When Italians try to explain the aperitivo ritual to foreigners, they tend to call it “happy hour,” but that’s really doing a disservice to this post-work/pre-dinner institution — especially in Milan, where this ritual is an integral part of the local culture.

Aperitivo originated as a way to “open the stomach” before a meal with a medicinal-tasting concoction (still offered in bars). Today, though, it is a trendy post-work rite where most bars offer a spread of food starting around 6 p.m. Italians don’t eat their evening meal until 8 p.m. or later, so aperitivo serves as either a snack or a de facto dinner for those who don’t want a heavy meal.

“You order a drink, and it typically comes with lots of different things to nibble on,” says Amie Louie, editor-in-chief of Easy Milano, the city’s biweekly English-language publication. “It’s impressive either because of the abundance of food offered at a typical neighborhood bar or the way it is presented in really chic places.”

In Milan, a typical aperitivo buffet might include items such as mini pizzas, focaccia, cold cuts, a raw vegetable tray and a frittata. At the upscale Moschino Hotel, when guests order a drink, a small, bento-type box full of hors d’oeuvres arrives.

Some say Milanese aperitivo started at the historic Bar Basso when a bartender accidentally invented the Negroni Sbagliato (sbagliato means “mistake” in Italian) by adding dry spumante instead of gin to the cocktail of sweet vermouth, Campari and an orange slice. Until then, only large hotel bars offered cocktails, and Bar Basso was apparently the first neighborhood bar to begin making them in addition to the classic, more medicinal aperitifs.

Aperitivo culture really took off during the 1980 “boom years,” when a famous ad campaign for a liqueur characterized the city and its bustling post-work nightlife as Milano da Bere (Drinking Milan). Today, in Italy’s capital of fashion and design, there are bars to suit all tastes.

While Milan may be landlocked, it was once an important port and is crisscrossed by canals. The canals in the Navigli district make for a nice backdrop to the area’s bars and restaurants. Capetown Café on Via Vigevano boasts an ornate wooden bar, exposed brick archways, and wood tables and chairs. On warmer nights, the creative types who frequent the Capetown prefer to sit outside and sip their beers or mojitos while enjoying a spread of focaccia, olives, cold cuts and pasta salad.

The Palazzo Reale in Piazza Duomo is home to the city’s most important art exhibitions and its own bar, the Giacomo Caffé. Palazzo Reale maintains the Old-World charm of Milan’s old royal palace with its wooden bar, red banquettes, and antique mirrors and light fixtures. On warmer nights, a light aperitivo is offered in the museum’s courtyard, typically accompanied by live musical performances.

For aperitivo with a view, Terrazza Aperol in Piazza Duomo offers a breathtaking close-up of the spires of the city’s famous cathedral, Duomo di Milano. This is also the home of Aperol, the main ingredient in the classic Italian Spritz: three parts prosecco, three parts Aperol, and a splash of seltzer or soda. The space is large and modern and features splashes of the signature Aperol orange. Waiters circle by with hot homemade potato chips served in paper cones and perhaps a tray of triangular tramezzini sandwiches on crustless white bread, or fruit and vegetable sticks.

Foresta Woodbar, on Via Celestino IV near Piazza Vetra, is new on the scene. It has an “urban forest” theme with low lighting and a glass-enclosed garden room. Its signature Nature Identity cocktail features lychee fruit, soda, prosecco, ginger beer and caviar spheres. During aperitivo starting at 7 p.m., patrons can help themselves to a selection of finger food at the bar. Many nights, the bar hosts a “Sweet Hour” starting at 10, when cakes, meringues and biscotti are brought to the table when you order a drink.

While the aperitivo tradition can be found in cities across Italy, it has truly found its home in Milan. Here, diners can choose from bars that, according to Amie Louie, “cater to working types, student types and everything in between.

“In no other Italian city do they do it like they do here.”