Restaurant in Bellinzona, Switzerland
Ticino's serious kitchen. Book it.
Bellinzona's only Michelin-starred restaurant, Locanda Orico has held its position in the city's historic old town since 1998 with a monthly-rotating tasting menu, rigorous local sourcing, and Mediterranean cooking shaped by French technique. At €€€€ pricing it is the serious dining choice in Ticino, but book well ahead: reservations are hard to secure, especially for dinner.
A 4.6 Google rating across 105 reviews is a reliable signal for a restaurant at this price tier, but the more telling number is 1998: the year Locanda Orico opened in Bellinzona's historic old town. Twenty-six years of continuous operation at €€€€ pricing, capped by a Michelin star held through 2024, means this is not a restaurant coasting on novelty. It is a place that has built something durable, and for food-focused travellers passing through Ticino, it deserves serious consideration.
The kitchen's pitch is Mediterranean cuisine shaped by French technique and the produce of the Italian-Swiss Ticino region. That combination is rarer than it sounds: most restaurants in this part of Switzerland lean either firmly Italian or firmly French. Locanda Orico holds both influences without letting either dominate, and the evidence that it succeeds is the Michelin recognition, which rewards exactly this kind of precise, disciplined execution rather than concept or novelty.
The sustainability framing here is operational, not decorative. The owner-chef works directly with local suppliers, and the menu rotates at the beginning of each season, with the tasting menu refreshed monthly. For the food-focused traveller, that cadence matters: if you visited last autumn, the menu you eat this spring will be substantively different. The kitchen is not running the same dishes on a loop. This level of menu discipline is more common at three-star establishments than at single-star ones, and it is one of the clearest differentiators Locanda Orico has against comparable Swiss fine dining.
Setting reinforces the experience without overshadowing it. The restaurant occupies a historic palazzo on Via Orico in Bellinzona's old town, a UNESCO World Heritage site thanks to its medieval castles. The atmosphere reads as formal but not stiff, with the kind of deliberate quiet that makes a long lunch or an unhurried dinner feel like the right pace. For those who find the high-energy rooms at places like [IGNIV Zürich by Andreas Caminada](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/igniv-zurich-by-andreas-caminada) too social, this room will suit better. The energy here is composed rather than celebratory.
Provenance storytelling is baked into service: dishes are talked through at the table, with the origin of key ingredients explained. This is not a gimmick. At €€€€ pricing in a region with serious local produce, knowing where your food comes from is relevant information, and the kitchen clearly wants guests to have it. The wine list extends that logic, pairing an international selection with a notable focus on Ticino labels, which are genuinely worth exploring if you are not already familiar with the region's Merlot-dominant output. For more context on where Locanda Orico sits in the wider Bellinzona dining scene, see [our full Bellinzona restaurants guide](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/bellinzona).
The service hours run Tuesday through Saturday only: lunch from 11:45 AM to 2 PM, dinner from 6:45 PM until midnight. Monday and Sunday are closed, which is worth checking before you build a trip around it. Booking difficulty is rated hard, and given the restaurant's size (seat count is not published, but a palazzo dining room in the old town suggests an intimate footprint), that rating is credible. Book as far in advance as possible; last-minute attempts are unlikely to succeed, especially for dinner.
Lunch is the more accessible format. A business menu is available at midday, announced at the table rather than printed, which keeps the experience feeling fresh and gives the kitchen flexibility. Pricing at lunch will be lower than the dinner tasting menu, making it the entry point for guests who want to assess the kitchen before committing to a full evening. If your primary interest is the tasting menu, dinner is the correct choice. If you want to experience the cooking without the full spend, lunch is the smarter move.
The restaurant has also installed an electric vehicle charging point, a practical note for travellers driving through Ticino from Zurich or Milan who are covering distance between meals. For accommodation options close by, [our full Bellinzona hotels guide](https://www.joinpearl.co/hotels/bellinzona) covers the main properties near the old town.
Within Switzerland's broader Michelin-starred field, Locanda Orico sits in a distinct position. It is not competing with the three-star ambition of [Hotel de Ville Crissier](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/hotel-de-ville-crissier-crissier-restaurant) or [Cheval Blanc by Peter Knogl](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/cheval-blanc-by-peter-knogl-basel-restaurant) in Basel. The more relevant comparison is with single-star peers like [Einstein Gourmet in Sankt Gallen](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/einstein-gourmet-sankt-gallen-restaurant) or [Colonnade in Lucerne](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/colonnade-lucerne-restaurant). Against those, Locanda Orico's Ticino setting and monthly tasting menu rotation are genuine differentiators for the explorer-type traveller who wants regional specificity rather than a generic luxury format.
For Mediterranean cuisine specifically, the comparison with [La Brezza in Ascona](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/la-brezza-ascona-restaurant) is worth making: Ascona sits on Lake Maggiore about 45 minutes south, and the two restaurants share a regional Mediterranean orientation while operating in very different registers. [Schloss Schauenstein](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/schloss-schauenstein-frstenau-restaurant) in Fürstenau and [Memories in Bad Ragaz](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/memories-bad-ragaz-restaurant) are three-star alternatives for travellers willing to extend their itinerary and increase their budget. For the full picture of where Locanda Orico sits regionally, [our full Bellinzona experiences guide](https://www.joinpearl.co/experiences/experiences/bellinzona) provides useful context on how to build a day around the old town.
Book Locanda Orico if you are in Ticino and want the most technically serious cooking in Bellinzona, full stop. The Michelin star is deserved, the menu rotation is genuinely committed, and the old-town palazzo setting gives the meal a sense of place that a hotel dining room cannot replicate. The hard booking difficulty means planning ahead is not optional. If you cannot get a dinner reservation, the lunch menu is a legitimate alternative, not a consolation. For Switzerland's wider Mediterranean-influenced fine dining options, also consider [Maison Wenger in Le Noirmont](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/maison-wenger-le-noirmont-restaurant) and [Da Vittorio in St. Moritz](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/da-vittorio-st-moritz-st-moritz-restaurant) as reference points for how the category performs across the country.
Yes, for what it delivers. At €€€€ pricing with a Michelin star, Locanda Orico sits in a tier where the cooking needs to justify serious spend, and the combination of monthly tasting menu rotation, local supplier relationships, and two-plus decades of consistent recognition suggests it does. The comparison to make is with Swiss single-star peers like Einstein Gourmet or Colonnade: Locanda Orico's regional specificity and menu discipline make it a stronger choice for food-focused travellers who want more than a technically competent but generically luxurious meal.
The tasting menu is the kitchen's clearest statement. It changes monthly, so specific dish guidance is not useful here, but the format allows the chef to sequence the cooking in a way that the à la carte cannot. At lunch, the announced business menu is the right entry point if you want to experience the kitchen at a lower commitment level. The wine list is strong on Ticino labels, and pairing with regional wines is the recommendation if you are not already familiar with the area's output.
The restaurant's seat count is not published, but a palazzo dining room in a historic old town building typically implies an intimate footprint, not a large-group venue. For groups of four or more, contact the restaurant directly and book as far in advance as possible. Groups seeking a more reliably large-format fine dining room should also consider whether [IGNIV Zürich by Andreas Caminada](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/igniv-zurich-by-andreas-caminada), which uses a sharing format well-suited to tables of six or more, might be a better structural fit.
Dinner, if your goal is the full tasting menu experience. Lunch, if you want to assess the kitchen at lower spend or if dinner reservations are not available. The midday business menu is announced at the table and priced below the evening format, making it a practical alternative rather than a lesser experience. Both services run Tuesday through Saturday only, so plan around the Monday and Sunday closures.
Bellinzona does not have a deep bench of Michelin-starred restaurants, which is partly what makes Locanda Orico the default recommendation for serious dining in the city. If you are willing to travel, [Schloss Schauenstein](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/schloss-schauenstein-frstenau-restaurant) in Fürstenau and [Memories](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/memories-bad-ragaz-restaurant) in Bad Ragaz are three-star alternatives that operate at a higher price point and greater ambition. For Mediterranean-oriented cooking in the same region, [La Brezza in Ascona](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/la-brezza-ascona-restaurant) is worth the 45-minute drive. See [our full Bellinzona restaurants guide](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/bellinzona) for a broader overview.
The restaurant's website and phone contact details are not published in our current data. Contact via direct reservation booking to confirm specific dietary requirements before arrival. The kitchen's reliance on a seasonal, locally sourced menu suggests flexibility is possible but should not be assumed at €€€€ pricing without prior confirmation. Do not arrive without having communicated restrictions in advance.
Yes, with caveats. The Michelin star, the historic palazzo setting, and the deliberate, unhurried pace of service make it a strong choice for milestone dinners, anniversaries, or any occasion where the meal is the main event. It is not the right choice if you want a lively, convivial atmosphere; the room is composed and quiet. For a celebratory dinner where energy and social warmth matter more than precision and stillness, [IGNIV Zürich](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/igniv-zurich-by-andreas-caminada) or [The Restaurant in Zurich](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/the-restaurant-zurich-restaurant) may serve the occasion better.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Locanda Orico | Mediterranean Cuisine | €€€€ | A focus on sustainability is much more than a simple slogan at this restaurant housed in a historic palazzo in the old town. Since 1998 here, the owner-chef works with excellent local suppliers in order to provide the best possible experience for his guests, talking them through each dish and the provenance of its top-quality ingredients. There’s nothing mysterious about the process, which results in healthy Mediterranean cuisine with a combination of French and regional influences, and where the menu changes at the beginning of each season and the tasting menu every month. Dishes here are carefully presented, with meticulous attention to detail and a perfect combination of colours. An interesting selection of renowned wines adds to its appeal, including an excellent choice of local and international labels. A simpler business menu is available at lunchtime, when dishes are announced at your table. A stronghold of fine Ticino cuisine! The restaurant has recently installed a recharging point for electric cars.; Michelin 1 Star (2024) | Hard | — |
| Schloss Schauenstein | Modern European, Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Memories | Modern Swiss | €€€€ | Michelin 3 Star | Unknown | — |
| roots | Flemish, Vegetarian, Modern Cuisine | €€€€ | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| IGNIV Zürich by Andreas Caminada | Sharing | €€€€ | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| focus ATELIER | Modern Swiss, Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
A quick look at how Locanda Orico measures up.
At €€€€ pricing, Locanda Orico delivers a Michelin-starred kitchen that has held its standard since 1998, with a monthly-rotating tasting menu and seasonal à la carte built on traceable local suppliers. That consistency over 25-plus years at this tier is the real argument for the price. If you want the most technically serious cooking available in Bellinzona, there is no closer alternative. If the full dinner spend feels steep, the business lunch is the same kitchen at a lower entry point.
The tasting menu is the format the kitchen is built around: it changes monthly and reflects the owner-chef's direct relationships with local Ticino producers. At lunch, dishes are announced at the table rather than printed, so the menu is whatever is seasonal that day. Specific dish recommendations are not possible to make reliably because the menu rotates this frequently, but the French-technique-meets-regional-Ticino approach is the consistent thread across both formats.
The restaurant is housed in a historic palazzo in Bellinzona's old town, which suggests a fixed room layout rather than a flexible event space, but specific private dining or group capacity data is not available in the venue record. check the venue's official channels before booking a party larger than four, particularly for dinner when the tasting menu format is the primary service. Lunch, which runs 11:45 AM to 2 PM Tuesday through Saturday, may offer more flexibility given its simpler business menu format.
Dinner is the fuller experience: the tasting menu runs monthly rotations, service extends to midnight, and the wine list, which includes both local Ticino labels and international selections, is easier to explore at length. Lunch is the practical entry point — a simpler business menu with dishes announced tableside, running 11:45 AM to 2 PM. For a first visit or a special occasion, dinner. For value-conscious access to the same Michelin-starred kitchen, lunch.
Within Bellinzona specifically, there is no direct Michelin-starred alternative: Locanda Orico holds the city's only star. For comparable fine dining elsewhere in Ticino or the broader Swiss-Italian region, you would need to travel. Within Switzerland's starred field, restaurants like IGNIV Zürich by Andreas Caminada offer a different register, sharing-format approach, while focus ATELIER targets a more avant-garde style. Locanda Orico's specific value is its regional Ticino identity and 25-year continuity, which neither of those replicates.
The kitchen is built around a monthly tasting menu and seasonal market cooking, which gives the chef flexibility to adapt dishes, but no specific dietary accommodation policy is documented for this restaurant. Given that the owner-chef personally talks guests through each dish and its provenance, the service model suggests a conversational approach to individual needs. Raise any restrictions directly when booking — do not assume a fixed tasting menu can be silently modified.
Yes, with a specific caveat: the format suits couples or small groups more naturally than large celebrations. The Michelin star, the palazzo setting in Bellinzona's old town, and dinner service running to midnight give it the right conditions for a deliberate, occasion-worthy meal. The monthly tasting menu with provenance-led service is the kind of format where the meal itself becomes the event. Book dinner rather than lunch for a special occasion, and reserve well in advance given Tuesday-to-Saturday availability only.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
