The Italian Lake District: Lago di Como

Near Bellagio on Lago di Como

We spent a few weeks wandering along Lago di Como, Lago d’Iseo and Lago di Garda.  We drove through fields of corn and rice, forests and vineyard after vineyard. Throughout we found a patchwork of wineries and farms.

Cornfields

We started from Milano stopping off at Tarantola restaurant hidden in the woods. The woods themselves were serene although studded with some unusual wildlife we previously had thought to be mainly nocturnal… The restaurant is a bit formal, has a lovely terrace looking into the woods and a lawn with children’s play equipment. The food was modern and excellent. I had the best costoletta alla Milanese (breaded and fried veal chop) of my life there.

Ristorante Tarantola

Dining room

Costoletta alla milanese (veal chop breaded and fried) – utterly delicious

Lago di Como was our first and favourite lake of the trip, it felt as though we walked into an oil painting from another era. The lakeside villas, the sun reflecting off the lake and the boats full pleasure seekers crisscrossing the waters were pure poetry. We visited Bellagio and its many tourists enjoying the beauty of this tiny town.

Bellagio

Bellagio ferries

Bellagio shops and restaurants

The Albergo Ristorante Silvio has an excellent restaurant overlooking the lake and features lake fish, particularly missoltini (traditionally prepared salt cured shad (surprisingly similar in flavour to dace, an inexpensive fish eaten in Hong Kong).

View of Tremezzo from Bellagio

Missoltini (salt-cured shad)

Grilled lavarello (European whitefish)

A quick ferry ride across the lake is another tiny town of 1,300 inhabitants, Tremezzo, which has several 18th century villas.

Ferries crossing to Tremezzo

View of a villa from Tremezzo

View of a villa from Tremezzo

The first stop on the ferry was Villa Carlotta which was built in 1690 for Marquis Giorgio Clerici from Milano. It is named Carlotta after the daughter of Princess Marianna of Nassau and Prince Albert of Prussia who was given the house as a wedding present in 1843 by her mother.

Villa Carlotta

View from Villa Carlotta

Frescoes inside Villa Carlotta

The villa is impressively grand, not only because it covers more than 70,000 square meters and is filled with art masterpieces but it also has a remarkable botanical garden with fountains, sculptures and pergolas of lemon and orange trees.

Fountain in the gardens of Villa Carlotta

Water lilies in Villa Carlotta‘s gardens

Oranges in a canopy over the walkway in Villa Carlotta

We had lunch at La Darsena in Tremezzo, which had the perfect view of the lake and Bellagio. The menu featured the bounty of the lake including a mixed lake fish starter with grilled and poached fish and fish pate. The risotto with breaded and fried perch fillets was exquisite.

La Darsena hotel and restaurant

La Darsena hotel and restaurant

Risotto con i filetti di pesce persico (risotto with breaded perch fillets with sage butter sauce)

On our way to Lago d’Iseo to see the Franciacorta area, we stopped outside Bergamo for lunch at a lovely countryside trattoria housed in an ancient manor house. This was our favourite meal of the trip. We sat outside on the terrace and took the kids in back to see the garden and chickens providing the ingredients for our meal.

Trattoria Visconti

Courgette / Zucchini flowers grown by Trattoria Visconti

Tomatoes grown at Trattoria Visconti

The service was heartfelt and attentive. The food was authentic and excellently prepared using family recipes. Our boys finished full bowls of casoncelli (cured meat, bread, eggs and cheese filled pasta). Meanwhile we tucked into plates of polenta and a cheese plate.

Casoncelli (fresh pasta stuffed with cured meats, bread, cheese and egg)

Polenta con manzo (Braised beef with polenta)

Their cheese plate included  AgrÌ, a special fresh unpasteurised cow cheese from near here in the Brembana Valley by only one remaining producer.

Cheeses: Agri (top left), Bagoss, Formagella di Monte, Stracchina antica, Bitto and Straccitunt

Next week’s blog will be about Lago d’Iseo and the Franciacorta wine area. See contact details below on places mentioned below.

Recipe translated from Cucina Lariana:

As this dish incorporates both rice and fish fillets, it can be eaten instead of a first course and main course (piatto unico). Perch were a fish prized during Roman times.

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Serves: 6

Risotto con i filetti di pesce persico (risotto with breaded and fried perch fillets)

800 gms perch fillets

100 gms butter

25 grams (2 tablespoons) flour

12 leaves sage

500 grams risotto rice

1.5 litres vegetable broth or fish court-bouillon

40 grams onion, finely chopped

125 mls white wine, dry

salt to taste

Instructions:

Risotto:

In a saucepan, heat the broth to a boil. In a separate large saucepan or risotto pan heat the 40 grams of the butter and onion. When the onion has softened and becomes translucent, add the rice, stirring, to toast it. When the rice makes a squeaking sound, about 3 minutes, add the wine. Continually stir with a wooden spoon until the wine evaporates. Add the broth one ladle at a time, continually stirring. As the broth is absorbed by the rice, add more broth. Cook until the rice is “al dente“, 15 to 20 minutes from when it was first added.

Fish:

In a frying pan, heat half of the sage with 40 grams of butter. At the same time,  place the flour on a plate and dip the fish fillets in the flour, turning. Fry the fish in the butter one at a time until they are golden, turning to fry the other side. Remove the fillets as they are cook and keep warm. When the rice is cooked, place the fillets overtop in a crown.

Heat the remaining 20 grams of butter with the rest of the sage until the sage changes colour. Remove the sage and discard. Drizzle the sage butter overtop of the risotto and serve hot.

Where to eat:

From Milano to Lago di Como:

Appiano (Outside Milano):

Ristorante Tarantola

http://www.ristorantetarantola.it

Closed Monday dinner and all day Tuesday, 1-15 January

Set in a forest to the north of Milano, not far from the southwestern tip of Lago di Como. Sit outside on the terrace in the summer. There is a large field with a herb garden, trellised grape vines and a children’s playground.

Recommended dishes: costoletta Milanese

On Lago di Como:

Winner for best view:

La Darsena

https://www.ladarsena.it/en/

A beautiful lakeside restaurant with a view of Bellagio.

Recommended dishes: risotto con filetti di peace persico (risotto with breaded and fried perch fillets with sage butter), mixed fish platter- lavarello (European whitefish), smoked trout, char, and fish pate with agone. Good wine list.

Bellagio:

Albergo Ristorante Silvio

http://www.bellagiosilvio.com

Closed 20 November to 20 December and 10 January to 20 February

Recommended dishes: lavarello (European whitefish), mixed fish platter

Drive from Lago di Como to Lago d’Iseo:

Ambivere (outside Bergamo)

Winner: our favourite of the trip

Trattoria Visconti

http://www.trattoriavisconti.it/en/

Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays and 2 weeks in June

This restaurant has been recognised by the Lombardy Regional Authority as an important local establishment. The trattoria is in an ancient manor house which has served the public since 1932. There are chickens and an amazing vegetable garden behind the restaurant which can be visited. This is Italian country dining at its best.

Recommended dishes: casoncelli, polenta con manzo (polenta with beef) and cheese platter

To do:

Tremezzo:

Villa Carlotta

www.villacarlotta.it

Walk from Colonno to Cadenabbia di Griante to see villas and gardens along the way.

Where to stay:

Agriturismo Castello di Vezio

http://www.agriturismocastellodivezio.it

This is a holiday farm located on 60 acres above the eastern part of Lago di Como offering a panoramic view of the lake. On the grounds is a castle as well as beautiful gardens, a pool and tennis courts.

Albergo Milano

http://www.varenna.net/

Small lakeside hotel on the eastern part of Lago di Como.

Grand Hotel Tremezzo

Www.grandhoteltremezzo.com

Old world luxury hotel on the lake with pool.

Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni

www.villaserbelloni.com

A lakefront 5-star hotel with pool, spa and its own pier.

Albergo Ristorante Silvio

(see details above)

Foodie 3 star hotel with a veranda overlooking the lake. It has been run since World War I by the Ponzino family. The hotel also organises fishing trips on the lake.