Underneath the anonymous skyscrapers of Porta Garibaldi, a typical Milanese casa di ringhiera has remained. In this building one finds a very welcoming place, called Gorille. They make you feel at home here, from early morning to late at night. Being here makes you almost forget you are surrounded by the contemporary city.
Café Gorille
Via G. de Castillia, 20 | Milano
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From Tuesday to Thursday and Sunday from 8am to midnight. Friday and Saturday open to 1am.
Other than a jungle
The name of this place, Gorille, immediately makes you think of a tropical and very chaotical place. None of this is true and you will understand this as soon as you enter the bar The welcoming atmosphere of Gorille, situated in an historic casa di ringhiera is evoked by the bricks left visible, the bar in the center covered with tiles typically like by hipsters and the warm and comfortable light.
Once isolated, now the centre of the world
Until a few decades ago, the building in which Gorille is housed now, was on the border of abandoned railway tracks that separated the neighborhood Isola from the rest of the city of Milan. This part of the city was reactivated only with he conclusion of the construction of the area around Porta Garibaldi and Porta Nuova. Not in the last place because of the opening of the Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest by Milanese architect Stefano Boeri) and more recently the Biblioteca degli Alberi, the newest park of Milan open since autumn 2018.
A day as it should be
Luckily, even though the neighborhood is very young, some old structures survived. Amongst them the building which is now inhabited by Gorille. The place is like a home where you are welcome all day long. Early in the morning you can enjoy a freshly baked brioche or a cake made in their own kitchen (you have to try this!). You can sit down at the big table at situated in the back of Gorille to read a newspaper while enjoying a good selection of music. If you want to do some work, then use the high table in the entrance. Ah, this one is also perfect for work meetings.
Something special
Gorille is the place to go when you look for an original lunch. The menu changes from day to day, but it has one thing that never changes: they have original and healthy proposals with good flavours and ingredients of the season. During the weekend the brunch (offered besides the ‘a-la-carte menu’) attracts families and groups of friends. They have an open kitchen, so if you are curious and want to understand how your dishes are made, don’t hesitate to take a look or ask the chef from more info.
Also for the aperitivo Gorille has a lot to offer. They don’t have just one speciality, they are experts in both wine and beer as well as in mixing cocktails. It is thus easy to satisfy the needs of everyone here.
A place to discover
It is not very well known, however Gorille is always full of people, especially during lunch and for aperitivo. Hidden between the contemporary city and underneath the Bosco Verticale, you don’t expect to find a place of this kind here. It is the atmosphere that they have created here, mixed with the kind staff and the perfect offer of food and drink that make it special. I can’t say anything else then ‘go and see it for yourself’ and you will understand!
All images © 2018 Inge de Boer
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