in progress
​Eat
Harrys Bar, Cernobbio: charming restaurant with both an indoor & outdoor area. Perfect for any meal. Known for their bellinis. When we went they had truffles and were putting them on all of their dishes. 
Locanda Tirlanda: located on the waterfront a bit past the town of Tremezzo. More on the casual side but very romantic being near the water. 
Trattoria Glicine, Cernobbio
Ristorante La Fagurida, near Lenno (Tremezzo) 
La Fabbrica gelato, Lenno 
Grand Tremezzo- this hotel has an excellent Di Giacomo and more formal restaurant inside, both are great. 
Passalaqua
Veranda, Cernobbio, Ville d Este 
Hotels
Villa d Este
Passalaqua
Grand Tremezzo
Hotel Orso Bruno- boutique hotel, no frills in a good location, very inexpensive 
Sheraton, has a michellin star restuarant called Kitchen with very romantic views along the water. 
Hotel Grand Imperiale-  old "5 star" hotel but should be more like 3 star however great location between Passalaqua, Villa d Este & Tremezzo 
Bellagio hotel
Belmond- coming soon in 2026
Ritz Carlton- coming soon 2025 (Bellagio)
The Edition Hotel- coming March 2026
 
To do
Rent a boat and tour the gardens
Garden where 007 and star wars were filmed 
Hike
 
Book Ferrys in advance- book online for the day and route needed. Not necessary to book the exact timeslot. 
 
Evan and I booked a trip to Lake Como when we heard my best friend Courtney and her future husband would be there for a week and we could spend some time with them on the front end of the trip. They arrived Saturday evening, so Evan and I had Friday and Saturday to ourselves.
We flew into Milan Malpensa, which is less than an hour’s drive from Lake Como — incredible proximity. We landed very late Thursday night from London after some pretty crazy weather delays (something we have gotten way too used to living in London).
We ended up staying at the Moxy Milan Malpensa Airport before picking up our rental car the next morning. Obviously this was a no-frills hotel, but it got the job done — and Marriott points never hurt.

We rented our car in the morning and headed for Lake Como. The weather was sprinkling the whole drive but still very beautiful.
We had lunch reservations at Da Giacomo al Lago at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo. Even though it was still drizzling, they seated us outside — which I actually very much appreciated. The show must go on!
Given this has truly been our year of rain (Cannes and Malta included), it was refreshing that nothing was canceled.
Lunch notes:
Delicious but definitely pricey
Cocktails ~€35
My fish was ~€90 (thank you EV)
Pool area is adorable with the orange-and-white umbrellas
Beautiful views looking up at the hotel
**Worth it for the experience, in my opinion.
After lunch, the plan was to ferry to Bellagio. We chose this route because it was only about a 10-minute ride (many routes have multiple stops and can take hours).
Helpful ferry tips:
Grand Tremezzo sits between two ferry stops
Pre-purchase tickets — they do sell out
​You buy for the day + route, not a specific time
The ferry situation can be chaotic (especially leaving Bellagio)
Because of timing concerns, we didn’t explore as long as planned — we were worried about not making the first ferry back.
Ferry itself:
Comfortable covered seating
​Drinks for sale
Bathroom onboard
Most ferries stop running around 8pm, which makes cross-lake dinner plans tricky
Bellagio is very beautiful — lovely shops and cafés along the port, with winding cobblestone streets climbing uphill. It honestly gave me Positano vibes (but better).
Shopping-wise:
A few high-end pieces mixed into multi-brand boutiques
​I did spot Isabel Marant
Hotel you were thinking of:
 The iconic waterfront property is Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni.
There is also the famous viewpoint Punta Spartivento (often called “La Punta”) where many tourists go for photos. There’s a restaurant with an outdoor patio nearby.
We also learned a Ritz-Carlton property is planned for Bellagio in 2027 — one to watch.

After Bellagio, we headed back to get ready for our big dinner at Passalacqua.
This is something I had mentally bookmarked for years (since it opened). La DoubleJ collaborated on parts of the design, and it is the sister property to Grand Tremezzo.
The hotel sits above the Grand Hotel Imperiale — and yes, the climb up in wedges was… ambitious.



Passalacqua exceeded my expectations. Truly stunning.
Property highlights:
Unreal gardens and lake views
On-site vegetable garden and chickens
Gorgeous pool
Clay tennis courts
We started with aperitivo in the garden above the pool.
Notes:
Cocktails were pricey
​BUT the amuse-bouche spread was incredible (could have been dinner itself)
We then moved into the bar (perfect nightcap energy) before being seated for the tasting menu. Dinner is served in multiple rooms — the blue and red salons — and the blue room was my favorite.

We began the tasting menu with antipasto.
They were able to accommodate gluten-free bread and pastas — and honestly, this may now be my #1 gluten-free pasta while traveling.
One standout dish paid homage to old-school Italian cucina povera — inspired by making pasta from whatever was in the kitchen. It featured peas and a creamy sauce and was unreal.
We also had mains, followed by dessert.
At this point I was already full… and then the chef came out to prepare an additional pastry and presented a chocolate selection.
Let’s just say I practically rolled down the hill afterward.
The next morning, after attempting to sleep on a very full stomach, we decided to hike. Evan found a route on Strava — about 6 miles total.
My official rating: 0 stars, do not recommend.
What we expected:
3 miles up
3 miles down
Reality:
The steps were the hardest part
The descent was extremely slippery
Leaves everywhere
Lots of side-stepping required
There were pretty waterfalls and moss, but also many flies and bugs.
My vote: skip this hike above Moltrasio unless you have proper hiking shoes and bug spray.
After the not-so-fun hike, we had our boat ride — and this was a major highlight.
We relaxed at the pool and had lunch first. Credit where due: the niçoise salad at the Grand Hotel Imperiale was very tasty (one of my favorites).
We booked our boat through Lake Como Boats.
Why they were great:
Very organized
Sent the driver’s WhatsApp in advance
Driver arrived early
Picked us up directly from our hotel
Truly one of the best experiences of the trip.