Food
The food in Europe is so amazing. It’s so much more fresh than the food in the US, and the portions are also much better. When people say all you’ll eat in Italy is pasta and pizza, they’re wrong! The seafood is delicious here, and the sandwiches/paninis are even better. For breakfast, I usually have a croissant (called a brioche in Milan) and a cappuccino. For lunch, I’ll usually have a sandwich and another coffee. And for dinner, I’ll usually have either pasta, chicken, salad, or seafood. My roommates and I usually cook during the week and eat out on the weekends. One of my favorite parts about traveling on the weekends is trying new foods. Each part of Europe that I’ve been to has had amazing options. Spain had the best tapas ever, and Prague surprisingly had the best Mexican food I’ve ever had! The groceries from the local markets are super affordable in Milan for cooking during the week, so this leaves some room for spending on the weekends.
Coffee
The coffee here is one of my favorite things about Milan by far, and will definitely be one of the things I miss most when I’m back in the US. I really do think that Italy has the best espresso in all of Europe. I try the coffee every place I travel to in Europe, and it always remains best in Italy. Although there isn’t a classic iced coffee option, you can get espresso shaken with ice, and even vanilla syrup. Typically, I just drink the hot espresso because it’s so good and I don’t want the ice watering it down. Cappuccinos are supposedly only to be drank in the morning (I learned at my university that I would be judged if I ordered one past 11 a.m.). You can ask for cocoa powder on top, which makes them even better. Another unspoken rule to know of is that coffee is supposed to be ordered after a meal, not with it. My favorite coffee option is a caffe macchiato, which is espresso with just a little bit of steamed milk. Italians typically drink espresso all throughout the day. There is a coffee shop on every corner in Milan, where you can find Italians standing at the counter sipping on their espresso.
Drinks
In Italy, wine is actually sometimes cheaper than water. However, my favorite is the Aperol Spritz. This is a super refreshing and very common drink, especially as an aperitivo (pre dinner drink). An Aperol Spritz is prosecco with Aperol. A lot of Italians will often have one with lunch too. The other picture I put here is from a super cool bar in Milan with exotic cocktails. Because Italians place a lot of value in the quality of their alcoholic beverages, you can find a ton of cool bars in Milan, all with a different vibe. Also, I noticed that more people will go out for a drink on a week night here in Milan vs. at home, just to drink casually and catch up with friends.