A guide to the best food markets, flea markets and street markets in Milan

Valvassori Peroni Market

The Valvassori Peroni Market is located in the Città Studi, which is the university district in the east of Milan. At this weekly street market you will find stalls with a wide variety of food and goods. Because they have good quality food products like fruits, vegetables, pastas, cheese, meat and sausages it is also perfect to get your groceries here. But also if you need some fashion, clothing, shoes or household items you will find it here. This is not the largest, but it is probably the best street market in Milan.

The wide variety of stalls and the friendly atmosphere makes it the perfect market for the local community. So you should also bring a visit to this market if you want to submerge yourself in the real Milanese community. The Valvassori Peroni Market is open at Saturday from 8:00 o’clock till about 14:00 o’clock. And the easiest way to get to this market is by taking line 2 of the metro to Lambrate FS metro station.

East Market

As its name suggest is East Market located in the east of Milan, more precisely in the hip and creative district Lambrate. This flea market is certainly the coolest market in Milan, according to some fashionistas and designers. The East Market is pretty large as it has over two hundred stalls. And although the market is inside an abandoned industrial warehouse, the entrance is free.

The products that are sold at this flea market range from furniture to old records, from art to arcades and from bikes to fashion. Many products are cool and retro, mostly vintage, but there are also new products. With the vintage style that the stalls display and the music that is played you will feel that atmosphere that is inspired by London’s East End. After a leisurely stroll and some shopping you can go to the area with the food trucks or bar area to take a little break.

You should check their website for upcoming events, as this market only has one or two events per month. The East Market Milano is usually open from 10:00 o’clock till about 21:00 o’clock. But beware that it can become really crowded after around 16:00 o’clock. The most convenient way to get to the market is to take metro line 2 to Lambrate FS station and take a short walk.

Viale Papiniano Market

The Viale Papiniano Market is the largest and most popular street market in Milan. It is conveniently located on the west side of the city center next to metro station Sant’Agostino. Line 2 of the metro stops at this station.

At this popular street market you will find a wide variety of products (and also a wide variety of quality), but it is easy to find some good bargains. The vendors present all kinds of food from fresh fruits to fish and from vegetables to delicious kinds of cheese. If you want the highest quality foods it is advised to come early, or else will the best products already have been sold. Besides food you can also get many non-food items here such as clothing, handmade art, jewellery and household products. Although there are many tourists at this market, this is still a great place where you can interact with the local community.

The street market at Viale Papiano is held twice a week. At Tuesday from 8:00 o’clock until 15:00 o’clock and at Saturday from 8:00 o’clock until 18:00 o’clock. Especially at Saturday it can become crowded.

Navigli Antique Market

The Navigli Antique Market, also called the Mercatone dell’Antiquariato del Naviglio Grande, is actually the largest outdoor flea market in Milan. Not very surprising as it’s also one of the most unique ones and a definite must visit for people who love to stroll local markets. This flea market is beautifully located along the banks of the Naviglio Grande, which is the oldest canal of the city, giving this market a very stunning setting.

At the market you will not only find antiques, but also many other products like books, furniture, (high-end) vintage articles, paintings, jewellery and porcelain. And it isn’t hard to spot some real bargains here. The Mercatone dell’Antiquariato is about 2 kilometres (1,24 miles) long and has about 400 stall holders, which makes it also ideal for a leisurely Sunday walk. Another advantage of this market is that it is located in an area with many cafes, restaurants and ice-cream bars which are all open at market Sundays. So, when your feet get tired you can take a rest in one of the nice bars, or even better, at the terrace in front of it. This is the ideal spot to watch all the buzz and the interesting people passing by, as this market attracts all kinds of colorful people. When you arrive in the afternoon, it can become really crowded.

If you want to visit the Navigli Antique Market you have to carefully watch your agenda as this Milanese flea market is only on the last Sunday of every month from 9:00 to 18:00. The best way to get here is by taking Metro Line 2 to Porta Genova FS and walk along the Naviglio Grande away from the city center.

Via Fauchè Street Market

The Via Fauchè Street Market is locally known as Mercato rionale di via Fauchè. It is a typical neighborhood grocery markets, located in the north of Milan. Although this is originally a grocery market where fruits, vegetables, meat, cheese, fish and household appliances are offered, nowadays many stalls sell discounted (designer) clothing and footwear. This is why many fashionistas visit this market trying to get a good bargain on a fashion item of a famous brand like Prada, Gucci or Dolce and Gabbana. People seldom leave here empty handed, because the Via Fauchè Street Market is also known for its quality as the stall holders also often have their own shop.

The Via Fauchè street market is open at Tuesday from 8:00 to 14:00 and at Saturday from 8:00 to 18:00. The Via Fauchè Street Market is only two blocks away from station Gerusalemme, which is one of the subway stations from line 5.

Oh bej! Oh bej! Christmas market

The Fiera degli Oh bej! Oh bej! is the most important Christmas fair in Milan. ‘Oh bej!’ is Milanese dialect and translates to ‘How beautiful!’ It is said that the name Oh bej! Oh bej! originates from the cheerful exclamations of the Milanese children when they saw the gifts that Giannetto Castiglione, delegate of Pope Pius IV, has brought for them when he visited Milan on the 7th of December in 1510.

As the market starts at Saint Ambrose’s day, which is the patron saint of Milan. This is why the fair is also called Fiera di Sant’Ambrogio (“Saint Ambrose Fair”). It starts at December 7th and ends the following Sunday.

This Milanese Christmas market is a must visit for locals as well as tourists. It is is a mixture of celebration, amusement, shopping and tradition in front of the impressive Sforza Castle. During these days there is a really wonderful, happy and bustling atmosphere. Especially when it becomes a little dark outside and all the Christmas lights turn on. And it is a nice spot to find beautiful Christmas gifts for your family and friends. You should also try some of the delicious local winter delicacies (like the roast chestnuts and panettone) and warm tasty drinks (like vin brûlé) that are offered by the vendors.

The Milanese have several free days during Oh bej! Oh bej!, because of Saint Ambrose Day, Immaculate Conception Day and the weekend. So if you want to visit this beautiful Milanese Christmas market in front of the Sforza Castle it is advised to take metro line 1 to the Cairoli Castello station instead of coming by car.

Via San Marco street market

The Via San Marco street market, or in Italian the Mercato di Via San Marco, is located in the beautiful and posh Brera district at the Via San Marco. The market has a diverse offering of goods, but mostly stands out for its central location. To be more precise, the street market is between the intersections with Via Ancona and Via Montebello.

This market consists of a long street of stalls which are divided into different sections. There is a farmer’s section with all kinds of fresh fruits, vegetables, cheese, meat and some stalls with household articles. At the clothing and fashion section you will both find cheap products as well as branded fashion items, but clothing stalls are especially well known for its well-priced cashmere. If you are more interested in niche items then you will be happy to know there are also some stalls that offer other products like handcrafts, second hand items and antiques. As this market is in a posh neighborhood it can be more difficult to negotiate with the vendors, but you can always give it a try. You can also easily combine a visit to this market with a stroll through the Brera district.

The Via San Marco market takes place on Monday and Thursday from about 7:30 till 14:00. As the Via San Marco is located between metro stations Lanza (metro line 2), Moscova (metro line 2) and Turati (metro line 3), you have plenty of options to choose from and you can simply pick which metro station is the most convenient for you. We from Meet The Cities prefer to go to metro station Lanza as we enjoy taking a stroll along Via Madonnina with its beautiful architecture and design shops, followed by the Via Brera with its famous galleries, such as the Pinacoteca di Brera.