Food: 5 Value: 5 (arguably a 6/5)…read moreService: 5 Ambiance: 3.5 The single greatest Italian cuisine meal I've eaten to date. We found this restaurant through Google Reviews and generally had high hopes, but were blown away by the experience. We ordered salads to share, drinks, and pasta before a tiramisu - I went for a seafood pasta (see pictures) and negroni. We definitely could have avoided getting the two salads; portions were massive and we ended up not finishing either salad. My main course was delicious. The pasta had a zesty, fresh flavor between the lemon, olive oil, parsley and tomato, but the welcome surprise was seeing mounds of mussels, clams and shrimp inside the dish (I'm from New York and expected maybe 10 total) that took me almost 5 minutes to deshell before I went to town on it. Cocktails were excellent - hard to see from the photos but huge and delicious. Resulted in a great midday buzz. Limoncello spritz was also good but perhaps too strong for a lunchtime drink. Other courses ordered: - Lamb ravioli - Had 1-2 bites and tasted good, but probably a 3.5-4. Not really up to my palate and compared to my own entree, hard to beat :) - Carbonara - Solid. Incredibly rich and this was an entree where the large portions actually hurt more than helped - Salads - Hard to tell bc I was full of pasta Minor ding if anything is the ambiance. It's a block or so away from the crazy shore of Como but still was getting a bit loud by the time we left. Not a real complaint and didn't affect our experience, but if you're looking for a more quiet and relaxed experience you might want to go to a less touristy area. Thank you for a lovely meal!

Horrible service and food. Served us rotten food and didn't not exchange our food. Do not recommend.read more

This was a great place to eat during a quick weekend in Como. It was busy but we were able to get…read more table without a reservation. We had the ceviche appetizer that was very good. I had a seafood pasta that was also good. Service was fine and normal slowness for Italy. I would go back again.

What an amazing experience in Como. This was recommended by my booking.com host and I'm so happy…read morethat I was able to make a reservation during my short stay. I was seated outside in the charming alley, with a beautiful historical building in my direct view. The service and food was excellent. My waiter recommended options based on what I wanted and for one person. I ordered delicious white wine, the breaded scallops, seafood and vegetable linguine (sub white sauce instead of the red sauce), and a caramel semifreddo. They also gave me a lemoncello to polish off the meal. I loved every minute and the staff was very friendly. Highly recommended for a delicious seafood meal in Como - they are known for their seafood.

We had reservations for the restaurant and unfortunately were late, but they still accommodated us…read more The location was at the end of a very narrow street. The steamed mussels were fantastic! The wine selection and service were great. The prices were great compared to the other places around the lake. Definitely would go back!

Great food , fantastic atmosphere , exceeded expectations. It was nice to eat where the locals eat…read moreand experience great hospitality.

Polpo was presented nicely over roasted escarole but it was a bit overdone -it tasted good…read moreespecially with the escarole, 4 stars! Pasta di mare was nice but beware they add €7.50 just for dining in so deducting account because that was sneaky. Staff who helped us spoke good English and was friendly but even then taking a point away...

Great food for a decent price and we would definitely go back on our next visit to the region which…read morewe love so much

I wish I could give this experience more than 5 stars! The outside of the restaurant only has a…read moresmall collection of tables and doesn't seem like much. But the inside opens to a gorgeous space, so welcoming!! The staff was so helpful and kind. Attentive and sweet, I highly recommend venturing into the old city of Como to enjoy a meal here! We had a fixed menu (large group) that started with bruschetta or tuna carpaccio with onion jam. Both were incredible! Then for the main course I had a zucchini paccheri pasta with cherry tomatoes and gorgeous shrimp. My husband had lasagna bolognese. Everything was perfect. We ended with a yummy lemmonchello sorbet. 100% recommend!!

Food and service was exceptional. Cute hole in the wall and great vibe all around. Amazing timeread more

Simply the best meal in Como! We walked by the restaurant a couple of times and decided to try it…read moreon our last night in Como. I saw the next table's order and I drooled, my fiancé asked the couple and they told us what they ordered. Our waiter got our order wrong but he was apologetic-language barrier. The serving was very good, substantial portion of seafood. We were delighted with the bill too :)

Stella is an exceptionally run family restaurant. The…read moreparents cook in the kitchen and Salvatore runs the front of the house. The food and service are both excellent. Very fresh and a beautiful presentation.

I visited this place 11 years ago by chance and loved it. Came back, and it's still just as good…read more Looking forward to coming again!

High quality food and service i It's absolutely perfect…read morelevel of food and service. I have enjoyed it many times!

Very welcoming and friendly staff! Food was delicious, my husband loved the lobster spaghetti dish,…read moreand I ordered plain spaghetti that was cooked to perfection. Huge seafood selection.

A Gem of a ristorante ! A local resident recommended this lovely place, which was only 3 blocks…read morefrom the harbor. Yet it was away from the tourist bustle , offering immediate seating. The staff was welcoming and they understood English. The decor was authentically " Old Sicilia," which added to our experience. Their full menu included starters, main dishes and Pizza. We both ordered Pasta ; mine was with sausage. My friend and I were both completely satisfied with their food , service and Covid protocols. The bonus : their prices were far less than the ristoranti in central Como. Buon Apettito !

Lovely restaurant within the square. Food was very good. The ambience was lovely outside patio…read moreamong the square people watching and enjoying Italian life.

OH wasn't this a fun lunch during our time on Lake Como!…read more So undecided while actually in Como, we ended up just picking the nearest side-walk open restaurant... we picked well! Hosterietta was a lovely decision! We decided to sit outside on a day where Satan had obvious controls of the thermostat. They were kind enough not to judge me for wiping the sweat from my brow so I didn't drip in my food. They brought me a fresh towel... and then likely judged me harshly behind closed doors... sorry folks, bad American manners but it was HOT! FORTUNATELY, they have lovely massive umbrellas outside to sit under, and they helped immensely! They have a wonderful menu, both in Italian and English. They have very accommodating staff that are quick to tell / share of their favorite menu items (I love it when they do this!). I actually chose my meal based on their recommendation. Forgive me for not remembering what I ordered. I did start with a salad... heads-up folks, if you start with a "starter salad"... it is enough for an entire meal! They recommended wine. The four of us planned to split one bottle... as you all can imagine... that didn't happen... after a few glasses each, we all left with smiles on our faces!

A departure from the plethora of ristorantes where Pizze dominated the menu…read more This brightly light restaurant tucked in a building behind a strip of shops dishes out lighter Mediterranean fare with octopus salad, warm grilled veggies with bufala and ricotta appetizers, and housemade pasta. Also on the menu are fish and meat dishes. Go for the Duo di bufala and the Ravioloni. Desserts looked good, but I was too stuffed.

Amazing! My wife and I walked in while on vacation in Lugano. The food was fantastic - true Italian…read morewith homemade pasta and local ingredients. The staff was so helpful despite our speaking no Italian or French. They helped us through the menu and were very attentive. Highly recommended!