Italy- Lake Orta

Frances I've not been to Orta, but I did a bit of searching and found that at least one well-regarded restaurant appears to be open daily except Wednesday:


http://www.ortainfo.com/ristoroolinainglese.html


I've no info on these two but they are also open; listed in Guide Michelin:


1. http://www.hotelbussolaorta.it/restaurant_ita_ted.html

2. I DUE SANTI, Pza Motta, Orta San Giulio

Hi F,

>Are there restaurants which will be open in Orta at that time and if not how far will we have to drive to find a selection?<

Your hotel should be able to help you.

Here is a link to our visit to Lake Orta, which might give you some ideas of what to do.
Ira Returns From 22 Loverly Days in Europe - Sep, 2009
http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/ira-returns-from-22-loverly-days-in-europe.cfm

Enjoy your visit.

Frances:
looked in my journal of a stay in Orta San G. at the
hotel-on-the-lake (Hotel Orta) and found a possibility for you located in town (a very small town, at that)...Orlina...charming little place on a narrow, ped-only lane perpendicular to the square... excellent food choices. Bob the Navigator, another Orta fan, can probably verify this choice if he sees the thread.

A few doors down from Orlina, there is a small marble plaque telling of an Italian-Jewish Doctor Mario Levi and his son Roberto who were hidden by the townspeople to avoid arrest by the occupying Nazis. They were finally discovered and transported to a K-camp where both perished.
To this day, the town places fresh flowers in the vase attached to the plaque.

It's also pleasant to drive the short distance(30kms) to Lago Maggiore at Verbania, take the ferry out to Isola Bella and Pescatori. Note: The Villa Taranto Gardens across from the ferry dock/kiosk is laden with colorful flower/plant plots..a lovely walk-through.

Enjoy the relative tranquility of Orta as opposed to the other more crowded lake choices in the district, IME.

stu tower

if we ever return to Lake Orta, we would stay at Hotel San Rocca, a lovely place on tne water. We were unhappy at Hotel Bussola where we had to take half board. The owners were not Italian which may have been part of the problem. The food was there was veey pedestrian and we and our friends ended up using the half board for lunch or appetizers.

Thank you for all this info.I see two recommendations for eating at la Bussola. I wonder whether "Orlina" mentined by Stu is the same as "Olina" turned up by ekscrunchy? The picture on their website reflects just how I feel about holidays recently-just out of reach!
Its pleasing also to see that happy Trvlr likes San Rocca.
Its 43 years since I last visited the Italian lakes-I saw the moon landing in the Hotel Iffigenia in Torbole on Lake Maggiore.It was then the hottest place I'd ever been in my life and its not been surpassed by many since!

Yes, we love Orta and have stayed there 4 times. However, the Hotel Orta is now closed---I hope not forever.
The name is Olina--also a B&B---and has good food. The San Rocco is the only 4 star in town on the water but I have never been overly impressed. I am sure there will be other options for food, but March is off-season. Heer are images:

http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/showgallery.php?cat=4173

I provided the names of 3 open restaurants in my first post above. I looked at a few others and one appeared to be closed in March.

Sorry..NONE appeared to be closed in March!

Our trip to Orta was a BIG success.
Some of the not so obvious advantages were that we were able to get a direct flight from our local airport which took about 2 hours, that Orta is an easy 1 hour drive from Malpensa and we already had our euros from our abortive trip to Guadeloupe.
The Hotel- we stayed in the San Rocca which had been recommended to me. This hotel was swish and comfortable and had had a very expensive makeover. The rooms were dark(intentionally) but had small windows. I would have been fairly unhappy there in summer to find that I couldn't get out on to a balcony. Now that was our fault because whereas we booked a lake view I hadn't thought that getting outside would be an important part of a stay in March.There were rooms with balconies but they did not come as standard.
However the location of this hotel was outstanding and I spent a long time looking out of the window. It seems to be the only hotel actually on the lake.
The mountains were topped with snow and the hotel breakfast room was designed to make the best of the view. The brteakfast was wide ranging and good with a lovely whole taleggio (amongst many other things) on offer every day.
The hotel did not have a focal point. The car park is the access point into the building from the road down the hill. The rest of the hotel is reached from there by a walkway over the narrow street. There is an entrance off that street which takes you into the lounge and dining room but the area was fairly deserted. Quite a lot of day trippers walked up this road as far as the hotel and I found it really odd that there was no menu here. I never saw a menu for the dining room and so we didn't eat here.
There was nothing at all wrong with the hotel(except that we couldn't adjust the heating and so slept with the window open). Whereas I'd have no hesitation recommending it I was saddened to see the closed Hotel Orta which Bob mentioned which to my mind must have been the centre of all tourist action when it was open.If it was open when I returned I think that would be my choice.

Food- we arrived mid-afternoon and bought a large sandwich from a deli just off the square. It was walnut bread with crudo and Gorgonzola. Very welcome. After wandering around we decided to have some beer and went in to the restaurant to the left of the boat landing as you stand and look at the water. People had been sitting outside here all afternoon but it was now getting cold. This hotel serves a locally brewed beer which was quite lovey (but expensive). A plate of nibbles came with the drinks which we couldn't finish but they were good.
That night we went to Olina. This was almost full at about 8pm but we got a table.
We had a freebie cocktail to start with a secret ingredient. Then we had a freebie amuse-bouche which was quite sizeable(you can probably see where this is going). Because we had had lunch so late and had nibbles with our drinks we had chosen off the menu carefully so we wouldn't be too full. We had both forgotten about Italian freebies (even though we had been in Italy last September).
By the time our first course arrived we were already full but manfully ploughed on. Thankfully I had ordered grilled chicken for my main course but couldn't finish it. Then came the freebie pudding! This was outstanding. It was a profiterole filed with orange flavoured liquer cream with a wafer thin slice of dried blood orange by way of decoration. Full as I was I polished it off.
This was a very very good meal and we decided that we would pay a return visit(only we would starve for the day next time). It didn't actually happen because we found other places which attracted us but I wouldn't hesitate to go here if its not full.
The second night we went to I Due Santi. The town was deserted at night and lots of eating places which had been open in the day were closed. Still stuffed from last nights experience we ordered carefully to leave room for the freebies. We weren't offered any! However we had a lovely meal. I ordered a seafood salad to start which was a mixture of warm prawns and squid and white fish and anchovies in a dressing. For main course I had ordered the fish soup which turned out to be the same fish mixture but in a very well reduced and seasoned stock. Lemon sorbet to finish and I was one happy bunny. My husband was also very happy but I can't remember what he had.
The third night we went to Enoteca al Boeuc. This had an "enoteca " menu but not to be missed. We started by sharing a platter of meat and cheese. Then I had a bagna cauda which I had never tried before . I quite liked this but my husband was not keen. He had sausages in Barolo which in a weeekend of good food took the prize. Wonderful. Then he followed it with what was billed as apple tart. It was more of a cake than a tart and was fab! I had chocolate salami which was a chocolate and biscuit mix and would normally have been great -until I tasted my husbands apple tart!
So "Most memorable food" -Enoteca al Boeuc-also the surroundings and atmosphere. However that is out of three very good places.

We didn't make the Bussola even though it was at the top of the approach road to our hotel. As you can tell though I was very happy with the food we had

The rest-I loved Orta. I was saddened that not many people live there now and wondered whether people commute to Milan?It is not generally featured as a weekend break destination from the UK but it is easily accessible.
We walked up to the Sacro Monte, took the boat over to the Isola, walked around the edge of the lake and drove around it and to Lake Maggiore.We also tried to watch Wales playing Italy at rugby on the TV but the picture was poor. Never mind we won anyway.
The weather was crisp and clear for two days and we were able to sit out at cafes.
A great choice. Thanks to all who helped influence what we did.

Fran..happy it went so well. Sorry to hear that The Hotel Orta has closed..they DO have lovely terraces off of their ground floor rooms. Yes, Olina is the correct spelling..reading my scratchy notes it's a wonder I got it almost right.