Eating in Cannobio and Cannero Riviera
The short answer: take the ferry. Cannobio lies straight across; the boat takes about fifteen minutes, the car fifty, because the road runs through Switzerland. For fish go to Trattoria da Ale & Vale – but it only opens Thursday to Sunday. For an evening with a reason, drive up to Grotto Sant'Anna above the gorge. For cheese and wine, Vino Divino. And seven kilometres further on, Cannero looks out at two ruined castles standing in the water – which you have been able to walk into since 2025.
Fifteen addresses on the Piedmontese shore – fifteen minutes by ferry from Maccagno, fifty minutes by car around half the lake.
By town and occasion: Cannobio: old town and lakefront · Above Cannobio: grotti and farms · Cannero Riviera · For in between
Cannobio: old town and lakefront
All of it on foot if you arrive by boat – the landing stage is in the middle of town.
Trattoria Cannobio da Ale & Vale
Vicolo Giovanni Branca 1 – fish, very small
The best-rated address in town, with more than five hundred guest reviews. Fish from the lake and the sea, handmade pasta, family-run. The catch: it only opens Thursday to Sunday. Turn up on a Tuesday and you will find the door shut – and in summer, so will you without a booking. Google Maps
Scurone Ristorante e Dimora
Vicolo Scurone – Italian, in the back lanes
Formerly Scurone Bottega e Grottino, now relaunched with a full kitchen. Tucked into the lanes behind the promenade, and very well rated. Closed Wednesdays. Google Maps
Ristorante Pizzeria L'Imbuto
Via 27/28 Maggio 12 – pizza, fish, lake view
The most-reviewed place in Cannobio by a wide margin. Broad menu, pizza and fish, and a view of the lake that reviewers mention before the food. The pragmatic choice with children along. Google Maps
Ristorante Antica Stallera
Via Paolo Zaccheo 7–9 – fish and meat, with a courtyard
A long-standing house a hundred metres off the promenade, with a green courtyard and a hotel in the same building. Quieter than anything on the water, and a broader menu than the small trattorias. Google Maps
Pizza Al Campanile
Via Antonio Maria Giovanola 23 – pizza, takeaway too
Small, cheap, very well rated. Takeaway as well – if you would rather eat the pizza on the lakefront than at a table. Google Maps
Above Cannobio: grotti and farms
The Valle Cannobina runs up into the mountains behind the town. The cooking up here is different from the waterfront – and it is noticeably cooler when the air below stands still.
Ristorante Grotto Sant'Anna
Via Sant'Anna 30 – above the Orrido gorge
Directly above the gorge of the Cannobino, next to the small Romanesque chapel of Sant'Anna. A spectacular setting and very well rated, with seven hundred reviews. If you visit only one place in Cannobio, make it this one. Closed Mondays. Google Maps
Osteria Vino Divino
Strada Valle Cannobina 1 – wine and cheese
Light, idiosyncratic cooking and a cheese selection far beyond what a town this size would suggest. The evening for people who would rather taste than order. Open March to December. Google Maps
Grotto al Mater
Via Valle Cannobina 2 – a grotto in the woods
A real grotto: rustic, in the middle of the forest. Handmade pasta, local produce, and in high summer the most comfortable temperature on this list. Google Maps
Agriturismo Da Attilio
Località Marcalone – farm kitchen with a view
High on the slope above Cannobio, with a view over the whole lake. Cooking from their own garden, desserts made in house. A small operation, so few seats. Google Maps
Cannero Riviera – seven kilometres further on
The mildest spot on the lake: citrus trees grow outdoors here. Offshore stand the two ruined castles of the Castelli di Cannero. The scheduled boat stops here too.
Piccola Cannero
Via Massimo d'Azeglio 32 – fish
Small, young, and with the best ratings in town. Risotto with perch and the mixed grilled fish get the praise. Often full – book. Google Maps
Il Giardino Ristorante con Pizzeria
Via Massimo d'Azeglio 33 – pizza and fish, with a garden
Directly opposite, considerably bigger, with a garden and live music in summer. More than four hundred reviews and steadily good. The evening where everyone in the group gets something different. Google Maps
Restaurant I Castelli at Hotel Cannero
Piazza Umberto I 2 – upmarket, terrace to the lake
The terrace looks straight out at the two castle islands. Regional cooking, classic service, hotel operation. Seasonal, roughly March to early November. Google Maps
Restaurant Olea Fragrans at Park Hotel Italia
Viale delle Magnolie 19 – upmarket, under the olive tree
A lakeside terrace beneath an old olive tree, and one of the finest views in town. Seasonal cooking, attentive service. Opinions on value for money differ – the setting does not. Google Maps
Lido Caffè da Mauro e Ari
Via Lido 5 – bar and pizza at the lido
Unfussy, right at the lido, with a terrace onto the water. Thin pizza, fried fish, four hundred contented guests. Good for a long afternoon that turns into dinner at some point. Google Maps
Ristorante Usignolo
Trarego Viggiona, Via Provinciale 2 – panorama above the lake
High on the slope above Cannero, with a terrace from which you see the lake along its full length. Regional cooking, praised value for money, more than three hundred reviews. Closed Tuesdays. Google Maps
For in between
Gelateria di Cannobio
Via Magistris 63 – ice cream
Properly made gelato, not over-sweetened, with a few forceful flavours. The address for the walk back to the boat. Google Maps
Gelateria TU di Amarena
Cannero, Via Massimo d'Azeglio 66 – ice cream
Small and very well rated, above all for the pistachio. Reviewers keep mentioning how generously you are allowed to taste. Google Maps
What to know about Cannobio and Cannero
- We are not paid by any of these places. No commission, no partnership, nothing in return.
- The ferry is the better idea. Cannobio and Cannero are both on the Navigazione Laghi Locarno–Arona line, as is Maccagno. By car it is about 48 kilometres and just under fifty minutes, because the road runs through Swiss territory – bring your ID. The timetable is seasonal; check the last boat back before you go.
- Trattoria da Ale & Vale opens only Thursday to Sunday. That is the most common reason guests find themselves outside a locked door in Cannobio.
- Other closing days: Grotto Sant'Anna Mondays, Scurone Wednesdays, Usignolo Tuesdays. Several houses in Cannero open in season only.
- Market day is Sunday in Cannobio and Friday in Cannero. The Sunday market in Cannobio runs the length of the lakefront and is one of the finest on the lake. It is also busy – arriving by boat is the calmer option that day.
- You have been able to walk into the Castelli di Cannero since June 2025. The two ruined castles in the water could be seen only from outside for centuries; there is now a museum there, and the ticket includes the boat transfer from Cannero, Cannobio or Luino. Book ahead.
- The Orrido di Sant'Anna lies above Cannobio – a narrow gorge of the Cannobino with a small church above the water. A cycle path leads up from town, which pairs well with lunch at the grotto next to it.
- Two addresses from older guidebooks no longer hold. Il Cortile in Cannero is a hotel today, with no restaurant operation on record. And Lo Scalo in Cannobio still exists but is rated markedly weaker than its old reputation suggests – so we do not list it.
- You will not find opening hours here. They change too often. Call ahead or check Google Maps.
Questions about Cannobio and Cannero
How do you get from THE CAMP to Cannobio?
Fastest by scheduled boat: Maccagno and Cannobio are both on the Navigazione Laghi Locarno–Arona line, and the crossing takes about fifteen minutes. By car it is around 48 kilometres and just under fifty minutes around the head of the lake through Swiss territory. The boat timetable is seasonal, so check the last return before you go.
When is the market in Cannobio?
Sundays, along the lakefront – one of the finest markets on Lake Maggiore. In Cannero Riviera the market is on Friday mornings at Piazza Alpini.
Can you visit the Castelli di Cannero?
Yes, since June 2025. The two ruined castles on the rocky islands off Cannero are now open as a museum, and the boat transfer from Cannero, Cannobio or Luino is included in the ticket. Book ahead; places are limited.
Where is the best fish in Cannobio?
At Trattoria Cannobio da Ale & Vale, Vicolo Giovanni Branca 1 – the best-rated address in town. Important: it opens only Thursday to Sunday, and in summer there is no chance without a booking.
Is there a place with a view above Cannobio?
Several. Grotto Sant'Anna sits directly above the gorge of the Cannobino, Agriturismo Da Attilio in Marcalone looks out over the whole lake, and on the heights above Cannero the Ristorante Usignolo in Trarego Viggiona has a panorama terrace. Usignolo is closed Tuesdays, Grotto Sant'Anna Mondays.