Trattoria Vecchia Malcesine

Just amazing. We just let the Chef do what he did best. Yeah… That was a menu option!
And we ate it all.
The ambiance was wonderful and tho the portions might look small, the number of different dishes, I lost count at 10… Easily several meals and then some! And the flavor spectrum was HUGE!
No kidding.
So many variations on traditional themes and some really outstanding new presentations, it was a great adventure I hope to take again!
The service was top shelf, every course had a story, and we were treated like we we’re the only people there but we weren’t at all!
The chef came out just to make sure we were enjoying taking his journey and it was wonderful to be able to thank him personally. Truly an artist.
What a culinary pleasure. Okay I am done typing check out the pics!

World class! Vecchia Malcesine is a gem of a currently unknown (at least on Unilocal) fine dining experience. I almost am reticent to write a review because it somehow feels as if this hidden secret, completely tucked away behind an ancient stone wall and accessible through a beautiful garden, is best left to be discovered without the aid of the Internet!
To put it in perspective, this is one of the best restaurants I’ve been to around the world (San Francisco, Hong Kong, Sydney, Unilocal phenom the Poke Shack, etc.). We decided it did not rank as high as French Laundry but the fact that it came up for discussion is noteworthy.
The restaurant itself, perched on a hill, has a gorgeous view of Lake Garda and is essentially in a modern glass box tucked next to a stone house which is the kitchen.
The service was impeccable, some of it from the head chef himself, and the dishes exquisite. Plating was a work of art, for each course. We had a five course prix fixe menu but you can also order a la carte. See photos!
Reservations are required I believe but we got ours several days before (in May which is not peak season).

Das Restaurant ist gut versteckt zwischen den Strassen und Gässchen Malcesines. Der Zugang zum Restaurant ist über einen schönen Vorgarten erschlossen, das Haus wurde dezent restauriert und eröffnet einem eine wunderschöné Aussicht auf den Gardasee. Das Essen wird kunstvoll aus lokalen Spezialitäten zubereitet und schmeckt lecker. Das alles hat allerdings auch seinen Preis. Für Freunde der gehobenen Küche die gerne mal was anderes als Pizze und Lasagne essen wollen.