The story
Chef Marco Veneruso leads the kitchen at Hotel Splendide Royal in Lugano, grounding his Italian-Ticino cuisine in recipes from his native Campagna and Amalfi coast. He pairs these southern traditions with regional products like Terreni alla Maggia lotus rice and fresh catches from Lake Lugano. His approach earned a 16-point rating from Gault&Millau for 2026, noting how he cools fresh pasta in chilled bowls during warm months and marinates Mediterranean anchovies for twelve hours. Pastry chef Alessandro Franchi, recognized by Forbes Italia among talents under thirty, completes the brigade alongside executive chef Stefano Granata.
The menu shifts between light summer plates and deeply braised meats without losing structural clarity. Cold spaghettini served over an ice bath demonstrate a deliberate cooling technique, while the Wagyu brisket requires a twelve-hour braise at seventy-two degrees before reaching the table. Rabbit ragù fills delicate plin stuffed with büscion goat cheese from nearby valleys, and plum wine-braised Ibérico pork arrives with crispy skin. Desserts follow the same measured approach, relying on precise temperature control rather than excessive sweetness.
Guests dine inside spaces defined by classic elegance and expansive glass walls that frame the Ceresio water. A winter garden extends the seating area year round, transforming into an open terrace when summer heat arrives. Service maintains a formal standard, with maîtres wearing black ties even when temperatures climb past thirty degrees. The layout encourages unhurried conversation while keeping the lake view constantly visible from every table.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
Of course, within Lugano’s somewhat weathered city palace, you will also find oysters, caviar, foie gras terrine, or a kilogram-heavy “fish of the day” baked in a salt crust. Yet chef Stefano Granata has another mandate: his menu must feature a distinct “touch of Ticino.” He achieves this flawlessly in his primi courses. For instance, the plin are stuffed with büscion, a goat cheese from the surrounding valleys, while the lasagnetta comes with a rabbit ragù. The risotto is truly excellent: perfectly cooked lotus rice sourced from Terreni alla Maggia in Ascona, paired with a flawless bisque and a few drops of lemon juice for freshness—the lobster slices on top served merely as a garnish. The pikeperch was caught just outside the restaurant’s doorstep in Lake Lugano. It was accompanied by a first-rate champagne beurre blanc, elevating the pikeperch to a permanent fixture on the menu. We were less impressed by the Ticino-style main course: a somewhat heavy and slightly dry young bull veal roulade sourced from the hotel’s regular butcher in Sorengo. The charred leek accompanying it was a good idea, but the onion glaze was not—the sweet “onion gelato” certainly added color to the plate (pink!), but delivered no real enhancement. Other options include pork pluma or Bresse squab. You should definitely indulge in dessert, as the hotel’s patisserie is first-class. During peak summer, service takes place on the stunning terrace overlooking the lake.
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