Pavé

When you enter Pavé, on a road not too far from Porta Venezia, the immediate sensation that you get is that you have been catapulted in to the lounge you have always dreamed of living in. Even before you smell the aromas coming from the open workspace, what really stands out about Pavé is the homey atmosphere, a little retro, unleashed by the rockabilly music in the background and the warm and inviting second hand furniture spread out in the large main hall.

A velvet couch here, a vintage dresser there, the sturdy big, solid wood table in the center, mismatched chairs which seem to come from a ’50s sitcom. Then you sit down, in Pavé, and suddenly you are at peace with yourself. The welcome is happy and all smiles, behind the counter young faces are eager to satisfy that typical morning sweet tooth. And in fact, Pavé is the perfect place for the perfect breakfast.

The three owners, all guys around 30, have made a break through with the concept of gourmet breakfast in Milan. At Pavé you don’t gulp down your cappuccino and you don’t finish the last bite of your brioche as you head for the office. At Pavé you come to linger on the velvety foam of one of the best cappuccinos in the city and to dreamily pause in front of the baked goods: cream brioches, chocolate dumplings, fruit tarts… If you are a regular then the choice is really tough: cappuccino and “Centossanta”, or rather The Proper Brioche of Milan. A buttery and fragrant batter filled with 160gr of homemade apricot jam. Stuff that from the very first bite makes you wanna jump from your seat and hug each and every one of the bakers that make up the Pave’ culinary team.

And just when you realize that you can’t live without this magic little place, and decide to make it a necessary weekly stop for breakfast with a capital B, your bestie, who works in the area goes ahead and invites you for lunch, right there in your very favorite place of all! And then you discover that the above mentioned young ones are not only great with sweets. These three have even managed to turn the art of panini into something sublime, transforming my half hour lunch break into a sensory experience that is borderline illegal.

At Pave’ you can also have a snack with bread, butter and marmalade and you enjoy an aperitif sipping Negroni and sinking your teeth in savory brioches and D.O.P. cheeses. It’s too bad they are always closed for dinner, otherwise I would have already requested political asylum.