There are plenty of restaurants to choose from in highly fashionable Ascona and along its lake promenade. But who knows about Restaurant Marina, located just a stone’s throw farther down by the lake? Better yet, who knows its star designer? He is into colors… and spaghetti!

Calla arrangement
Stylish calla arrangement

In restaurants, it is mostly the star chef who is the star. Obviously.

But when the interior design is strikingly “different”, it may mean that one is eating there not just because of the kitchen but also because of the architect and designer.

This is what goes on in the Marina, the fish and pasta restaurant adjacent to the Hotel Eden Roc in Ascona. It is well known for its rooms decorated in accentuated colors in motley style. The guests seem to like it.

It is star architect Carlo Rampazzi who put his signature stamp on the design.

A chance encounter

As chance will have it, today he is sitting at the neighboring table with guests from Milan. Well, maybe a couple of tables away.

Since we had already written about his work on the Hotel Valsana Arosa and said Eden Roc, we are eager to make the color maven’s acquaintance.

With my giant camera I try to draw attention to myself as a travel blogger as conspicuously as possible Katja, embarrassed, harrumphs to get me to sit down, while the server also looks slightly nonplussed.

Walter at Marina Restaurant Ascona
Walter and designer Carlo Rampazzi in the background at right. And that’s my single-lens reflex camera…
Olive oil from Finca Cri Mi Cri
Olive oil from Finca Cri Mi Cri

But all my food photography and practically doing handstands achieve nothing. Rampazzi is too busy and holding forth with sweeping gestures about new projects.

So, I devote myself to enjoying my seabream, the dessert, the view out the window, and my espresso macchiato and then we depart. However, not without me passing noticeably close to his table.

Suddenly, he does recognize us, having run into us the previous evening in the Eden Roc. He actually invites us to come by his studio for a chat!

How that episode turned out is another story. To be exact, in this reportage from his Studio Selvaggio. “Selvaggio”, as everyone knows, means “wild” in Italian…

Mamma mia, hold on to your hats!

Back to Marina Ascona…

At all events, slightly dazzled by the master’s aura, I nearly forgot that I was there to begin with to introduce the restaurant.

Not much to look at from the outside, the Marina building sits in a prime location directly by the lake. Inside is a modern dining room flooded with light and a low-key atmosphere. Said star designer used subtle marine color tones on its interior (but that’s not all he can do!)

Hanging from the ceiling is an eye-catching chandelier and the host chairs — where the tab lands when it’s all over — sport a striking spaghetti design!

Decorative vase in the lobby
Decorative vase in the lobby
Group table Marina Ascona
Large group table
Dining room with chandelier
Dining room with chandelier
Spaghetti chair Marina Restaurant Ascona
Spaghetti chair as Carlo Rampazzi likes it
Ascona Pier Hotel Eden Roc
Landings in front of the Eden Roc Marina Restaurant

Terrace dining

In the summer, it’s Mediterranean-style dining on the terrace under the sun umbrellas on the Lago Maggiore shore. The big boys moor their yachts in the house-owned landings; mere mortals like us park in the public lot right next door.

Connoisseurs will know to order the meat or fish dishes from the grill. This time, we give the fish and pasta specialties a try. And, in fact, they are outstanding!

The dessert we chose did not quite hit the same high note, but then it’s always good to have something you can still improve…

And, if you want to reach for an after-dinner libation, you can wave up the liquor cart. It, too, color-wise fits perfectly into the atmospheric ambiance!

Marina Menu Ascona
A Marina menu
Duo of salmon and scallop carpaccio
Duo of salmon and scallop carpaccio
Grilled seabream on young spinach
Grilled seabream on young spinach
Strawberry with vermicelli and glace
Strawberry with vermicelli and glace
Espressi Restaurant Marina Ascona
Espressi macchiati with Amaretto

Let it be noted that the prices are quite moderate, at least for anyone used to Zurich prices…

Spaghetti chairs Carlo Rampazzi
Colorful assorted spaghetti chairs
Table Restaurant Marina Ascona
Table setting with calla arrangement
Table Restaurant Marina Ascona
Table arrangement with spaghetti chair
Grappa Cart Restaurant Marina Ascona
Calla arrangement and grappa cart
Walter and Katja Restaurant Marina Ascona
Walter and Katja taking an old-time selfie

Address

Restaurant Eden Roc Marina
Via Albarelle 16
6612 Ascona / Switzerland

Telephone +41 91 785 71 71
Click here for the website.

Hours
Opens daily at 10 a.m.

Reserve a table


Kitchen chef
Salvatore Frequente
14 Gault Millau points

Restaurant manager
Gianluca Vimercati

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Walter’s extensive background in the travel industry, passionate enthusiasm for photography and a firm belief that luxury destinations can also be affordable; were some of the main factors that motivated him to create the travel blog travelmemo.com. In his day job Walter is an online marketing manager based out of Zurich, Switzerland.

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