The best bars and restaurants in Soupra
In the shadow of Fondazione Prada's iconic gold tower, a lively crop of bars and restaurants has turned this neighbourhood into a gathering point in recent years
Wondering what Soupra stands for? South of (Fondazione) Prada, naturally. Following the success of NoLo, which took inspiration from established New York acronyms like Nolita (‘North of Little Italy’) or Tribeca (‘Triangle Below Canal Street’), we in Milan caught the bug and started dreaming up acronym-districts of our own. Whatever you choose to call it, the area stretching south of Fondazione Prada is turning into a city benchmark for art, design, food, wine and Milanese nightlife, spurred on by cultural hubs such as Fondazione ICA and futuristic Piazza Olivetti. Here are the most exciting spots in Soupra, chosen by the Flawless team.
Torre
Via Lorenzini, 14
Having shaped the area so decisively that it became its defining symbol, Fondazione Prada is the obvious place to begin. Opened in 2018 and designed by starchitect Rem Koolhaas, Torre, a rooftop cocktail bar and restaurant, is worth a visit for its unprecedented views alone, taking in the growing district around the museum and stretching across to Milan’s skyline in the distance. Both spaces play on the contrast between large, luminous windows and the warm tones of parquet flooring, wood panelling and hemp-covered walls. Above all, they showcase several modern and contemporary art masterpieces, including works by Fontana, an installation by Carsten Höller and paintings by William N. Copley, Jeff Koons and John Wesley. The kitchen brings together traditional and unexpected flavours across a concise, sustainable menu built around seasonal ingredients.
Bar Luce | Fondazione Prada
L.go Isarco, 2
Set inside Fondazione Prada but open to non-ticket holders too, Bar Luce was designed by film director Wes Anderson, drawing inspiration from Italian pop culture and 1950s and 60s cafés. Pastel shades, Formica furniture, period seating, patterned flooring, wood-panelled walls, a vaulted ceiling recalling Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, original pinball machines and a jukebox give it a delightfully dreamlike feel, making it an easy place to linger from breakfast through to aperitivo. The food offering is concise but top quality, as befits such an iconic spot: the pastries are by Marchesi, and the small, delicious panini, packed with fresh fillings, sell out fast.
Canaglia
Piazza S. Luigi corner of Via Don Bosco, 11
Overlooking lively Piazza San Luigi, Canaglia is a cocktail and wine bar that also serves cured meat and cheese boards from small local producers, sandwiches and warm dishes including meat and fish mains, tartare, flans and burgers, on a weekly-changing menu. The setting is welcoming, dominated by vintage furniture and bric-a-brac, bright walls with lettering and an eye-catching bottle display. The outdoor tables are a huge draw for the young, eclectic crowd, lending the terrace an even buzzier vibe. The inventive house cocktails deserve special mention, alongside wines by the glass or bottle and draught and bottled beers.
Sottobosco
Piazza S. Luigi, 5
A ‘modern trattoria’, like many new openings in Milan call themselves, which in just a few years has become a neighbourhood staple. Its strengths lie in the relaxed, almost homely feel, complete with vintage accents and a large communal table, paired with cooking grounded in regional Lombard tradition, along with a few detours across Italy: standout local cured meats, mondeghili, risotto giallo, tagliatelle al ragù and then offal, pork knuckle and bollito, all backed by a solid selection of wines by the glass. For dessert, things stray into Piedmont (the chef has roots in the region) with homemade bônèt, already a firm favourite to round off the meal. A proper trattoria, made for a long Sunday lunch.
Madama Hostel & Bistrot
Via Benaco, 1
Old pianos, washing lines, murals, table football, bicycles hung from the ceiling, climbing plants, mid-century chairs, reclaimed doors and furniture, mirrors resting against the floor, books and magazines at every turn. If the motto at Madama Hostel, is ‘sounds like home’, they have certainly hit the mark. Both travellers staying in this Art Nouveau townhouse near Fondazione Prada and locals stopping by for lunch, an aperitivo, the popular Sunday brunch or one of the many events feel instantly at home. Concerts, DJ sets, art openings and cultural events are regularly on the calendar, turning this space into an eclectic melting pot and one of the buzziest meeting points in the area.
Al Capestrano
Via Gian Francesco Pizzi, 14
A little further south, around Viale Ortles, an Abruzzese restaurant opened its doors in 1998, long before the area became a trendy acronym. Al Capestrano, run by a family from Abruzzo, brings the best flavours of this central Italian region to the table with a contemporary twist. Fear not: despite the touch of modern flair demanded by the Milanese dining scene – evident mainly in meticulous sourcing and advanced cooking techniques that preserve ingredient quality – arrosticini, pallotte cacio e ova, fresh egg pasta and rich goat-meat mains remain the pillars of the kitchen.
Trattoria Casottel
Via Fabio Massimo, 25
Right, we are stretching the boundaries slightly here, but who really decides the exact limits of these neighbourhood acronyms anyway? Set in the Porto di Mare area, Trattoria Casottel is well worth the short detour if you love old-school, rustic trattorias (there is genuinely nothing ‘modern’ here), grandma-style cooking untouched by modern trends, unpretentious service, chequered tablecloths and vine pergolas overhead. The cooking is hearty and rooted firmly in Milanese and Mantuan traditions: homemade pumpkin ravioli, risotto alla mantovana, risotto alla milanese with ossobuco, aubergine and courgette parmigiana, cassœula and cotoletta alla milanese sit happily side by side on the menu. In dialect, ‘casottel’ roughly refers to a farmstead with a large courtyard, which here includes a leafy outdoor area under vine trellises and a functioning bowls court, much to the delight of the local regulars.
