22 Sep Restaurant Al Cantinone Luino
Luino is well known: The largest weekly market in the region takes place here on Wednesdays and from here you can take the ferry to Canobbio, the Borromean Islands and even to Stresa. The town itself is actually rather unspectacular. Despite the long waterfront promenade, I haven’t yet been able to find the spark. Until I discovered the small, hidden alley that leads into the town directly opposite the Caffè Clerici: Via F. Cavallotti.
It was only by chance that I turned into this small, colorful alley with its fun stores and cozy restaurants.
The further I strolled up, the nicer the stores became.
And this is also where the Al Cantinone restaurant in Luino is located – quaint and cozy
Fernando, the owner, speaks very little English and the menu is only available in Italian. But that’s exactly what we’re looking for: the original! And so we ventured to try “bones with a hole” (ossobuco) and rabbit in red wine. Both were delicious, incredibly tender and tasty.
Fernando took over the helm here a few years ago: the restaurant was already a pub in 1848. Old photos and an old window bear witness to its eventful history.
Fernando’s story is not boring either. As a young man, he owned a large discotheque in Varese. He then moved to Luino for love, where he opened a Salone di Estetica, a beauty salon, with his wife at the time.
For many years, his daily route to his salon took him past the empty historic restaurant. “What a sin that this beautiful building has been empty for so long,” Fernando thought to himself. And at some point he took heart, bought the dilapidated pub and turned it into the gem it is today. I asked him if he was happy with his decision. His answer: “I work a lot! Much more than I actually want to. But when someone comes in and does NOT order a pizza, but a typical dish and it tastes really good, it makes my heart beat faster. That caresses my soul. Then I’m happy.”
And then, without being asked, he takes out the accordion and sings a little. That’s as good as it gets!
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