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…
Must-see restaurants in The Italian Lakes
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…
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…
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…
Milan
As the sibling of pasticceria (pastry shop) phenomenon Pavè, you can expect great things from this contemporary gelateria with its marble-topped counter…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Sirmione
Sirmione’s best dining experience excels in congenial, well-organised service and traditional food skilfully executed. The three-ingredient cacio e pepe …
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),…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Milan
This fashionable Sicilian restaurant in the 19th-century glasshouse of Napoleon’s neoclassical Villa Reale is the brainchild of Luisa Beccaria’s three…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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),…
Milan
Having honed his skills at Michelin-starred St Hubertus in the Dolomites, chef Diego Rossi and blogger Peter Caroli now have their own restaurant. As the…
Milan
Street-food guru Giuseppe Zen has done it again with this spectacular cheese bar in the Mercato Comunale. Let them arrange a tasting plate of some of the…
Lake Iseo
The Soardi family has been serving up local dishes since 1948, perfecting deceptively simple treatments of lake fish. It means you can sit on their…
Milan
This country cascina (farmstead) was a derelict ruin until a collection of cooperatives and cultural associations returned it to multifunctional use as a…
Milan
Since small-town ‘Peppino’ Gattulo opened this pastry shop in 1961, it’s been one of Milan’s most beloved locales. Packed in the mornings when it pumps…
Milan
A 1930s sawmill has been repurposed to grand effect. With chandeliers and shimmering light, it creates a theatrical ambience for modern Italian cuisine by…
Milan
Turinese Alberto Marchetti is making a name for himself with this artisanal ice-cream chain that’s spreading across Italy and abroad – for good reason…
Milan
Little has changed at this historic Milanese pasticceria (pastry shop) founded in 1936. Its interior brims with old-world charm; waiters wear formal…
Milan
Take heart from the dresser stacked with venerable bottles of Barolo as you enter this unpretentious osteria (tavern). It’s an indication of the smart,…
Milan
With its red-and-white checked curtains hanging at the windows and twee, textbook trattoria interiors, you may fear this restaurant is a stereotype too…
