My favorite experience is to take the short ferry to stay on Isola Bella my last evening in Stresa on the tiny island. Besides having a wonderful dinner in their restaurant, my favorite part of Boutique Hotel Elvezia is sitting out on the room balcony, watching the evening lights slowly fade into night over the lake as the last boats & ducks quietly float past and the church steeple of Isola Pescatori illuminates in the distance – a magical tranquil ending to the day.
Otherwise, I like to eat at the nice outdoor shore-side restaurant just north of the ferry dock at Stresa for both the view and a decent pizza or similar. It’s not Napoli pizza, but fine for an evening enjoying the view.