Milan doesn't cater to tourists. Its many pleasures are intended mainly for the Milanese, who are expert at making -- and spending -- money. This is the home, after all, of Armani and Prada. But step outside the central shopping district and you'll find a growing number of stores that showcase young fashion and furniture designers.

WHERE TO STAY

Andreola Central (24 Via Domenico Scarlatti; 011-39-02- 670-9141; www.andreolahotel.it), on a quiet street near Central Station, is a steal. Rooms are small, but service is expansive. Doubles from $148.

Park Hyatt (1 Via Tommaso Grossi; 011-39-02-8821-1234; www.milan.park.hyatt.com) is just a few feet from the tourist-packed Duomo and, yet, thanks to its courtyard design, feels utterly secluded. Doubles from $762.

WHERE TO EAT

Brera is one of the city's quaintest neighborhoods, and La Torre di Pisa is one of Brera's quaintest restaurants, a Tuscan-style trattoria that's always packed (21/5 Via Fiori Chiari; 011-39-02-874-877; www.trattoriatorredipisa.it). You can't go wrong with the wonderfully spicy spaghetti alla puttanesca (around $15) and the Robespierre, a hot platter of sliced Fiorentina steak, potatoes and vegetables (around $80 for two).

Kitchen (7 Via Domenico Scarlatti; 011-39-02-2951-3679) is a terrific Italian restaurant with an Asian staff, an increasingly common sight in a city that imports much of its labor. Serve yourself from the cold antipasto bar; a plate piled high with shrimp, calamari and succulent cooked vegetables is about $8.50.

For some of Milan's best people and architecture watching, get an outdoor table at Biffi at the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II (011-39-02-805- 7961; www.biffigalleria.it), under the great glass dome. Order a glass of wine and the osso buco with risotto Milanese (about $40).

WHERE TO SHOP

Prada, Dolce & Gabbana and Bulgari. You may have bought them at your local mall, but it's time to pay homage at the mother ships along Via Della Spiga. A short cab ride away is another retail strip, Corso Como, anchored by 10 Corso Como (011-39-02-654-831), a fabled boutique where you can watch customers fight over 300-euro ($470) tank tops. You'll fare better at its nearby outlet store (3 Via Tazzoli), where relative sanity prevails: a gray T-shirt by Alexander McQueen was marked down on a recent visit to a mere $160. For labels that nobody has heard of (yet), sneak over to Via Maroncelli, where you'll find some of the city's most innovative furniture and fashion stores.

-- FRED A. BERNSTEIN

Travel Times

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