The traditional shave at Antica Barbieria Colla

Why it is on the list

Dino Colla opened the shop in 1904 as a room given over to men's grooming.¹ It has had four heads since: Guido Mantovanini from 1949, the master barber Franco Bompieri from 1975 to 2018, and his daughter Francesca Bompieri since 2019.¹ Bompieri set down the house method in a book, "Antica Barbieria Colla, ovvero la salute dei capelli", published by Feltrinelli in 1982.²

The shave takes about 25 minutes with a sterile single-use razor.³ It starts with a pre-shave cream massage and a hot towel; the soap is whipped with a natural-bristle brush and put on by hand; an aftershave and a second hot towel follow, and it ends with a massage with an aftershave balm or, if you ask, a cologne.³ The same chairs do haircuts, beard care and manicure, and the haircut can finish with the tips of the hair singed with a candle.⁴²

It is the wrong choice on a Sunday, a Monday or a public holiday, when the shop is closed.⁵

How to get it

Book a time on the shop's online booking page or call +39 02 874312.⁶ Ask for the traditional shave (rasatura tradizionale); a haircut or beard trim can be added in the same visit.⁴ The shop is open Tuesday to Saturday, 9:30 to 13:00 and 14:30 to 19:00, closed at lunch.⁵

Discretion

Dino Colla set the shop up as a discreet room for men, and over the years its clients have included well-known people alongside long-standing regulars.¹