Il Gatto Nero

Always special, I love returning here! Pearched high on the hillside w/ a magnificent view of the lake, Il Gatto Nero maintains it charm over the years. This cozy romantic restaurant goes unspoiled even after countless seasons of being a local and a traveler's valued spot. The service is always genuinely warm and engaging. Their cuisine is exquisite and artful presented. A perfect SPECIAL experience.

We had such a fabulous dinner at Gatto Nero! From start to finish, the experience was exceptional!! The food was absolutely delicious, and the wine selection was perfect. Our waiter gave us excellent recommendations, and each dish was better than the last. The atmosphere was charming, and the view made it all even more memorable. We highly recommend Gatto Nero to anyone visiting Lake Como it’s a must-visit for an unforgettable meal! (The perfect date night spot if you’re traveling with your significant other!!)

The views are unmatched…but the food comes close. We were grateful to eat here when we couldn’t find parking in Como Town and this restaurant had parking AND availability for a last minute reservation request. We all enjoyed our pasta with views of Lake Como, would def go again!

Good food with a stunning view! I went there with my family and had an amazing time. I love their asparagus creme Brule and the pumpkin soup. Their price is on the higher side, but giving the location it is understandable. If you're not on a tight budget definitely give it a try! Also, if you're traveling in a group, I suggest you book in advance.

Strange to see bad reviews of this place. We had an amazing experience - fresh and quality oysters, very well made octopus, the best panna cotta ever tasted, great wine selection and amazing service with pleasant staff. This place has to have a much better rating than it has - would return again and again :))

My wife and another couple had a lovely dinner at II Gatto Nero and it was a perfect ending to our last night in Lake Como before heading home. The food, ambience and service were all outstanding!! Our table had a spectacular view of the lake and everyone enjoyed the quality of the food and wine. The onion soup was incredible and the pasta excellent.

That was very strange and unexpected experience. I ordered salmon tartar for lunch and got chopped salmon without any other ingredients, without seasoning, nothing. It wasn’t a plate, it was one ingredient- salmon. In a chipped bowl. The waiter didn’t bring anything else to the table, didn’t even ask if I need anything, I asked for salt and olive oil, then he asked if I want lemon also. We also ordered ravioli and it was good, small portion but ok.

We had the pleasure of celebrating our wedding reception at I Gatto Nero, and it was an unforgettable experience. The service was absolutely amazing—the staff was incredibly friendly, welcoming, and attentive, making our special night even more memorable. As a lovely gift from our hotel, we received a complimentary bottle of champagne, which was such a thoughtful touch. The menu had a great variety of delicious dishes, and everything we tried was outstanding. If you’re looking for a charming and intimate restaurant with fantastic food and top-notch service, this is the place to go. We couldn’t have asked for a better spot to celebrate our special day and will definitely be back!

Ambience is nice and the food was good. Octopus was some of the best I've ever had. However the service was not very friendly, and the parking / logistics of getting there not easy. If you go take a taxi and also recommend making reservations far in advance (ie many months) if you want a good table. The window tables had been reserved 6 months before.

This meal was atrocious. I will never go back. Our server kept forgetting what we ordered and forgot to bring all our pasta dishes! The food was bland when it did finally show up, you can find much better elsewhere in italy. Dont be fooled by the nice view, we had a bad time and the restaurant clearly doesnt care about whether you are happy with the meal. This restaurant seems very hit or miss by the various reviews; I dont recommend you take the risk...

If this review prevents one person from eating at this restaurant, I will consider my life to have been well-lived. Please heed my words. I do not have the vocabulary to honestly convey how bad our evening was at Gatto Nero -- every facet of the evening (except for the lovely view of the lake and the company of good friends) was awful. Over my life of business and personal travel, I have never been to a restaurant that cared so little for its patrons. Our table of 4 arrived promptly at 7:30 pm -- at 9:10 we were still waiting for our first course. I am convinced that if we did not get up and complain to the manager, we would still be waiting for our food (four days later!). We couldn't get drinks or wine and had to keep asking for service. As for the food: the Mozzy Cat -- various items on balls of burrata -- was a ridiculous concept, poorly executed. In fairness, the tagliatelle with rabbit was quite good, as was the ravioli. The spaghetti with lobster was terrible. The main courses came 5 minutes before our car was due to pick us up. The branzino was dry and tough -- thankfully, it was a very small portion so that we could choke it down quickly. It only ruined a few minutes of the night and not more! The beef cheeks were awful and the veal was tough and dry. As bad as the food was, the service was worse. Our server seemed like a decent person trying to do her job but regardless: we could not get drinks or food -- two basic items in a restaurant! What sent me over the edge was the reaction of the manager. After over 90 minutes of waiting for a morsel of food (think Oliver begging for "more"), I went to the manager to politely (but directly) complain. She could not possibly have cared less. She looked right through me as if I were an apparition. I then realized that this must happen several times each night -- and she was immune to it. The patrons keep coming in (and they charge a cover -- please!) If you have read this far, please heed my plea and do not dine here. If you ignore me and eat at Gatto Nero, you have only yourself to blame.

WARNING: DO NOT COME TO THIS RESTAURANT. They charge you a cover fee that does not go towards your meal. We were never told about the fee until after we received the bill. We came with a baby and they charged for the baby too.There are much better places to go than to waste your money here. The food was not as good as I expected it to be.

We showed up at 7:45 on a Wednesday without a reservation since the restaurant was only a few minute walk from where we were staying. The hostess seemed surprised that we didn't have a reservation but we got a table right away. (High score) The view was great, it being on top of a hill. I saw reviews before coming here and still decided to try this restaurant. The waitstaff was mostly young people from where we were sitting. The food was standard (nothing I'll write home about, but still good). I was mostly disappointed in the way the customers were treating the staff. The customers were acting SO entitled. Two couples complained about the table they were seated at despite making last minute reservations. They were not nice about it either and refused to order food until they got a new table. The waitstaff handled every situation well (3 separate ones that I could hear from my seat) There was a young child (9-10 maybe?) sitting alone at a table eating a meal with her iPad and headphones on. Once she was done she went behind what I can only assume was the managers desk?? Bring your kid to work day maybe??

Don't book it if you're counting on a taxi or Uber. Made a reservation but could not get a ride from Como and ended up being charged $85 for it. I called prior to the reservation but it was not enough notice. Had no idea the transportation was such an issue.

What a disappointment! Though, my fiance and I will have a story to tell for years to come! The staff were so horrific in so many ways that we thought we were on a hidden camera show. We had one forceful server who made us order food before we got the wine menu. I do believe the somm was perhaps high. Another employee forgot our wine bottle order after we were finally able to make the order. Yet another employee, who's first day it was on the job, was forgetful and awkward. We couldn't help but laugh, especially, at how horrible the dry food was. Sadly, the family next to us did not take it in jest and had to have an unpleasant 10 min+ chat with the servers about how bad the service was. They forgot many of the families' meals. The restaurant is not decorated well, we couldn't see the views from the back of the restaurant and there was a child running around the restaurant and kitchens. DO NOT GO.

Went with a group of 4 during the off season, quiet but beautiful restaurant and view, even at night. Ambiance was great, until every 15 minutes they would turn the music to max to play happy birthday for someone, then restarted the playlist... (happened 4 times during our dinner). Fun at first, but got a little old for a nice restaurant. Was given a great wine recommendation, cheese plate was plentiful and a good mix, rest of the food was only okay. Beef tartare was under seasoned and plain, sea bass was over cooked and bland, ravioli was non-memorable, risotto was tasty but the only flavor was Parmesan. Fun night and beautiful restaurant, but if you're looking for outstanding food, look elsewhere

Delicious food, beautiful views make for a very romantic dinner. The wine steward recommended a delicious white wine from Sicily.

The view is amazing! The ambiance was nice but the service... we've arrived at 8.10 pm and it was 10 to 10 and still the main course had not been served. I can understand it is a small kitchen but the distribution of the food should've been better. Waiting for more than an hour for the main course after anti pasti has served doesn't make sense. Also the staff is diligently ignores the table to gain some time. 2 hrs for a dinner should be enough but it's been 1 hr and 50 minutes and no main course. Usually I am a very tolerant person. But in a restaurant which requires reservation beforehand should be able to manage to oversee the tables and the orders. In 2 hrs we've only managed to get the antipasti and the apperetif cocktails. Quite disappointed since this place has been advised us being a very good and professional business. The service shows the opposite unfortunately.

The view was absolutely spectacular, the service was excellent and humble, and the food and drink was everything we could have wanted. I highly recommend this restaurant for its location, ambiance, and people. Yes, it was expensive and you receive the highest quality dining experience, from start to finish. We will dine here again on our next visit to Como.

Went to the black cat last night, party of 6. We arrived (parking is tough) and the mgr was kind enough to change our table. Ambiance is a 5 star, views from about everywhere were spectacular. Great music, lighting, table setting. Espresso martini and drinks were great!Waiter wanted our full order after taking dink menu, "for the kitchen". Veal with tuna whip was excellent, meat and cheese was ok, basil gnocci very good, others were avg at best. We then waited at least an hour for main dishes, which were relatively bland and sized for an infant. Veal fillet, had a silver dollar sized piece of meat, excellent gravy over a table spoon of mashed potatoes and 1 small leak. Beef dumpling was just spinach with a hint of beef. Only desert that was ok was the apple cake. Very memorable, but not in a good way.

The view is beautiful and one of a kind . The food is average at best and expensive. I would go there for the view but not the food .

Complete and utter mediocrity. The food presentation was amazing, but frankly we've had much better at some of the local restaurants for 1/10th of the price. Branzino was mushy and bland. Service was the lowlight. Sat at our table for 35mins before anyone acknowledged us (and it wasn't that busy) rude waiter we had to essentially beg to get to come over and take our food order.

An incredible lake view from most tables, outstanding cuisine, not to be missed if in the area. Parking is tricky, the meal is expensive, and all well worth it!

Spectacular food. Friendly staff. They accommodated us even without a reservation which the highly recommended. The views are spectacular.

The restaurant was so inviting and cozy with a beautiful view of Lake Como. The waiter was very courteous and was so efficient. We were under dressed but we were welcomed in spite of that nor did we have a reservation. There were mostly locals dining there. The food was fantastic. I do recommend this establishment. We had a very enjoyable dinner for our first evening in Italy.

Il Gatto Nero, the most famous and popular dining in Como, was the most breathtaking view anywhere in the world sitting at a table, almost falling off a mountain and into Lake Como. As seen by the pictures, there is no words that could match what you look at while you are drinking great Italian wine and being with friends that you can share this with. When we walked in, you see from up top a mountain, down to the long side of the lake and more mountainous trees everywhere around you. Nestled in these trees are the beautiful old Italian homes of the Lake Como area. You can't help but not to put the camera away. We sat down and during the shock and awe of the beauty, ordered our usual two kinds of wine" Chianti and a Tuscan Cab. Every wine we have had the opportunity to drink has been amazingly different and all of them were tastes I have never had before in Italian wine. Beautiful bouquets and fruitful flavors. Of course the bread came and bread sticks. This bread was softer and better than most of the bread servings we have had. My wife and I split another outstanding Risotto dish with fresh lime. The risotto in Italy is unbelievable. Always made with a lemon or lime zest , juice and and fresh herbs. This one was just as amazing as our first night at home. This menu is a must split. My wife had a flavorful Branzino, filleted and fresher than any I have had back home of course. I ordered the Rack of Lamb. Was kind of disappointed in the portion of meat on this rack as well as the flavor. It was just OK. My friends ordered quite a bit of this dish and also the Lasagna, which was pretty good. The Lamb Rack was " average at best" according to one of my friends. We all ordered desert which was either Cram Brule or sorbet. The consensus was among 11 of us was that the food was average, but NOTHING can beat this scenery from anywhere. Back to the décor. Not only was this the only dining room, but since Il Gatto was build into the mountain, as you go down, their are SEVERAL small dining rooms below, and one more beautiful than the next. The walls , the tables, the whole place was perfectly, warmly, romantically set with nature all below you and finally The Lake viewing longways looking north. A MUST EXPERIENCE. In regards to service. we have found that nothing is quick here. The servers get tipped very little and a basically paid a salary so you never get the service you would expect at 90 percent of the restaurants, except for our previous night's dining experience. They take their time with everything and sometimes mistime the food. To get the check is even a challenge. But unlike the United States, you learn to accept that, relax and enjoy you surroundings. Chill and enjoy. I so very sorry that I could not get myself to give this a 5 start rating. The food held it back unfortunately, but take the atmosphere SERIOUSLY,, gave that a 10 star if their was one, and that is why I will be back. The staff was friendly, the wine was outstanding and the atmosphere is a picture. A MUST GO

This place is amazing. Fantastic views and even better food.

Great food, spectacular views of the city, unfortunately no "George" sightings. Food was delicious and the service good. Parking, not so good, but worth the extra effort.

A little intimidating to get to, given the narrow streets of Cernobbio, but well worth the effort. Elegant dining high above Lake Como with breathtaking views, spectacular food and excellent service. The risotto with pumpkin and taleggio cheese was exceptional (my wife had that) and the Trofie pasta with sea bass, olives and capers (my choice) was fantastic. Great wines by the glass. Make the trek and enjoy!

The restaurant with the most amazing views in Lake Como. Food is to die for and the service exquisite. Ambiance upscale and prices not exagerated. Every time I am in the area I visit them . Truly a d highly recommended

Highly recommended by our friend, exceptional view and fantastic food. I had three course starting with raw prawn with burata, risotto with crab and dill and Canadian lobster with spinach and bean purée. Everything was perfect. My hubby ordered pasta with beef ragu (pictured) just mouth drooling and sea bass with vegetables was delicious. I would suggest as the first choice as romantic night out. Definitely coming back. The mural in front of restaurant and menu cover with bunch of cats represent restaurant 's name well, I thought that's cute.

Great view! Great view! Great view! On my recent trip to Lake Como, I was recommended to go to Il Gatto Nero (The Black Cat). The restaurant is situated on the hills of Cernobbio and has a wonderful view. The parking is a serious issue. Such that, they have assigned a car just to help you on this. When you come to restaurant, a car guides you to a nearby parking space. And once you park your car, it takes you back to the restaurant. Very helpful. Given season, we sat outside. But I have seen few tables sitting inside as well. The only thing that really stands out for this place is the view. We have ordered antipasti, and primi piatti. They were all nice but somehow shadowed with some other food we ate at other establishments. This does not mean they were bad - but rather they were not special. I had risotto as a primi piatti. The risotto was very well made. A safe choice for everyone. But to be frank it didn't stand out. As a main, I had veal with fois gras. The veal itself was very tasty. Not the same can be said for the combo. As a closing, I had Tiramisu. Which was good but not standing out. I want to make sure that my expectations were very elevated during this trip. Therefore I still think it deserves a 4 star. It's a great location.

Whenever I'm in a new town, I normally ask locals where they would have their best friend eat if they only had one evening in town. When we did this in Cernobbio, the folks at the hotel all said, Il Gatto Nero. We drove up the side of the mountain and parked our rental as best we could on the narrow road. Our waitress spoke perfect English so I asked for her recommendation for someone who would probably never get a chance to eat here again. Without hesitation, she offered risotto with shrimp cooked in champaign. Hmmm. I have had risotto a number of times and it was always blah but she sounded so sincere, I went for it and I could not have been more impressed.In fact, I consider it the best meal I have ever had - at home or in a restaurant. Really! In fact, I had another trip to Italy for a magazine assignment and made sure to make my way back to this place. The waitress we had last time wasn't there but I ordered risotto and this time, they cooked the shrimp with curry - yes, curry. It to was amazing. When I returned home, I asked my favorite Italian place to make me a plate of risotto and shrimp cooked with wine. The chef is a friend and he said he could do it, no problem. Unfortunately, it was a sad rendition of the same dish. Water? Shrimp? Technique? Who knows? The bottom line is the meals I have had at Il Gatto Nero were the best I have ever had and if I could go there now, I would be sitting by the window, gazing out at Lake Como and smiling with a rich bowl of risotto on the table. Best restaurant meal I have ever had... Period! Highly recommended - maybe a bucket list restaurant.

A perfect dinner for our 30th anniversary. Champagne. Candlelight. Excellent service. Extraordinary food. HH had the deer. I had sea bass. Lovely wine menu. Dress code more business casual than formal. Terrific views.

The food is great and the surrounding is lovely. Top of the mountain with nice views. Quaint small restaurant in Como.

One of the most over rated places I have ever been. Portions are small,quality is average (the risotto was over cooked) and it took 3 hours to eat. Very slow service.

Truly amazing!!! The food was delicious. Every last bite from the chefs taster to the foie gras, gazpacho, seafood spaghetti and the tuna tartar. For dessert, the white chocolate soufflé was exquisite. The service was beautiful. As if that isn't enough, the views of the lake made it a surreal experience. We honestly didn't have any expectations. This place is a jewel and I recommend it highly. We will be back again some day for sure.

Fine dining at its best! Everything was utterly delicious! The staff was attentive and gave great suggestions. The location is definitely out of the way but worth the curvy drive. As a foodie, this service and quality is what sends me home happy and makes it all worth the adventure. The view is spectacular!!

This is a lovely restaurant and a real treat. The views are great but there's also substance; excellent food and a real fine dining experience. We dined on foie gras, veal cheek, fresh tuna and tart tatin. The wine list is vast and extra special too with a huge selection of wines from across Italy sure to meet everyone's budget. This place needs to be added to your Lake Como 'must do' list. And make sure you make a reservation!

Delicious restaurant!!! Extremely captivating! Congratulations to Chef Andrea who is leading a successful and amazing restaurant. The ambiance here is truly romantic, cozy, great for gatherings, very intimate and I truly feel that IL Gato Nero has a Michelin Dish! The scallops with caviar are my nominated dish. It's amazing. Thank you chef for an amazing meal and for showing us a great time at your restaurant!

Only go there for the vie food is sup par. The fogra is good all else whatever. View is spectacular

Excellent view of lake Como. The food was quite good too. We tried the Milanese style veal, gnocchi, seafood fettuccini, and for appetizers foie gras and beef carpaccio and like them all. Nothing particularly spectacular but nothing to disappoint either. If I had to complain I could say that the veal could have had some veggies beyond potatoes to balance the carbs and protein. For desserts we had the soufflé and the tiramisu. They both could have been better. The real issue is with service which was really slow and imprecise. Please improve your service since you have such a spectacular location!

An excellent restaurant. Food -- very good quality and variety. For entree, I had the raw beef and my friend had the duck salad. Both were very good. But the best were our mains and dessert. The beef fillet and pork apple and cinnamon for mains. And tiramisu and apple pie for dessert. My friend got two servings of the tiramisu - that just shows how much she enjoyed it. Plus, the chef was so chuffed that he gave the second for free. Wines -- really good quality wines to match and complimentary aperitifs and dessert wines. View -- just amazing! For the views alone, Gatto Nero is worth it. Ambience -- such an beautiful building with twists and turns and many levels. Acoustics were very good too. Service -- the service was fantastic! Not one fault could be found. Price -- really quite reasonably priced for what we got. Less than €150 for 3 (and a bit courses) with wines for each course for two people plus a tip. Gatto Nero is a must go!

Very good and friendly service; amazing views and nice food which was pricey...

We were anxious to try this highly rated destination. We saved it for our last night in Como. The setting is beautiful and the view is extraordinary. Service was very attentive without being intrusive. We were there on a Sunday night and my guess is the chef was at home with his/her family. Our meals should have been extraordinary but they were not even ordinary. My starter was dry and lifeless duck liver. My main course the Canadian Lobster came accompanied by a medley of sauteed onion, celery, potatoes and tomato. The onion completely overpowered the lobster an unfortunate combination. My wife had steak tartar that had no discernable seasoning or ingredients just plain raw ground beef. Very disappointing. Her starter squid ink risotto was decent but again not exceptional. I'm sure our meal was not representative of this restaurant, but it was our one and only experience. We left heartbroken as we fully expected this would be the pinnacle of our visit to Como. We are not inclined to make a scene or complain loudly but we certainly showed our disappointment. We frequently dine at highly respected venues around the world so we know fine cuisine and we are both accomplished cooks in our own right. Enough said. I'm sure our experience is not the norm here. On a positive note, the wine selections were very appropriate and broadly based from varied appellations.

I found the view to be beautiful. It was well worth the drive up. I enjoyed the food, the owner is sociable and charming and overall had a very fun evening.

Went here with 2 other couples and all of thought the view was spectacular. The food was ok. The scallop octopus appetizer was high priced and very little portion. My wife was happy with her sea bass. The fettuccine ragu tasted like the beef was out of a can, with limited flavor. The lamb chops were average at best.

This place has decent food for a tourist trap. Nothing really stood out to me though. I'm sure I could've found better Italian food in Lake Como and closer to our hotel. Their parking does not exist. We had to park a mile away and have one of their workers give us a ride to the restaurant. He was very sweet and nice. This place was extremely crowded when we got there, with guests waiting out front. We had a reservation so we were seated almost instantly... in a squished, cramped table in the back. I'm not picky about seating if I'm getting stellar service. But this was not the case for our visit. It took 15 minutes for our waitress to come by to ask what we would like to drink. The waitress then ignored us some more and when we asked if we could sit in another area , rolled her eyes and basically said no. We took our inquiry to the manager who moved us to the outdoor seating, which, (no surprise here) was cramped AF between other tables on 3 sides. Not what I would classify as a fine dining experience.

On 6/2/15 The view is really great but the food was disappointing. Not exaggerating, my breaded veal went back almost untouched and I didn't want anything else. I would like to have the restaurant owner taste what the chef prepared. If I owned it he'd be fired. They had a good bar and good service. We're staying at Villa d'Este and so far it's very nice but I was hoping for a good restaurant off-site. Tomorrow night is dinner at The Veranda. I'm crossing fingers.

Go for the view but stay for the food! Our concierge recommended this to us well in advance of our visit and we got a reservation which I'd highly recommend. Awesome view....go before it gets dark and you'll see some of the best views possible of Lake Como. We went a bit early as the place does get crowded (and with good reason). Service was excellent....they do get busy but we never felt ignored or anything of the sort. We had a delightful server who was very engaging. The food is terrific...all of our dishes were terrific. It felt a bit more formal than other spots but that is certainly the feel they want. No need to dress up or anything but you do see some beautiful people in the place....very trendy. You can see why George Clooney calls this his favorite spot...it's a great stop to eat.

Absolutely a beautiful view, food was good, but 5 Euro to sit when your bill is 130 Euro, and that is with only a couple of glasses of wine and an appetizer and main....really..... no need to ever go there again! A shame really because it is the closest restaurant to us. Just really bugs me when they charge you to sit!

Great spot with food that was just as phenomenal as the view. Recommend the gnocchi, prawn appetizer, risotto and the steak! Wash it all down with a super tuscan and your night is complete.

overrated. tables too close to each other. stunning view and average food. by average i mean good but too pricy (three slices of eggplant with cheese=18EUR and three lil balls of icecream=14EUR). when getting the order from the table next (15cm) to mine the waiter was kinda screaming WHAT DO YOU GUYS WANT? (and bumping my shoulder) not exactly the kind of mood i was expecting. make sure you book in advance and ask for a table with room around. really a tourist place (i live in como must say) who follow the word of mouth. one can eat better for half of the price with an equally stunning view. overall: overrated. average food. too pricy.