The best restaurants Italian Switzerland

At the end of a pretty paved courtyard, this Indian-inspired vegetarian restaurant exudes serenity. The menu is copious and of impeccable quality. You will be seduced! The menu and a la carte vary according to the seasons and the chef's mood: vegetable samossas, vegetable curry or tofu curry, chapatis or dhal. On the sweet side, you will be surprised by the mango crumbles: a treat! In the summer, the tables come out under the arbour. Next to the restaurant, there is a shop selling organic products, massages, yoga classes and a cultural centre.

It's a veritable Lugano institution. This insanely elegant establishment has been open since... 1803! It houses a dining room, patio and library. Refined cuisine is served in a distinguished setting. We really recommend it for a cappuccinoaccompanied by one of the wonderful pastries in the Al Porto café/confectionery section. Be sure to look up and admire the ceiling, dating from 1500 and frescoed by Florentine artist Carlo Bonafedi. There's also a meeting room for 2 to 44 people.

A new trend, Fermata offers a menu of gourmet tacos, fajitas and burgers that you'll want to devour. A vintage decor reminiscent of the world of trains, with high tables for relaxed seating. A treat to be savored without any hang-ups, as everything is homemade. Special mention for the parmesan and truffle fries. As for drinks, the gin-based cocktails are excellent. The service is friendly and welcoming, and the atmosphere very pleasant. If you like burgers, this is an address not to be missed, especially as it's kid-friendly.

Atypical in chic, trendy Lugano, this basement inn, located in a vaulted cellar, offers a warm, rustic ambience. Traditional Ticinese recipes abound, the polenta and risottos are exquisite, the cheese platters incredible and the tiramisu very successful. It's easy to see why the place is such a success, as the quality of the food is unanimously acclaimed. To complete the picture, there's a fine wine list to accompany your meal. Efficient, attentive service. Friendly owner. You won't be disappointed!

Under the arcades in front of Piazza Riforma, this restaurant stands on the site of an old bistro that already existed in the 1930s. A very pleasant spot in summer, with an airy terrace that's always busy. Good traditional Italian cuisine with a modern presentation. The pizzas are crisp to perfection. The best part is that you can choose 2 pizzas in one! The dough is extremely thin, and even the largest size can be devoured without leaving a crumb!

On the edge of Scherrer Park. One could choose to come to Morcote only for this address, as the cuisine and the welcome are so extraordinary. In the summer, you can relax on the terrace overlooking the lake, surrounded by fruit trees. In autumn, we take refuge by the fire in a cosy atmosphere. There is a menu, but the best is to rely on the suggestions of the Chef, a lover of good products, who proposes different seasonal recipes every week. The desserts are divine! Excellent wines too.

A gastronomic address in the city centre orchestrated with brilliance and generosity by the chef and owner Lorenzo Albrici. Inside, a cosy and elegant atmosphere and decoration. Elegance that can also be found in the plates with a cuisine based on good products from Ticino presented with sophistication. This house is the open door to a lot of fun and a memorable stopover. It is beautiful and good. The plus: for vegetarians, the chef adapts and will suggest dishes based on seasonal products.

In this family-run restaurant run by the Iacomini brothers, you can sample typical Italian dishes and specialties from Ticino. Everything is delicious and traditionally prepared. Tasty, robust cuisine, like the braised beef with merlot and parmesan risotto, a delight. The setting is superb, from the magnificently tranquil garden and terrace in summer to the dining room and fireplace in winter. We appreciate the conviviality of this place and the friendly staff.

A molto Italian-style welcome for this well-known local pizzeria. Many locals come to enjoy the dish of the day on the shady terrace in summer. The menu is tempting and very complete, with pizzas and pastas taking pride of place. The risottos are well worth discovering, and we invite you to try the famous risotto al merlot del Ticino, which emanates local flavors. But you can also come to Il Piazza for breakfast with a newspaper, coffee and pastries. The perfect way to start the day.

This small restaurant-bar offers a warm atmosphere: one of the only ones in the city that has kept the spirit of the past and that has hung beautiful paintings on orange walls. It serves good food and during the winter you can enjoy a fondue or raclette - often by reservation. On the Facebook page, you can find out about the current menus, the evening agenda and make reservations. In short, you're already in the mood! In the summer, you can book on the popular outdoor patio. Excellent value for money.

A neighborhood pizzeria in a no-fuss setting, with friendly, smiling service and genuine Italian cuisine. Far from the pizzerias for tourists, this establishment, which will celebrate its fortieth anniversary in 2024, serves pizzas with taste as we like them and at fair prices. For gourmets, this establishment is also a good address for ice cream... a treat all the way! The only snag is that the staff don't speak French, but as the language of pizza is universal, we always manage to make ourselves understood.

Good Mediterranean-inspired cuisine and Ticino wines served on long stone tables and under a beautiful arbour, overlooking the rooftops of Bellinzona. When the weather's bad, you can take refuge in the vaulted dining room, which isn't quite as welcoming. You'll appreciate the diversity of the menu: on the land side with pork ravioli with mushrooms, on the sea side with octopus, the catch of the day... Dishes and a vegan à la carte menu for those who wish. Finish with a selection of cheeses and/or dessert, accompanied by a fine wine list.

Giardino is a good restaurant slightly hidden at the foot of the Castelgrande castle. Although neat, the interior room lacks charm, but in summer the terrace at the back is a real delight. Surrounded by a few palm trees and vines, you can enjoy homemade ravioli with Jerusalem artichoke cream, a lacquered duck with chestnut honey or a fillet of beef with black truffle cream... For small budgets, pizzas are also excellent. Service is pleasant but a little slow. Nice Ticino wine list.

Paolo offers seasonal regional cuisine based on his Ticinese grandmother's recipes, with a personal touch. Everything is simple and delicious, from polenta with ossobuco to venison with a bouquet of chestnuts, spätzle, pears and red cabbage. Delicious local cheeses. Prices are unbeatable and portions generous. This is local cuisine that warms the heart with its tastes and flavors. A good moment to share after visiting the nearby church of San Lorenzo.

If you want to discover the real Ticino terroir, a simple and well-crafted cuisine, come to this grotto. The idyllic Grotto Efra Valle Redorta lies in the shade of the trees between the peaceful village of Sonogno and the Valle Redorta. A chalet of wood and dry stone at the foot of the mountain. Typical Ticinese charm: cheeses, cold meats and polenta served with good bread and merlot, before a game of boules in the sun. Plus: you're just a stone's throw from a beautiful waterfall. Authenticity, conviviality and simplicity!

In a rustic and elegant atmosphere, you will enjoy refined cuisine in the gastronomic restaurant on the first floor, famous for its fish dishes (many choices), shellfish and grilled meats. If the prices are high enough, the cuisine is really excellent. For smaller budgets, good news, on the ground floor, the trattoria-pizzeria is more affordable. Also on the spot, two charming vintage rooms with a nicely arranged decoration of antique objects. On the reception side, the service is as good as the kitchen.

Only a hundred metres from the lake shore, in a small street like Ascona has the secret, here is a very special place. Here you can enjoy a unique menu of local cuisine at the same price for everyone. For example: for the starter, mixed salad as well as salami and mortadella served on a wooden board, then for the main course, veal with mushroom sauce and polenta, followed by cheese. The setting is pleasant and the welcome warm. The garden is particularly charming. A table d'hôtes like no other.

Tucked away in a typical alleyway leading down from the cathedral, Osteria Trani is a little gem! The team offers refined Mediterranean cuisine and an impressive wine list (over 350!) in a cosy setting under a stone vault, or outside in fine weather. Whether you opt for tartar, pasta, meat or fish, you won't be disappointed. The hardest thing is to keep a place for the desserts, which are to die for... Friendly, efficient and attentive service. A good address.

For over twenty-five years, this bistro with a southern accent has been serving fresh, seasonal, family-style cuisine that's sure to please! The small menu - just a few dishes displayed on a slate - is explained by waiters dressed in black and white, who are both courteous and relaxed. Il vino takes pride of place here, glorified by the impressive magnums decorating the walls. Whether inside or on the terrace, you're sure to have a great time. A special treat: appetizers (cheese, bruschetta...) served as soon as you arrive.

Not everyone has the budget to stay at the sublime Villa Orselina, but visitors can take advantage of the hotel's spectacular views to enjoy lunch, dinner for two or dinner on their own, overlooking the pearly waters of Lake Maggiore, into which the mountains fall. On the plate, the perfect harmony of Mediterranean flavors and the local Italian culinary tradition will seduce you. You can also have breakfast here. Impeccable service.