Restaurant in Merano, Italy
Tasting menus, few tables, chef explains each course.
A Michelin-starred (2024) tasting-menu restaurant in Merano where the chef personally narrates each course and the menu draws from both Alpine and international sourcing. Operating only four evenings a week with a narrow service window, it requires four to six weeks advance booking. At €€€€, it is the right choice for a deliberate special-occasion dinner — not a casual night out.
If you are planning a serious dinner in South Tyrol — an anniversary, a milestone, or simply a night where the food should be the entire point — In Viaggio is the right call. This is a tasting-menu-only restaurant in Merano where the chef presents every course personally, the room holds just a handful of tables, and Michelin awarded it one star in 2024. Book it when you want the full attention of a kitchen with a clear point of view, not a versatile crowd-pleaser.
The name translates as "on a journey," and the sourcing strategy is where that idea becomes concrete rather than decorative. The menu draws from two distinct ingredient pools: the Alps directly surrounding Merano, and a much wider international pantry that shifts with the chef's research and the season. In autumn and winter, that means Alpine produce , mountain herbs, cured meats, root vegetables, and dairy from the valleys , anchoring a menu that then reaches outward for contrast and technique. In spring and summer, the balance shifts, and the Alpine baseline gets lighter counterweights from further afield.
This dual-sourcing model is not a gimmick. It means the menu at In Viaggio changes meaningfully across the year, and what you eat in October will read quite differently from a visit in April. For food enthusiasts who have already worked through the more regionally fixed menus at places like Gourmet Restaurant Prezioso or Castel Fragsburg, this approach offers a different kind of engagement , one where the geography of a dish is a deliberate question rather than a given answer.
The tasting menu comes in three lengths: five, seven, or nine courses. At the €€€€ price point, the nine-course version is the most defensible choice if you are making the trip specifically for this dinner. The shorter formats make sense for guests who want the kitchen's perspective without the full commitment of an extended service.
The dining room at Via Belvedere, 17 is quiet and small, with few tables. That intimacy is functional, not incidental: the chef explains each dish as it arrives. This is not tableside theatre for its own sake. It means you understand the sourcing decisions in real time , which component came from the Alps, which came from somewhere further, and why those two things are on the same plate. For a diner who wants to engage with the reasoning behind a menu, this format pays off considerably. For someone who prefers to eat without narration, it is worth knowing in advance that the explanation is part of the structure.
Google reviewers rate the experience at 4.9 across 74 reviews, which at this sample size is a meaningful signal rather than statistical noise. The consistency of that score alongside the 2024 Michelin star suggests the kitchen is delivering on its promise reliably, not just on high-traffic nights.
In Viaggio operates Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings only, with a single service window of 7 PM to 8 PM on each of those nights. Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday are closed. This is an extremely limited service schedule for a Michelin-starred restaurant, which means the practical booking window is narrow. Expect to book four to six weeks ahead at minimum; if your travel dates are fixed and non-negotiable, book the moment your trip is confirmed. Walk-ins are not a realistic option here.
For context on how this compares to other tasting-menu destinations in northern Italy: restaurants like Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler in Brunico or Dal Pescatore in Runate typically require similar lead times, but those venues run more service days per week. In Viaggio's four-night schedule makes it structurally harder to reach on a short visit to Merano.
See the full comparison section below. For broader planning, explore our full Merano restaurants guide, our full Merano hotels guide, our full Merano bars guide, our full Merano wineries guide, and our full Merano experiences guide.
For broader context on what tasting-menu creative cuisine looks like at comparable Michelin-level restaurants across Europe, consider Quique Dacosta in Dénia or Arpège in Paris , both operate in a similar creative idiom with strong sourcing philosophies. In Italy, Osteria Francescana in Modena, Uliassi in Senigallia, Reale in Castel di Sangro, Quattro Passi in Marina del Cantone, and Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence represent different expressions of the fine dining tasting-menu format at various price and prestige levels.
Four to six weeks minimum, and sooner if your travel dates are locked. The restaurant runs only four evenings a week with a single nightly service window, which means available covers disappear quickly after the Michelin star recognition in 2024. At €€€€ pricing in a city the size of Merano, this is the kind of table that fills well in advance. Book the moment your Merano trip is confirmed.
Yes, and it is one of the more purposeful special-occasion choices in the region. The small room, the Michelin star, the chef-narrated service, and the tasting menu format all combine to make it feel deliberate rather than incidental. The €€€€ price point and limited booking windows do mean you need to plan ahead, but that constraint is part of what makes the evening feel considered. If you want a restaurant that treats the meal as the event, this is the right format.
Dinner only , the restaurant does not offer lunch service. All sittings are in the 7 PM to 8 PM window on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. There is no daytime option to consider, so your planning question is simply which of those four evenings suits your schedule.
The small room and few-table format suggests this is not built for large parties. Groups of two to four are the natural fit for this kind of intimate, chef-narrated tasting experience. If you are planning a group of six or more, contact the restaurant directly before booking , the room size may make that impractical, and the format of the service works better with smaller numbers. No contact details are listed publicly; reach out through the reservation platform you use to book.
Tasting-menu restaurants at this level generally accommodate dietary restrictions when notified in advance, but no specific policy is listed publicly for In Viaggio. Given the fixed-menu format and the small kitchen, advance notice is essential rather than optional. Flag any restrictions at the time of booking, not on the night , the sourcing-driven menu will need adjustment lead time.
Sissi is the most accessible alternative at €€€ , modern cuisine, easier to book, and a good choice if you want a serious dinner without the full tasting-menu commitment. Gourmet Restaurant Prezioso leans into Italian Alpine territory and is worth considering if you want regional specificity over creative range. Castel Fragsburg combines Italian cuisine with a hotel setting and may be more practical if you want to combine dinner with accommodation. Hotel Erika is another Merano option worth checking if the above are fully booked for your dates.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In Viaggio - Claudio Melis | Creative | The name of this restaurant gives a good indication of the experience you can expect here: a culinary voyage through the chef’s varied selection of recipes and ingredients, some from the Alps, others from countries across the globe. Dishes are served on tasting menus of five, seven or nine courses in a quiet dining room with just a few tables, where the chef himself explains his dishes to guests.; The name of this restaurant gives a good indication of the experience you can expect here: a culinary voyage through the chef’s varied selection of recipes and ingredients, some from the Alps, others from countries across the globe. Dishes are served on tasting menus of five, seven or nine courses in a quiet dining room with just a few tables, where the chef himself explains his dishes to guests.; Michelin 1 Star (2024) | Hard | — |
| Sissi | Modern Cuisine | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Gourmet Restaurant Prezioso | Italian Alpine | Unknown | — | |
| Castel Fragsburg | Italian Cuisine | Unknown | — | |
| Hotel Erika | Unknown | — |
Comparing your options in Merano for this tier.
check the venue's official channels before booking. Tasting menu formats — five, seven, or nine courses — require advance notice for any dietary adjustments, and with only a few tables in the room, the kitchen has limited flexibility on the night. Reach out well ahead of your reservation date.
Book at least three to four weeks out, more for weekends. In Viaggio operates only four evenings a week — Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday — with a single service window starting at 7 PM. That small capacity combined with a Michelin star means availability goes quickly, particularly on Fridays and Saturdays.
The dining room has just a few tables, so large groups are unlikely to be accommodated. Parties of two to four are the natural fit for this format. If you are planning a group dinner in Merano, Castel Fragsburg offers more capacity without sacrificing the fine dining register.
Dinner is the only option. In Viaggio does not serve lunch — hours are 7 PM to 8 PM on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday only. Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday are closed entirely.
Yes, and it is one of the stronger cases for a special occasion dinner in Merano. The Michelin-starred tasting menu format — three length options, chef-explained courses, a quiet room with few tables — is structured around a focused, event-like evening rather than a casual meal. The €€€€ price range is in line with that format.
Sissi and Gourmet Restaurant Prezioso are the closest comparisons at the Michelin level in Merano. Castel Fragsburg suits those who want a scenic hotel-restaurant setting with the same price bracket. If the tasting menu commitment feels too rigid, those alternatives offer more à la carte flexibility.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
