Dog-Friendly Restaurants in Locarno

A century-old Ticinese grotto a short drive west of Locarno in Losone, with a shaded chestnut-tree garden and granite tables on the riverside terrace, the classic Ticino dining experience. The kitchen serves traditional cucina nostrana: risotto with Merlot, brasato di manzo, polenta with rabbit stew, luganighe sausages and homemade gnocchi. Leashed dogs are welcomed throughout the garden terrace and the staff bring a water bowl on arrival.

A landmark trattoria in a 17th-century building in Locarno's old town, two minutes from Piazza Grande, with a fish-focused upstairs dining room and a relaxed ground-floor pizzeria. The interior courtyard terrace under stone arches accepts leashed well-behaved dogs and the staff are used to Film Festival guests with their dogs in August. Excellent Ticino Merlot list.

A lakefront hotel restaurant in Ascona, Locarno's chic sister village 4 km west, with a wide outdoor terrace overlooking Lago Maggiore and the Brissago Islands. Mediterranean-Ticinese cuisine focused on lake fish, risotto and seasonal market vegetables. The terrace welcomes leashed dogs throughout the season; staff bring a water bowl and dogs are routinely treated to a small biscuit. The interior dining room admits well-behaved dogs in cooler months at staff discretion.