L’Antica Trattoria — Restaurant in Como

We were lucky to get a reservation at this wonderful restaurant during our stay in Como. I found it by searching Google for gluten free options. The staff assured me nearly any dish could be prepared gluten free. They also had lactose free options for most dishes! The reviews online were raving about both the pasta and meat dishes. There was also a tasting menu available! We opted for a filet dish with foie gras and a pasta dish with truffle.

Looking around the restaurant, there were shelves full of grappa and other liquors. I suspect they could’ve made any cocktail. We don’t know because we opted for a lovely wine from the extensive list.

We were soon served a section of fresh bread that included a small round loaf of the best gluten free bread for me! It was beautiful, steaming and delicious.

We could see the chef starting to prep meats for the open fire indoor grill, which was such a cool feature!

Soon we were greeted with our pasta with truffle, but then offered additional freshly grated truffle!! Generous freshly grated truffle and perfectly cooked pasta…delicious.

Then our filets arrived and we were offered more freshly grated truffle and a selection of seasoning salts. The meal was perfection. We knew it was something special and we understood why the restaurant had received Michelin recognition.

We couldn’t have asked for better service or a better meal. As someone with multiple food allergies, it was a treat to feel like I could have the same meal as my companions and not be a burden or an inconvenience to the staff. However, my companions agreed it was a special meal experience and they were grateful for the opportunity to dine at this restaurant. Highly recommended for all. So glad we found this place!! It did fill up quickly. Reservations are recommended and can be...

I wanted to eat at a Michelin star restaurant while in Lago di Como. L’Antica did not disappoint! It was delicious. It seems that with every meal, you get fried onion rings and basil plus bread that comes with olive oil.

For much first plate (pasta) I ordered the truffle pasta. The pasta was homemade and it was infused with three different types of truffles, including a beautiful shaved truffle that is shaved and served next to your table. My friend got the caprese ravioli. Her ravioli was served in a sweet tomato sauce. We then got the wagyu steak which was served with eggplant parmigiana. The wagyu (and I think all meats) is cooked in the fireplace. I ordered mine medium rare and it came out cooked correctly. I used the black lava Hawaiian salt (one I often use at home). Eggplant is one of my favorite foods and the parmigiana was cooked perfectly. My friend does not normally eat eggplant and had only tried it once, but enjoyed it a lot too.

After our glass of Prosecco, our waiter was able to recommend the perfect glasses of wine. My friend got red wine to eat with her meat. I can’t drink red due to allergies, so he recommended a white wine for me as well. I didn’t inform him of my allergies, but there was no judgement about me pairing my white wine with steak.

We were worried about getting too much food. Normally we don’t do a pasta plate + entre, but the portions were the right size. We finished it with espresso and a house made dessert. The dessert was a good finish and wasn’t not too sweet.

This place is delicious, but not pretentious. The portions are sized fairly. It’s everything you’d want. It’s a bit of a walk from the main streets, but worth it. The service was also great. All...

This restaurant is very hard to review for overall experience.

It offers some of the best meat, and best cooked meat, I’ve had. 60 days hanged. Undercooked but brought on a hot plate it continues to evolve. So well done to those in the kitchen.

We turn to the front of house. These are the most mercenary people I’ve met outside of a financial trading desk. It’s an uncomfortable experience to be leaned on by them. And we were offering good money. (We were looking at top notch steak and red wine). Yet it wasn’t enough for them. They recommended we ordered another dish which would never had been necessary. They kept refilling our glass after every sip in order to encourage another bottle purchase. When we kicked off with a glass of white, they brought another wine, which had already been opened, and suggested we might like it. We did not. It was acid that they were trying to flog off 60 cent to the dollar.

So, was the good, and expensive food, worth the aggressive and barrow boy service? Alas, no. There are plenty of places knocking out good steak without overtly looking to squeeze every last Euro out of their customers.

Perhaps it’s because it’s a holiday place. Maybe they don’t expect people to return. Well, I may return to Como. But I’ll never give this place another go. Running a restaurant isn’t about the food. It’s about the memory you leave. I left with...