One of Varenna's most beloved restaurants — a traditional Lombard trattoria in a romantic stone courtyard off the lakefront, serving well-regarded risotto on the eastern shore and definitive lake fish in a town that knows how to cook them.
Why It Belongs on the List
Vecchia Varenna is the restaurant Varenna regulars defend with fierce loyalty — a traditional trattoria in a stone courtyard behind the lakefront with tables set under pergola on warm evenings. The kitchen handles Lombard lake classics with genuine confidence: risotto al lavarello, agoni fritti, polenta taragna, and lake fish in butter and sage. The wine list focuses on Valtellina wines. Service is efficient and friendly without tourist-facing formality. Reservations essential for summer evenings.
What Stands Out
- Best restaurant in Varenna — stone courtyard setting
- excellent lake fish
- Risotto al lavarello: the standard for Lake Como risotti
- Polenta taragna with Valtellina wine: the definitive northern Lombard pairing
- Finest dining room on the eastern shore
- Reservations essential in July–August — fills every night