Ristorante Villa Crespi
+39 322 91 19 02+ Add websiteWrite a ReviewImprove this listing
Hours
Sun
12:30 - 14:0019:30 - 21:30
Wed
12:30 - 14:0019:30 - 21:30
Thu
12:30 - 14:0019:30 - 21:30
Fri
12:30 - 14:0019:30 - 21:30
Sat
12:30 - 14:0019:30 - 21:30
MICHELIN
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Travellers' Choice Best of the Best 2024
MICHELIN
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Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Details
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PRICE RANGE
£79.00 – £133.00
CUISINES
Italian, Seafood, Mediterranean, European, Healthy
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
meals, features
MICHELIN Guide's Point of View
Just a stone’s throw from the enchanting village of Orta San Guilio with its picture-postcard views of the lake and San Giulio island, this three-Miche...
Read more on MICHELIN GuideThree MICHELIN Stars: Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey!
Details
About
"Our passion for hospitality and restaurants have led us to treat this fascinating work with the love, respect and respect it so greatly deserves. Our innovative Mediterranean cuisine is distinctive and we love to pamper our guests in the romantic rooms overlooking the lake where staff and surroundings reflect genuine harmony."
Antonino works on his cuisine every day of his life, drawing inspiration from life itself. His dishes also reflect and epitomise his journey northwards from the Sorrento coast to his wife, Cinzia, a native of Orta which is now his home.
These are the secrets of our two Michelin starred restaurant.
PRICE RANGE
£79.00 – £133.00
CUISINES
Italian, Seafood, Mediterranean, European, Healthy
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner
FEATURES
Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Private Dining, Seating, Parking Available, Validated Parking, Valet Parking, Free off-street parking, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, American Express, Mastercard, Visa, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service
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5.0
5,010 reviews
Excellent
4,257
Very good
484
Average
168
Poor
61
Terrible
43
These reviews are machine translated from their original language. Show machine translations?
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Alessandro A
13 contributions
Sept 2021 • couples
The restaurant is locate in the most beautiful villa, in the cute little town of Orta San Giulio, which is great to visit. The location doesnt get any better than this.
The food is outstanding. Every dish is an explosion of flavor but so well balanced. Its a great food experience, one of the best in the world. Italian cousine at its peak.
Overall you have a fantastic experience in this place and its very recommended.
However, since the expense is very very significant, one expects absolute perfection from a place like this. But there were a couple of things that I think should be improved:
1) when you book they ask you of you are going there for a special occasion, like a birthday. It was my partner's birthday and I was expecting some little cake or similar. But nothing.... I would reccomend not to ask for this things if you do not do anything about it. You set expectations that were not met.
2) relax a bit the table service. It did feel a bit rushed and you feel very observed. As soon as you put your fork on the table somebody rushes to take your plate away and one minute after you receive the next one. Once my parner hadn't even finished eating... Rethink a bit the timing.
Written 27 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
schmidtmg
Switzerland1145 contributions
Oct 2020 • none
We visited Lake Orta for two days and could not miss a meal at Villa Crespi. Our lunch there was excellent, from the nibbles to the petits fours. We went à la carte and each chose a starter, a pasta dish and a main. All were excellent - my wife thought the sea urchin linguine was the best pasta dish she ever had, and my risotto with cubes of veal kidney was excellent too. The main of eel that my wife had was special; my red mullet was very good; our daughter was very happy with her pigeon main. We had a bottle of Coppo Chardonnay riserva della Familia 2010, recommended by the sommelier - lovely, and better with every glass. We had lengthy exchanges with the sommeilier about what it takes to have Italian gastronomy survive the Corona pendemic, and about his experiences in Hong Kong (he was sommelier for two years at Arbor, an excellent 2 star place - reminiscing about the HK restaurant and food scene with him was a treat). In short, we have eaten worse in a number of three star restaurants all over the world, but only once or twice at the same level or better in a two star restaurant. This is most certainly a place we will return to.
Written 1 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Daniela R
Sardinia26 contributions
Sept 2023 • friends
the experience of a lunch in Villa Crespi with a menu prepared by Chef Cannavacciuolo is something unique. Meanwhile, the location, especially during the day, is extraordinary: upon arrival they kindly parked the car and made us wait in the garden (we arrived much earlier) with a magnificent view of the lake. we were lucky enough to have a table overlooking the wonderful garden, I must say that the tables inside do not have the same charm. the excellent service, professional, kind dining room staff, prepared for every detail, always made us feel pampered and at ease. what I appreciated about the menu compared to other starred menus is that everything you eat has an intense flavor and aroma, each flavor is super concentrated and explodes in your mouth. there are no dishes that you taste and say NI, and how to find in every dish the flavor of your grandmother's dishes but with combinations and presentation of a Picasso painting. Certainly very high prices, although both on the menu and in the wines there are options that also allow you to try the experience and spend a little less (but not less than 300 euros). on the other hand, excellence has a certain cost and if desired even less than other starred hotels which in terms of location and notoriety (and food and service) are not at the same level
and then finding the Chef greeting you at the end of the service is a cherry on the cake that makes everything even more exciting.
Written 14 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rebecca
Aarhus490 contributions
Apr 2022 • family
We were 3 in total and we all chose an aperitivo and then the “dal sud al nord” menu. They were kind enough to exchange the meat course for one of us (the pork of the carpe firm menu instead of the pigeon).
In general, the food was of excellent quality and taste. Absolutely divine!
However, there were some negative aspects which led me to rate this a 3/5.
Service.
1. In the beginning there were two waitresses who seemed to not agree on how to place the dishes and were correcting each other. The younger one was kind enough to ask how we enjoyed the first course. However, after this course the other one took over by herself and rushed us through, taking away plates when one of us was finished while the others were still eating and not even asking once if we liked our dishes.
2. It felt a little like being at a sales show after the main course when they came around with their cheese tray and a big port wine bottle asking if you wanted something. Plus, 20€ for two small slices of cheese seems too much even for a 2 starred restaurant.
3. I found some bones in my fish dish and while this can happen, it shouldn’t. Especially not in a starred restaurant. The least that could have been done is to apologize once you see the bones. Alas, nothing.
Cannavacciulo himself
When arriving we had been told that the chef would come out when you pay for a chat and also a photo opportunity. Well, either he wasn’t in the mood, had a bad day or is always like that… but, rushing through a picture, not smiling at all and making you feel like this is a huge annoyance to him is not the way to go. Then stay in the kitchen if you don’t feel like it.
Written 9 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Agata
Temuco1 contribution
Jun 2019 • family
Ristorante Villa Crespi has a perfect location and view. It surrounds the Orta San Guilio lake and a series of wonderful gardens. Even getting to the restaurant is dreamy as you go through the Milan highway and get the opportunity to admire the luxurious architecture of each building. Everything about the food was fantastic, you could literally taste every ingredient on the plate.
The head chef Antonino Cannavacciuolo even let us take a look throught his kitchen and we were able to see the making of those perfect dishes, I would definetly go back and I totally recommend it !
Written 18 May 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gianluca V
3 contributions
Aug 2023 • family
An absolutely positive experience that I would recommend with a small caveat that didn't make me give it 5 stars which I will talk about at the end.
Truly exceptional location both externally and internally. We had a table on the 'veranda' outside where you can still eat al fresco but have a view of the beautiful Lake Orta.
Excellent service: young but trained waiters who know how to find the right mix between the formal that is required in a three-starred hotel and the informal that makes you feel at home.
Food: chosen tasting menu Itinerary which did not disappoint us in any of its courses and which for me had its peak in the linguine with calamari and rye bread sauce. The wine pairing is also excellent (above all, the Pinot Noir from New Zealand is the classic gem that I would otherwise never have tasted in my life).
We arrive at the only sore point: the bill. I expected it to be high because you pay for quality, but I found two items absolutely inappropriate. I asked if the famous frogs could be added to the itinerary menu and so it was: 9 were brought to me to share between two (exactly the taste we were expecting and guaranteed). I was charged 2 frogs x 50 euros = 100 on my account. I asked to check because I sincerely thought that they had marked two by mistake and the waitress, after checking with the manager, confirmed that that was the correct price but that if I wanted to meet us and they would remove it. It didn't seem very elegant to me if I must say, however lesson learned, the next time I will ask for any addition to the menu in advance about the cost.
The second item that left me perplexed is the wine: the tasting includes 5 half glasses. For one of the 5 I asked for a small top-up which was quantified as 25 euros. I find it a little exaggerated given that the whole glass (not half) of the person who was with me was put out for the same price.
For goodness sake, let's talk about trifles on a bill that would have been high and all in all correct, but it's the classic banana peels that leave a bit of a bitter taste in your mouth.
I will close on a positive note by pointing out that although it was the middle of August, the chef was present and spent a few moments with all the guests of the restaurant, including us. It's always a pleasure.
Written 19 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
servetti_genova
Genoa7 contributions
Apr 2024 • couples
Our experience at the Villa Crespi restaurant in the realm of the Chef and his Team was truly special. After a few minutes of settling in to understand the best choices for us and advised by an impeccable and delicate staff, we began an extraordinary experience where the terms lunch or dinner seem extremely simplistic to describe its contents.
In fact, we are talking about a journey of tastings, flavors and aromas always accompanied by the narration of their creative genesis which at any time overwhelms anyone who knows how to grasp its value in its taste and atmosphere.
While observing and tasting the various dishes, you can sense all the great work and passion behind it: from the primordial creation of the recipe, to its probable reworkings to arrive step by step at the definitive choices to be included in the menus.
An impeccable service that takes turns at the tables, anything but serious but rather friendly almost familiar with the kind unexpected sweet surprise for my wife's round birthday.
The final meeting with the Chef and the exchange of greetings together with four words for farewell demonstrates that despite his fame and well-deserved success he still knows how to share with others that dose of innate humility that hides behind his gruff portrait. To repeat.
Riccardo Servetti and Rossella 14 April 2024
Written 24 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
OnAir568272
1 contribution
Oct 2023 • friends
We left Sicily with the certainty of having an excellent culinary experience, unfortunately, alas, we had to change our minds. without taking anything away from the very high level location, apart from the medium-high temperature inside the room, which is completely subjective, the food is not the same. Medium-low complexity of the courses, everything can be done at home for those who know how to cook a little, all the dishes, or almost all, served at slightly warm temperatures, tending towards cold, you can see that they had been prepared for a while, no dish there it conveyed the famous wow effect, which, for a lunch costing €300 each, had to be present in every course. when we got to the bill to pay, another surprise, not very pleasant indeed, to the bill of €300 each (put your soul into the menu) we see approximately €200 added for a whole bottle of champagne and for which we didn't even use half of it , €30 for 3 coffees and €30.00 for 3 slices and I mean very thin slices of cheese.... I'll start by saying that we would have taken everything anyway but it's fair to say that both the champagne, the coffees and the cheese seemed to us have been offered by the restaurant as in none of the three cases we were offered an extra menu cost or a surcharge was mentioned to us at the time of the offer by the internal staff, we had not requested them and I repeat, from the way they were promoted to us diners, they seemed to be offers. The dessert however was very good. Final gem, the photo with chef Cannavacciuolo who we all follow on TV and who is very, very nice to him, confirmed our expectations, a good person and very smart, helpful and friendly.
Written 10 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
la famiglia Grassi
Milan4 contributions
Aug 2023 • family
Family lunch. Spectacular location at the entrance, the doorman waiting for you to park your car. We recommend arriving on time otherwise they will make you wait outside in the heat without offering a glass of water.
Welcoming and well-lit rooms. We sit down and they ask us if we would like a welcome aperitif while we wait, obviously we agree and a glass of champagne arrives to accompany a "full entree". We choose the tasting menu for all diners. All excellent. An excellent tasting journey. To improve the service, our food on the serving tray is left there until the same waiter has removed the dirty dishes from the next table and then serves us. Honestly, from a restaurant like this we expect there to be at least two waiters per table, one who cleans and one who serves.
Everything was truly perfect until we discovered that the famous welcome aperitif cost us €60 each. Two fingers of Krugg champagne decanted as if it were the holy grail. In our humble opinion they should inform customers of the cost so as not to have surprises or bring a menu for aperitifs where everyone can choose what they want.
All in all, he deserves a Michelin star, come on!
Written 13 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sebastiano M
Palermo613 contributions
Feb 2024 • couples
Writing a review for a three-starred event with considerable media exposure requires a few more details, which I hope will be considered useful and not offensive. The location is dreamlike, one of the most beautiful places in the world, with its Middle Eastern imprint of a minaret that stands out over a lake, a true world heritage monument. Even the internal rooms sparkle. Welcome to the millimeter of an organizational war machine. The advances are made to sit in a room for an apparently sophisticated aperitif, in reality the champagne dominates without any particular flavour.
Once you have chosen the tasting menu, delicious amuse bouches arrive. The succession of dishes is good but not devastating, without releasing particular emotions. fish predominates. Some defects, such as the presence of thorns in the mullet (I must say excellently compensated by a final discount after my observation, a sign of delicacy for the customer). The turbot was not overcooked, as evidenced by a red stripe inside. The waiter justifies it with the need to keep the food fresh... The most significant fallacy, however, is on the wine. I chose a wine tasting (150 euros). Among the five wines only two are of value to justify the price (no bottle was opened for this purpose). The pouring is quite unusual because it does not allow tasting to taste, basic grammar for a sommelier. The dosage is truly minimal (the standard should be 150 ml) and without a courtesy top-up
Pleasant evening, but the expectations were probably excessive compared to other three-starred events which gave me greater emotions.
Written 10 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
xystus
295 contributions
Nov 2023 • business
Let me start by saying that the expectations for a 3 Michelin star are at the maximum, I must say that it exceeded them... Top service, from the welcome to the service in the room we felt pampered without the slightest feeling of "suffocation" which represents the greatest risk in this type of service. The same goes for the courses: we have chosen the chef's iconic dishes (3-course menu) and, if you have the patience to listen and possibly the curiosity to ask, you fully understand the technique and the work that goes into its every reach. Of course, the final cost is important and the mark-ups on the wine list are perhaps a little too exaggerated, but we know that it is the price to pay for a place of this level. The last note concerns the abundance of the courses, between entrées, dishes, accompaniments, pre-desserts and café gourmand, we left as full as an Easter egg. Who said that you don't eat much in Michelin-starred restaurants?
Written 8 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Grandelachs
Legnano309 contributions
Nov 2023 • friends
Stunning location, friendly welcome with valet who takes delivery of the car (but in the end it won't be there and we will have to move it behind another one, you have already paid for the series...), initial trap with "offered bubbles" for an aperitif which then it will turn out to be a charge of €240 for 4 bottoms of a glass of Krug (say it!), excellent food (I took 4 menus of €300/each "Put your soul into it"), proposed for those who wanted a change of one course with a choice of the a la carte menu (here too a trap of €48 per change... but why?), lack of staff (there was not one waiter each as would be expected from a three star hotel but one/two for 4 people) , coffees ordered and requested twice. We have
ate really well without having experienced those unpleasant "cerebral" gastronomic ruminations without a purpose. However, the final sensation is bittersweet and slightly "teased". In a business with 100 seats per day, 5 days a week, there should be no need to end up in these "miseries" with the perception of wanting to make money until the very end...
Written 2 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andrea S
8 contributions
Aug 2024 • solo
Twenty-year-old customer of this restaurant, sometimes in company sometimes alone, so long before he came into the limelight.
I notice on the site a date when a table is available, I book and insert the indication "one person", as in the past. I am contacted the next day, being told that a minimum of 2 people is imposed, but that I can be placed on the waiting list. Waiting list for...? Take over at the last minute in case no couple shows up? No, thank you, acting as a plug after all these years even not. 5 minutes later the table is put back up for "sale" on the site.
Guys, remember that ascent is physiologically followed by decline sooner or later, and these annoying lonely gourmets, who often consume more than couples who just by being there find themselves ordering two dishes and mineral water, may one day regret them.
As for me, the dinner on June 2 will remain the last visit to Villa Crespi.
Automatically translated
Written 8 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cannavacciuolo Customer Care
Gentilissimo Signor O2727ULandreas
Siamo davvero molto rammaricati di leggere quanto ha deciso di condividere nella sua recensione e sinceramente dispiaciuti del fatto che sia stata scritta “a prescindere” dall’esperienza che facciamo vivere qui ai nostri ospiti (e che peraltro lei ha vissuto più volte).
Non abbiamo alcun vincolo sui tavoli da un solo commensale, ma preferiamo magari verificarne la disponibilità al telefono, mantenendo aperta la vendita sul sito dalle due persone in su.
Quando un tavolo modifica o cancella, la disponibilità viene subito aggiornata in maniera automatica online e si aprono le disponibilità in base al numero di coperti del tavolo precedente.
Ci tenevamo a scriverlo per trasparenza nei confronti di tutti i nostri graditi ospiti.
Ci permetta infine un appunto riguardo un argomento a cui teniamo particolarmente. Siamo fermamente convinti che l’arte dell’ospitalità sia egualitaria. L’accoglienza, in tutte le sue forme, non evidenzia le differenze ma le uniforma: noi accogliamo tutti allo stesso modo sia il cliente (come lo ha definito lei) “altospendente” che le persone che si approcciano per la prima volta al mondo della cucina stellata. Stesso calore, stesso sorriso, stessa passione. Mettere a proprio agio chiunque varchi la soglia di Villa Crespi è prerogativa assoluta di ciascun membro nel nostro staff.
Confidiamo che vorrà rivedere la sua posizione e restiamo a disposizione ai nostri recapiti qualora avesse piacere ad un confronto privato.
Written 11 August 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
josef a
3 contributions
Feb 2024 • family
Stunning location in Moorish style, pre dinner in a small room with an aperitif (not bad quality/price).
Good service for dinner (the waiters made 3/4 mistakes, the knife was missing in the second course, the wrong dish was brought to the table, the wrong glass was removed).
Good, simple food, except for some main courses and desserts!
Good but not excellent flavors and balance, not three Michelin stars (I've been around...), maybe one/two stars.
Sommelier not too competent when it comes to post-sweet alcohol.
PS. My mother didn't eat a dish (not even touched it) and it was put on the bill!! .
A three Michelin star precaution is not only welcoming the customer with an umbrella when it rains, but also when he has finished dinner and goes back to the car!
Written 25 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Niccolò G
1 contribution
Aug 2023 • family
Since arriving at the Villa, we have seen the professionalism of the staff and the care towards the customer which are excellent. Both inside and outside the Villa there is a very high attention to detail. Even if you arrive before the booking time you will be welcomed and offered the opportunity to wander around the park, but also to relax in various refreshing areas both outdoors and indoors. The food is without equal, excellently presented with very accurate descriptions and advice on how to taste it. The quality of the products and the flavors released during the tasting of the "ITINERARY" menu were excellent.
I recommend anyone who can afford it to try this unique experience that will allow you to savor incredible flavours.
Written 11 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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