La Buca di Sant’Antonio is one of the oldest restaurants in Lucca. Buca means “Inn”. This restaurant has an ancient history as a restaurant and as a staging post for horses. It has been in operation since1782. It has maintained some of its old world charm with copper pots hanging from the ceiling and a collection of musical instruments including exquisite trumpets lending an artistic atmosphere.

Although there are signs guiding you its location la Buca di Sant’Antonio is situated in a small alley almost hidden from view, very close to Piazza San Michele. It is situated very near the lovely church of San Michele.

The food is very traditional and tasty. There is a wide variety of choice in both the first and second course. They have a few in house specialties which they recommend and it is a good idea to try them out. The menu is extensive and features many local and seasonal dishes. It features many traditional Lucchese dishes including smoked herring and crostini topped with pheasant pate, porcini mushroom delicacies and many wild game dishes. It goes without saying that they use local and fresh produce and the pastas are fresh and home made daily. The desserts including the fruit loaf, tarts and biscuits are very scrumptious.

There is an attention-grabbing wine cellar right inside the restaurant which can be viewed by the guests. It offers the best of local and vintage Tuscan wines.

With its rustic ambience, its traditional and delicious food and formal service La Buca di Sant’Antonio is a popular restaurant in Lucca. Although it is a bit pricey it offers a good dining experience when you visit Lucca. It has attracted the likes of Ezra Pound, Puccini and other literary figures as it had a secret collection of banned books.
 

This entry was posted on Monday, February 25th, 2008 at 5:09 pm and is filed under Restaurants. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.