A unique culinary experience at Villa Lario Resort.
Villa Lario Resort in Mandello del Lario is an elegant residence built in the early 20th-century, overlooking the famous “branch of Lake Como” described by Manzoni: a romantic boutique hotel from which to admire enchanting sunsets over the sunniest shore of the lake and relax in an oasis of intimacy, surrounded by nature and immersed in the tranquillity that only the calm waters of the lake can evoke.
The jewel in the crown of Villa Lario Resort is Amandus Ristorante, domain of Chef Luca Mozzanica: a place where quality, creativity and authenticity come together in elegant and sophisticated dishes that combine tradition and modernity. With eleven tables and twenty-six seats, Amandus welcomes for dinner, by reservation only, both Villa Lario Resort guests and external clients who wish to experience an unforgettable journey into taste.
The name of the restaurant expresses the philosophy of Villa Lario Resort. Amandus is the Latin word from which the name Mandello, the town that hosts the villa, originates. But it also means “lovable”, “to be loved” or “worthy of being loved”. This concept is at the basis of the idea of cuisine proposed by the restaurant: a welcoming place capable of making the guest feel at ease in front of a dish with a sophisticated composition but with an immediate taste, capable of being loved at the first taste. The term “amandus” can also be traced back to butterflies, to the Polyommatus Amandus family. Amandus, therefore, just like the graceful insect (which can also be seen in the logo), expresses one side the beauty of the shapes, flavours and colours of the raw materials that together are transformed into unique dishes, and on the other side the ability to renew and transform itself every season with a new menu.
The menu of the Amandus restaurant, in fact, is renewed every year, always leaving room for some signature dishes, such as the Basil cream risotto with raw red prawns and tomatoes tartare, with the addition of fresh lemon zest during the risotto creaming and a sprinkling of squid ink for a touch of flavour and crunchiness; or the unfailing Tiramisù, an expression of Luca Mozzanica’s innate passion for pastry: a chocolate sphere filled with mascarpone cream and decorated with bronze cocoa butter, embellished with a peanut brittle, almond and chocolate crumble and coffee. The chocolate sauce, served at the table, melts the dome and closes the circle of flavours.
In addition to the signature dishes from the menu, Amandus guests can choose from three culinary experiences:
Free Hand Tasting Menu, a six steps menu created by Chef to let yourself be carried away by creativity and treat yourself to a pleasant experience of discovering authentic tastes and flavours, accompanied by a selection of fine wines paired with each dish.
Esperienza di Acqua, a four-course menu that features fish, from aperitif to main course. It starts with Smoked Trout, green apple, herbal juniper extract, eggs and crème fraîche, it continues with Codfish Gnocchi, seafood, crab, clams and spinach, and it concludes with stewed turbot, lettuce, egg yolk, almond, beurre blanc and rocket. Last but not least, Spicy fresh fruit in syrup, white chocolate and peanut brittle.
Esperienza di Terra is a gastronomic journey based on meat and vegetables: from rabbit millefoglie, vegetable foam, sorrel and lovage, to carbonara spelt macaroni, vegetable oil and pecorino cheese, to fire grilled lamb with goat milk ricotta cheese, fermented red fruits, cherries and dried fruit. To finish, a 70% dark chocolate mousse, caramel, coffee and salted crumble biscuit.
To meet the preferences and dietary habits of all guests, there are also vegetarian and vegan dishes and a selection of proposals for celiac people.
Great attention is also devoted to the wine list, skilfully orchestrated by the maître Francesco Nava and the sommelier Luigi Fumagalli. A journey in the Italian vineyards, narrated through one hundred and eighty labels from all the Italian regions, with an important proposal of Italian red wines (“Maximum Wines”) and a prestigious selection of French and Italian sparkling wines.
In the charming panoramic gazebo overlooking the waters of Lake Como, hotel guests, but also external clients, can enjoy a tête-à-tête dinner delighted by the refined menu of Amandus restaurant, in an enchanted atmosphere, under the starry sky illuminated by the reflections of the lake.
Chef Luca Mozzanica
Luca Mozzanica is the Executive Chef of Villa Lario Resort. He immediately believed in Esa and Raffaella’s project and arrived at the Villa in 2016, after several experiences in important restaurants: he grew professionally alongside chef Claudio Prandi, one of the protagonists of the Lombardy gastronomic scene, first at “Lear” in Briosco and for five years (from 2010 to 2015) at the hotel-restaurant “Il Griso” in Malgrate (near Lecco).
“My cuisine is not a secret, but an experience. Creativity, study and research distinguish it. It is in this context that I want to offer unique emotions”, says Chef Mozzanica. His cuisine, in fact, can be defined as traditional-contemporary, it follows the seasonality and a very precise credo: the raw material expresses its best only if processed the least. So it is a perfect combination of tradition and creativity, expressed through contemporary dishes, which want to conquer the guests with simple flavours, but capable of leaving, bite after bite, an indelible memory.
