Restaurant Berton al Lago in Hotel Sereno in Torno… A weekend getaway for the two of us. This means no dealing with diapers, naps, or a fruit break for Wolf. Tonight, mom and dad have no worries and can finally enjoy a good meal. Given the hospitality diet we’ve been forced to endure over the past few months, we are really looking forward to a pleasant, cozy, and culinary evening.
Tonight is a special occasion: we’ve reserved a table at Berton al Lago, the restaurant of the incredibly luxurious design boutique hotel Il Sereno in Torno.
Tonight is a special occasion: we’ve reserved a table at Berton al Lago, the restaurant of the incredibly luxurious design boutique hotel Il Sereno in Torno. Il Sereno is one-of-a-kind on Lake Como and is intriguing… The hotel serves as the backdrop for nearly all shoots with top models from international fashion houses, luxury cars come and go, and Riva boats shuttle guests to and from the hotel. We can’t afford to stay overnight, but reserving a table at the Michelin-starred restaurant Berton al Lago is just within our budget.
After making a reservation through a booking platform, we received a confirmation. A reply asking if we could have a table with a view of the water went unanswered. The next day, we received another email asking us to reconfirm our attendance. Today, we got a call with the same question… Yes, we will be there! We were also informed that the road from Torno to Como will be closed after midnight due to the Lombardy race passing by tomorrow. Staying out late is not an option tonight.
We drive to Torno. It’s a bit tricky finding the small side street that leads to Il Sereno. No advertising signs or clear directions are in sight. Eventually, we find Via Torrazza. How on earth do you maneuver your six-meter-long Rolls or Lamborghini through here? We drive onto the property. Two valet guys open our doors and take care of our car. The interior of our car still has a white dust layer from our renovation, plus a child seat with sandwich remnants and a fun bunch of stuffed animals on the back seat. We hand over the car keys with a wink…
A young lady escorts us to the restaurant. Along the way, she quickly and impersonally recites a rehearsed spiel about the hotel: number of rooms, year of construction, presence of spa and wellness, blah blah blah…
In the restaurant, a legion of waiters is briefed on what the evening should bring. It’s 7:30 PM, the shift starts a bit later here. A waiter hurries to us and guides us to a table for two. We are indeed the only guests so far. A denim jacket, subtly draped over our arm to sneak in the large camera, is taken by the waiter. The camera strap gets tangled in the sleeve of the jacket. After some awkward tugging, the denim jacket eventually goes to the cloakroom. Embarrassed, we quickly place the camera under the table. Almost immediately, another waiter rushes over with a small table and promptly places the camera on it. By now, everyone has seen that we have a camera with us. Sigh…
And there is yet another waiter. He introduces himself as our personal contact for the evening. He tells us we can ask him anything, smiling.
A colleague of his hurries to our table with the aperitif menu. Two glasses of champagne with a flavor for 22 euros each, please… And there is our personal waiter again with the menu.
There are three menus available. The first menu, trust me in nine courses (145 euros), consists of nine courses; the second is a vegetarian alternative; and the third is the classico (125 euros), a five-course menu with the best of the current season. The price differences between the first and third menus are small. Nonetheless, nine courses seem too copious to us, so we opt for the five-course menu. By the way, each table must choose the same menu.
And there’s yet another new face… Well, the sommelier is well hidden behind two masks. He is hard to understand and rushes through his spiel. “We’ll skip the wine pairing, sir, just give us the wine list…” The wine list turns out to be a wine book! The selection is enormous, and so are the prices. Some bottles start at 60 euros and go up to thousands of euros per bottle. “Bring out your entry-level wine, sir…”
Meanwhile, it’s been ten minutes. We have been approached by 7 different staff members. For speed dating, this might be a good average, but for a culinary evening, it’s way too much. We feel uncomfortable and rushed, watched by the staff, the dullards of the room, and we are already wondering aloud if Berton al Lago was a wise choice. In the meantime, we look around. The restaurant hall is located under the arches of the hotel. Under the arches, you can see the water of Lake Como. For a spectacular view, this is not the right place unless you might be able to sit at the water’s edge.
Tonight is a special occasion: we’ve reserved a table at Berton al Lago, the restaurant of the incredibly luxurious design boutique hotel Il Sereno in Torno.
The taste buds are tantalized by four amuse-bouches: Panino alla pizzaiola, Cecina e curcuma, Croccante con pesce di lago mantecato, sommacco e macadamia, and Alice croccante con salsa agrodolce. The pizza bread from Mr. Pizzaiola is baked in the moonlight and is nothing more than a ball of half-risen dough. Furthermore, it is noticeable that there is no symmetry in our two plates: from left to right, the amuse-bouches are in a different order. A bit of a blemish, right?
Not much later, the starting shot of the menu is given with Millefoglie di melanzane, pomodoro e mozzarella. Tasty, but not particularly innovative. Chef Raffaele Lenzi plays it safe. The cutlery has just been put down, and two waiters clear the plates and immediately serve the Riso e pesce persico. This risotto with a piece of cooked fish is delicious. Creamy and flavorful.
Quickly wipe your mouth and sip your wine because number three, Lavarello alla plancha, ristretto di cassouela, and lattuga, is being served! Wow, what a pace: a Formula 1 pit stop could take a lesson from this. The typical fish from Lake Como is tasty, but the added lemon notes are annoyingly overpowering. No, really not good!
Meanwhile, the restaurant has filled up. An Asian family with four kids, four very British fellows with their nonchalant attitudes practically dripping from their white trousers, a German father in a sharp suit and his son who looks like he just went through a hazing ritual, and a young couple where the lady probably chooses the young man for his wallet rather than his looks. The common denominator of the group is their hefty bank accounts. Top wine bottles are brought in on carts, decanted with great flair, and then served. As long as you stand out…
What almost goes unnoticed is the piece of meat on our plate from the fourth course, Milanese di vitello, spinaci, salsa piccante e lime. One piece of two-centimeter veal smaller than a spinach leaf with questionable doneness and a limp crust around it. A few sloppily presented spinach stems around it… What a sad and sloppy dish with little inspiration and even less flavor.
We are disappointed. This can’t possibly be Michelin-starred cuisine. The portions are also small, very small. We regret our choice of Berton al Lago and specifically the five-course menu.
Meanwhile, the machine that is Berton Al Lago shows less interest in our table. The “small” menu we chose and the “cheap” wine probably have something to do with it. Our personal waiter flits about everywhere except our table.
The dessert consists of four small sweets: Gianduiotto, Cannolo Siciliano, Tarte tatin pesca e Rosmarino, and Bignè crema e amarena.
Credits to the pastry chef because this harmonious quartet is very tasty. A small mignardise of Semifreddo al pistacchio, fragoline di bosco, and pistacchi salati as a final touch. Timecheck? It’s barely an hour later…
The bill amounts to 360 euros. Two menus at 125 euros each. A bottle of wine for 60 euros. Two aperitifs for 44 euros. A bottle of water for 6 euros. Our stomach turns. Of course, you expect such an amount when dining at a Michelin-starred restaurant… “You have to pay for indulgence,” as our late grandfather used to say… But spending so much money for one of the most uncomfortable restaurant visits is unfortunate.
Spending so much money on a modest five-course menu with several disappointments and small portions borders on a rip-off. Dining here at our beloved Lake Como while there are so many better, tastier, and more atmospheric restaurants where ambiance, coziness, and passion are the basic ingredients is foolish.
Tip? Never take the five-course menu for 125 euros. Nine courses for 145 euros will probably be a better deal. Order the most expensive bottles of wine, then you might be considered a valued guest. No, a lot of money does not necessarily mean taste. Bad taste and decadence. This restaurant does not fit the philosophy of our blog!
The next day, we learn that Il Sereno has fallen into Chinese hands. That might explain a thing or two…
