Must-see restaurants in The Italian Lakes

  • The original Pasticceria Marchesi shop exterior.

    Pasticceria Marchesi

    Corso Magenta & Sant'Ambrogio

    Since 1824 the original Marchesi pasticceria (pastry shop) has been charming customers with its refined 20th-century features and picture-perfect petit…

  • Da Vittorio

    Bergamo

    Bergamo's Vittorio is set in a country house 9km east of town and, with over 50 years and three Michelin stars under its belt, is up there with the best…

  • Seta

    Milan

    Smooth as the silk after which it's named, Seta is Michelin-starred dining at its best: beautiful, inventive and full of flavour surprises. Diners sit on…

  • La Torre degli Aquila

    Pavia

    It is almost worth a trip to Pavia just to eat in Dimo and Maria's medieval tower. Although rooted in tradition (farming sickles and antique pots adorn…

  • Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia

    Milan

    Started by Aimo and Nadia Moroni in 1962 as a simple trattoria, it’s now one of the most revered restaurants in town, with two-Michelin stars to its name…

  • Entrance to Pavè Ice-cream

    Pavè Ice-Cream

    Milan

    As the sibling of pasticceria (pastry shop) phenomenon Pavè, you can expect great things from this contemporary gelateria with its marble-topped counter…

  • Tokuyoshi entrance

    Tokuyoshi

    Milan

    Take a creative culinary voyage from Japan to Italy with Yoji Tokuyoshi at the helm. One-time sous-chef of world-renowned Osteria Francescana, this…

  • Outside the Pavé pasticceria and cafe

    Pavé

    Milan

    Try not to argue over the frolla con ganache, an insanely good tart filled with dark chocolate ganache and topped with crunchy cacao nuggets. After all,…

  • Dal Pescatore

    Lake Garda & Around

    Petals of egg pasta frame slices of guinea fowl caramelised in honey saffron; silky tortellini are stuffed to bursting with pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon and…

  • Il Comacino

    Como

    A new venture affiliated with the plush Avenue Hotel, Comacino offers food as theatre, especially if you sit at the chef’s table (technically a couple of…

  • Noi

    Bergamo

    More esoteric than your average trattoria, Noi is a chameleonic restaurant that changes it spots between lunch and dinner (they even change the restaurant…

  • Speck Stube

    Lake Garda

    You could be forgiven for thinking you’d just arrived in rural Bavaria at this popular Lake Garda haunt. On sunny days, multitudes of bikers and motorists…

  • Cascina Valentino

    Central Lombardy

    On a working farm where cows are raised and asparagus is grown, the owners also offer up fine local cooking with only the freshest in-season ingredients –…

  • Osteria delle Quattro Tette

    Mantua

    At the wonderfully esoteric osteria of the ‘four breasts’, you can pull up a pew (literally, an old church pew) and enjoy yet-to-be-exported Italian gems…

  • Ristorante Il Girasole

    Sirmione

    Sirmione’s best dining experience excels in congenial, well-organised service and traditional food skilfully executed. The three-ingredient cacio e pepe …

  • Osteria Sali e Tabacchi

    Lake Como

    Tucked away in the hamlet of Maggiana, signposted 3km uphill from lakeside Mandello del Lario (home to the legendary Moto Guzzi motorcycle manufacturer),…

  • Restel de Fer

    Lake Garda

    Set in a quiet residential quarter, this family-run locanda (inn) feels like dropping by a friend's rustic-chic house: expect worn leather armchairs,…

  • Il Sole

    Lake Maggiore

    Aside from relax along the waterfront, the main thing to do in Ranco is call by this fantastic restaurant, with its lake views, beautiful garden and even…

  • Cucchiaio di Legno

    Orta San Giulio

    Delicious home cooking emerges from the kitchen of this honest-to-goodness agriturismo (the name translates as 'wooden spoon'); expect fish fresh from the…

  • Altavilla

    Lake Como & Around

    In this charming Alpine guesthouse and restaurant you'll find one of the region's gastronomic treats. Owner and Slow Food connoisseur Anna Bertola spreads…

  • Materia

    Lake Como West Bank

    The talk of the town is this enticing Zen-like space, a 10-minute walk from the waterfront. Materia sources many herbs (including unusual varieties) and…

  • Tipografia Alimentare

    Milan

    Take a break from Milan at this laid-back food hub on the Martesana Canal. Run by fresh-food warriors Martina and Mattia, its vegetarian-focused menu…

  • Casabella

    Lake Maggiore West Bank

    A small restaurant on a small island with a big reputation. This bewitching place has an admirably short menu, which might feature octopus confit, black…

  • Antica Trattoria del Risorgimento

    Lake Como West Bank

    Tucked down a narrow lane in the tiny village of Mezzegra, this wonderful old stone building with its dark wood furnishings (including antique fireplace)…

  • Cascina Respaù

    Como

    Amid the lush greenery high above Como, this small rustic restaurant feels like an idyllic escape from the sometimes maddening crowds along the lake…

  • Agriturismo i Vegher

    Lake Garda West Bank

    Well worth the journey along unsurfaced roads and the long booking lead times (book at least a month in advance for holiday weekends, otherwise about two…

  • Trattoria del Pescatore

    Milan

    Milan’s finest fish restaurant hides modestly behind a row of green awnings. At the helm are Sardinian couple Giuliano and Agnese and their son, who…

  • Locanda di Orta

    Orta San Giulio

    This is as good as it gets food-wise in a town where the bar is already set high. The wisteria-draped Locanda di Orta, squeezed into the heart of the old…

  • Ristorante Il Vicoletto

    Stresa

    One of Stresa's most gourmet restaurants doesn't advertise itself from its modest perch up a narrow side street. It doesn't need to. Local word of mouth…

  • LùBar

    Milan

    This fashionable Sicilian restaurant in the 19th-century glasshouse of Napoleon’s neoclassical Villa Reale is the brainchild of Luisa Beccaria’s three…

  • Osteria del Gallo

    Como

    An ageless osteria (casual tavern) that looks exactly the part. In the wood-lined checker-clothed dining room, wine bottles and other goodies fill the…

  • A Santa Lucia

    Duomo & San Babila

    Part of one of the great waves of migration from the south, Leone and Rosetta Legnani opened their first restaurant in 1929. They brought with them their…

  • La Rucola 2.0

    Sirmione

    Calf brains, sea urchins and pigeon breast are some of the more exotic offerings at this Michelin-starred affair tucked behind Sirmione's castle. The…

  • Al Cantinone

    Lake Garda West Bank

    It's well worth heading just a few streets back from the waterfront to track down this friendly neighbourhood trattoria, home to gingham tablecloths,…

  • Trattoria al Porto

    Lake Como

    In the sleepy village of Careno, this charming spot serves up excellent lake fish. When the wind is high, take refuge in the atmospheric stone-walled…

  • Ristorante Milano

    Verbania

    The setting really is hard to beat: Milano directly overlooks Pallanza's minuscule horseshoe-shaped harbour (200m south of the ferry jetty), with a…

  • Osteria Le Servite

    Lake Garda

    Tucked away in Arco's wine-growing region, this elegant little osteria (tavern) serves dishes that are so seasonal the menu changes weekly. You might be…

  • Natta Café

    Como

    Atmosphere counts for a lot in this old stone-arched cafe-cum-bistro-cum–wine bar. Add mood lighting, mezzanine tables, and a trance-y music soundtrack to…

  • Ittiturismo da Abate

    Bellagio

    Most dishes at Slow Food–focused Da Abate feature fish that's been caught that day in the lake (the restaurant will only open if they've caught enough),…

  • Spazio

    Duomo & San Babila

    Located on the fourth floor of the Mercato del Duomo is chef Niko Romito’s low-key restaurant run by graduates of his culinary school in Abruzzo (where…

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