Don’t want to study by yourself? Go to a café
Other students do it as well. In this article, we discuss three good cafes near Cattolica University, so you don’t have to worry about finding the best one anymore.
By Daphne Stolwijk & Joséphine Mauvisseau
Here in Milan, it is no problem at all to take your laptop into a cafe and do your homework while enjoying a cappuccino and a brioche. A lot of cafes are full of students, especially the ones close to the universities.
California bakery — Via San Vittore, 2, 20123 Milano
A one minute walk from the international building of Universita Cattolica, and a two minute walk from the main building Largo Gemelli, you will find a branch of the California Bakery. The green umbrellas and the big sign that says ‘free wifi’ must be inviting for students, because there are always a lot of them working there. Once you are inside, you know you made the right decision to sit here when you see the cakes and cookies showcased.
“Students are here every day”, a waiter tells us. “I think they like the atmosphere here, it is good.” She says that students can stay as long as they want and just drink some water or a coffee, but when it is lunchtime, they have to order lunch. “That is from 12.30, but most of the students arrive at 9 o’clock and go to their classes later in the day.” A big pro is that there is free wifi in this cafe, the waiter laughs.
You can find a California bakery in a lot of places in Milan, especially close to universities, like Cattolica, Statale and Bocconi. The opening times in the week are 8–20:00, and on the weekends 9–20:00.
Charlotte, a French student who is studying in California Bakery, is enjoying her coffee on a Tuesday morning. “I come here a lot before class”, she says. “It is close to my University, Cattolica.” Charlotte stays there for two hours to work, while she works, she orders a cup of coffee and a water. Sometimes, she eats breakfast there as well. “But not every day, because that would be too expensive for me…”. She enjoys this place, because the atmosphere is good and is relaxed. “The coffee is good, and not so expensive. I also like that I have free wifi and I like to hear other people around me working, talking and laughing.”
Niro Meet Bar — Via Nirone, 7, 20123 Milano
Another place where you will find a lot of students working is Niro Meet Bar. On the terrace outside, people are enjoying coffee and aperols with snacks. What passers-by don’t see when they look inside, is that there are stairs that lead to a basement. In that basement, you can find groups of students brainstorming together, writing essays and having a good time while also studying. There are enough tables and chairs where you can work on your own or in a group scene. Francesco works at Niro and tells us why it is a popular place. “The university is near, that is why a lot of people come here to study. The huge room downstairs is a good place, a lot of people are using it every day.” Then Francesco has to get back to work, since it is a busy time this morning.
There are some things to keep in mind when you want to study here at Niro:
- On saturdays and sundays, Niro is closed;
- Before 12 o’clock, students can just drink coffee and work at the same time. But after that, they have to eat something to stay.
- From 14:30, students can study and drink coffee again. But of course, that is the time to get some aperitivo as well…
- The opening hours are 7:00–22:00 every weekday
Luca is from Mexico, and it is his first time here in Niro. “I have been in Milan for two weeks now, so I am still figuring out all the good places”, he explains. “This looks like a good place to study, especially in the basement where there are other people studying as well. That is motivating for me.” Today, Luca is here with some classmates for a group assignment. “We came here because we heard that this is also a good place to do aperitivo. So first we work, and then we have some fun after and drink some spritz.”
Nowhere — Via Caminadella, 15, 20123 Milano
A little pink cafe is hidden away in a big, otherwise pretty gray and boring street, but do not walk past here without going in! Why? First, the coffee is amazing. You have a choice of which coffee you want: Colombian, Ethiopian or brazilian. They don’t serve it with sugar, because they say it is not needed… You will have to try for yourself to know if that is true. “Students come here to work every day”, a waiter says. “They are allowed to stay as long as they order some coffee.” When it gets too busy to sit at a table for two by yourself, the waiter asks students to sit at the table against the window. There are some plugs to charge your laptops and phone, so it is a good place to sit for a while and look out the window to find some inspiration and motivation. On the weekends, it gets really busy in ‘Nowhere’. “Then it’s crazy here”, the waiter laughs. “So on the weekends, we usually don’t allow students to work here for a long time.” So during the week, you can enjoy it here. Who wants to study on the weekend anyways?
People have access to free wifi, this is important if you want to work. The opening hours are 8.30–17:00 during tuesday till friday, 9.30–17:00 on saturday and 9:30–16:00 on sundays. A real coffee place!
Moreover, the atmosphere is very nice. There is some music, but not too loud, so it’s a good compromise to work in this place. If you want a better idea of the vibe, you can take a look on their instagram. It has 6000 followers, which paints a pretty good picture of the popularity of this little pink cafe!
Another pretty good picture of that is the reviews on Google. It has 4,8 stars, with 155 reviews.
Even more places
In this article, we can see that there are more addresses where students can work in Milan. They are specifically located around universities, but they are located all over the city, so you can easily find a place near your home. Some places that were discussed in this article:
- Starbucks Reserve Roastery Milano
- Tenoha Milano
- Milano Roastery
- Coffice
- Eataly
- Red
- Arnold Coffee
Now you know where to go when you want to study in any other place than home or at the library. If you are an (exchange) student from Cattolica, these are the places that are close to you, so definitely check them out. Any other student as well of course, especially go to a California Bakery near your own university. Good luck with studying, and don’t forget to have some fun as well!
