Italy is one of the top European destinations for tourists. Rich culture and beautiful landscapes make up the country. Italy is known for its traditional food and wine. Lake Garda sits in the northern region of Italy, full of quality restaurants.

From pasta to fresh-caught seafood, the restaurants that surround Lake Garda will not disappoint! Choose from delicious food and wine on your Italian adventure.
Do not miss out on some of the best food in Italy. Check out my list of the best restaurants near Lake Garda below!
Lido 84
Corso Giuseppe Zanardelli, 196, 25083 Gardone Riviera BS, Italy
Phone: +39 0365 20019
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After a day at the beach at Lido di Fasano, my husband and I went back to our hotel for a quick shower and then off to a fancy dinner at Lido 84.
We dined on the patio overlooking Lake Garda. We started our meal with some items off of the hors d’oeuvres menu.
We shared a plate of Imperial Blue prawns and a plate of cabbage wrap. For my main course, I tried the warm fusilloni.
This plate had a homemade tomato sauce and pistachios sprinkled on top.
Esplanade
Via Lario, 3, 25015 Desenzano del Garda BS, Italy
Phone: +39 030 914 3361
The next restaurant stop on my Italian adventure was at Esplanade. After a day exploring the Museo Civico Archeologico Giovanni Rambotti Archaeological museum, my husband and I were ready for some grub.
Esplanade had Italian, seafood, Mediterranean, and European food options. The beautiful views of Lake Garda made the food that much better. My favorite thing I got at Esplanade was the quail!
il Vicolo
Passaggio Strentelle, 7, 25019 Sirmione BS, Italy
Phone: +39 030 557 8982
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Our Italian vacation consisted mostly of beach days and food! Towards the beginning of our trip, my husband and I had a beach day at Spiaggia del Prete.
This small beach was one of the most pleasant lake beaches we were on all trip. After eating so much seafood and pasta, we wanted to try something else for dinner that night.
We headed to il Vicolo, a local burger joint. Il Vicolo reminded me of an upscale burger and beer joint in the US, with an Italian flare.
We were happy to spend a little less money on dinner than we had been! I had the Lady burger, while my husband had the Carbonara burger.
Ristorante la Baia D’Oro
Via Donatori di Sangue, 13, 25084 Gargnano BS, Italy
Phone: +39 0365 71171
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On the western side of Lake Garda sits Parco dell’Alto Garda Besciano, an Italian National Park. This beautiful, mountainous lakefront park offered hiking trails, historic landmarks, and a welcoming visitor center.
After getting up at the crack of dawn and exploring all morning, we were hungry! We headed to Ristorante la Baia D’Oro, a restaurant located in one of the local hotels.
We were underdressed in our hiking clothes, but they were happy to serve us anyway! Ristorante la Baia D’Oro offered a range of fresh seafood on their ever-changing menu.
We paired our seafood dishes with some of the finest Italian wine.
La Speranzina Restaurant & Relais
Via Dante, 16, 25019 Sirmione BS, Italy
Phone: +39 030 990 6292
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Taking a break from beach days, my husband and I got to experience a day at an archaeological site of Grotte di Catullo.
We then had to have our daily meal out, so we headed to La Speranzina Restaurant & Relais. I tried the Shiso for my main dish.
It was local beef, beaten and flavored with chopped bacon, beet, ponzu gel, and bergamot cream. My husband decided to try the Lobster and Guinea fowl.
It was served with lettuce heart, aurora sauce, and shellfish. I had to satisfy my sweet tooth, so we concluded our meal with The Baba.
It was chartreuse, apple in osmose, with apple and verveine sorbet. It did the trick!
Le Gemme di Artemisia
Via Corubbio, 18, 37010 Albisano di, VR, Italy
Phone: +39 351 784 9077
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One of the things I wanted to do on our Italian trip was to do some cooking classes. We got to go to Le Gemme di Artemisia cooking school.
Having the opportunity to cook with and learn from some of the best chefs in Europe was an unforgettable experience.
Of course, after a long afternoon of cooking, I was hungry! We headed to the Le Gemme di Artemisia restaurant on site.
We ate with other students in our cooking class. They have a fixed menu for every table. You can choose between their seafood or meat options. Our table chose the seafood option.
Osteria al Pescatore
Via Imbarcadero, 31, 37010 Brenzone VR, Italy
Phone: +39 045 743 0702
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On the east side of Lake Garda sits Osteria al Pescatore, a restaurant in Verona. We took the ferry over from the west side of the lake and landed at the Castelletto for a day of shopping in Verona.
Osteria al Pescatore takes pride in preparing dishes from the ancient tradition of old Lake Garda fishermen.
The ancestors’ culture of poverty shines through with the simple, but delicious, dishes at Osteria al Pescatore.
One of the most intriguing things about Osteria al Pescatore is that there is no menu! The lake decides what customers are going to eat every day.
When we ate at Osteria al Pescatore, we had fresh perch from the lake that was seasoned with herbs from the in-house garden.
Ristorante Regio Patio
Via S. Francesco d’Assisi, 23, 37016 Garda VR, Italy
Phone: +39 045 725 5977
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My husband and I had a night out on the town going bar hopping. We made several stops for drinks before arriving at Ristorante Regio Patio.
We were ready for a little bit of food by this point, so we got some appetizers. We shared their cheese plate and Secondi from their antipasti menu.
The Secondi plate had beef tenderloin with a delicious green pepper sauce. We paired our antipasti plates with some fine, local Italian wines.
Ristorante Locanda Al Cardellino
Via Pralesi, 14, 37011 Bardolino VR, Italy
Phone: +39 045 622 9048
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As you have probably gathered, my husband and I are foodies. We love to travel and try all of the new and exciting foods from the culture we are experiencing.
Italy is a top producer of both wine and olive oil. One day, we got to explore the eastern side of Lake Garda, stumbling upon Museo dell’Olio.
Museo dell’Olio is an olive oil manufacturer. We got to tour a small museum and get to learn some of the history of olive oil in the region.
We were ready for some real victuals, so we headed to Ristorante Locanda Al Cardellino just up the road.
They combined the traditional cuisine of Verona with an exciting modern twist in all of their dishes. Their homemade pasta and dessert were my favorites.
Ristorante Vecchia Malcesine
Via Pisort, 6, 37018 Malcesine VR, Italy
Phone: +39 335 637 7699
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One day we decided to take a little break from so much running around and slept in. That didn’t last long, we got bored and decided to take a stroll around Malcesine.
We found several history museums and historical locations, including Palazzo dei Capitani. After a couple of museums, we were hungry.
Who would have thought! We found Ristorante Vecchia Malcesine near the museums. We headed in to find upscale dining right off of Lake Garda.
Neither of us is vegetarian, but for the fun of it, we acted like we were vegetarian that night. We asked about their vegetarian menu, to which they were very nice and explained it to us the best they could. It was a fixed menu, but it was delicious!
Ristorante La Tortuga
Via XXIV Maggio, 5, 25084 Gargnano BS, Italy
Phone: +39 0365 71251
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After a morning of learning how to surf at OK-Surf, we headed to Ristorante La Tortuga. We weren’t starving so we just shared a couple of items off of their antipasti menu.
We shared the vegetable carpaccio and duck liver escalope. It was delicious!
Trattoria S. Martino – le 3 oche
Via Roma, 31/33, 25084 Gargnano BS, Italy
Phone: +39 0365 71436
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Located in Brescia is Trattoria S. Martino – le 3 ocho. This was probably my favorite restaurant on the trip.
The relaxing and romantic atmosphere made for an unforgettable experience. Their delicious pasta and exquisite wine set the mood for the evening.
Aquariva
Via G. Marconi, 57, 25080 Padenghe Sul Garda BS, Italy
Phone: +39 030 999 5814
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Aquariva was the first restaurant we went to after arriving in Italy. We were staying at the West Garda Hotel after arriving at Lake Garda.
We took a walk to find Aquariva right on the edge of the stunning lake. We started the trip strong by ordering Il Tiepido.
This dish was a warm dish from the sea that included octopus, scallop, and red prawns.