10 Best Restaurants in Lombardy and the Lakes, Italy

Matteo Mutti's gelato flavors have personality. Like cheesecake with red pepper, rosemary, and pineapple, which might sound strange, but leaves a delightful impression on your taste buds. Other standouts are "Anni '90," inspired by Mutti's favorite tastes of the '90s—sour cherry and chocolate chip—and "Disaronno," swirled with a Lombardy liquor that is infused from apricot pits. The classics like pistachio and vanilla are also represented along with a selection of gelato popsicles, cakes, and sundaes in cups, cones, or brioche bread, to add even more flavor combinations. Mutti—who is also the inspiration for the gelateria's logo—is often behind the counter serving up his inventive creations. There are a few small tables, or better, enjoy your gelato while exploring Riva.

This portal to the past opened in 1883 and still serves up such handmade local delights as pan torrone (a loaf cake made with chunks of nougat) and torta cremona (a cake made with almond flour and filled with Amarena cherries). A relaxing stop between visiting museums, it's the perfect place to have a cappuccino.

Communal garden tables and atrium seating in a space that's also Cernobbio's tourist info point make for a pleasant stop for a coffee and pastry, light lunch, or aperitif. Baked goods, such as apple and frangipane (almond cream) cake and sourdough bread for sandwiches and tagliere plates (with local cheese, salumi, and lake fish), are made daily in-house. There's a friendly local atmosphere and the restaurant's staff are supported by the nonprofit organization Comet, which provides jobs for young adults and teens with disabilities. Proceeds from the cookies and pies for sale to take away also benefit the organization.

This cantina's leafy patio is reached by hiking up the stairs into the neighborhood above Tremezzo. There's a collection of more than 300 wines to sample along with tagliere (cutting boards) of local cheeses, preserved meats, and vegetarian and vegan options. For something sweet, try the semifreddo of the day, or a chocolate tasting.

The Freddi family's history in Piazza Cavallotti began 100 years ago. On the edge of the historical center of town, it's still where locals queue to buy Mantua's traditional pastas and pastries—don't miss sbrisolona (meaning "crumbs" in Italian), a hybrid cookie and pie that you'll see sold everywhere with varying levels of quality. Here, the mix of flour, almonds, butter, and lemon peel is truly delightful as it crumbles in your mouth. They also have a wide selection of fresh pastas, including tortelli di zucca to take away.

Stracciatella gelato—a creamy combination of milk, egg yolks, vanilla, sugar, and dark chocolate shavings—is Italy's answer to chocolate-chip ice cream. While you'll see the flavor in gelaterie across Italy, one pastry shop, and city, Bergamo, claims it as its own. In 1961, Enrico Panatttoni, the pasticceria's founder is said to have invented the concoction and called it La Stracciatella alla Romana after a Roman soup with eggs in broth. Take your gelato to go or in a glass dish to enjoy in the shady courtyard just outside Porta Sant' Alessandro.

The Tresoldi family began baking bread in Bergamo in 1946 and the tradition continues with pizza, focaccia, pastries, and the local dessert Polenta e Osei—a sweet polenta-and-marzipan concoction decorated with chocolate that comes in sizes from small to large. The walls are lined with portraits of Bergamo's elite and with just a few bar stools the spot is ideal if you need a quick snack or lunch on the go.

Prepare to visit the sights of Cremona or wait for the next train at the Pasticceria Dondeo, just to the right of the station. Dating back to 1912, this is one of Cremona's oldest and most beautiful Art Nouveau cafés and pastry shops. The fresh zabaglione and beignets are heaven.

Margheritine cookies were first baked in Stresa for Margherita of Savoy in 1857 while she was still a princess. Named for the first queen of Italy as well as for their shape like a daisy (margherita in Italian) the biscuits' recipe includes cooked egg yolk and an abundant supply of powdered sugar making them crumble effortlessly in your mouth. Marcolini began crafting Margheritine cookies in 1959 along with a small selection of other sweets and savory baked goods. 

Save room for dessert while dining in Bergamo, because Pasticceria Nessi serves the most delightful local treat. Polenta e osei is a hand-decorated, fluffy golden mound made with an ever-so-soft sponge cake and filled with maraschino cherries, hazelnut cream, almond paste, and chocolate.