I Due Sud

High quality cooking

Of course, within Lugano’s somewhat weathered city palace, you will also find oysters, caviar, foie gras terrine, or a kilogram-heavy “fish of the day” baked in a salt crust. Yet chef Stefano Granata has another mandate: his menu must feature a distinct “touch of Ticino.” He achieves this flawlessly in his primi courses. For instance, the plin are stuffed with büscion, a goat cheese from the surrounding valleys, while the lasagnetta comes with a rabbit ragù. The risotto is truly excellent: perfectly cooked lotus rice sourced from Terreni alla Maggia in Ascona, paired with a flawless bisque and a few drops of lemon juice for freshness—the lobster slices on top served merely as a garnish. The pikeperch was caught just outside the restaurant’s doorstep in Lake Lugano. It was accompanied by a first-rate champagne beurre blanc, elevating the pikeperch to a permanent fixture on the menu. We were less impressed by the Ticino-style main course: a somewhat heavy and slightly dry young bull veal roulade sourced from the hotel’s regular butcher in Sorengo. The charred leek accompanying it was a good idea, but the onion glaze was not—the sweet “onion gelato” certainly added color to the plate (pink!), but delivered no real enhancement. Other options include pork pluma or Bresse squab. You should definitely indulge in dessert, as the hotel’s patisserie is first-class. During peak summer, service takes place on the stunning terrace overlooking the lake.