On Saturday morning we decided to go and have a look at the new food hall on the 7th floor at “La Rinascente” (which is basically the only department store in Milan).
It does look great. It reminds me a bit of the 5th floor at Harvey Nicks (in London) …although it’s possibly smaller.
There’s a restaurant, coffee bar, chocolate (Valrhona) corner, juice bar, sushi bar, sandwich bar and a mozzarella bar. Plus you can buy some fine teas, biscuits, ham, cheeses, sauces etc.
So why am I telling you this?
Because it sounds like a good place to go for a quick lunch, a mid morning coffee, a nice stop while shopping in the center of town… BUT it’s not baby friendly!
They refurbished possibly 10 restrooms and there is not even a changing table…. and of course not a high chair in sight!
Italian business owners are a bit short-sighted; they still don’t understand how mums with babies are nowadays great customers. We are used to going out- lunch&dine, earn&spend. Why should we have to miss all these opportunities after having a baby?
Unfortunately in Milan, babies are only truly welcomed (with appropriate space and equipment) in very few places, and I am determined to discover them all in the very near future!
-Michela
Comments (1)
I just went to the Rinascente for lunch last weekend and the first thing I thought was how baby friendly the place is! Every other table had a child at the table and if you sit up in the cafe by the windows there’s more than enough space for a pram at the table… even our encumbrant bugaboo fit neatly at the table. Totally agree it’s pretty maddening there’s no changing facilities up there, but I asked and was sent downstairs to the 4th floor where’s there’s an infirmary. Not only was it the cleanest changing room I’ve ventured into yet (it is a nurses station after all), but also a perfectly serene environment for a quick feed! Your right that Milan isn’t a child friendly city, but this is probably the most child friendly place I’ve found in Milan yet! Even though I didn’t love the place (a sad copy of Harvey Nics) I’d probably go back again for lunch or a drink if I have baby in tow.