There are many attractive places that can be visited more than once.  Milano is certainly among them.  It is such a fascinating city, and for us it has turned into the ideal Easter break spot.

It takes us only four hours to be there when the spring shows at its best, everything is blooming and the perfect weather cannot be beaten.

This time we were especially lucky, because we found “our home in Milan”:

The RossoSegnale, a most charming B&B, with only three rooms on top of its own an art gallery.  It is conveniently located on a quiet road but very close to the Loreto Metro station and Corso Buenos Aires.

Alberto and Raoul, the hosts, welcomed us in their house as if we were good old friends.  They suggested nice city walks and interesting places that we could visit, and, of course, gave me some new foodie addresses in the neighborhood.  Scrolling down you will find about the ones we really liked.

The entrance

There is an inspirational story for each room, this makes them unique.  We had room Rosaconiglio, which turned out perfect for us.  Where is the pink rabbit hiding?  Let me know if you can find it!

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The backyard

RossoSegnale’s sun-drenched, rooftop terrace feels like an oasis.  Just chill out and forget the rest; we did!

The in-house art gallery

The kitchen and cute breakfast room

We enjoyed starting the day with the delicious breakfast.  Ena, the attentive housekeeper, will take care of your coffee/tea orders and surprise you with eggs prepared in different ways.  Besides the standard, you will find fresh fruit, as well as homemade tarts, cakes, and jams prepared by Alberto’s mother.

We preferred to enjoy it outdoors in the backyard.

I had decided to peek into some new foodie places, but also to check out some of those I liked a lot last time.  All the ones I loved last time are detailed on my Sneak Peek ‘Curious in Milano’.  As you can imagine, the foodie agenda was packed, so we were glad to follow Alberto’s tips for city walks … These are two of them, both beautiful and worthwhile a visit:

Giardini Indro Montanelli

Villa Necchi Campiglio

Tips:

• If you are into design, try to visit Milano in April during the Milan’s Design Week.
• If you are not to shop in the Quadrilatero della Moda, you will find most of the popular brands in Corso Buenos Aires.
• RossoSegnale is 7 min (500 m) walk from M1-M2 Loreto

On this trip it has been proven that “following these foodie routes, you will always end up eating and, most probably, drinking well, while discovering sites you might not reach otherwise”–see my About the Blog.  Walking from RossoSegnale to our first lunch, we

found Il Casolino, an interesting, little Italian deli that sells organic and artisanal products and is styled like an old grocery store.  It is a family-run business, and the staff was really friendly.

You can also have lunch, a snack, or order food to take out.  We decided to stop for our first aperitif here:  The usual Aperol Spritz and a local craft beer, which my husband found really good. The drink nibbles also opened our appetite; we were ready to go for lunch.

We made it to the Bracelleria that is actually a butcher’s as well.  This place was a recommendation from our B&B friends.  It has a rustic atmosphere, and you can enjoy your lunch or dinner admiring the butcher’s cold counter, the bottles of wine, and the wonderful, wood-fired oven where your meal will be possibly cooked …  You can also check this post by Claudia Casanova.

We really liked our dishes; everything was cooked to perfection.

Tip:

• 5 min (400 m) walk from M1-M2 Loreto

Risoelatte was one I wanted to try again (check my Sneak Peek ‘Curious in Milano’).  Can you find nonna’s underwear?  Let me know!

They serve traditional, home-style, Italian dishes in an atmosphere set in the Sixties.  They are in central Milano, a few steps from M-1 Cordusio and via Dante.

The food was again delicious and the staff friendly and efficient although the place was fully booked.

I had the veal chop Milanese, which was again amazing.  My veal chop is something I do not like to share …

When the waitress came to ask if we would have dessert, we said that we would but, unfortunately, we were already too full and only ordered coffee.  She came with the coffee (served in the traditional moka pot) and a small slice of cake with ice cream … A sweet treat on the house, she said.  Then when paying the bill, we were offered a liqueur on the house before leaving.  We loved the familiar approach; it was great to be back.

Actually I would still like to try their risoelatte (rice pudding) … I will order it as a starter next time!

Tips:

• Book online; the place is busy. If you are not more than two, ask for one of the two cozy tables next to a window.
• 3 min (250 m) walk from M1 Cordusio

To round off the trip we had lunch at Mao Hunan, just 150 m from RossoSegnale.  We knew this place from our previous trip–see my Sneak Peek ‘Curious in Milano’) for more details.  Although they offered Hunanese specialties (not Cantonese, which is what I am used to from home), it impressed me with their freshness and tasty flavors.

Again, each dish was simple but delicious.  Milanese can be lucky to count with an authentic, Chinese restaurant like this.

Tips:

• Be aware that Hunanese food can be hotter than Sichuan. Ask the staff for advice as they also have non- or less spicy dishes.
• Book online; the place is busy.
• 5 min (350 m) walk from M1-M2 Loreto