6 Best Restaurants in Lombardy and the Lakes, Italy

Your palate will travel from the lakes (eel with leek) to the countryside (hay risotto) to the mountains (tripe), all from the comfort of your table, at this cozy stone-arched eatery tucked into Como's commercial district. Expect creative takes on Italian cuisine, like deconstructed ravioli, using both local and more exotic ingredients, best sampled with a tasting menu.

This aesthetically simple bistro-style restaurant, spruced up with modern art, draws a mainly local crowd for some of the most inventive food creations and presentation in the Como region. The imaginative Asian-inspired cuisine (think steamed partridge with smoked eel butter), makes good use of local ingredients like lake fish, and the frequently changing surprise five-, seven-, or twelve-course tasting menus are a particular delight, especially when paired with the mostly natural wines on offer.

Dining in this bright, airy space feels like enjoying a meal in a fabulous friend’s modern lake cottage—if the friend had floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Lake Garda and a top-notch chef on hand. For an adventure in flavors from across the country, choose from two tasting menus (either "the classics" or one with “surprise” dishes chosen by the chef) and complement your meal with Italian or international wines in four- or five-glass pairings. 

Next to the castle and tucked into three charming rooms, this elegant, intimate restaurant is considered by many to be Sirmione's finest. Its creative tasting menus feature an appealing mix of fish (from the lake or the sea), meat, and vegetarian dishes, all accompanied by a good choice of wines.

This intimate restaurant near Como's historic center serves full-flavored modern Italian food, which you can sample in six- or eight-course seasonal tasting menus, complete with wine pairings if you'd like. The spartan interior here is beside the point; you'll be focused on the well-presented dishes, guided by youthful servers who thoughtfully describe each course. The playful menu might include red shrimp tartare with avocado and fried squid, eggplant ravioli with tomato coulis and Parmesan mousse, or pork loin with roasted pepper cream, spinach, and endive. The place is popular with both tourists and locals, so reservations are a good idea.

In a town with an overabundance of touristy pizza and pasta places, this unassumingly modern family-run bistro raises the bar. Although the shabby-chic decor and friendly service entice, the real draw is the short but smart menu of creative Italian dishes and vegetarian options. Start with the antipasto misto di Lago (variety of lake fish) followed by a homemade gnocchi or tagliolini, or opt for a heartier main like the pork fillet with cabbage and bacon. Just make sure to leave room for dessert, like the birramisù, a take on tiramisu soaked in beer, wine, coffee, and grappa.