How to find authentic Italian food around the Borromean Islands and combine your restaurant visit perfectly with a private boat tour.
Pizzeria Isola Bella
Search for "Pizzeria Isola Bella" and you'll find dozens of results – from Osnabrück to Lippstadt to Kempten. But the best pizza with this name tastes best where the name comes from: on Lake Maggiore, with a view of the real Isola Bella. This article shows you how to find authentic Italian food around the Borromean Islands and how to combine your restaurant visit perfectly with a private boat tour on the Striga Constanze.
Whether you've just discovered a Pizzeria Isola Bella in a German city or are planning your next holiday in Italy – this article has the answers. Our focus is on the original: Isola Bella in Lake Maggiore, and how best to fit pizza, pasta and regional specialities into your day on the lake.
The promise: no stressful restaurant marathon through crowded alleys, but a relaxed day on the water with a culinary highlight on the shore. Sailing boat instead of motorboat, small group instead of mass excursion, pizza with a lake view instead of street noise.
The name "Isola Bella" is everywhere. There are several restaurants and pizzerias called Isola Bella in Germany – in Osnabrück, Lippstadt, Kempten and many other cities. Add trattorias on Lake Garda, hotels in Tuscany and of course the famous island itself. Guests often praise the quality and taste of the food – whether in Germany or Italy, the name stands for a piece of Bella Italia.
But most search results lead to city pizzerias without a lake view – fine for everyday life when you want to place a quick order or use takeaway, but not what makes a Lake Maggiore holiday.
Typical misconceptions we clear up here:
In fact, many places carry this name. On the island itself there are only a few eateries, such as "Il Chiosco Bar" with around 26 reviews on TripAdvisor.
The island itself offers snacks and light dishes rather than full pizzeria experiences.
The best pizzerias with a lake view are on the mainland in Stresa, Baveno and Pallanza, where locals like to book a table too.
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Isola Bella is one of the Borromean Islands, only about 400 metres off the coast of Stresa. Since the 17th century the baroque Palazzo Borromeo with its terraced gardens has attracted travellers from all over Europe – a place of longing that stands for beauty, attention to detail and a Mediterranean way of life.
This passion for beauty is reflected in the food as well. In Stresa, Baveno and on Isola Bella itself, a dense pizza and trattoria culture has developed over decades. Around 18 well-rated pizzerias in Stresa alone bear witness to this – with wood-fired ovens, fresh ingredients from Piedmont and menus offering classics as well as regional specialities.
It's no coincidence that so many owners worldwide choose the name "Isola Bella" for their restaurants. It stands for a promise: real Italian cooking, a longing for the lake and the feeling of arriving in Italy for a few hours – whether in Kempten or on Lake Maggiore.
You want to combine your trip to Isola Bella with a real pizza experience. The following step-by-step guide helps you find the right pizzeria and coordinate it with your boat tour. Good to know: you don't necessarily have to eat on the island. You'll find particularly beautiful pizzerias and osterias on the shores of Stresa, Baveno and Pallanza.
Most guests stay on the east shore around Laveno-Mombello or on the west shore in Stresa, Baveno and Verbania/Pallanza. If you set off with Striga Constanze from Laveno-Mombello, you can enjoy pizza in the afternoon or evening in Stresa, for example – or relax back in Laveno.
Regular ferries and passenger boats run between the shores. The car ferry Laveno–Intra takes about 20 minutes; Stresa is reached by passenger boat, depending on the connection with a change. That way you stay flexible wherever your hotel is.
Eating right on Isola Bella has its charm: the setting with palace and gardens is unique. However, the options are limited, prices tend to be higher and the offer is very seasonal. In high season (July–August) it gets very busy.
On the mainland in Stresa, Baveno or Pallanza you'll find a much greater variety of dishes – from classic Margherita to creative black-dough pizza with salmon and rocket. The restaurants are frequented by locals too, which is often a good sign of quality. Guests consider the value for money fair and appropriate.
Our tip: Have just a light snack on the island at lunchtime, enjoy the gardens – and eat the real pizza in peace on the shore after the boat tour.
Real Italian cooking uses fresh ingredients. Pizzas are often made with a thin, crispy base and home-made dough – those are the features to look out for. Concrete criteria:
Classic pizzas on Lake Maggiore cost between €8.50 and €12.00 (as of 2026), depending on whether the location is right on the water. Pasta is served "al dente" with fresh sauces – tagliatelle ai scampi cost around €12.00, for example. An insalata rustica contains rocket, cherry tomatoes and Parmesan – or chicken in some versions.
Many restaurants open around 12:00 and take a break roughly between 14:30 and 19:00; the kitchen usually closes around 21:30–22:00 in the evening. Rest days vary from place to place – check opening hours in advance.
Your choice of restaurant combines perfectly with a boat tour on the Striga Constanze. Concrete timing examples:
The skipper knows the region and is happy to recommend authentic local pizzerias – no commission deals, just genuine tips out of loyalty to the region. On the 7-hour tour, a restaurant stop on land can even be built straight into the route: moor, eat, sail on.
Guests appreciate the choice of fresh pizzas and pasta – but it's the concrete moments of enjoyment that make a Lake Maggiore day unforgettable. The atmosphere is often described as cosy, friendly and relaxed.
Pizza on a quiet lakeside promenade in Stresa or Pallanza simply tastes different after a boat tour. La Rosa dei Venti, for example, offers a breathtaking view across the lake straight from the terrace.
Nobody rushes guests through the evening here. "Il dolce far niente" as the motto: time for antipasti, time for conversations with friends, time for a second espresso.
Cheese from the alpine valleys, local salami, vegetables from the markets in Verbania. Various pizzerias also offer home-made desserts that round things off perfectly.
Nebbiolo, Ghemme or local whites: the variety of Piedmontese wines goes wonderfully with pizza and fish. Ask for the house recommendation.
Sunset over the lake, the red gaff sails of the Striga Constanze still in view, then pizza with the family, as a couple or with friends. The pizzas and pasta dishes are considered fresh and delicious – the ideal finale.
Traditional gaff cutter, red sails, just your group. 3, 4 or 7 hours.
from €490
for up to 8 guests at a fixed price, up to 12 on request
The Striga Constanze is a traditional gaff cutter with its home port in Laveno-Mombello that takes guests privately to the Borromean Islands. Tours come in three versions: 3, 4 or 7 hours, for a private group of up to 8 guests at a fixed price, up to 12 on request – from €490 (as of season start, 1 March 2027). Destinations include Isola Bella, Isola Madre, Santa Caterina del Sasso and the shores of Stresa and Pallanza.
A typical day: boat tour with sightseeing – swim stop in a hidden bay – aperitivo on board – then pizza at a restaurant on the shore. No crowds, no time pressure, your own pace.
Bookable in the morning or afternoon. Ideally combined with lunchtime or evening pizza on land. Compact enough to fit in a stroll through town afterwards.
Light snacks and drinks are served on board. Afterwards a hearty pizza fits perfectly – your appetite comes all by itself on the water.
Here a restaurant on land can be built straight into the route: lunch in Stresa, for example, on to hidden bays, dinner back in Laveno. Plenty of time for a relaxed multi-course meal with antipasti, pasta and dessert.
In bad weather Striga Constanze tours can be rebooked free of charge – and your dining plans stay flexible.
Start with the “Sunset & Sea of Lights” tour, followed by candlelight pizza in a quiet trattoria with a lake terrace. Love, red sails and the scent of fresh dough – unforgettable.
Pizzerias by the lake are often considered child-friendly. Choose one with a simple menu, short waiting times and room to move. Combine your visit with a family pirate tour on the Striga Constanze.
Team building on the boat, followed by an informal pizza dinner on the shore instead of a stiff set menu. Popular dishes are freshly made pasta and pizza – a relaxed setting where the team can talk.
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Planning doesn't have to be complicated. Here are three concrete day plans as inspiration – adaptable to your wishes.
Not everyone needs the same thing – but everyone benefits from combining a day on the lake with a culinary highlight.
A private boat tour on the Striga Constanze is a fixed price for the whole group – no mental arithmetic, no hidden costs. Add the restaurant costs, which are fair and manageable on Lake Maggiore. You enquire about your tour without obligation via WhatsApp, phone, email or contact form; restaurant reservations are made online or by phone directly with the restaurant.
No-obligation enquiry, reply within 24 hours. Weekends in the 2027 season go fast.
In high season (July–August, holidays, weekends) a reservation is strongly recommended. Established places like Taverna Del Pappagallo with over 2,000 reviews are regularly fully booked. Match the time slot to your booked tour length and plan a small buffer. The skipper is happy to help estimate your return time.
Isola Bella trip, boat tour on the Striga Constanze, pizza by the lake – all possible in one day. Private and exclusive on a traditional gaff cutter with red gaff sails, at your own pace, with a culinary finale entirely to your taste.
Send a no-obligation enquiry for your preferred tour now and plan your pizza stop right along with it. The skipper knows the best addresses – from the cosy restaurant with a lake terrace to the small pizzeria where the owner kneads the dough himself.
No long-term commitments. Free rebooking in bad weather. Just lake, sails and the best pizza of your holiday.
Skipper of the Striga Constanze
Ciao! Questions about the route, departure harbour or date? Just message me – I reply personally.
