Secret Milan: where cocktails are a code to decipher

Beyond the elegant patina of Art Nouveau buildings and the reflections of Porta Nuova’s skyscrapers, Milan hides a mysterious and fascinating soul. A city made also of places that are not easy to find: anonymous doors, buzzers to ring, whispered passwords. Welcome to the world of speakeasies, the hidden bars that wink at the Prohibition era and offer an exclusive experience to those who know how to look — or better yet, to those who know how to be found.

Among the most famous and captivating is the White Rabbit Speakeasy, in the heart of the Isola district. Finding the entrance is part of the experience: no sign, just a few clues scattered along Via Garigliano and its surroundings. Once inside, however, a parallel universe opens up. Soft atmospheres, dim lights, retro furnishings, and a drink list that feels like a little journey through time, between signature cocktails and creative reinterpretations of the great classics.

The bar takes inspiration from the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland: an invitation to let yourself be guided by curiosity, to descend into the “burrow” and discover a different world, made of sophisticated mixology and extraordinary settings.

Reservations are highly recommended — and attention to detail is key: often, to get in, you’ll need a password that can only be discovered by following the White Rabbit… on social media.