9 Best Restaurants in Lombardy and the Lakes, Italy

Find a table in the back of this central, cheerful restaurant before choosing local cured meats and cheeses to accompany your wine. A few versions of polenta, daily pastas, and other heartier dishes are also available; just save room for the desserts, which go well with the sweet wines.

Matteo Mutti's gelato flavors have personality. Like cheesecake with red pepper, rosemary, and pineapple, which might sound strange, but leaves a delightful impression on your taste buds. Other standouts are "Anni '90," inspired by Mutti's favorite tastes of the '90s—sour cherry and chocolate chip—and "Disaronno," swirled with a Lombardy liquor that is infused from apricot pits. The classics like pistachio and vanilla are also represented along with a selection of gelato popsicles, cakes, and sundaes in cups, cones, or brioche bread, to add even more flavor combinations. Mutti—who is also the inspiration for the gelateria's logo—is often behind the counter serving up his inventive creations. There are a few small tables, or better, enjoy your gelato while exploring Riva.

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.

For an unforgettable dining experience, head to Sala Comacina (a 10-minute drive south of Tremezzo) and take a five-minute speedboat ride to Lake Como's only island, Isola Comacina. Here you'll be treated to the same set menu that's been served at La Locanda since 1947: veggie antipasti; thinly sliced prosciutto and bresaola; grilled trout; fried chicken with salad; Parmesan cheese sliced from an enormous wheel; oranges or peaches with ice cream; and brandied coffee set afire with a dramatic flourish, while charismatic owner Benvenuto Puricelli regales you with tales of the island's history. The views are phenomenal, the stories are fun, and the food is better than it needs to be. Work off your meal afterward by hiking around the tranquil island.

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.

This portal to the past opened in 1883 and still serves up such handmade local delights as pan torrone (a loaf cake made with chunks of nougat) and torta cremona (a cake made with almond flour and filled with Amarena cherries). A relaxing stop between visiting museums, it's the perfect place to have a cappuccino.

When tourist-heavy Bellagio starts to wear you down, seek respite at this charming restaurant located on the town’s very northernmost point, a scenic 10-minute walk from the center, with amazing lake views of Varenna to the north and Tremezzo to the west. As you might expect, the menu is heavy on lake fish; although the dishes aren't innovative, they're fresh and well prepared, and the view makes the experience even better. The antipasto di lago (mixed fish platter) and patè di pesce (fish pâté) make great starters; among mains, the baked lasagna and the gnocchi with cream and Gorgonzola sauce get rave reviews. End the meal right, with a freshly made cake or tiramisu.

The nondescript exterior of this buzzy eatery off one of Stresa's main streets belies its chic, stylish interior. Dishes made with seasonal ingredients dominate the menu, but, no matter the season, you'll find local lake fish, both marinated and panfried, as well as a solid list of wines from throughout the region and across Italy.

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.