We stay at the guesthouses here as well! The owner is the chef and we had an absolutely fantastic experience! Prosecco on patio with the sun setting, a chefs choice homemade pasta sampler, delicious desserts and exceptional service! read more

No matter where you are or where you are going, coming for a meal here is a Must! The service was amazing and the food was spectacular. Being here is a whole experience one must have while in Italy! My girlfriend and I came on a 10 day trip and stayed our last 3 days by Lake Como, we made a last minute reservation and took a train over and were amazed by the experience and food. The best meal we had on our trip by far. Try their wines, desserts are amazing. Man we are coming back again next Italy trip, might have to come to Italy just to experience Ristorante il Crotto. Non importa dove sei o dove stai andando, venire a mangiare qui è un must! Il servizio era incredibile e il cibo era spettacolare. Essere qui è un'intera esperienza che si deve fare mentre si è in Italia! Io e la mia ragazza siamo venuti in un viaggio di 10 giorni e abbiamo soggiornato i nostri ultimi 3 giorni sul Lago di Como, abbiamo fatto una prenotazione dell'ultimo minuto e abbiamo preso un treno e siamo rimasti stupiti dall'esperienza e dal cibo. Il miglior pasto che abbiamo fatto durante il nostro viaggio di gran lunga. Prova i loro vini, i dolci sono fantastici. Amico, torneremo di nuovo il prossimo viaggio in Italia, potremmo dover venire in Italia solo per provare il Ristorante il Crotto. read more

Worst restaurant ever! Never had such a bad experience in a restaurant. Service too fast. Clearing dishes and serving main before entree finished. Food poor, cocktail stick of veg and meat tasted like it had been warmed up from day before. Total rip off!!! read more

We were staying in Lierna for three nights & we dined at this restaurant twice for dinner. My husband had to come back for the delicious fish and I had the steak cooked perfectly and the gnocchi, both amazing. The food was fantastic & the service was impeccable. The family who owns this restaurant was so welcoming & continued to greet us as we strolled by the restaurant during the day. Crotto di Lierna truly made our time in Lake Como unforgettable. read more

The food was amazing! I'm still thinking about it. One of our best meals in Italy! I had the basil cream pasta and my husband had the steak we also got tiramisu for dessert. It was delicious and the service was great. We got there early and they sat us early. read more

Gracious hospitality, delicious food, incredible ambiance. This family has a genetic disposition to making guests feel welcome and be well fed. The food is fresh, uncomplicated and very well prepared. A wonderful place for a family dinner, a special occasion or just a night out. You will not be disappointed. read more

Lightning struck and Frankenstein awoke. Few things can be as consequential as a lightning strike, yet a visit to Il Crotto deserves the same esteem. I used to be an ordinary human and then I visited Il Crotto. In short, you'll think about your life in two phases - before you visited Il Crotto and afterwards. In the Bible Moses was a different person before and after seeing God incarnate and this experience is no different. Have I made my case with fiction? Now we get to the facts... Il Crotto is a family run business that values quality and seasonality. Every dish we sampled (since we split dishes among four) highlighted some seasonal items like porcini mushrooms and chestnuts and persimmons. Don't expect that if you visit in a different time of year you'll eat exactly what we ate. But I promise you that you'll eat the best seasonal ingredients around. The older man who grilled our meal told me he had purchased the fish from lake como at the farmers market himself, and the local ingredients were evident in the depth of flavors cultivated. But before I get too deep let's go back in time a bit... Wandering around town at 6:15pm we were confused and scared. All the restaurants appeared to be closed. We first checked out Il Crotto and though a light in the back and some food appeared out not a soul was stirring inside. We wandered further into town in search of a restaurant, discovered them all closed and only by happenstance discovered that most restaurants in town opened for dinner around 7 or 8pm in the fall. We walked back towards our place of habitation and on the way we drifted past Il Crotto to discover signs of human life. They beckoned us inside from the cold outside. I kid you not they literally beckoned. When we walked in the showed us the huge local porcini mushrooms and the menu. We promised to return to them later for a fateful meal, because we had made an imminent appointment with a large bottle of Chianti. We returned a bit over an hour later. The place was warm and the staff greeted us gently. We sat in a table they had let us pick out earlier. They immediately served us house prossecco and a bit of delicious grilled bread with some seasonings. We ordered- 4 different dishes to split. Grilled mushrooms, an amazing pasta, a platter or grilled meats, and some local fish. My pictures do more justice than any words but they cannot communicate the depth of flavor that the wood grill provides. It's at this point that we arrive at the wood grill. The wood grill both flavors the food and dramatically impacts the feel of the entire space. It's presence is not something you'll be made aware of - it's flame is not directly visible. But a large area of the space is dedicated to its wares and the foods produced via its heat. All visible to you. It melds the space together as a farmhouse or family home feel, to a simpler time when the world was less complicated. And the wood fire lends a flavor that is incomparable and difficult to replicate. After the main meals, we ordered two desserts. Always go for the seasonal desserts here. They provided an absolutely wonderful mousse of chestnut with a persimmon jam. I had never fathomed the combination but upon eating I cannot imagine my life without it. It's rare in life that you have discoveries like these. From now on I'll live a life of torment and an immense feeling of longing thinking about what life would have been like if I had not experienced this consequential and deeply delicious moment. Il Crotto you have changed me. I hope others will get to enjoy your life changing food for many years to come. read more

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The food was amazing. We ate at Crotto twice while in Lierna. The restaurant was initially recommended by a local chef and food and service was as promised. read more

We are staying in an Airbnb 5 minute walk from this family run excellent restaurant in Lierna, Lake Como. Four of us walked in Sunday evening and were so warmly greeted, seated and presented with a free welcome Prosecco. Proprietor/chef was cooking meats and fish in the back of the dining room with a beautiful char. Everything ordered was plentiful and fixed to perfection, including a misto salad, a pasta dish, sirloin steak, sea bass, and a combo fish plate. Server made great recommendations and was attentive. Absolutely a great experience in every way. Wish we were here long enough to go several more times. This is a must stop when in the area. Extremely reasonably priced. read more

Great food and ambience. The owners really made us feel welcome and we had a large group and kids in tow. Upon seating, they brought us prosecco and bruschetta to get the evening started right. Super fresh pasta and fish, you can see them cook and debone the fish right in front of you. Would highly recommend! Great people! read more

The entire dining experience was absolute perfection. The owner and his family cook the food as you order so everything is fresh. After deciding on fish at the recommendation of the owner, he brought the fish to the table prior to cooking in order to demonstrate its freshness. I would recommend anyone passing through Lierna to stop in and treat yourself to an excellent meal prepared by a wonderful owner and his family. Be sure to grab some meringues before you leave! read more

Our experience at Il Crotto was nothing short of perfect... so great that we had to return in the morning for cappuccinos because we loved it so much. We ordered a dish with truffles and the wonderful owner explained we couldn't have it because the weather in central Italy was not rainy enough for truffles. This gave us an immediate idea of just how fresh the ingredients are. Instead he served us the last of the region's mushrooms with amazing olive oil and local cheese. We learned that the restaurant has been open for 124 years! Absolutely recommend visiting if you're in the area! We will certainly return. read more