La Cucina della Marianna

How this place is not on more “best restaurants” guides is beyond me.

We loved our meal so much that we went back the following night — and we saw that two other tables did the same!

The food was fantastic (think professional chef cooking at home for their family) and the service was so friendly and thoughtful.

Combine that with the most beautiful lakeside terrace and fair prices, and you’ve got what, for us, was the perfect package.

If you’re looking for an authentic and elevated — but not at all pretentious — meal on the shore of Lake Como, don’t miss La Cucina della Marianna!

This is a very unique gem and for me the best terrace in Como. We went three times during our stay! The Valentini family and their friendly staff welcome you with a delicious sparkly aperitivo and serve you a food made with care and love. The non democratic menu will let you filled and happy. Our kids got a delicious ragusa pasta and desert. Their wine selection is also amazing. We will be back!

We walked by this charming restaurant and decided to see if we could have lunch … not knowing anything about it. La Cucina della Mariana is everything you could wish for to have the perfect lunch.
The most delightful family owns the restaurant. The father and daughter are the chefs and a son supports their efforts.
The father “Ty” greeted us. Immediately friendly and jovial. When we asked about lunch he said “of course … but we are an undemocratic restaurant.” He explained that this means they only cook one menu a day and there are five courses. We could choose to have two, three, four or five courses. They offered for us to even spilt some courses if we wanted to. But we had to be interested in what was on the menu for that day.
The setting was so beautiful … under a vine arbor … right on the lake … beautiful Italian linens on the tables … we had already decided and didn’t care if the food was good or not. We would “eat the view”.
Well … the meal we had was worthy of as many Michelin stars as possible. Each course was better than the last.
When we finished we told Ty that not only was the food mouth watering good but that we could tell he and his daughter loved cooking. He told us that their food was good because they did love cooking but they also took the time to prepare each dish with a lot of thought about the details. He said most recipes today take 20 minutes to make because everybody is in a hurry. Obviously, not the way they cook.
Two hours later we knew that we found an authentic Italian, family owned restaurant with amazing food … the view was secondary. La Cucina della Marianna will be one of our first stops when we return to Tremezzo.

This is a non-democratic restaurant and I can say that I can deal with that when the dictator cooks as good as these folks. We enjoyed a fantastic four course meal overlooking Lake Como. We had chub pate, buckwheat crepes, braised veal, zucchini & peppers. For dessert we had trifle. Every course was perfect and the hospitality made you want to stay the entire evening. It was a perfect Italian meal.

Incredible dinner and experience. Location is beautiful. The menu is set and I would trust the chefs (father and daughter) with any dish. Kind staff and family run restaurant. I wish I ate every meal here during my stay in Tremezzo! Make a reservation and enjoy :)

Lovely restaurant perched on the side of Lake Como between Menaggio and Tremezzo. Convenient parking across the street and up the hill.

It was a Tuesday and the theme of the evening was honey - and our hosts delivered on the theme with a pikeperch and honey tartar that was citrus sharp, apple sweet, and fish tender, subtle and tasty.

The fresh raviolis that followed were stuffed with salty gorgonzola, nutty crushed walnuts and a hint of honey. They just melted in the mouth and were beautifully presented.

A secondi of thinly sliced orange-marinaded duck with some gently cooked spinach completed the savory courses on a high.

Dolci was a honey Panna Cotta that was creamy and soft, another standout.

Recommended for anyone looking for a meal that reflects the best local and seasonal ingredients, cooked expertly and presented with style.

Very friendly owners (family run), one of the more beautiful terraces in the area with lots of green to shelter from the sun and an amazing view on Bellagio and the monte Grigna. Food is tasty and prices are reasonable! I highly recommend!

Very nice experience on the waterfront. Excellent service, good quality food and very reasonable prices. They even did an effort to accommodate our vegetarian regime and it was very tasty.
The menu is short and changes every three days, which is great for us.

I went here many many moons ago and it was excellent. Beautiful spot on the water, wonderful service, and I will never forget the main dish I had. It was a tomato stuffed with a fresh sardine then grilled. I was only a kid, but I remember that it made me absolutely adore good sardines. I even enjoyed their pate and other things kids usually don't order. The pasta was also amazing. I really got to see how amazing regional Italian cuisine is.

Amazing four course meal with a variety of wonderful set menus each day of the week. A beautiful family run business with the most welcoming and friendly staff. Not to forget, the beautiful views whilst dining! We had the full tasting menu with a bottle of wine.

Very good hospitality and lovely food in a homely setting - the daily menu features some lovely, creative dishes. We enjoyed our aperitif ob the house in the lounge area before proceeding to dinner too. Would definitely recommend to anyone passing by in the area!

Amazing food and you can go online to check the menu of the day for the month if you want to see the options! You are also able to pick which courses you want and share courses as well which was great

This is a small family restaurant with a very limited menu of the day but everything was superbly prepared and the atmosphere of the shady terrace overlooking the lake was just perfect. Despite having a limited menu, they made me a fresh pasta which was the best pasta that I had in 2 weeks traveling in northern Italy. They are lovely people and it was a fantastic lunch!

Really very good restaurant, tasty food, excellent service, nice wine card and perfect view. Highly recommend for dinner!

Absolutely loved our experience. All the family staff are so passionate about the food and their business. Strawberry risotto - wow. And the wine was superb

Great atmosphere and amazing food. The true essence of Italian cuisine. And the view is stunning. One of the best restaurant I have ever been to.

5 starts is actually not enough. Awesome restaurant, especially compared with the average you can find in Menaggio and around. Don't go here if you just want to feed yourself, or if you want something specific, simple or cheap. Go here if you want to enjoy a gastronomic experience, well grounded into Como lake cooking tradition.
The outdoor terrace is awesome, waiters are great, if you can speak with the owner which is a living book of cooking culture and history.

Lovely homely restaurant with a daily set menu. Personalised customer service and great attention to detail. Incredible food - would recommend

Very good restaurant, with a particular menu per each day. They serve a set menu so you need to choose the day to come to eat here based on what they serve.

This wonderful local restaurant was recommended to us by the driver of the boat we took a tour on. What an amazing place - the view of the lake was beautiful and the service warm and very attentive. The food was so good that we didn’t stop eating for long enough to take a photo! Highly recommended - a must try.