Kids-free Getaway in Milano, Part 2

IMG_4326
Ciao tutti! I cannot even remember English that well if you’ll excuse me, because I’ve just spent some incredible 36 hours in Milano with my husband, without our baby boy, and as you know, once you go Italiano, you never go back. Time for another round of a ‘Kids-free Getaway’, this time in Italy, and this time with my husband and I. For his birthday last week, my husband surprised me in the best way possible, by planning an overnight, ad-hoc trip to Milan for some really well deserved ‘couple time’.

Not that we were missing it – in fact, I think we’re among the rare couples that really do spent a lot of time together without the kiddo. We do weeknights cooking almost every single evening, we do Netflix, cinema and date night every single week, we leave the baby over at my parents’ every 2 Saturdays so we can go out for a drink (or more) and we love to enjoy the time we have in 2.
So we can’t complain about having ‘us-time’, but a trip abroad is always better than at a hotel in town. Ups did I just mention we sometimes spend the night “away from home”? Damn. Anyways, I was really surprised to find out 5 h before that we were flying to Milan at 6 am, but the best part was that hubby did all things right and even had a full Vogue article printed out on the best secret places to discover once in Milan.

So…here they are. P.S This is not a list of what I would personally recommend, but more of a list of what two ‘single’ parents got to see in less than 48h, while thinking about, missing and watching pictures with their child. As cheesy as it sounds, it is great to feel this way, and if there is one advice I would give out to any mamma out there is take time away from home and the kids, and enjoy your sexy husband, wherever, for as long as you can – even if it’s 1 day or a week. This is more important than you imagine for the both of you, and the baby as well. A mamma with recharged batteries is unstoppable.

Here we are.. Our first pick: un posto a Milano

Realmomster Getaway without kids in Milano

Located in the heart of the city, but not in the centre of it, un posto a Milano was quite a surprise: a quiet and spacious location echoing the rural farmsteads around Milan, known also as Cuccagna, is part farmhouse part multifunctional centre dedicated to food, culture and social activities. un posto a Milano seamlessly combines a restaurant with an urban quiet spot open from 10am till 1am, creating the perfect setting for mingling with Milan residents, enjoying a good book or tasting a good breakfast while reading the news. It also has a customised menu and additional games, furniture and books that allow children to live this experience from their own point of view.

We got there before opening hours, at around 9:15 and it was worth the wait, because we had an amazing croissant and cappuccino to start our day with and got to commence our Italian affair with a full experience of that specific brioche smell, Italian people standing in line for espresso and the dedication for food that you can’t find anywhere else.

Realmomster Kids-free getaway in Milano

Realmomster Kids-free getaway in Milano

Realmomster Kids-free getaway in Milano

Realmomster Kids-free getaway in Milano

You can find it here: Via Cuccagna, 2, 20135, Milano 

Opening hours: from Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am – 1 am
on Sunday, 10 am – Midnight
Closed on Mondays

So after a nice cappuccino and some Italian energy, we headed towards the city centre for some sightseeing and then to the hotel to get a shower and a good rest, after 3 hours of sleep. Already missing our Bub, but with no FaceTime or phone to be charged of, haha. Our plans for the day were running smoooothly, like they only during a couple’s holiday can. No rush, no timetables and no reservations. Just the way we like it. Our destination for the night was a restaurant where we heard we could have some good home-made food, and that was also pretty far away from the centre – which is exactly what we were searching for, to be away from the touristic scene.

So this is how we arrived, in our beautiful baby a.k.a. our Fiat500, to this garage slash terrace slash hidden garden. The place we were searching was closed when we got there – we somehow always forgot to keep in mind the Italian siesta times!! We were starving and I was so pissed on the dolcefarniente-sc attitude of theirs, but if the restaurant wasn’t closed and it it wasn’t for the pouring rain we had to hide from, we wouldn’t have ended up having a really nice drink in a really nice place:

OFFICINA – a cocktail bar situated at the entrance of the garden (leading to those other restaurants), where you can enjoy pretty cocktails, watch restored motorcycles in their habitat, lay on leather sofas and get a delicious appetitivo from the house.

Realmomster kids free getaway in Milano

Realmomster kids free getaway in Milano

Realmomster kids free getaway in Milano

Realmomster kids free getaway in Milano

Realmomster kids free getaway in Milano

You can find Officina here: via Giovenale, 7, Milan, Italy and be careful to go within opening hours for God’s sake!

One yummy apperitive, a crisp air and a FaceTime with our Bub later, we moved on to the restaurant. But instead of sticking to the one we knew of, we got into an adventure and discovered a hidden place behind the garden and the garage in the front; areal Italian gem: Al Cortile.

Realmomster kids free getaway in Milano

In May 2015 Food Genius Academy introduced a Bio-temporary restaurant, Al Cortile. It was opened along the EXPO2015 and soon became a great success, hosting dinners, various events and tastings. The best students who graduated from Food Genius Academy (located just next to Al Cortile) management and cooking courses, were invited to participate in the Al Cortile project – and they get to cook for the customers themselves!  Placed in a picturesque area which hosts showrooms, offices of young architects, designers and artists, the restaurant is an unexpected destination. The combination of art, cuisine and fashion creates a magical environment, that I did not want to leave from.

From the moment we entered the garden till the moment we left, a lot has happened. From our joy to be seated outside of opening hours, again, and without reservation (considering that all tables were booked starting 8pm), to the pleasures of tasting the best pasta of my life, to surprising my husband with a candle on top of his unique tiramisu and to the happiness that comes with tasting three different deserts, the night was just… perfecto.

Realmomster kids free getaway in Milano

Realmomster kids free getaway in Milano

Realmomster kids free getaway in Milano

Realmomster kids free getaway in Milano

You can (and should!) find Al Cortile here: Via Giovenale, 7 – 20136 – Milano – IT
T +39.02.8909.3079 – info@alcortile.com

Opening hours (molto importante!): Tuesday-Saturday starting 19:00 

So much sulla mia cena italiana, and since the dinner was more than enough to satisfy all our senses, we headed straight to our uber-cozy, huge hotel room bed, ignoring all the plans we had about stopping by Just Cavalli club for another late dinner and a drink. However, we compensated the next day with a refreshing Aperol on the Terrazza Aperol next to the Duomo.

Realmomster kids free getaway in Milano

We enjoyed a nice and authentic Aperol in the shadow, after taking some corny couple pics with the pigeons eating corn from our hands (oh yes, how could you skip that while in Milan…).

Realmomster kids free getaway in Milano

Realmomster kids free getaway in Milano

Realmomster kids free getaway in Milano

Realmomster kids free getaway in Milano

You can have an Aperol any day, from 11 am to 11pm.

And once with the cocktail glass ended our short Italian affair too, because after a walk on the shopping street we headed right to the airport for a last bite of lasagna and a pasta plate, followed by an espresso and a bag of cantuccini. To be taken notice: this post was not meant as a recommendation as to what to see in Milan, but more of a semi address book from a mother to another. Or more like from two parents to other parents who want to (and need to) get away in a really cool city.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*
*