We heard this was the oldest restaurant in the area and a great spot. After our visit here, we…read morewere really disappointed. The service was not great. They were really nice, but ignored our table. Patrons that came after we ordered were served before us. I really think they forgot the rest of our order after the antipasti came out at lightning speed. I never salt my food at a restaurant. Every dish frantically needed salt and pepper. The antipasti: pulpo (octopus) was not great. They had some sauce under it that was way too much and just was not great. For our entrees we ordered under pistachio tortellini and the seafood pasta. The tortellini was great after we salted and peppered it. The seafood pasta was lacking much seafood, it was average at best. There seems to be a lot of restaurants here, recommend trying something else...

I visited Al Gondoliere for the first time over 5-years ago before I even know what Yelp was. I…read moreremember absolutely loving the restaurant and was sure to make a reservation when I found myself at Lake Garda again last week. I'm so excited to be able to log this 5-star review so many years after my first visit as Al Gondoliere is every bit as good as I remember! On this most recent visit, we shared the prosciutto and fig antipasti. While the prosciutto was great, the pairing with the fig fell a little short. (We should have gotten the melon.) This was the only blip in an otherwise perfect meal though, so no real complaints here! After the antipasti, we moved on to pasta. I had the ravioli with smoked cheese and pistachio sauce. My husband had the spaghetti bolognese. And my sister had the gnocchi with ricotta and tomato sauce. Every one was unique and delish. Don't ask me to pick a favorite because I can't. After all that (our eyes were definitely bigger than our stomaches that evening) we then had the sea bass and roasted potatoes. Both amazing. Capped it all off with homemade tiramisu and cinnamon semifredo with wine sauce. One word for ya about all of that. Y. U. M. During the meal, we enjoyed a bottle of the Garda Merlot. I do wish they had carafes of house wine that we've become so accustomed to while living in Italy (mostly because they're a fraction of the cost of bottles) but our €23 bottle was also worth every euro. The restaurant caps off the meal with small glasses of chocolate grappa. I hate grappa but I love this chocolate grappa. Looking forward to many more weekends in the charming town of Malcesine and many more meals at Al Gondolie

Delightful find-- under the walls of the Castello with views of the lake! Food was delicious--we…read morehad the ossobuco di vitello, bigoli al ragu di agnello, ravioli ai funghi porcini--all well prepared and attractively served by a friendly and gracious staff! We will return!

This place has great food, very good service, and an awesome upper outdoor terrace by the castle…read morewalls. Some tables have a beautiful view. This is a great spot for a meal, drink, or relaxing. We enjoyed our pastas and salads. Perfectly al dente. Four stars based on being a tough judge. I would go back here anytime.

Lovely quiet spot on a quaint little street away from the bustle. Our waiter, Bahaa, was really…read morewelcoming and great with our six year old. Rustic pizza and amazing tortellini. Was there for an early lunch but planning on going back for dinner on our last night.

We went with the recommendations of our server Hazem - the risotto and tagliatelle with duck…read moreragout. The boss loved her risotto. It was very good. Creamy and generous portions of mushrooms. It was served in a crispy Parmesan bowl. The pasta was also good. The ragout was good but was slightly undercooked in my opinion. It was good but could have been a little better. We sat outside on a beautiful day. Hazem was a great server and we enjoyed our meal.

We went to Ristorante Bellariva with the recommendation of having pizza. We found that Ristorante…read moreBellariva had the best pizza in Riva on our trip. The other meals that our group ordered were also very tasty. The location was excellent great views of the lake. If you have a larger group, we had 8, I would go earlier in the evening to get a table as the Bellariva is popular

Amazing!!! What a phenomenal time. Food was great. Carbonara was fantastic! Www.johnarcara.comread more

Awesome restaurant right on the water. Ate dinner here once, but did pizza "take away" 4 times…read more Perfect sitting at the beach and then grabbing pizza to share after swimming. The pizza is the best i had in Malcesine and I had a lot. Super fast if you do take away.

Really great seating by the water. Great seafood. The octopus and cuttlefish and shrimp salad was…read moresimple and tender (not overcooked). I loved the setting and the service. I also had the spaghetti all vongole - basic but good. We will definitely be back! I'd like to have dinner here and look at the castle at night

We were there once and unfortunately I cannot understand the euphoric reviews. The food was…read moreabsolutely average. The menu was relatively small and without special highlights. The service was also rather average. Yes, the alleyway you sit in is cozy, but there is also a lot of that in Riva. My conclusion: You can do it, but you don't have to.

Absolutely fabulous little trattoria in the heart of old Riva sul Garda. We were welcomed into a…read morevery friendly place with authentic decor and lovely wooden tables. With our two little kids we were seated comfortably and were offered child seats right away. The spaghetti with sardines as well as the pasta pomodoro were nothing short of amazing in its typical yet lovely simplicity. The bruschetta with home made condiments blew us away in flavour and texture. Fair pricing (Espresso afterwards for EUR1 (!). Dont be fooled by the surrounding pizza-places that trick you with hidden costs and low end toppings. No frills in this place, and also NO pizza :-) Just a short, authentic menu with excellent quality and nice owners.

We loved Bistro la Caneva so much we came back the next night! We're vegetarian, and while there…read morewere already good options, we asked if the chef could make us something off the menu on our second visit. What arrived was amazing--fresh, full of flavour, and honestly a 10-star meal. It was one of the highlights of our trip. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, and they really went out of their way to make us feel looked after. You can tell they genuinely care about their food and their guests. If you're in the area, don't miss this place. We can't recommend it highly enough!

Our tour guide recommended this restaurant, and we enjoyed sitting outside in the narrow pedestrian…read morestreet. But the service was slow and inattentive, prices high, and food disappointing. The gnocchi was bland and unremarkable, the fish-filled ravioli plain and dry, and the perch and whitefish dishes in need of a little salt or spice. The raspberry gelato was excellent though.

This restaurant is in beautiful Bologna and is a little on the casual side, but the food is great…read moreand priced very reasonable

Amazing service! Amazing ambiance! Amazing food! Ristorante da Umberto is a gem in Lake Garda's…read morecrown. We enjoyed a typical Italian meal (i.e. 2+ hours) during a long weekend in Brenzone sul Garda, one of many picturesque towns on the lake, just a few minutes up the road from Umberto's. We started with the Gran Frito Misto. Even though it was listed in the menu as a secondi, our waiter humored us and let us have it as an antipasti. The assortment of fried seafood and veggies was delish! I loved the calamari and shrimp. Even the sardines weren't bad! After that, we moved on to antipasti and secondi. My sister and I ordered the lasagne because it's a minimum 2 person dish. My hubby ordered the steak because... well... men like red meat? Y'all. I need to wax poetic about this lasagna for a minute. It was super creamy, bubbly and hot. Layers and layers of fresh noodles with a savory meat ragu sauce on top and prosciutto cotto and mushrooms sprinkled throughout. All served in a GIANT cauldron, easily enough for four people even though it was billed as a two person dish. The steak was good, too. And, we also enjoyed the sautéed potatoes. But seriously. Get. The. Lasagna. If you are still reading at this point (why aren't you on your way to Lake Garda for the lasagna?!), I suppose my last anecdote is that the house red wine was delicious.