La Polenteria, Brunate
A mountain restaurant above Lake Como where polenta is stirred in a copper pot and served steaming at the table.
Photo © La Polenteria
- WhereVia Giacomo Scalini 66San Maurizio hamlet, above Brunate
- CuisineValtellina mountain cookingPolenta, buckwheat pasta, game, lake fish
- Price band€€€25–50 per person, without drinks
-
Opening hoursLunch 12:00–15:00
Dinner 19:00–23:00 - Contact+39 031 3365105Official website ↗
Why go
About La Polenteria
La Polenteria da MamaGina brings the cooking of Valtellina to Brunate, the balcony above Lake Como. Its signature is polenta, made with buckwheat flour and cooked in a copper paiolo with mountain cheese and butter. Dishes such as sciatt, pizzoccheri and venison tartare sit beside lake fish from the Como tradition.
The kitchen works from scratch every day. Chef Massimiliano shapes the pizzoccheri, tagliatelle and casonsèi by hand each morning, bread is baked in house with natural yeast, and pastry chef Giorgia makes the desserts. Guests can sit in the small Sala del Paiolo, the large Sala della Polenta or, in season, outside.
Services and dietary options
Good to know at La Polenteria
- Gluten-free polenta
- Outdoor tables, April to October
- Children's menu
- High chairs on request
- Free private parking
- Free transfer from the funicular
- Private room for celebrations
- Cards and contactless accepted
Gallery
Inside La Polenteria
Photo © La Polenteria
Photo © La Polenteria
Photo © La Polenteria
Photo © La Polenteria
Photo © La Polenteria
Practical information
La Polenteria: address, opening hours and contacts
Via Giacomo Scalini 66, 22034 Brunate CO
Opening hours
Hours from the official website:
| Day | Lunch | Dinner |
|---|---|---|
| Friday | 12:00–15:00 | 19:00–23:00 |
| Saturday | 12:00–15:00 | 19:00–23:00 |
| Sunday | 12:00–15:00 | 19:00–23:00 |
Location
- Same day
- For a table today, phone +39 031 3365105.
Getting there
How to get to La Polenteria
From Como centre (Piazza Cavour)
About 2.2 km in a straight line: by car, bus or ferry.
From Bellagio
About 22 km in a straight line: by car, bus or ferry.
From Varenna
About 25 km in a straight line: by car, bus or ferry.
Straight-line distances from OpenStreetMap data (© OpenStreetMap contributors); road distances are longer and walking times are approximate.
Around the restaurant
Near La Polenteria: sights, and hotels
City Guide · Things to do
Sights near La Polenteria
Lake Como villas, villages and viewpoints with their own Holiplanet page, nearest first.
Funicolare Como-Brunate and Brunate
Seven minutes from the lake to the balcony of the Alps
Duomo di Como (Como Cathedral)
A marble façade and Juvarra's dome, minutes from the lake
Piazza Cavour and the Como Lakefront
Como's lakeside living room and the walk to Villa Olmo
Como Old Town Walls (Città Murata, Porta Torre and Broletto)
Roman grid, medieval walls and Porta Torre in 1.5 hours
Villa del Balbianello
A loggia on a wooded promontory, reached on foot or by boat
Villa Carlotta
A lakeside museum and botanical garden in Tremezzo
Bellagio
The pearl of Lario, where Lake Como's branches meet
Menaggio
A lakefront village and ferry hub with trails behind it
Varenna
Painted fishing-village houses on Lake Como's eastern shore
All things to do
On the Lake Como map
City Guide · Where to stay
Hotels near La Polenteria
Hotels, resorts and villas with their own Holiplanet page, nearest first.
Brunate
Bellavista Boutique Hotel Brunate
A small Art Nouveau hotel and family-run restaurant beside the Brunate funicular
Lungolago, historic centre
Palace Hotel Como
A grand Liberty-style palazzo in Como's historic centre
Lakefront, historic centre
Albergo Terminus
A Liberty-style palazzo on the lakefront in the historic centre of Como
Piazza Cavour
Hotel Barchetta Excelsior
A city-centre hotel on Piazza Cavour, right by the lake boats
Piazza Volta, historic centre
Albergo Firenze Como
A three-star hotel in a neoclassical building on Piazza Volta
Via Cernobbio
Hotel Villa Flori
A 19th-century villa in its own park above Lake Como
Como
Villa d'Este
A historic lakeside grand hotel in Cernobbio, with 151 rooms
Como
Hotel Borgo Antico Como
A hotel in the historic centre of Como with 27 rooms
Como
Villa Liberty Lake Como Rooms & Spa
An early 20th-century Liberty-style villa in Como with elegant rooms
All hotels
On the Lake Como map
City Guide · Experiences
Tours and experiences
Boat tours, seaplane flights, cooking classes and wine tastings with their own Holiplanet page.
Como
Lake Como Experiences & Boat Tours
Private boat tours on Lake Como with an English-speaking captain, from a two-hour cruise to a full day on the water.
Como
PastaClass.it Como Cooking Class
Small-group fresh pasta classes and cooking demos in Beatrice's home, a few steps from Como Cathedral, ending with a shared meal.
Como
Aero Club Como (seaplane flights)
Take off from the water of Lake Como with an instructor and see the lake from the cockpit of a seaplane.
Moltrasio
Como On Boat
Private boat tours on Lake Como, from one to four hours, starting in Como or Cernobbio and passing the lake's best-known villas and villages.
Argegno
B&S Boat Service
Private boat tours on Lake Como with a local captain, from a base in Argegno, with itineraries shaped around your group.
Bellagio
Bellagio Boat Tour
Private boat tours on Lake Como with a professional captain, leaving from Bellagio and tailored to your pace.
Bellagio
Enoteca Cava Turacciolo
A restored 18th-century stone cellar in Bellagio where sommeliers guide you through local and Italian wines with cured meats and lake fish.
Varenna
Fauno Sailing
Small-group and private sailing trips on Lake Como, led by a local skipper, with an Italian aperitivo and Prosecco served on board.
Varenna
Lake Como Boat
Self-drive motorboats and private classic-boat cruises from Varenna, past the villas of central Lake Como.
All experiences
On the Lake Como map
City Guide · Beyond the lake
Day trips from Lake Como
Milan, Bergamo and the lake villages by train or ferry.
City Guide · about 40 min by train
Milan
The Duomo, the Last Supper, Brera and the Navigli
City Guide
Bergamo
The walled Città Alta, its funicular and the Venetian walls
By ferry
Bellagio
The pearl of Lario, where Lake Como's branches meet
By ferry
Varenna
Painted fishing-village houses on Lake Como's eastern shore
By ferry or on foot from Lenno
Villa del Balbianello
A loggia on a wooded promontory, reached on foot or by boat
All day trips
Lake Como City Guide
Holiplanet Journal
Latest from the Journal
Stories and practical guides about Lake Como and Milan.
Holiplanet Journal
Varenna, Italy: What to See on Lake Como and How to Plan Your Visit
Holiplanet Journal
Milan to Lake Como: How to Do a Day Trip by Train and Ferry
Holiplanet Journal
The Story of Como, Told Through Silk
Holiplanet Journal
Milan in a Weekend: Leonardo’s Masterpieces, Hidden Courtyards and Where to Eat
All stories
Holiplanet Journal
Straight-line distances from OpenStreetMap data (© OpenStreetMap contributors).
Questions
La Polenteria: frequently asked questions
Do I need to book?
Booking is always recommended because seats are limited. You can reserve by phone, WhatsApp or email.
Which days is the restaurant open?
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, for lunch and dinner. It is closed from Monday to Thursday.
Is there gluten-free food?
Yes: both the uncia and the taragna polentas are available gluten free and are marked on the menu. Mention any intolerance when you book so the kitchen can prepare.
Is there a menu for children?
Yes. Home-made fusilli with tomato, butter or oil, and nuggets with chips. High chairs are available on request.
How can I get there without a car?
Take the Como–Brunate funicular and ask for the free transfer to the restaurant when you book. By day there is also bus line N9.
Can I pay by card?
Yes: credit and debit cards and contactless payments are accepted, and so is cash.