Food · Lake Como · Italy
What to eat in Lake Como
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Lake Como, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Luca Casartelli, CC BY-SA 2.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Quick answer
Start with Risotto with perch, Missoltini and Lavarello. Many trattorias in Varenna, Bellagio and the Tremezzina villages have terraces over the water. Lunch usually runs from about 12:30pm to 2:30pm and dinner from about 7:30pm; kitchens often close in between.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Risotto with perch
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 6
- Tipping
- Tipping is not expected in Italy, and a cover charge is often already on the bill.
- Food experiences
- 3
10 foods to try
Dish
1.Risotto with perch (Risotto con filetti di pesce persico)
Lake perch fillets are dipped in egg and breadcrumbs, fried in butter with sage and laid over a plain buttery risotto. It is the signature dish of lakeside trattorias around Como and Lecco.
Where: Lakeside trattorias around Bellagio, Varenna and Menaggio; check the menu for 'pesce di lago' rather than imported fish.
Dish
2.Missoltini (Missoltino)
Agone, a lake shad, is salted, sun-dried and pressed in tins with bay leaves, then grilled and dressed with oil and vinegar. It has a strong, savoury flavour and is usually served with grilled polenta.
Where: Traditional trattorias on the central and upper lake, especially around Tremezzina and the eastern shore.
Dish
3.Lavarello
Lake whitefish with delicate flesh, usually served grilled, pan-fried in butter and sage or marinated in carpione, a sweet-sour vinegar marinade with onions.
Where: Fish restaurants along the lake; carpione versions often appear as antipasto.
Dish · Vegetarian
4.Polenta uncia
Polenta layered with soft local cheese and doused in garlic-and-sage butter, a hearty mountain dish from the hills above the western shore and the Larian Triangle around Bellagio.
Where: Mountain rifugi and agriturismi in the hills above Menaggio and Bellagio, mostly in cooler months.
Dish · Vegetarian
5.Pizzoccheri
Short buckwheat tagliatelle from Valtellina, the valley north of the lake, baked with potatoes, Savoy cabbage, Valtellina Casera cheese, butter and garlic.
Where: Restaurants at the northern end of the lake and in Lecco, and on most menus with Valtellina dishes.
Snack
6.Bresaola della Valtellina
Lean, air-cured beef from the Valtellina valley, sliced paper-thin and served with olive oil, lemon and rocket or shaved cheese as an antipasto.
Where: Delis and antipasto platters around the lake, and alongside aperitivo drinks in Como and Lecco.
Dessert · Vegetarian
7.Miascia
A rustic Lake Como cake made from stale bread soaked in milk and mixed with apples, pears, raisins and rosemary, baked until caramelised at the edges.
Where: Bakeries and home-style restaurants around the western shore and Bellagio, especially in autumn.
Dish · Vegetarian
8.Polenta taragna
A dark polenta made with a mix of buckwheat and maize flour, stirred with melted butter and local cheese until stretchy. It is a Valtellina dish served on its own or with stews and sausages.
Where: Rifugi and trattorias at the upper lake and in the mountains around Lecco.
Drink · Vegetarian
9.Valtellina red wine
Nebbiolo grapes, called Chiavennasca locally, grow on steep terraces in Valtellina just north of the lake and make light, perfumed reds such as Valtellina Superiore and the richer, dried-grape Sforzato.
Where: Wine bars and restaurant lists in Como, Bellagio and Varenna; enoteche in Lecco stock a wide range.
Dessert · Vegetarian
10.Gelato on the lakefront
Gelaterie line the promenades of Bellagio, Varenna, Menaggio and Como; local flavours often include fruit from the lake's gardens such as fig in late summer.
Where: Look for shops with flat, covered metal tubs rather than piled-high displays, a common sign of gelato made on site.
Food experiences
Lunch on a lakeside terrace
Many trattorias in Varenna, Bellagio and the Tremezzina villages have terraces over the water. A long lunch of perch risotto and a carafe of white wine is the classic way to break a ferry-hopping day.
Aperitivo in Como or Bellagio
From early evening, bars serve spritz, Negroni and local wines with snacks. Como's Piazza Cavour and the old-town lanes and Bellagio's lakefront are the busiest spots.
Rifugio meal in the hills
Mountain huts above Menaggio and in the Larian Triangle serve polenta, cured meats and cheese to hikers, with views down the lake. Most are reached on foot, and many open only in the warmer months or at weekends.
Quick bites and street food
- Bresaola della Valtellina — Delis and antipasto platters around the lake, and alongside aperitivo drinks in Como and Lecco.
Vegetarian options
Of the 10 foods in this guide, 6 are usually vegetarian: Polenta uncia, Pizzoccheri, Miascia, Polenta taragna, Valtellina red wine and Gelato on the lakefront. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Lunch usually runs from about 12:30pm to 2:30pm and dinner from about 7:30pm; kitchens often close in between.
- A coperto (cover charge) of a few euros per person is normal and appears on the bill.
- Book lakeside terraces for dinner in July and August, and for Saturday nights all season.
- Many restaurants on the central lake close or reduce hours between November and March; Como and Lecco stay busier year-round.
- Ask whether the fish is from the lake (pesce di lago) if you want local perch, whitefish or agone.
Tipping
Tipping is not expected in Italy, and a cover charge is often already on the bill. Rounding up or leaving a few euros for good service is appreciated but optional.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Buongiorno | Good morning / hello |
| Grazie | Thank you |
| Il conto, per favore | The bill, please |
| Un biglietto per Bellagio | A ticket to Bellagio |
| Pesce di lago | Lake fish |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Lake Como famous for?
Risotto with perch, Missoltini, Lavarello and Polenta uncia. Lake perch fillets are dipped in egg and breadcrumbs, fried in butter with sage and laid over a plain buttery risotto.
+Is Lake Como good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Polenta uncia, Pizzoccheri and Miascia.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Lake Como?
Tipping is not expected in Italy, and a cover charge is often already on the bill. Rounding up or leaving a few euros for good service is appreciated but optional.