Lake Como · Italy

Where to Eat in Como: Avoiding Tourist Traps and Finding Real Food

The lakefront restaurants to walk past, where the pizza is worth the wait, and why the service is slow on purpose.

Personally verified · October 2024

The Como City Square Tourist Trap Zone

Why the Main Square Is Restaurant Hell

Every travel guide shows photos of Como’s beautiful main square (Piazza Cavour) with its lake views, historic architecture, and bustling outdoor cafes. What they don’t show: the mediocre-to-terrible food, inflated prices, aggressive waiters, and tourists packed so tightly you can hear three different languages at surrounding tables.

The restaurants lining Piazza Cavour and the immediate surrounding streets exist solely to capture tourists making the classic mistake: “Let’s eat here with the nice view!” I made exactly this mistake, and I paid for it – literally and figuratively.

What’s wrong with square restaurants:

Bistro Jazz Square: A Detailed Warning

Let me be specific about the worst meal of my Como visit: Bistro Jazz Square. I’m naming names because this place represents everything wrong with Como tourist dining, and future travelers deserve to know.

What we ordered:

What we received:

The service experience:

Total bill: €66 for two people. For truly terrible food and hostile service.

Location details: Bistro Jazz Square sits at the northern end of Piazza Cavour, near the lake. It has outdoor seating with umbrellas and looks identical to every other tourist trap in the area. Avoid it completely.

Other Square Restaurants to Skip

While I didn’t personally eat at every restaurant surrounding the main square, local advice and observation patterns suggest avoiding:

Where to Actually Eat in Como

Trattoria Pizzeria Boca Ria: The Real Deal

After the Bistro Jazz Square disaster, we asked our Airbnb host where she actually eats. Her immediate answer: “Boca Ria, but you have to walk there – it’s not near the tourist areas.”

Location: Via Armando Diaz, about a 10-12 minute walk from Piazza Cavour into Como’s residential/commercial neighborhoods. You’ll know you’re getting close when the tourist density drops and you start seeing Italian families.

Why it’s better:

What we ordered:

What we received:

Total bill: €37.50 for two people. Half the cost, five times the quality.

The difference was so dramatic that we returned to Boca Ria on our second night in Como instead of risking another restaurant experiment.

Finding Other Good Restaurants: The Walking Rule

Here’s the simple Como restaurant strategy that works: walk 8-10 minutes away from Piazza Cavour in any direction except toward the ferry terminal (which is also tourist-dense).

Good neighborhoods to explore:

What to look for:

Red flags to avoid:

The Water Situation: An Expensive Reality

Water Isn’t Free in Italian Restaurants

This shocked me initially: Italian restaurants charge for water. Not just bottled water – all water. If you ask for tap water (acqua del rubinetto), you’ll either be told it’s not available or charged a “service fee” for bringing it.

Typical water costs in Como:

Over a 3-day visit with 6-7 restaurant meals, water charges added up to €30-35 for two people. It’s a legitimate budget consideration.

The Refillable Bottle Strategy

Here’s what I wish I’d done from day one: bring a refillable water bottle and fill it before going to restaurants.

Where to fill water bottles in Como:

Some restaurants will frown at seeing you drink your own water, but most won’t say anything. If asked, you can order a small bottled water for the table and supplement with your own.

The cultural context: In Italy, restaurants make significant profit margins on beverages (water, wine, sodas) because food margins are thin. They’re not being malicious – it’s part of their business model. Understanding this doesn’t make it less annoying, but it explains the practice.

European Service Pace: Adjusting Your Expectations

Slow Service Is Not Bad Service

The single biggest culture shock for North American travelers eating in Como: the service is SLOW. Not slow because servers are incompetent or ignoring you – slow because European dining culture operates on a completely different timeline.

What feels slow:

Why it’s normal:

How to Work With European Service Pace

If you want faster service:

If you want to embrace the pace:

I struggled with this initially, checking my watch constantly and feeling frustrated. By day three, I adjusted expectations and actually enjoyed the slower pace. But if you have ferry times to catch or show tickets, factor in the service speed.

Getting the Check Without Drama

In Italian dining culture, the server brings the check when you ask, not before. Sitting at a finished table for 20-30 minutes without the check arriving is completely normal – they’re giving you space.

How to request the check:

What not to do:

Tipping Culture in Como

Tipping in Italy is not like tipping in North America. Here’s the reality:

Standard practice:

What I did:

Don’t feel pressured to tip North American percentages. The service charge already covers the server’s compensation expectations.

Meal Timing and Restaurant Hours

When Como Restaurants Are Open

Italian restaurant hours confused me initially because they don’t align with American all-day dining:

Lunch service: 12:00 PM – 2:30 PM (kitchen closes by 2:30, sometimes 3:00 PM)

Closed period: 2:30 PM – 7:00 PM (most restaurants completely closed)

Dinner service: 7:00 PM – 10:30 PM (kitchen closes by 10:00-10:30 PM)

If you show up at 4:00 PM wanting a meal, you’ll find most restaurants locked with “Chiuso” (closed) signs.

Options during closed hours:

Peak Dining Times

Lunch: 1:00-1:30 PM (locals eat later than tourists)

Dinner: 8:00-9:00 PM (prime time for Italian diners)

If you eat at tourist times (12:00 PM lunch, 6:30 PM dinner), you’ll mostly encounter other tourists. If you want authentic local atmosphere, push your timing later.

Budget-Friendly Eating Strategies

How We Ate Well for Less

After the expensive tourist trap experience, we adapted our strategy and cut our food costs significantly:

Strategy 1: Grocery store breakfast

Instead of cafe breakfasts (€8-12 per person), we bought:

Breakfast cost: €12-15 for two people vs. €20-25 at cafes

Strategy 2: Pizza-by-the-slice lunch

Instead of sit-down restaurant lunches (€15-20 per person), we grabbed:

Lunch cost: €10-12 for two people vs. €35-45 at restaurants

Strategy 3: Nice dinner at non-tourist restaurants

We splurged on dinner but chose places like Boca Ria:

Dinner cost: €40-45 for two people vs. €60-80 at tourist traps

Total daily food cost: €62-72 for two people, getting better quality food than spending €100+ at tourist restaurants.

Grocery Stores Near Como Center

Conad City: Via Armando Diaz (near Boca Ria) – Good selection, reasonable prices

Carrefour Express: Multiple locations in Como – Smaller but convenient

Pam Local: Near train station – Good for last-minute supplies

Grocery store wine costs €4-8 per bottle (vs. €20-30 at restaurants). Buy a bottle, enjoy it at your accommodation or in a park.

Como Dining Myths vs. Reality

Myth: All Restaurants Near the Lake Are Good

Reality: Proximity to water correlates almost perfectly with worse food and higher prices. The best restaurants are 8-15 minutes walk from the lake.

Myth: “Family-Owned Since 1952” Signs Mean Authentic Food

Reality: These signs are often marketing fabrications. Judge restaurants by who’s actually eating there, not historical claims.

Myth: You Need Reservations for Dinner

Reality: Outside peak summer weekends, we never needed reservations at any Como restaurant. Walk-ins worked fine even at popular spots.

Myth: Italian Food Is Cheap

Reality: Como restaurant prices are similar to mid-range American restaurants (€12-18 for pasta, €14-20 for pizza, €20-30 for meat dishes). Italy isn’t the budget dining destination it was 20 years ago.

Myth: Servers Are Rude

Reality: Servers aren’t rude – they’re operating in a different service culture. What Americans interpret as ignoring customers, Italians see as giving diners privacy and space. Once I understood this, interactions improved dramatically.

FAQ Section

Q: Do Como restaurants accommodate dietary restrictions?

Vegetarian options are abundant (Italian cuisine includes many naturally vegetarian dishes). Vegan is harder but possible. Gluten-free pasta is available at many restaurants. Always specify restrictions clearly when ordering.

Q: Is it safe to drink tap water in Como?

Yes, Como tap water is safe to drink. Restaurants charge for it not because it’s unsafe, but because they charge for everything water-related.

Q: Should I learn Italian phrases for restaurants?

Basic phrases help enormously: “Il conto, per favore” (check please), “Acqua” (water), “Grazie” (thank you). Most tourist-area restaurants have English menus, but effort matters.

Q: What’s a reasonable lunch budget in Como?

Pizza-by-the-slice lunch: €8-12 per person. Sit-down restaurant lunch: €15-25 per person. These are realistic averages including water.

Q: Are Como restaurants kid-friendly?

Very much so. Italian culture embraces dining with children. Most restaurants offer smaller portions or simple pasta dishes for kids.

Q: Can I find good food near the ferry terminal?

The ferry terminal area is almost as tourist-trap-heavy as the main square. Your best option: walk 10 minutes into the city or grab supplies from a grocery store before ferry trips.

Q: What’s “coperto” on the bill?

Coperto is a cover charge (typically €1.50-3.00 per person) for bread, table setting, and general service. It’s standard in Italian restaurants and not a tourist scam, though it feels like one initially.

Q: How late can I eat dinner in Como?

Most restaurant kitchens close by 10:00-10:30 PM. Arrive by 9:00 PM to ensure full menu availability. After 10:30 PM, your options are limited to late-night pizza places and kebab shops.

Bottom Line

Como’s restaurant scene requires awareness and willingness to walk away from the obvious tourist zones. The main square and ferry terminal areas are lined with overpriced, mediocre restaurants staffed by servers who’ve stopped caring. Walk 10 minutes into Como’s interior neighborhoods, and you’ll find authentic Italian eateries where locals eat – better food, lower prices, and actual service.

Trattoria Pizzeria Boca Ria proved that good Como restaurants exist. You just have to look past the obvious tourist traps that dominate the lake views and historic squares.

Budget for slow European service (2+ hours for dinner), bring a refillable water bottle to offset expensive beverage charges, and remember that the check won’t arrive until you explicitly request it. These cultural adjustments saved me frustration and money.

Most importantly: avoid Bistro Jazz Square and its tourist-trap neighbors completely. Every euro spent there is a wasted euro that could have gone toward genuinely good Italian pizza at a place like Boca Ria.

Key takeaways:

Last Updated: November 2025

Author Experience: Personal travel experience, October 2024