5 places I recommend•4 in the Michelin guide
These are the five restaurants in the Lake Garda Region I have eaten at myself and would recommend.
A long-established restaurant on Via XXIV Maggio in Gargnano, with an intimate dining room, a deep wine list and lake fish on the menu. This is a family-owned restaurant but with the feel of a very upscale fine dining establishment. The dining room is beautifully done with interesting art work on the walls. The food is of the highest quality especially the pasta.
Address: Via XXIV Maggio, 5, 25084 Gargnano BS, Italy
The restaurant of the Grand Hotel Fasano in Gardone Riviera, where Maurizio Bufi cooks contemporary Italian food with nods to his native Puglia, on a terrace above the lake. I did the set menu with the wine pairing. Was a fantastic experience and I especially loved the agnolotti (I wished I had a huge bowl of it to be honest). For a filling meal I'd skip the set menu next time and just order a big plate of the agnolotti.
Address: Corso Giuseppe Zanardelli, 190, 25083 Gardone Riviera BS, Italy
An early twentieth-century villa on the Gardone Riviera lakefront, its dining room set in wooded grounds that run out onto a pontoon over the water. Interestingly, this villa belonged to Mussolini's mistress and they used to meet here for their trysts. The food is very good but leans more inventive than traditional.
Address: Corso Giuseppe Zanardelli, 150, 25083 Gardone Riviera BS, Italy
An osteria in an eighteenth-century building in the upper part of Gardone Riviera, near the Vittoriale, with a small courtyard for summer tables. Great quality food that is simple and filling. The setting is also pleasant.
Address: Via Carere, 10, 25083 Gardone Riviera BS, Italy
An osteria on Via Bastione in Riva del Garda, at the northern tip of the lake, serving Garda sardines, chub meatballs and carne salada. Hearty local dishes and a good wine list.
Address: Via Bastione, 1, 38066 Riva del Garda TN, Italy
