Re Lear Ristorante in Malcesine (Lake Garda), Italy

Posted by Rowena Dumlao - Giardina 8/07/2016

Re Lear Ristorante in Malcesine (Lake Garda), Italy

Ombrina Marinata al Forno con Purè di Patata Viola, Germogli di Verdure del Baldo, Croccante di Riso e Gocce di Campari (Baked Marinated Shi Drum with Mashed Violet Potatoes, Shoots of Vegetables from Mount Baldo, Crispy Rice and Campari Drops)

If you like small ancient towns by the lake like Malcesine, then let me just tell you that you are not alone because apart from the throngs of tourists I walked along the streets with, there are also hundreds of foreign couples who programmed their weddings in the same place this summer. In fact, just for a few hours that I was there, two weddings were taking place one after the other. Indeed, Malcesine is one of the most enchanting towns in Lake Garda (Lago di Garda in Italian).

Malcesine is a quaint small ancient town that dates back from the Etruscan period at 500 B.C. that lies at the eastern shore of Lake Garda, the largest lake in Italy. It had a long history of occupation afterwards from the ancient Romans until the Langobards. The village remained intact and beautiful with its narrow cobblestone alleys, medieval buildings and small squares.

Its most prominent landmark is the Castello Scaligero which was built between the 5th and 6th centuries. It's like walking back in time in the narrow streets of the town and the best thing to do is just lose your way in the streets, browse the shops and eat in one of the restaurants in the town.

Being a small town, Malcesine has quite a number of restaurants to choose from with beautiful positions. I didn't want to waste our only lunch in the town so I resorted to the internet for the right place days before arriving. After a little bit of researching, I came up with Re Lear Ristorante.

It is situated in Piazza Cavour, a charming small square dominated by a big sprawling tree in the middle. There are indoor and outdoor seating but on a warm, sunny day with a slight breeze under the shade of the tree, a table in the square was nothing short of fantastic.

The protagonists behind Re Lear Ristorante are proprietor Andrea Zani and Chef Rudi Flaim. Both believe in utilizing the wide range of natural ingredients that their land yields. With the nearby mountain and lake, the possibility to create dishes is endless. Nature is like a giant market where the ingredients are for free for everyone to enjoy and with the help of the creative hands of an excellent chef like Rudi Flaim, you can get to know what Malcesine is all about.

With the dishes of Chef Rudi, you can sense the individuality of the ingredients while at the same time, they take part in harmonious combinations of flavors. A three-course fresh summer meal paired with a delicious local white wine exemplified what Andrea Zani refers to as Made in Malcesine.

A Tutto Astice (Whole Lobster)

Millefoglie di Luccio e Patata Dolce con Spuma di Patata e Fiori di Zucchina Fritti (Mille-feuille of Pike and Sweet Potato with Potato Mousse and Fried Zucchini Flowers)

Bucatini all'Amatriciana di Lago Rivisitata (Bucatini all'Amatriciana of the Lake, Revisited)

Trittico di Dolci (Triptych of desserts)

"In un'epoca in cui fortunatamente si pone attenzione ad argomenti quali biodiversità, ecosostenibilità e genuinità del cibo, le erbe sono la risposta made in Malcesine."

- Andrea Zani

"Di fronte a tutto questo ho datto a una nuova fase professionale con piatti innovativi che esplorano unicamente materie prime del territorio."

- Rudi Flaim