.:. Bar Magenta
Established in 1907 a stone's throw from the Catholic University - to be inaugurated only a dozen years later, however - it's Milan's archetypal bistro. Period wooden furnishings, big old posters on the walls, a bit rough staff, still efficient and reliable. Have a chat, a beer, sandwiches, some food.
.:. Birrificio Lambrate
The first micro brewery in town. Some classics, which carry Milanese names like Sant'Ambroeus (our patron saint Ambrose), Domm (dialect for Duomo: the Cathedral), or Monte Stella (Milan's one-and-only hill), are produced regularly all year round. Others - e.g. Magut (dialect for mason) or Beccamort (gravedigger) - depend on season or availability of raw materials. Happy Hour Buffet from 6 to 8pm.
.:. Another outlet of the Birrificio - more on the restaurant side - is not very far, at Via Camillo Golgi 60.
.:. Isola della Birra
Quality beers made by Italian microbreweries to enjoy in a quiet atmosphere, sitting at a classical wooden table.
.:. Maga Furla
Pub with kitchen with a good selection of beer and wine, as well know the students of the surrounding Bicocca university. Open for lunch (noon-3pm) and in the evening from 6:30pm through 2am.
.:. Nord Est Café
A nearly historical venue, and a multitasking one: cafeteria, happy hour, and chats over a glass of wine. Sunday brunch 12 noon to 5pm. Casual setting, late-2nd-millennium style, with some period furnishings, and outdoor tables on a lively but not congested road. Often live music.
.:. Pogue Mahone's
The most crowded pub in town is Irish, with Irish beer and Irish folk.
.:. Tombon
Right in the heart of the Brera district, El Tombôn de San Marc is a landmark for beer drinkers. The name comes from a basin along the Navigli canals, that was placed right here till the early 1930s. In Milanese dialect, a wide place where water stops - where it "dies", in a way - is called tombôn, literally "big tomb". The venue is also a restaurant.