Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
plain ground floor room, or in the understatedly elegant upstairs dining room,
with a decorated ceiling and a lake-view terrace.
€€
-
€€€€
Spend a bit more to splurge on Suisse's neighbor, the 150-year-old
(Piazza Mazzini, 32;
%
031-950320; www.bellagiohoteldulac.
com; closed early Nov to Easter),
run with an air of graciousness and old-fashioned
comfort by the Leoni family. Downstairs, a bar opens onto the arcaded sidewalk,
there is a series of pleasant sitting rooms, and meals are served in a nicely
appointed dining room with panoramic views of the lake (half-board is an extra
€
55
Hotel Du Lac
15 per person). Each of the smallish guest rooms is unique, though they tend
toward cushy armchairs and a nice smattering of antiques and reproductions,
many with balconies or terraces, and cost
180 for a double. There's a
rooftop sun terrace with sweeping lake views, and free access to the Leoni's nearby
sports center with a pool, tennis courts, and a children's center.
€
110 to
€
(Piazza Mazzini, 22/24;
%
031-950196; Oct-Mar closed
Thurs)
is one of the nicest of Bellagio's pleasant lakefront cafes, tucked under the
arcades of the town's main square. You can dine at one of the few outside tables
or in the delightful Art Nouveau dining room with its intricate tilework, carved
wood cabinets, and stuccoed ceilings. Wine and the excellent house coffee are
available all day, but a nice selection of pastries and sandwiches (
5
Bar Café Rossi
€
€
2.50-
€
4)
makes this a good stop for breakfast or lunch.
€
-
€€
La Grotta
(Salita Cernaia, 14;
%
031-951152; credit cards accepted
only for bills totaling more than
€
21; closed Nov 15-Dec 25 and Mon Oct-June)
is tucked away on a stepped street just off lakefront Piazza Mazzini, and has a cozy,
informal series of vaulted-ceiling dining rooms with extremely friendly service,
not to mention a wide-ranging menu. Most of the regulars come for the fish spe-
cials, including lake trout (
€
12), or the delectable pizzas (
€
5-
€
10) that are the
best for miles around (I've made sure of this by sampling them six or seven times).
(Salita Mella, 13;
%
031-951389; www.acena.it/la
barchettadibellagio; closed Nov-Mar and June 15-Sept 15 Tues-Wed at lunch)
is
one of Bellagio's best restaurants, specializing in fresh lake fish (try the perch or
angler fish). In all but the coldest weather, food is served on a bamboo-enclosed
heated terrace. Most of the pastas are innovative variations on traditional recipes,
such as
ravioli caprino
(with goat's cheese, topped with pear sauce) and savory
risotto with hazelnuts and pistachios. Book ahead.
55
Barchetta
€€€
BELLAGIO'S GARDENS
One of Bellagio's famed gardens surrounds the
Villa
Melzi d'Eril
(
%
031-950204;
€
5; late Mar to early Nov daily 9am-6pm),
built in
1808 by Francesco Melzi, a friend of Napoleon and an official of his Italian
Republic. The villa was later the retreat of Franz Liszt and is now the home of
Count Gallarati Scotti, who allows the public to stroll through his acres of man-
icured lawns and fountains and visit a pavilion displaying a collection of Egyptian
sculpture.
Bellagio's other famous gardens are those of the
Villa Serbelloni
(
%
031-
951555;
€
6.50; Apr-Oct, tours Tues-Sun at 11am and 4pm),
occupying land once
owned by Pliny the Younger and now in the hands of the Rockefeller Foundation.
5
