Restaurant of lake Orta
Restaurant of lake Orta / Gourmet destination for food lovers or for those who like to explore ancient trattorias in search of authenticity and territory.

See Partner Restaurants
The history of the hotel industry
Excellence and Tradition
Lake Orta, a jewel of Piedmont, is home to charming hotels and starred restaurants where famous chefs enhance the flavors of the area. Historically, places like Villa Crespi (with chef Antonino Cannavacciuolo) have brought gourmet cuisine to its shores. Hoteliers, guardians of traditions, welcome travelers with elegance and warmth. Small villages like Orta San Giulio offer romantic atmospheres and refined gastronomy. Since the 1990s, the lake has become a destination for gourmets, with chefs reinterpreting local dishes such as riso al cùnsi. Today, the harmony between nature, history and haute cuisine makes it a paradise for gourmets.


From the lake to the mountains
So many emotions without borders around the lake
The chefs of Lake Orta enhance local ingredients such as rice from the Novara rice fields, the basis of dishes such as risotto al perchè or al cùnsi (with luganega and red wine). Freshwater fish, such as lavaret and whitefish, are baked or cooked in sauce. Alpine cheeses, such as toma ossolana, enrich appetizers and fondues. The lakeside gardens provide fresh vegetables, while the woods offer porcini mushrooms and truffles. Honey from Valstrona and extra virgin olive oil from Vergante complete the dishes. There is no shortage of local wines, such as Erbaluce di Caluso or Ghemme DOCG, which accompany the recipes with elegance.
Blue Flag and Gastronomic Renaissance
Lake Orta and its Rediscovered Fish
The Blue Flag recognition by Legambiente celebrates not only the purity of the waters of Lake Orta, but also the return of prized fish species such as the royal perch, the lavarello and the whitefish, now protagonists in the kitchens of local chefs. After decades of pollution and decline, environmental remediation has allowed these fish to repopulate the waters, becoming ingredients of traditional dishes revisited in a modern key.
Starred restaurants and typical trattorias offer them in recipes that enhance their delicacy: from baked lavarello with lake herbs to carpione di whitefish, an ancient specialty preserved in vinegar and wine. A virtuous example of how environmental protection can marry gastronomic enhancement, transforming the lake into a model of sustainability and taste.


Gourmet excellence
Great Chefs Pay Homage to Lake Orta
Antonino Cannavacciuolo, with his Villa Crespi, has transformed Lake Orta into a gourmet destination, blending haute cuisine and local tradition. His Michelin star and television fame have attracted tourists and food lovers, promoting products such as Novara rice, lake fish and mountain cheeses. Thanks to him, the area has gained international visibility, becoming synonymous with food and wine excellence. Other chefs have followed his example, creating a circuit of signature restaurants that celebrate the roots of Piedmont with creativity. Today, Lake Orta is not just a landscape, but also an experience for the palate.
It all started in Barcelona
an exodus that set a precedent
In the twentieth century, many chefs and hoteliers from Lake Orta emigrated to Barcelona, bringing with them the Piedmontese culinary tradition. Here they opened inns, trattorias and small hotels, introducing dishes such as creamy risottos and braised meats to the Catalan gastronomic panorama. These pioneers, working between the Costa Brava and the Catalan city, refined their techniques by mixing Lombard-Piedmontese cuisine with Mediterranean influences. The international experience gained was invaluable: some returned to the lake enriched professionally, helping to raise the local tourist offer. A little-known migratory flow, but one that demonstrates how the culinary talent of the area already had a European scope.


Local products and more
Territorial wonders that have reached the world
Among the symbolic products of the Lake Orta area, the Toma Ossolana stands out – a mountain cheese with sweet and rustic notes – and the Gorgonzola DOP, with its intense and creamy flavor that has conquered global palates. Together with them, the Ghemme and Gattinara DOCG wines, produced with Nebbiolo from the Novara hills, represent the Piedmontese winemaking excellence, appreciated for their structure and elegance.
Thanks to chefs like Cannavacciuolo and quality exports, these products have crossed national borders, becoming ambassadors of taste in Europe, America and Asia. From cheeses to great aged reds, Lake Orta continues to export tradition and unique flavors, linking its name to world-class gastronomy.
Visit the ATL website of products to learn about the products! Restaurants on Lake Orta
20 curiosities to know
Antonino Cannavacciuolo made the lake cuisine famous with his Villa Crespi (2 Michelin stars).
Rice with “cùnsi” (cooked with luganega and red wine) is a historic dish of the area.
Lake fish (whitefish, lavaret, perch) have returned thanks to the remediation of the waters (Blue Flag).
Toma Ossolana and Gorgonzola DOP dominate among the cheeses used in appetizers and risottos. Ghemme and Gattinara DOCG wines (based on Nebbiolo) accompany typical dishes.
Porcini mushrooms from the surrounding woods enrich pasta and main courses.
Miascia is an ancient poor dessert made with bread, apples and grapes.
Restaurants with a lake view, such as Leon d’Oro and Giardinetto, combine taste and breathtaking views.
Goose salami from Mortara, a Slow Food presidium, appears in many appetizers.
Tapulon is a braised meat with donkey ragù.
Vergante extra virgin olive oil is used for raw seasonings.
Cannavacciuolo created iconic dishes such as “Rice, gold and saffron”.
Dried lavaret (preserved in ancient times) are now rediscovered in gourmet versions.
Chestnut honey from Valstrona sweetens cheeses and desserts.
Erbaluce is also produced by local companies, a native white wine, and accompanies fish dishes.
Historic trattorias still serve braised meat in Barolo with polenta.
Casoncelli (stuffed ravioli) vary from town to town.
Toma del Mottarone is a specialty made with flocks that graze the slopes of the mountain.
Among the desserts, artisanal biscuits stand out.
The wine festival celebrates local food and wine excellence every year.