Just a couple of minutes walk up the slope from the banks of Lake Orta is Villa Crespi, a luxury hotel housed in a Moorish-style villa built in 1879 built by a successful cotton trader (Mr. Crespi) who spent a lot of time in Baghdad, Iraq, sourcing new products. It was turned into a hotel in the late 1980s, and since 1999 Antonino Cannavacciuolo has been head chef at the restaurant, with his wife Cinzia running the front of house.

At the back is an extensive garden with a view over the lake, where you can have a drink on the terrace before dinner. There are three sections to the dining area, including a few tables overlooking the garden. Tables are well spaced, laid with high quality white linen.

As well as the à la carte menu, guests can enjoy a choice of tasting menus, including the 'Carpe Diem', which is more relaxed and meant to highlight the chef's ideology. The other tasting menu is 'The Italian Route from North to South', which sees traditional ingredients from Antonino's homeland mixed and matched with those from Piedmont, creating a fantastic combination of flavours. The final tasting menu is called 'Off Road'; a real foodie’s menu which is the perfect showcase of all Antonino has to offer. Wine buffs will be thrilled with the extensive selection available, and the sommelier will always give you a handwritten list of all the bottles you've tasted as a memento at the end of your meal.

The interior of the restaurant is as grand as the magnificent building, with crisp white tablecloths, elegant chandeliers and long, flowing curtains. The Persian décor adds an intricate point of difference, with high, beautifully decorated ceilings and artistic doorways throughout the villa. The village surrounding the restaurant is just as stunning, and you’re only a few steps from the magnificent Lake Orta.