Galleria Vik

Worth getting out of bed for

Considering the hotel's location, you’d be forgiven for wanting to drop your bags and head right out the door again. Given the breadth of the hotel’s art collection, it’s well well worth setting aside some time for the art tour, led by the resident expert. The treatment room provides relief from the trials of shopping, as does a window seat in restaurant Vikissimo, where you can sip wine high above the crowds passing over the tiled floors of the Galleria.

Art, fashion and design make up the Milanese triumvirate, and you’ll find endless opportunities to immerse yourself in all three… beginning right outside the hotel’s doors. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is home to vast Gucci, Prada and Versace flagships, and is right next to the Duomo di Milano, a dizzyingly ornate masterpiece that was 600 years in the making. Go early if you want to see inside, as the queues grow by the hour. Shopping needs little in the way of pointers, with boutiques of every description arranged throughout the city centre. The concentration is highest in the Quadrilatero della Moda, four intersecting streets that make up one of the world’s foremost fashion districts. For those with leanings towards contemporary and avant-garde design, there’s the Fondazione Prada, worth seeing as much for its beautiful buildings as the art displayed within. To the north of the centre, there’s the Galleria d’Arte Moderna, which has taken up residence in the grand Villa Belgiojoso Bonaparte. Another worthy contender is the Gallerie d’Italia, which warrants a visit for its decorative floors and ceilings alone. Outside, you’ll see a statue of Leonardo Da Vinci, credited with designing many of the improvements to the navigli (canals) that snake their way through the city centre. The Navigli Grande is a particularly buzzy place to be around aperitivo hour (any time between 6 and 8.30pm).

Local restaurants

Named for the 12 black cats that live on the rooftops of the Galleria, I Dodici Gatti serves wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas, grilled meats and hearty pasta dishes. The pizzas are made with the chef’s homemade mozzarella and toppings that range from classic to outlandish. Some of the profits go towards caring for the pizzeria's feline muses. Biancolatte takes the best parts of an Italian café, French bistro and American deli, combining them into one of the best brunch spots in the city. The freshly made pane and pasticcini are a hit, but the soups, pasta, sandwiches and other savoury fare entice just as many people through the door. On the Navigli Grande canal, red-brick restaurant Al Pont De Ferr is a good spot for a casual dinner. Chef Ivan Milani is passionate about his raw ingredients – market-fresh fish, pasture-fed beef, vegetables from slow-food farms and bread that’s made with organic flour. His dishes riff on Milanese classics but play around with tradition; try one of the creative set menus or cherry pick from the à la carte selection of house specials, such as the enigmatically named ‘Candied Version of Red Onion’, which is filled with fresh goat’s cheese and served on sesame bread. 

Local bars

Baxter captures Milan’s suave soul with interiors dressed in marble, terrazzo, leather and gleaming metal. Every lamp, sofa and table has been chosen with care, creating a retro aesthetic that with a mid-century lean. The mixologists are serious about their craft, shaking up cocktails old and new.