CREATIVE CITIES: MILAN

Milan may not be as obviously pretty as Rome, Florence or Venice, but it is a bustling commercial city with stylish inhabitants and great food. Maria Stella Gallo, who works for new local title Touchpoint, shares her favourite spots.

The most creative museum or gallery

For me it has to be Mudec (Via Tortona, 56), the museum of contemporary art, for its wide range of artists and themes.

The café where you go to read, write or be inspired

The Mint Garden Café (Via Felice Casati, 12) food and flowers in the middle of Milan, for its cosy, informal atmosphere. I also adore the literary café Il Colibrì, (Via Laghetto, 9,) attached to the State University of Milan. A magical place, where you can relax, take a break, choose the right book. It also sparkles with presentations, exhibitions and concerts.

A restaurant with a difference

Impossible to choose only one!

Ratanà in a beautiful historic building from the early 1900s in Via De Castillia (number 28). From here you can admire both the ‘old’ and futuristic sides of Milan. The cuisine is inspired by Milanese tradition, but the chef always manages to amaze you with new dishes that combine careful preparation with great quality. It amuses me when Cesare (the chef) talks about the characteristics of the ingredients and shares anecdotes related to the small producers he meets when he seeks raw materials.

Solo Crudo (Via Vincenzo Viviani, 2). Raw food and gentle cooking. A unique, harmonious and very original experience for the palate, even for people like me who are not vegan.

Finally, there is Il Pescetto (Via Alessandro Volta, 9), an informal low-cost place for fish lovers, in the heart of Milan’s nightlife area. For an evening with friends and in good company.

The most creative neighbourhood

Porta Venezia, a multi-ethnic quarter a stone’s throw from the Duomo, full of creative labs and ateliers.

The store you can’t pass without going in

Dmail is a shop in Corso Buenos Aires (number 9) that always brings me joy. Full of useful ideas, sometimes ingenious and hard to find. Wandering around and browsing through so many original objects makes me feel good.

Then there is Anaconda (Via Bergamini, 7), a goldsmith close to the University in central Milan, for the beauty of its jewels and its selection of rare semi-precious stones.