The story
I Due Sud is the fine-dining restaurant within the Hotel Splendide Royal, a five-star property overlooking Lake Lugano. The restaurant’s name hints at its culinary orientation — a meeting of southern influences, expressed through a Mediterranean lens. In 2026, I Due Sud was awarded a Michelin star, a recognition of the kitchen’s consistent high quality.
The restaurant sits inside the historic Splendide Royal, a hotel that has long embodied classic elegance. The dining room offers views of the lake and the distant Alps, a setting that is both cosmopolitan and serene. The atmosphere is refined but not stiff, with a service style that matches the hotel’s tradition of warm hospitality.
The kitchen focuses on Mediterranean and international cuisine, drawing on the rich produce of the region and the traditions of southern Europe. The menu changes with the seasons, and the wine list — curated from the hotel’s own cellars — complements the dishes. I Due Sud also offers a set lunch menu, making it accessible for a business meal or a relaxed afternoon by the lake.
The Michelin guide describes I Due Sud as offering “high quality cooking.” The star places the restaurant among the top dining destinations in Ticino, and it is a key part of the Splendide Royal’s wider gastronomic offering, which includes the more casual La Veranda and the Belle Époque bar.
The restaurant is open for dinner, and during summer months, outdoor seating on the terrace allows guests to dine with a direct view of the lake. Private dining and event catering are also available, reflecting the hotel’s expertise in hosting banquets and celebrations.
I Due Sud is a destination for those who appreciate precise, ingredient-driven cooking in a setting that feels both luxurious and genuinely welcoming. The Michelin star is a testament to the team’s commitment, but the real draw is the experience of dining on the shores of Lake Lugano, with food that honours the Mediterranean’s best traditions.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
High quality cooking
Of course, within Lugano’s somewhat weathered city palace, you will also find oysters, caviar, foie gras terrine, or a kilogram-heavy “fish of the day” baked in a salt crust. Yet chef Stefano Granata has another mandate: his menu must feature a distinct “touch of Ticino.” He achieves this flawlessly in his primi courses. For instance, the plin are stuffed with büscion, a goat cheese from the surrounding valleys, while the lasagnetta comes with a rabbit ragù. The risotto is truly excellent: perfectly cooked lotus rice sourced from Terreni alla Maggia in Ascona, paired with a flawless bisque and a few drops of lemon juice for freshness—the lobster slices on top served merely as a garnish. The pikeperch was caught just outside the restaurant’s doorstep in Lake Lugano. It was accompanied by a first-rate champagne beurre blanc, elevating the pikeperch to a permanent fixture on the menu. We were less impressed by the Ticino-style main course: a somewhat heavy and slightly dry young bull veal roulade sourced from the hotel’s regular butcher in Sorengo. The charred leek accompanying it was a good idea, but the onion glaze was not—the sweet “onion gelato” certainly added color to the plate (pink!), but delivered no real enhancement. Other options include pork pluma or Bresse squab. You should definitely indulge in dessert, as the hotel’s patisserie is first-class. During peak summer, service takes place on the stunning terrace overlooking the lake.
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