Best Craft Beer Bars in Milan

Founded in 1996, Birrificio Lambrate was one of the first craft microbreweries in Italy and remains the gold standard for Milan's craft beer scene. The tap room in the Lambrate neighbourhood pours 10 to 14 house-brewed beers at any one time, IPAs, saisons, stouts, and seasonal specials that have collected awards at international competitions. The food menu is genuinely excellent: the brewery kitchen produces Italian-inflected bar food that sustains a long beer session without effort. The brewmaster personally presents new releases most Friday evenings. Pioneer

Craft Beer Brothers put a serious beer bar into the heart of Brera, a neighbourhood better known for cocktails and aperitivo than ale. The result is a 20-tap bar with an intelligent rotating selection of Italian and international craft beers, selected by a team that attends brewing festivals across Europe and updates the list monthly. The Brera location means the crowd is mixed between committed craft beer drinkers and curious aperitivo-goers who end up staying longer than planned. The food is pub-style but competently executed. 20 Taps

A small but focused tap bar in the Navigli district with a commitment to Italian independent breweries that most bars in the city do not match. The Box stocks only Italian craft beers, 16 taps and an extensive bottle list representing breweries from Alto Adige, Piedmont, Lombardy, and Campania. The staff can describe the flavour profile, brewing process, and ideal food pairing for every beer on the list. A useful bar for those who want to understand Italian craft brewing across its regional variations. Italian Only

Isola's best craft beer bar operates with the neighbourhood's characteristic combination of creative enthusiasm and deliberate informality. Lucky Truck stocks 18 rotating taps with a bias toward hop-forward American-influenced styles alongside Italian producers who have absorbed that influence and added their own character. The bar is dog-friendly, the staff welcoming, and the atmosphere reliably lively on Thursday through Saturday evenings. A natural complement to an Isola evening that began at Blue Note or Bravi Ragazzi nearby. Isola

A Porta Romana beer specialist with genuine knowledge and an unusually deep cellar list alongside the 12-tap draught selection. Hopificio stocks rare Italian bottle-conditioned ales and Belgian lambics alongside the fresh-pour programme, giving serious beer drinkers options that most bars in the city cannot provide. The cheese and charcuterie selection is sourced from Italian artisan producers and pairs thoughtfully with the beer list. Lower profile than the Brera and Isola bars but consistently one of the best selections in the city. Cellar List

A genuine brew pub in Isola with a small in-house brewing operation producing 4 to 6 house beers alongside a guest tap selection. The brewing kit is visible behind glass from the bar, and the head brewer is usually present Thursday through Saturday to discuss current and upcoming releases. The food programme is more ambitious than most brew pubs, the kitchen produces proper meals rather than bar snacks. The house pilsner and the seasonal wheat beer regularly draw comparison to the best in the country from committed craft beer drinkers. Brew Pub

The outdoor courtyard of the BASE arts centre hosts a seasonal beer garden from April to September with a rotating craft selection of 8 taps. The industrial setting, former Ansaldo factory space, and the Tortona design-crowd clientele make it one of the more aesthetically interesting places to drink in the city. The beer selection is curated from northern Italian breweries with occasional guest appearances from international producers. Food trucks operate in the courtyard on Friday evenings during the summer programme. Outdoor

A hybrid that serves serious Italian craft beer alongside an equally serious natural wine list, a combination that matches the Monforte neighbourhood's mix of financial and creative professionals. The 10 craft taps feature Italian microbreweries alongside a curated bottle list. The natural wine selection is equally thoughtful. Useful for groups where beer and wine preferences diverge. The charcuterie board is among the best in the neighbourhood and the staff navigates both programmes with genuine authority. Beer and Wine

Pub Dorian operates at the more traditional end of Milan's craft beer scene, a proper pub atmosphere, affordable pints, and a selection focused on drinkability over novelty. The 12 taps rotate through Belgian, British, and Italian styles and the bottled selection goes considerably deeper than most pubs in the city. The crowd mixes expats, students, and Italian craft beer drinkers who prefer an atmosphere without design pretension. Prices are notably lower than the Isola and Brera bars. Open until 2am most nights. Affordable

A bottle shop that doubles as a bar, the walls are stacked with Italian and international craft bottles that you can buy to take home or open at the bar with a small corkage fee. The 8 draught taps feature the best current Italian releases. The staff's knowledge of the stock is exceptional: describe what you like and they will find something from the shelves that you have never heard of and will want to drink again. One of the best places in Milan to discover new Italian breweries. Bottle Shop

A Ticinese district bar that has expanded its wine-centric original offering to include a considered craft beer selection from smaller Italian producers. The 8 taps change monthly and lean toward sours, farmhouse ales, and darker winter styles when the season calls for it. The interior, stone walls, candlelight, unhurried atmosphere, makes it a natural evening venue for those who started aperitivo elsewhere in the neighbourhood. Pairs well with a late-evening visit after dinner at one of the nearby Navigli restaurants. Ticinese

A Porta Ticinese tap bar focused exclusively on Italian craft producers, 14 taps rotating through IPAs, pils, wheat beers, and seasonal releases from breweries across the peninsula. The bar's narrow interior and outdoor canal-adjacent tables make it a natural part of any Navigli circuit. The staff communicate clearly about tasting notes and food pairings and there is no pressure to order quickly. Best visited in the early evening when the Navigli crowds have not yet peaked. Italian Craft Only