Il Clandestino — Restaurant in Stresa

Everything was beyond amazing. Since when does a chef take my order and explain my dishes? Every chef should do this. The absolutely impeccable service was still outshined by the main star of the show...the food!

Now everything is made based on what they get fresh caught from the sea. Seafood only at this establishment. So what I ate, you may not have available unless you run here today (which I highly recommend). Seriously, dishes change daily.

Started with a lobster and red shrimp ravioli with lemon. Absolutely delicious. No cheese, just flavors of the seafood. This was scrumptious. We had an amazing Sauvignon Blanc.

Next was the main course. For my wife fresh amberjack, for myself blue lobster with fois gras. If there is anything I have learned on this trip to northern Italy is that I need to use fois gras more often. My lobster was scrumptious, delicious and I wish I still had more right now. The amberjack was equally amazing, but unfortunately I only had one bite. My wife was enjoying too much to try to take more.

The sommelier gave us amazing pairings from Cinque Terre and a Pinot grigio that perfectly matched wife's fish. Both were perfectly paired.

Cannot say enough about how pleased we were with the service and the experience overall.

Make a...

⭐ 1 Star – Disappointing Experience

If you enjoy waiting endlessly for your food, struggling to get a waiter’s attention, and being served the wrong dishes at every stage of your meal, then Il Clandestino might be for you. Unfortunately, for those of us who expect even basic hospitality, it’s an overpriced disaster. Even with an advance reservation.

Our dinner took an excruciating 2.5 hours, with each course arriving at a glacial pace. The staff were impossible to flag down, and when the food finally arrived, it was wrong every single time. When we politely pointed this out, instead of an apology, the chef’s response was arrogant and dismissive, telling us that if we wanted “express dining,” there were 120 other restaurants in Stresa to choose from. A baffling attitude for a place charging these prices.

Fine dining doesn’t mean slow, inattentive service and inflated prices for the privilege of being ignored. Stresa has plenty of fantastic restaurants—unfortunately, this is not one of them.

Note: you will see the owner (chef) has responded below. One cannot add any words to this. His attitude and contempt for customers is self evident in his response. Some people are just better off not being in any...

Food was the best we had in Stresa. It's an upscale seafood place, and despite being warned by locals against anywhere that was serving ocean seafood in Stresa, I'm glad we went. I saw someone post that it should have a Michelin star, and I agree.

Another frequent complaint online is the server coming off as pretentious. I totally see why, but I dont think he's got bad intentions. I think he's proud of the restaurant he works at and strives to provide top quality service. He knew all sorts of minutia about the food and the sauces when I had questions and I appreciated his attentiveness.

For antipasti we got a take on a zucchini/eggplant parmesan with a crustacean mouse in place of the tomato and a red mullet fillet on top. Very good/creative. Then a homemade ravioli with lobster filling and a bit of green lemon on top. It was simple and fresh, which allowed us to appreciate the shellfish flavor and texture -- excellent. We then asked if they had any lake fish left and they had one, so the chef prepared a filet for each of us with a small side of spinach and potato. Again simple, fresh, and delish. Portion sizes were perfect. My wife even...