If you’ve been to Milan for any of its renowned annual art, design and culture events in recent years, chances are you enjoyed an aperitivo and some small Mediterranean-inspired bites, or a lingering late night at Bar Nico with the city’s in-crowd.
The red light emanating from behind the “Pastificio” sign above the door of this drinking den on Via Cesare Saldini has become a siren call in the northern Italian city ever since Chiara Pino and Riccardo Ganelli opened in 2023. The no-reservations natural wine bar is located in the city’s emerging district of Acquabella, and is one of a number of new openings catering to the city’s younger generation.
The red light emanating from behind the “Pastificio” sign above the door of this drinking den on Via Cesare Saldini has become a siren call in the northern Italian city ever since Chiara Pino and Riccardo Ganelli opened in 2023. The no-reservations natural wine bar is located in the city’s emerging district of Acquabella, and is one of a number of new openings catering to the city’s younger generation.
Riccardo Ganelli and Chiara Pino, left, and Bar Nico’s red-lit exterior | Credit: Alessandro Saletta, DSL Studio
The couple, who are also business partners, previously worked in fashion. “We decided to take a turn into our career and do what we always dreamed of,” former model Pino tells SUITCASE. Ganelli worked at Sunnei before leaving to work on Nico. “We opened our own bar – a small bar that could be just as we imagined.”
The dynamic duo were inspired by the energetic wine bar scenes of other European cities.“In the past years we travelled a lot for work. We would often go to Paris and we would always go from one bar to another – it was our obsession. We have a deep love for France and French wines,” Pino says. “We felt that we could not find the same back home; everyone else was feeling the same way – a sort of lack in the Milanese scene for something more modern, more casual. Milan is a big city with lots of things going on, but until one or two years ago, you could only find very old-style wineries, mostly serving traditional wines.”
The couple, who are also business partners, previously worked in fashion. “We decided to take a turn into our career and do what we always dreamed of,” former model Pino tells SUITCASE. Ganelli worked at Sunnei before leaving to work on Nico. “We opened our own bar – a small bar that could be just as we imagined.”
The dynamic duo were inspired by the energetic wine bar scenes of other European cities.“In the past years we travelled a lot for work. We would often go to Paris and we would always go from one bar to another – it was our obsession. We have a deep love for France and French wines,” Pino says. “We felt that we could not find the same back home; everyone else was feeling the same way – a sort of lack in the Milanese scene for something more modern, more casual. Milan is a big city with lots of things going on, but until one or two years ago, you could only find very old-style wineries, mostly serving traditional wines.”
Design details at Bar Nico, left, and the former fashion duo behind the Acquabella bar | Credit: Alessandro Saletta, DSL Studio
They brought in architect Marco Mannacio, co-founder of Sagoma Studio, to design their dream. Formerly a tyre shop, and before that a pasta shop (hence the original sign), the bar carries the ghosts of Milan’s industrial and culinary history.
Bar Nico – named after the pair’s elegant Afghan hound – was born: a small, conventional space which, in their minds, would end up seeing them hosting a few friends for a glass of wine or two. “We would never have expected anything that happened later,” Pino says. “I think people like our bar for this reason, because the vibe is very chill. If you come and visit Bar Nico, you find a place made for people to meet and drink some nice wines – it’s as simple as that.”
Here, Pino and Ganelli share seven more recommendations for the best bars in Milan (after Bar Nico) – from historic wine spots and art-filled cocktail lounges to the late-night digs frequented by shift-worn bartenders.
Via Paolo Sarpi 30, 20154; cantineisola.com
They brought in architect Marco Mannacio, co-founder of Sagoma Studio, to design their dream. Formerly a tyre shop, and before that a pasta shop (hence the original sign), the bar carries the ghosts of Milan’s industrial and culinary history.
Bar Nico – named after the pair’s elegant Afghan hound – was born: a small, conventional space which, in their minds, would end up seeing them hosting a few friends for a glass of wine or two. “We would never have expected anything that happened later,” Pino says. “I think people like our bar for this reason, because the vibe is very chill. If you come and visit Bar Nico, you find a place made for people to meet and drink some nice wines – it’s as simple as that.”
Here, Pino and Ganelli share seven more recommendations for the best bars in Milan (after Bar Nico) – from historic wine spots and art-filled cocktail lounges to the late-night digs frequented by shift-worn bartenders.
1. Cantine Isola
Best for wine
Located in the middle of Milan’s Chinatown, amid beautiful surroundings on Via Paolo Sarpi, this small wine shop is a “historic Milanese place with very good wines,” Pino says. Open since 1896, the family-run spot welcomes guests throughout the day, but Pino and Ganelli like to visit in the afternoon for an early aperitivo. “When I go there, even if I ask for something very specific, and even just by the glass, they always have something interesting to propose to me,” Pino says.Via Paolo Sarpi 30, 20154; cantineisola.com
2. Bene Bene
Best for music
You heard it here first – listening bars are back in vogue and the gothic, art-strewn Bene Bene is Milan’s take on the trend, serving sour spritzes and curated beats from Monday through Saturday. This Hi-Fi bar is best visited when seeking a post-prandial cocktail, according to Pino and Ganelli, who aren’t able to decide which cocktail on the menu is best: “Every cocktail they do is great!” Can’t make it to the bar? Hit up the establishment’s Spotify for selected shuffles of its team’s favourite tunes.Via Morgagni 31, 20129; bene-bene.it
3. Camparino in Galleria
Best for aperitivo
En route to the Duomo? About to hit an opening night at La Scala? Or just seeking a tipple before taking in an exhibition at Palazzo Reale? You’ll want to make a pit stop at Camparino in Galleria, a “Milanese legend”, in the words of the Bar Nico duo. First opened in the 1920s, this beautiful bar boasts art nouveau interiors and pours aperitivo-style cocktails, backing up its claim of being the historic “home” of Milan’s evening drinking ritual with a Campari-soaked drinks list. “When I go there, I love to drink an American,” Pino says.P.za del Duomo 21, 20121; camparino.com
4. Dirty
Best for late nights
Night owls will appreciate Dirty’s dirty opening hours: red-lit, a little rough around the edges and open until dawn, it’s the “perfect spot for a very-late-night cocktail,” according to Pino. “I feel like this place is only known by people that work in hospitality,” she says, “because it is the one that closes last.” When in for the long haul, she’s on the mezcal margaritas.Viale Regina Giovanna 14, 20129; instagram.com/dirty_milano
5. Torre
Best for cocktails
Torre is the restaurant and cocktail bar housed within contemporary art gallery Fondazione Prada. “This is an unmissable spot if you visit Milano,” Pino says. “The space was designed by Rem Koolhaas, and if you have a drink at the counter, you are surrounded by beautiful art pieces, like a column and a fireplace by Fontana.” Her order? An old fashioned, but she recommends the wine list, too.Via Giovanni Lorenzini 14, 20139; torreristorante.com
