Cozy, family-owned restaurant affiliated with the Olivedo hotel next door, where we were staying. Not many places open this off-season February night, so this place quickly filled up, and we were glad to have a reservation. We shared the Antipasto Misto di pisce di lago between the 3 of us with an assortment of fish from the lake: a lake fish pate (the first pate of fish I've had, but very good), a smoked trout carpaccio (delicious), a traditional marinated lake fish (kind of like a pickled herring), lake trout rolled in thinly shaved leek, like a cabbage roll (tasty), and Varenna's traditional missoltino - salted little lake fish, served over polenta (super salty; didn't love it, but was glad we got to try it). It paired beautifully with a bottle of Reisling.
We then tried the venison tartare, served with a cranberry vinaigrete and rainbow beetroot, which was nice. We paired this with a bottle of Barbera which was amazing. We each had a pasta - I had the homemade tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms and lemon which was really mild and nice. Our friend had the tagliolini with missoltino (salted fish) cream, a confit of tomatoes and robiola cheese (a bit fishy and salty), and my husband had the Ravioli with rabbit cacciatora, taleggio cheese and polenta chips, which he really enjoyed.
For dessert, we shared a tiramisu - my first and only of this trip to Italy, which was very good, and not too sweet. And then we had an affogato, which was wonderful. A glass of amaro and glass of port was a perfect end to a lovely meal with great friends. read more