Cavallino

Lake Como


Ironically, it's lake-fish specialities that pack the menu at 'the Little Pony', a Slow Food eatery set on Varenna's quay. Among the highlights are crostoni topped with a fish and calvados pâté; ravioli filled with lavarello (white fish) in a creamy radicchio sauce; and a risotto of perch, Parmesan, butter and sage.

The restaurant also organises a special evening featuring a 40-minute boat trip (during which you sip complementary prosecco), a lakeside stroll and a waterside, candle-lit four-course dinner (€75).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Lake Como attractions

1. Castello di Vezio

0.26 MILES

High above the terracotta rooftops of Varenna, the imposing Castello di Vezio offers magnificent views over Lake Como. The 13th-century building was once…

2. Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista

0.28 MILES

Much overlooked in all the excitement about Varenna's villas are the lovely 14th-century frescoes, somewhat damaged but nevertheless full of colour,…

3. Villa Cipressi Botanical Gardens

0.32 MILES

The villa itself is a hotel, but the steeply terraced grounds are open to anyone willing to part with €6. The gardens bloom with cipressi (cypress trees),…

4. Villa Monastero

0.47 MILES

At Villa Monastero elegant balustrades and statues sit amid exotic shrubs; spiky yucca trees frame lake and mountain views. The villa itself is a former…

5. Villa Serbelloni

1.98 MILES

The lavish gardens of Villa Serbelloni cover much of the promontory on which Bellagio sits. The villa has been a magnet for Europe's great and good,…

6. Basilica di San Giacomo

2.06 MILES

Bellagio's most interesting Romanesque church is the Basilica di San Giacomo, built in the 12th century by master builders from Como.

7. Orrido

2.26 MILES

Once an industrial centre, Bellano (5km north of Varenna) is a sleepy lakeside town with a singular sight: the Orrido, a powerful waterfall where the…

8. Antica Strada Regina

2.66 MILES

A narrow cobblestone lane that was once part of a Roman road along the western side of Lake Como has been preserved in sections. The Antica Strada Regina…