Two Restaurants with Spectacular Views and Amazing Food!

Two sunsets to die for and two fantastic meals don’t come easily, however in Varenna we were blessed with both.  We were lucky that we chose well for our two nights in Lake Como and we want to make sure that you don’t miss out.  We arrived from Venice late on the first night and grabbed a quick bite close to where we were staying. It was fine, nothing special.  Average meals do exist in Italy.  The next two nights blew us away.

Vecchia Varenna was the place we chose on our first night in Varenna.  The restaurant is situated right on the lake and the meal was fabulous.  The night we ate there, the sky was the brightest pink I have ever seen.  

It was only while taking pictures did I realize that the color only lasts for about 10 minutes or so before it just gets dark.  We sat there watching with a great bottle of wine and then ordered our food.  We decided to share several dishes so that we could taste a little bit of everything.  We had home made pasta dishes, 

fish that was caught that day from the lake and desserts that were to die for.  

The staff and service were excellent.  Don’t miss out on Vecchia Varenna!

La Vista is the restaurant that I mention in my blog about Lake Como hotels.  Is is connected to the Hotel Albergo Milano and is run by the husband and wife team, Edigio & Bettina Mallone.  The restaurant is up on the hill in Varenna, so when you sit on the deck you have a birds-eye view of the lake and mountains.  It is truly incredible!  

Reservations are recommended, especially if you are there in the nicer weather.  They will not over book so that in the event of rain, they can sit everyone inside.  Every day Edigio creates a different 3 course meal for 35 Euros, which we got.  Edigio was also our sommelier, and ran downstairs to get us the  ‘07 Aglianico that we wanted because the one he had upstairs was too warm for his liking.  It was an amazing bottle all for 21Euros!  We started with a tuna carpaccio and beef carpaccios, 

we then moved on the a filet with a Gorgonzola sauce and a Lake Como bass with a chardonnay sauce

and finished our meal with a cappuccino mouse in a dark cup that was ridiculous 

and a pear stuffed with goat cheese.  It was outstanding! 

These are 2 great restaurants that I would whole-heartedly endorse.  Both nights we had great service, amazing food and wine and views that are unlike any other.  If you find yourself in Varenna, put these restaurants on the top of your list.  You won’t be sorry!

Lake Como Vacation Rentals

Renting a villa or apartment instead of staying in a hotel is quite fantastic.  How often do you think to yourself, I just want to hang out in the hotel tonight?   These days I want several things out of a vacation.  Seeing the sights is certainly part of it, but having down time to just relax is essential.  Having a villa or apartment can afford you so many options of how you want to spend your time.  Whether you want to have a relaxing afternoon on the balcony reading your book, or cooking up some of great finds from the local markets with some friends or just the luxury of making a cup of tea without having to call room service or go out somewhere, you can’t beat the freedom of a villa.   But where do you start looking?   Below is list of villa and apartment rental sites that I would recommend for Lake Como.   Of course there are many more, but this will give you a good place to start.  Be sure to look at my page of “tips for renting villas and apartments” if you are feeling a little unsure about what to look for.

www.varenna.net - This is the site for the Hotel Albergo Milano, but they have 2 apartments that they rent out that are listed on this site.

www.rentvillas.com - they are great for many areas all over Europe.  They have listings at all budgets. 

www.vrbo.com  - This is a great site. Many times I will see listings from this site on other sites but because it is directly through the owner, it can be a little cheaper.  They also have a rental guarantee.