Cafeography
Milan · Brera

Cafés in Brera

The artists' bars of Via Brera, the bakeries of Via della Moscova and late cafés off Corso Garibaldi.

Photo: Chris Black, Pexels License

Brera is the quarter of narrow streets around the Palazzo di Brera, north of La Scala. The palace holds the Pinacoteca di Brera, the picture gallery founded at Napoleon's behest and officially established in 1809 at Via Brera 28; a teaching collection had existed there since 1776.1 The Biblioteca Braidense and Palazzo Citterio belong to the same institution.1

Brera's cafés come in two kinds. Via Brera keeps the bars where painters, photographers and poets drank after the Second World War.3 Via della Moscova, at the district's northern edge, has more cafés than any other street here, several of them bakeries, with Corso Garibaldi, Via Alessandro Volta and Via Filippo Turati next.

Local tip: Princi on Via della Moscova opens at 07:00 every day and serves until 22:00, which makes it the easiest Brera stop for both an early brioche and a late espresso.

At a glance

93Cafés listed
10With opening hours
07:00Earliest opening
00:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Art Cafe, from 07:00 (Mon–Sat 07:00–00:00).
  • Most common features: indoor seating (15%), outdoor seating (11%), partial wheelchair access (11%).

the pure café

  • Via Alessandro Volta, 16
  • Tue–Wed 08:00–00:00 · Thu–Sat 08:00–23:00 · Sun 09:00–23:00
  • 390284966125
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Coffee chains in Brera

Getting to Brera

Lanza, on metro line M2 since 3 March 1978, is the closest station for Brera, the Piccolo Teatro and Parco Sempione.2 Moscova, the next M2 stop toward Garibaldi, is closer to the bakeries on Via della Moscova itself.

Caffè Panzera has a Brera branch at Via Solferino 32, and Bar Castello, on Piazza Castello, has Wi-Fi and outdoor tables.

The Jamaica and the painters of Via Brera

The Jamaica, at Via Brera 32, opened as the Ponte di Brera with an espresso machine and a telephone, both rare at the time. The music critic Giulio Confalonieri renamed it after a 1939 film shown in Italy as La taverna della Jamaica.3 After the Premio Post Guernica exhibition of 1948 it became known as the artists' café, and Lucio Fontana, Ibrahim Kodra, Ugo Mulas, Giuseppe Ungaretti and Salvatore Quasimodo drank there.3

In June 1957 Piero Manzoni handed out his manifesto Per una pittura organica (For an organic painting) at the Jamaica.4 Caffè Fernanda shares the Pinacoteca's address at Via Brera 28, and Bar Brera is at number 23.

Bakeries on Via della Moscova

Princi, the bakery Rocco Princi started on Via Speronari in the early hours of 26 December 1986, has a branch at Via della Moscova 52, open daily 07:00–22:00.5 Panarello, a pasticceria at the same number, opens daily 07:30–19:30 with tables inside and out.

Pasticceria Ranieri is at Via della Moscova 9, Moko's Matcha at number 7, and Caffetteria della Moscova and Coffee Teslino are at numbers 46 and 51. Bar Granny, at number 66, has air conditioning.

Late cafés, terraces and bubble tea

Pandenus on Largo La Foppa and Art Cafe on Via Legnano both open at 07:00 and serve until midnight, and Portico 84 runs daily 07:30–00:00. Shaker, on Via San Prospero, keeps daily hours of 07:00–23:30.

Égalité on Piazza San Simpliciano has outdoor tables and Wi-Fi, and Cusani Caffè on Via Cusani also sits outside. Sicilian, on Via del Carmine, has tables in the street and closes on Mondays. Off Corso Garibaldi, Coll Bubble Tea And Coffee is at number 127 and Debbie's, a brunch café, at number 22; Touch Tea is on Via Bassano Porrone.

Sources

  1. Pinacoteca di Brera, Pinacoteca di Brera, accessed October 2026
  2. Lanza (Milan Metro), Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  3. Due osterie storiche della vecchia Milano, Milanofree (updated November 21, 2023), accessed October 2026
  4. Piero Manzoni: biography, Fondazione Piero Manzoni, accessed October 2026
  5. Rocco Princi, Identità Golose, accessed October 2026
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In Brera, also browse: Outdoor seating Pasticcerie Open late Wi-Fi Bubble tea

FAQ

Brera cafés: questions

What is the history of the Bar Jamaica in Milan's Brera?

The Jamaica, at Via Brera 32, began as the Ponte di Brera and was renamed after a 1939 film by the music critic Giulio Confalonieri. After the Premio Post Guernica exhibition in 1948 it became the artists' café of Brera, used by Lucio Fontana, Ugo Mulas and Giuseppe Ungaretti. Piero Manzoni distributed a manifesto there in June 1957.

Where is Princi in Milan's Brera, and when is it open?

Princi has a branch at Via della Moscova 52, at the northern edge of Brera, open daily from 07:00 to 22:00. Rocco Princi opened his first Milan bakery on Via Speronari on 26 December 1986. Panarello, a pasticceria at the same address, opens daily 07:30–19:30.

How do you get to Brera in Milan by metro?

Lanza, on metro line M2, is the nearest station for Brera, the Piccolo Teatro and Parco Sempione; it opened on 3 March 1978. Moscova, the next M2 stop toward Garibaldi, is closer to the bakeries of Via della Moscova, where Princi and Panarello share number 52.

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