Ticino (CH)

A true gem only reachable by ferry: Hotel Elvezia al Lago (8. July 2017)
Sometimes you just have to act upon instinct – and it turns out to be a good call. While taking the ferry to ship around Lake Maggiore, the ship stopped close to a tiny hotel with a terrace for barely 30 seconds. And it was time to jump off that ship onto the runway and […]

Traditional breakfast place in the city center: Grand Cafe Al Porto (8. July 2017)
About one year back I was regularly in Lugano for work but I never actually had time to enjoy the city – so the time had finally arrived. There are not that many breakfast places but the Grand Café al Porto offers a decent selection of smaller bites. I went for a “torta salata” (CHF […]

Great BBQ in traditional atmosphere: Restaurant Grotto del Pep (12. April 2016)
The Grotto del Pep is definitely not centrally located and it is actually quite tricky to get there from the city of Lugano, however, if you are willing to take a cab or go by car, it is worth going there (good luck with public transportation). What you get here is a simple but authentic […]

A place to eat – if you must: Restaurant Commercianti (30. March 2016)
As the city center of Lugano does offer quite some choices but in the end the number of restaurants is still rather limited, I tried the Commercianti again after being too late (no food served after 10pm) the last time. We entered around 9:40pm and were told that they’d serve us, given we would order […]

Decent lunch and salad: Rookies (30. March 2016)
The last time I’ve paid the Rookies a visit, I went for an unhealthy burger, so I decided to try another part of the menu this time – the healthy part. The “Insalata San Diego (insalata, spinaci, pomodori cherry, filetto di pollo marinato in mojito drink, crostini di pane, salsa caesar, parmigiano)” (CHF 18.00) was […]

A true Italian experience – with flawless service: Restaurant La Cucina di Alice (21. March 2016)
I have heard about La Cucina di Alice a couple of times and I tried to get a table in the evening twice – and failed both times. This time it worked: A table was available! The waiters were very attentive and while being seated I received the menu and was asked if I wanted […]

Dim Sums in a fancy atmosphere: Restaurant parq (15. March 2016)
Where East meets West – I had passed by the parq last week and it immediately looked appealing to me. High ceilings, modern interior, a lot of wine bottles on the walls. So I got a business card and then decided to finally come by. Well, managed only a couple of days later and was […]

Comfort food at its finest at the Sports Bar: Rookies (15. March 2016)
I was curious about the place when I first entered it. And I was not that appealed when entering as it is really a sports bar which looks a bit run down. Well, first impressions can be wrong. I mean, it still remains a sports bar which looks a bit run down but the service […]