5 gourmet experiences to taste the cuisine at Lago Maggiore

Picnic at the Lake in Lesa

If you want to fully experience the Lake, losing yourself in its flavours and at the same time admiring all its beauty, then this is the right place to choose.

We are in Lesa, at the Battipalo, a restaurant created in an old ticket office for ferries, with a wonderful terrace surrounded by water. Simona Benetti (in the kitchen) and Gabriele Boggio (in the dining room) are the couple who run this restaurant that celebrates the gastronomic culture of this land in every aspect. From lake fish, to wild herbs, to cheese from the Ossola Valley.

This year they had the great idea of launching the picnic box, perfect to enjoy your meal on the beach.

La Tavola at Porticciolo Hotel

In Laveno, in one of its most renowned tourist centre full of villas overlooking Lago Maggiore, the young Riccardo Bassetti, with the help and supervision of his father Giovanni, offers refined cuisine (Michelin star since 2017). Not only the traditional one, since he likes making experiments and creating new dishes.

We are talking about La Tavola at Porticciolo Hotel. The wine list is very rich (over 600 different types) and the terrace overlooking the crystal clear waters is evocative. Dining here in the evening will be a real delight.

For a more informal stop, there is the Osteria, where you can also have a good aperitif or an after dinner drink, served with some really delicious tapas.

The two stars of Piccolo Lago

If you go from Lago Maggiore to the beautiful and romantic Lake Mergozzo, you can enjoy the Piccolo Lago, a restaurant owned by the famous Marco Sacco, two Michelin stars. Dining here means stopping at one of the best tables in Italy, which sublimates the best raw materials of the lake in creative and elegant dishes. Everything enchants: the beauty of the room, the windows overlooking the water and the exquisite hospitality.

This year's news is the outdoor picnic: you can choose between five boxes (four salty and one dessert) and enjoy the wonder of the lake.

The Arabic Villa by Cannavacciuolo

From Lago Maggiore to Lago d'Orta it is only a short ride, which will take you to some of the most beautiful houses for sale.

Whatever the reason, if you want to enjoy an unforgettable gourmet break, you must book at the restaurant owned by the great Neapolitan chef Antonino Cannavacciuolo. Everyone knows him from the TV shows - "Masterchef" and "Cucine da Incubo" - and he has been truly gifted by the mastery in the kitchen.

At Villa Crespi you will find Mediterranean cuisine that admirably summarizes the best of Italy's gastronomy. In a literally dream setting: a late 19th century building in Moorish style commissioned by a textile entrepreneur as a summer residence.

Cocktail at the lake

Not a restaurant, but one of the best cocktail bars in Italy. It is the Estremadura Cafè and you can find it in Suna, a hamlet of Verbania. A place that takes its name from a Spanish region, and it is led by the barlady Cinzia Ferro, winner of many competitions in the field of "mixology". Ask her for a "futurist polybibita" and you will make her happy. And you will be happy too, on the terrace near the lake, with a cocktail in your hand.