Milan’s wildest watering hole hiding in plain sight on Via Niccolini.
Intro
Saloon of The Artists is one of those Milan spots that feels slightly out of place in the best possible way. Just off the Paolo Sarpi area, it swaps the usual polished aperitivo aesthetic for something more theatrical: wood, warm lights, saloon-style details — a Wild West-themed wooden pub sandwiched between bubble tea shops and Cantonese restaurants. The name on the map stops you in your tracks. The interior keeps you there for three more drinks than planned.
This isn’t a trendy mixology theatre that reinvents itself every season with a new cocktail menu and a Pantone color palette. It is a pub with personality, built around beer, easygoing drinks, and a community-driven crowd that has made it a familiar stop for people moving between Chinatown, Monumentale, and the wider Sarpi nightlife zone. For a night out that feels casual but still memorable, Saloon of The Artists has its own lane.
The Vibe
The setup channels a proper Wild West saloon — vintage, wooden, full of character, and presided over by Baba, the owner, who is reportedly a legend. There’s a reason regulars call this place theirs. A working fireplace anchors the space in winter, and the crowd skews local — not tourist-local, but neighborhood-local, which in Sarpi means a genuinely mixed, creative, multilingual bunch.
On Wednesdays, the place opens up painting and live music sessions — instruments and art supplies free for anyone who shows up. It’s the kind of low-ego cultural programming that no PR agency could manufacture. The walls carry artwork, the clientele carries conversations, and the bartenders carry the whole thing together with notable ease.
The Drinks
The craft beer selection is the main event — an impressive rotation on tap, sourced from breweries across Northern Italy, with enough variety to keep even a committed beer nerd occupied across multiple visits. Prices are seriously fair for Milan. Cocktails are solid, and the shots are the stuff of local legend — absurdly named things like “Finger in the A**”, “Brain”, “Nippleteaser”, “Trinity”, and “Stomach”, most of them under two euros.
There’s a whole wall of drinking rituals and games — ask the bartender to walk you through them, or don’t, and let the evening reveal them organically. Snacks are available — nothing elaborate, but enough to pace yourself through the night. One bonus: arrive by bike and tell the bartender. They’ll pour you a random free shot. That is either the best or the worst cycling incentive scheme in Milan, depending on your route home.
The Verdict
Saloon of The Artists earns its reputation the hard way — through consistency, personality, and pricing that doesn’t punish you for a spontaneous Tuesday night out. It’s not polished, not curated for Instagram (though people inevitably do), and completely unbothered by that. In a neighborhood that’s increasingly on the radar of visitors, this bar quietly remains a place where locals actually want to be.
Come for the craft beer, stay for the shots, leave with a new friend or a mildly embarrassing story. Either outcome is valid. The Saloon doesn’t judge.
Saloon of The Artists
📍 Address: Via Giovanni Battista Niccolini 24, Milan
🌐 Website: saloonmilano.it | Facebook: Saloon of the Artists
Have you tried Saloon of The Artists yet? Let us know your opinion, and do not forget to bookmark chinatownmilano.it for more bars and nightlife around the city and follow us on social media @chinatownmilano.it.