Riding with a smile since 1998: Le Biciclette Art Bar & Bistrot celebrates 28 years
The festivities kicked off on Wednesday, June 10, the day the historic Milanese art bar celebrated its anniversary with music, food, toasts, and the atmosphere that has made it one of the iconic spots of creative Milan since 1998.
Some follow trends, while others simply anticipate them. In 1998, when the aperitif hadn’t yet become a global ritual and concept stores belonged more to the imagination than to the urban landscape, Ugo Fava opened Le Biciclette Art Bar & Bistrot: a place destined to become one of the most recognizable spots in creative, international Milan.
Housed in a former bicycle shop, the venue served its first aperitifs in a cool but understated atmosphere, evolving over the years into a gathering place for artists, musicians, designers, photographers, students, professionals, and visionaries. Ideas still in their infancy have passed through its tables, now becoming established careers, projects, and brands.
Twenty-eight years after its opening, Le Biciclette Art Bar & Bistrot invited Milan to celebrate with a special evening featuring music, food, toasts, and that authentic conviviality that has made this historic art bar one of the city’s most beloved spots since 1998.
For the occasion, the bistro presented a selection of its most iconic dishes: from the famous Bürgher de Milan with luganega sausage, savoy cabbage, and gorgonzola to the artisanal, slow-rising pinsa, along with eggplant meatballs, teriyaki salmon, agnolotti, and dishes designed to be shared over a cocktail or a glass of wine.
The urban garden that transformed Via Torti
The party also took place at Garden Le Biciclette, the urban outdoor space that, since 2020, has transformed Via Torti in the Ticinese/San Lorenzo neighborhood into a small green oasis in the heart of Milan.
Instead of parked cars, the restaurant has created a welcoming space, with small tables set out along the sidewalk and surrounded by plants and flowers, foreshadowing an urban trend inspired by New York’s liveliest neighborhoods.
Here you can dine or enjoy an aperitif in a relaxed and informal atmosphere, accompanied by pleasant background music. On milder evenings, the scent of jasmine mingles with the city air, creating a charming and welcoming atmosphere: ideal for a dinner with friends, a romantic date, or simply to enjoy a moment of tranquility outdoors.
For many Milanese, the Garden has become a small urban retreat where greenery, music, and conviviality come together, offering the feeling of being far from city traffic while remaining in the heart of the city.
A place that anticipated today’s Milan
One of Italy’s first art bars, Le Biciclette has, from the very beginning, successfully combined art, design, music, and conviviality in an innovative and international format, becoming over the years a go-to spot for creatives, artists, musicians, and enthusiasts of Milan’s nightlife.
Artists now recognized internationally have graced its walls; and its stage has hosted emerging talents who went on to become leading figures in the contemporary music scene. But above all, Le Biciclette has preserved a rare quality over time: making people feel they are in the right place at the right time.
Today, 28 years after its opening, this historic Milanese venue continues to be much more than just a bar: it is a piece of the city, a meeting place, a home open to everyone.
Because Le Biciclette isn’t just an address to jot down in your planner: it’s one of those places that, year after year, has managed to navigate Milan without chasing trends, remaining true to its own identity. An art bar born before certain words became trendy, which grew alongside the city and is still capable today of welcoming, surprising, and bringing a smile to your face.
Since 1998, always in the saddle. With the same free spirit as back then.
