Even as one enters the room, it immediately catches the eye: the mighty stone oven, built after the Neapolitan model, is the heart of the restaurant. Fired with local beechwood, it reaches temperatures of over 400 degrees. Inside, a homely fire flickers, while the scent of freshly baked yeast dough teases the nose.

“A true high-end oven,” says the pizzaiolo, skilfully placing a Pizza Puttanesca onto the rotating base inside with his large wooden peel – ensuring that the dough is always exposed to even heat. This masterpiece from Modena in Italy is controlled by touchscreen: a pizza oven of the 21st century.

It is not without reason that Korbinian Kohler named the Italian restaurant in the new experience world Tegernsee Phantastisch after his own childhood memories. It is called Gardone, like the town on Lake Garda where he spent many holidays with his family as a child and developed an early taste for Italian cuisine. That is why it was important to him to offer guests a truly authentic taste experience.

Here, the pizza is baked in the Neapolitan style – with less yeast and, above all, without olive oil, as is customary in Italy. The dough is given 48 hours to rise, allowing it to develop its delicate flavour and airy consistency, with a beautifully crisp edge.

The kitchen makes no compromises when it comes to toppings either. The finest San Marzano tomatoes from Italy are a matter of honour, and instead of the buffalo mozzarella commonly used in Germany, fine Fior di Latte cheese is spread over the pizza for an especially creamy result – and because it remains firm when sliced.

Alongside classics such as Pizza Margherita, Parma or Calabrese, the kitchen offers innovative variations such as the Sicilian Shepherd with San Daniele ham, goat’s cheese, rocket, fig and walnuts. The Gardone even builds a bridge to the local world of ingredients, with cold-smoked Tegernsee salmon trout, crème fraîche and char caviar. Two vegan variations are also available.

To begin, there are flavourful antipasti – from 36-month-aged Parmigiano and paper-thin sliced beef carpaccio with rocket and pine nuts to traditional Sicilian caponata with plenty of braised aubergine and two kinds of olives.

The kitchen shows just as much dedication to pasta as it does to pizza. All pasta comes fresh from the Pastificio Palesemanufactory in Tegernsee. There, Fabian Palese, who moved from his hometown of Verona to Upper Bavaria, works according to traditional methods.

Especially refined: date tomatoes and finely grated Amalfi lemon, adding a refreshing touch of acidity. A high-quality selection of wines, from South Tyrol to Lazio, rounds off these Italian moments by the lake – and, of course, as in all Bachmair Weissach restaurants, thematically created cocktails are served.

How about a Gardone Spritz, with Aperol, white vermouth, apricot and Custoza Bianco, as the perfect start to the evening?

KATHARINA REBMANN