In early September 2024 I returned to visit where my wife and I lived for around 10 years (1974-1984). I decided to stay at a small hotel called Il Sole de Ranco on Lago Maggiore.
This choice was simply based upon the fact that when we lived in the region this was one of the better restaurants, ideally suited for celebrating birthdays and anniversaries.
At lunch I was honour to have the visit of an old friend from Milan, however I will first look at the hotel and then the restaurant.
The hotel
I booked directly with the hotel, but on Booking the hotel in noted as a 4-star and scored 9.3 (Excellent) from 457 reviews, with a 9.8 for the staff. The key feature is the position and the views over the lake, however for some people the rooms were a little dated (but others liked the “antique” decor). On Tripadvisor the hotel received a 4.5 (Excellent) with 204 reviews.
Finding the hotel
The hotel is situated in Ranco a small town sitting on the shore of Lago Maggiore, located about 60 km from Milan. My car gps had no problem finding the hotel, but I had seen on the mapping software that the hotel had a separate private car park below the gardens. There was a small path that passed by the pool and accessed the restaurant terrace.
I actually went first for lunch with my friend, and only checked in later. Many of the photos on the web show check-in in the main building, however I found the reception in a side building. Give that I walked through the garden from the parking I’m not sure where the “main entrance” is or what it looked like. Also I can’t comment on accessibility issues.
In fact the feature image seen in the header is taken from the Web, and there appears to have been some modifications, which will be mentioned later.
All the way through my stay the staff were present, friendly, but not overly intrusive.
My room
I had booked a simple room, i.e. not with a lake view. The room was on the first floor of the main building (seen in the post feature photo) and my first impressions were quite positive.
My very first impression was the low-tech simple key, no electronic access cards, etc., but the room did have up-to-date electrics, etc.
My second impression was of a very large bedroom, and a very traditional country-style decor. I’m not a fan of this type of “dated” decor, but that is an issue of personal taste.
From the practical viewpoint, the room was spacious, very clean, and appeared to be quite functional. Positives were the good wardrobe space, the good-size table with two chairs, and the separate sitting area with the divan.
Without commenting on the decor I do feel that a little more could be done about the pictures. The black and white prints did not add anything, and I would have preferred some more colourful, floral paintings or prints. I did think that the carpet was an excellent choice, and in many ways “made” the room welcoming. Also I’m not a fan of additional textiles (throws, cushions, etc.) on the bed, and cushions should never be placed as diamonds. Not using more colourful cushion options on the seats and divan was also an opportunity lost (in my opinion).
I think my two photos correctly transmit the “positives”, but there were some practical negatives. Firstly the lighting options were poor, and as evening set-in the room became a little dark and dull.
I had to call reception because the TV didn’t work. The cleaner had touched some of the cables and there was no signal. This problem was quickly resolved, but for some reason the image quality was poor. They said this might be because the wind was upsetting TV reception! Perhaps more importantly you could not watch TV from the divan, and there were no reading lights nearby.
Another problem was the “wall safe”. A small low-tech key came with the room key, but my problem was that the safe itself was not big enough for a laptop, and furthermore was placed very low down in the wardrobe. There was plenty of space in the wardrobe, and there is no logical reason why clients have to get down on their knees to use the safe.
The most important point was that the mattress was too soft and dipped slighting in the middle. I woke with a slight back pain. I would strongly suggest harder mattresses with a good topper. I did notice that in the wardrobe there were additional cushions and duvets.
A final point concerned the view. I appreciate that I had not booked a lake view, but this should not stop the hotel from ensuring that the view was pleasant. This was a shame because the room had a small balcony with seating.
The bathroom
First impression was of a very large, well fitted and elegant bathroom. The towels were excellent, but the bathmats could have been a little bigger.
The only negative comment I would have concerned the shower. In the photo we can’t see that the shower is not deep, and not quite as practical as might be expected.
I did notice an attempt (not sure if explicit) to use less plastic. But there was still some work to do, with flip-flops in a plastic bag, and plastic water bottles.
Breakfast
I’ve seen some photos of an excellent looking breakfast buffet, but also there were reviews mentioning that breakfast was served at the table. There was one comment that a 4-star hotel should offer a breakfast buffet.
Also there are numerous photos of the room seen above, but used as a sitting and reception area. It would appear that a central door has been created, and now it’s the breakfast room overlooking the terrace and the view over the lake.
I came down exactly at 07:30 and the tables were set with a small bottle of Mirtillo Nero Selvatico (wild black blueberry), and the usual set of small jams (but including Nutella). I had to go and find someone, who then took my command. I was asked if I wanted cheeses-cold meats, eggs, etc. I picked omelette and a cappuccino. I asked for some well cooked bacon, but that was not on the menu.
Service was rapid, and a tray arrived with a small (but excellent) bowl of freshly prepared fruit, a low-fat yogurt, some breads and pastries, some butter, two small muffins, and my cappuccino.
I’m not sure what would have happened if I had asked for a freshly pressed orange juice, and I was not asked about the yogurt, breads, pastries and muffins.
My overly liquid omelette arrived quite quick, along with salt and pepper. The omelette was a bit tasteless, but the salt and pepper helped. I should have asked for a well-cooked cheese omelette.
As expected in Italy my cappuccino was perfect, nice and strong.
I breakfasted rapidly, and check-out was painless. I left before 08:00.
The restaurant
I arrived in time for a lunch appointment with an old friend who drove from Milan. I chose this restaurant because in the years 1974-84 my wife and I would occasionally eat there. I can’t really remember much about those visits, but this time I was happy to find a table on the terrace, with a view over the lake.
Tripadvisor has a separate entry for the restaurant, giving it a 4/5 (382 reviews), and placing it first out of five restaurants in the village. The restaurant also figures in the Michelin Guide with the mention “cuisine combines the traditional and the modern, including imaginative flavours with a focus on locally sourced ingredients”.
The staff left me in peace to wait for my friend, but they could perhaps have suggested an aperitif, although they did serve a large bottle of sparking mineral water.
The terrace is divided in two parts, separated by the stairs leading through the gardens from the lower car park. Each side is covered with plants and awnings.
On the day of our visit there was also a marriage being hosted on one side of the terrace (Thursdays are considered the least expensive days for wedding celebrations). The 40-odd guests clearly enjoyed themselves, but the service at our table was perfect. Our side of the terrace hosted in all 11 guests for lunch.
My guest does not drink, so I ordered a glass of Champagne (12€). It was not served in a flute, but in the wine glass already on the table. However, it was a very abundant serving, and much appreciated.
We both ordered the same dishes, and the meal started with some small appetisers. They were four little tastings, and went well with my Champagne.
The starter was Vitello Tonnato (veal with tuna sauce), which is usually associated with Piedmont (Ranco is actually in Lombardy).
The dish starts with a layer of thinly sliced boiled veal, and the tuna sauce can be presented in two “classical” ways, either covering entirely the meat, or as a slightly thicker sauce spooned over part of the meat. I prefer this second option because you can then see the quality of the veal offered. It is served cold, and is an excellent summer starter. It is often served with a few capers, which are also an ingredient in the tuna sauce. It’s possible to either fully blend the tuna into the sauce, or leave the tuna in small pieces creating a subtilely different texture in the sauce.
I was less than impressed with the “mess” that was presented. Firstly the veal and tuna sauce was dumped on a pile of salad, and secondly some cut olives were added along with a few capers. I didn’t like the olives and had to remove them, and I don’t think the salad added anything to the dish. The Parmesan chips were a nice addition, but this dish did not convince. The veal was nice, but the tuna was not particular present in the sauce, and the salad made the whole dish look un-elegant.
We had not planned to take a first course, but there was an oddly entitled “Ravioli alla Carbonara” on the menu. We decided to each take a half-serving. As you probably know that ravioli is a traditional food in Italian cuisine. They are a type of stuffed pasta comprising a filling enveloped in thin pasta dough. The shape is often square, though they can also be circular or semi-circular (mezzelune). They are usually served in broth or with a sauce, and the filling is often ricotta cheese and spinach.
On the other hand Carbonara is a pasta dish made with fatty cured pork, pecorino romano, and eggs. It is typical of the Lazio region of Italy, but can be found everywhere. Spaghetti is the most common pasta, but rigatoni or bucatini are also used. While guanciale, a cured pork jowl, is traditional, some variations use pancetta, and outside Italy lardons of smoked bacon are a common substitutes.
I found the name of the dish a bit pointless, but both the presentation and taste were agreeable.
I haven’t included a photo of the main course, but we took Grilled Pluma Iberian. This echoed the fact that Monique and I spent our winters in south Spain. With Iberian pig, between the Iberian aguja (neck) and the lomo (loin) is the presa, which is considered the finest cut of Iberian pork. Two well-marbled 600 gm cuts of presa are usually obtained from each Iberian pig. Two smaller 100 gm cuts known as pluma are obtained from beneath the presa.
The dish was served with three small meat pieces. I was not that impressed with the irregular shapes because it makes cooking difficult, but one of the pieces was perfect (the other two were edible). The overall presentation and taste was acceptable, not more.
Dessert was suggested by my friend, and was a Peach Tarte Tatin and Cream Ice Cream. Taste Tatin is a pastry in which the fruit (usually apples) is caramelised in butter and sugar before the tart is baked. It’s often presented upside-down with the caramelised base on top. Here we have a total re-invention, with an added warm caramel sauce. Excellent, very tasty.
The Vitello Tonatto cost 25€, the ravioli 15€, the Iberian Pluma 30€, and the dessert 15€. I took a glass of Barbaresco, which was unfortunately unmemorable (7€). We finished with coffee and mignardise.
Conclusion
My stay was driving by factors not directly related to the hotel itself. I’m not likely to stay there again, but I would not exclude eating again on the terrace in the summer months (but not in winter).
