Giglio (Lucca, Italy)

We stopped here early afternoon for lunch. It was very windy outside so we ate inside. The place was well appointed. The staff was attentive in the Italian way. For antipasti, I enjoyed the marinated swordfish and the Cuttlefish as an secondi and my wife the Pate and risotto for her secondi. This restaurant either is or was a one Michelin star restaurant. They had a 'fast menu' for lunch and also the full menu was offered. The wine selection was good. We opted for glasses as my wife drinks white and I drink red. She had a Vermentino and I enjoyed a Brunello, both were poured table side. The restaurant was recommended by us by a friend, Sata, in Montalcino. I would certainly go back again and would like to have the opportunity to enjoy the patio outside.

Don’t miss this place. The food was incredible. It felt like a very upscale restaurant with not upscale prices. The room, dark sage green lower walls with a celery green uppers. And the ceiling looked like a cut velvet in dark brick red. Interesting combination that worked perfectly. The little flowers on the tables were metal. A view toward the kitchen from my seat. Unlike the treatment I got at Buralli the other night here I felt like a treasured guest. What I would imagine from a Michelin starred restaurant. It had that feel. And the waiters ran like a well-oiled machine. It was lovely to watch. One of the cooks, at least I assume so since he was wearing an apron, came out to help serve. I wondered if he was an owner because he didn’t appear to do a lot of cooking. More like overseeing. They started with an amuse bouche (although they didn’t call it that.) It just showed up. Anyway, it appeared to be a steamed artichoke leaf with avocado sauce and a golden raisin that appeared to be poached in a sort of sweet liquid on a very interesting cracker that seemed to be lightly fried. Excellent. Along with very thick sliced bread still warm from the oven. I would have been satisfied with just that. I chose the Torelli with white meat ragu. Wow!!! I think the meat was chicken, pork, and veal with a sauce that appeared to be broth with an egg yolk well combined. It was beyond delicious. The Torelli are like very big corkscrews perfectly Al dente. And of course I couldn’t pass up dessert. It was Zuppa Inglese as the special. I’ve never had it quite like this. Bottom layer, fairly thin custard with a very thin sponge cake layer and then a very thick layer of dark chocolate fudge. OMG I actually finished all of it. The portions were very small by our standards but for me it was perfect. Probably one of the reasons Italians don’t get fat eating pasta. Because they only eat about a quarter-half of what we serve. What looks like lights overhead are just hand formed soft material shaped like shades but they are not actually lights. Lighting comes from the central chandelier and wall sconces. Truly feels like a high end restaurant. I’m lucky I ate early because the place was full by the time I left and it appeared almost everyone had a reservation. I’m glad I didn’t miss eating here. Well now I’ve given you a complete review. 😉 XXA 😋😍🥰

We made sure we booked a reservation for this spot as we heard this used to be a Michelin star restaurant (before they asked to remove their star to maintain a more laidback vibe). We’re so happy we did because the restaurant was packed for lunch! There were a lot of local diners which is always a good sign. The food was absolutely amazing! We tried the seafood salad, the veal, and the risotto. They were all so good that we decided to order 2 desserts, the meringue and the profiterole, and they didn’t disappoint. The homemade sourdough was also really good, along with the amuse-bouche they provided at the start. Service may be a bit slow since they’re so busy. We had our 7.5mo infant with us and we typically try to eat fast and get out within the hour maybe an hour and a half max but we stayed here 2.5 hours, just because we had to try the desserts. Thankfully, we stayed right next door at the Grand Universe hotel. My husband, bless his soul, alternated back and forth with our son to change his diaper, nap him, etc in between the dishes while waiting. It ended up working out well for us, and the food was so so worth it!

This was our second time here. First time was 7 years ago and was much better. This time the service was awful. The guy who served our table didn’t offer a wine list and took our food order first and when I asked him about the wine list he said he’ll bring it after the food order is placed as if it was a normal practice. I tried their Menu a Mano Libero for €65 which included three random appetizers + a choice of main + desert. My wife ordered one main a la carte and two french fries for the kids. If we were to order the exact same items from the menu a la carte, the total cost would be €107. They gave us a check for €130 for food, which was adjusted down after I brought up the concern but followed by some rude explanation from the server. I’ve never received a desert which was supposed to be included in the Menu a Mano Libero. When we tried ordering a second round of french fries or some other version of potatoes, the server refused claiming the chef will not do it because it’s too late (was around 14:30) and it will take 30 minutes to make (first order of fries took 20 minutes at most). Overall poor service considering the Michelin designation. Aside from service, we were disappointed by the dated interior as nothing was invested in the restaurant over the past 7 years, some decor elements have disappeared. It’s not a very pleasant atmosphere and I wouldn’t be back.

For a restaurant in a very tourist zone of the city the food was very good. A little too classic for us but was comfortable. The ribeye was spectacular.