Domaso – Touring the towns of Lake Como
September 2, 2020
Domaso on Lake Como is one of the places we visit regularly. The beautiful harbor, a good choice of eating places, a bike shop and great gelateria are the things that keep us coming back.
This time though, we wondered a little deeper into the town, taking small alleys and streets as we came across them and aiming for some of the landmarks we’ve often seen but never gone in:
What we found in Domaso on Lake Como
Chiesa di San Bartolomeo
We somewhat expect the elaborate when we go inside an Italian church; floor to ceiling paintings, statues galore, amazing stained-glass windows and beautiful gilded and painted ceilings. We were not disappointed, there was scarcely a patch of wall or ceiling that wasn’t adorned with something. My favourite…the fake window gallery painted on the ceiling.
Villa Camilla
This is a municipal building so not for touring, however the building itself and the view through it to the lake are beautiful. We did spot a sign for an art exhibit and have found out too that they have music nights, so we’re hopeful to go inside on one of those occasions. The grounds are worth a wonder through as they have an unusual stone ‘grotto’ you can walk around.
Wandering the alleys of Domaso
When we got off the main road, we found smaller streets and alleys, coloured houses and a maze of stairs and alleys winding around the local homes. We even spotted a poster of Marcello Mastroianni from ‘La Dolce Vita’ – advertising an optician’s shop. It doesn’t get much more Italian than that. Iconic.
The old harbour
Domaso has a pebble beach with a tree lined street above and the old harbor – definitely worth a walk out on the wall for the amazing views of the lake and back at the town.
The food in Domaso
Our favourites in the town, not just because the food is great, but because they are family run businesses where the service and ambiance make the place.
Osteria La Contrada (which means “the district”) – is tucked away in a tiny back street and well worth seeking out. We were immediately greeted and seated by the lovely host in the vaulted cellar dining room. Complementary ‘tasters’ were brought out, which were amazing, followed by local fish to start. Clark ordered a proper carbonara, while I had a local dish of “cappellacci” – which are filled dumplings, supposedly in the shape of a hat (cappello means hat). To complete the ambiance, the chef came out personally to talk to his guests and make sure everybody was happy. At the end of the meal our hostess was actually quite excited when we accepted glasses of limoncello (I mean, why wouldn’t you?).
On the lake front there are several other eateries that we have tried and enjoyed. Ristorante da Mario – the lady who runs this place is really friendly, loves to talk and gives out the specials of the day as if it’s a forgone conclusion (it’s difficult to refuse, but as it goes the lake fish was a good choice – “caught this morning, you want it with potatoes or rice”). Enoteca Del Porto is super quaint and the lady who runs the front of house is adorable. There’s a huge wine selection and a few local dishes to choose from. When we went it was a cold day and the ambiance inside was like being in somebodies home; cosy, warm and friendly.
Nella botte piccola c’è il vino buono
Literal translation – In the small barrel, there is the good wine (UK saying – good things come in small packages). One of the things I love about living and eating out in Italy is the wine. Not just the fact that Italian wine is some of the best in the world, but in a restaurant you have more than the usual choice of a glass or a bottle. It’s possible to order the house wine by the quarter, half or full litre, which comes in a carafe. This is not the equivalent of a glass of house wine from a UK restaurant. This wine is really good! And a fraction of the price of a bottle…bonus.
Ristorante, Trattoria, Osteria...what's the difference?
There are ristorante, trattoria, osteria, enoteca and even crotto to name a few. Each of them in the past meant a specific type of eating place; large and official service, smaller and more casual, family run– but we’ve found that the name doesn’t always match the original meanings. This is what we have found in our (quite extensive and ever increasing) experience:
Ristorante – bigger, more formal and vast menus (especially the pizza menus….I can never decide, there are always about 30 choices).
Trattoria / Osteria – These are smaller establishments, usually tucked away in a small street. The menus are smaller and tend to be local dishes. These are our favourite places to eat and we will always try to seek one out. They always feel more personal, less touristy and more unique.
Enoteca – this is actually a place for wine which will often do cold plates (meat and cheese typical of the area). Enoteca del Porto in Domaso also sells local hot dishes…an added bonus.
Crotto – I mention this last as it’s quite typical of the area we are in (as mentioned in our original Lake Como post). A crotto serves traditional food, young wine poured from the barrel and meats and cheeses stored in the naturally cool caves of the establishments. Definitely worth a visit if you find one.
Where next on our tour of Lake Como
We’re off to our most local town, Gravedona. We’ve been there a lot, but still haven’t wondered around the back streets or visited their beautiful church and villa.
We’ve also been a little further afield to the Valtellina valley. We’re very familiar with the wine from this region and that was our main reason for going. What else did we find?….
