Salone del Mobile, the largest and most prestigious furniture show in the world and the anchor event to Milan Design Week, returns April 8 through 13. With hundreds of new products scattered through the halls of Fiera Milano and installations popping up across the city as part of Fuorisalone, a mere six days of fair is a blink of an eye for the amount of time needed to cover it all. But we’ll try our best—and we promise to bring you along.
Below, we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide on how to best tackle the seemingly endless installations, product debuts, exhibitions, and social events scheduled to take over Milan. From first-timer tips on where to eat and drink to a neighborhood-by-neighborhood breakdown of where to go and what to see, we have all your Milan Design Week questions answered.
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What, when, where
This year marks the 63rd edition of Salone del Mobile, the Milan furniture fair that draws nearly 2,000 industry brands from across the world to the sprawling halls of the Fiera Milano convention center, located in Rho, about a 30-minute commute by car or train from the heart of Milan. Fuorisalone, made up of showroom events and design installations within Milan, will take place April 6–13.
What to know about the fair
For those wanting to scope out as many new makers and product debuts as possible, walking swiftly through Salone del Mobile will be your best bet. Reserve several days to work through 16 halls and thousands of industry exhibitors, with categories hitting every room of the house (home spa, office, gym, and outdoor spaces included). The Milan furniture fair also hosts EuroLuce, the biennial lighting exhibition showcasing what’s new and next in illumination. Also returning is the SaloneSatellite showcase, the always-inspiring section highlighting the work of young designers.
Prior to setting foot in Fiero Milano, we recommend making a list of priority exhibitors. (It’s easy to overlook a brand you love while trying to navigate the crowded halls.) Plus it’s all but impossible to see everything at Salone each year, so setting a few priorities and then letting yourself wander is often the best bet.
Where to eat, drink, and stay
Getting through Milan Design Week requires stamina, and while the city offers endless (and essential) espresso and Aperol spritz opportunities, design aficionados have more celebratory options as well. Among our favorites? Dimorestudio’s take on the traditional trattoria, Trattoria del Ciumbia, a Brera spot inspired by the city’s ’60s avant-garde art movement, color-drenched in raisin red. Stop in for the menu’s fresh Milanese-style pastas, then head downstairs for a late night at the steel-clad Disco club, reserved for restaurant guests. Other hot spots include Beefbar by French duo Humbert & Poyet and Mediterranean-inspired Zaia, inside the Aethos Hotel.
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When it comes to hotels, the buzziest addresses include Venice-by-way-of-New-York transplant Casa Cipriani, the Studio Marco Piva–designed Palazzo Touring Club, and ultraluxe Ferragamo-family owned Portrait Milano hotel set in the grand Seminario Arcivescovile di Milano. You also can’t go wrong with a classic like the Hotel Principe di Savoia near Porta Nuova, the Grand Hotel et de Milan (designed by Dimorestudio), or relative newcomer Milano Verticale, strategically placed behind the 10 Corso Como complex.
Just a hop, skip, and a jump from the Duomo, Max Brown Missori is a newer presence in Milan’s stylish hospitality space. Appointed by Amsterdam-based interior designer Saar Zafrir, the property’s 64 rooms are filled with colorful vintage finds with ’70s flair and range from tiny (because sometimes you really just need a place to lay your weary, post–Bar Basso head) to totally tricked out.
