by Alessandra Busacca @alessandra_busacca

The authentic ‘places to be’ in Milan, those ones that save your day with a dose of sugar in the morning and sparkling bubbles in the evening, are the pasticcerie.

Yes, the finest and most traditional pastry shops, with their well-garnished counters, perfect showcases, and friendly staff who knows your habits…

Croissant and cappuccino with a sprinkle of cocoa? Or a savory mini brioche and a glass of champagne? Why would you even try to choose when you can have both at the same place?

Milan is the city that invented the aperitif so the aperitif can be found also at the Pasticceria! Not only it is declared by the Gourmode Gazette, but by the places themselves, with a traditional but still à la mode soul, the ones we have chosen for.

Charm, elegance, pinkies raised on cream puffs or sesame seed breadsticks, salted almonds, olive martinis, and tomato Bloody Marys.

Continue reading… for more mouth-watering descriptions.

A handcrafted jewel characterized by emerald green armchairs, acquired by the Prada family in the 2000s and set in the marble of the most en-vogue addresses in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele and Via Monte Napoleone. This milestone of Milanese pastry shops changes its look radically when we find ourselves in the original Corso Magenta location. Here, at Via Santa Maria alla Porta 11/a, in fact, in an elegant 18th-century building, the Marchesi family first opened its pastry shop in 1824. The Belle Époque charm has been preserved along with the original furnishings, coffered ceilings, antique mirrors, and art deco-style lamps.

It is here where the owner; Angelo Marchesi, started to serve coffee, drinks, and cocktails at the aperitif time, a risky decision at the time, which today has become a delightful tradition.

Right from the first glance at the imaginative showcases filled with delicacies, Marchesi is welcoming us into a dream world that is impossible not to enter.

Marchesi 1824 – Via Santa Maria alla Porta 11/a; Via Montenapoleone 9; Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

Declared a Historical Italian Place, this élite location placed in Corso Genova 1, on the gentle curve of a tree-lined boulevard, has been a cultural destination and personification of the city’s zeitgeist since 1936, when it still was a café-concert venue playing late-night music from the United States. Cucchi preserves its vintage touch that is still noticeable today, in its being synonymous with quality and joie de vivre, in its cheerful atmosphere and Parisian spirit. There is the rare opportunity to choose to sit outside on the veranda indeed, a spot where you can find yourself elbow to elbow with the classic Milanese sciura in fur.

Pasticceria Cucchi – Corso Genova 1

A classic, marked by candy-pink tablecloths. It is a tradition for Milanese grandmothers and grandfathers to bring their grandchildren here at least once in their lifetime. For example, my grandmother Atlanta used to take me there for breakfast or aperitif, where she would always order two coffees while winking at the waiter. Years passed before I understood that the coffee I was served was decaffeinated because I was only seven years old. All the staff pretended it was normal and treated me like a “grown-up girl”. This, together with the salty briochine stuffed with thin-cut salami, is Gattullo for me: an indelible memory of sympathy, love, and care.

Pasticceria Gatullo – Piazzale di porta Lodovica 2

Two steps away from Via Montenapoleone and San Babila, Sant Ambroeus evokes in the traditional dialect the saint patron of the city of Milan. A name, a reason. Born in 1936 from the partnership between two pastry chefs, the pastry shop quickly became a meeting center for greedy intellectuals. Today it reopens with a sophisticated and attractive design, which is the result of the combination between Milanese roots and experience overseas. Its heated veranda, with its soft red lights, provides a delightful atmosphere, as its refines bakery products or aperitifs made of signature and shrimp cocktails. 

Sant Ambroeus – Corso Giacomo Matteotti 7

Mentioned by several literary figures as well as Ernest Hemingway in “Farewell to Arms”, Cova has been an institution since 1817. Its patriotic past against Austrian domination is said to be evidenced by a cannonball from the Five Days of Milan set in a mirror. But it seems that no one has ever seen it…

Famous, on the other hand, was its ballroom, and even today it is still a luxurious place, frequented by an international audience. Among its luxury and abundance what distinguishes the place better is the traditional English five o’clock tea served with the specific silverware and refined sweets and savory snacks.

Pasticceria Cova – Via Montenapoleone 8

The empire of Via Pasquale Sottocorno: Giacomo has multiple identities because in the same street, it becomes a small pastry shop with a frescoed ceiling and vintage chandelier, and it is also a rotisserie with wrought-iron tables and checked tablecloths, a bistrot and cocktail bar furnished as if it was a library or a fumoir, and a wonderful restaurant with teal walls. Fil rouge of all its locations is the legendary Bomba Giacomo, a perfect combination between puff pastry, wild strawberries, and a filling of cream and mascarpone.

Giacomo Pasticceria – Via Pasquale Sottocorno 5

Law is equal to all. The historic bar of the Milan Court of Law, frequented by the city’s most renowned lawyers and judges, is at ease surrounded by marbles, refined boiserie, and glittering crystals. This Art Nouveau establishment is a city heritage, famous to please us since the first hours of the day with its specialty: rice pudding.

Taveggia – Via Umberto Visconti di Modrone 2

Here can be found, the most cream-filled brioches ever made in Milano. If you don’t believe it, you can be easily convinced by the long queue waiting in the morning in front of the small entrance with its sign written in italic. Also here, as at Gattullo, the pink color prevails, matching the aprons of the staff, but its greatest attraction is the backyard, hidden from the public view, in the spirit of the Milanese tradition.

Pasticceria Sissi – Piazza Risorgimento 6

“You have to love what you do” is the motto of Pasticceria Clivati, which opened its doors in 1969. Passion, fresh ingredients, and attention have given rise to the symbol of its success even in the most difficult times: the Pan de Mej and a Milanese offer titled “Milan l’è un gran Milan” based on the production of typical sweets of the city: panettone, sbrisolona, l’amor polenta, and the milk cake.

Pasticceria Clivati – Viale Coni Zugna 57

Corso Italia or San Babila? The cappuccino by Bastianello is pure gold. Its foam is perfectly soft and creamy. The side of pralines and biscuits is tender and tasty. But did you ever try their gelato masterfully served in towering flames of refreshing cream? Pistachio, wild strawberry, or marron glacé…difficult to resist. 

Bastianello – Via Borgogna 5; Corso Italia 28; Via Michelangelo Buonarroti 48

In the name of chocolate, the Gourmode Gazette staff assures you that no bignes have been abused during the production of the article. 

© photo rights reserved to Gourmode | Art Direction: Clara Nanut | Photography: Bianca Venturelli | Collage Cover: Giada Bordoni

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Gourmode x Gattullo’s Archive | Art Direction: Clara Nanut | Photography: Linda Provini

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