Lake Como - Ferry timings prevent dinner experiences?

Yes. Visit during the day and maybe have lunch there. There are taxi boats that you can use, and you could arrange one to pick you up and take you back late in the evening, but unless you have multiple people in your party, with whom to split the cost, they are not so cheap.

Perhaps some useful info here.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/how-late-do-ferries-run-in-lake-como-in-october

Villa d'Este is a long way from Bellagio, more like a suburb of Como. Tremezzo is just across the lake from Bellagio, so perhaps a private water taxi can get you home after a late dinner.

We had the same problem when we stayed in Bellagio.

In the end it was easier to just have lunch in other towns and villages and return to Bellagio for dinner.

Next month we are off to Varenna, and will do the same thing.

We will be staying in Varenna at the beginning of October. We have dinner reservations at Salice Blu on October 6 @ 7:30. I contacted the restaurant and they have assured me ferries run until 11pm. Ciao Caio

The hotel at Tremezzo also told me the ferry to Bellagio runs until 11pm. But the Navihazione Laghi website does not show me any schedules after 7pm. I guess we will find out when we get there next Sunday!
https://www.navigazionelaghi.it/en/search-results/?lake=lago-como&andata_ritorno=solo_andata&from=24&to=50&data_partenza=01-09-2024&orario_partenza=22%3A30&fast_service=on&Cerca+e+acquista=

It is quite a few years since we were there, so maybe there are now more ferries.

There certainly weren't when we were there though. It seems they run late during high season but stop in late September onwards.

I just looked at the timetable and passenger ferries stop at around 7:30 to 8:00pm. The car ferries do keep running, but they don't appear to go to Tremezzo though.

Tremezzo sent me this link. It seems to show ferries at later times -https://www.comoeilsuolago.it/orariotraghetti.htm#google_vignette