Restaurant in Malo, Italy
Book early. The hills reward the effort.
La Favellina is a Michelin-starred (2024), family-run contemporary Italian restaurant in the Lessini hills above Malo, rated 4.7 across 400+ reviews. At €€€€ pricing with a limited five-day-per-week schedule, it books fast — reserve two to four weeks ahead. Worth the drive for a special occasion dinner in the Veneto.
Getting a table at La Favellina requires planning well in advance — this Michelin-starred restaurant in the Lessini hills above Malo operates on a tight schedule, opening only three evenings a week (Wednesday through Friday) plus Saturday and Sunday for both lunch and dinner. Monday and Tuesday are dark. With limited sittings, a small family-run operation, and a 4.7 Google rating across more than 400 reviews, availability moves fast. If you are considering a special occasion dinner in the Vicenza province, book two to four weeks ahead minimum, and do not assume a weekend slot will be waiting for you.
The effort is worth it. La Favellina holds a Michelin star (2024) and delivers the kind of meal that justifies a drive into the hills — creative contemporary Italian cooking from a kitchen led by Federico Pettenuzzo and his mother, with front of house managed by Federico's brother Riccardo. This is a family operation in the most literal sense, and that coherence shows in the experience. You are not eating at a chef's brand. You are eating at someone's restaurant.
La Favellina sits at Via Cavaliere, 4/6 in Malo, a small town in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy. The drive up into the Lessini hills is part of the approach , winding roads, a rural setting, and then a building that balances rustic surroundings with a more formal interior register. At the €€€€ price tier, this is destination dining, not a casual neighbourhood meal. You are paying for a Michelin-starred tasting experience, not a trattoria.
The kitchen's approach draws on ingredients sourced across Italy and beyond, with combinations that lean creative without being gratuitous. Federico's mother is specifically credited in the Michelin citation for her pasta work, which means the pasta courses here carry particular weight. If house-made pasta in a Michelin context is a priority for you , and in the Veneto it should be , this matters more than it might at a city restaurant where pasta is one section among many.
For a special occasion, La Favellina delivers on several counts that matter: the setting is genuinely scenic rather than urban-anonymous, the family ownership creates a warmth that larger brigade kitchens rarely replicate, and the Michelin star provides an objective quality floor. A birthday dinner, anniversary, or milestone meal here has a clear logic. The combination of countryside location and serious cooking gives it a character that restaurants in Vicenza or Verona's city centres cannot easily match.
Lunch is available Saturday and Sunday from 12:15 PM to 2:00 PM only. Dinner runs from 7:45 PM to 9:30 PM Wednesday through Sunday. The dinner sitting has the full week's availability and is the primary experience the kitchen is built around. If you want maximum flexibility on date, dinner is your option. If you prefer natural light and a more relaxed pace, the Saturday or Sunday lunch window is worth targeting , but it is also the slot most likely to fill with locals celebrating weekends, so book it as early as the dinner sittings.
La Favellina is at €€€€ pricing , expect to spend in line with other one-star venues in the Veneto region. The restaurant is closed Monday and Tuesday, so do not plan a mid-week visit unless you are arriving Wednesday or later. No dress code is confirmed in available data, but the combination of Michelin star status, €€€€ pricing, and a hillside setting in the Veneto means smart casual at minimum , this is not a place where jeans and trainers read well, even if no one turns you away. Driving is the practical access method given the rural location; public transport to Malo is limited, and the restaurant's position in the hills makes a taxi or rental car the sensible choice.
Booking method details are not confirmed in our current data, so check directly with the restaurant for reservation channels. Given the limited opening schedule and small size of the operation, email or phone contact in advance is advisable rather than relying on third-party platforms alone.
See the comparison section below for how La Favellina sits against other €€€€ Italian contemporary restaurants, including Le Calandre in Rubano and Casa Perbellini 12 Apostoli in Verona.
For broader context on dining in this part of Italy, see our guides to Malo restaurants, Malo hotels, Malo bars, Malo wineries, and Malo experiences. If you are building a wider Veneto or northern Italy trip around serious restaurants, consider also Osteria Francescana in Modena, Piazza Duomo in Alba, Uliassi in Senigallia, Reale in Castel di Sangro, Quattro Passi in Marina del Cantone, Agli Amici in Rovinj, and L'Olivo in Anacapri.
| Venue | Price | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Favellina | €€€€ | Hard | — |
| Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler | €€€€ | Unknown | — |
| Dal Pescatore | €€€€ | Unknown | — |
| Enoteca Pinchiorri | €€€€ | Unknown | — |
| Enrico Bartolini | €€€€ | Unknown | — |
| Le Calandre | €€€€ | Unknown | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Dinner is the more flexible option, running Wednesday through Sunday from 7:45 PM to 9:30 PM. Lunch is Saturday and Sunday only, with a narrow 12:15 PM to 2:00 PM window. If your schedule allows either, dinner gives you more booking options across the week — but weekend lunch is a good pick if you want the full Lessini hills setting in daylight.
La Favellina is described as rustic in setting but elegant in execution — a combination that points toward neat, polished dress rather than formal black-tie. Think clean trousers and a shirt or a simple dress. Overdressing for the hills is more of an issue than underdressing.
Book at least four to six weeks out. La Favellina holds a Michelin star, operates only five evenings a week with a 7:45 PM to 9:30 PM window, and is a destination rather than a walk-in spot. The tight schedule and remote location mean tables go fast, especially on weekends.
The drive up into the Lessini hills is part of the commitment — this is not a city-centre restaurant you drop into easily. La Favellina is a family operation: Federico Pettenuzzo and his mother run the kitchen, with his brother Riccardo managing the floor. That structure shapes the experience: it is personal and precise, not corporate fine dining. Come with a specific reason to be here, not just as a general Veneto itinerary filler.
At €€€€ and with a 2024 Michelin star, La Favellina is priced in line with northern Italy's better one-star rooms. The family-run format and sourcing from across Italy and beyond give it a point of view that justifies the spend — provided you make the drive intentionally. If you are already in Verona or Vicenza and want a serious meal, yes. If you are weighing it against a comparable urban one-star with easier access, factor in the travel time.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
