The Grotti of Ticino

A grotto in Ticino began as a cellar cut into rock or built against it, where cold air kept wine and cheese through the summer. Over time families opened them up, set granite tables and benches under the chestnut trees outside, and started serving what they already had: polenta cooked slowly, sausages, braised beef, small fresh cheeses in oil, and merlot from the valley poured out of glazed ceramic jugs. They still work that way in the side valleys, though the ones near the lakes have grown into something much closer to a full restaurant. Whole valleys are dotted with them, the Valle di Muggio and the Malcantone among them, usually up a narrow road and shaded all afternoon.

What you actually see

• Polenta and braised meat - the standard plate, cooked slowly and served in quantity.
• The granite tables - stone tables and benches under chestnut trees outside the cellar.
• The boccalino - the glazed ceramic jug the local wine arrives in.
• The valley grotti - the Valle di Muggio, Malcantone and Verzasca keep the plainest ones.

When to go

Late spring to early autumn, since the whole appeal is eating outdoors in the shade and many close over winter. Weekday lunches are calm, while Sunday lunch is a family institution that fills every table, so book at weekends. Ticino in August is hot enough that a shaded stone table at midday is the only comfortable option going.

Honest expectations

The grotti closest to Lugano and Locarno have been polished into ordinary restaurants with grotto decor and a car park. The genuine ones sit up narrow roads with no public transport and no English menu, and they close on unpredictable days. Portions are heavy, the choice is often two dishes, and cash is still preferred in places.

Nearby

Lake Lugano and the Verzasca and Muggio valleys run in every direction from them.