Venus

Venus Restaurant has a prime lakeside location, and there’s no denying that the view is the star of the show. Sitting out on the terrace with the water just steps away is a lovely experience, especially on a sunny day. It’s easy to see why people are drawn here — the setting is genuinely beautiful. Unfortunately, the food didn’t quite match the scenery. The menu reads well, but the dishes we ordered were quite average in both taste and presentation. Nothing was bad, but nothing really stood out either — just okay, which felt like a missed opportunity given the location. Service was polite and efficient but a bit impersonal. Staff were attentive enough but didn’t go out of their way to make the experience feel warm or memorable. It felt very much like a “turnover” kind of place — you’re there to enjoy the view, eat, and move along. Overall, Venus is worth a visit if you’re after a scenic spot to relax by the lake, but if you’re looking for a memorable dining experience, there are likely better options nearby. Come for the view, manage your expectations for everything else.

This was our tour groups final meal together. We were upstairs in a mostly private room with a beautiful view of the lake and San Guilio. Those that opted for the scallops all raved about them. Absolutely delicious. As for those that chose the fish, they enjoyed but it looked a bit more cooked than it should have been. One of the specialties of the region, risotto with blueberries, wasn't as big of a hit. Just something different to experience, but most of us prefer normal amazing risotto. A great way to end our group tour...but not our vacation.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch (the gnocchi and the prawn risotto) with an amazing view of the lake. The staff were very welcoming to us and our dog and very attentive. Such a lovely place and would highly recommend.

I was so excited to have an Nduja pizza on our quick stopover in Italy. What arrived on my table turned out to be the worst pizza I’ve ever had in a restaurant. It consisted of a few dollops of nduja (fine), a single cherry tomato (??), thick gratings of lemon peel (it was supposed to be zest), and most egregiously, cold, unmelted grated cheese on top. The base was fine but the bizarre variety of textures was honestly vile. The waitress didn’t ask how the food was - almost as if she knew the food was terrible. AVOID at all costs

We had lunch on a weekday as family, without reservation. We were able to get a nice table with beautiful lake view. Food exceeded expectations. Service was polite and efficient

Delicious food and lovely service. A short wait even though it was busy, the staff remembered what everyone had ordered and brought the food out at the same time and didn’t need a reminder of who had ordered what. Little details were great, like putting the espresso saucer over the cup whilst someone was away from the table to keep it warm for when they came back. I’ve been coming here with family for a few years, and it’s such a beautiful place to sit with an interesting menu. Will keep coming back, always have good memories of Venus.

This is a very nice evening experience. The view of the lake is stunning and creates a most romantic and delightful atmosphere. The food was good. Not outstanding but really good. We had the sea bass in salt for 2 which was a very good dish, although pricy. The pasta with vongole was good, and there was a decent amount of vongole, unlike previous experience reported here, possibly as a result of that review. Excellent gaspazio. An important tip: make sure to reserve a table as close as possible to the waterfront, if you are far away you will miss the best part of the experience. Coming early will help ensure that.

The service was quick, but the pizza was really bad. The red sauce just didn’t taste good. We ordered two glasses of Chardonnay, which were also terrible—barely drinkable and even fizzy. When we asked to cancel the wine, since no one mentioned it would be sparkling, they simply ignored us. Bottom line: I recommend you avoid this place.

One of the best meals I've had in Piemonte. Simple and delicious with a postcard picture view looking out over Lake Orta. Service was incredibly fast and attentive despite how busy the lunch crowd was, and of course extremely friendly. Bone Marrow Risotto: mouthwatering. I wish I had five stomachs so I could have kept eating it. Pumpkin Gnocchi: perfect fall dish filled with autumn flavors. Lamb: cooked to perfection, I only had a small taste as it was my spouse's main dish. But highly recommended. Overall, solid dining establishment that is worth going for a meal (or two).

Perfect lake front view and really good food Lunch at this location is very busy, a lot of people came to Orta just for a day trip and there are limited place has an lake front view. The service is really fast and the waitress was friendly. The food is not the cheapest but really good portion and really tasty. I had the bone marrow risotto it's the best risotto ever, and I had the lamb for the main, the meat is so tender and juicy, flavor is perfect and even the potato taste so good.

While the food and service are good, the views overlooking Lago d'Orta are truly outstanding and therefore worthy of any visitors' attention. Patio dining is encouraged during the warm summer months, especially in the late evening as the sun sets over the Italian countryside.

We just ordered drinks and dessert here but the view is amazing! When you order drinks, they give you a complimentary plate of prosciutto and cheese! I had their dessert glass (forgot the name) which had strawberries, blueberries with strawberry ice cream and whipped cream. It was pretty sweet, but felt great on a hot summer day.

Got into the village early afternoon. This restaurant was recommended. Looked at every menu in the village. Made a decision and reservations , went to dinner. Had a seafood salad that was spectacular. Then a pasta with mussels, beautiful. Main course with a fish fillet cooked perfectly. Lemon sherbet for a finish. Very nice dinner.

We had a delicious pizza. If only the silverware could match the quality of the pizza...

We got married in the church on the cliff overlooking Orta san Giulio - church of Madonna del Sasso and then returned to the village for the reception which we had in the upstairs of Ristorante Venus. From start to finish the whole experience was amazing. It was a leap of faith on our behalf booking this place but it seemed like what we wanted. The agent who was coordinating everything from Ireland initially recommended the restaurant as a nice place to eat. Best decision we made was to have the reception here. The staff were amazing, the food was delicious and the venue sells itself. We ate in the restaurant a couple of days before the wedding to suss it out and we knew immediately our guests would be in for a treat.

Good view & wine...that's about it. Went here NYE, for the €165 we paid the service and food was completely unacceptable. Very small lettuce and cold chicken salad (the cold processed style chicken), mixed fish and broccolli (sauce) watery gnocchi (gross) & then 6 mini desserts; looking around most people consumed 1/2. You're better off making one GOOD dessert than 6 half hearted ones. Anyway, very disappointed and won't be returning. They're lucky they have the view of the lake otherwise I highly suspect they'd have no customers.

There are some wonderful restaurants in this beautiful part of Italy - this is definitely not one of them! Pasta was overcooked and dry. My Rossini (a strawberry and Prosecco cocktail) was served warm and had obviously been sitting on the bar for a while! A tourist trap - definitely avoid!