It is the temple of mixology. Here, experimentation is an art and it manages to attract customers and bartenders from all over the world. A bar where you can enjoy the perfect serving of iconic cocktails such as the Negroni, Sbagliato and Americano, or be impressed by the unique flavours of innovative drinks such as Triplice Evviva, Il Bacio and Paesaggio Quasi Tipografico. In 2021 it ranked 27th on the most popular bar list of all time: The 50 best bars in the world. The reason for this is Camparino, whose past and heritage are inextricably intertwined with the history of Milan and the artistic and cultural movements of the 1900s. The famous bar in the heart of the city, in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, was opened in 1915 by Davide Campari. It was then equipped with an innovative system with a continuous supply of soda straight from the cellars, offering its numerous customers a Campari with soda always perfectly chilled. Its furnishings were made by famous Italian artists and craftsmen, according to the aesthetic rules of Art Nouveau: inside were works by the famous furniture maker Eugenio Quarti, the master carpenter Alessandro Mazzucotelli and the painter Angelo d’Andrea, who designed the iconic mosaic for the Bar di Passo.

Camparino in Galleria quickly became a Milanese institution, not only because Aperitivo became a ritual here, but also because it attracted intellectuals and celebrities who came to discuss politics and culture over a Campari or two. Arrigo Boito, Tommaso Marinetti and other members of the Scapigliatura (bohemianism) movement, a pioneering movement of the mid-19th century that was mostly localized in Milan, were regulars at the bar. Between 13 and 15 August 1943, the Galleria and the Camparino were heavily bombed during devastating Allied air raids. After World War II, the bar was taken over by Guglielmo Miani, a tailor from Puglia who had moved to Milan in 1922. The Miani family was to remain in charge of the business until 2018. Today more than a century later , it is no surprise that it remains the favourite haunt of the city’s trendsetters, with a unique atmosphere is synonymous with an unforgettable story: that of the Italian aperitivo.

Photos Courtesy of Camparino