Home Restaurant " La casa di Alba" — Restaurant in Torno

My family has long-standing ties with Montepiatto, but since I have been residing in the US for the last 30 years I do not visit Montepiatto as often as I would like. The locals know Albarosa well and she is one of the few people residing in Montepiatto even during the winter. She is famous for her organic beekeeping, farming, and gardening.

A few days ago I had the pleasure of experiencing Albarosa's home restaurant for the first time. In our case, we were not given a menu but the meal was entirely arranged by her (I assume, however, that if one wants to order a la carte, that is also possible). We were first offered an aperitivo with a rich antipasto. That alone could have been a whole meal, but it was followed by a first course, a second course, fruits, and dessert as typical in the Italian tradition. Excellent wine accompanied the food. The ingredients were mostly from her farm so the food was tasty and genuine. The cuisine and even the table setting was more sophisticated than what one could expect in a rural setting like Montepiatto. I would say that Albarosa's restaurant provides a gourmet cuisine experience in a pastoral setting. The price was reasonable and definitely appropriate for the quality of the meal. I really suggest to try out Albarosa's restaurant, I am confident you will not be disappointed. My only word of advice is to restrain yourself at the beginning of the meal to avoid feeling full at the end of...

Unique location for a restaurant... in a tucked away farm house high up in a small village in lake Como's mountains top. The dining room setting was very cozy and welcoming like home. Food was also great! Antipasti was an exceptional selection of salumi, cheese and seasonal small bites. Pasta del giorno was also great, made with wild boar caught locally. Barely have room for secondi which was also expertly prepared, that day was sous vide filet of beef with pepper corn sauce. Lastly, dessert was lemon lavender sorbet and a slice of home made jam tart, just heavenly! Alba's hospitality was warm and welcoming, her communication in English was far better than she claims, and she was very accommodating and always made her guests comfortable. We also picked up a jar of honey produced at the farm to go. Alba offered to drive us down, (she drove us up from downtown Torno), but we opted to walk down after lunch to burn off some of the delicious calories while enjoying great views of the lake from above. (Took us around an hour to hike down including time for...

Albarosa's Home Kitchen provides elegance and wonderful food in a rustic setting. It is high above the town of Torno in Montepiatto, an ancient village undergoing a rebirth. (If you are hiking from Brunate to Torno using the Cicerone guide, you pass through Montepiatto before heading down to Torno. In Montepiatto, follow the signs to the chiesa and you will find Albarosa's. But make sure to also visit the church, since the view from the terrace there is awesome.) Albarosa herself is very warm and generous of spirit. The food is outstanding, totally local, truly "fatto in casa." You can spend several hours in a full-course meal or, as we did, just order one or two courses. Sitting outside under an umbrella, with a fine tablecloth and Albarosa's attentive service, was one of the highlights of our trip to the...