Grand Café al Porto in Lugano

Incredible café and bakery experience. I highly recommend the Grand Café dessert and the Cioccolato Denso all'italianno. The service was fine; they were very busy during our visit. Very cute to take pictures as well.

Everything was very delicious, I loved it! It's ready to eat everything This is how it is worth gaining weight

Excellent. Coffee and cake and patisserie are excellent.

So stylish & classy, Loved this place in Lugano, we had some lovely baked yummy things, very good service .. thanks

A classic & elegant cafe in Lugano. We had a hot chocolate & 2 irresistible & appealing pastries. They were flavourful & feasting our palate & visual appetite.

All good, delicious desserts and also gluten-free, excellent and beautiful, the refined place........it's a shame that some of the waiters aren't friendly!!!!

In the center of Lugano you can find a "retro" and very intimate atmosphere. Service and professionalism of the staff are very welcome. by the staff. Both breakfast and lunch are worth trying. Furthermore there is a very well-stocked pastry shop inside. It's worth trying it at least once and returning.

Fabio gave us good advice Quality welcome

The hot chocolate is amazing but make sure you clear your afternoon for a nap because it’s heavy!

Food poisoning after lunch: fish risotto. I didn't eat anything else that day so there is no doubt about the origin of the violent stomach aches and vomiting. Fish not fresh? Questionable hygiene?

We just had a drink. Very nice cafe. Was well attended, friendly waiters. Great and clean Toulten.The Chocolata Densa was excellent.

Very old historic cafe Long queue but it goes fast Inside table recommendable Cake good quality Amaretti good

I got take out pastries and they were fantastic and a reasonable cost given the quality and where this place is located. Excellent quality of food and the service was top class. Definitely a great spot to stop in Lugano for some sweet treats.

Were were taken care of by Stefano. Great times

Stunning environment with top service, fantastic cuisine and pastries, you have to become regular customers

Truly excellent quality of sweet and savory: choice between award-winning panettone such as amaretto and apricot, chocolate chips, pistachio cream and nature. Delicious soft amaretti biscuits with liqueur and chocolate! Quiches, sandwiches and stuffed sandwiches to take away, very good bakery department with different qualities: butter braids, seeded, wholemeal, sourdough sandwiches. Excellent brioches at the price of 3.50, classic, with cream, pistachio cream and apricot jam. Restaurant room available

Unfortunately the service (Mauro, in particular) could be made more pleasant. Otherwise, the quality of the products is excellent.

For the first time in coffee, super appealing patisserie that also tasted extremely good. Service behind the counter was extremely nice, patient and well advised. When we took a seat the mood changed. Subterranean unfriendly waiter (older gentleman) who obviously doesn't enjoy tourists who don't speak Italian. It's really a shame that one person is responsible for this. Exactly the same rough tone at the next table. I only come to buy something but not to stay. A pity

Nice coffee, one of the few good options in Lugano

We are in history...a place frequented by Mazzini, Vittorio Emanuele, Sofia Loren, the Aga Kan...the service could improve a little...the brioche cannot arrive 10 minutes before the cappuccino...recommended!

Located in the center of Lugano, very nice inside, old-fashioned Bistrot style, intimate. Impeccable service and staff always very attentive and professional. High level pastry quality, but all this comes at a high price. Example, 2 coffees with milk and 2 products chosen at the pastry counter, Fr.21.90. But it's worth trying at least once.

I had breakfast, the staff was friendly and the omelet was delicious. I heard that panettone bread with chestnuts is famous, so I bought it and tried it. It was a little sweeter than Korean chestnut bread and had a very fluffy texture!

Excellent pastries. Excellent service.

A great merenda yesterday afternoon with my daughter and friend. The service was great and service too. A historical place to visit when in Lugano.

I must say that I was disappointed, the waiter who served me was not at all friendly, bordering on rudeness. The breakfast was not good, the coffee was acceptable. Sin! It was my last breakfast in Lugano.

Simply fantastic. Excellent food and service. Qualified, welcoming and very courteous staff. To try

(2019) The coffee was okay, yet its pastries and desserts were so amazing and delicious! Besides, it was a place full of nostalgia atmosphere, stylish guests & interesting designs. Grand Cafe Al Porto was absolutely a terrific spot to spend the whole afternoon in Lugano !!! (2023) Everything is still perfect ! The staff are friendly and humorous ! And most importantly, the food is still amazing ! It’s the most worth visiting cafe in Lugano !!

Historic café in Lugano. Really, really friendly and professional staff. There are also great vegan options. Highly recommended!

Fantastic tea room confectionery. Tiny terrace but plenty of space inside.

Ineffective service, the service does not care about customers, selective, inoperative system. You have to get angry to pay. A real hassle

A very historic restaurant in the heart of Lugano. Good dining atmosphere. Good is decent with fresh Italian pasta. Worth a visit but definitely not a premier Italian restaurant by any means.

Croissants & coffee are delicious~ A quiet and comfortable cafe

Historic place, very well furnished. Quiet, large spaces between tables. Cuisine, pastry, quality, image (which doesn't hurt). Fast, qualitative service, well presented. Right in the historic center of Lugano, in a very popular area

Perfect service , they have variety of desserts. With some Gluten free options.

Having lunch at this beautiful cafe. Friendly and polite service and the quiche and coffee were great. Would happily return.

Nice old town atmosphere and the restaurant is located in a beautiful historic building! You can sit outside while people scurry past you. Patisserie is beautifully prepared and tastes good too!

Very delicious bakery and great coffee.

Lovely tasting menu. Fresh tomato soup, homemade Pasta with Bolognese, a raspberry and ricotta cake shaped like a tomato and 4 regional wines. The maitre'd was superbly welcoming with lots of regional tips. Thank you.

Really really bad experience. We came here because of the high reviews, and left disappointed. The looks of the Grand Cafe al Porto are very nice, and the atmosphere is quite nice too. However, there seems to be a different treatment for tourists/locals. We were given the “bad looking” croissants, the smaller version of orange juice, and made to pay double. I would honestly not recommend coming here if you aren’t a local.

Very nice café with great specialties. Be sure to try the stuffed amaretti.

I have travelled the world extensively over 40 years. I ate at all restaurants ranging from pop & mom’s to Michelin three stars. This is my honest review of the team room Grand Café Al Porto in Lugano. Good choice of pastries and a neat atmosphere of old but school of team (est. 1803!!).

Guaranteed time travel. Neat period decoration, excellent coffee and pastries. Take a seat, take a welcome break from this setting of the past and enjoy.

Very nice café in the middle of Lugano's pedestrian zone. The finest patisserie and sandwiches. The service is generally very good, but young "pretty" ladies are preferred and served quickly.

Amazing place, we enjoyed drinking hot chocolate, amazing pastries, quality chocolates.

the cakes, partries are so tasty! I also like atmosphere. Love it!

A waiter with a beard and a Neapolitan accent refused to bring a fruit juice, because he would have to go back to get the juice. Highly NOT RECOMMENDED place

Breakfast not to be missed in Lugano! There are different croissants, from empty ones to filled ones and even with vegan options. We tried the pistachio croissant, which was well leavened and also very filling, and a Danish with cooked cream. High prices, especially for the cafeteria, but being a historic place it's okay

The desserts and cakes are delicious, and the atmosphere of the restaurant is very good, especially the color and shape of the straight wooden ceiling, which is like chocolate and has a sense of history! Very suitable for afternoon tea~

An original Italian homemade pasta with coffee&bakery. The taste is good for both pasta and bakery. Staffs are nice and keeping smile on us. Price is high but compare to this city is about mid-high rate. I would love to recommended you to try.

Un luogo una storia A magnificent place, an epic legend

Excellent desserts, good coffee Prices in line for a historic Gran Caffè in the center of Lugano

What pleased Ati for them in terms of eating and serving

Beautiful place. Excellent food. Perfect service, very speedy. Pastry outstanding. Best Cafe-restaurant in town (Lugano)

Always a good place for coffee and cakes

Charming pastry shop in the heart of Lugano. Excellent desserts and hot drinks. Helpful and kind staff Fair value for money

Old house with friendly surroundings

A habit about every two days, I come and have a densa chocolate, the classica all'italiana con panna, a marvel at 8.20 chf. Perfect welcome, friendly smile, multilingual. I highly recommend this place if you are in Lugano. The setting is sumptuous.

I haven't been to this place many times, but every time I've been there the service and desserts were impeccable!!

I believe that Mr. Pierluigi is in the wrong profession. When asked to explain better what a tea consisted of whose description was vague and for the "Modica" figure of 7.20 we heard the answer after an initial digression "eh if you drink 10 different brands of sparkling water can you tell me the difference?" . At this point, a simple but polite "excuse me, I don't know, I'll find out" is better. Another question: how big is thick chocolate? “Eh, a normal cup, right?!” The place may be as beautiful and historic as you are, but service like this will make you run away.

A very warm and pleasant place. The employees are also quite polite. I definitely recommend their desserts and Italian coffees💯

Bar in the center of Lugano, characteristic, very nice, good desserts, courteous and professional staff.

Stunning location, excellent quality products and a beautiful place both from the outside and inside. To ruin the wonderful atmosphere of an excellent breakfast, the rude and hasty staff make the experience hasty and not very relaxing.

Elegant and historic pastry shop in Lugano. I really like the care of the desserts and the innovation, they offer different products based on the season. There are always classic desserts and savory tartlets to take away. In the elegant room you can enjoy savory or sweet dishes, as well as various hot and cold drinks. The hot chocolate is very good, the chestnut panettone is unfortunately slightly dry. The staff is very knowledgeable and helpful.

Excellent everything, people, desserts, coffee!

Nice coffee however the staff are a bit officious. It took a while to get the attention of the waiter to pay.

I had the opportunity to taste one of your fruit cakes (lactose-free among other things) which was a real delight! 🔝🔝🔝

The Grand Café ☕ is feels very cozy and historic with the lights and wooden ceiling. we went for hot chocolate 🍫, I had a strong one with whipped cream. it was delicious 😋 and the service was friendly. we'll come back ☺️.

Excellent experience, good chocolate, attentive service.

Very nice environment, fast and friendly staff. Excellent for a sweet snack.

Good and correct care. We went to have tea and everything was very delicious. Only the chocolate with cream came cold and we asked for it to be heated. The food is ordered separately, you have to go to the counter and choose (the prices are not indicated at the counter). The place is very nice and the bathrooms are clean.

A snack with a coffee, a tea and two sweet single portions. They wanted a sophisticated place, but receiving the Twinings English Breakfast sachet as a request for black tea immediately shattered the allure of the place, which also charges handsomely.

I found the window very pretty to prepare for Halloween. The prices are high but this is general in Switzerland. It’s still very chic, close to the port and all the department stores. A pie costs around 36 francs.

Beautiful place with many options for brunch.Nice spot.

A tremendous hidden spot in Lugano, highly recommended for an Italian breakfast.

I just love this Café! The location is incredible and the vibes inside are immaculate! Try the hot chocolate if you want something traditional for this café! The service is super professional and quick too!

A classic and elegant cafe. I tried their Americano, which is sweet. It's an espresso idea, and you add hot water. I asked for a regular cappuccino, like the coffee. As for the dessert, we didn't get it, but they have many and varied options. Its location is close to the center, and the service is very fast.

Great place and friendly waiter (Pierluigi).

Sitting outside of Grand Cafe Al Porto was a lovely experience. You will enjoy watching the passerby while enjoying the exquisite dessert offered by the cafe. They offer wider range of pretty looking and tasty sweets for customer. I would love to go back anytime.

Very nice tea room in the center of Lugano. The coffee is good there. Quite snobbish clientele and quite cold staff.

The croissants and cake are amazing and worth a try

Best chocolate cake I have ever eaten accompanied with polite and pleasant staff.

Great coffee in Lugano, with a great selection of sandwiches and desserts. Very cozy, beautiful cafe in the middle of Lugano and close to the lake. We love it.

It's definitely worth a visit. You can sit on the terrace or enjoy the ambiance inside. Friendly staff, fast service and it was delicious. You are in Lugano, which means that it is not cheap to get out. Extra reason to enjoy the moment!

Beautiful location, large selection of sweets, friendly service

To do The cakes are delicious and the setting is ancient and magical The servers are very friendly A place steeped in history

Place looks nice, service can be better.. the food looks good ! But there is always a way to improve..

without doubt best coffee and sweet in Lugano 👏

Fast service! Smiling and the cappuccinos are extraordinary! The truffle cake is a pure marvel!

Very nice restaurant with excellent service. Pipe trafilate al bronzo al ragù di verdure del piano di Magadino executed perfectly. Enjoyable. Very comfortable.

Good coffee Very fine products Very good orange juice

A wonderful and distinctive place located in the middle of Lugano city centre. It is a classic cafe and they have various options for lunch and they have snacks, cakes and sweets. The staff is friendly and I recommend visiting the place.

Not recommended restaurant. Highly recommended for Dessert and Chocolate to take away.

Rude staff on the terrace. I often come as a customer of the pastry shop and this time, after my purchases I took a mille-feuille to consume immediately. As soon as I sat down on the terrace, and this was before I could order a drink, the waiter, without saying hello and strangely in English, made me get up, telling me (unlike the instructions from the kind person at the counter) that what I took did not allow me to sit at a table because it was a "take-away"! I would like to point out that the tables were almost all free! I had to leave eating in the street with all the bread on my hands. Too bad, you lost a customer.

High standard, courtesy, truly excellent products

Very nice, well-kept restaurant. Very good patisserie and located right in the center.

The best restaurant in Lugano + great place

Excellent quality restaurant. Courteous and quick service. Classic environment without snobbery.

The time-honored Al Porto in Lugano from 1803 - here you can find confiserie at the highest level!

The Grand Café Al Porto with small pleasant details from the other Restaurants and Bars in the city and deserves its name "Gran Café". It certainly also stands out for its well-kept bathrooms/toilets which offer customers an excellent service also from a hygiene point of view. I am among the customers who know how to appreciate this detail.

Consistently very high quality - very friendly and courteous service, delicious. They even have a small vegan and gluten-free menu