Trattoria del Porto, a traditional restaurant in Careno

Trattoria del Porto, the ideal place to taste tradition

The excuse is to visit a pretty little village, the aim is to sit down at the table of a wonderful trattoria, where lake fish triumphs.

The village is Careno of Nesso, about twenty kilometres from Como, the trattoria is Trattoria Del Porto and it is a FAN-TA-STI-C place!

Hi, I’m Marta, Local Blogger from Lake Como! Need some help planning your trip? Discover my Travel Designer service!

If you like establishments with a soul, those in which you can breathe, in every dish and in every gesture of those who serve you, the beauty and authenticity of a family-run business that has been going strong for almost thirty years, you are in the right place.

The restaurant is cosy, but if you can get a table on the terrace (fantastic lake view), the experience will be sublime.

The two strengths of Trattoria del Porto in Careno

What I loved about this trattoria are the dishes and the friendliness of the managers! The dishes, among the most typical of the Larian tradition (such as misultin, lavarello and rice with perch) are very well prepared and tasty and reflect the soul of those who prepare them.

And, as if this in itself were not enough, the person serving you dinner will also act as your Cicerone, telling you the story of what you are about to eat, helping you to savour it with your eyes and mind before your palate.

Don’t forget to also take advantage of the fact that Zambra, the owner of the restaurant, is also the keeper of the keys that open the door to the Romanesque church of San Martino, adjacent to the trattoria.

Its bell tower is the oldest on the lake, it has a beautiful portico and inside it houses fascinating frescoes.

How to get to Trattoria del Porto

Since the village, from the main road, develops in a rather peculiar way down towards the small harbour, drawing a sort of inverted pyramid, and since the little restaurant in question is located exactly at the tip of this triangle, i.e. by the lake, you have two possibilities to reach it:

• by land, with the advantage of crossing the village and discovering its most picturesque corners. But with the disadvantage of having to descend the 300 steps to reach your destination

• by lake (as I did) with the advantage of mooring a stone’s throw from the restaurant. But with the disadvantage of having to tackle the 300 steps as before (and this time uphill) if you feel like visiting the village.

Another technical note: if you go by boat and not by a private boat, bear in mind that the time will be a bit tight.

In the series, you can do it, but keep an eye on the clock!

What to see in the surroundings

Lastly, keep in mind, especially if you are on a boat, that not far from Careno there are at least three other gems: the Gorge of Nesso, the house-ruin of the writer Giuseppe Guin in Faggeto Lario and the majestic Villa Pliniana, in Torno.

All three are fascinating places, to be appreciated especially from the lake. Why not take advantage of them?

In short, Careno and its Trattoria del Porto offer emotions on all fronts!

I went to this magical place on a warm summer evening, by boat from Laglio, at that time of day when the heat fades and the light becomes softer and softer.

Perhaps it was the excellent food enjoyed by candlelight, the light summer breeze that finally let us breathe, or the warmth of the place. I don’t know. The fact is that I winked, satisfied, at the handsome George Clooney, perhaps looking out of the window of his wonderful villa on the opposite shore from where I was, thinking that at that moment I had nothing to envy him ;-).

Looking for more ideas for a trip to Lake Como? You might be interested in: My Lake Como, a local guide on what to see and do.