One of our favorite bars in Milan is the bar in the Mandarin Oriental hotel. After spending over two weeks in Italy last spring, on our last night in town we were craving Chinese food, so we headed out for a night of cocktails and bites at the Mandarin Oriental. The space is incredibly beautiful, with sleek black-and-white patterns and bright pink flowers, and you’ll find some of the best cocktails in Milan. It’s the place to see and be seen!
The drinks are both theatrical and delicious. Our favorite was probably the Elyx in Wonderland, a brilliant concoction of Absolut Elyx, guava juice, fresh ginger, grapefruit juice, and lychee syrup served in a dangling globe. Another cocktail was served in a smoking lantern. Some of the drinks have an Asian influence, like the white tea martini, but all of them have style. We also admired the cocktail that was served in a ceramic Fornasetti glass, similar container to the candles we’ve been gushing over.
In addition to incredible cocktails, the Mandarin Bar & Bistrot also serves great small bites at the bar. We shared an assortment of appetizers that were all probably better than a lot of Asian food than you’d find in most places in the United States. We can’t wait to go back for a more in-depth visit to learn more about this incredible bar program.