since 1911
About us
Jamaica, since 1911. An exotic name for a highly utopian place nestled in the very heart of Brera. A community that, despite being located right in the center of the quite pragmatic Milano, made the unconventional choice to live through art and dreams, passion and ideals. Its proximity to Brera Art Academy in addition to the post-war cultural renaissance had both an influence on its totally unplanned evolution, from being just a neighborhood tavern mostly frequented by craftsmen and seamstresses to becoming a bohemian bistro animated by artists, intellectuals, and flâneurs. Truth is that still today gathering within this place’s walls may generate a very unique energy.
Even today, it is the act of being together within the walls of this establishment that generates a particular energy. At Jamaica, one drinks and eats, of course, but here, communicating and sharing are just as primary functions. Here, discussion is both salt and seasoning, and it cuts across, paying little heed to conventions, often overcoming generational distances, social barriers, cultural, political, ideological differences. Here, one feels a bit freer than elsewhere, and the contact with the “new” or the “different” opens horizons and fuels the creativity that there is always and everywhere a hunger for. Jamaica has been called a “free university,” a “school of democracy,” and a “job center for ideas.” And so we like it to continue in the years to come.
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Famous Jamaicans
“We will meet at the Jamaica”. How many people have gathered here, staying up late into the night, mixing bar talk with learned debate, bickering and jokes. Among them, to name a few, were avant-garde contemporary artists such as Piero Manzoni and Lucio Fontana, writers and poets such as Allen Ginsberg and Salvatore Quasimodo, and photographers such as Ugo Mulas and Alfa Castaldi.
Nor are there any lack of signatures from the world of design, such as Achille Castiglioni and Ettore Sottsass, or from the world of fashion, such as Fiorucci and Pomellato.
Jamaica has also always been a home to directors and actors such as Dario Fo, Paolo Poli and Mariangela Melato, and exponents of Italian singer-songwriter and jazz music such as Giorgio Gaber and Renato Sellani.
Author's photos
“There were many photographers at Jamaica’s. As there were painters, writers, filmmakers, journalists. Or, rather, there were many young people who had in mind to do one of these jobs – and would succeed in doing so, and, in many cases, very well. For anyone who was born and raised at Jamaica’s, their most beautiful shots remain those there, with four or five very young people sitting on the iron chairs in the ‘garden’, or rather inside, against the white tiles background, in vague, dreamy, incomprehensible poses, over a glass of white wine and other things – invisible things and yet, on closer inspection, confusedly mirrored in their pupils and maybe even depicted as cheap puzzles in the poses of their insubstantial, all too vulnerable pride…”
(Emilio Tadini, from the book Jamaica. Il caffè degli artisti visto attraverso l’obiettivo dei suoi fotografi. Milano, 2001)
DRINKS
A wide and accurate selection consisting of cocktails, still and sparkling wines and much more.
Our list offers all the classics, such as Martini Cocktail, Negroni and many more, in addition to some reinterpretations, as the Jamaica Spritz. Not to mention our signature drinks, such as Miss Jamaica and Rosso Usellini, named after the painter and a regular at Jamaica’s. Among our ‘must-try’ specialties, the Jamaican Tea with rhum, inspired by Hitchcock’s film Jamaica’s Inn (after which our bar was originally named), such a comforting treat during Milanese winter afternoons.
FOOD
We revive Milanese traditional cuisine through classic familiar specialities
A warm and cosy home cooking offering timeless dishes. From saffron risotto to Milanese veal cutlet, not forgetting delicious recipes such as risotto ‘al salto’ and mondeghili that, being made from scraps and leftovers, were originally meant for the poor and now fairly valued as tasty yet ‘sustainable’ food, instead. The menu additionally offers a variety of seasonal vegetables prepared in many different ways, like eggplant flans and artichoke&potatoes pies. For quick, savoury snacks Jamaica Salad, Radicchio Tardivo alla Mainini and carpaccios are just ideal. And when it finally comes to desserts, one might find hard to resist the temptation, given the number of sweet Italian specialties available, from Caprese Cake to Apulian Pasticciotto up to Pizzo ice cream truffle.
Events
Presentations
Jamaica has a reputation as a ‘cult’ place, not only in Milano. It proves to be quite beyond trends and fairly inclusive by welcoming everyone and making them feel at home. It is for these same reasons that many brands and media agencies often select Jamaica as a location for photo shootings and commercials, just like publishers and art galleries frequently choose to promote books and exhibitions there. Gucci, Pomellato, Rai Cultura, Repubblica, Corriere della Sera, Vogue, Longanesi and Rizzoli are just some of the brands with whom Jamaica has collaborated over the years.
Parties
The mood is pretty much informal here, making very easy to strike up a conversation even if you hanging out alone or rather wish to pass the time while waiting for someone (in regards to this purpose, the counter and the so called ‘piccola svizzera’, aka the table next to the piano, are indeed the most strategic spots). If you’re planning to celebrate, whether a birthday, a wedding or any other special event, this is the right venue: we’ll be happy to arrange it for you, from the setting up to catering and music.
Music
Jamaica was one of the first piano bars to open in Milano at the end of the 60s and both famous and rising musicians have played here. In the movie ‘La vita agra’ (1964) songwriter Enzo Jannacci performed a solo on the guitar in the bar packed with people. Jazz player Sellani loved to improvise at the piano in the corner under the mirror, a piano which is by the way still available for those who wish to make some music, possibly in the evenings dedicated to karaoke.
ART
Home to the Milanese creative community, Brera has welcomed dozens of artists, teachers, critics and curators. Whether hanging on the walls or hinging a table discussion, art is an ongoing presence at Jamaica’s, constantly ‘nourished’ by holding temporary exhibitions and cultural events. We welcome the established as well as the rising talents and display a variety of artistic styles and languages, from painting to ceramics, photography and graphics.
since 1911
Jamaica Bar
Via Brera 32
20121 Milan (Italy)
Tel. +39 02 876723
info@jamaicabar.it
@jamaicabarmilano
from monday to sunday
from 10 am to 2 am
Call us
Write us
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Via Brera 32
20121 Milan (Italy)
Tel. +39 02 876723
info@jamaicabar.it
@jamaicabarmilano
Open from monday to sunday
from 10AM to 2AM