Pasticceria Sissi

Porta Venezia’s Sissi is a little corner of France in the middle of Milan. Some say that this tiny pastry shop makes the best croissants in town while its hot chocolate also attracts many fans. We recommend it for weekend brunch, even if you have to fight to find a table!

Pasticceria Sissi, Piazza Risorgimento 6, 20129 Milan, +39 02 7601 4664

Pasticceria Giacomo

Designed by well-known architects Laura Sartori Rimini and Roberto Peregalli, Pasticceria Giacomo, like the restaurant of the same name, evokes a luxurious 50s atmosphere. The pastries are as delicious and beautifully presented as the dishes offered at the restaurant, which is just across the street.

Pasticceria Giacomo, Via Sottocorno 5, 20129 Milan, +39 02 7631 9147

Pasticceria Fratelli Freni

The unusual marzipan sweets in the window of Pasticceria Freni at the head of Via Torino are unmissable. Every day hundreds of visitors pause to take photos of the little sugar-based statues that the Frenis constantly re-invent. Launched in 1914, this was the first Sicilian pastry shop to open in Milan and it is now run by the fourth generation of the Freni family.

Pasticceria Fratelli Freni, Via Torino 1, 20121 Milan, +39 02 877072

Sant Ambroeus

Launched by two master pastry chefs in 1936, Sant Ambroeus has always aspired to be the meeting point for Milan’s socialites and literati. Over the years, society cafés have become less prevalent, but the spectacular sweets and aperitivos at Sant Ambroeus mean it is still a highly popular destination for the Milanese.

Sant Ambroeus, Corso Matteotti 7, 20121 Milan, +39 02 7600 0540

Ladurée

While Ladurée is a French brand, it is also popular in Italy. Ladurée’s first Milan store opened around a year ago on Via Spadari, where Lombardy’s most prestigious gourmet stores are to be found. Now a second store has been established in the new Excelsior luxury concept department store, where the French patisserie can be found alongside some of the greatest names in fashion.

Ladurée, Excelsior, Galleria del Corso 4, 20100 Milan +39 02 7628 1394