Eating in Laveno-Mombello
The short answer: Laveno is the day trip where dinner is half the reason. About 22 kilometres south of Maccagno, just under half an hour by car – or a good twenty minutes by train, no changes. For a special evening there is the only starred restaurant in reach, La Tavola at Hotel Il Porticciolo. For solid and popular, Locanda Pozzetto. For children and the dog, Come A Casa on the lakefront. And for the best view on the whole lake, take the cable car up Sasso del Ferro and eat at the top.
Six addresses at the southern end of the eastern shore – from the only starred restaurant in the area to a panorama terrace at a thousand metres.
By occasion: The two with a reputation · On the water · Unfussy, and right at the top
The two with a reputation
Both need booking – one of them considerably further ahead.
La Tavola at Hotel Il Porticciolo
Via Fortino 40 – one Michelin star
The only starred restaurant within reach, awarded since 2017, chef Riccardo Bassetti. The focus is fish from Lake Maggiore, served as two tasting menus. This is an evening with a reason, not a spontaneous dinner – book well ahead, phone 0332 667 257. The same house has the more informal L'Osteria, wine and small plates, if you want it a size smaller. Google Maps
Locanda Pozzetto
Via Montecristo 23 – Italian, fish
More than five hundred guest reviews and still steady at 4.3 out of 5 – nobody else around here manages that. Northern Italian cooking with fish, and a small hotel in the same building. Closed Mondays. Phone 0332 666 335. Google Maps
On the water
Laveno has a long lakefront promenade, and in Cerro an old quarter right at the shore.
Il Chiosco di Cerro
Lungolago Perabò 2, Cerro – lake fish, terrace on the water
The terrace stands directly above the lake, and that is what you come for – sunset included. Lake fish on the menu. Ratings swing more than for the others here; the setting is not in dispute. Seasonal, roughly Easter to October. Google Maps
Come A Casa
Lungolago Alessandro Volta 1 – traditional cooking, lake view
Traditional cooking on the lakefront, with a children's selection of its own on the menu and expressly dog-friendly – one guest describes his thirty-kilo dog being waved straight in. Open at lunchtime too. Closed Mondays. Google Maps
Unfussy, and right at the top
La Lampara
Via Dalmazia 5 – pizza and fish
The pragmatic choice: pizza, fish, a broad menu, high chairs available, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes, free parking nearby. The evening where nobody has to negotiate. Google Maps
Ristorante Funivia on Sasso del Ferro
Top station, above 1,000 metres – mountain cooking with a panorama
At the top station of the cable car, with a terrace looking out over half the lake. Regional mountain and lake cooking, polenta included. Getting there is part of the trip: for many guests the open two-seater chairs of the cable car are the highlight of the day. Book on 0332 610 303. The cable car runs seasonally, roughly April to early November. Google Maps
What to know about Laveno
- We are not paid by any of these places. No commission, no partnership, nothing in return.
- The train beats the car here. Line S30 runs from Maccagno to Laveno-Mombello without a change, about twenty to twenty-five minutes. That solves the way home if there is wine on the table.
- The car ferry to Verbania-Intra leaves from Laveno. Operated by Navigazione Laghi. It is the fastest way over to the Piedmontese side if you have the car with you.
- The Sasso del Ferro cable car does not run all year. From roughly early November to the end of March it stands still, and there is a reduced autumn timetable. Check the operator's page first, or you will arrive at a closed valley station.
- You will not find opening hours here. They change too often. In the case of La Tavola even the published closing day is contradictory – there, calling is the only way.
- Closing days, as far as we know: Locanda Pozzetto and Come A Casa on Mondays. Il Chiosco di Cerro closes altogether in winter.
Questions about Laveno
How far is Laveno from THE CAMP?
About 22 kilometres south of Maccagno on the same shore, roughly half an hour by car. By train there is no change to make: line S30 links Maccagno and Laveno-Mombello in a good twenty minutes.
Is there a Michelin-starred restaurant near Lake Maggiore?
Yes – La Tavola at Hotel Il Porticciolo, Via Fortino 40 in Laveno-Mombello. One Michelin star since 2017, chef Riccardo Bassetti, focused on fish from Lake Maggiore, two tasting menus. Book on 0332 667 257, and book early.
Can you eat at the top of Sasso del Ferro?
Yes. At the cable car's top station, above a thousand metres, Ristorante Funivia has a panorama terrace over the lake. Book on 0332 610 303. The cable car runs seasonally, roughly April to early November, and is closed in winter.
How do you get from Laveno to the other side of the lake?
On the Navigazione Laghi car ferry to Verbania-Intra. It takes cars and is the fastest way to the Piedmontese side. Without a car, the ferry from Maccagno to Cannobio is usually the more practical option.
Which restaurant in Laveno suits families with a dog?
Come A Casa, Lungolago Alessandro Volta 1. It has a children's selection of its own on the menu and is expressly dog-friendly. Closed Mondays. La Lampara at Via Dalmazia 5 also works for families, with high chairs and vegetarian and gluten-free dishes.