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A DAY IN PORTA VENEZIA
With Anna Frabotta - Journalist
We meet with Anna Frabotta, founder of FRAB'S Magazine & More (Via Giuseppe Sirtori, 11), a company active since 2019 specialized international niche art and cultural magazines, which cannot be found on newsstands or bookstores, with more than 1000 titles in stock, one of the largest in Europe.
Anna chose Porta Venezia because it is the neighborhood with the identity most in line with Frab's customers and readers, who often work in design and fashion.
Porta Venezia is one of the beating hearts of Milano’s fashion industry, given its numerous creative agencies, stylists and design studios.
Saying just one is impossible!
For lunch, especially midweek, Anna suggests "Latteria La Cicala" (Via Felice Bellotti, 13), among the neighborhood shops that have reinvented themselves by becoming delis that offer excellent meals at popular prices.
The lady who runs it welcomes you as if you were at her home for lunch: arm yourself with cutlery and glasses and set the table to serve yourself as if you were back home. Since there are only two tables where to have lunch, you inevitably end up sitting next to other people with whom you not only share the table but also conversation. Be they tourists or locals, they often from different cultures and it’s nice to share a convivial moment with them.
At dinner: Galileo Polpette (Via Nino Bixio, 10). A very small venue, where they only serve meatballs, also vegetarian or vegan. Sandwiches and ramen always come with meatballs. They also hold various events, for example Thursday is devoted to stand-up comedy night, where comedians offer free rehearsals of their acts. There is a dialogue with the comedians and the few guests present, and you always end up making new friends.
If, however, you are looking for a more refined place, a step away from the nightlife of Via Melzo there is Gesto (Via Giuseppe Sirtori 15), a restaurant offering very refined cuisine and high-quality dishes. Perfect for aperitifs and dinners, it also offers a private room for a karaoke night with your group of friends.
Porta Venezia is becoming particularly interesting for those that love publishing, and there are at least four stores where you can look for peculiar books.
Antigone (Via Kramer 20), an independent queer bookshop, the only one in Milano specializing in editorial products focusing on topics dear to the sizable LGBTQIA+ community living in the neighborhood and elsewhere in the city.
Spazio (Corso Buenos Aires 20) is bookshop focusing on architecture, with a curated catalog of only 300 books at a given time. They hold weekly talks and exhibits related to the world of architectural design.
COMMERCE (Via Tadino 30) is specialized in art books and catalogs, from photography to the visual arts.
Spazio Maiocchi (Via Maiocchi 7) is a gallery that is a cultural reference point in the city, also for art publishing.
BIVIO Milano (Via Lambro 12) for vintage fashion clothing, with researched items sold at fair prices.
ODA (Via Marcello Malpighi 8) offers workshops in ceramcis every day at breakfast or aperitivo time. You can have cappuccino and croissant and make your own pottery piece.
Breakfasts and aperitifs are done in collaboration with other venues in Porta Venezia and always vary.
In Porta Venezia it is impossible to have a favorite bar because there are too many!
The nice thing is try them all for a change.
An experience to be had at least once is Bar Picchio (Via Melzo 11): a seasoned bar that the lives in a bubble of its own. Frequented not only by students but also by artists and creatives.
