How Milan Turned House to Europe’s Finest Cocktail Bar

There is a famous 1980s slogan that was so catchy, and perhaps so true, that it has stayed in people’s minds ever since. The catchphrase was at the center of an advertisement for the Italian liqueur Amaro Ramazzotti: It simply said “Milano da bere”, which roughly translates to “Milan to drink”. Over the years, the expression has been used and reused in all sorts of ways—both positive and negative—to describe the Italian city, but today, it seems to have come full circle, taking on a new meaning.

The World’s 50 Best Bars for 2026 have just been revealed, and Milan has plenty to celebrate. Not only did Moebius Milano take second place in the global ranking, but it was also crowned the best bar in Europe. And, if that weren’t enough, the awards ceremony itself took place in Milan on Wednesday, October 7, marking the first time the event has been hosted in Italy. For a city that has always taken its aperitivo seriously, it’s quite an achievement.

Milan might be better known internationally for its fashion houses and design scene, but anyone who has spent an evening wandering around its neighborhoods will know that going out for a drink is practically part of a local’s daily routine. And while the tradition of meeting friends for a pre-dinner spritz or negroni is hardly new, Milan’s cocktail scene has evolved considerably in recent years, with a growing number of bars pushing the boundaries of what a night out in the city can look like.

From Milano da bere to a new generation

From “Milano da bere” to a new generation of cocktail bars
When the “Milano da bere” campaign first aired in 1985, the city was enjoying a period of economic prosperity and cultural change. Fashion, finance, advertising—every industry was booming, and Milan had become synonymous with a glamorous, fast-paced lifestyle. The slogan was so successful that it eventually came to define an entire era, conjuring images of well-dressed Milanese professionals meeting for aperitivo after work, fashionable bars, and late nights.

Of course, drinking has been part of Milan’s identity for much longer than that. The city has longstanding ties to Campari, which established its famous café in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in 1867, and is widely credited as the birthplace of the negroni sbagliato, the now-famous variation of the classic negroni, made with prosecco instead of gin, which enjoyed a viral moment in 2022.

Legend has it that bartender Mirko Stocchetto accidentally created the drink at Bar Basso in the 1970s. Today, historic establishments such as Camparino in Galleria, located inside the magnificent Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, continue to attract visitors for a traditional aperitivo. But beyond these institutions, a new generation of bartenders is bringing something different to the city, experimenting with unexpected ingredients, borrowing techniques from fine dining, and creating spaces where cocktails are only one part of the experience.

Nowhere is this more apparent than at Moebius

And nowhere is this more apparent than at Moebius Milano. Why Moebius Milano is the best bar in Europe
Housed in a former textile warehouse near Milano Centrale, Moebius Milano is not your average cocktail bar. Opened in 2019 by entrepreneur Lorenzo Querci, the sprawling 700-square-meter venue is part-bar, part-restaurant, and part-cultural space, with live music, a record shop, and a fine-dining restaurant all under one roof.

The interiors alone are worth a visit. Exposed iron and concrete sit alongside warm wooden furniture, vintage armchairs, and sofas, while a 700-year-old Andalusian olive tree stretches through the space, providing an unexpected touch of greenery. Behind the bar, a towering concrete structure displays hundreds of spirits, creating an impressive backdrop for the bartenders at work.

But it’s the drinks that have earned Moebius its place among the world’s best. Led by bar manager Giovanni Allario, the cocktail program takes familiar classics and gives them an inventive twist, often incorporating ingredients more commonly found in a kitchen than behind a bar. Take the pesto martini, for example. Inspired by Allario’s Genoese roots, the cocktail combines vodka, vermouth, homemade pesto, and white balsamic vinegar.

It might sound like an unusual combination,

It might sound like an unusual combination, but it has become one of the bar’s signatures. Another creation, the carrot bamboo, brings together vermouth, gin, manzanilla sherry, carrot, yuzu, and shiso, drawing on flavors from both Europe and Asia. Food is just as important to the experience. On the ground floor, the Tapa Bistrot serves sharing plates inspired by different cuisines, while upstairs, Moebius Sperimentale offers a more elaborate fine-dining experience overseen by chef Enrico Croatti.

Add live jazz, soul, and bossa nova performances, and it’s easy to see why the venue has become so much more than somewhere to stop for a quick drink. Moebius is no newcomer to international recognition, either. In 2025, it climbed to seventh place in the World’s 50 Best Bars ranking, winning the Highest Climber Award. This year’s second-place finish, five places higher than in 2025, is its strongest result yet and the highest position ever reached by an Italian bar.

Other cocktail bars putting Milan on the map
Of course, Moebius isn’t the only reason cocktail lovers should be paying attention to Milan. Across the city, a collection of longstanding favorites and ambitious newcomers is helping to make its drinking scene increasingly varied. One of the most intriguing is 1930, which opened in 2013 and quickly gained a reputation as one of Milan’s most exclusive speakeasies.

For years, its location was kept secret,

For years, its location was kept secret, with entry reserved for those who managed to secure an invitation. The bar moved to a new, publicly known location beneath MAG La Pusterla in 2025, but the team hasn’t lost their appetite for experimentation. The cocktail menu borrows ideas from fine dining, with creations such as a car 94 in the extended World’s 50 Best Bars list for 2026

Then there’s Lubna, another project from the team behind Moebius, located near Fondazione Prada. Functioning as a listening bar and cultural venue, in addition to a restaurant, it brings together art and food, with cocktails that incorporate ingredients and techniques inspired by cooking over fire. It’s another example of the way Milan’s hospitality scene is blurring the lines between restaurants and creative spaces.

International names have also started coming to the city. Madrid-born Salmon Guru, the colorful cocktail concept created by bartender Diego Cabrera, has opened a Milan outpost near the Arco della Pace. With its comic-book-inspired interiors, neon lights, and theatrical drinks, it brings a different energy to the city’s drinking scene. For something more traditional, there’s always Rita, a much-loved Navigli institution that has been serving cocktails since 2002.

Its signature Gin Zen, made with gin, ginger, and lime, has been a favorite since 1998. The original “Milano da bere” might have belonged to another era, but more than 40 years later, the expression feels surprisingly relevant. Milan has always known how to enjoy a good drink. Now, it seems, the rest of the world is taking notice.

Source: www.cntraveler.com