Good Food and Views are Worth the Journey
Among Lake Como's grand villas, the Villa Carlotta is one of the three key ones to visit. The villa dominates the landscape near Tremezzo, with its grand garden facing that of rival Villa Melzi's across the lake.
In our three day visit of Lake Como, we started with Villa Carlotta and I think this was the right move because the villa itself pales in comparison to the Villa Balbianello. This is because the Carlotta is not as well furnished and doesn't occupy that grand promontory over the...
Helmed by one of Italy's best chefs, Le Calandre is worth the detour to this modern Italian restaurant located in Rubano, on the outskirts of Padua. This was possibly the most fun 3-star Michelin experience I've had because the staff were incredibly fun and witty, very much in line with their boss, and the food was good, modern and yet, not too precious. Given the chance I would definitely come back here again.
We made the one hour drive to Le Calandre from Verona. We figured that we...
At the far end of Bellagio's Villa Melzi garden is the little hamlet of Loppia where the restaurant Alle Darsene di Loppia serves up a perfect lunch. Picture this - a vine covered pergola, crisp white linen, fresh local seafood and wine on an early autumn day. While the weather may not always be as ideal as it was during my visit last month, I'd still make the Alle Darsene di Loppia a must visit eatery in Lake Como for its unpretentious cooking and warm and friendly service. The risotto...