Frida Kahlo would be a fitting role model for Frida if indeed this most liberal of bars in Milan were named after her. Notorious for being the first bar in Milan to sell absinthe (without limits) and for attracting lesbians for no other reason than its liberal outlook, Frida (for ‘freedom’, apparently) captures the essence of Isola’s alternative ideology. And it does it genuinely – probably because it doesn’t hide behind a glossy Milan-style veneer.

Its fun 1970s psychedelia is not original but has been steadily put through its paces and ‘aged’ since opening in 2001. White-collar workers enjoy its daily-changing ethnic/Italian lunches, and all sorts assail it by night – pre-Pergola revellers (see Party), students, lefties, and regular folk who just want to cut loose.

Music is anything from the Top Cat theme tune to ‘Cool for Cats,’ just no lounge music, because Frida says it is no fun – that is, according to the owners, a trio of ex-customers who liked the place so much they bought it.