Osteria Quatro Pass — Restaurant in Varenna

A friend had recommended this food spot to me so of course, I was very keen to give it a go. When we had arrived the restaurant was still closed so my friend and I sat and waited on one of the outdoor tables. Minutes before they were due to open, a waiter entering the restaurant passed by and snapped, 'these tables are clean', as if we had dirtied them in any way - which we hadn't. We were quite taken aback as he could've used a much better approach. Still we waited and when they were ready for us to enter, I had stood just outside the entrance waiting to go in when the same short, round pathetic man with brown floppy hair impatiently asked me to move out of the way by saying 'excuse me' three times in an abrupt manner. At this point we were really put off and as we were deciding on whether to stay or not we continued to observe this strange behavior as he served other people. We witnessed him roll his eyes at a couple because they merely changed their mind about being seated outside. As we walked away in disgust, he then had the audacity to come and stand in the doorway with a female colleague, staring and smirking at us. Massive shame and appalling behavior - he's only lucky we weren't bothered to create a fuss whilst on holiday.

All turned out well in the end as we ate in a lovely restaurant, Ristorante Borgovino, which is a stones throw away and had the best lasagna ever served by some much friendlier people that own THE...

The front host/manager sat us and two other couples in the upstairs compact area despite many tables being open downstairs. We were all people of color. I politely asked if we could sit downstairs and she declined. Another couple also asked if they could sit downstairs when only 30 minutes were left to close and plenty of other tables downstairs were open, and she declined their request. I have not had an experience like this in the US - I live on the west coast. The other waiters that served us were polite, and they did seem accommodating to dietary requests. However, food was mediocre and overpriced. We walked to another bar down by the water and had better pasta that was cheaper and had way friendlier service. I realize that they are exhausted with overtourism in that area, but I do not think this is an appropriate way to treat your guests. The ambiance was nice downstairs but not upstairs in the small little room with no windows. We saw the great reviews so we decided to go there so we were really surprised by...

Osteria Quatro Pass was a great find. Our Airbnb host recommended it, and it was the ideal place to stop after a relaxing walk around Lake Como. The restaurant has a really nice, cozy feel, and we felt comfortable as soon as we walked in. It was exactly what we needed for a quiet evening.

The food was definitely the highlight. We tried their special Lasagna, and it was seriously amazing. It had a unique, smoky flavor that made it the best lasagna I've ever had. We also ordered the Sauteed Duck Breast. I was hesitant at first, but the staff assured us it was juicy and different, and they were right—it was excellent. The staff was super helpful and clearly knew their menu well.

We also got the White Rabbit Tagliatelle. The pasta was cooked perfectly, but after the lasagna and the duck, it just didn't stand out as much for us. You absolutely cannot skip the Tiramisu, though. It was a perfect ending to our dinner and a great way to wrap up our trip to Como. Highly recommend checking...