Malenco

The story

Malenco: Alpine Cuisine with Mediterranean Flair in Chiesa in Valmalenco

Ristorante Malenco sits in Chiesa in Valmalenco, nestled among the Alps, a family-run restaurant that has been welcoming guests for more than thirty-five years. Here, the kitchen bridges two worlds: the hearty traditions of Valtellinese cooking and the bright, clean flavors of the Mediterranean and fresh seafood. It is a combination that earned the restaurant a Michelin Recommended nod — recognition of the consistent quality delivered by a team where each family member has a defined role.

The dining room is generous, with windows that look out over the Valmalenco valley. The atmosphere is both relaxed and refined, the kind of place where you can settle in for a long lunch or an evening that stretches late. The wine cellar is a point of pride, with over two hundred labels, most from the region, ready to complement whatever lands on the table.

Start with an antipasto: sciatt e cicorino, the classic buckwheat fritters with cheese and bitter greens, or listarelle di bresaola with Bitto cheese, porcini mushrooms, and a hint of hazelnut. The kitchen also turns out a fonduta di Bitto e Casera with buckwheat crisp and black truffle, and a delicate foie gras scaloppa with grapes and balsamic ice cream. For primi, the pizzoccheri della Valtellina are exactly as they should be, and the manfrigole valtellinesi — a local pasta — are not to be missed. The gnocchi di zucca with Taleggio foam and chiodini mushrooms are a gentler, vegetarian option.

Main courses range from grilled beef tagliata to braised lamb chops, but the kitchen shows particular skill with game: a medaglione di capriolo with orange sauce and dark chocolate, or the slow-cooked pork belly with apple sauce. Seafood appears throughout — salmon marinated with mango and passion fruit, grilled trout from the valley, and a changing selection of sea fish.

The tasting menu, called Valtellina, offers a curated journey through the region’s staples — bresaola, sciatt, pizzoccheri, manfrigole — with a surprise dish from the chef, and can be paired with three glasses of local wine. It is a fine way to understand what this kitchen does best: Alpine flavors, treated with Mediterranean lightness, anchored by a deep respect for the valley’s ingredients.