A coffee and cake crawl through Milan

Milan's specialty coffee scene is younger than its reputation suggests. For most of the twentieth century the city ran on dark espresso pulled fast at a stand-up bar for under one euro. The cafes in this guide do the opposite: lighter roasts, longer extractions, and prices that reflect the sourcing. A handful of committed operators have built this from scratch since 2009, often against local scepticism. The route starts in Brera, moves through the Porta Venezia neighbourhood, and ends at the Navigli canals. Allow four to five hours at a comfortable pace.

1. Cafezal, Brera

Start at Via Solferino 27, a few minutes from the Pinacoteca di Brera. Cafezal was founded by Brazilian Carlos Eduardo Bitencourt and opened here in 2018 as Milan's first specialty roastery cafe. The 2.5 kg micro-roastery on site roasts all the house coffee on a La Marzocco. Filter lots rotate by season. A second location operates at Viale Premuda 14 if this one is busy, but Brera is the original.

2. Sevengrams Coffee Studio, Porta Venezia

Walk or take the tram fifteen minutes east to Corso di Porta Venezia 31. Sevengrams was founded in 2009 by four sisters, Mary, Angelita, Anna, and Daniela Mauro, making it one of Milan's oldest specialty operations. The Coffee Studio here, opened in 2021, is the most polished of their spaces. The Modbar under-counter espresso system conceals all plumbing beneath the counter, leaving the sightline between barista and guest unobstructed. All coffee comes from the adjacent Lot Zero roastery, which the sisters opened in 2019.

3. Orsonero Coffee, Porta Venezia

Walk eight minutes north to Via Giuseppe Broggi. Orsonero was co-founded in 2016 by Canadian barista Brent Jopson and Italian Giulia Gasperini. The bar pours rotating guest lots from Gardelli Specialty Coffees in Forlì, La Cabra in Denmark, and Fjord on a La Marzocco. Brew methods include V60, aeropress, and cold brew alongside espresso. Retail bags are sold from the counter. The approach is filter-forward; if you want the most considered extraction on this route, this is the stop.

4. Loste Café, Porta Venezia

A short walk brings you to Via Francesco Guicciardini and Loste Café, opened in 2021 by Stefano Ferraro and Lorenzo Cioli. Ferraro was head pastry chef at Noma in Copenhagen; Cioli was sommelier at Restaurant 108 in the same city. April Coffee from Copenhagen is on bar via La Marzocco. The pastry programme is the reason most people come: cardamom buns rolled and proved each morning, Danish laminated cinnamon rolls, and artisan focaccia. Self-financed with no outside investors.

5. NOWHERE Future Coffee Roasters, Porta Ticinese

Take tram 9 south from Porta Venezia and walk to Via Vetere 14. NOWHERE opened in 2020, began roasting single-origin lots in 2021, moved into this larger room in 2023, and added a dedicated bakery at Via Caminadella 15 in 2024. The roastery is visible from the bar. Cardamom buns from the bakery are worth picking up for the walk. Dog-friendly and laptop-friendly with outdoor seating when the weather holds.

6. Bugan Coffee Lab, Navigli

Walk ten minutes west along the canal to Via Vigevano 15. Bugan is the Milan outpost of a Bergamo operation founded in 2014 by siblings Sonia and Maurizio Valli. The site combines a roastery, cupping lab, academy, and bar. The team carries nine national barista titles, including Federico Pinna as Italian Barista Champion in 2024 and 2026. Espresso starts at three euros fifty and no added sugar is served. The pricing and the approach are a deliberate statement about what specialty coffee should cost.

The crawl ends at the Navigli canals with some of the most considered coffee in the city. The canal-side streets are worth exploring after the final cup. The best way back to the centre is tram 2 north from Piazza XXIV Maggio. Allow a full four to five hours if you intend to linger at each stop.

Common questions

How do I travel between Porta Venezia and the Navigli?

Tram 9 connects Porta Venezia and the Porta Ticinese area in around fifteen minutes. NOWHERE and Bugan are ten minutes on foot from the tram stop near Piazza XXIV Maggio. The city also runs an ATMbici bike-share network, which suits the flat route well.

Do any of these cafes take bookings?

None of the six stops on this route take bookings. June Collective (not on the main route but nearby in Porta Venezia) operates on a walk-in basis only. Loste Café and Bugan Coffee Lab are busiest from ten in the morning at weekends.

Which stop is best for cake?

Loste Café has the strongest pastry programme, with Noma-trained Stefano Ferraro baking cardamom buns and Danish cinnamon rolls on site each morning. NOWHERE also bakes in-house via its Via Caminadella bakery. Pavé on Via Felice Casati, a short walk north of this route, is a strong alternative for pastry-led visitors.

Is English spoken at these cafes?

English is spoken at all six stops. At Cafezal the staff are used to visitors from across Europe. At Bugan, the academy setting means staff are trained to explain the coffee in detail, generally in both Italian and English.