Lake Garda West Bank
This osteria has a fancy feel, pleasant service and tries to specialise in local lake and mountain fare. First courses are mostly excellent homemade…
Must-see restaurants in The Italian Lakes
Lake Garda West Bank
The sleek, modern Lido is a perfect lunch location, its terrace thrust out over the lake shaded by a pergola and ancient olive tree. Chef Gramatica's…
Milan
A celebrity chef in her native India, Ritu Dalmia has introduced Indian fine dining to the Milanese palate. Marble countertops, sleek gold finishes and a…
Milan
Home-cooked Genovese food and bocce? It may just be the ideal combo for a relaxed night out. It doesn’t hurt that U Barba also has that kind of hip…
Lake Como West Bank
The liveliest meeting spot in Menaggio is this popular eating and drinking den on Piazza Garibaldi, with tables spilling onto the cobblestones – perfect…
Milan
Take a pew at the marble-topped bar of this Parisian-style bistro and order a glass of champagne to accompany your oysters or Alaskan king-crab salad. You…
Lake Garda
Arguably the best of several eating options available at the upper station of the cable car is freshly renovated La Capannina, located around 200m north…
Cremona
A few steps from the Piazza del Comune, this place is full every night with a happy mix of tourists and locals, with more of the latter – always a good…
Milan
Set in the basement of the grand-looking neoclassical Palazzo Belgioioso, Milan's oldest restaurant has been regaling diners since 1696. Vaulted dining…
Milan
Don’t miss this narrow shop front for inside lies a superb family-run deli where you can compile a lip-smacking sandwich from quality cold cuts and a good…
Milan
One of the best value-for-money restaurants in Milan, this big-hearted Calabrese trattoria serves the spicy flavours of the south on delicious homemade…
Lake Maggiore & Around
The ever popular Bologna has a loyal local following for its well-executed but uncomplicated dishes that won't break the budget. Start off with a creamy…
Porta Garibaldi & Isola
25 is about Chinese street food using quality meat from producer Cascine Orsine. Choose from fresh savoury rolls filled with vegetables and prawns, to…
Central Lombardy
Local products are the name of the game in this busy family-run eatery, barely a five-minute walk from the Rocca fortress, just over a canal. Inside, the…
Milan
Blindfold yourself and point at the menu, because that's the only way to choose from zucchini flowers stuffed with artisanal herbed ricotta, risotto with…
Milan
Search out this cosy, Slow Food–recommended restaurant east of the city centre – a block north of Corso XXII Marzo – for lovingly prepared Milanese…
Lake Garda West Bank
A shaded terrace, rattan chairs and burgundy tablecloths set the scene for some classic Lake Garda cooking. Tempting choices include veal ravioli,…
Lake Maggiore West Bank
Set back from the waterfront, you’ll have to go the extra mile to eat at this charming osteria with its pretty painted ceilings, pergola-covered patio and…
Milan
A Japanese restaurant with a difference. Not only does J's Hiro offer unusual specials, like a delicate dish of fig and sashimi, along with the usual…
Lake Garda West Bank
This funky-rustic place has shunned the sometimes bland, traditional style of an Italian eatery and added tons of colour to proceedings. But it's no…
Lake Garda West Bank
Situated on the main square in San Felice del Benaco, this fun and colourful wine bar and restaurant offers a mouth-watering modern Italian menu with a…
Milan
Named for the gardens that once lined Via Manzoni, this contemporary cafe-restaurant occupies a leafy niche off the main drag. Its sleek interior and…
Duomo & San Babila
In a city full of fashion models in Michelin-starred restaurants, working-class da Pino offers the perfect antidote. Sit elbow-to-elbow at packed wooden…
Lake Como West Bank
An ideal place to decamp for lunch between villa browsing in the village of Lenno, this upmarket trattoria next to the town church is a Sicilian affair,…
Desenzano del Garda
Located in an old butcher’s shop, La Cambusa is earning itself some heartfelt accolades with home-brewed beer, top-notch salami, aperitivo (aperitif)…
Cremona
If you’re darting between sights in Cremona, dip into this small cafe where they’ll make up a toasted panino as you wait from a menu with 123 different…
Milan
Crashing an Italian wedding is the only other way you'd come by such heaping platters of handmade pasta, select cuts of meat and home-baked pastries. With…
Verbania
A modern eatery close to the Verbania Pallanza waterfront with a small interior and rooftop terrace, Il Burchiello does good Italian staples without ever…
Bellagio
This intimate terrace just above a meeting of laneways in Bellagio's old town is a fine place for a meal. The restaurant has been around since 1887, which…
Milan
Simple platters of superior cold cuts, carpaccio, quiches and Lombard cheeses accompany glasses of interesting small-production wines at this laid-back…
Lake Garda
The artfully lit arches of Hotel Gardesana's restaurant make a romantic spot for dinner as the sun sinks over a pink-tinged lake and the distant mountains…
Lake Como West Bank
This cafe and restaurant is a fine spot for a bit of refreshment after the steep climb to the sanctuary next door. Arrive at lunch time for regional…
Milan
This sandwich kiosk crammed with locals gives you a sense of Milan's sharp sense of humour. All the handsomely stuffed sandwiches are named after…
Cremona
La Sosta is surrounded by violin-makers' workshops and is a suitably harmonious place to feast on regional delicacies such as goose thigh and veal liver…
Stresa
Living up to its name, Jolly offers service at a jaunty allegro pace and is one of the best places in town to bag your early-morning Italian breakfast (ie…
Sirmione
Arguably the best of the cluster of tourist-attracting restaurants around Sirmione’s ferry terminal, Viandate has a detailed menu split into various sub…
The Italian Lakes
This gourmet osteria serves a simple, high quality menu of regional dishes served up with an unfussy modern finish. Choose from Piedmontese Fassone beef…
Lake Como
You can't get closer to Lake Como than these 15 or so tables set on a terrace suspended over the water. Which means you can dine on lake fish, duck breast…
Mantua
The building is as beautiful as the food: a lemon-yellow facade dotted with faded olive-green shutters. Inside, Mantua's gourmands graze on delicately…
Lake Garda
Trentino specialities punctuate the menu of this cosy trattoria, which sits snug underneath the arches of one of Riva's lakeside squares. Try the…
