Cantine Isola

Ganz einfach… Perfekt.
Wir hatten einen tollen Abend und dank einer Empfehlung und Degustation sehr schnell den perfekten Wein für uns gefunden. Ich liebe es, wenn Menschen ihre Leidenschaft gefunden haben. Hier seit 24 Jahren. Man spürt es.

Very good wine selection. Love the staff and aperitivo. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a taste of old Milan.

I love Cantine Isola! Everytime I’m around Chinatown I have to find an excuse to come by and have a glass of good wine, finally in a friendly and easy atmosphere.
we found out about this place years ago on the first visit to Chinatown because we were told it was one of the last remaining Italian-​run historical shops in via Sarpi, the heart of Chinatown. Also because of the variety of wines they sell. In fact, the place is super small (thank God for the outside seating space!) inside, but they have bottles and bottles of the best Italian wines, but also from other parts of the world like Chilean, Hungarian, Spanish, etc.
They open different bottles of both reds and whites everyday so you can have a glass and eat one of their small –but good– snacks while chatting in a relaxed atmosphere; again, the space inside is tiny so it’s better to move outside where, if you’re lucky you can grab a sit, if not, just keep sipping and chatting in the sidewalk. Also, don’t expect them to open a Sassicaia for happy hour, the wines they open for aperitivo are good, average priced wines and you’ll pay between 5 and 7 euros per glass (and you can eat the tapas-​like snacks in the counter — love the bread with anchovies on top).
If you’re in doubt about which wine to taste or buy, feel free to ask the nice man behind the counter, he knows his wine (I’m not sure about his level of English but I’m sure you’ll get a good wine anyways).
I love to come here for a drink before/​after a dumpling-​based Chinese meal in any of the quarter’s restaurants, after all, it is a globalized world, but the good wine must be Italian :)

What a vibrant environment! I noticed this place had something special going on when people were spilling out the front door and into the nearby patios and adjacent seating areas. My guess is that his store finds itself smack in the middle of chinatown because it was here long before the chinatown existed.
Hundreds of bottles for sale from all regions and countries but the truly great thing was the wines they offered by the glass. Usually nice wines are only available via a bottle, but here they were opened and flowing with ease.
My wife and I had a great experience which we were not expecting while doing some grocery shopping. I give it 5 stars because it is truly good at what it seeks out to do.

What a great experience! For someone who has lived too long in Ontario, this was also a very unique experience.
It’s a wine store that sells wine by the glass, and, as the Milanese do, offers free snacks alongside your drinks.
This is a very old school looking wine store, with a great, though not cheap, selection.
The staff will ask you what you’re in the mood for, and make some suggestions by the glass. You are free to ask for specifics too, I think, there was a bit of a language barrier.
If there was a store like this in Toronto, I would go all the time. So would everyone I know!
We each tried 2 glasses of wine and they averaged 5 – 8 euro each.
The crowd was a whole mix of young and hip to old retired aged people. It wad fun!

Milestone of milanese wine tasting right in the middle of chinatown.
Notwithstanding the location, don’t expect low prices nor low quality.
Here you can find a baffling selection of wines from around the globe. Too many to chose from. The best way to live Cantine is to follow the flow: after a quick chat with the owners, they’ll wisely guide you to a great glass of wine.
The best thing about this place is that if you miss one selection, you can go for a second or third round.
Just remember to not drink and drive: take a tram home!

un bar à vin dans le style traditionnel dans le vieux milan, un très large choix de vins italiens, apéritifs, très convivial, et très abordable