A historic place
Bar Quadronno is a historic establishment in Milan. It’s widely recognized as the city’s first late-night sandwich shop. The first, as it’s been around since 1964, the year its inventor, Faravelli, a highly experienced and renowned bartender, invented the sandwich filled with delicacies and various sauces, or incredible innovations for the time, like the smoked salmon sandwich or canapé, or even myths and legends like the monkey ham sandwich, which was actually nothing more than a chamois ham.
Until then, ordering a sandwich at a bar in Milan meant settling for a michetta with salami, or ham and cheese. Since then, it has been a crescendo of successes, which established the sandwich shop as a cult venue in Milan’s nightlife during the 1970s and 1980s.
Frequented by the entertainment world and, consequently, by anyone looking to experience the nightlife that counts, the fame of Bar Quadronno, despite its tiny size and limited seating (at the time, the bar had three windows and five tables), began to grow year after year, first crossing city and regional borders, and eventually becoming known as the legendary sandwich bar throughout Italy.
The seventies
Towards the end of the 1970s, the place was taken over by new owners who undertook an initial renovation, giving it an all-wood exterior, featuring a barrel-like interior where thousands of bottles of wine and spirits were stored to the ceiling. Hams and various cured meats often hung from the ceiling.
Current ownership
In the early 1980s, in 1981 to be precise, the current ownership began, with the management of the Colucci family, who have been responsible for maintaining the restaurant’s good name for over 40 years.
Under its current management, Bar Quadronno has undergone two transformations. First, it expanded with the addition of two windows and new furnishings, then expanded with a new dining room and another window overlooking Corso di Porta Vicentina. Finally, the opening of Quadronno Garden, a small dining room with a green feel.
Current ownership
In the early 1980s, in 1981 to be precise, the current ownership began, with the management of the Colucci family, who have been responsible for maintaining the restaurant’s good name for over 40 years.
Under its current management, Bar Quadronno has undergone two transformations. First, it expanded with the addition of two windows and new furnishings, then expanded with a new dining room and another window overlooking Corso di Porta Vicentina. Finally, the opening of Quadronno Garden, a small dining room with a green feel.
Frequented by the entertainment world and, consequently, by anyone looking to experience the nightlife that counts, the fame of Bar Quadronno, despite its tiny size and limited seating (at the time, the bar had three windows and five tables), began to grow year after year, first crossing city and regional borders, and eventually becoming known as the legendary sandwich bar throughout Italy.
The seventies
Towards the end of the 1970s, the place was taken over by new owners who undertook an initial renovation, giving it an all-wood exterior, featuring a barrel-like interior where thousands of bottles of wine and spirits were stored to the ceiling. Hams and various cured meats often hung from the ceiling.
Quadronno Bag
If you follow Matthieu Blazy’s Instagram Stories, you’ll have noticed that he often spends afternoons at Bar Quadronno, a place that bears no resemblance to Milan’s typical trendy spots. With its rustic decor and a boar’s head decoration, the bar is far removed from exclusive restaurants or glamorous locations. Yet, Bottega Veneta’s creative director couldn’t resist the “Old Milan” charm of one of Milan’s oldest and most famous bars, dedicating a bag to it: the “Quadronno Bag.”
From the 80s to today
In the early 1980s, a new change of ownership brought about the current ownership, first under the management of Angelo Gangitano and then Angelo Costantini, who have been responsible for maintaining the restaurant’s good name for over 40 years.
Countless attempts at imitation
It’s also arguably the sandwich shop with the list of sandwiches that boasts countless imitations. Indeed, regular gluttons, both Milanese and otherwise, will have noticed that the names of the sandwiches, and especially their ingredients, magically appear on the lists of other now-famous and well-frequented establishments in Milan. But it’s worth remembering that all the delightfully elaborate names and ingredients (like the ubiquitous Praga Completo) originate from that original list created by Faravelli way back in 1964.
From the 80s to today
In the early 1980s, a new change of ownership brought about the current ownership, first under the management of Angelo Gangitano and then Angelo Costantini, who have been responsible for maintaining the restaurant’s good name for over 40 years.
Countless attempts at imitation
It’s also arguably the sandwich shop with the list of sandwiches that boasts countless imitations. Indeed, regular gluttons, both Milanese and otherwise, will have noticed that the names of the sandwiches, and especially their ingredients, magically appear on the lists of other now-famous and well-frequented establishments in Milan. But it’s worth remembering that all the delightfully elaborate names and ingredients (like the ubiquitous Praga Completo) originate from that original list created by Faravelli way back in 1964.
