The largest of the Italian lakes is always beautiful – and Lake Garda restaurants can be even more so. Ask the locals when to visit and they will answer that the best months are without a doubt June and September – fine weather, fewer crowds and thus better quality in hospitality. Why not leave the car behind and use the public water transport system, from which you can disembark directly in the heart of the lakeside villages, visit them at your own pace and eat at one of the lakefront restaurants, pieds dans l’eau, as the French would say.
Lake-fresh fish? A must-try
This selection is based on location, and both food and wine menus. The west coast is definitely superior and has recently experienced further growth. In addition to the 10 top addresses selected, we would like to suggest a number of other top-quality restaurants more focused on local products. If in doubt, always try the freshwater fish: lake sardines, perches, whitefish, chubs. The trout, albeit delicious, has virtually disappeared from Lake Garda, and is now grown in Trentino.
Valtenesi and Lugana
This is just a small selection of the many great places you can find around Lake Garda. Many are worth a stop, if not a detour, and never disappoint their guests. On the Trentino shore, La Terrazza in Torbole and Al Volt in Riva del Garda. On the Verona shore, Osteria al Pescatore in Brenzone Porto, Alla Frassa in Castelletto di Brenzone and Da Oreste in Lazise. On the Brescia shore, La Miniera in Tignale, Locanda del Benaco and Osteria dell’Orologio in Salò, Dalia & Fagioli in Manerba, L’Osteria H2O in Moniga, La Dispensa in San Felice del Benaco, La Lepre and Alla Stella in Desenzano, La Speranzina in Sirmione.
Pro tip: pair your order with a glass of Valtenesi or Lugana, the best wines Garda has to offer, blessed by a streak of excellent vintages.
Il Fagiano at Grand Hotel Fasano – Gardone Riviera (Brescia)
This is the flagship restaurant of one of the most beautiful hotels of Lake Garda, Grand Hotel Fasano. 10 tables are set indoors, with customary lakefront terrace seating outdoors. The chef, Maurizio Bufi, formerly at Villa Giulia, knows how to celebrate local ingredients and traditions without relinquishing his roots (he is from Puglia). The menu is eclectic – from pike cartellata with smoked potatoes, capers and olives, to lamb, ramen, asparagus and fava beans, to risotto with lemon, burrata and liquorice. As a bonus, star bartender Rama Redzepi has an infinite list of gin and tonic variations, while vegetarian tasting menus are also available.
Address: Via Zanardelli, 190 25083 Gardone Riviera
Website: ghf.it
Esplanade – Desenzano (Brescia)
Lake Garda restaurants often feature on the list of discerning gastronomes – and this is one such surefire address for gourmets who enjoy eating al fresco. Here, Massimo Fezzardi leads in the kitchen and Emanuele Signorini plays maitre d’ and sommelier for one of the best wine cellars of the area. If you are looking for a romantic setting, book a table on the jetty. There is a tasting menu devoted to freshwater fish, but the star is saltwater seafood, especially crustaceans, in the signature menu alternating cold and hot hors d’oeuvres.
Address: Via Lario, 3, 25015 Desenzano del Garda BS
Website: ristorante-esplanade.com
Villa Feltrinelli – Gargnano (Brescia)
Villa Feltrinelli is, put simply, one of the most charming places in the world. The 19th-century neo-gothic villa where Mussolini spent his last years was turned into a five-star hotel in 1997, right on the water and surrounded by lush gardens dotted with exotic plants and trees. The restaurant has two Michelin stars and a stunning terrace. Since 2004, it has been led by Stefano Baiocco, an Italian chef with an unparalleled international professional experience. His technique is exquisite, giving ample space to herbs and flowers.
Address: Via Rimembranza, 38, 25084 Gargnano BS
Website: villafeltrinelli.com
Tortuga – Gargnano (Brescia)
This was one of the first Italian restaurants to be awarded a Michelin star – and the team have ensured said star hasn't left the osteria’s door since 1980. It was local power couple Danilo and Maria Filippini, celebrities on these shores, who managed to elevate the osteria to fine dining. It sits only a few steps away from the little harbour of one the most picturesque towns on the western shore. The last generation of the Filippini family, led by Orietta, has chosen to be a little less formal and make Tortuga more eclectic.
Address: Via XXIV Maggio, 5, 25084 Gargnano BS
Website: ristorantelatortuga.it
Vecchia Malcesine – Malcesine (Verona)
The only Michelin-starred restaurant on the eastern shore; under the watchful eye of Leandro Luppi, who was born in Bozen but has been living in the area since forever. The modern, elegant restaurant has a gorgeous view and a worthy wine cellar. There are two menus: one is known and offers signature dishes like “lake carbonara”, the other is an adventurous jump into the unknown.
Address: Via Pisort, 6, 37018 Malcesine VR
Website: vecchiamalcesine.com
Casa Leali – Puegnago del Garda
Casa leali is a farmhouse – more precisely a ‘casa colonica’ – surrounded by olive groves and renovated with taste. This is where brothers Andrea and Marco Leali, chef and sommelier respectively, grew up. Still very young, the duo are steadily gaining in popularity with critics and customers. They look at the world but also at their own land, between innovation and unusual pairings to exalt the local tradition – see Ravioli Bresciani, the 'dirty' Minestra (rice in chicken broth and gizzards) or the roasted chub fillets.
Address: Via Valle, 1, 25080 Puegnago sul Garda BS
Website: casalealiristorante.it
Regio Patio at Regina Adelaide Hotel – Garda (Verona)
A restaurant inside one of the historic hotels of Garda village. Chef Andrea Costantini is considered by his master Bruno Barbieri to be one of the best in interpreting Italian cuisine. The location is very polished, in an Art Nouveau building, with a patio and garden a few steps from the water. The menu offers many atypical dishes, from appetisers to desserts – let’s just cite the “almost dessert” with lettuce, white chocolate, honey, pollen and olive oil from Garda.
Address: Via S. Francesco d'Assisi, 23, 37016 Garda VR
Website: regina-adelaide.it
Lido 84 – Gardone Riviera (Brescia)
It only has one Michelin star – how long before it gets a second? – but this restaurant, managed by the Camanini brothers, has become a go-to for gourmets over the last few years, regularly welcoming chefs from around the world thanks to Riccardo’s talent in the kitchen. There’s genius in their simplicity and use of innovation, especially in the presentation. Complex yet so simple, Lido 84’s dishes manage to amaze every time across an ever-changing menu.
Address: Corso Giuseppe Zanardelli, 196, 25083 Gardone Riviera BS
Website: ristorantelido84.com
Senso by Alfio Ghezzi at Hotel Eala – Limone del Garda (Brescia)
One of the most spectacular grand hotels to open on the shores of Lake Garda in recent years obviously needed an exceptional restaurant to match. Here, Alfio Ghezzi brought the two formats of the same-name restaurant in Rovereto together. In the bistro, open for afternoon and evening sittings, you can find Italian classics, signature dishes and freshwater fish. Local ingredients are key to the fine dining restaurant's menu – a spectacular structure suspended on water. Four or seven courses see Ghezzi hit the mark every time using very few elements with exceptional elegance.
Address: Via IV Novembre, 88, 25010 Limone sul Garda BS
Website: ealalakegarda.com
Capriccio – Manerba (Brescia)
Giuliana Germiniasi and her daughter Francesca Tassi are two of the best chefs in Italy and for good reason. The location is unique: elegant interiors and an enormous terrace with views encompassing all of Valtenesi and the lower Garda. Michelin-starred since 1999, it can depend upon a big cellar and a vast selection of spirits. Close to tradition, the menu favours seafood and light, summery dishes like marinated mackerel with crunchy vegetables.
Address: Piazza S.Bernardo, 6, 25080 Manerba d/Garda
Website: ristorantecapriccio.it
Felter alle Rose – Salò (Brescia)
An interesting pairing is the key here: Matteo Felter, one of the few great local chefs, and Antica Trattoria alle Rose, a staple of the region for many decades. The restaurant is charming, and the local chef was onto something just a few months after taking on the new role, having left Fagiano at Grand Hotel Fasano. The menu follows two parallel directions: on one hand the highest attention to local ingredients (see freshwater fish), on the other his signature dishes.
Address: Via Gasparo da Salò, 33, 25087 Salò BS
Website: rosesalo.it
Mos – Desenzano del Garda (Brescia)
Youth and ambition are behind the creation of Mos. Stefano Zannini and Mattia Moro, sous chef and maitre d’ respectively, landed from Salina’s Signum in the old harbour of Desenzano. Two choices: an easy lakefront formula with a glass of wine and a serving of comfort food, and a fresh experimental gourmet experience. Lake, hills, the lower Alps (the “sheep and eel” main course) come together with impressive results and an even higher potential. Three tasty and rich menus make for a stimulating experience.
Address: Via Porto Vecchio, 28, 25015 Desenzano del Garda BS
Website: ristorantemos.it