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Lido 84

Gardone Riviera

Subverting Italian stereotypes in a stunning setting

On the Pass

Riccardo Camanini

Pastry Chef

Hazel Fabros and Gianluca Colucci

Unconventional Italia: Lido 84 serves quintessentially Italian food – just not as you know it. Years of research into local ingredients, old recipe books and international cooking techniques, combined with a penchant for art in all its forms and a deep-held belief in putting the customer first, have turned Riccardo and Giancarlo Camanini’s restaurant into a masterpiece.

The historic location: The restaurant is perched over Lake Garda in a charming old building that was once a lido – in Italy, a beach club for vacationing families. The Camaninis bought the building in 2013 and transformed it into a restaurant, with the dining room now dotted with eclectic pieces of art. When the weather is good, tables are set up on the terrace outside, directly overlooking the lake’s tranquil waters, with Giancarlo as the warm host ensuring each client feels looked after.

Signature serve: Riccardo, the chef half of the duo, is known for constantly adding new dishes to the tasting and à la carte menus based on his latest findings. However, a few recipes have gained semi-permanent status, the most famous of which is the Rigatoni Cacio e Pepe en Vessie. An almost poetic ode to craftmanship and the highest-quality products, it sees the pasta cooked in a pig’s bladder in a process that must be assessed blindly, touching the bladder to judge whether it may be ready. The bladders’ juices, gently shaken by specialist cooks, form an emulsion with the cheese, lending perfect creaminess to the final dish.

Swift rise: Lido 84 made its mark on the global culinary scene in 2019, when it was chosen to receive the One To Watch Award. It then debuted on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2021 at No.15, picking up the Highest New Entry Award – with this year seeing it nab the No.12 position.

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