Walk 10 minutes from Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia back into the heart of Como and you will find L’Ora Della Pasta, a tiny restaurant that captures everything you expect from authentic Italian food – fresh, handmade and with a family legacy.

This is not one of those glossy lakefront spots that trade on the view; it is smaller, simpler and infinitely more real.

Inside, L’Ora Della Pasta feels warm and familiar. There’s no pretence of fine dining – just wooden tables, a mezzanine level with a view of the pasta machines, and the rhythm of water boiling in the open kitchen.

The story begins, as the best Italian tales do, with family. The owner, Stefano, a lifelong Comasco born in 1986, grew up surrounded by flour and rolling pins just a few blocks from where the restaurant stands today. “I’m a pasta maker,” he says. “I learned from my father.”

Fifteen years ago, father and son opened a small shop selling fresh pasta – tortellini stuffed with pumpkin, silky ribbons of tagliatelle, ravioli plump with ricotta and spinach. Locals would come in to buy the pasta and soon began asking to eat it right there.

So the business adapted, and the concept evolved: you choose the pasta, and I’ll cook it for you straight away. Simple, fresh, and made before your eyes.

What began as a humble deli has become one of Como’s most beloved eateries, a place that fills up fast at lunch and earns the loyalty of locals and travellers who stumble upon it.

The Soul of the City

Como has always balanced two souls – the local and the cosmopolitan. Around the lake, jet-setters linger in villas and five-star hotels. In the city, life unfolds more modestly: a morning market, a football match, a late lunch among friends.

L’Ora Della Pasta is at the heart of this second Como. “We provide mostly for the people who live here,” Stefano says. “And also for the tourists – we work well at the tourism level.”

TripAdvisor reviews describe it as “the best pasta in Como,” “like eating in an Italian home,” “a small miracle of freshness.” But words only go so far. What you remember more than the flavours, is the warmth: the smile at the counter, the advice on which pasta and sauce to pair, the sense that you have stumbled into something genuine.

During the football season, the little dining room becomes a crossroads of energy. Fans drift over from the stadium, blue scarves around their necks, sharing bowls of steaming penne all’arrabbiata before heading back toward the lake. “Even when Como was in Serie B, there were many tourists on Sundays,” he smiles. “They went on away trips and came by.”

It is the kind of place where conversation flows easily, between locals catching up on gossip, visitors asking for recommendations, and Stefano himself often chatting from behind the counter.

A Local’s Lake Como

Like his food, the owner’s view of Como is rooted in authenticity. “The towns on the lake, more or less, I’ve been to all of them,” he says. “Tremezzina is very nice. Como is also beautiful, but there in Tremezzo you are more out at sea.”

When he wants to feel like he’s on holiday, he drives to Menaggio. “It’s a little different there,” he says. “You can do sports like kitesurfing.” On other days, he walks up to Brunate, a hilltop village overlooking the lake, where the air smells of pine and the light seems sharper.

There’s no rush in his voice. No need to escape. Como, with its greenery and water, offers enough. “I don’t go to Milan often,” he shrugs. “But it’s close.” Everything Stefano needs is here.

The Next Chapter

Father to a young daughter, Stefano’s eyes light up when he speaks of continuing his legacy. “Playing with the Como women’s team in the future? Yes, she could – why not.”

It’s a tender image, a new generation growing up among flour and football in a lakeside town that still feels like family.

And perhaps that’s what L’Ora Della Pasta captures best: not just the art of making pasta, but the art of belonging to a place, to a craft, to a way of life.

So when you find yourself in Como, skip the glitz for a little while. Follow the smell of simmering sauce down a quieter cobbled street. Inside, you will find not just a meal, but a story that lingers long after the last bite.

If You Go: L’Ora Della Pasta

Getting There:
L’Ora Della Pasta is in central Como (Via Armando Diaz, 36), a short stroll from the Sinigaglia and the lakeside promenade. It is easily reached from Como San Giovanni station – perfect for a post-train lunch or pre-match dinner.

What to Order:
Don’t overthink it! Choose your pasta at the counter and let the team suggest a sauce. The tagliatelle al ragù is a house favourite, as is the ricotta-spinach ravioli with butter and sage. Both are packed full of flavour and melt in the mouth. And you can get both with two soft drinks for under €20.

When to Go:
Lunchtimes are lively and the restaurant closes at 7pm, so plan for an early dinner.

Nearby:
The Duomo di Como and the city’s boutiques are within easy walking distance. Stroll the lakeside or take the funicular up to Brunate for panoramic views.

Insider Tip:
In summer, arrive early! Seats fill quickly, and the day’s pasta can sell out by afternoon.