Two restaurants, two identities and one shared philosophy: celebrating quality, seasonality and the local area through different culinary experiences
On Lake Como, cuisine is an integral part of the journey. Sitting down at the table is not simply a chance to take a break, but also an opportunity to discover the region through its ingredients, traditions and the stories of those who interpret Italian culinary culture every day.
This is the vision behind the gastronomic offering of Lake Como East Side, which, through Lisander Restaurant and Da Giovannino Bistrot, both located in Malgrate, presents two different yet complementary ways of experiencing Italian cuisine.
On one side is the contemporary, distinctive cuisine of Chef Roberto Pirelli, shaped by the encounter between the Lake Como region and his Sicilian roots. On the other is the cuisine of Chef Gaetano Di Palma, who draws inspiration from the great classics of Italian tradition, interpreting them with simplicity, lightness and careful attention to the quality of the ingredients.
Two restaurants with different personalities, united by the same philosophy: placing the quality of ingredients at the heart of the experience, respecting seasonality and creating an authentic connection with the local area.
Lisander Restaurant: a journey back to the origins with Chef Roberto Pirelli
At Lisander Restaurant, the new culinary experience is called Origini – Origins – and is born from the vision of Chef Roberto Pirelli.
The starting point is Lake Como, the place that is now home to the chef and that guides his cuisine through its ingredients and the changing rhythm of the seasons. To this, he adds a deeply personal heritage of memories, emotions and flavours from Sicily.
“I don’t bring Sicily to the lake: I bring my Sicilian way of experiencing cuisine. The territory that welcomes me is my starting point, and its seasons are my guide. My roots add warmth, generosity and a Mediterranean vision of flavour. The result is contemporary, essential and distinctive cuisine, capable of connecting with guests from all over the world without losing its authenticity,” explains the chef.
The encounter between these two worlds finds one of its most meaningful expressions in Pane, ricci e limone – Bread, sea urchin and lemon – the opening dish of the Origini menu.
The creation is inspired by one of the chef’s childhood memories and becomes the starting point of a culinary journey built around the concept of memory.
“This is where it all begins. A memory that carries the scent of the sea: days spent on the rocks, freshly opened sea urchins, a piece of bread and a few drops of lemon. A simple and authentic gesture that I have always carried with me and that today becomes the opening story of the Origini menu.”
The dish thus becomes a manifesto for a cuisine in which every ingredient contributes to telling a story: a place, an emotion, a memory. A contemporary approach that embraces the local area without ever forgetting its roots.
Da Giovannino Bistrot: the pleasure of Italian cuisine
While Lisander Restaurant tells its story through culinary research and Chef Roberto Pirelli’s personal identity, Da Giovannino Bistrot speaks the language of conviviality and the great flavours of Italian tradition.
For the summer season, Chef Gaetano Di Palma has created a menu designed to reflect the rhythms and atmosphere of the warmer months, with lighter preparations that continue to place flavour and ingredient quality at the centre of the experience.
“With the new summer menu, I wanted to create lighter dishes and tell the story of the Lake Como area more clearly, while offering simple, authentic Italian cuisine,” explains the chef.
New additions include tartare and king prawns, alongside dishes that represent some of the pillars of his cuisine, such as spaghetti with tomato sauce, Milanese veal cutlet and tiramisu.
The result is a Mediterranean-inspired menu that celebrates the simplicity of Italian cuisine, where the quality of the ingredients always takes centre stage.
There is also a tribute to the culinary tradition of Lecco with riso in cagnone, one of the area’s historic recipes, featured on the menu as an expression of the restaurant’s connection with the territory.
Two experiences, one vision of hospitality
Lisander Restaurant and Da Giovannino Bistrot offer two distinctly different culinary experiences.
At Lisander, cuisine becomes a journey through Chef Roberto Pirelli’s memories and personal identity, in a continuous dialogue between his Sicilian roots and the Lake Como region.
Da Giovannino Bistrot, on the other hand, interprets the pleasure of dining through a more immediate and convivial approach to Italian cuisine, featuring familiar dishes, authentic flavours and recipes that have been passed down through generations.
What unites them is a shared vision: the desire to transform every dining experience into an opportunity to discover the region and experience Lake Como through its flavours.
For Lake Como East Side, gastronomy thus becomes part of a broader story of hospitality, culture and discovery. Two restaurants, two cuisines and two different personalities, offering visitors to Lake Como the opportunity to choose their own way of experiencing the destination.
Because even at the table, every journey can have more than one story to tell.
