Three regions border Lake Garda, each of whose peculiarities of landscape and culture influence their traditional cuisine and the type of food and wine they produce. The typical foods and product of the Garda area are renowned for their quality, making this a paradise for food-lovers and wine connoisseurs, as well as for lovers of nature and tradition. One of the myriad delights of a holiday on Lake Garda and the region of Veneto is the discovery of an abundance of delicious traditional wines and foods. 

More and more diners in Italy and abroad are learning to appreciate the region’s DOC wines (including Lugana, Custoza, Bardolino, Valpolicella, Amarone, Soave), its premium quality DOP- certified extra virgin olive oil, its freshwater fish (whitefish, lake trout, Sardinian, carpione), and, that old reliable typical dish: polenta.

The gastronomy tradition of Garda has recently rediscovered other foods that are becoming increasingly sought after, such as truffles (the hunting and collecting of which is a traditional skill handed down from father to son), asparagus, and radicchio rosso (‘Italian chicory’).

Verona has boasting rights over the invention of Pandoro, a traditional sweet bread – and practically a national institution – produced by long-established names such as Melegatti, Bauli, and Paluani, as well as two other treats: “sbrisolona” (almond crumble), and a particular delicate type of puff pastries.

To conclude, here is a brief list of some of the tantalizing traditional dishes you may want to try in the numerous local restaurants and farmhouses in the area: boiled meat with “pearà” (local sauce prepared with breadcrumbs, soup stock and pepper), “pastissada de caval” (horsemeat stewed in wine), gnocchi, tortellini, risotto with radicchio, and pike with polenta.

RECOMMENDED RESTAURANTS AND FARMHOUSE