It was a bit pricier than I wanted it to be, but the views were impeccable and one of the girls let me use a closer bathroom, even though I wasn't supposed to, so that was super helpful. She put us right by the water, which was really nice because there was some people waiting. The food was fine. Nothing crazy but it was really good. You're in Italy. What else can you ask for. read more

Insane views but subpar service. The spot is situated perfectly in that you can watch the sunset right on the water and people watch as you eat and drink. However, there are limited seats available, which has led to very long lines. Thankfully, my boyfriend and I were able to get seats immediately because we came in between meals. However, in my opinion, the service was subpar. We recognize that the waiters were probably tired and overwhelmed from the lunch rush, but felt that when they do occasionally check on you, they're not very friendly. We had ordered a glass of wine as well as lemon and watermelon granitas, which are almost like an Italian ice slushy. The granitas are good, but not anything terribly special. Would recommend coming for the views, but otherwise the drinks as well as the service were average, if not slightly lower than average (in my opinion). There was also someone vaping right next to us, which was off putting for me personally and may have been better if there was more spacing between the tables. read more

Il Molo - Wine - Bars Near Me - Varenna, LC

We came here because it was overlooking the lake. We ordered some cocktails and appetizers. It's so nice because this restaurant is overlooking the lake. We sat there at the perfect time when the sun was setting. It was one of the most beautiful moments in Como. The drinks were okay but I feel like you are paying for the experience and view. read more

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No idea why this place has such low ratings. I enjoyed my cup of hot chocolate. My husband got a shot of espresso with a couple cornettos. This place has one of the best views in Varenna. We reached here pretty early in the morning for breakfast and got one of the best tables with an unrestricted view of Lake Como. By the time we were halfway done, all the tables were full and there was a huge line of people waiting to be seated. Menu is limited and service is quick. read more

Il Molo - Bars Near Me - Varenna, LC

Amazing view, poor food! I ordered a cappuccino with Italian cookies, nothing complicated, yet the cookies were stale, and the cappuccino weak. I would still recommend the place for the view, but get something simple. read more

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I would definitely come back here to enjoy the good food and views again. The spaghetti was gcooked perfectly. Seafood was delicious with the sauce. I thought the food was going to be blah bc of the location. But it was delicious to me. The views while eating was just a bonus. It's def a famous spot for pictures so come and enjoy. read more

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Good quick meal. I got the cheese platter. My husband got carbona pasta. The bruschetta bread wasn't warm but the olives on top were delicious. read more

They have a great location and view of how the tables are set up. The drinks are probably what they are more known for. The food is just ok, nothing to rave about or memorable. Just stick with the drinks and maybe an app. We ordered: - bruschetta - pizza - seafood pasta - risotto Pizza was just all fluffy bread. Bruschetta was bland. Risotto was decent. read more

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The Bar is Molo is the most charming restaurant along the shoreline of Lake Como in Varenna. He staff is gracious and welcoming, service is efficient and the food delicious. My husband and I have enjoyed Carbonara all over Italy during our vacations and Bar il Molo's was the BEST we have ever had! The octopus and potato salad and Greek salad were delicious too. Do yourself a favor and enjoy a meal here! Beautiful view too! read more

Il Molo - View of Lake Como and the cute white chairs at our table. It was lovely, even before a rain storm the next morning! - Bars Near Me - Varenna, LC

My family ate here several times during our stay in Varenna. The fresh squeezed OJ is delicious, pricey but delicious. The cappuccinos are amazing and you have a nice view. It does get crowded and if you don't like birds flying about or stealing from your bread basket then skip this place. Overall, a nice place to get a bite to eat but definitely touristy. read more

Il Molo - Capuccino - Bars Near Me - Varenna, LC

Looks good from the outside. Terrible for food. I had, what they printed on the menu, as a Caesar salad. No way! It was full of bitter cabbage like shredded lettuce. When I asked the server about the salad, he told me it was a Milano style Caesar salad. I just had a Caesar at Vittoria Grill last night. Which was excellent. My wife had the Lasagna, which was very bland. Save your money. Don't go. They did not charge me for the salad. Good for them. read more

We'd just got off our train from Milan, and had been in route since the early morning from Venice to say I was a bit hungry is an understatement. We all know, I'm not missing any meals ;) I'd had II Molo in mind already, and we'd planned on exploring a bit but were totally caught off guard when the ferries weren't running due to strong winds and we needed to get across to our hotel. This is when I now needed a spritz asap! We walked over to II Molo and the walk was breathtaking (is it just me or are the swans in Europe just built different? I mean Swiss swans Lago di Como swans - we don't make them like this in California), which make me feel a little better but I was still stressed about if, when and how we'd make it to Tremezzo. We were able to snag a table right away which was great but they were super busy, safe to assume because everyone getting off the train couldn't leave town. It was super windy so we tucked in where we could and ordered. My drink was great! I ordered the carbonara which was also really flavorful. I'd just seen a review saying it was bland (I'm not sure if they had read this and tried bumping something up) but it was a tad bit on the salty side even. I didn't care and ate most of it. My friend ordered a pizza and I shared some of it with him, which helped balance out the sodium level of the carbonara. Service was great and they have a nice clean restroom. Gorgeous views and really a solid choice. To say this is a tourist trap sounds silly, because isn't nearly everyone getting off the train here a tourist? I mean, it's inevitable- you're not going to dine alone the banks of the lake with all locals. This is a town where dining predominantly with tourists is just a given. It didn't make the service or the food any less desirable in my opinion. Wonderful spot, on a less windy, warmer day a table closer to the lake would have been ideal. It was a bit chilly when we arrived and later the weather shaped up and the ferries started running again. read more

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Perfect spot for breakfast, lunch or dinner with the most gorgeous view you've ever seen. Service is fast and the food is very good. I was happy they had more choices than just pizza and pasta. My prosciutto and melon was lovely and plentiful, the classic panini was crunchy and tasty. read more

Il Molo - Quaint menu - Bars Near Me - Varenna, LC

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Just arrived in Varenna after a 5-hour drive from the Dolomites, and were ready for some lunch. This cafe has a lovely setting on the patio overlooking the lake, and not too many spots open on this off-season February day, so we gave this place a try. It's super popular. Everyone in town seemed to either be eating gelato or having lunch here. We split two pizzas between the two of us - a Diavola and Funghi with prosciutto - both good, but Diavola was more flavorful. Lovely to sip on a Spritz while looking out over the lake. Only wish so many patrons weren't chain-smoking while we were eating, read more

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Super cute cafe to grab lunch, a snack, drink, or gelato. The views are immaculate!! Service is hit or miss but that's because they are always extremely busy in peak season. You might be waiting for up to 30 mins for a table especially if you want one with a view. read more

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THE WORSt! Hated it, DISGUSTED COFFEE, the customer Service THE WORST. Sooo mean I a Was shook, the moment I asked for a table the waiter was so rude. Do not go here, I didn't even care about the view after how horrible everything was read more

The view is nice but breakfast is horrible. The eggs were extremely over cooked. My food was pretty cold as well. Next time i would just come for a coffee and the view. Workers are very nice tho read more

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The food wasn't bad but the service is horrendous. Waiters rude enough to yell at you. They openly show their disdain to anyone of colour.... I've never been treated in such a disgusting manner. Avoid and just go down the line. You will be treated decently and have better food read more

Tourist trap - food was very bad. The view is the only redeemable quality of this restaurant.

We ate here twice during our time in Varenna! It's a beautiful location, try to get a spot overlooking Lake Como! Delicious pizza and pasta as well as a fantastic Aperol Spritz! The house wine is very good and also well priced. read more

Great food and service. The location on the lake just added to the ambiance and the dining experience.

During our last evening in Varenna, Gayle and I enjoyed a drink and snacks and the Hotel du Lac, and then decided to wander down to Bar il Molo for a light Dinner. I think we were also still full after thoroughly enjoying Chef Moreno's Cooking School at Ristorante Il Caminetto the day before in nearby Gitana. We snagged a nice patio seat with a beautiful lake view. We shared our pizza and past dishes and found them to by really tasty and at a reasonable price. It was fun to watch the sunset, fellow travelers, and enjoy each others company so well. It was a great way to remember Varenna (and Lake Como) before moving on to Cinque Terre the next day. read more

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That awkward moment when the carbonara is so good you order it 3 times on your trip LOL. When we arrived in Varenna we unfortunately had a very rainy afternoon. I had this restaurant saved to visit because of it's beautiful view of the Lake Como coast from Varenna. So we braved the rain and made it over. We sat outside under a roof and the lake was still pretty to look at. I ordered the carbonara and was shook from how amazing it was!! Usually it's always super salty from the panchetta but not this one. You only tasted the extra salt when you had a piece of bacon on the spoonful. My husband ordered a ravioli which he loved. For dessert I got the tiramisu. Perfectly fluffy, creamy, and espresso-y! The forecast called for rain until midnight so I ordered a second carbonara to take home with me. 4 hours later it tasted just as delicious! Our second day exploring Lake Como was perfect. Since our hotel was only 10 mins from Il Molo we went back. I enjoyed their delicious carbonara once more. No regrets here! Now that I'm back home I'm already craving their delicious pasta. Wholeheartedly recommend this place for anyone in the area! read more

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Beautiful views on the lake. Umbrellas for shade. The thing that stood out the most was the friendly staff. They make you feel like family. We had drinks & cold appetizers. Everything was presented nicely. Food & drinks came out quickly. We would have loved to stay for dinner but could not! read more

This place was good and it got the job done, but the food wasn't the freshest. The staff was very nice and gave us candy after the meal, but I would suggest looking elsewhere if there are other options. read more

Il Molo - Tortellini alla Bolognese - Bars Near Me - Varenna, LC

Came here for lunch while visiting this quaint small town. Pros: - Stunning views of the lake - Reasonable prices - spaghetti with meat was around 9.5 euros, soda is always more expensive in restaurants (3.5 euros) - my friends described that this dish tasted "American" aka the pasta wasn't al dente - The soda came with ice! Hallelujah! Drinks with ice isn't a thing in Italy so you can definitely tell this place runs on tourism. If you look around most of the customers at the restaurant are Americans, English, and French - Great service - food comes out quickly! Cons: - My Cuban friend was very disappointed with the Pina Colada so don't order that - If using a credit card, minimum of 25 euros (you can always pay for your own meal plus someone else's to make it work) read more

Il Molo - Bars Near Me - Varenna, LC

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Great place to pick up something quickly and delicious. Service was good selection was dead

Food was okay Hubby got mushroom risotto which was rich and tasty nothing spectacular I got pasta fagoli- bland needed salt and acid Bread was a little stale We got attacked by bees the entire meal Ordered a side salad which was plain lettuce and corn Prices are good view is beautiful but you are paying for view not the food All staff speaks English well and menu is in English- all red flags screams tourist trap We fell into it unfortunately read more

Il Molo - Bars Near Me - Varenna, LC

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Very pretty spot on the lake but the food and service were terrible. Might be ok just for a spritz and to enjoy the view but don't bother with the food. read more

By the time we caught the ferry from Bellagio to beautiful Varenna, arriving at 1550, it was too late to walk to the sights due to rain; besides we were afraid they were closed. We settled on having dinner here because it's open (some highly rated not open till 7), packed with a happy crowd, and has outdoor heat lamps on. We ordered typical comfort food that included mixed salad, onion soup (without cheese), and pastas (bolognese and abruzzese). The food was hot, satisfying with good portions, just right for a chilly evening. Service was prompt. After dinner we were able to catch the 1737 train back to Milan from Esino Station with a full stomach. read more

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If I can recommend to you one piece of advice dear Yelp review reader, it's that you head to Lake Como in Northern Italy stat. The last day of our 10 day European adventure, I wanted to relax. Since the weather was absolutely beautiful for November, we decided to take the one hour trip from Milan to Varenna (the only town situated on Lake Como with a direct train from Milan). Exploring this semi-closed up for winter town located on the Lake, I fell in love. Just 5 minutes, that's all you need to know why this may be one of the most special places ever and why Mr. George Clooney decides to spend most of his time here. After exploring most of the town (about an hour or two), we settled on spending the rest of our time at this cafe as we wait for our return train. With a prime location overlooking the lake and the perfect vista of the Alpine mountains, they also accepted credit cards and prices were reasonable, thus a no brainer for a casual lunch. As this was the last weekend of the seasonal year, they were out of pretty much everything, but we went with lasagna, a pizza and glass of house red for me and a beer for the Mr. You really can't beat the view. Crystal clear waters of the lake, snow capped Alps, multi-colored buildings, I could sit here all day not saying one word and be the most content person in the world. Then, the food came. The lasagne was amazing. You couldn't even taste the noodles, that's how perfectly cooked this dish was. It was if I was eating a pillow of ricotta with a semi-sweet bolognese layer. It may have been one of the best lasagna these lips have tasted. The pizza wasn't as stellar. I'm going to blame it on the fact they were out of half the ingredients, but wasn't impressed too much with the pie. Gelato for dessert was of course the most delicious way to end an Italian meal. 5 stars for the view 5 stars for the lasagna 4 stars for the gelato 3 stars for the pizza I can't wait to come back! read more

11/3/2013 My husband and I came here in the evening after a stroll around the lake-front. I had heard good reviews of this place based on yelp reviews, so we ventured here for a drink. I ordered a bruschetta -- when this came out, the bruschetta was HUGE. It was twice the usual size of a piece of toast, topped with loads of tomato chunks (fresh) and basil, olive oil, etc. We were surprised by the size of that thing! Tastes refreshing and good for a pre-dinner snack. :) My husband ordered a red house wine. He said it was a good drink to ease us into the dinner time hour. Too bad we came here in the late afternoon/dusk (it was daylight savings, so it got dark at 4:50 pm). I'm sure the view of the lake would have been gorgeous if we had arrived earlier, but it was a peaceful serene darkness (with some flickering lights in the distance) when we were there. We saw a geese floating around on the lake (I think they were trying to say hi to us). It got so cold sitting outside (under the heat lamps), that we had to move inside to finish up our wine. The inside had about 3-4 small tables for two, and a clean quaint bathroom for customers. We enjoyed our time! read more

Don't be mistaken. The reason you dine here is for the amazing view; and it's beautiful at all times of the day, but especially near sunset. And during the Spring and Summer months you are guaranteed to see some of the most breathtaking sunsets of your life from here, with Menaggio and the Italian/Swiss Alps in the background. The food here is decent. Not bad by any means, but definitely not the best you will experience in Italy or otherwise. Service here is friendly and the food arrives quite quickly. Our pizzas were quite good overall. Savor the moment. Enjoy your time here at one of the most beautiful places in the world. read more

Il Molo - Bars Near Me - Varenna, LC

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Lunch at II Molo. Great service, terrific views, generous portions, good food! What's not to like? Good prices also. read more

terrible carbonara. ive traveled through italy numerous times and have eaten amazing carbonara. i looked at this place on yelp seeing that the carbona was great so i ordered it. when it arrived it looked nothing like the pictures on yelp and it was terrible. it was basically plain noodles with scrambled egg and the bacon was so over cooked and hard to chew. very disappointed. will not be returning and not recommending this place to friends. the waiters were also kinda rude read more

Il Molo - nasty carbonara was basically plain noodles with egg and hard bacon bits - Bars Near Me - Varenna, LC

The view is certainly the draw of this restaurant, so it seems they're not really trying on the food. The bruschetta for one was a sad slice of mozzarella on a large piece of toast. Service was good, and it's likely a fantastic spot for aperitivo, but we were there for lunch and were disappointed. read more

One of our favorite places for lunch in veranna. They have a full Italian menu including breakfast. This restaurant is located just above the banks of the river Como and is a cool place to enjoy a meal or cappuccino. The staff is amazing. Even if every table is full, you wait no more than 10 minutes for your meal. read more

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I enjoyed some frozen drinks and beers here with my boyfriend while visiting from Bellagio. It was lovely! The scenery was beautiful, our waitress was friendly and the drinks were great. It was especially perfect being right on the water, after our drinks we went down to the ocean for a dip. Would certainly recommend. To hear more about our trip check out TheCoreyStory.com read more

Il Molo - Beautiful scenery! - Bars Near Me - Varenna, LC

Tourist trap. Location is very pretty, and I'm not sure if they were just busy at the time but the carbonara was awful not sure why others recommend it read more

My husband and I walked over and arrived right before closing time on a Sunday. (1900) The gentleman who greeted us, if you could call it that, was unfriendly and said they were closed. When I looked at my watched and realized it was before their posted closing time and questioned it he responded with "If I said it's closed, it's closed." My husband said it was likely an ESL thing but I don't think so. Pass! read more