La Buca di Sant'Antonio
A hidden alley just west of Piazza San Michele; follow the signs
Cuisines: Italian
About
Since before 1782, La Buca has been the premier gastronomic pit stop inside Lucca's walls. It's a maze of a place with copper pots and musical instruments hanging everywhere. It's attracted the likes of Puccini, Ezra Pound, and others who in times past just wanted to read the restaurant's secret stock of banned books. The menu changes regularly, but expect exciting lineups like sella di coniglio lardellata su radicchietti di campo (a cold rabbit salad), followed by ravioi filled with ricotta and lightly sautéed in butter and zucchini, and then move to one of their signature dishes, capretto nostrale allo spiedo con patate arrosto e sformato di carciofi (tender spit-roasted kid with roast potatoes and artichoke pudding). Finish it off with a green apple sorbet and smile the rest of the day.
