Ilario Vinciguerra Restaurant

It’s really true when folks say that there’s a lot going on in the provinces, and there’s always so much to discover. After having traveled a good bit of the world, Ilario Vinciguerra decided to come back to Italy and settle down in a small, people-friendly town – in his case, Varese, near the Swiss border – to pursue a new project. A place that offers hospitality, good food and an actual culinary theater. That’s how we best define Vinciguerra’s world. An early 20th-century Art Deco villa that seats 35. A bar. A large room on the first floor for special events and group meals. The cellar stocks some 1,300 different wines. Availability of seasonal ingredients means that the menu changes every two months in order to ensure freshness and variety. Vinciguerra’s Southern origins – he was born in Campania – are reflected in numerous dishes, which often recount the aromas of the South and typical Mediterranean tastes. Red shrimp and gin & tonic, egg in Purgatory, or Memories of Capo d’Orlando, Sicily – focaccia crust filled with ricotta and swordfish caviar. Just a few of Vinciguerra’s signature specialties. He prepares Cacio e pepe at your table with a surprising cooking technique. Don’t miss bottoni coda e provola either. There’s always the right balance between meat and fish. Vinciguerra keeps a classic approach to cooking alive, ennobling it by means of presentation and service. Surprise menus pay tribute to the great Italian artists who have made film history.