Ristorante Il Clandestino, Verbania Pallanza
A short fifteen-minute drive around the bay from Stresa, Il Clandestino in Verbania Pallanza has earned a devoted following for cooking that is rooted in the lake's own larder — agone (shad), lavarello (whitefish), tench and perch — prepared with technical confidence and without pretension.
What to Order
Begin with the carpaccio di lavarello, thin slices of whitefish cured with lemon and local herbs, then move to a risotto al persico — a saffron-tinted risotto finished with pan-fried perch fillets, a dish that is as close to a regional signature as Lake Maggiore gets. The wine list leans intelligently on Piedmontese labels: a Roero Arneis or a young Ghemme suit the fish perfectly.
Save room for the semifreddo al nocciola; hazelnuts from the Piedmontese Langhe appear in desserts across the region and here they are treated with the seriousness they deserve.
The Setting
Tables on the terrace sit almost at water level, with views across to the Borromean Islands and the Alps beyond. At lunch in late spring the light on the lake is extraordinary — bright, diffuse and constantly shifting. Book a terrace table at least two days ahead between May and September.
Verbania Pallanza itself is worth a longer visit: the Villa Taranto botanical gardens, a ten-minute walk away, contain one of the finest collections of exotic plants in Europe and are open April through October.
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