La Costa… Where Football and Food Keep Como Traditions Alive

When you enter Trattoria La Costa in Albate, you walk into a piece of Como history.

Betta, who runs the business with her husband Ivan and their sons Mattia and Manuel, has nurtured three generations of Como tradition.

“La Costa was founded in the early 1900s by the Nessi family,” Betta says. “Here, in the old suburbs of Como, people were hard-working and needed someone to feed the people. Our trattoria was born that way: from the genuine needs of the people.

“Here you can still breathe the tradition of Lombard cuisine: a family atmosphere and that sense of welcome typical of true trattorias of the past.”

A glance at the walls and you will see it is also a small museum dedicated to Como 1907.

“Our family has supported Como for three generations,” Betta told the club website. “We have memorabilia from the 1960s, 80s, 2000s… and today. Ivan saw (Diego) Maradona twice at the stadium, scoring two penalties, albeit generous ones. Historic jerseys, pennants, scarves, photographs… for us, they are pieces of life. Today, we carry on the tradition: we’re always in the stands cheering on our colours.”

That passion permeates the restaurant and intertwines with the aroma of the dishes, the warm wood of the walls, the voices of the customers, a cuisine that speaks the local dialect and a menu that changes with the seasons.

“Lake Como offers us so much: fish, cheese, meat, vegetables. Our cuisine is home-style, authentic, like the cuisine of the past,” says Betta.

“Among the signature dishes are grain soups, homemade gnocchi, the famous La Costa pennette – spicy, with two types of cheese, tomato, oregano, and a secret recipe passed down from grandmother – then mixed boiled meats, game, braised meats, goulash, ossobuco, elephant ears… with polenta taragna accompanying everything, just like in the olden days.

“We also offer themed evenings with dishes that are almost impossible to find anymore: tripe, Misstultít, polenta uncia… these are flavours that express who we are.”

And dessert is a ritual.

“Don’t make me choose the best one: there are tarts, apple pie, our humble cake, strudel, crème caramel. All homemade, just like in the old days,” Betta explains.

The restaurant also boasts a vast cellar, passionately curated by Ivan, a professional sommelier.

“We have over a hundred carefully selected labels, from local producers to small treasures from each region,” he says. “Naturally, we give a special focus to Valtellina wines. And, if you like, you can also purchase bottles with custom gift packaging.”

Over the years, more and more travellers have discovered this true corner of Italian cuisine.

“Many foreign guests come here to find something authentic,” Betta says. “When they tell us that you can feel the real Italy here, it’s the greatest satisfaction for us.

“They call us a small, authentic trattoria, a warm and welcoming place where you eat like family. An English guest wrote to us that, on a rainy day on the lake, he hopped on the train, arrived in Albate… and said it felt like walking into a Wes Anderson film.”

Other guests, returning after years, still remember every dish.

“They tell us they still talk about the cured meats they had never tasted before, the pasta that changed their very idea of ​​Italian pasta,” Betta says proudly.

“Somebody wrote, ‘It felt like eating at the home of an Italian family who only wants you to feel good’. A phrase that moved us deeply.”

“Welcoming people, making them feel good, making them feel at home: this has always been the heart of La Costa.”

Address: Via Feliciano Ninguarda, 19, 22100 Albate

Open: Tue and Wed, 12pm-2pm and Thu-Sat, 12pm-2pm and 6.30pm-9pm