DK Travel : Milan and the Lakes

Milan is Italy’s economic powerhouse, a bustling city of finance and industry, media empires and fashion houses, backed up by an impressive cultural heritage of important art galleries and ancient churches. Yet a 40-minute train ride takes you to the azure pools of “the lakes”, lined with fishing villages, villas and laid-back resorts.

Asso di Fiori

Its theme is simple: include Italian cheeses in as many dishes as possible, culminating in a stupendous cheese platter.
Auditorium di Milano

The “Giuseppe Verdi” Sym-phony Orchestra of Milan has since 1999 played in this reinvented 1930s’ cinema, which stood derelict for decades after World War II. Riccardo Chailly conducts concerts from late September to May.
Bar Jamaica

One of half a dozen bars and gelaterie (ice-cream parlours) lining a pedestrianized stretch just north of the Pinacoteca. It was one of Milan’s first bohemian bars, given its name by a local journalist who thought it resembled the bar in Hitchcock’s Jamaica Inn .
Bar Magenta

Comfortable, Parisian-style café with outdoor seating, a decent food menu, tasty cocktails and Guinness on tap (see Bar Magenta, Milan).
Bar Magenta, Milan

A lovely corner café that’s a cross between an Irish pub and a Parisian Art Deco café, with a zinc bar, high ceilings, free newspapers and a decent list of dishes along with coffee, beer, cocktails and apéritifs.
Bar Margherita

Comfortable, modernish lounge with deep cushions, decent snacks and good cocktails.
Bar Radetzky

This minimalist, down-to-business café has been around forever, best-known for a quick espresso in the morning and an aperitivo stop in the evening.
Barchetta, Bellagio

For such a beloved resort, Bellagio oddly lacks superlative eateries, save perhaps this “little boat”. The recipes are local and well-prepared, the ambience amicable and the prices appropriate.
Barchetta, Lake Como

Restaurants in such touristy towns as Bellagio rarely rise to the level of quality that this has achieved under chef-owner Armando Valli and his assistant Davide Angelini. The signature dish is the sinfonia degli otto sapori del lago , a “symphony” of eight lake fishes. For dessert, try the traditional paradel – honey ice cream with raisins (see Barchetta, Bellagio).

Barchetta exterior
Bardolino

The best-known wine is a light, balanced red from Lake Garda’s Veneto shore.

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Restaurant price categories

For a three-course meal for one with half a bottle of wine (or equivalent meal), taxes and extra charges.
- under €20
- €20-€30
- €30-€40
- €40-€50
- over €50