3 Best Restaurants in Como, Lombardy and the Lakes

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.

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. 

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.