Como Travel Guide
What to Eat in Como: the Dishes of the Lake
What to eat in Como starts with a fish salted for two to three days and sun-dried for about ten: the missoltino of the Slow Food Ark of Taste. This page prints only what a register or the lake operator documents, so read it with the Como city guide homepage and the table picks on where to eat.
Quick answer The short answer on Como food
The most documented dish in Como is the missoltino, dried twaite shad from the northern lake, on the Slow Food Ark of Taste. The lake ferry operator's own list of typical dishes also names polenta uncia, casoeula, local cheeses and a set of cakes and biscuits.
Key takeaways
- Taste your way through the dishes in one go on the Como food tour.
- No citable list names the best tables, so use our where to eat guide for venue advice.
- Learn to cook the food yourself with the pasta and tiramisu class.
Como Dishes at a Glance
This table gathers every dish and product this page can document, and names the source for each one. Use it to decide what to order, and where on the lake to look for it. Where a source is the lake ferry operator's own article, that is stated plainly.
| Dish or product | What it is | Documented by | Where you meet it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missoltino | Dried twaite shad, salted two to three days and sun-dried about ten days | Slow Food Ark of Taste | Restaurants serving lake fish, northern lake |
| Polenta uncia | Polenta with butter and cheese | Navigazione Laghi typical dishes article | Lake and mountain trattorias |
| Casoeula | Pork and cabbage stew, a Lombardy classic | Navigazione Laghi typical dishes article | Winter menus across Como |
| Magro di Bellagio | Local cheese | Navigazione Laghi typical dishes article | Cheese counters |
| Semuda | Local cheese | Navigazione Laghi typical dishes article | Cheese counters around the lake |
| Zincarlin | Local cheese | Navigazione Laghi typical dishes article | Cheese counters around the lake |
| Ricotta del Lario | Local ricotta | Navigazione Laghi typical dishes article | Cheese counters around the lake |
| Bresaola IGP | Cured beef with an IGP mark | Navigazione Laghi typical dishes article | Cured meat platters |
| Miascia | Bread cake | Navigazione Laghi typical dishes article | Bakeries and home cooking |
| Paradello con le mele | Apple pancake | Navigazione Laghi typical dishes article | Bakeries and trattorias |
| Pan de mej | Sweet focaccia with elderflower | Navigazione Laghi typical dishes article | Bakeries |
| Resta | Easter cake | Navigazione Laghi typical dishes article | Easter period only |
Not on this table: risotto with perch, which is common on menus but not documented by these sources. Figures current for in Q3 2026.
The Lake on the Plate: Missoltino and Lake Fish
The lake itself is the first ingredient of Como food, and the fish most tied to this shore is the missoltino. Slow Food's Ark of Taste documents it in detail, and the process is worth knowing before you order it.
How a missoltino is made
Slow Food's entry for the Lake Como missoltino describes shad fished in the northernmost, deeper and cooler parts of the lake. The fish are scaled and gutted, then salted for two to three days. After salting they are hung to dry in the sun for about ten days. Finally they are pressed into metal containers in alternating layers with bay leaves.
That preparation is why the missoltino tastes intense and salty. The ferry operator's article spells it missultin and calls it a dish for a bold palate, which is fair warning.
- Caught in the northern, deeper and cooler parts of the lake
- Scaled and gutted, then salted for two to three days
- Hung to dry in the sun for about ten days
- Pressed in metal containers in layers with bay leaves
A note on what is missing
Risotto with perch fillets appears on many menus around Como, but it is not in the ferry operator's list of typical dishes and not in any register on this page. So this page does not print it as a documented dish. Order it if you like it, but treat it as a menu staple rather than a documented lake dish.
One more negative finding: Fondazione Slow Food lists 18 Presidia in Lombardy and none of them is in Como province. The missoltino is on the Ark of Taste, which is a catalogue, not a Presidium. If a menu claims a Presidium fish, ask what that means.
Sources: Slow Food Ark of Taste, Lake Como Missoltino and Navigazione Laghi, typical dishes of Lake Como.
Polenta, Casoeula and the Mountain Side of the Menu
Away from the water, the documented kitchen of Como is a mountain kitchen: cornmeal, butter, cheese, pork and cabbage. The ferry operator's article and the regional product registers cover this ground well.
Polenta uncia and toc
Polenta uncia is polenta enriched with butter and cheese, and it is the first dish the ferry operator names after the fish.
Toc di Bellagio takes the idea further. Regione Lombardia recognises it as a traditional agri-food product. It is polenta stirred for about an hour while butter and alpine cheese are worked in. Local reporting on the recognition describes the old custom from Triangolo Lariano towns such as Lasnigo, Civenna, Barni and Bellagio: the pot was set in a circle of chairs and the toc eaten by hand at weddings, baptisms and patron-saint feasts.
Casoeula
Casoeula is pork and cabbage cooked together, and the operator's article calls it a Lombardy classic rather than a Como invention.
Cheeses and cured meats
The operator's article names four cheeses from the lake area: Magro di Bellagio, Semuda, Zincarlin and Ricotta del Lario. A mixed cheese board, where a menu offers one, is the easiest way to try several side by side (our advice).
For cured meat, the article lists Bresaola IGP, the cured beef with a protected geographical indication. The province also touches a second protected salami: Salame Brianza DOP, whose production area, bounded by the Monte Ghisallo spurs to the north and the Comasina road with its 2 km band to the west, reaches into Como province. The consortium has held the PDO since 12 June 1996.
The only entry on Regione Lombardia's traditional products list named for Como is a vegetable: the patata comasca bianca, the white Como potato. It is a plain ingredient, but it is the one product that carries the city's name on the regional register.
Sources: Navigazione Laghi typical dishes, Consorzio Salame Brianza, PrimaComo on toc di Bellagio and the Regione Lombardia PAT list.
Protected Names: DOP Oil, Salame and the Regional List
Protected names tell you where a product comes from and how it is made. Three matter for a plate eaten in Como: the Lario olive oil, the Brianza salami and the regional traditional-products list. The table below sets out each status exactly as the sources print it.
The oil is the one to look for on the table. The DOP Laghi Lombardi extra virgin olive oil has two sub-denominations, Lario and Sebino. The Lario covers oil from the provinces of Como and Lecco, made from Frantoio, Casaliva and Leccino olives at not less than 80%.
Regione Lombardia describes it as low in acidity, sweet, with almond notes and a light bitterness and pungency. The olives are generally harvested within November and milled within three days. A bottle labelled Lario is the local choice for dressing fish and vegetables.
| Product | Status | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olio Laghi Lombardi, Lario sub-denomination | DOP, sub-denomination Lario | Provinces of Como and Lecco | Regione Lombardia |
| Salame Brianza | DOP since 12 June 1996 | Area bounded by Monte Ghisallo spurs, Villoresi Canal, the Adda and the Comasina road with its 2 km band, reaching into Como province | Consorzio Salame Brianza |
| Patata comasca bianca | Regional traditional agri-food product (PAT) | Como area | Regione Lombardia PAT list |
| Toc di Bellagio | Regional traditional agri-food product (PAT) | Triangolo Lariano towns | Regione Lombardia PAT list |
Sources: Regione Lombardia, Olio Laghi Lombardi DOP, Consorzio Salame Brianza, PAT Lombardia list.
Sweets and Bakes to Look For
The documented sweet side of Como food comes almost entirely from the ferry operator's article. It is homely baking rather than pastry-shop work, and most of it appears in bakeries and family kitchens more than on restaurant menus.
Miascia is a bread cake. Paradello con le mele is an apple pancake. Pan de mej is a sweet focaccia flavoured with elderflower.
Resta is an Easter cake, so look for it around Easter only. Nocciolini di Canzo are hazelnut biscuits, which the operator pairs with coffee.
- Miascia: bread cake
- Paradello con le mele: apple pancake
- Pan de mej: sweet focaccia with elderflower
- Resta: Easter cake, seasonal
- Nocciolini di Canzo: hazelnut biscuits
The ciabatta claim
The same operator article states that ciabatta bread was first created in the Como area. We print that as the operator's claim, because no register on this page confirms it and bread histories are contested. It is a good line to know when a bread basket arrives, not a documented fact to repeat as certain.
Cook It or Taste It: Food Tour and Classes
The fastest way to eat through this list in one sitting is a guided food walk, and the clearest way to take it home is a hands-on class. All five options below book with free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, per each listing.
from $113.50
Lake Como: Small-Group Local Food Tour with Full Meal & Wine
Three and a half hours walking Como's centre across four or more food stops, pizza, polenta, cured meats, sciatt, gelato and coffee, with wine included and a local guide.
Check Availability
from $102.03
Como: Pasta and Tiramisu Class at a Local's Home with Wine
A hands-on class making two pasta types and tiramisu at a local's home near Como, with wine, Prosecco and nibbles included. All dietary requirements can be accommodated on request.
Check Availability
from $102.03
Lake Como: Ravioli Cooking Class with Wine
A hands-on ravioli-making class at a local cook's home outside Como, with a small aperitivo, wine and hotel pickup included. A reviewer notes the venue is a 10-minute train ride from Como, factor that into the price.
Check Availability
from $257.95
Como: Cooking Class on a Panoramic Lake Como Terrace
A 3.5-hour pasta and tiramisu class on a private panoramic terrace overlooking Lake Como, capped at 6 guests, with an aperitivo, wine and limoncello included. The host notes a household cat, so it does not suit guests with a cat allergy.
Check Availability
from $108.91
Como: Premium Pizza-Making Class with a Pizzaiolo
A hands-on Neapolitan pizza class at a Traveller's Choice pizzeria outside Como centre, making and eating your own Margherita with a drink and a limoncello toast. Gluten-free is not offered, though lactose intolerant and vegan diets can be accommodated.
Check AvailabilityPrices, ratings and details are the platform's own. dollar figures are the listed prices — the platform bills in your account's currency.
Which Class Fits Your Trip
The five eating and cooking experiences above differ most in price, group size and how much you cook yourself. This table lines them up from the operators' own listings, with prices exactly as listed in US dollars. Lengths the listings do not publish are marked as not stated.
Reading the table
For a first visit, the food walking tour covers the most ground. For cooking, the terrace class is the splurge and the pasta and tiramisu class is the balanced middle choice. The pizza class suits families with older teenagers, since it does not take children under 14.
Prices are per person as listed by the operators and confirmed at checkout.
| Option | Price | Length | Group | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food walking tour | $113.50 | 3.5 hours | Small group | First-time visitors who want to taste many dishes in one go |
| Ravioli cooking class | $102.03 | 2 hours | Small group, limited to 10 | Pasta lovers, hotel pickup included, not under 12 |
| Pasta and tiramisu class | $102.03 | 2 hours | Small group available | Cooks who want two pasta types plus dessert |
| Terrace cooking class | $257.95 | 3.5 hours | Small group, limited to 6 | A special occasion with a lake view |
| Pizza-making class | $108.91 | 3 hours | Not stated | Hands-on pizza, ages 14 and up |
Source: each experience's own GetYourGuide listing, compared on Como tours.
A Crotto With a Licence From 1880
This page names exactly one place, and only because an association documents it. Crotto del Sergente is the last crotto of Como per Locali Storici d'Italia, at Via Crotto del Sergente 13, 22100 Como.
A crotto, in the association's definition, is a cave in the hillside once used to keep food and wine cool. Locali Storici d'Italia records that in 1880, as the licence states, the Cantaluppi family turned this cave into an osteria with a bocce court. The association lists the restaurant as in business since 1880, restored in 1997, keeping the original rock vault lined in brick, the ice-house and a 19th-century door set with old coins, and serving local cooking. The association's membership criterion is at least 70 years of activity.
Seven Locali Storici members sit in Como province. The other six are outside the city: Crotto dei Platani in Brienno, Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Osteria Il Governo 1801 in Lezzeno, Grand Hotel Villa d'Este and Trattoria del Vapore in Cernobbio, and Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio.
Why does this page name no restaurant beyond this one? Because no citable official list ranks the tables of Como city, and we do not invent recommendations. The regional tourism board's where-to-eat page is a member directory of 24 venues with no ranking, so its names cannot be quoted as a best-of. For advice on choosing a table, use our where to eat guide, and to taste several stops at once book the food walking tour. Note also that Slow Food's 2026 Osterie guide lists 23 Chiocciola venues in Lombardy and none in Como province, so there is no Slow Food award to steer by in the city either.
Sources: Locali Storici d'Italia, Crotto del Sergente, Slow Food, Chiocciola 2026 by region.
Where to Buy Local Food in Como
If you are self-catering or want to picnic on the lakefront, two markets in the city sell food, and the Comune's own events portal publishes their days.
Mercato Annonario is the covered market at Via Mentana 5, open Monday to Saturday with normal shop hours. Mercato Mercerie runs along the city walls from Viale Battisti to Viale Varese, on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and all day Saturday.
- Mercato Annonario, covered market, Via Mentana 5, Monday to Saturday
- Mercato Mercerie, along the walls, Tuesday and Thursday mornings and Saturday
Do not confuse them with the Saturday antiques
Piazza San Fedele also hosts markets on Saturdays, but they are not food markets. The antiques market runs on the first Saturday of the month, and the crafts market on the second, third and fourth Saturday. Go there for browsing, not for lunch ingredients.
Reading the Bill: Coperto and Menu Words
Two things catch visitors out at a Como table: the cover charge and unfamiliar dish names. Both are easy once you know the rule and the vocabulary.
The coperto rule
The coperto is a per-person cover charge for bread and table service, and it is legal in Italy if its amount is shown clearly on the menu or price list. Altroconsumo points to Article 180 of the consolidated law on public businesses, Royal Decree 635/1940, which requires prices on display. If the coperto is not shown, the customer can contest it.
Lazio bans the coperto by regional law, but that rule does not apply in Lombardy, so expect to see one here. No typical amount is published by the source, so check the menu before you sit.
Menu words to know
These are the names from this page that you are most likely to meet printed on a Como menu, with a one-line meaning for each:
- Missoltino or missultin: dried lake shad, intense and salty
- Polenta uncia: polenta with butter and cheese
- Toc: polenta worked with butter and alpine cheese
- Casoeula: pork and cabbage stew
- Miascia: bread cake
- Paradello con le mele: apple pancake
- Pan de mej: sweet focaccia with elderflower
- Resta: Easter cake
- Nocciolini di Canzo: hazelnut biscuits
Where the Michelin names live
The Michelin Guide lists restaurants in Como city and nearby, and we keep those details, with addresses and price bands, on the where to eat page rather than here.
Source: Altroconsumo on the coperto.
Next Stop from the Table
Three pages on this site take the food theme further.
Where to Eat in Como
Our venue-level guide, including the Michelin entries for Como city and Cernobbio. Use it after this page to pick an actual table.
Cafes and Gelato
The food tour includes gelato and coffee. This page covers how Como bars work and what the café guides say.
Pizza in Como
Pizza is one of the stops on the food tour. This page sets out what the pizza guides do and do not award in Como, and the pizza class.
What to Eat in Como: Questions
What food is Como known for?
The dish with the strongest documentation is the missoltino, dried lake shad on the Slow Food Ark of Taste. The ferry operator's list also names polenta uncia, casoeula, lake cheeses and cakes like miascia. See the full dishes table.
What is missoltino and how is it made?
It is twaite shad fished in the northern, deeper and cooler parts of the lake, salted for two to three days, sun-dried for about ten days and pressed in layers with bay leaves, per the Slow Food Ark of Taste. Expect a strong, salty flavour.
Is risotto with perch a Como dish?
It is common on menus around the lake, but it is not in the ferry operator's list of typical dishes and none of the registers on this page documents it, so we do not print it as a traditional Como dish. Order it if you enjoy it, and treat the missoltino as the documented lake fish.
Where can I buy local food in Como?
The covered Mercato Annonario at Via Mentana 5 runs Monday to Saturday, and Mercato Mercerie along the walls runs Tuesday and Thursday mornings and Saturday, per the Comune's portal, see where to buy. The San Fedele Saturday markets are antiques and crafts, not food.
What is the coperto on a Como bill?
It is a per-person cover charge, legal in Italy if shown clearly on the menu per Altroconsumo. If it is not displayed you can contest it. No typical amount is published, so check the menu before sitting.
Can I take a cooking class in Como?
Yes. Options include the ravioli class, pasta and tiramisu at a local's home, a class on a panoramic terrace and a pizza-making class. To taste first and cook later, start with the food walking tour.
Como Food on Film: Dishes, Tables and Tastings
Three videos that show the lake's food and dining around Como, useful before you read a menu.
Italy's Lake Como: Food Extravaganza
A day of eating around the lake, a quick look at the plates on this page.
Video: Feast & TravelWhat To Eat In Milan & Lake Como: Best Food, Where to Eat
A food vlog covering Lake Como dishes alongside Milan's.
Video: Rhonda PhamTop 7 Restaurants in Lake Como, Italy
A run through lake restaurants and their plates, to see the dishes on a real table.
Video: Apricot WanderersVideos load from YouTube only when you press play.
Prices, hours and terms are set by the venue or operator and confirmed at checkout.
We may earn a commission if you book through one of our links, at no extra cost to you. Full affiliate disclosure