Party in Milano and my top 5 – Nightclubs

Where do I start… Going out to clubs was a major part of my Erasmus experience; I was out all the time!

Milano is well known for its nightlife, especially Erasmus nights. The offer is huge, with something happening every evening and always in different places. You have no excuse to miss on it!

But before I get into my favorite nightclubs in the city, I would like to express some of my viewpoints regarding going out in general while doing Erasmus; which is, in any case, an absolute must of the whole experience. Are you even living the #ErasmusLife otherwise?!

Going out during Erasmus – an insight

• Nightclubs: where to go?

Several agencies/organizations sponsor Erasmus nights at the clubs, namely Milano Erasmus, International Week, District, being household names in town and an assurance that you are in for a really good time. Apart from the University nights with regular commercial settings, you can find several other themed parties – Reggaeton, Hip-Hop, Latin Funk, Electronic, 90’s, Revival, Fluo, Foam, Glam, Exclusive, etc – and unique events with invited DJs.

You have so many cool options all week that it is hard to choose when and where to go!

International Week club promotion for 2019. Source

Therefore, my advice is to check out as many of the different nights as possible, in order to get a good grasp of what places are the most suitable for your interests. This way you will always know where to go and what your prime choices are, even for a last-minute plan.

Once you are deep in the nightlife scene, you will know by heart which night matches which club! The agencies put out weekly schedules, so you always know that, for instances, on Thursdays there are nice parties at this and that club, on Saturdays somewhere else, and so on… And by no means at any time you will feel forced to go somewhere or left out of options! Besides the ones hosting Erasmus nights, you can always head to other clubs in the city, where you can experience different vibes and types of crowd.

In order to have a full view on what is available, you can check the websites Papido.it and Milano in Discoteca, that give you descripted lists of what goes on on every day and all the clubs having parties, including prices and special offers. If you are keen on going out a lot, these websites have to be on your favorites bar! Trust me.

Obviously, if they hold Erasmus discounts, the majority of the people there will be students, which gives a special atmosphere to the place: young crowd and everyone in the same page. It is a guaranteed way for having fun, without spending that much money - for ESN card holders there is often the deal free entry before 1 am or 10€ for 2 drinks after 1 am.

Not to be forgotten is the pre-drinks (bottellon) that is quite popular to be held at someone’s house or at a student’s residence, being a great opportunity to get together for games and other entertainment before heading out to the club. So, you can easily spend less than 15€ for a super dope night!

Nevertheless, the main limitation of Erasmus nights is that they can get a little repetitive over time. From my experience, for two reasons.

§ First, despite the variety of offer, you will feel compelled to go more times to the clubs that you have already been to and enjoyed, and in certain days, and then eventually you will feel like it is the same style from week to week. Which in a sense can be good as well, if the party never disappoints and you always have a blast, but most times it will get you tired of those places and wanting to go somewhere not scheduled for Erasmus.

§ Second, at some point you will not be in the mood anymore to be having worn-out basic conversations at a club or even to be approached by anyone in general asking the same-old questions “where are you from and what do you study”, and then not really evolve from that.

• What else?

If you do not feel like going out dancing to a club, you can still do other fun things other than sitting at home!

ESN events (and other offers you come across happening in the city) are a great opportunity to mingle in different environments: you have Quizz nights, Tandem nights, Karaoke nights, Movie nights, Sports nights, Travelling bar, Giropizza, Super Pizzata, amongst many other ideas, even Prom! And some of them include Aperitivo, so it is 2 for 1! Paying between 5 to 10€, you can have a more relaxed, but equally amusing evening.

ESN Milano Statale pubblicity. Source

I made sure to include many of these events in my nights in Milano because they are truly a blast!

• With whom?

Whether being at a club or at any other type of Erasmus event organized, you will have the chance to meet students from all over the world in a non-class environment, and have a great time, simply enjoying the night out with an open mind. Getting to talk to so many interesting people from different cultural backgrounds widens your perspectives on things, and that is without a doubt one of the most important teachings of Erasmus.

This is the way to go from the beginning, because when you are in a new city and do not know anyone at first, you should be as receptive and embracing as possible to all invitations and suggestions given to you for possible hangouts. The fun is limitless! Though it definitely does not mean that you should go crazy about it and want to do everything just for the sake of going out with people…

Plus, everyone is (or has been) in the same position, so you should not be scared to approach people – no matter what, you will certainly make friends. And some of them will become your Erasmus buddies, with whom you will get closer and will want to spend most of your time, which includes a lot of going out plans!

After a while on the Erasmus atmosphere, it will be more of your interest to be hanging out with your closest friends and have those memories together actually count and last. At the end of the day, real connections that you can carry on after Erasmus will be far more interesting than simply making casual acquaintances… At least I felt that way and I stand by it, even if I also had some amazing nights with other groups of people.

Like everything in life, going out during Erasmus requires balance (and energy, and money regardless, because things happen every week), so it is also very good to mix things up and enjoy other settings that are not necessarily tailor-made just for Erasmus students. Because it can for sure become too much of a comfortable zone, which certainly opposes to the sense of living the “Erasmus life” that is meant to be free and all about experiencing many different things and expanding our horizons.

Erasmus people are not the only ones you can meet and with whom hang out during Erasmus, which is something I am super grateful about my experience because I also had the chance to spend time and make plans with the people from the lab where I was doing my Master Dissertation.

Anyway, without further ado, here is my top 5 nightspots to go out dancing!

PS: I decided not to include that many pictures in this article because you can just search online for the places and scroll through a multitude of thrilling photos of the dancefloors, lounge, bars, etc in the clubs.

5. Le Banque

This is, without a doubt, one of the most stylish nightclubs in Milano! Le Banque opened doors in an old bank building located near Piazza Cordusio (which is as central as it gets), displaying an inspiration from the opulent French style of Louis XIV which spans a sense of sophistication and exclusiveness.

Saturday@LeBanque (Photo taken in February 2018)

Until 23h30 the place functions as a restaurant (also hosting a diversified, and of excellent quality, happy hour buffet), whose elegance then gets transloaded into the club’s atmosphere, spread over two rooms, creating the perfect setting for an unforgettable evening.

In my opinion, Le Banque offers an utterly fascinating scenario, where you feel free of inhibitions and ready to let loose dancing to the rhythms of the latest (and some classic) commercial hits. We used to get up on the small tables around the dancefloor all the time and dance euphorically…

From my time in town, the most requested Erasmus night was probably Saturday@LeBanque – 10€ with 2 drinks showing the ESN card – and I can promise, from the two times I went, that you will have an amazing night out!

Exiting the club at 5 am one night. (Photo taken in February 2018)

What differentiates Le Banque from other clubs is the luxury touch without being more expensive, being an absolute success amongst the student crowd. For sure, a mandatory nightclub to try out in Milano!

Nonetheless, sometimes the music playing lacks renewal from night to night, so it can get a bit boring to go there many weeks in a row. Also to notice is that they start to repeat songs even before closing hours are coming, which for me totally kills the mood and makes me want to leave earlier. And sometimes it can get a bit too full of people, which makes it hard to circulate around and wait long in line at the bar and bathroom.

Still, I find Le Banque one of the pearls of the Milanese disco scene, being a place where you should head on your first Erasmus nights out. You feel supreme right from the start - even the entrance stamp is a crown - and get a grip of how things are done with Erasmus deals.

4. Hollywood Rythmoteque & The Club

Well, I could not decide…

I remember going to both clubs on Erasmus nights as well and the vibe was pretty cool - Tuesday@Hollywood and Thursday@TheClub. The places were not too crowded, and you could dance freely in your own space – which is something I very much appreciate because it is absolutely annoying to be constantly bumped by people.

Hollywood and The Club are popular choices in the busy area of Porta Nuova Garibaldi (you can check out a really interesting article on this subject here, my writings! ) because of their modern design and well-arranged element disposition. For a fact, both places look super appealing!

These clubs have one main room “downstairs”, and even though it is not crazy huge, everything is fashionably accommodated, and in a way that allows you to move around easily between zones, including going to the bar and restroom and without having to wait long there - for me this is a very relevant factor to consider. With this, you can really enjoy all night stress free!

The music style was mainly Reggaeton at Hollywood (at least that night), which I highly appreciated, and, if I remember correctly, at The Club it was more of a mixed setting between Hip-Hop/Trap, Commercial and House.

For The Club we actually decided to go dressed “Emo style”, all black, that we thought would go along with its scene, which is a bit more to the underground style – I was definitely not looking my ordinary self, which is why it was such a hysterical idea!

Thursday@TheClub (Photo taken in April 2018)

Hollywood, on the other hand, is quite colorful, with flashy lights irradiating everywhere, and the atmosphere is more flamboyant. Indeed, picking up on the name, it is usually in high demand for celebrities (but obviously not on Erasmus nights) and you might just spot a football player or a model…

Tuesday@Hollywood (Photo taken in April 2018)

If there is anything to mention on the down side is that The Club sort of has this reputation of being a place where guys try a lot to hit on girls, which can get really annoying at one point if you are not interested at all in that and just want to hang out with your friends. You might visualize as well some pretty disturbing public display of affection, so my suggestion is to get a bit away from the sofa areas and dance closer to the DJ booth where you can better feel the high energy of the place.

Anyway, both nights out were overall really great! We paid 10€ for 2 drinks and were there until closing time around 5 am, which means that above anything, we had an awesome time!

I honestly wish I hadgone more times to these two clubs, and on different days of the week, because several other promoted events seemed quite promising...

3. Alcatraz

Alcatraz is the biggest club in Milano, and one of the most well-known. The space is gigantic, able to fit over 3000 people and highly requested for hosting a variety of events besides serving as disco, which include fashion shows, congresses, tv productions and private galas.

Every evening is different themed at Alcatraz. But no matter what goes on, you can count for it to havean electrifying spirit! The weekend is always set to be explosive: Friday Notorious and Saturday All You Can Beat are all-time favorites of the nightlife scene in Milano.

Locacita night - Notorious@Alcatraz. (Photo taken in February 2018)

Selfie time from the stage! (Photo taken in February 2018)

And because one or two rooms would not be enough, Alcatraz has a third one to make sure everyone sees its musical preferences attended! In fact, the three areas are dedicated to different genres, mainly divided into Reggaeton/Latin vibe, Techno, and hits from 80’s - 00’s.

This is the main aspect for Alcatraz to be high up on this top 5 - amazing variety! If you get tired of the style at some moment you can just switch rooms and, instead of leaving, carry on the night. Plus, you will never feel smuthered by people dancing in a tiny space, quite the contrary (even if its crowded) since it is crazy spacious!

A small con is that it does not have any esthetics whatsoever, also not presenting any loung section - there is not a single sofa or table in this factory-style humongous place - and the bathroom becomes rapidly a mess, since being just one and not that big, it is not adequate for the amount of people in the club.

The bar service is very keen as well, and I recall that here we would often “get away” with requests supposedly not allowed on the drink coupons given at the entrance, for instances Mojito and Vodka Red Bull. Maybe it was the bartenders that were really nice…

Fun times @Alcatraz! (Photo taken in May 2018)

Because of its high demand, Alcatraz often steeps the entrance prices for 15€ or 20€ between 1 am and 2:30 am (sometimes with only 1 drink), but you can also be lucky to show up and have it the “normal Erasmus way” - it all depends on the night/event and if something more extraordinary is happening, for instances an invited DJ.

The main drawback about Alcatraz is that its location in the city is not the most recommended one... Nearby the railway tracks of Zona Farini, in between Zara and Maciachini, it is not surprising if you came across drug dealers and prostitutes, moreover being often an area of robberies, so you should avoid walking there alone, especially late at night.

Regardless, Alcatraz is guaranteed entertainment, you can rest assured! I went four times, so I know what I am talking about…It is all about having fun and enjoying yourself!

2. Old Fashion

Locatedright next to Trienale in Parco Sempione, which is an awesome area, and of easy access from Cadorna metro stop, Old Fashion deserves to be on everyone’s top choices. It is probably the most famous nightclub in the city, actually referred as an historical place for the movement “Milano by night” since 1933.

In all excitement of going out, I find Old Fashion insanely incredible. I honestly cannot think of anything less good about it to even refer... I love how the design is modern and refined, yet still minimalist, allowing to set a casual mood. No sense of pretension whatsoever. The atmosphere is thrilling from the moment you get!

Also great is that Old Fashion also works as a restaurant. To paraphrase their own description: “the proposed cuisine is Italian with foreign ethnic influences, thus to always serve something different but at the same time traditional. ” And obviously I had a taste of it, when we came one time for the happy hour buffet dedicated to Erasmus students.

Wednesday@Old Fashion is always an excellent choice for University nights. Besides the classic Erasmus entrance deal after 1 am, you can also pay 10€ for the aperitivo until 23h30, which includes 1 drink.

Adding to this, if you are attentive on social media, you will learn that there is often the possibility to get additional drink vouchers from International Week volunteers (if they are there), for a discount on the normal price listed at the bar.

Wednesday@OldFashion - ESN Welcoming Day. (Photo taken in February 2018)

In comparison with all other places I have mentioned so far, this is the first one to occupy an outside area as well, where everything looks beyond marvellous. And the garden is so big that it could fit two other clubs there… Seriously. This lovely bonus only gets to be used during the summer period (starting from May until September), but all year-round Old Fashion is just as attractive, presenting two vibrant rooms inside plus a terrace. Both interior and exterior, the lightning creates such an ambiance that makes the place feel mystical...

Because I came to Old Fashion on so many nights from February to July, I got to experience several different setups and see the place at its finest glory, evermore growing by each time we went!

It was actually the first club I came to, on the very first week in Milano, and the one I chose for my birthday post-Aperitivo celebration in late May. Both those times were on a Friday, which is, alongside Saturday, their mainstream night, receiving mainly 20-30-year-olds and playing a mix of everything from Reggaeton to old Pop hits to House.

First night out in Milano - Friday@OldFashion. (Photo taken in February 2018)

Enjoying the nice outside area on my birthday party. (Photo taken in May 2018)

On Sunday and Monday, the picture is different though: it is more exclusive to the national and international jet set, which means if you want to get in you will have to pay more than usual…

Whether you are a celebrity or not, Old Fashion is the classical choice for going out in style. Accordingly, the dress code is casual chic, and definetely to be followed by rule if you want to get in, more than in any other club.

It is undeniably one of the best nightclubs in Milano. The parties are extensively reckognized by their superior quality, and if you have the chance to go in the Summer you will see that they get even more frequented!

Partying at Old Fashion is a must and you will not get disappointed! I remember fondly all occasions here. Nothing but amazing memories with some of my dearest friends from Erasmus!

1. B38

Thinking how could any place beat the last one? Well, maybe not for everyone but for me this one managed to do the trick! In my purest belief, B38 is the reflection of all you can ask for in a nightclub.

It is located nearby Cimiterio Monumentale, which in despite of sounding a bit creepy in terms of surroundings for a club, in reality it gets overshadowed by the fact that: one, this cemetery is more of a monument museum than anything; two, not much further long one finds himself in the futuristic Centro Direzionale.

The space is extraordinarily conceived, with tremendous care for details and a beautiful conjunction of architectonic elements as I did not see anywhere else.

To build on it, the music style revolves mainly around commercial hits from the moment, mixing Pop, Reggaeton and House into an energetic flow that makes you want to dance non-stop while happily absorbing a glamorous atmosphere.

Even if it is more pleasant on the summer thanks to the main dancefloor being out in the open - whose entrance looks like an exotic private/forbidden garden, so captivating that you could shed a tear of excitement and joy (just look it up online, because I do not have a picture of my own for much of my sadness) - it also has several floors up with smaller dancing areas and the access to the VIP terraces, making it suitable as well for the colder months.

On the outside area, the pavement is made of transparent glass allowing for the effect of the water mirror below to become another modern aspect of the club. The lounge zone is super well placed around, giving the sense of a beachy refuge because of the many palm trees, thus enhancing even more a summer vibe that is already so alluring. Inside, it is all about mirrors.

At my natural habitat. (Photo taken in June 2018)

B38 has gotten trendier and trendier in the last couple of years, even hosting the closing event for the 2018 Design Week held in April. It portrays a charismatic environment, and you will certainly spend a delightful evening here. I sure did! Though it has become nowadays the freshest addition to the Meneghin sports, artistic and tv club star system of club selection, B38 is for everyone.

Another thing I loved from my night here was that we did not pay a dime and even got one drink ticket! Saturday@B38 is free for the ladies until 00h30, so as Sunday, whereas on Friday, which is also a very popular night, it costs 10€.

It was simply perfect because we had already done some pre-drinking at my apartment and so all we wanted was to hit the dancefloor, not necessarily needing to have more cocktails... Also considering that we had lost the last metro on M5 line and had to walk to the club, so when we got there we were just hoping for the night not to end earlier than expected with some crazy entrance price request…

Sadly, I only came once to this club, but since that ended up being the last night out, with one of my closest Erasmus girlfriends, it was an amazing way to end our 5 months together, truly living our best lives.

Saturday@B38 - the last proper night out dancing. (Photo taken in June 2018)

For everything mentioned, and for the fact that it was the only nightclub that fully lived to all of my expectations (based off so much I had hear about it), B38 takes the number one award for my all-time favorite.

It is a prime choice for summertime fun!

That is it!

I have given you some of my best Erasmus tips about going out in Milano, but there are many other nightspots where I have been as well (for example, Loolapaloosa, Casa della Musica, Just Cavalli), that despite not making my favorites, were still, in most cases, a lot of fun. And obviously, there are several other clubs where I wish I had gone too...

PS: You might be surprised that Just Cavalli does not figure on my list, but the truth is that I did not like it at all. In fact, that night was a total fail for the really high expectations I had, and so I did not (nor want to) go back. Not because of any particular cirscumstances happening, it was simply the club itself that was a mess, in my opinion, and it left a general feeling of discontentement - the place, the music, the environment, nothing worked out for me that night.

Since I will be back in Milano soon, I will definetely check out some new places! For instances, I am extremely curious to go out to Nepentha, Gate, 11 Clubroom, ClubHaus 80's and The Beach... And they might just steal a spot on my top 5!

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