Italy is famous for many things, especially for its food. Each region has its own local cuisine that sets it apart from other regions. The food around the Lake Garda area is especially varied and will be the highlight of your trip. Find out which restaurants in Torri del Benaco offer you the best local food.
The cuisine of Lake Garda
Torri del Benaco lies on the shores of Lake Garda, the largest lake in Italy. Tourists flock here every year to soak up the sun, immerse themselves in the culture and history and sample the delicious local cuisine.
Typical ingredients in this area include fish, lemon, wine and olive oil, which are used in many traditional dishes. Because the lake covers three Italian regions, there is a great culinary diversity. On the shores of Lago di Garda you can find typical meals from Veneto, Lombardy and Trentino-Alto Adige.
Specialties of Lake Garda
There are many delicious dishes to be tried when visiting Torri del Benaco and other places around Lake Garda. But if you are after the real taste of the area, then these local specialties are a must.
This is a dish originating from the Veneto region, where, unlike Lake Garda, sea-caught fresh sardines are used. On Lake Garda, however, lake sardines are used, which are salted and dehydrated over a period of about 70 days. This produces the salted sardines that, once properly cleaned and filleted, are melted in hot olive oil with garlic and parsley to create a delicate cream used to dress the bigoli (a type of egg pasta made with a special press, similar to spaghetti but thicker).
A traditional lake dish prepared with pike, a typical fish, baked, steamed, or poached in a court bouillon. It is then chopped and covered with a sauce made from salted lake sardines (originally bleak, now extinct), garlic, parsley, vinegar, and Bardolino red wine, and left to marinate in a cool place for a few days. It is then served with hot polenta or grilled.
The lake fish grill is a dish that is usually a staple in private homes for a convivial evening among friends or to celebrate an event or occasion. These are types of local fish that are regularly caught by professional fishermen in the area during permitted periods and sold early in the morning in the small harbours of nearby towns. However, this dish is also commonly found on the menus of the main restaurants in Torri Del Benaco.
Top restaurants in Torri del Benaco
To enjoy the typical local food of the area, you have to go to the right restaurants. Ideally, to the ones that the locals go too, because then you can be sure you get great tasting food. So here are the 5 best restaurants in Torri del Benaco.
Located on the scenic lakeside in the centre of the town, the Osteria offers a charming location that perfectly complements the refined culinary offering.
Popular with locals and tourists, the carefully curated menu offers dishes of traditional Italian flavour with a large use of fresh seasonal ingredients and local traditional dishes, creatively reinterpreted by the skilled kitchen brigade.
Reservation is recommended.
A recent restaurant located in the central part of the lakeside, it has quickly gained the esteem of several tourists and local and neighbouring clientele with its innovative cuisine.
Specialising in the preparation of sea fish dishes, these can be enjoyed and tasted on the charming and panoramic terrace directly overhanging the lake, also enjoying the famous lakeside sunset behind the mountains.
Reservation is recommended.
The establishment, managed by the Galvani family, undisputed leaders for many years in the restaurant industry in Torri Del Benaco, still maintains the characteristics of the classic Italian trattoria and is situated overlooking the picturesque harbour of the town and the Scaliger Castle. The menu offers Italian culinary classics and traditional dishes, with a special focus on classic pizza.
The trattoria is also famous for its wine cellar and the extensive selection of Italian and international wines to complement the ordered dishes.
The establishment, managed by the Galvani family, long-standing leaders in the restaurant industry in Torri Del Benaco, still upholds the traditional Italian trattoria charm. It is located overlooking the picturesque harbour of the town and the Scaliger Castle. The menu offers Italian culinary classics and traditional dishes, with a special emphasis on classic-style pizza.
The trattoria is also renowned for its wine cellar and the extensive selection of both Italian and international wines to pair with the ordered dishes.
The pizzeria located on the central lakeside promenade, boasting a large terrace overhanging the lake, has over the years earned a solid reputation among foreign tourists, initially charmed by the location and subsequently by the range and quality of the pizza, as well as the selection of other national and traditional dishes.
A visit is highly recommended for those staying in Torri Del Benaco.
Located in the namesake Hotel, the restaurant is much appreciated by patrons not only for the excellent quality of the food but also for the sumptuous location. Situated in the enchanting bay at the edge of the town, the restaurant hosts its guests in a panoramic dining room with a window overlooking the top beach of Torri Del Benaco. It has a menu based on sea fish (raw) and grilled meat, with careful selection and research of the raw materials. The wine list is very extensive.
Reservation is recommended.
Restaurants and Pizzerias Outside of Torri del Benaco
We are in Albisano, the panoramic village on the hill overlooking Torri Del Benaco, about 4 kilometres away. Le Tavernette is a completely family-run venue with a unique atmosphere that offers in its menu an excellent traditional pizza alongside classic Italian dishes.
The spaghetti with typical Italian condiments (tomato, ragù, and oil, garlic, and chilli) and local dishes such as bigoli with sardines and, if available, the lake grill with sardines and whitefish are a must-try.
A historic restaurant located in Pai Di Sopra (about 6 kilometres from Torri Del Benaco) in the small town square, it has always been managed by a family of old fishermen who are still specialised in dishes made exclusively with lake fish. Every day, the fresh catch is expertly prepared and cooked on the spot by chef Gigi. From here, unique and exclusive dishes are created, such as tagliatelle al limone with smoked whitefish, red summer tortelloni, and the indispensable bigoli with sardines.
A must-visit for those who love lake fish and want to taste the true traditional and typical lake cuisine.
Visit Torri del Benaco and enjoy delicious food
Torri del Benaco is one of the popular tourist destinations on Lake Garda, and it’s not difficult to see why. Steeped in history and culture, there is much to see. But the restaurants in Torri del Benaco are just as spectacular with food that is out of this world. Don’t hesitate: book your visit now and try out these wonderful restaurants.
