Top Choice Seafood in Lugano
Arté al Lago
This Michelin-starred restaurant at the exclusive lakefront Villa Castagnola is Lugano’s culinary star. Chef Frank Oerthle does remarkable things with meat and seafood, with ingredient-focused, deceptively simple-so…
Mountain in Monte Generoso
Monte Generoso
Popping up between Italy and Switzerland, the 1704m peak of Monte Generoso has far-reaching views across a patchwork of lakes and mountains. The rack-and-pinion railway that departs from Capolago roughly hourly has …
Garden in Morcote
Parco Scherrer
Set in subtropical parkland, Parco Scherrer, 400m west of the boat stop in Morcote, is the dream come true of textile merchant and art enthusiast Hermann Arthur Scherrer, who bought the land sloping down to the lake…
Gallery in Lugano
Museo d'Arte della Svizzera Italiana
The showpiece of Lugano's striking new LAC cultural centre, the MASI zooms in predominantly on 20th-century and contemporary art – from the abstract to the highly experimental, with exhibitions spread across three s…
Mountain in Meride
Monte San Giorgio
Rising in a pyramid above Lake Lugano, 1097m Monte San Giorgio has become Ticino’s mountain of myth thanks to its rich stash of Triassic marine-life fossils, which have won it Unesco World Heritage status. A four-ho…
Mountain in Lugano
Monte Brè
Rising dramatically above Lago di Lugano, the conical peak of Monte Brè (925m) is the trailhead for hiking and mountain-biking trails that afford wide-reaching views of the lake and stretch all the way to the Bernes…
Mediterranean in Lugano
Metamorphosis
One for special occasions, Metamorphosis is housed in Lugano's futuristic Palazzo Mantegazza, right by the lakeshore. Chef Luca Bellanca walks the culinary high-wire, bringing simple, natural Mediterranean flavours …
Italian in Campione d'Italia
Da Candida
The plushest restaurant in town, Da Candida has been awarded a Michelin star for its refined ambience and menu playing up French-Italian flavours. The chef, Bernard Fournier, hails from Baccarat and puts his own inv…
Italian in Gandria
Ristorante le Bucce di Gandria
Climb the steps of Gandria's old town and you'll be rewarded with gorgeous lake views from this hillside restaurant. The menu keeps things regional and seasonal, adding a dash of creativity in dishes such as ravioli…
Arts Centre in Lugano
LAC – Lugano Arte e Cultura
Lugano is justifiably proud of its cutting-edge new cultural centre, which has given the city its artistic mojo back. It brings together contemporary art (at the Museo d'Arte della Svizzera Italiana), music, theatre…