Where flavour “resides” – Quercus is the restaurant at Tenuta de l’Annunziata. It provides a distinctive dining experience with a menu based on traditional and Mediterranean cuisine
by Emanuela Ferro – photo by Paolo Picciotto
A genuine family-run agritourism estate offering five-star hotel amenities: it might seem like a contradiction, but this is the successful concept behind Tenuta de l’Annunziata.
Opened in 2013 after extensive renovation, it boasts a large wellness centre and is set within a scenic woodland with a bioenergetic trail. This sophisticated resort – nestled in the hills and featuring a neo-Gothic turret converted into a romantic suite with an adjoining panoramic lounge – has quickly gained recognition as a sanctuary of luxurious relaxation. Just a few kilometres from the estate, in the Olgiatese region, lie the farm’s livestock enclosures, vegetable patches, and orchards (ranging from blueberry to hazelnut groves), which supply much of the produce served on the table, either fresh or transformed into preserves, juices, and digestifs (also forming the basis of the spa’s cosmetic products). A close bond between the land and the kitchen lies at the heart of the restaurant project, which from 2024 will be led by the internationally renowned chef Domenico Ruberto, who has brought his team on board for this new venture in the hills of Como.
Among the signature dishes are beef tartare with potato crisps, courgette flowers stuffed with ricotta, wild mushrooms, and Mediterranean sauce. There are also tortelli with panzanella, grilled eel, acacia honey, raspberry vinegar, and flambéed crêpes Suzette. The dish not to be missed is the duck with pumpkin, sour apple, and Jerusalem artichoke crisps.
To reflect not only the seasons but also the cycles of nature and the vegetable gardens, the menu at Quercus restaurant offers a daily special alongside the à la carte selection. Among the starters, there is rice, in winter in the classic combination with pumpkin (though the provola cheese and liquorice hint once again at the South), stuffed tortelli and the utterly delicious potato gnocchi designed to please all palates (made without eggs or flour). The Milanese-style veal cutlet is a staple, although all manner of meats arrive from free-range farms (from guinea fowl to quail and capon), enhanced by the chef’s traditional French techniques. Whitefish, zander and char are the stars of the fish dishes, all strictly sourced from the lake.
Ruberto, originally from Calabria but with two decades’ experience in the Swiss hotel industry, was the creator of the Michelin-starred gourmet restaurant at the Hotel Splendide Royal in Lugano, which, to reflect its essence, was named I due Sud (Calabria and Ticino united in his cuisine). Having stepped down after 18 years as executive chef on Lake Ceresio, he brings the rigour and organisation of the historic grand hotel across the (very nearby) border to oversee all aspects of the farm stay’s catering services in a highly professional yet decidedly more relaxed setting. The central theme is the local area, featuring farm-fresh produce, but that’s not all: the menu also showcases the finest produce from across the region, including lake fish and cheeses from local dairies. We’re back on home turf with the wines: Gutturnio, Ortrugo, Bonarda and Barbera from our own vineyards in the Piacenza hills. Whilst in the warmer months service takes place on the spectacular terrace, nature remains the star of the show indoors too, thanks to the panoramic veranda surrounded by greenery.
Tenuta de l’Annunziata overlooks the lush green hills surrounding Lake Como. It was established over ten years ago following a prestigious restoration project. An old, abandoned property has been transformed into a Natural Relais featuring elegant rooms and suites, a wonderful wellness centre and a gourmet restaurant: the ideal place to rediscover your connection with nature, forgetting for a moment the hustle and bustle of city life and the fast pace of the modern world.
(Quercus, Tenuta de L’Annunziata – Where flavour “resides” – Barchemagazine.com – Excerpted from Barche, May 2026)
