Plan your visit to the restaurant Villa Crespi by chef Cannavacciuolo

Two hours to live the sensation of working in the kitchen of a Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux, watching the brigade at work as they prepare three dishes before your eyes. Ask them questions, take notes on the recipes, listen to their stories of life in Antonino’s kitchen, learn their secrets. Your dedication to this experience will be rewarded with a signed certificate. For a perfect end to the experience, to satisfy all curiosity and all five senses, reserve your table for lunch in the Villa Crespi restaurant.

Cooking experience

A selection of the finest Indian and Chinese teas and infusions to accompany delicacies both sweet and savoury. And to add an extra sparkle to a perfectly regenerating afternoon, the Villa Crespi aperitif and canapés will.

The Villa Crespi first afternoon

The cuisine served in the restaurant at Villa Crespi is a gastronomic link between the chef’s home city of Naples and his adopted region of the Italian Alps. In celebrating the region’s organic seasonal produce, he conceives dishes of astonishing flavor and the utmost refinement.

Restaurant Villa Crespi by chef Cannavacciuolo

Villa Crespi

Gift certificates

Our gift boxes

Persian rose, Sicilian sea salt, Piedmont peppermint and ginseng are among the natural ingredients that feature within the MEI Spa range of products that are used in relaxing treatments in the Villa Crespi wellness area. In this 43-square-foot/40-square-meter cocoon, you can indulge in relaxing massages, enhanced by essential oils and delivered by expert hands.

Spa Wellness Suite

In 1879, wealthy cotton merchant Cristoforo Benigno Crespi constructed the villa in authentic Middle-Eastern style with an unusual distinguishing feature: its own minaret inspired by the fascinating architecture of Baghdad. 

Even today the smallest details in this beautiful building are inspiring. Inside, the richness of the decorations contrasts with white-coloured accessories, such as the curtains or high-quality Italian linen tablecloths. The gardens are typical of the Great Lakes region of Italy, benefitting from an extraordinarily temperate climate due to the Alps. Throughout the year the temperature is mild, beneficial to the upkeep of the luxurious gardens. At Villa Crespi, horticultural richness can be seen every season, with camellias, azaleas, rhododendrons, jasmine and hydrangeas. The long beds of roses are particularly impressive, and close-up, resemble those found in the gardens of the Vatican.

Just a few steps from Lake Orta, Villa Crespi is a spectacular property built in 1879. The villa’s arabesque architecture, stunning gardens and the hospitality of Chef Antonino Cannavacciuolo and his wife Cinzia make a stay here magical. Antonino’s masterful cuisine is deeply influenced by the places and flavours experienced during his professional journey. His menu is an itinerary from southern to northern Italy, starting with a brochette of scallops and scampi and ending with pigeon and foie gras. From Villa Crespi you can contemplate a magnificent Italy, just 45 minutes away from Milan Malpensa: the medieval village of Orta and the Island of San Giulio, the famous site of Sacro Monte, and the Lake Maggiore.

Plan your stay at Villa Crespi

A charming day out, dedicated to visiting the fascinating medieval village of Orta, its villas and cobbled streets, admiring the views of the lake from the street cafés. Take a boat with your own personal guide over to the island where you will walk around the Way of Silence, so called for the closed order of Benedictine nuns living there, and see the amazing frescoes and rare stone pulpit going back almost a thousand years, while hearing of the history of Orta, its traditions and legends.

Orta and The Island of San Giulio

« Piedmont and Lombardia have 9 Sacred Mounts, two very close to Villa Crespi. Orta’s Sacro Monte (800 metres from the hotel) traces the most important episodes St Francis’ life in 20 chapels shown in life-sized theatrical scenes, Renaissance masterpieces of remarkable beauty set in the pine wood overlooking the lake and medieval village of Orta San Giulio. The very first and most powerful Sacro Monte is 45 minutes away in Varallo, the New Jerusalem, marking the dramatic events of Jesus’ life and death there ».

Our Unesco sites

« My kitchens are my life, 24/7, but I dedicate an hour to my love for water whenever I can. Lake Orta is full of fish, and I love fishing, so I take my rod to my favourite place for a little peace and quiet, but my family and some of my staff love the wakeboard and wakesurf opportunities here, in one of Europe’s cleanest lakes and one of the finest in Italy for these sports. We organize these experiences for our guests to enjoy ».

On the Lake’s water

Traveling the north of Italy from Milan to the small village of Orta allows you not only to bathe in a world of luxury and romanticism, but also to see southern Switzerland up close. This distinctly refined six-day journey takes you along the shores of the region’s most beautiful lakes... <a href="https://www.relaischateaux.com/us/destinations/routes-du-bonheur/from-milan-to-the-northern-lakes-luxury-and-romance" target="_new">See the itinerary</a>

Itinerary - From Milan to the northern lakes, luxury and romance

Relais & Châteaux invites you to spend a week traveling around the great Italian lakes and though landscapes celebrated by Lord Byron, Goethe and Dante. Whether along the shore or perched on hills, the palaces, monasteries and medieval castles display an aestheticism and elegance that seem to reflect the infinite beauty of their natural surroundings. Everything here exudes sophisticated elegance! <a href="https://www.relaischateaux.com/us/destinations/routes-du-bonheur/antonino-cannavacciuolo" target="_new">See the itinerary</a>

Itinerary - The great lakes region, elegance Italian-style

Activities, excursions and other attractions during your stay at Villa Crespi

This property welcomes groups or events. 1 Meeting room(s)  - Maximum capacity: 120

Make a reservation for a group or special event at Villa Crespi

Honey is the taste of the terroir–each jar the story of a season and the flowers that bloomed. On World Bee Day, May 20, 2023, five of our properties reveal their relationships with this liquid gold and their dedication to upholding the integrity of the natural world.

Honoring the Hives

Cinzia Primatesta Cannavacciuolo

Antonino Cannavacciuolo

Classic Room

Deluxe Room

Junior Suite

Executive Suite

Premium Suite

Rania Suite

Sheherazade Suite

Our rooms and suites

Footer Standard

You may also contact our concierge for customised stays tailored to your personal preferences.

Select your country and contact an advisor by telephone

Contact by telephone

Contact the concierge service

Please fill out this form so that our advisors can contact you as soon as possible.

Send a message

To book multiple rooms or accommodations for more than 3 people, we invite you to contact our advisors for solutions tailored specifically to your needs.

Restaurant Villa Crespi by chef Cannavacciuolo

Chef Antonino Cannavacciuolo

3 Michelin Stars 2025

Plan your visit to the restaurant Villa Crespi by chef Cannavacciuolo

Must experience