11 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.

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.

Heralded as one of Italy's classic gourmet restaurants, Ambasciata (Italian for "embassy") emphasizes elegance in tiny Quistello, 20 km (12 miles) southeast of Mantua. Those who are willing to make the trek (and pay the bill) can order à la carte or opt for the tasting menu (from €80) with an ever-changing array of traditionally inspired creations, such as the famed tortelli di zucca (pumpkin tortelli with pumpkin cream and Parmigiano-Reggiano), or mains like guinea fowl with mostarda (a sweet-and-sour mustard from Mantua), and roast pigeon with 25-year reserve balsamic vinegar.

The vaulted ceilings of this popular trattoria on the upper town's main street are marked with ancient graffiti, created by (patiently) holding candles to the stone overhead. The house specialties are simple but tasty: polenta taragna (with buckwheat flour) cooked with butter and cheese and served with rabbit, chicken, or sliced mushrooms with oil, garlic, and parsley. Ask and you'll receive the perfect wine pairing for your meal.

Reservations are a good idea for this longtime favorite in the hills above Cernobbio. The lake view is splendid, and specialties include homemade pastas and fish dishes with a dash of international flair.

“The Garden" has an expansive patio that's a shady respite from the summer sun. Though mainly known for its pizza, the restaurant also has an extensive menu of fish and meat dishes. You can also stay the night in one of 12 basic rooms.

This osteria looks to the 16th century for culinary inspiration, with excellent homemade salami and two popular primi—gnocchi vecchia Cremona (stuffed with sausage and baked with poppy seeds, sesame, and Parmigiano-Reggiano) and marubini Cremonesi ai tre brodi (stuffed meat ravioli in broth)—made according to time-tested recipes. Order the tiramisu and an accompanying dessert wine for a perfect finish.

This rustic trattoria is more sophisticated than it first appears: not only does it serve local dishes with novel twists, but it also has an extensive wine cellar. Capesante scottate con salse ai diversi sapori (seared scallops with different sauces) and palette di piccoli campioni di lago e di mare (mixed lake and sea fish) are worthy introductions to regional delights.

Amid sophisticated Art Nouveau surroundings, you can order creative versions of traditional Lombard cuisine. All fish dishes are done with verve, as are the lasagnette di pasta fresca alla robiola spinaci (lasagna with soft cheese and spinach), nocette d'agnello (noisette of lamb), and veal-shank stew, which earned the restaurant a Michelin star in 2019.

A lovely stop for a drink or a romantic dinner, this 16th-century castle is right on a lake in Sarche, about 20 km (12 miles) north of Riva toward Trento. Dishes highlight seasonal local ingredients, including mountain cheeses, salmon, trout, duck, and deer. The helpful servers can recommend the perfect Trentino wine to wash it all down.

A former 17th-century convent is now a lively enoteca run by Alberto and Catia Rivetti, offering more than 600 wines, as well as spirits and beers—all from northern Italy. Old and new merge in this warm and friendly spot with sage and rose walls, an original decorative ceiling, and a hallway with an automatic dispenser with more than 30 wines available on demand—get up from your seat to taste as many wines as you'd like using a prepaid card. To accompany your wine, try lake fish with fried sage, classic Lombard mondeghili della nonna (fried veal meat balls), or baccalà with polenta chips and tomato confit. Leave room for dessert, such as tiramisu, or Catia's lime cheesecake with seasonal fruit, which sometimes makes an appearance on the menu.