with free food. With little canape’s. ' meats, cheeses and salads and even ; bowls of risotto and pasta in some, 2
it’s a sophisticated start to an evening. The absolute aperitivo venue this summer will be the Bvlgari Hotel in the centre of town.
Stay here if you have a spare 2200 . Euro for a suite for a night, or just do :
what everyone else does — dress up and throw away 20 Euro on a
drink, then breathe in the money and 5
class. Milan is full of places like this, and you must visit at least one. The Italians aren’t huge drinkers, but there are some pubs around, none better than Birrificio Lambrate, named after the major railway station it sits beside. This is a microbrewery with beer that will blow you away. The new Absolut lce Bar, on the other hand, will freeze you out, although you are only allowed half hour slots in the frozen
caves and have to wear a silly 3
thermal cape to enjoy the privilege. Not far from the Ice Bar is currently the coolest area in Milan to spend your evening. Zona Sempione is not accessible by the Metro, but jump on a number one tram heading that way and join in
the local fun. For aperitivo, try bars '
Roialto and (‘hatulle both on Via l’iero della lirancesca. Then when
you've had a drink and something
1 14 THE LIST 0 '23 Jun 7005)
to eat, there’s a great club here too, ll Gattopardo, which packs the bright young Milanese things into its old church interior. If you‘re more of a lounge lizard, head to Bar Milano for aperitivo and its kitsch 7()s vintage decor.
To round off a true Milan weekend, head there in footie season and bag yourself a ticket for a game involving either AC Milan or lnter at the fabulous San Siro stadium. These can be found on the teams’ websites but make sure you buy them well in advance as they sell out extremely quickly. It‘s not like our footie here — it’s more like theatre. And yes, flares do rain down on the pitch, but if it is Italian passion you are looking for, you’ll definitely find it here. Back on the streets and in the bars and clubs of the city, cool comes first. Best thing to do is slip on your shades, order a strong espresso and slot right in.
For more information see www.milanoinfotourist.com.
FACT FILE
Accommodation The hippest hotel in town is Straf Design Hotel (Via San Raffaele 9. www.straf.it), the ultimate in urban cool, with stark interiors, a fabulous bar and a great aperitivo hour. Rooms average around $200 per night.
From the impressive San Siro stadium to the fish market, the gritty, proud northern Italian spirit is the essence of Milan
If this is out of your budget range, try the centrally located Casa Mia (Viale V Veneto) near the station. Doubles start at about £47 per night.
Nightlife Get dressed up in a space age cloak. drink a vodka cocktail from a glass made of ice and freeze your ass off for half an hour at the Absolut Ice Bar (Piazza Gerusalemme 12, www.townhouse.it/icebar). A novelty. but fun.
Food Ristorante Joia (Via P Castaldi. 18 www.joia.it) is a new, mainly vegetarian restaurant (although it does serve fish) which offers contemporary Italian cooking. For fine Italian-British fusion food check out Alistair’s Vini E Cucini (Via Tadino. Angolo Castaldi www.alistair.it). while Pizzeria di Gennaro is a great traditional Italian that caters for tourists and is open all day (Via Santa Radegonda 14). Attractions Marvel at Leonardo's inventions at the National Museum of Science and Technology (Via S Vittore 21 www.museoscienzaorg). Transport A paltry 3will give you a 24 hour ticket that you can use on the Metro, the trams and the buses. Travel Ryanair flies from Prestwick to Milan Bergamo with flights starting at £13 for a one-way including tax (www.ryanair.com). For details of this. and all other direct flights from Scotland, check out the free Summer Flights Guide with this issue.
The cost of getting the beers in can vary widely, depending where you are.
REYKJAVIK
Not as extortionate as you’d think if you stick to local brews. Served in 250ml or 500ml glasses. Icelandic lagers Viking and Thule are strong (well over 5%) and come in at around 400 IKR ($33) for the bigger size, with Danish lager Tuborg available for a little more and other imports clocking in at an admittedly hefty 700 IKR (£6) upwards.
AMSTERDAM
The large influx of British tourists means pints are available in most places, although beer is traditionally served in smaller 250ml glasses. Prices aren’t too steep at 1.60— 2 (SN-£1.40). but they pour ’em straight, giving a big head. then wipe the excess with a daft spatula. Heineken is omnipresent, with the slightly tastier Amstel next.
PARIS Prices vary enormously but are generally high. A ‘petite' lager will usually be 330ml and can be as much as 4— 5 (23—24). with the ‘grande’ half litre having a proportional price hike. Export 33 is the most common lager. with various different Kronenbourgs taking up the slack. Track down a Pelforth Brune which, although
6 (24), is w0rth every cent.
BARCELONA
A glass of fizzy lager on La Ramblas can cost you four times as much as the same drink five minutes away. but even at its worst. drinking isn't prohibitively expensive here. Typically, a 250ml glass of Estrella Damm can be anything from 1.50— 4 (in-£2.70). with similar prices for Cruzcampo.
PRAGUE
Famous for cheap quality lager and pilsner, the Czech capital doesn't have the low prices it once did, but it's still amazingly easy on the wallet. Beer is served almost exclusively in 500ml glasses, and while 20 years ago they reputegly cost a few pennies. nowadays you'll pay 20—70CZK (rougth lisp—£1.55). Staropramen is king of the local brews, with Budvar and Pilsner Urquell close behind.
(Doug Johnstone)