Where to eat on Lake Como, the best restaurants

Quel ramo de lago di Como, che volge a mezzogiorno" ('That branch of Lake Como, which turns to noon'), the lake so loved by author Alessandro Manzoni, remains one of the most popular destinations for Italians and foreigners alike. Today, Lake Como is experiencing a upwards culinary moment, where it’s possible to find a mix of culinary tradition and innovation that can satisfy all tastes. Here are the addresses of the best restaurants to try

Where to eat on Lake Como, the best restaurants

Acquadolce Lake Como

Lake Como is, at last, experiencing a positive culinary moment: a brick is being laid by this restaurant on the western shore, in a splendid location: surrounded by a centuries-old garden, it has the added bonus of a terrace-veranda overlooking the water. Carmelo Sciarabba, a chef who knows the area well, makes the most of the location by offering four tastings, in addition to the menu, covering all fronts: sea, lake, valleys and vegetable. Straightforward dishes, well presented with some interesting ideas like the spaghettone, purple carrot, freshwater roe, pane cunzato or the vegan tacos. Cellar and service keep the pace up.

Carate Urio - Via Regina Vecchia, 26 - 031 2492199 - acquadolcecomo.it

Alle Darsene di Loppia

An extremely pleasant location, especially in fine weather, when you can sit outside at one of the tables under the pergola, set up right on the edge of the small port of Loppia. But that is not all. Because, even sitting in the cosy interiors, it is the proposal, rooted in the territory and well articulated between land and fish dishes, both lake and sea, that is convincing: tasty and relaxing, never banal.

Bellagio (CO) - via Melzi d'Eril - 031 952069 - ristorantedarsenediloppia.com

At the lake at the Sereno Hotel

In the fine dining, very atmospheric and with a splendid terrace, of one of the most refined boutique hotels on Lake Como, Raffaele Lenzi continues his search for a cuisine with great personality, increasingly attentive to vegetables and with an eye to the world. Hence a dedicated tasting menu at 160 euro with happy intuitions such as eye bean tempeh, onion and bergamot; or Chinese cabbage, seitan and cauliflower jus. The other two courses - Homage to Tradition and the rich Omakase, at 165 and 210 euro respectively, are the expression of a very good Italian and Mediterranean hand in particular. Cellar and service are up to the mark.

Torno (CO) - via Torrazza, 10 - 031 5477800 - serenohotels.com

Feel Como

In the heart of the old town, amidst the narrow streets of the walled city, Feel is a small, well-kept restaurant, the realm of chef Federico Beretta and manager sommelier Elisa Forlanelli. Here the chef pursues his proximity cuisine, where the protagonists are local products - lake fish in the lead - with dishes such as sturgeon tonné, char with red fruits, carp accompanied by white celery, perch rice, wild mallard, Arctic char or bbq eel.

Como - via Diaz 54, Como - 334 7264545 - feelcomo.com

Kitchen Como

The gourmet restaurant in the park of the Sheraton Hotel remains a safe haven for an atmospheric, no-nonsense dinner. Under the direction of young chef Andrea Casali, who juggles the two tasting menus, Green (€65, also available in vegan version) and L'Italia secondo noi (€90). But guests can also choose from the menu where there are both surf and turf proposals, such as red prawn crudo, almonds, sea asparagus and lemon; duck breast, rhubarb, currants and baby corncobs; Spaghetti "Monograno Felicetti" with saffron, raw scallops, sour butter and bay leaves; or the Carmagnola rabbit confit with smoked tea potato mousse and vegetable chips. We love the idea of proposing an aperitif with the chef's tapas.

Como - via per Cernobbio, 41a - 031 516460 - kitchencomo.com

Materia

Davide Caranchini is a young chef with very clear ideas. His passion for vegetables, substantiated by his own greenhouse, shines through in each of his dishes, as does the elegance of the presentations. His excellent technique, honed over the course of numerous experiences in Italy and abroad, allows him to elaborate unusual combinations (linguine, butter, garum agon and amchoor) using local and international ingredients without hesitation. He is not afraid to push on flavour, as in the lamb, peppers and black olives, and on bitterness (the very good pigeon on the spit with chicory and anchovies), to create dishes that are in any case extremely balanced and pleasing. Desserts focus on enhancing the individual ingredient (strawberry, walnut and elderberry). The staff is attentive and helpful, although the service times between courses are too short. The wine list has ample space for macerates and niche producers. In addition to the carte, there are four tasting menus (vegetarian from 85 euro, 90, 100 and 150 euro).

Cernobbio (CO) - via Cinque Giornate, 32 - 031 2075548 - ristorantemateria.it

Mistral at the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni

In a spectacular and well-kept setting such as Villa Serbelloni, a routine, tasty and correct cuisine would be enough to win applause. Instead, Ettore Bocchia continues his product research in Italy and abroad, as he is a tireless traveller and always takes advantage of the months when the hotel is closed to check suppliers and find new ones. From his continuous work come dishes where classicism (French, first and foremost) is never an exercise in style or a vintage touch, but on the contrary enhances the taste of a perch, a crab, a duck. The hotel also has the decidedly more informal La Goletta restaurant.

Bellagio (CO) - via Roma, 1 - 031 956435 - villaserbelloni.com

Il Portico

Paolo Lopriore changes the dishes every day according to market availability, proposing a home-style cuisine with a couple of main dishes to which sauces and side dishes are added separately, which each diner mixes or adds to their own taste. The idea is to reintroduce the spirit of traditional Italian festive day cuisine packaged with high-level skill. No choice, no change: this menu, called “minutina”, costs 40 euro for two courses and dessert. We had cacio e pepe egg followed by fried eel with soused courgettes; perch fillets and steamed whitefish with green beans, potatoes, cloves and hollandaise sauce; and fior di latte ice cream, blueberries, fig must and curried chantilly. A meal that blends flashes of creative genius with a simple, almost scholastic, appreciation of the ingredients. Few wines available, mostly from the “natural” world. Agile and impeccable service. Sunday lunch is brunch.

Appiano Gentile - p.zza Libertà, 36 - 031 931982 - Facebook

Radici Restaurant

A restaurant outside the canons of the area, due to the will of Mirko Gatti who decided to apply what he had discovered among the great masions between London and Copenhagen to the area where he was born. In Noma style, he investigates on three fronts (sea, lake and forest) creating two courses that are certainly rich in ideas: Native at €125 and Taste of Nature at €135. It is a cuisine that amazes for its complexity and clarity of flavours: seasoned tomato, angelica and verbena; cabbage dumpling, crayfish and xo sauce; catfish, green rhubarb and elderberry capers. Natural wines are served, but there is also an offer of centrifuges, juices, teas and kombucha.

San Fermo della Battaglia - Via H. Dunant, 1 - 349 0683973 - radici-restaurant.it

Sottovoce del Vista Palazzo lago di Como

In a boutique hotel with an enchanting lake view, a restaurant with two rooms including a private lounge and balcony seating. A courageous and decisive choice by chef Stefano Mattara, to make lake fish gourmet by focusing on sustainability. Three tasting menus: 7 steps with the chef's classics, 160 euro; 4 with the Tasting Menu The Future for gourmets, 130 euro; Green, 110 euro. In addition to the à la carte, the menu includes: lake ceviche; Milano da passeggio, risotto or fusilloni di Gragnano, raw beef tartare, parmigiano and black summer truffle; eel fillet, apricots, ginger and mussels. To finish Gin Tonic with a refreshing dish, peach absolute, chocolate “bitter” choice or flowers with hints of lavender, jasmine and citrus fruits. Beautiful wine cellar with research choices by Cristiano Mariani. Attentive service.

p.zza C. B. di Cavour, 24 - 031 5375241 - vistalagodicomo.com

Tira Mola and Meseda

The place is small, so it is advisable to make a reservation, also because, while there are not many seats, there are many regulars and finding a table is not so easy. This honest, family-run establishment, on the other hand, has a characteristic, warm, welcoming ambience, the attentive welcome of its two passionate owners and a tasty, honest gastronomic proposal that makes the most of the territory in its best expressions. Here, then, is a menu that speaks of local cured meats and cheeses, of pizzoccheri alla valtellinese and casoncelli bergamaschi butter and sage; deer stew with polenta and stracotto di ganassino. In closing, house desserts such as apple pie and Braulio sorbet. Wines from Valtellina and friendly service.

Como - Via G. Castellini, 17 - 031 2759735 - tiramolameseda.it

The Gualtiero Marchesi Terrace of the Grand Hotel Tremezzo

The Art Nouveau hotel has always been under the care of Gualtiero Marchesi. It is therefore not surprising that the most beautiful of its dining locations is dedicated to the Maestro, and at dinner honours his history. For the pure and hardcore Marchesians, the four or five signature dishes that alternate constantly is living history, well managed by Osvaldo Presazzi, a pupil of the maestro. On the menu, his cornerstones (from gold rice and saffron to fish drippings) are flanked by meat, fish and quite a few vegetarian classics. Supporting the refined experience are a good wine list and service appropriate to the context, while the classy ambience and the extraordinary view of the lake represent an important plus.

Tremezzina - via Regina, 8 - 0344 42491 - grandhoteltremezzo.com

Trattoria Contemporanea

There is always the danger for a 'young' place (indeed, very young given the prevalence of under-30s) of losing the thread when, along with the accolades, it enjoys (almost) universal acclaim. For now, Davide Marzullo's band - an undisputed talent, also and above all in management - is performing well, withstanding the shock of the constant sell-out. There has been an improvement in every aspect: the service - where Marzullo brings his plus - is professional; the wine cellar, which is not ample, has been reinforced with an “alternative” beverage; the cuisine continues in its boundless vision, with a strong aesthetic impact and almost always expressing the Mediterranean taste of the chef, moulded by mentor Cannavacciuolo after many experiences around the world. He even succeeds with barbecued Chinese cabbage, kimchi sauce and peanut butter: one of the most daring signatures in theory. Three tasting and two a la carte menus, modular, from 75 and 90 euro. And four fixed-price lunches, from 25 to 45 euros. Urban-chic ambience, sparkling and warm, inspired by the large coworking project that hosts it.

Lomazzo - Via del Ronco, 10 c/o Fabbrica Campus - 02 80896040 - trattoriacontemporanea.it

Veranda of the Hotel villa d'Este

A fairytale location, with an exterior pieds dans l'eau, which in the kitchen offers an anthology of Italian tradition with an international flair. Michele Zambanini focuses on the excellence of the raw materials, including vegetables from his own garden. There is a five-course tasting menu at 140 euro and the menu of the day with the ever-present soufflé. Try the courgette flower with ricotta, the perch fillet, the Milanese, the duck, the crêpes suzette prepared at the table. Also, the Mazara prawn, vegan mayonnaise, squid ink waffle and pizzaiola extract and the taglierino with parsley emulsion, tuna tartare and caviar. Fine wine cellar. Service with an antique flavour.

Cernobbio - Via Regina, 40 - 031 348400 - villadeste.com

(opening photo by Stefano Borghesi)