La Capriata

Unforgettable dining experience with a stunning view! We stopped at this restaurant on our way back to Germany, looking for a nice lunch spot before entering Switzerland — and this was the perfect place, located just 5 minutes before the Swiss border. The location is absolutely stunning, surrounded by majestic mountains and overlooking a peaceful little lake. It’s also very convenient — right on the main road with a large parking area. We were warmly welcomed by the staff and initially wanted to order Gnocchetti, but our waitress suggested we try the Blueberry Tagliolini instead — and her recommendation was spot on! It was unique and incredibly delicious. We also had the Salami Picante pizza, which was perfectly crisp and flavorful, and ended our meal with their homemade Tiramisu, which was rich, creamy, and simply one of the best we've ever had. If you’re traveling in this region, this place is an ideal lunch stop with both breathtaking views and fantastic food. Highly recommended!

Even though I have mixed feelings, every year I always end up coming back, so it deserves a visit. Located not right on the main street, it has a quite big parking right in front of it. The location is superb with a terrasse on the lake side that is honestly worth the trip. Interior seats are nice too with a modern wooden touch, especially for dinner when outside gets cold. It's super crowded and super requested so in July - August reservation is more than recommended especially for having a drink outside with a great view on the lake and surrounding mountains. The pizzas are very good although you will only find basic/classic ones. I'm not advocating for fancy flavours, but I felt a couple of more complex ones would be a nice fit on a menu that otherwise tries some bizarre pairings. The normal menu is logically divided in 4 submenus (traditional, fancy, fish, etc) each composed by entree, pasta, main dish, dessert that you can order as a whole or pick single dishes (also cross submenu). Overall it has all the regional basic stuff (white pizzoccheri, polenta of several kinds, etc) plus some weirder stuff. The menu is a bit overwhelming and sounds incoherent with the pizza selection but overall food is good although you never feel the wow effect. I do not expect it to excel on everything but to have some "peaks", e.g. a great polenta or a great gnocchetti. So if you asked me "would I find there the best pizzoccheri or polenta of the neighborhood?" The answer would probably be: no. They are both fine, but not worth the trip on their own. Food presentation does not always match the expectation (again: expectation generated by the menu itself and the price). Desserts and beer selection are both very good, the latter being the best in the area by far. Service is usually kind, sometimes a bit slow even when not in busy hours, but overall on the positive side. Bottom line: La Capriata is probably more focused to please travelers stopping by for a quick lunch / aperitivo, taking advantage of the outdoor location and beer selection. For a full fledged lunch/dinner this place looks a bit like in it's teenage years: has potential, some confusion, still undecided about what it would like to be or can be once grown up. My review does not mean to be harsh or negative, as said I come back every year, I just wanted to express my mixed feelings. Definitely worth a stop.

Excellent Italian food near the border to Switzerland, a convenient and worthwhile stop along your journeys