La Baita - MENAGGIO

Best dinner ever! Please you have to try the homemade tiramisu... the best! The service is also amazing : I will certainly come back read more Best dinner ever! Please you have to try the homemade tiramisu... the best! The service is also amazing : I will certainly come back

We met a young couple while dining in Varenna who suggested La Baita where you will only find locals dining. After an hour’s drive around the north of the lake... read more We met a young couple while dining in Varenna who suggested La Baita where you will only find locals dining. After an hour’s drive around the north of the lake we arrive at Menaggio then it is up a winding road and into a forested area and it seems like you are in the middle of sparse forest and towards the end of a narrow steep road, a sign points you to La Baita. As it was Feragosto, a national holiday in Italy, and given we had not booked, we tried our luck and managed to get the last table and with a view on the outdoor terrace. Also, for that day it was a fixed menu and price inclusive of wine Euro 40 pp. We had so much to eat and drink. Our starters were a selection of local cured meats and cheese accompanied with a local white wine. Next were various antipasti, then a selection various pasta dishes, then slow cooked beef and deer with polenta mixed with a mozzarella like cheese and finished by a fresh smooth lemon gelato and coffee. While dining we managed to strike up a conversation with a group at an adjoining table who were ordering some expensive red wines which were each being decanted. By the end of our lunch we had joined the group at the other table and being offered glasses of their red wines, then Spumante and then grappa and limoncello and more desert cakes. We were one of the first to arrive and the last to leave with the group next to us, a nearly 6 hour lunch.

This restaurant is definitely worth a visit. Quite a drive up the mountain but worth it. Home Cooked fabulous food with amazing views. Highly recommend. Had the... read more This restaurant is definitely worth a visit. Quite a drive up the mountain but worth it. Home Cooked fabulous food with amazing views. Highly recommend. Had the slow cooked beef which was so tasty. Not expensive and great value.

Not so easy to find, but worth the trip. Great view on the lake. Silent environment. Great authentic Italian food at reasonable prices. We go there every year! read more Not so easy to find, but worth the trip. Great view on the lake. Silent environment. Great authentic Italian food at reasonable prices. We go there every year!

Lunch at this restaurant was awesome. We had smoked meats and pickled vegetables to start. Main course was a trio of meats- pork ribs, beef and deer served with... read more Lunch at this restaurant was awesome. We had smoked meats and pickled vegetables to start. Main course was a trio of meats- pork ribs, beef and deer served with a rich cheese polenta. All ingredients are locally sourced/wild. Each dish was delicious. Meats were tender, flavorful and moist. They came to the table to serve the polenta and meats from a large platter. Portions were very generous. Service was excellent. Staff were pleasant and attentive. This is the place to visit if you're looking for great local foods with a great view of the lake and surrounding mountains.