Varenna Caffè Photos
Recommended Reviews - Varenna Caffè
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
In short, Varenna Caffe is great for the view of Lake Como, but the food itself is very average / so-so. Eggs and bacon were very ordinary. Bread with butter and jam were very average. Wrap with nutella, pear, and chopped hazelnets, was so-so. I think you get the point... But as you can see from my photo, the view of the lake doesn't get much better, as the caffe is literally right next to it. As a result of the location though, this place can get busy and you might have to wait a bit for a table. The staff are okay friendliness. Overall, come for the view / atmosphere, but don't expect to be wowed by the food.
I have come here a couple times for aperitivo and once for breakfast. It's situated right on the lake front with a nice view. Very busy as passerby's notice. Seating is outside, and in the afternoon the sun will be shining on you so prepare accordingly. Aperitivo is good here, and average priced at €10/sprtiz, and comes with chips, olives, peanuts, and pickled shallots. A nice way to spend early evening before dinner. Breakfast was decent, croissants not made here but still okay taste. Yogurt was a decent portion and fruit tasted fresh. Cappuccino is good as well but perhaps better else where.
While staying in Bellagio, we took the ferry over to Varenna. After walking around and touring the town, we stopped here for lunch. It has beautiful views of Lake Como. It was cloudy the day we went, the pictures could have been much better on a sunny day. Most of the tables are outside and it looks like they had two or three inside. It was a short wait about 10 minutes. The staff was very friendly and spoke both English and Italian. No coperto here. The food was very good. I had the penne with tomato sauce, basil, and almond. It was whole wheat pasta but I honestly couldn't taste the difference. The sauce is very good with only the slight hint of almond. Never had that with my pasta before, it was a nice complement. I tried a little of my wife's pappardelle with mushroom. It was very creamy and not overloaded with mushrooms. Between the food, service, and beautiful views this was a great choice. I would definitely come here again.
This is a tricky review to write, because the restaurant is perched right on the edge of Lake Como and the setting is absolutely breathtaking. Check out the pictures for reinforcement on that point. The service is very efficient and friendly--among the best I have had in Italy. The menu is set up American style, so you don't have to wade through multiple piatti's. You can just order what you want. And the prices are very reasonable, almost cheap. Everything is great about this place BUT the food is average. It is fine but not amazing. I really really wanted to give it five stars, but I can only muster 4. Still--you should definitely go!
The best view in town. Lunch was fantastic, service was great. It does get pretty busy and a long wait sometimes. But totally worth it. In May, they only had outdoor seating, it's so beautiful here. We also had late night drinks & dessert another night. I highly recommend if you can make the time.
The patio is on the Riva dei Marmisti right next to Lago Como. The service is very good, even when all the tables are filled with happy people basking in the afternoon sun. Aperitivo is a huge bargain. A €7 Campari Spritzer is accompanied with potato chips, peanuts, olives, pretzels, and pickled pearl onions. €14 for two drinks.
We grabbed one of their lakeside tables. The coffee with ice cream was my favorite thing ever - so much so that I had two orders of it during lunch. :P The first time I ordered it, it came with vanilla ice cream in a pool of smooth and robust espresso. The second time wasn't quite as good, since it came with chocolate ice cream, which was a little richer and masked the flavor of the coffee. It was still amazing though. The limoncello spritz was very sweet. The fresh pasta with meat sauce and bruschetta were delicious. Great place to just sit and people watch on Lake Como.
The only good thing about this place is the view of the lake. The food is pretty awful so does the drinks. I had the bolognese pasta the portion is tiny and the noodle is undercooked and there's barely meat in the sauce. My partner had lasagna , it looks nothing like a lasagna and didn't taste good either. There's a very big menu of cocktails. I had the basil smash, but it's overly sweet and artificial flavor and color added looks lime green. The outdoor space with view is limited and very tight. Service is pretty bad, can hardly get anyone's attention. read more
1 month ago
2 years ago
In short, Varenna Caffe is great for the view of Lake Como, but the food itself is very average / so-so. Eggs and bacon were very ordinary. Bread with butter and jam were very average. Wrap with nutella, pear, and chopped hazelnets, was so-so. I think you get the point... But as you can see from my photo, the view of the lake doesn't get much better, as the caffe is literally right next to it. As a result of the location though, this place can get busy and you might have to wait a bit for a table. The staff are okay friendliness. Overall, come for the view / atmosphere, but don't expect to be wowed by the food. read more
2 years ago
I have come here a couple times for aperitivo and once for breakfast. It's situated right on the lake front with a nice view. Very busy as passerby's notice. Seating is outside, and in the afternoon the sun will be shining on you so prepare accordingly. Aperitivo is good here, and average priced at €10/sprtiz, and comes with chips, olives, peanuts, and pickled shallots. A nice way to spend early evening before dinner. Breakfast was decent, croissants not made here but still okay taste. Yogurt was a decent portion and fruit tasted fresh. Cappuccino is good as well but perhaps better else where. read more
This place had an amazing view. It seemed like a great spot for a meal. We just wanted to come in drink some coffee and head back on the road. Really great views and attentive service. Would come back however I can't comment on the food but more the experience read more
While staying in Bellagio, we took the ferry over to Varenna. After walking around and touring the town, we stopped here for lunch. It has beautiful views of Lake Como. It was cloudy the day we went, the pictures could have been much better on a sunny day. Most of the tables are outside and it looks like they had two or three inside. It was a short wait about 10 minutes. The staff was very friendly and spoke both English and Italian. No coperto here. The food was very good. I had the penne with tomato sauce, basil, and almond. It was whole wheat pasta but I honestly couldn't taste the difference. The sauce is very good with only the slight hint of almond. Never had that with my pasta before, it was a nice complement. I tried a little of my wife's pappardelle with mushroom. It was very creamy and not overloaded with mushrooms. Between the food, service, and beautiful views this was a great choice. I would definitely come here again. read more
This is a tricky review to write, because the restaurant is perched right on the edge of Lake Como and the setting is absolutely breathtaking. Check out the pictures for reinforcement on that point. The service is very efficient and friendly--among the best I have had in Italy. The menu is set up American style, so you don't have to wade through multiple piatti's. You can just order what you want. And the prices are very reasonable, almost cheap. Everything is great about this place BUT the food is average. It is fine but not amazing. I really really wanted to give it five stars, but I can only muster 4. Still--you should definitely go! read more
My family and I enjoyed a tasty and quick lakeside lunch here. The food was pretty affordable and all fresh. Servers were attentive and friendly, and the view was really beautiful! Overall, a nice place to grab a quick and decent meal. read more
The best view in town. Lunch was fantastic, service was great. It does get pretty busy and a long wait sometimes. But totally worth it. In May, they only had outdoor seating, it's so beautiful here. We also had late night drinks & dessert another night. I highly recommend if you can make the time. read more
2 years ago
The patio is on the Riva dei Marmisti right next to Lago Como. The service is very good, even when all the tables are filled with happy people basking in the afternoon sun. Aperitivo is a huge bargain. A €7 Campari Spritzer is accompanied with potato chips, peanuts, olives, pretzels, and pickled pearl onions. €14 for two drinks. read more
3 years ago
8 years ago
We grabbed one of their lakeside tables. The coffee with ice cream was my favorite thing ever - so much so that I had two orders of it during lunch. :P The first time I ordered it, it came with vanilla ice cream in a pool of smooth and robust espresso. The second time wasn't quite as good, since it came with chocolate ice cream, which was a little richer and masked the flavor of the coffee. It was still amazing though. The limoncello spritz was very sweet. The fresh pasta with meat sauce and bruschetta were delicious. Great place to just sit and people watch on Lake Como. read more
3 years ago
4 years ago
3 years ago
4 years ago
The salted caramel and walnut tart (I had it with a scoop of vanilla) was exceptional. That crust. Holy cow. Eggplant parmigiana was great too. read more
6 years ago
The best tortellini and tiramisu I've ever had! This restaurant also had an amazing view of the lake! Would highly recommend read more
7 years ago
The location of the cafe could not be nicer - truly, truly a lovely place to spend a lunch. The young waitstaff were just as nice - a bit slow since they were clearly overwhelmed, but so kind they even hung up extensions onto the covered awning to extend the ability to sit in the covered area by the lake as the afternoon sun continued it's course. The food was very good if a little small on the portion side for the price (My cookie was delicious and perfect and turned my coffee into the most fabulous dessert combo...but it was 2.5 Euro for just a cookie!) but I loved my salad - it was perfectly simple with the flavors exactly and only what you saw - grains, beets, greens, and my husband's Risotto was yummy as well. A little small, and we did get bruschetta - again simple, simple exact flavors of what you saw - the cheese, the nuts, the pears - yum. We did resort to downing much of the bread and noticed a table nearby did as well (more while they were waiting) but it was just such a pleasant overall lunch and I needed a break from the extreme pasta options so the delicious simplicity without the starch-on-all-dishes was really welcomed. Overall, love it for the relaxation and the view, the owners and staff are so nice and the food - while a bit slight and pricey - is refreshingly simple and very good. read more
7 years ago
9 years ago
We stopped for a light lunch on a weekday. We sat outside and enjoyed the sun and the beautiful view of the lake. My husband and i shared orzo coffee, aperol spritz, 2 different bruschettas and a simple salad of greens, apple, fennel, white beans and cheeses. We saw the table next to us had a tiramisu for each person, so had to try. It wasn't completely soaked in rum as I'm used to, just moist enough, probably the best tiramisu I've ever had. I tried not to let the smokers bother me, this is Europe after all. The food is so good and reasonably priced everywhere in the area, I can't say it was even memorable. But the location really sets them apart. We'll return in a heartbeat. read more
7 years ago
8 years ago
Beautiful boutique cafe on the water. Perfect setting. Stone and brick wall inside with perfect decor. The Apple cinnamon cake was amazing. Cappuccinos perfectly made. Loved it! read more
9 years ago
11 years ago
8 years ago
10 years ago
More info about Varenna Caffè
Contrada Scoscesa 13
23829 Varenna
Italy
Directions
0341 830459
Call Now
Hours
Food & Alcohol
Indoor Amenities
Outdoor Amenities
Other Amenities
Varenna Caffè Reviews in Other Languages
Review Highlights - Varenna Caffè
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
4 reviews that are not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
7 years ago
9 years ago
10 years ago
