The night was taboo, you had to work not have fun” says the founder of Areadocks, Alberto Marengoni, “a bit like Bergamo today” he says jokingly. A former professional rugby player (a sport that counts more than football in Brescia), in the 1990s he opened Seconda Classe, the city’s first steak house, which over the years expanded to become a huge urban redevelopment project. A former suburban railway warehouse, today it houses a pizzeria, three restaurants, a clothing and accessories concept store, a furniture and architecture studio, six bars, a pastry and ice cream shop, private rooms, an event space, and a brand new 13-room boutique hotel.

Areadocks is an atmospheric buzzy place for cocktails and food. Bedussi is a great place for drinks, superb gelato and pizza, and where locals love to congregate.