Milan

The original of a now-global seafood name, still serving impeccably fresh fish in a buzzy Navigli room. Service is sharp and the raw bar is the move.

A menswear group built on doing single garments exceptionally well, gathered in one slick flagship. Come for perfect chinos, knitwear and shirting — and a drink at the bar.

The house at its most Milanese, in a jewel of a Galleria store dressed in marble and mahogany. Worth a look even if you're only window-shopping.

A Liberty-era jewel beneath the Galleria, pouring what may be the city's finest Campari spritz amid mosaics and white-jacketed waiters. An essential Milanese ritual.

A sumptuously restored former seminary turned hotel, with generous suites and a courtyard that draws the city's well-heeled. Good for a long lunch even if you're not checking in.

A jewel-box pasticceria of impeccable pedigree, perfect for a morning coffee and a pastry. The historic Santa Maria alla Porta room is the prettiest.

The original concept store that defined the genre, still mixing fashion, design, art and food under one roof. As much a cultural stop as a shopping one.

A 19th-century holdout where regulars keep their usual table and the kitchen sticks to Lombard classics. Order the breaded veal or ossobuco and settle in.

A gloriously old-school institution, birthplace of the negroni sbagliato and a design-week magnet. Order one and join the crowd spilling onto the pavement.

A beautifully appointed two-floor flagship in the Galleria, all Italian walnut and marble. The clothes are the draw but the interiors are half the pleasure.

A serene retreat inside a former convent at the heart of the fashion district, built around a peaceful cloistered courtyard. A polished base for a Monte Napoleone spree.

A lively cultural hub in Parco Sempione, home to the Museum of Italian Design and a busy run of exhibitions and talks. There's always something on.

A grand old dame near Milano Centrale, all marble, chandeliers and unhurried service. Choose a terrace room and let the city's bustle stay firmly outside.

A sprawling three-storey design gallery from one of the city's legendary dealers, mixing Italian mid-century with contemporary names. A must for collectors and the curious alike.

A 1930s Milanese institution, recently restored, that shuttles between Italian classics and American comfort from morning to night. Elegant and easygoing in equal measure.

Rem Koolhaas's transformation of an old distillery into an arts complex of galleries, a cinema and a Wes Anderson-designed café. The architecture is as much the draw as the shows.