In a hectic city like Milan, where coffee on the fly and aperitifs now seem like real business meetings, every now and then it’s good to disconnect and get together… But how do you find a place to leave the city without really leaving? Literary cafes are the perfect places to get lost among fantastic stories and classic novels, perhaps in the company of a great coffee or a refreshing aperitif. If you too are ready to say no more to the usual local coffee shops, here are the best literary cafes in Milan where to go to rediscover great stories, delicious coffee and the pleasure of reading.
Feltrinelli Café
The famous bookstore has a café, where surrounded by books of all genres, you can enjoy a fantastic breakfast or a well-deserved aperitif right in the heart of modern Milan. Amidst skyscrapers and glass towers, the Feltrinelli Café presents itself as a cultural haven, where you can browse through the latest titles and discuss your latest readings with a few friends.
Where: Piazza Gae Aulenti, 1, Milan
Long Song Books & Café
A bookstore with a vintage soul, which holds numerous secondhand books among its large shelves. From the most famous titles such as L’isola del Tesoro, to books on art, history, photography and many others, at Long Song Books & Café you can lose yourself in a thousand thousand thousand fantastic worlds and bygone eras. Between volumes then, you can accompany your experience with some appetizers, such as the typical cicchetti veneti or, for dessert lovers, gluten-free tarts, muffins and brownies.
Where: Via Antonio Stoppani 11, 20129 Milan, Italy
Colibrì
A small little place, in a somewhat hidden area a few steps from the Duomo, with a simple and somewhat retro decor that will make you feel at home right away. Colibrì is the ideal literary café where you can discover new titles and talk about your favorite books between sips of wine. An informal, intimate and friendly place where events related to both the world of reading and music and art are also often organized.
Where: via Laghetto 9/11 20122 Milan
Ècate
Much more than just a bookstore or a space to work “smart,” Ècate is a place that brings human, face-to-face interaction back to the center of its mission. The brainchild of Diego Leone and Alberto Manieri, this literary café combines the book, between whose pages a person can rediscover himself and his interests, and the pleasure of drinking coffee in company, telling each other about life and the old stories that have shaped it. Ècate is therefore the perfect place to immerse oneself in solitary reading, but also to enjoy the company over a simple, mouth-watering breakfast or a glass of Italian wine.
Where: Via Pietro Pomponazzi, 9E Milan 20141 (Naviglio Pavese)
Lapsus
An independent bookstore for everyone, young and old. At Lapsus, you will find a selection of small and large publishing houses, classic titles but above all books that have been read and that Lapsus feels like recommending to its guests, regardless of the current market. An ideal literary café for students and fans of unconventional reading, but also for young children. In fact, Lapsus has a special room, the “magic box,” where picture books, simple fiction and educational games for the little ones abound. Finally, like all the best cafes, this place serves fresh, quality food such as centrifuged juices and soups, prepared with seasonal ingredients.
Where: Via Giuseppe Meda 38, 20141 Milan, Italy
Bokok
For lovers of oriental cuisine but also of books, at this place in the Paolo Sarpi area you can find excellent dimsum and just as many good reads. A very particular decor, where the walls are shelves among which are thousands of titles and volumes, often oriented on oriental themes. Here, you can have lunch or dinner surrounded by the books and a great smell of stuffed and steamed dumplings, but also many other delicacies.
Where: Via Paolo Sarpi, 25, Milan MI
LibrOsteria
Uniting through books and cuisine, we can say that this kind of sums up the essence of LibrOsteria. A second-hand bookstore first of all, but also a place to grab a bite to eat and a social space, where to reinstitute human bonds through culture, words and even a glass of wine. In this space, you will find many books read and reread, waiting for someone to discover them for the first time, but also many events dedicated to music and poetry, as well as classic cocktails and quality wines.
Where: Via Cesare Cesariano 7, Milan 20154