When restaurants are actually open

Italian restaurants run on a split schedule that surprises most visitors. Lunch is served from roughly 12:30 to 14:30, and dinner from 19:30 to 22:30. Between those windows the kitchen is closed even if the door is open. In Como specifically, expect dinner crowds to start at 20:00 — show up before 19:30 and you will eat alone, which is fine if you want a quiet table. On Sundays many family-run trattorias close for dinner. Mondays are the most common closing day for kitchens that worked the weekend.