We’re in Lake Como for the very first time to celebrate two of our friends getting married. This gorgeous lake is at the foot of the Swiss Alps, so you have a combination of lush mountains and lakeside views. Here’s everything we ate and everywhere we explored during our first day in Como.
Getting to Como City
We decided to do a night in Como city proper before we move on to Bellagio because the train from Milan goes to Como San Giovanni Station. You can go directly from Malpensa airport with just 1 easy transfer at Milano Porta Garibaldi station in less than 2 hours for just US$45 for 2 people, or go directly from Milano Centrale if you’re coming from the city center in less than an hour. We booked our tickets directly from Italia Rail, which is the local rail line.
Where we stayed
B&B Hotel Como City Center is a no-frills hotel that’s just a few minutes walk from the train station, so it’s super convenient. We went with the most basic room for just 150 euro, though you can pay more to have an extra pillow and towel, which we didn’t find necessary. Overall this is a good budget hotel if you just need a room to shower and sleep and so you can put your budget toward 20 euro Aperol spritzes 😂
Passion Como
Small and affordable counter-service panini shop with friendly staff. Just 5 euro for a sandwich that you fully customize by picking your meat, cheese, and up to 3 veggies/spreads through a large touch screen. We got mortadella with mozzarella, spicy vegetable spread, sun dried tomatoes and arugula and it was loaded with freshly sliced meat from the biggest hunk of mortadella I’ve ever seen on a toasted roll that was both crispy and squishy. Considering the high prices everywhere else in Lake Como, Passion Como is definitely a must-try. Watch my video here.
This tasty sandwich basically functioned as our antipasti, or first course of our 3 course lunch at 3 different spots. We then explored the medieval areas of Como City and shopped at a market just behind Porta Torre where I picked up a cheap linen shirt before we moved on to our primi at the next spot on the list.
Osteria Del Gallo
Cozy and warm restaurant wine bottles across the walls and a brick arch with a limited, daily menu. We sat in their intimate two table courtyard and enjoyed their delicious eggplant parmigiana and trofie al pesto as our primi—the fresh tofie pasta was especially chewy and al dente. This spot was much more affordable than other sit-down restaurants we saw, with both of our dishes totaling 22 euro.
Figli dei Fiori
Lovely and lush spot for lunch, as the high-end indoor-outdoor restaurant is decorated with so many gorgeous plants, complete with a separate flower shop that houses the restrooms. We sat in their greenhouse-like enclosed patio and loved their tender lamb rump with chimichurri and their ravioli that had a surprising pairing of ricotta, dried smoked fish, tomatoes, lemon zest, and dill for an everything bagel-like flavor.
Apertivo into Dinner at La Darsena
This lakeside restaurant was recommended to us by Romi the Foodie, who showed us around Florence so we trusted her taste. The drinks are a little pricier here since it’s right on the water, but it’s absolutely worth it for their exceptional spaghetti “La Darsena” which is loaded with so much fresh seafood in a vibrant and flavorful tomato sauce. They split it into two plates for us, but it was a big portion for 20 euro. We also enjoyed their antipasti “La Darsena” which was a platter with swordfish and smoked tuna carpaccio and tender calamari, though the shrimp were teeny considering the 22 euro price so I would mainly just come here for the spaghetti and views.
Sunset at the Life Electric Statue
This modern sculpture is dedicated to Como-native Alessandro Volta who invented the electric battery. It almost feels out of place in the middle of the lake, but it’s quite beautiful to see it reflect the light and surroundings at sunset. We actually didn’t even notice it when we were walking here during the day, so I recommend going at sunset when the sun hits it just right. The walk itself offers beautiful panoramic views as well.
Explore Giardini Al Lago
This is a nice park overlooking the lake, perfect for walking off all the pasta. I imagine it would be even more beautiful in the spring when all the flowers are in bloom. We went for a leisurely stroll during the day before our lunch at Figli dei Fiori, and were surprised to come back after visiting the Life Electric statue at night to discover a rave with a DJ setup on a the historic Volta monument (pictured below) AND a month-long beer festival with life music and street food in two sections of the park. So it’s definitely worth venturing to just to see what might be going on.
Other Things to Do in Como City
If we had more time, we would have taken the funicular up to Brunate, a neighboring village with elevated views of the lake. You can see the funicular cut through the mountain, especially when it’s lit up at night. There are also some hiking trails at the top with various viewpoints and also restaurants.
And of course, Lake Como is best seen by boat! Definitely book a boat tour to explore the lake, which we will be doing when we move on to Bellagio.
Getting to Bellagio from Como City
We took the C30 bus, which is a public bus that takes the fastest route to Bellagio. There is also a ferry, but it takes longer and we noticed an insanely long line of people waiting in the sun for the ferry when we first arrived, so we didn’t want to deal with that. You can buy bus tickets from the lotto counter at the bar/caffe at Como San Giovanni and board the bus at Stazione Lago past the ferry dock (it’s all the way on the left side of the picture below).
I highly recommend getting in line 20-30 minutes ahead of the departure time so you can guarantee a seat instead of having to stand. The seats toward the front also have an overhead rack to fit a carry on. I also recommend sitting on the left side of the bus so you can enjoy the views of the lake on your left during the ride.
Stay tuned for more as we continue on to Bellagio and explore Tremezzo, Menaggio and Varenna!
