New Yorkers looking for a taste of Milan without leaving Manhattan have a new destination to add to their list.
San Babila Café will open its second location on Wednesday, July 1, at 1247 Third Avenue on the Upper East Side, bringing its Milan-inspired take on Italian café culture to the neighborhood. The new bakery and café will serve artisanal pastries, specialty coffee, gelato and contemporary desserts throughout the day.
The opening follows the debut of San Babila’s first location at 1355 Second Avenue last year. The new Upper East Side outpost is designed as an all-day gathering spot, whether customers are stopping in for morning coffee, grabbing a quick breakfast, meeting friends for an afternoon treat or satisfying a late-day dessert craving.
To mark the opening, San Babila Café will give away complimentary gelato croissants to the first 200 guests on July 1.
One of the café’s signature offerings is the Croissant Gelato Cone, which puts an Italian twist on two beloved desserts. The freshly baked butter croissant is shaped into a cone, filled to order with premium Italian gelato and finished with toppings.
The menu goes beyond gelato croissants. Guests can choose from Italian froyo, specialty coffee, traditional Italian pastries, croissants, macarons, topped focaccia and customizable cakes made from scratch.
The concept is led by Gianmarco “Gianni” Di Michele, whose career in hospitality is closely connected to his family’s Italian dining background. After moving permanently to the United States in 2015, Di Michele worked alongside his grandmother, whose legacy includes the Numero 28 restaurant brand.
That experience helped shape his approach to food and hospitality, emphasizing authentic Italian flavors, attentive service and creating spaces where customers feel welcome.
Di Michele’s growing portfolio also includes Papi at Moxy Times Square, Pandoro in Bryant Park, San Babila, Zeppola NY and Zeppola Venetian.
With the new San Babila location, the goal is to bring the relaxed rhythm of Italian café culture into an Upper East Side setting.
“With San Babila, the goal has always been to create a place that feels welcoming, energetic, and rooted in the kind of hospitality people remember,” Di Michele said.
The new café will be open weekdays beginning at 7 a.m. and weekends beginning at 8 a.m., with closing times varying by day.
For New Yorkers craving espresso, flaky pastries or a scoop of gelato tucked inside a buttery croissant, San Babila is betting that a little Milanese-inspired indulgence can become part of the neighborhood’s daily routine.