any good eating places that you find are bound to be authentic. There are plenty of places where you can plonk down and enjoy a cappuccino, or a mineral water, or a beer, or a glass of wine as well as some patisseries or light food. I tend to utilise my intuition and nose for the places that I end up in, although I don't always get it right.


The cathedral (duomo) of Milan


Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele, an upmarket shopping center near the Duomo


Me sitting in front of La Scala opera house; not quite the orchestra pit, but not so bad either

I've been returning to Ciu's Bar for years now, hidden away in Via Gaspare Spontini, because it has the best aperitivo that I have found so far. You pay a flat price, these days €12, for a drink and unlimited food from the buffet and if you're somebody like me, who can eat like the way a camel stores water, you can max out! I took a giant beer for €14 (must have been a litre) and enjoyed the buffet with it, starting off with a Bruschetta. There are hot and cold options, including chicken, fish and meat dishes and, of course, plenty of pasta. True to the multicultural crew at Ciu's, there's couscous and rice dishes as well. I like to get there early, just after 18h, so I can eat before too many people have started poking and digging around the food because, as I have often written here, I am no fan of buffets in general. But I make an exception for Ciu's and it's worth doing. Funny how I was unable to find a place like this in Turin.


Tramlines in the street near La Scala


The underground railway system in Milan is pretty efficient


A bar near Corso Buenos Aires

Later on, we hit some of the street bars for a few cheap grappas, which didn't really help with the quality of sleep I got later on out at the Crowne Plaza Linate. I try to make sure I drink plenty of water as I'm going along. One point to keep in mind in bars like Ciu's, which have this sort of aperitivo, is that if you buy a second drink it's going to be billed as the same price as the first drink which includes the food. So you would end up paying twice for the aperitivo, which probably still works out at a very good deal if you eat as much as I do. After 22h the drinks go back to normal prices.


Interior of Ciu's Bar in Milan


Just a fraction of the food on offer at Ciu's Bar in Milan