Esplanade Lake Garda

Esplanade sits on Via Lario, a five-minute walk from the bustle of Porto Vecchio. It holds a Michelin star and the room runs smart and elegant. The menu focuses on Italian, contemporary, and seafood-forward cooking.

The kitchen finds restraint in a town where the dining scene often defaults to tourist-facing spectacle. While its neighbours along the lake rely on the proximity of the water to draw a crowd, Esplanade focuses on a precise, singular plate of food. It is better to book here for the calibre of the technique than for the setting alone; the room provides a quiet, formal alternative to the more frantic tables near the Piazza Giacomo Matteotti.