9am Coffee and cornetto at Pasticceria Cucchi

Breakfast in Milan is served standing up: a cappuccino and a buttery brioche while watching the city start its day. Of all the storied pasticceria (see also Marchesi 1824 and Cova), Cucchi is the best for people-watching, better still with a slice of their fabled, fluffy panettone to dip into your coffee.
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This fashion-set favourite has partnered with Marni for three months, kicking off on 20 April.
‍_{Corso Genova, 1, 20123 Milano, pasticceriacucchi.it} ^‍

9.30am Ceramics at Laboratorio Paravicini

Tucked away in a plant-filled courtyard in Milan’s historic centre, this beautiful ceramic studio is the work of Costanza Paravicini and her three daughters, who turn out hand-painted plates in intricate designs, from dainty botanicals to boldly contemporary patterns.

During Design Week, Paravicini launches its new collection METALIA in collaboration with designer Natalia Criado, known for her sculptural metalwork.
_{Via Nerino, 8, 20123 Milano, paravicini.it}

11am Cutting-edge design at Galleria Rossana Orlandi

Design world icon Rossana Orlandi’s eponymous gallery is where to discover the next big thing. Housed in a huge former tie factory, the halls are filled with avant-garde creations. Outside, the pretty pergola-covered garden is the place to pause beneath the strawberry grapevines.

An always-interesting mix of emerging names and indie brands showcase at Orlandi’s gallery during Design Week, this year including Draga & Aurel, Halo Edition and Fadi Yachoui.
‍_{Via Matteo Bandello, 14, 20123 Milano, rossanaorlandi.com}

1pm Lunch at Trattoria del Ciumbia

This neo-trattoria in the heart of fashionable Brera was designed by local firm Dimorestudio with a deliciously retro-futuristic vibe. The menu, however, riffs much closer to old school Milan, with creamy risotto alla Milanese and ossobuco (veal shanks).

After lunch, dip into Brera Design District's programme, including Yinka Ilori's joyful ‘Chasing the Sun’ for Veuve Clicquot at Mediateca Santa Teresa.
‍_{Via Fiori Chiari, 32, 20121 Milano, trattoriadelciumbia.com}

3pm Exhibition at Triennale Milano

Surrounded by Parco Sempione, the Triennale Milano is the flagship of Italian design and holds a permanent collection of some 1,600 objects from Vespas to Gio Ponti chairs. Don’t miss De Chirico’s quirky ‘Fountain of the Mysterious Baths’ in the garden on your way out.

Alongside the regular exhibitions and retrospectives, highlights during Design Week include two full-size ‘Eames Houses’.
_{Viale Emilio Alemagna, 6, 20121 Milano, triennale.org}

‍5pm Through the keyhole at Villa Necchi Campiglio

Designed by architect Piero Portaluppi in the 1930s, Milan’s most iconic Modernist home will be instantly recognisable to fans of Luca Guadagnino’s I Am Love. Walk the walnut-panelled staircase, soak up the evening light in the glass-walled veranda and be transported to another, more glamorous era.

Luxury home appliance brand Gaggenau returns to Villa Necchi Campiglio during Design Week with their architectural installation ‘Presence’ in the ornate gardens.
_{Via Mozart, 14, 20122 Milano, casemuseo.it}

6pm Aperitivo at Bar Basso

This old-school cocktail bar (all marble floor, mirrored walls and crystal chandeliers) is buzzing on any evening, but during Salone it becomes the unofficial social hub with industry insiders gossiping over Basso’s signature negroni sbagliato, made with prosecco in place of gin.
_{Via Plinio, 39, 20020 Milano, barbasso.com}

8pm Dinner at Cima

This Navigli hotspot has a low-key, in-the-know vibe, thanks to it only being open to Aethos Milan hotel guests and club members. Warm interiors nod to mid-century design, while the menu is an unfussy take on Italian flavours, from handmade pastas to veg-forward sharing plates.
_{P.za Ventiquattro Maggio, 8, 20123 Milano, aethos.com/dining/milan-cima}

10pm Cocktail at The Doping

Round out the day with a nightcap at this iconic bar, where negronis are made with Campari finished in bourbon barrels and there are mezcal tastings to pair with avocado chips. Sink into the retro leather sofa and savour the scene.
_{P.za Ventiquattro Maggio, 8, 20123 Milano, aethos.com/dining/milan-the-doping}

11.30pm Sleep at Aethos Milan

Set along the city’s canals, this 35-bedroom bolthole is fresh from a revamp and now one of Milan’s most stylish stays. Rooms and suites are dressed in inky blues and rich terracottas with vintage Italian furniture – some with their own balconies for that morning-after espresso.
_{P.za Ventiquattro Maggio, 8, 20123 Milano, aethos.com/destinations/milan}

Design Week detours

If you’re in Milan during Salone, here are a few of this year’s highlights worth squeezing in too.

Metamorphosis in Motion by Lina Ghotmeh

This playful pink labyrinth by the Lebanese-born, Paris-based architect takes over Palazzo Litta’s courtyard filling it with pathways, screens and seats to pause, transforming how visitors use the space.

Disco Aperitivo by Sophie Lou Jacobsen

The cool girl American glassware designer launches her new collection this week with cocktail coupes and highballs made with optical glass embedded with Swarovski crystals. Saluti!

Kelly Wearstler x H&M Home

The American designer infuses California soul into her first collection for the Scandi brand – all wooden vases and tactile chairs – launching with an installation among the columns and frescos at Palazzo Acerbi.

Laila Gohar x Arket

Fashion’s favourite food artist debuts her Arket ready-to-wear collab with a typically surreal take on a fairground carousel in the Giardino delle Arti. One where the usual horses are replaced with oversized figs, aubergines, pears and radishes.

Food for Thought by IKEA

More foodie fun at Spazio Maiocchi, where the Swedish furniture giant presents an immersive exhibition at Spazio Maiocchi. There are five dining rooms curated by interior designer and chef pairings, cooking demos in a show kitchen and even IKEA hot dogs.