Enjoy breakfast in Locarno at La Palma au Lac

Every day should begin with a hearty breakfast. It lifts your mood, gives you energy and lays the perfect foundation for the day ahead. Whether you are staying at Hotel La Palma au Lac on business or for pleasure, the breakfast buffet at Ristorante La Palma offers you a wide range of local products. Treat yourself to a superb breakfast in Locarno.

Waking up and having breakfast in Locarno at Hotel La Palma au Lac

It is not only the food that helps you get off to a good start. For a relaxing all-round experience, we offer our guests lake views from both the hotel and the restaurant. You look straight out over Lake Maggiore while fuelling up for the day – both at the table and in your mind.

Make the most of this unique location from the moment you get up. Our 73 rooms and apartments offer guests a relaxed atmosphere. After a restful night, you wake up feeling refreshed. Air conditioning ensures the ideal room temperature. If you wish, reception will be happy to give you a wake-up call.

This way, you can start the day just as you like. In your private bathroom, wrapped in a soft bathrobe, you can get ready at your leisure – whether you are visiting Locarno for pleasure or on business.

When you are ready to head to our breakfast buffet, you will find a selection of local specialities. Our products are delivered by local suppliers and producers. We also offer classics such as muesli, bread rolls, milk and jams. Our guests' breakfast habits vary widely, and we aim to cater for them as fully as possible.

Which local specialities does a breakfast in Locarno offer?

In Locarno you can enjoy typical Ticino cuisine, which has its roots in the pre-Alpine Lombard tradition. This style of cooking is also reflected in the breakfast buffet. Serving classic dishes in modern versions is a hallmark of our Ristorante La Palma.

Polenta and risotto

Polenta and risotto are considered the region's signature dishes. Around 150 years ago, maize found its way into Ticino cuisine from Italy, via Lombardy. Before that, polenta was made from millet or buckwheat. It was a classic side dish among the region's farmers and remained the staple food in Ticino until the Second World War.

After that, however, eating habits changed. Today, restaurants in the region are rediscovering these dishes and bringing them back to life. Try them as a hearty breakfast, too. Risotto, on the other hand, is less suited to the morning. Even so, it is a famous and much-loved dish that you should definitely try at lunch.

Coffee from Locarno

For many people, however, the one thing breakfast cannot do without is coffee. Switzerland is generally regarded as one of the biggest coffee consumers in the world, with the Swiss drinking an average of three cups a day.

In Locarno you will find Caffè Carlito, a local coffee roastery that truly knows its craft. Strong coffee, which you also know as espresso, is often served after a meal. But at breakfast in Locarno, too, you can look forward to delicious coffee specialities.

Ticino breakfast bread

Ticino breakfast bread, also simply called Ticino bread, is a white bread that became widespread in the 20th century. Thanks to its shape, the individual pieces are easy to break off. It gets this shape because the dough is divided into six parts, which touch again as they prove and form a single loaf.

• The pre-ferment consists of:
• 100 grams of water
• 100 grams of white flour
• 10 grams of sourdough starter

The ingredients are combined in a bowl, stirred and left to stand for eight to twelve hours. The following ingredients are then added:

• 210 grams of water
• 480 grams of white flour
• 10 grams of fresh yeast
• 12 grams of salt
• 3 grams of baking malt
• 30 grams of olive oil

Everything is left to rest for another hour and then divided into twelve pieces – enough for two loaves. The pieces are placed close together on a baking tray in two rows of six and left to rest for a further 50 minutes. Finally, the bread is baked in the oven for a quarter of an hour.

There are various versions of Ticino breakfast bread, and the recipe sometimes differs from family to family. Some people, for example, also add honey to the dough.

Ticino cheese

The Alps are right on the doorstep – and with them, lush meadows in full bloom. This is where the cows spend the summer, grazing mainly on alpine lovage, plantain and clover. These herbs give Ticino cheeses their distinctive flavour and are the perfect finishing touch to a breakfast in Locarno.

Besides cow's milk, goat's milk is also used here to make cheese. The very distinctive taste of goat's cheese is becoming increasingly popular. As a fresh cheese, it makes a perfect base for sweet jams. This way, guests who prefer a less savoury breakfast are well catered for too.

What can you expect from a breakfast in Locarno?

Locarno lies in Ticino, at the southern tip of Switzerland. Spending your holiday here feels almost like a stay in Italy – and this is reflected not only in the local cuisine. The mild climate and the Alps right on the doorstep provide the basis for varied agriculture.

Ticino is even home to one of Switzerland's few rice fields – at the Terreni alla Maggia estate in Ascona, for example. Such a wide variety of produce shapes not only the agricultural landscape but also the culinary one. So it goes almost without saying that our breakfast buffet relies on food from our region.

It is not just milk and eggs that find their way onto the breakfast table. The Mediterranean-influenced cuisine also shapes breakfast in Locarno. Meat has a long tradition here. The good, balanced diet of the cattle can be tasted not only in the cheese but also in the air-dried meat made from it.

But cattle farming is not the only thing with a long tradition in Locarno. Those who do not want to go without meat can also choose salumi, a cured meat speciality originally from Italy that made its way to Ticino. Here, pork plays the leading role.

At Hotel La Palma au Lac, it is our job to pamper our guests in every way – and the culinary diversity of our region must not be overlooked. Discover the authentic cuisine of Locarno.

The perfect breakfast in Locarno – just the way you like it

On Sundays, a lie-in is a must for many of our guests. When you do finally start your day, you face an important question: is there still time for breakfast, or should you wait for lunch? So that you don't have to worry about it, we serve brunch on selected Sundays and on special occasions – the perfect blend of breakfast and lunch.

It is an event that is also very popular with locals in Locarno, and for good reason: you will find lovingly prepared local specialities, an extensive choice and a breathtaking setting. Our Ristorante La Palma is not only an invitation to enjoy excellent food – the lake view also makes it the perfect place to linger.

Enjoy your breakfast in Locarno every day before heading off to conferences or excursions. Or take a break and spend a leisurely Sunday morning with our brunch. If you have any questions, please feel free to use our contact form.