Food
Aside from the Italian delicacies (pizza, pasta and bites), the food menu at Lago Italian Bistro also focuses on all-day breakfast and burgers.
Every meal here can be kicked off with their complimentary bread basket. Absolutely fresh to the bite, the bread paired well with the small helping of olive oil and balsamic sauce they serve on the side.
Since we have the option, we opted for a half-n-half pizza – Prosciutto di Parma (Rs. 2900) on one side, and GBCO (Rs. 2800) on the other. The most expensive topping out of the two is the price point, so in this case, it was Rs. 2900.
Lago Italian Bistro's speciality is Neapolitan-style pizzas. From what we gathered, they let their pizza dough ferment for about good 36 hours.
The GBCO stands for Gorgonzola, Bacon and Caramelised Onions. We loved how the sharp flavours of gorgonzola emerge through the smoky and salty bacon chunks and sweet caramelised onions. The whole pizza is covered with a blanket of high-quality mozzarella, which made things even cheesier.
The crust was incredibly thin in the centre and slightly raised on the edges. A little more of the latter would have made it perfect. Crispy, light and puffed up, they had done a good job in leoparding up the crust as well.
Featuring around five, beautifully pink strips of Prosciutto di Parma, the other half of the pizza was rich in flavour too. In fact, it was the smokier topping out of the two.
The whole pizza is drizzled with generous amounts of olive oil, and you also have the option of adding some chilli oil and an in-house spicy condiment for the extra flavour.
The Risotto Funghi & Tartufo (Rs. 2000) was well executed. Premium quality risotto rice cooked al dente and soaked in cheese, it was plentiful with bits of mushroom. The sprinkle of pepper gives a subtle spicy kick, while the truffle oil adds a good dose of woody, earthy and garlicky hints to the flavour profile.
Drinks
Lago Italian Bistro has a collection of hot and cold drinks, which includes coffee, tea and mocktails.
This decent cup of Caffe Latte (Rs. 490) is brewed from Illy coffee. It had just the right espresso punch, kicking its way through the fluffy, velvety milk.
The Floral Passion (Rs. 650) was a refreshing drink. The iced jasmine tea acts as the base here, while the fresh passion fruit juice lends its sweet and sour notes. Infused with hibiscus and karapincha syrup, it has this brilliant leafy, fruity touch that's ideal to beat the scorching heat.
Ambience & Service
The spectacular ambience is another highlight at Lago Italian Bistro. It's almost a glass box, covered with three massive glass walls. Lots and lots of natural light seep through them.
The lush foliage hanging from the roof adds a wonderful tropical vibe. In fact, here they intend to blend the architecture and flora found on the shores of Lake Como, with the tropical Sri Lankan greenery. Amid all that, you'll notice the golden coloured coop lamps, which embeds a dash of elegance. The service was terrific. Upon entering, we were greeted by the friendliest gentleman, who helped us throughout our entire experience. He was happy to recommend dishes to us, and also to receive our comments about the food – good and areas of improvement.
The whole staff was wearing double masks at all times and maintained their distance. They've installed a sanitiser facility at the entrance too.
Conclusion
Picturesque ambience, phenomenal food, and excellent service – we thoroughly enjoyed our encounter with Lago Italian Bistro. It sure lands on the pricy side of the spectrum but is definitely a worthy experience to indulge.