Milan
WITH ETEREO DESIGN
Welcome to Milan, where elegance meets innovation and tradition intertwines with the avant-garde. As the beating heart of Italian fashion and design, Milan is a city that effortlessly blends classic beauty with cutting-edge creativity. Whether you're visiting for Milan Design Week or returning to explore more, this curated guide will introduce you to the most refined things to do in Milan—from immersive design destinations to serene gardens and unforgettable dining.
Prepare to discover Milan through an Etereo lens—where every moment feels like a fusion of luxury, art, and modernity. Let this guide lead you through the city’s most exquisite experiences, capturing the essence of Milan in all its refined splendour.
APRIL 2025
Words: designeers and STUDIO ETEREO
FAVOURITE design museum:
ADI Design Museum
The ADI Design Museum is more than just an exhibition space; it is a living archive of Italian design that narrates the history of innovation and aesthetic research through iconic objects. Its collection represents the perfect balance between form and function, art and engineering.
favourite art gallery:
Tommaso Calabro
Tucked away in a neoclassical building near Piazza San Sepolcro, Tommaso Calabro Gallery is a refined Milanese gem championing dialogue between 20th-century masters and contemporary artists. With a curatorial eye that balances sophistication and surprise, the gallery hosts thoughtfully staged exhibitions that often bridge art, design, and architecture.
Tommaso Calabro Gallery
A Place to Find Art, Furniture, Design Objects
Nilufar Gallery
One of the essential things to do in Milan for design aficionados is a visit to Nilufar Gallery, the city’s reference point for collectible design and incredibly unique pieces. Directed by Nina Yashar, the gallery has welcomed and nurtured artists and designers now of international fame. It consists of two venues: one in the city centre on Via della Spiga and one on Via Lancetti.
A lunch to indulge into:
Sant Ambroeus
Sant Ambroeus is a Milanese institution that encapsulates the city's elegance in a timeless, refined environment. Its aesthetics and location, recently fully renovated, reflect the elegant and refined Milan of the '40s, with marbles, mosaics, velvets, and glass and bronze lamps that welcome the customer.
A Fine Dining Restaurant:
Sogni
As the name "Sogni" (Dreams) suggests, this restaurant takes you to another world, almost as if you were in a dream. At Sogni, dinner is an experience: the chef interprets cuisine as an extension of the concept of beauty and perfection. The feeling inside the space is enveloping, almost dreamlike, where every element—from the arrangement of furniture to the colour and fabric palette—contributes to a holistic sensory experience.
design hotel:
STRAF
STRAF is a hotel situated in the centre of Milan. At Hotel STRAF, you will have the opportunity to stay in a small museum surrounded by incredible and unique works of art. The use of raw materials and industrial finishes creates a dynamic dialogue between space and guest, resulting in an experience that goes beyond mere accommodation.
An artisan everyone should know about:
Avallone Laboratorio
For Gennaro Avallone, art represents craftsmanship in its purest form. Every creation is born from a deep dialogue with materials, sculpted with artistic sensitivity to give life to pieces that transcend mere function. His artworks resemble tribal objects, textures, and tactile textures enriched with precious materials like bronze, silver, and gold.
Favorite Boutique or Concept Store for Design Inspiration:
Antonia
Antonia is a space that embodies the fusion of fashion and design, with a selection that expresses a sophisticated, visionary aesthetic. Every element, from the arrangement of curated collections, is meticulously chosen to tell a story of style and innovation. It is a place where attention to detail and the ability to anticipate trends create an almost theatrical atmosphere.
Favorite Outdoor Space or Garden for a Moment of Tranquility:
Brera Botanical Garden
A hidden gem in the heart of Milan, the Brera Botanical Garden is a refuge where time seems to slow down. Here, nature and architecture coexist in perfect balance, creating a space where beauty manifests in simplicity and purity of form. Walking among centuries-old trees and well-tended flower beds is an invitation to immerse oneself in an atmosphere that stimulates reflection and inner well-being, demonstrating how landscapes can become an extension of emotional and sensory dimensions.
A Cocktail or Wine Bar
Torre Roofbar - Fondazione Prada
For one of the most artistic and elevated things to do in Milan by night, Torre Roofbar at Fondazione Prada delivers both ambiance and architecture. The bar is located inside the famous Torre Bianca, part of the Fondazione Prada Museum, designed by the renowned architect Rem Koolhaas. Once an industrial space, it is now an artistic lung of the new Milan.
More Destinations
