Milano Design Week, where food & beverage meets creative installations

The concept fits in with the theme of Milan Design Week 2026, "Being Project", which invites to "overcome the dimension of the object to interpret design as a dynamic and responsible process". In this scenario, Franciacorta becomes a metaphor for a territorial project that combines nature, craftsmanship, innovation and generational transmission. It is no coincidence that the dialogue takes place precisely with a material such as marble. Just as stone is quarried and transformed through the work of man, in the same way grapes, soil and climate combine and are interpreted to give life to a wine that carries with it the memory of its origins. The exhibition translates this vision into a narrative path divided into different rooms, each dedicated to the elements that define the terroir of Franciacorta: earth, water, wind, man and time.

Throughout the week, the space will also host a calendar of appointments designed to accompany the public in discovering the different expressions of Franciacorta:from Dosaggio Zero to Satèn, from Millesimati to Riserve, up to more experimental encounters designed to stimulate the senses and comparison. These include a blindfolded tasting led by blind sommelier Luca Boccoli, a sound experience combining wine and musical frequencies, and a blind tasting comparing Franciacorta, Champagne and Prosecco.

The Famiglia Rana restaurant returns to Milan Design Week with a temporary bistrot & restaurant hosted in the Spazio Antonio Marras, renewing the collaboration between the Rana family and the Sardinian fashion designer for the eighth time. The space is transformed into an immersive pathway between art, design and gastronomy, accessible through a secret garden that welcomes guests for breakfast and aperitifs. The absolute novelty of this edition is unveiled on Sunday 26 April when, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Temporary Famiglia Rana (whose "stable" restaurant is just outside Verona and has reached the two-star milestone this year) changes pace: brunch merges with the phenomenon of soft clubbing, one of the most interesting trends in the major international capitals, which redefines the concept of the traditional disco, transforming it into a more conscious, relaxed daytime experience oriented towards wellbeing and sharing.

From 21 to 26 April, Ikea will enliven Spazio Maiocchi (at 7 Via Achille Maiocchi) with Food for Thought, a schedule of events that brings together cuisine and design in an accessible and contemporary way. Between showcooking, tastings, talks and music, the project transforms food into a true design language, starting from a simple idea: the ways in which we cook, eat and share spaces are changing. During the week,chefs and designers take turns in daily encounters, creating new visions of domestic conviviality.

The heart of the experience are the live cooking sessions open to the public, immersive moments in which cuisine and design meet live: not just demonstrations, but opportunities for direct exchange with the public, where ingredients, gestures and spaces become tools for rethinking the way of living and being together.

On Monday 20 April at 12 noon, the temporary store Ciro Amodio 1825 will be inaugurated inside the historic newsstand in Largo Marco Biagi 1. The project transforms the space into a meeting point between gastronomy and culture, celebrating the Neapolitan tradition through products such as mozzarella 'to go', marenne and an editorial selection dedicated to Naples. The initiative, promoted by the Milanese brand of the Campania-based Ciro Amodio 1825 group, aims at urban redevelopment and sensory contamination combining food, territory and cultural narrative.

Giardì, a plant-based restaurant a stone's throw from the Central Station, from 21 April to 21 May hosts the capsule collection Pasar Botanica by Mama Museum, a company specialising in porcelain design objects. For the occasion, the chef has created some dishes directly inspired by the shapes and subjects of the collection, transforming them into creative and seasonal vegetable recipes. The result is proposals such as Kale Boost with chilli, Mondegreen with coriander, shiitake mushrooms and pak choi, signature dishes that perfectly reflect the restaurant's colourful and experimental identity.

Throughout Design Week, the Organics SkyGarden terrace on the 13th floor of the Hyatt Centric Milan Centrale becomes one of the most evocative spots where design and food meet. Here comes Banana Vanilla Licorice, a dessert that reinterprets one of the most iconic and recognisable artistic images in a gourmet key, transforming it into a sensory experience between aesthetics and taste, perfectly in line with the creative spirit of the week.

The team of bartenders at A'Riccione Terrazza12 is dedicating an unprecedented cocktail to Milan Design Week "Another Panky", inspired by the famous Hanky Panky created in the 1920s by Ada Coleman, the first female head bartender at the American Bar of London's Savoy Hotel. The drink reinterprets in a contemporary key the essence of Milan, a city where tradition and innovation coexist. Fernet Branca represents the link with the territory, while Hendrick's Another gin, Antica Formula vermouth, thyme and citrus fruits compose a fresh, herbaceous and complex aromatic profile. "Another Panky" stands out for its essential aesthetic and layered taste structure, becoming a tribute to the city and female creativity in the history of mixology.

 Inteligencia Artesanal is the exhibition signed by Tropicalistic together with the producer Neia Paz. From 20 to 26 April, in the spaces of Via Maroncelli 10 in the Brera district, the exhibition brings designers and artists from Brazil to Milan, creating an immersive tale of matter, colour and experimentation, inside a historic courtyard that is transformed for the occasion. In this context, Segafredo introduces the "Take Your Shot" concept: coffee is not just an accompaniment, but a source of creative energy. The brand's Lounge fits into the exhibition route as a point of passage and pause, with an essential tasting designed to dialogue with the artistic experience and amplify its rhythm.

Casaornella integrates the tasting experience within the exhibition itinerary of the new project"Animale Sociale. Nessuno mi può giudicare" by Maria Vittoria Paggini, an Italian designer and curator active in the field of visual arts. Coffee becomes a relational and everyday element, conceived as a gesture of welcoming and sharing. Throughout the entire Fuorisalone week, visitors will be able to enjoyTrucillo coffee prepared with a moka pot, experiencing a domestic and authentic break within the spaces of Casaornella in Via Conca del Naviglio 10, Milan.

The Mediateca Santa Teresa, at Via della Moscova 28, hosts an installation dedicated to joy and optimism by artist and designer Yinka Ilori, known as the"Architect of Joy". The project proposes a real 'journey to the sun' through an experiential installation and a limited edition collection. The journey then continues at the Clicquot Café, where visitors can experience the Maison's "art de vivre" by pairing iconic cuvées with an all-day menu. The experience is completed in the Clicquot Boutique, which offers the opportunity to purchase Ilori's exclusive signature collection and a selection of dedicated accessories, transforming the space into a hub between art, design and lifestyle.