Bar Jamaica

Bar Jamaica is the legendary café-bar of Brera, Milan's historic artists' quarter, and one of the city's most storied watering holes. Since the early twentieth century it has been a gathering place for painters, writers, photographers and intellectuals — figures of Milan's bohemian and avant-garde scenes who made its tables a salon of ideas — and that heritage still hangs in the air of its plain, atmospheric rooms. Located on Via Brera near the Pinacoteca and the Accademia di Belle Arti, it draws a mix of art students, locals and curious visitors throughout the day. The offering is classic Italian café-bar: a good espresso at the counter in the morning, simple lunches and panini, and in the early evening the Milanese ritual of aperitivo, with a Campari-based spritz or an Americano accompanied by nibbles. In warm weather the outdoor tables on the cobbled street are among the most pleasant spots in Brera to watch the neighbourhood pass by. The mood is unpretentious and convivial rather than polished — the appeal lies in the history and the atmosphere as much as the drinks — and prices are reasonable for such a central, characterful address. Bar Jamaica works equally well as a morning coffee stop, a casual lunch, or a place to begin an evening in Brera before dinner. It is open long hours, including late into the night, making it a fixture of the quarter's social rhythm. For visitors wanting to soak up the bohemian spirit of old Milan over an espresso or an aperitivo, in a place where the city's artists have gathered for generations, Bar Jamaica is an essential Brera institution.