Great food, great atmosphere, great service. We've been in Italy for two weeks having been to Rome,…read moreSorrento, Florence , Pisa,, Verona and Venice. This was our favorite meal. The presentation was beautiful. I was not in Yelp mode so I forgot to take a picture. We both had the fish of the day. Nice wine list They have received a Michelin fork every year for the last several years. We were the only non Italian speakers there.

Great service and wonderful food! The ambience is amazing too...Easy walk from all the hotels in…read moreStresa. Highly recommend!

This was our first stop in Stresa. Cozy little place down a small side street but what a meal…read more The pizza was cooked to perfection and flavors were remarkable. The crust was soft with just the right amount of chew. Ingredients were obviously fresh. We were treated like family by both the host and servers. We have a second stop in Stresa next week and will absolutely go back.

Delicious pizza. Friendly and efficient staff. Outdoor courtyard lovely on a warm summer's day.read more

Remember those James Bond movies where the hero or villain is speeding by in a motorboat on a lake…read morepast some European town? Could be Monaco on the French Riviera. Well couldn't make it to Monaco, but did make it to the waterfront of Baveno, Italy. Elected to spend extra days here in Baveno, rather than go on walking tours of Milan in 100 degree heat in July. Every day for 4 days before breakfast, I jogged the half mile long waterfront on Lago Maggiore, Italy's second largest lake, bordering on Switzerland. Even roused the wife out of her beauty rest to see the sights. Did this before the crowds arrived, with the sun rising over the deep blue lake, with mountains in the background. The water wasn't that blue, due to the high humidity in the Italian lake district in the air under cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid 80s at 7am, over cold waters of the 1000 foot deep mountain lake. Numerous restaurants, hotels, and small businesses, like the coin operated self service washer/dryer, line the road on the other side of the waterfront. A wide paved pedestrian pathway goes all along the promenade, with a separate sidewalk next to the roadway. There is a ferry area, boat docking areas, a child's playground, restrooms, and various monuments, along the immaculately landscaped promenade. They even have a defibrillator and emergency phone, along with toll machine for paid parking. Street sweeping machines running for both the road and the promenade pathway, so no litter on the ground. Tourist information building is right next to the ferry building, with a free public bathroom in the back, complete with toilet tissue and toilet seat, something not always found in Italian bathrooms. I had to jog the half mile long waterfront 4 straight days to get rid of excess weight from eating all that chocolate and cheese in Switzerland during our 10 day tour, so that I could fit in the 18" wide seats on the 14 hour airline trip back to California, via Atlanta!

You know how they say that in the past, rivers were the "interstate highways" of the time? Well,…read moreit's true. And even though this isn't a river, this canal was used to transport goods from Pavia to Milan. This one is the Pavia Canal and was not completed until the Napoleonic period. It begins at the canal basic known as the Darsena, under the so-called Trofeo Bridge. Locks enable it to negotiate differences in level at various points along its 33 kilometer route, culminating in the visually striking sequence where the canal flows into the Ticino River. When the canal opened to navigation in 1819, Milan was finally connected via the Ticino and Po rivers to the Adriatic Sea. This project, which began in the 15th century with the construction of the Bereguardo Canal and the Martesana Canal made the city a crossroads between continental Europe and the Mediterranean. [Review 10677 overall, 445 of 2019.]

The Naviglio Pavese (some may NOT be aware) is not a natural river flow. Its construction dates…read moreback to 1564, though interrupted 20 years later and completed only ib 1819. It was (once) a 33 km long navigable river that linked Milano to Pavia and, through the flight of six locks to the River Ticino. It has been closed to navigation back in the 1960s, but has recently been considered for restoration to full navigation, connecting Switzerland to Venice via inland waterway. Those who love biking will be extremely pleased with the cycle lane that promises to lead you from the Darsena (downtown Milan) to Pavia. To those who want to enjoy some live music or some happy hours (drinks and food for competitive price) many are the options (La Sacrestia, Maya, Movida (i would strongly NOT recommend this one) King, puentoalegre are but a few choices). For those who just want to stroll around... just take a few moments to yourselves, and stroll around this minor naviglio. It is just as cute at night as it is during the day.

You are walking around the center of town, like most dutiful tourists do... you have marvelled the…read moreColonne Di San lorenzo (one of the vrey few Roman remains still "intact"... you are probably either looking for a great place to eat, or are lost... and... You stumble upon a white wall decorated with old dolls pinned on the wall... DO NOT FEAR. .. you are not partaking in the latest horror sequel of SAW... It is simply a permament exhibition, to which you may choose to give your personal contribution. All dolls up on the wall represent a woman who has been killed (by a relative or an ex lover/husband). YES. .. i realize many may think this is a bit GORY, sending a chill down your spine... but, life is not not all fairytale like... AND if you have stopped and thought about how in Italy a woman is killed every 3 days, then.. this exhibit has served its purpose. .. I will remember, one of these days, to pin my own doll up on the wall, symbolizing how lucky i was to survive my own demon and live to tell my story.

Interesting and creepy same time. No need to make a trip to see the wall but you can reach it…read moreeasily from Duomo if you really interested.

Amazing views and a must see. However, my advice, if you are capable, is to forego the literal lift…read moreand hike to the top. It should take an hour and a superb workout with the added reward of the views from the top.

Tickets sale people are very unhelpful and wouldn't talk to you until car will arrive. And only…read morethen you can purchase your tickets. Interesting...Nobody is in rush here lol You have to change cable cars in the middle, its very smooth process since they arrive at the same time. One goes always down and one goes up. It's very steep and beautiful view of Lugano but then you loose Lugano view because it's behind the mountain. You can see very good Campione D'Italia and Paradiso and Bissone and Melide. Overall we didn't spent to much time there because we were on last train before they close. I think it was around 6 pm in first week of September. It's not cheap for 2 people even with TICINO ticket we paid over 60 CHF. It was very beautiful view but if you are not planning to take trails and be there more than few hours maybe you should reconsider. I never been in mountains for me it was first time so we went up there but all the shops and museum was closed. We had access only to small church that was from 1600's.

The question is what makes a top notch restaurant dining experience? For me that's attention to…read moredetail, a refined ambiance, service and most of all the food. Or you could just come here and see what all that looks, feels and tastes like. A family run place with the husband, son and daughter in law in the kitchen and mom up front. The room is sophisticated and warm. All the detail have been covered. At your table you will have a nice flower arrangement and your fork and knife sit on a block of marble so they never touch the table. There is art and vignettes everywhere so as you look around there are stones accents on the walls, paintings, wine glasses ect. You will have plenty to see. As to service my wife dropped her knife and within seconds a new one was brought to the table. Enough said The food ? Elevated, splendid. And unexpected. I ordered the Iberian pork. Perfectly cooked and displayed served with beets and a yogurt. I have ordered a version of this dish in Miami, spain and Portugal but none rise to the level of this one. The Mrs had the lake fish fry. There was all sort of lightly beaded and flash fried fish along with onions, carrots, zucchini and potatoes. This was not greasy the fish was fresh and plump, just superb. The wine list is extensive with both local wines and wines from Italy and France. I ordered an excellent Rosso de Montalcino. The dessert was a very inventive mix of chocolate moose, cream and rice cakes. I know it's sounds normal but this was so inventive and delicious the presentation was part of the allure. We have been in Italy for 21 days now and have been here 4 other times. This is one of the top restaurants we have dined at. The fact that it's family run takes it up a notch. If you are near lake maggiore head here you will thank me.

Wine service fantastic. Rigatoni amazing. Loved the vibe of the spot and the owner was very graciousread more

L.O.V.E. While…read morewandering from the Museo del Duomo to San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore, I needed to find something besides another cathedral, which is what I wanted to see, to capture my husband's attention. After checking out the Starbucks Reserve Roastery around the corner, we stumbled across this monumental sculpture by Maurizio Cattelan. Also known as Il Dito, or The Finger, it is a giant hand with all of the fingers cut off except for the middle finger sculpted from Carrara marble. L.O.V.E. The name L.O.V.E. stands for Libertà, Odio, Vendetta, Eternità, which translates to Freedom, Hatred, Revenge, Eternity. It is located in Piazza Affari in front of the Italian Stock Exchange, although it did not start there originally. Coincidence?? Art brings the world together. While talking to the manager of Tavola at a Wine and Food Event in The Woodlands, he actually told us a story about Maurizio Cattelan, whose piece The Comedian sold for $6.2 million. Interesting to learn more about this self-trained Milano based artist who uses humor and satire in his works of art. My husband did share our Milan photos with that manager. We bonded over L.O.V.E.

L.O.V.E. aka Il Dito (Italian for 'the finger') is a sculpture consisting of a hand with the middle…read morefinger. The name L.O.V.E. is the acronym of "Libertà, Odio, Vendetta, Eternità" ("Freedom, Hatred, Revenge, Eternity"). The sculpture is placed in front of the Italian stock exchange. It's a fun art piece to check out that wasn't too out of the way.

When in Zermatt, be sure not to miss out on this little street. Even though it's just one left turn…read moreaway from the "Bahnhofstrasse" and right smack in the middle of the village, you might easily miss it, since the first few meters do not look like you might picture it. But then after a few steps the old wooden buildings will pop up. They are dated back to the 16th Century....making them around 500 years old. Mostly they are made from larch wood, containing lots of resin, which makes them very strong and also keeps away parasites. Many of the buildings are still inhabited and used. So be respectful to the buildings and its owners and keep the noise level low. Between some buildings you even can catch a great view of the Matterhorn (on your right when walking down). Of course there are always visitors present, but if you're just a bit patient and wait a few minutes you can get some pics without anybody on it. Most visitors rush through this place. But if possible, take your time to fully appreciate this part of Zermatt.

Casa Bella on Isola dei Pescatori is a bit on the pricey side, but the menu is unique, with premium…read moreproducts and a Chef's hands. The restaurant is cozy; it appears to have been a modest house; not a villa. The interior is modern, the seating capacity is limited. But the service is attentive and knowledgeable, and the food is delicious. We had a mozzarella and heirloom tomato salad for our first coise, then risotto, fisherman's soup, and the local wine. The servings are European sized, but was plenty for lunch. The bill averaged $30 each. See the pictures.

I would give 10 stars is I could…read more Beautiful setting, exquisite food, and the epitome of service. My only regret was not ordering more, lingering more in this classy beautiful space. There is a reason this is a all five star restaurant. More later....