We came here for lunch after walking all over Varenna in the afternoon. The wait for a group of 3 was about 15 mins. The views overlooking lake como were beautiful! Service was efficient and friendly. I got the green summer drink which was prosecco, oj, pineapple, vodka, strawberry syrup and was super refreshing. I ordered the lasagna and it was really delicious. We got two pizzas. One was the pizza buffalo and another was the pizza olivevina and bressaoa (sp?). The olivevina pizza had no sauce. This was basically a salad on top of focaccia bread! Overall, this was a great lunch spot to have a bite to eat while walking in the city and looking at the view of lake como. read more

See all

We walked all of Varenna. Up to the castle, up to the look out, and just needed some food. We were pleasantly surprised by Nile's. We stayed in Varenna in an Airbnb overlooking this outdoor space so we could hear the goings on at most of the restaurants. This one was the quietest. I had the beef stew which was a slice of beef slow cooked over thin sliced potatoes. It was unique, had good flavours and was well plated. My wife had the pasta and spinach and shrimp. She said it was delicious. We had three glasses of wine, dinner and desert all for $76! With a lake side view. As for the tourists .... well this is a tourist town so just bear with it. Overall a 4 with decent food, attentive staff, and a fantastic location. You won't walk away wow'd by the experience but you will walk away with a decent overall food, service and atmosphere experience. read more

Nilus - This is the view from the patio. - Bars Near Me - Varenna, LC

4 stars for aperitivo here. While the spritzes are sweet (even Campari) they are affordable so I will give them a break on that. The view is nice and they have a covered patio as well. Order at the patio bar and can take a seat if not full. When done go up to cashier and pay. read more

Nilus - Aperol and campari spritz - Bars Near Me - Varenna, LC

See all

Service was quick. We even managed to get a lake front table. It's located a short walk from the ferry. There was a variety of cocktails. We loved the lasagna. Come as you are. It's a cozy outdoor bar. read more

See all

We decided to make a quick day trip over to the pretty town of Varrenna-just a quick 15 min ferry ride from Bellagio. It was a hot day so we were looking for a place with a bit of air circulation and this spot fit the bill. They've got about 20 tables on a patio overlooking the lake and we were able to get a table right by the water under the shade. As it was another hot day we wanted something lighter so we ordered a bruschetta (pomodoro) and a Brie and ham panini and lots of water. Both food items were very good and came out without much delay. We enjoyed sitting in the cool of the shade watching boats come and go and people playing and swimming in the small rocky beach below the restaurant Terrace. Nothing gourmet, but nice quality and a great view. read more

Nilus - They have a broad menu - Bars Near Me - Varenna, LC

See all

Location: amazing, one of the best in Varenna. Service: friendly; only a bit slow. Food: overall great. I had a beautiful garlic pizza (aglio). Big for 1 and full of flavour for 9 euro. People in my crowd were pleased with their choices: cheese and meat board, salad with big shrimps and pasta with ricotta. They bring butter in a bowl immersed in ice and a basket of bread, but not the most fresh available. As a nice touch, as people ordered food but one person had a cocktail only, they brought a little and cute mix of aperitif in tiny portions of crisps, pasta and olives -free of charge. read more

Nilus - Pasta with ricotta - Bars Near Me - Varenna, LC

See all

5 star view and service, 3 star pizzas so overall a 4. Not the greatest pizzas in Italy but we had not had one the whole week so it was time. Dough was a little tough but a big portion for €8-9. Wife's white base crudo, porcini mushroom and arugula was a thumbs up, friends diavola was good and my würstel was a little strange with slices of "hot dog" as opposed to sausage. Nice red house wine for €8 for 1/2 liter. Massive cocktail list along with beer and wine. Friendly, fast service. Would definitely recommend for the killer view on the water for lunch or a drink. read more

See all

Not sure why the low ratings, Nilus cafe is a charming place by the little harbor of Varenna. We came here for lunch, the terrace was almost filled but we were able to get a nice table overlooking the planters and lake. The staff was friendly and tentative. I do agree w/ some of the reviewers that the menu choices are catered for Americans. However, the dishes were still local and I thought the quality was good and price reasonable. The view is unbeatable. Plus, free wifi :) We lounged there for almost two hours, b/c our son was playing on the harbor below. Nobody rushed us and we took our time enjoying the view. read more

See all

We managed to get a seat at one of the outdoor tables about an hour or so before sunset. The views of Lake Como were dulled by the food here. This sausage pizza my mom ordered came out and there were slices of hot dog on it!! Like what in the actual...I guess they can get away with it because they are right next to the lake but come on maybe put some more pride and effort into your food. (My sister joked that it was a taste of home.) The pasta I had was entirely forgettable. The meal was comparatively cheap so perhaps we got what we paid for. I just remember we were swatting away giant flies every other second and the space was cramped. I don't think there's any reason to flock here or any other restaurant for that matter to see a sunset that was mediocre at best. read more

See all

Our dinner was really tasty, my crepe with shrimp n asparagus was heavenly. The shrimp white pizza was also very good. Overall service was pretty slow, our waiter were not that attentive. Definitely could improve on service. read more

Our breakfast here was great. We arrived right after they opened and had the bacon and eggs combo. For €10 is included scrambled egg, two slices of USA-style bacon, a slice of toast, small pot of honey, crêpe, fruit, orange juice and Espresso. They let you choose how you want the Espresso (regular, cappuccino, americano, etc). The fruit is wonderful...With no filler. We received a strawberry, generous slice of Apple, generous slice of pear, and grapes. I suspect that we will eat breakfast here again. read more

Nilus - Breakfast here was reasonably priced and well prepared - Bars Near Me - Varenna, LC

See all

Ummmm. I don't like to write bad reviews. So let's just say I'd try one of the other cafes right next store if I had to do it again.

View was so steez but food was pretty cheeks. Typical touristy place and fairly cheep.

Nice spot to stop off and have a bite to eat. The views from the table are beautiful, overlooking the lake and mountains. Despite being a pretty touristy restaurant, the food was good - loved the bruschetta - and reasonably priced! The service was also pretty good. Only major complaint was that the restaurant seemed pretty dirty - including the bread basket that was brought to our table, the table cloth, and a stained towel that they tied around our wine bottle. read more

We were drawn in by the patio and views, which really are stunning (and helped to distract from the awful food). But if you care about having delicious, authentic Italian meals on your trip, skip eating here. Seriously. I had the vegetable pizza, which was served just minutes after we put in the order. The vegetables were frozen and the pizza lacked any flavor. I had asked for extra tomatoes, which they couldn't do (assuming because everything is pre-made). My husband's panino seemed to have been put in the microwave to be warmed up, as it was soggy and lacking flavor. The only good part was grabbing a piece of bread to feed the nearby ducks. read more

After hopping off the train from Venice we popped in here. It was a seriously hot day. The place was busy but we got a table no worries. We order the Chef salad of the day (shrimp, tomato, feta cheese, melon and avocado) and a " white pizza" meaning it had no tomato sauce. It came with Brie and shaved beef. The salad was fresh, however I did not enjoy the shrimp. They were very salty and I could not finish them all. The rest of the flavours really went well together. The pizza was good, a crispy thin base. The beef was tasty and the pizza also had rocket salad spread over it. This was our first experience of "bianco" pizza and very much enjoyed it. We topped all this up with a half litre of house white and were satisfied that a good experience had been had. read more

The views are amazing. The food is easily worth the price. We had a pasta and a dried beef sandwich. Both solid. Service was Italian and laid back. Other reviewers are right: there are tourists here! If you'd like to avoid tourists, hop on the train and go to Milan. read more

Very busy and service really suffers. What they call "shaked coffee" comes as an espresso froth very smooth. But getting dessert for appetiser is at the very least annoying. There is one waiter and bussing ppl who seem not to be allowed to take orders so makes for a very disjointed and time consuming meal. Not ideal but either sacrifice lots of time or put up with dishes or drinks definitely not coming in the order you have specified. Shame. read more

Okay food and okay service. Great location and view but otherwise nothing special. Good spot for a quick aperitif and maybe a small snack.

The view is absolutely insane. However, the food is disgusting. Everything on the paninis was gross. The bread is cheeks, ham is not authentic, Brie was sliced thicker than a bowl of oatmeal, and it was loaded with creamy mayo sauce. The pizza was chewy. They did have Corona's which was a plus. #RonaSZN read more

Stale chewy bread, bleh bruschetta and edible pizza. But that's mostly what you get in Varenna when you don't have reservations and end up somewhere random, hungry. The service was your run of the mill, tourist trap awful treatment that you would expect at Como (We did get a glimpse of the amazing Italian hospitality in a small breakfast place up the hill at hotel Albergo Beretta, mind you). Hopefully, I'll forget I ever went here in a few years. read more

Go here for the drinks, for the view of the lake, for the evening ambiance. Do not go here for the food. I would believe the pasta was "home made," only if it were made in the home of Chef Boyardee. If he had fallen on hard times. And had run out of pasta and needed to use post-consumer recycled tree mash instead. The savory "crepes" were more of a casserole, covered in a crust of hardened cheese-like armor and stripped of the delicate French airiness and delight usually associated with this delicacy. Didn't have dessert - was too disappointed at this point to risk eating anything else at this establishment. read more

Great lakeside views with above-average food. Mainly drinks, desserts, and pizzas. The male waiter is friendly, helpful, and speaks good English. They are remarkably high tech for a little, coastal village. read more

Great location and great view - only problem is that it is VERY tourists. However would still go back and enjoy lunch or a drink.

My wife and I returned to Nilus for dinner tonight (two years since our last visit to Varenna). Once again, the food and service were very good. I had a pizza with ham and porcini mushrooms that was excellent. My wife had penne pasta amattacatti with a slightly spicy tomato sauce. It was very good. The bruschetta and insalata mista were also nicely prepared. Our meal was a good value overall. The view, as always was spectacular as we watched the sun go down over scenic Lake Como. Service was good, but slow at times. Overall, it is definitely worth a repeat visit. read more

I wish I could give zero stars to this place. Dont get attracted to the location and views from this restaurant. There are many other restaurants right next to this place that have amazing views and also much better food. Pizza is horrible and service unfriendly. The waiter was so rude everytime I had to call him as if he was doing a favor to me. I feel sad that places like this are even allowed in a beautiful place like Varenna. read more

What's not to like about this place? Gorgeous setting, yummy comfort food and extremely friendly, helpful staff all add up to an experience to remember. Stopped in here (after a rec from our Italy guidebook) wanting to grab dinner before trekking back to our off the beaten path, up numerous hills apartment. We'd been ferrying around Lake Como all day and wanted a simple, tasty meal to top off an amazing sightseeing day. Nilys didn't disappoint. Started with the hearty soup of the day, Minestrone served with a bowls of crispy croutons, and Parmesan cheese, if you wish. Followed this with crepes baked in the oven -- one was prosciutto, spinach and the other was salmon crepe. Both were topped with Bechamel sauce. Topped them off with robust coffee Americano and local white wine and the sun setting over the lake. The only downside was the three tacky American women asking for to go boxes for alll their remnants AND the entire basket of rolls and breadsticks. read more