Milan Nightlife

Milan Nightlife

There are a wide selection of nightlife venues and after dark activities to suit all tastes in Milan. Whether you are looking for a live music event, concert or a suitable venue to enjoy a quiet drink with friends, you'll find somewhere suitable in Milan.

A wide selection of evening entertainment

Rolling Stone
bar ; live music
Corso XXII Marzo 32
Tel: 02733 172

Belle and Sebastian, Artic Monkeys, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and local bands you never heard of (but should) play Milan's leading rock venue. Patrons have been known to shower bands with adoration and contempt by spraying them with beer from the bar above the stage, but nowadays management keeps a look out for amp-destroying rabble-rousers (you know who you are).

Hours: Thu-Sat 10:00pm-3:00am

Boccascena Café
bar
Corso Magenta 24
Tel: 02805 5882

An 18th century palazzo, with a charming courtyard and clocktower. Actors and artists mill around tables, anticipating or reviewing the evening's entertainment at Teatro Litta. In the Teatro's grand foyer, drinks are presented with a flourish and dramatically lit by mod chrome chandeliers. Unscripted dialogue and much levity ensues; the end is up to you.

Hollywood -- Mila La Land
club/disco ; expensive/luxury
Corso Como 15
Tel: 02659 8996

Bust out the glitter and limber up, because your gender is in for some bending among the glitterati, especially on 'Pervert' Wednesdays. Yes, this is the very club frequented by soccer players and supermodels, and if you stick around you might witness Milan's next scandal in the making - or be a party to it. Play it cool but beware drink prices.

Hours: Tue-Sun 10:30pm-4:00am

Kineo
bar ; club/disco
Via Piero della Francesca 54
Tel: 02342 627

Cross a fashion week runway with a 1930s Cimitero Monumentale mausoleum, and you've got the perfect setting for high-drama drinks and devil-may-care disco. Lights dance around the room clad in floor-to-ceiling shiny black marble, though ultrasoft black leather banquettes make mobilising to the downstairs disco on weekends most challenging.

La Banque -- Withdraw in Style
club/disco
Via B Porrone 6
Tel: 028699 6565

Ties and tongues get progressively looser as happy hour devolves into dinner - and once dancing kicks in, you never know where they'll end up. A good place to go if you don't want to stray from central Milan, La Banque really was a bank before the clerks moved out and the clubbers moved in. Some of the bank's grand furnishings have been retained.

Hours: Tue-Thu 6:00pm-2:00am, Fri-Sat 6:00pm-4:00am, Sun 7:00pm-12:00am

Le Trottoir -- Band Stand
live music ; quirky
Piazza XXIV Maggio 20159
Tel: 02837 81 66

Party at your house - at least that's how it looks inside this former toll house, with art on the stairway, funky frescos and the inevitable cluster of artists attempting to discuss video art over the joyous din of a swinging ska band. That's right: that dinky raised platform is a stage, showcasing local alternative bands that get the whole place gyrating.

Hours: 11:00am-3:00am

Magazzini Generali
club/disco ; live music
Via Pietrasanta 14 20159
Tel: 02552 11313

When an entire former warehouse full of people is working up a sweat to indie international acts, cutting-edge DJs and the best local bands, there's no cooler place to be in Milan. Can't argue with the price either. Wednesdays are Night of Contemporary Beat, and the legendary Jet Lag Fridays are free with a drink.

Hours: Wed-Sun 10:00pm-4:00am

Nuova Idea
club/disco ; gay/lesbian
Via Gaetano De Castillia 30 21045
Tel: 026900 7859

Milan's premier gay club since 1975: one room features ballroom dancing with an orchestra and tiaras galore; the next has cages with greased-up gogo dancers plying their trade in nosebleed-inducing heels. At the centre of it all, Milan's most celebrated transvestites are constantly putting Fashion Week runways to shame.

Hours: Thu-Sun 10:30pm-3:00am

Website: www.lanuovaidea.com

Old Fashion Café -- Oldie but a Goodie
club/disco
Viale Alemagna 6
Tel: 02805 6231

Head straight for the disco on the enclosed back patio next to the Triennale, and you'll find this party stalwart where the fashion-conscious mingle (where don't they mingle in this town?). Provided the bouncers are suitably impressed, you can dance 'til the sun starts to rise over Parco Sempione.

Hours: Mon-Sat 11:00pm-4:00am

Website: www.oldfashion.it

Plastic
bar
Viale Umbria 120
Tel: 02733 996

How does Plastic keep throngs at the door six days a week, in a town as fickle about hot spots as shoes? Simple: strong drinks, fresh DJ lineups each season, dim lighting and low seating to encourage wandering hands. Saturdays are Bordello Night and Sundays are pan-sexual free-for-alls that make Studio 54 seem amateurish. Ruthless door selection after 9pm.

Hours: Tue-Sun 10:00pm-4:00am