Restaurants in Varenna
Vecchia Varenna
Address- Via XX Settembre, 14,
Phone- +39 0341 830793
Hours- Open for lunch during high season, every day except Monday and Tuesday
Price- Middle-high range
Reservations- By phone
My dad on the covered terrace at Vecchia Varenna
When I went to this restaurant with my parents over a long Easter weekend, my mom thought that the menu was so lovely that she asked to take one home. Now it is framed in our house in Texas. When you access the homepage of the website, you will see a photograph of the view from the water of the restaurant. We sat on a table out on the narrow covered veranda with beautiful views overlooking the lake. The restaurant sits right on the water’s edge with flower boxes lining the rail and green ivy climbing around the sides of multicolored vicinal buildings. The food was tasty, representative of the Cucina Lombarda (Lombard cuisine); however, they certainly add some creative and experimental touches. The restaurant has a rather elegant feel, so good for a special occasion or a dinner with parents, in my case. Recent reviews have commented on rude management, which gives me some pause. This was not my personal experience, however.
Recommended Dishes
Antipasto- Trout patè with crispy flatbread, marinated red onions
and green peas* marmalade
Primo- Pastas are made fresh, so go with gut
Secondo- They offer some Sous vide style dishes, and the veal could be a good choice
Dolci- Our foamy “express tiramisù”
La Vista
Address- Via XX Settembre, 35
Phone- +39 0341 830298
La Vista views at sunset
Hours- Open for dinner only Wednesday-Saturday and Monday, closed on Sunday and Tuesday
Price- Middle-high range
Reservations- By phone or through the website
Like Vecchia Varenna, La Vista has an enviable view. In fact, the name of the restaurant translates to ‘the view’. If you stay in (or even visit) Varenna, you need to reserve one sunset for this gorgeous balcony restaurant. We had our first meal in Varenna on the outside terrace of La Vista, and it was the perfect welcome party. From this perspective Lake Como opens up and the blazing orb is positioned over stratiform mountains in shades of blue-violet.
At La Vista
Cheers-ing with a glasss of Franciacorta felt like a just beginning. The food that followed was carefully prepared by a chef that takes pride in his work. According to the website, the menu changes seasonally; however, you can explore a sample here on their website. In particular, the restaurant offers a robust wine list, with informative descriptions of varietals.
Recommended Dishes
La Vista offers three and four course menus, so that you can get a taste of the regional varieties and particular restaurant specialties.
As mentioned on their website, some dishes are more traditional, Vitello Tonnato, for an antipasto for example, and others are more experimental such as Risotto with beetroot and horseradish with scallops sautéed with Chardonnay for a primo.