BackDoor43
BackDoor43
4.5
7:30 PM - 3:00 AM
Monday
7:30 PM - 3:00 AM
Tuesday
7:30 PM - 3:00 AM
Wednesday
7:30 PM - 3:00 AM
Thursday
7:30 PM - 3:00 AM
Friday
7:30 PM - 3:00 AM
Saturday
7:30 PM - 3:00 AM
Sunday
7:30 PM - 3:00 AM
Full view
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: Navigli
The Navigli is part of historic Milan. In the ancient days, the entire city was linked with canals, similar to Venice. Today, most of the canals are gone, but the Navigli remains a canal-based neighborhood. There are two major canals: Naviglio Pavese and Naviglio Grande. The Naviglio Grande's bridges greet visitors at dusk with an amazing view. The Navigli district specializes in clubs, cafes, and vintage shops. Lifestyle reigns supreme here. You can start the walk from the Colonne di San Lorenzo, an antique colonnade in front of the Basilica di San Lorenzo. During the daytime, this place acts as a meeting point for artists and students reading books or chatting with friends; the nights turn it into a stepping-stone for club hoppers. Science lovers will also relish the opportunity to visit the Science and Technology National Museum Leonardo Da Vinci, showcasing inventions of the Italian genius.
How to get there
- Porta Genova • 5 min walk
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
6,691 within 3 miles
Attractions
1,865 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- SteviefullKidderminster, United Kingdom2,002 contributionsFantastic nightWe saw this place on TV as the smallest bar in the world and had to go and visit, we booked 2 weeks in advance to use the bar area and there were only two hour slots available, so book in advance (it costs 15 euro deposit per person). We arrived at 10.30pm and were greeted by the shutter banging open and the host inviting us in. It was certainly small with room for just about four people. In a low light with bookcases containing bottles all round the room, it certainly sets the mood. Jackamo then set about making our drinks, pretty much whatever we wanted, so we told him what we didn't like and he went from there. Jackamo was a great host and the hour flew by, as did the 4 cocktails we had each, which for two people that rarely drink is more than enough for a night and an entertaining walk back to our hotel. For the place to ourself and the 8 drinks (and two soft drinks) the total came to 125 euro, which is a lot of money, but it was a great experience and I definitely recommend it, if not just sit outside and have a drink there, everyone seemed to be having a great time.Visited July 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten September 28, 2023
- Annamaria R5 contributionsAmazing ExperienceI always wanted to get a private bartender for my husband as a gift, however, the prices in Chicago are a little ridiculous. I booked an hour for us at Backdoor 43 & the experience is like none other. We told the bartender what we liked and he made unique variations based off of them and they did not disappoint. I had a Manhattan but with chartreuse AND an Italian inspired Tiki drink. Both delicious! My husband had more smoky, bourbon cocktails. The bartender was the prefect mixologist and even offered us great dinner recommendations (Iter not too far away). We will be back!Visited October 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten October 30, 2023
- exhostieAdelaideSouth Australia, Australia224 contributionsA HIDDEN GEMWhat an amazing discovery! The world's smallest cocktail bar behind a simple door. We had the whole place to ourselves for an hour and it was a great experience. The barman was very engaging & we had a couple of delicious cocktails each. I would highly recommend the experience. Booking is essential!Visited September 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten November 1, 2023
- KirJohannesburg, South Africa314 contributionsCool experienceWe could not get a booking to get into the bar but decided to get a drink from the little window. You still got the experience of a speakeasy as the bar tender wears a mask and does not speak to you and only passes you your drinks through the window before shutting it again. The drinks were good (not great) but it is well worth the experience.Visited June 2023Traveled with friendsWritten January 11, 2024
- sarahbrammarLondon, United Kingdom9 contributionsFantastic experience in The Worlds Smallest Bar!We had an amazing and very memorable time at BackDoor 43 with Jackamo. His knowledge of cocktails is fantastic and we really enjoyed the tasty cocktails he made. The atmosphere is fantastic and such a personalised experience. Jackamo let us choose our own music and was very happy to chat all things Milan! I 100% recommend anyone to go here when they are in Milan but make sure you book in advance!Visited March 2024Traveled with familyWritten March 18, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
113 reviews
Excellent
97
Very good
8
Average
3
Poor
3
Terrible
2
Stephanie S
7 contributions
Dec 2021 • Couples
A friend recommended we grab a drink at this tiny bar and we walked a long way in the cold trying to find it. Although this is indeed a really cool looking bar, the bartender who was on shift was super rude to us. The moment we stepped in front of the door he popped through a small window asking us to not enter and said that he was only able to offer drinks for take-away. Before we even got to decide he shut the window and left. I really hope this was a one-off incident.
Written December 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Doullally
London, UK10 contributions
Feb 2023
We had a one-hour reservation at 7.30pm, but arrived early. We knocked on the door and the barman told us to come back in 10 minutes as he had other customers. We arrived back shortly after, and were allowed to enter at 7.35pm, though I presumed that we would still get the full hour we had booked for. The barman seemed fairly friendly, and he made us some very bespoke cocktails, which were of a great quality. With 10 minutes to go, he said that we would need to finish off our drinks as he had the cleaner arriving in five minutes. I made a point of reminding him that we didn’t enter until 7.35pm, so hadn’t received the full hour. Unfortunately, his tone changed a little, and he insisted that we needed to leave, so would therefore pour our drinks into a paper cup. This was most disappointing, especially as we had spent €120 for less than an hour of the experience. The concept of the bar is great and so are the drinks; however, I was unimpressed with the barman’s attitude and lack of professionalism.
Written February 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jamie
London, UK7 contributions
Dec 2021 • Friends
If you’re in Milan then this is an absolute must do experience. With a maximum of three people (during covid), the bar has a very intimate feel and you have the chance to discuss all things cocktails with your barrister. Slightly on the more expensive side but you would expect as much. Be sure to book at least a couple of weeks prior to visiting because plenty of people were turned away during our hour session.
Written December 22, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ikkiv12
74 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
“Smallest bar in the world.” Can fit max four people in, so as you would expect you need to book 2-3 weeks in advance. We turned up on time and gave our name through the hatch and entered. The next hour was just us and the barman who created custom and house special cocktails for us based on our palates, what we like and don’t like in cocktails etc. was fabulous experience would recommend to anyone visiting who loves high end cocktails. Worth the price. Also there is a toilet so don’t let that put you off! Our bartender spoke good English, was friendly and chatty and made some great drinks!! A number of people knocked on the hatch during our time and were politely told it was reservation only, but could order takeaway drinks if they wanted.
Written March 28, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
exhostieAdelaide
South Australia, Australia224 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
What an amazing discovery! The world's smallest cocktail bar behind a simple door. We had the whole place to ourselves for an hour and it was a great experience. The barman was very engaging & we had a couple of delicious cocktails each. I would highly recommend the experience. Booking is essential!
Written November 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kerry L
East Lansing, MI59 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
We made our reservation through the website about 2 weeks in advance. We showed up right on time but had to wait about 3 minutes to get in. Our bartender was very friendly and spoke excellent English. He made drinks to order, but I recommend letting him do his magic. Let him know what you like to drink, what flavors you do or don’t like, and let him create something wonderful! We were there for 1 hour and each person in our 4 person group had 2 drinks created which were all wonderful. A few people came up to the walk up window to order drinks to go while we were inside, but our bartender did not let this interfere with our experience.
Tip: I expected due to the tiny size that there would not be a bathroom, but there is a very spacious and clean bathroom available if needed.
Tip: I expected due to the tiny size that there would not be a bathroom, but there is a very spacious and clean bathroom available if needed.
Written March 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sarahbrammar
London, UK9 contributions
Mar 2024 • Family
We had an amazing and very memorable time at BackDoor 43 with Jackamo. His knowledge of cocktails is fantastic and we really enjoyed the tasty cocktails he made. The atmosphere is fantastic and such a personalised experience. Jackamo let us choose our own music and was very happy to chat all things Milan! I 100% recommend anyone to go here when they are in Milan but make sure you book in advance!
Written March 18, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Amber G
7 contributions
Jun 2022 • Couples
A lovely bar and definitely a trip highlight. It was a little bit pricy given the deposit but we left satisfied that it was worth the money we spent. The bartender was informative and gave us some excellent local recommendations
Written June 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kir
Johannesburg, South Africa314 contributions
Jun 2023 • Friends
We could not get a booking to get into the bar but decided to get a drink from the little window. You still got the experience of a speakeasy as the bar tender wears a mask and does not speak to you and only passes you your drinks through the window before shutting it again. The drinks were good (not great) but it is well worth the experience.
Written January 11, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pece_77
Milan, Italy507 contributions
Apr 2016 • Friends
The smallest bar in the world... I like visiting and drinking in great places every time I visit a new city... but this is UNIQUE !
I already published a long review about this place about 5 months ago... but as I became an "affectionate visitor" I think it's right to give one more review.
Additionally, as I noticed that only one review was given in English, and so I decided to write this not in Italian, to help Milan visitors to discover this secret and gorgeous place...
I could write so many things about the BackDoor, that I'll really make an effort to make this review short and effective. I'll try with a short list... but I really invite you to read/listen to all the other things you can find in magazines and TV interviews...
- Position: just in the heart of the Navigli area... great position.
- Cocktails: astonishing... it doesn't matter who will be on the other side of the bar: the cocktails are always great. The "specialty" here are cocktails using whisky as a base, but if you want something different you just have to ask for that.
- Bartenders: Bledar, Andrea and Loris (in the order I met them) are simply fantastic. You can just describe them your desires, and as magicians they'll transform your vague ideas into a cocktail... Just give them the possibility to follow their inspirations and you'll never get disappointed.
- Feeling: the place is warm, small (4 is really the maximum number...2 is probably the best one!), and makes you feel like as if the wooden walls would hug you. That's great... especially if you go there with a close friend or with somebody that is "special" for you.
- Getting there: as you probably understood that's not a place where you can easily go, so reserve in advance by calling on the mobile number, or by writing them a message... try to do it 2 weeks in advance...
One more suggestion.... ask to have a cocktail with the whisky they keep in the small bottle for infusions... and be prepared to try something special.
If anything is unclear or if you have any question... just ask me !
I already published a long review about this place about 5 months ago... but as I became an "affectionate visitor" I think it's right to give one more review.
Additionally, as I noticed that only one review was given in English, and so I decided to write this not in Italian, to help Milan visitors to discover this secret and gorgeous place...
I could write so many things about the BackDoor, that I'll really make an effort to make this review short and effective. I'll try with a short list... but I really invite you to read/listen to all the other things you can find in magazines and TV interviews...
- Position: just in the heart of the Navigli area... great position.
- Cocktails: astonishing... it doesn't matter who will be on the other side of the bar: the cocktails are always great. The "specialty" here are cocktails using whisky as a base, but if you want something different you just have to ask for that.
- Bartenders: Bledar, Andrea and Loris (in the order I met them) are simply fantastic. You can just describe them your desires, and as magicians they'll transform your vague ideas into a cocktail... Just give them the possibility to follow their inspirations and you'll never get disappointed.
- Feeling: the place is warm, small (4 is really the maximum number...2 is probably the best one!), and makes you feel like as if the wooden walls would hug you. That's great... especially if you go there with a close friend or with somebody that is "special" for you.
- Getting there: as you probably understood that's not a place where you can easily go, so reserve in advance by calling on the mobile number, or by writing them a message... try to do it 2 weeks in advance...
One more suggestion.... ask to have a cocktail with the whisky they keep in the small bottle for infusions... and be prepared to try something special.
If anything is unclear or if you have any question... just ask me !
Written April 21, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I'm coming to Milan in August with my grandson (15) and wondered if it would be ok for us to visit and if there are any "mocktails" he could try? We saw you on Travel Man. Grazie.
Written January 23, 2019
Honestly, that would be curious... as you would probably not be the "standard client" of Backdoor. Nevertheless my answer is definitely yes!
They can prepare anything you want and, even if mocktails are not what they are famous for, I am ready to bet that they will be able to create something interesting for your grandson.
Maybe you could tell them in advance when you reserve ;-)
If you need any other suggestion let me know !
Written January 28, 2019
I am going to Milan end of April 2019 and really want to go to this bar - do you need to book far in advance and also how do you make a reservation?
Written December 30, 2018
ABSOLUTELY !
If you are extremely lucky you can probably arrive there on a day when it's not fully booked, or maybe there has been a no-show... but if you are in Milan just for a few days I strongly suggest you to reserve in advance.
They generally star accepting reservations 2 weeks in advance and I generally book by sending a Whatsapp message (if you want the number write me a private message cause I probably cannot give it here) or probably you can try to contact them by FB. I also suggest you to explain that you'll be in Milan for a few days only and so you would like to reserve in advance.
If you need any other suggestion let me know !
Written January 14, 2019
Hi my friends and I are only in Milan for 48 hours this weekend - are we too late to make a reservation for BackDoor43?
Written October 11, 2018
Sorry, I just saw your question. If you wrote on Friday then... yes it's definitely too late.
Generally I reserve 2 weeks in advance.
You may be lucky, so I would suggest to try in any case.
Another chance could be to go at MAG and to ask if, in case of a no-show at Backdoor they could let you in.
Written October 18, 2018
davide_tonolini
Milan, Italy
Buonasera, come è possibile prenotare il locale?
Grazie
Written September 25, 2018
TI suggerisco di chiamare il numero di telefono verso le 19.00
Altrimenti prova ad inviare un messaggio whatsapp.
Ti ricordo che conviene prenotare con circa 2 settimane di anticipo...
Se hai altre domande scrivimi pure direttamente
Written October 8, 2018
My husband and I really want to make a reservation for Backdoor 43 before we leave Aus but are finding it very difficult. Please help?
Written June 24, 2018
I'm sorry to read this so late (Aug 2018)... If I can still be of any help drop me a line!
Written August 17, 2018
I'd like to make a reservation for the bar, but I can't find a way to do this online. Do I need to call up or is there a way to do this? Thanks in advance for any help!
Written March 28, 2018
Try to call or to send a whatsapp!
If you need help let me know!
Written August 16, 2018
I've read that you have options of a key to the locked door. Do you book in advance for the bar? Can I phone up for this? Thanks for any help. Very intrigued by this smallest bar in the world, especially if it has whiskey in it. Being Scottish myself :)
Written January 30, 2018
Yes, you have to book in advance to “have the bar” all for yourself, and to get the key to the bar, but you can only stay up to a couple hours.
I know I’m late but I hope it’ll still help you ‘:D
Written February 28, 2018
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