Bellagio

We stayed in Varenna. I liked the small, quiet town, you might want to spend a few hours there. Also, I HIGHLY recommend Villa Balbianello. We didn't find the restaurants appealing in Varenna and the one we ate at wasn't terrible but I wouldn't recommend. In Bellagio, we ate at Bilacus Ristorante, and enjoyed our evening. I personally, would have picked Trattoria San Giacomo, same owner, and across the street from Bilacus, but my husband didn't care for the more limited menu. Right in the same area next to Bilacus was an awesome enoteca. They were very welcoming, and provided great info for the wines we tasted, and we got some little nibbles to go along with the wine.

For a fantastic view of the city, lake and alps take the funicular in Como to the town of Brunate. In the city I’d recommend dining at Il Pomodorino on via Cinque Giornate, 62 or Il Pinzimonio on via Bonanomi, 24. The Duomo is interesting and you can gain access to the roof if you want to (stairs or elevator $), the Romanesque Basilica of San Fedele was built in the 1100’s is also worth a visit. Did you whisper gelato? Grom has an outlet in via Bernardino Luini.

I am in Bellagio at the moment. It’s so beautiful and quiet this time of year, although quite chilly! We ate at Ristoro Forma e Gusto yesterday, pizzas were delicious! The pasta looked very good too.

Great suggestions! The funicular to Brunate sounds interesting. I hadn't heard about that.
Thank you.

With 6 days, I would look at taking multiple ferry rides to different towns.

The cooking class at Il Caminetto is a fun day. http://www.ilcaminettoonline.com/lezioni_e.html
They will pick you up in Bellagio.

We always stay at Borgo Le Terrazze and although it’s a bit out of town, we adore the views and enjoy walking into town (or using their free shuttle). You can’t beat the views.

For a fancy meal we enjoyed La Pergola.

We were in Bellagio for 6 days last May, and it was wonderful. You can do as little or as much as you want. As already suggested, Villa del Balbianello is amazing. Another day we rented bikes and ferried across the lake and then rode to the eastern tip of Lake Lugano and back (my husband is an avid cyclist and had a road bike, I rented an e-assist bike).

Some of the restaurants can be very touristy, of course, but there is lots of selection. The one we kept going back to was Bistrot Antichi Sapori where we would share an appetizer and secondo--the servings are quite large. There's also an atmospheric wine bar that we wandered into late one night Angolo DiVino Enoteca Wine Bar and it became a favourite.

I'm not usually a big shopper, but I loved all the silk scarves in Bellagio. I think the best shop is Azalea Luca Gandola. The bonus is that scarves are flat and light and perfect to bring home for gifts. The prices are very good compared to silk in North America, and the selection is fantastic. Another good deal in Italy is leather goods. So many beautiful and unique bags!

Have fun!

Thanks for the great suggestions so far. I'm m making notes. The silk scarves sound intriguing. :)

• Villa Carlotta in Cadenabbia
• Bellano and the Orrido (Gorge of Bellano)
• Cernobbio
• Argegna (cable car up for view of the lake)
• Laglio (see if George Clooney can invite you for lunch at his Villa Oleandra)