Gigi Trattoria — Restaurant in Lucca

Open every day.

Saturday 7 September 2019 to Saturday 14 September 2019

Dinner on Sunday 8 September 2019 The inside of this restaurant was updated two years ago and looks very welcoming and attractive. It is very good value and very busy so make sure you have a reservation! One bottle of water, one bottle of Gigi red wine at €10.00 (very good), one starter of spinach at €4.00, one starter of mixed fried vegetables at €4.00, one main of homemade macaroni pasta with tomatoes, pecorino cheese and thyme at €8.00, one main of homemade gnocchi with basil, sun dried tomatoes and burrata cheese at €10.00 and two espressos cost €48.00.

Friday 8 September 2017 to Friday 15 September 2017

Dinner on Friday 8 September 2017 Reservations are essential if you want to sit outside. Turn up before 8.00 PM if you haven't made reservations, will accept inside seating and don't want to wait up to an hour or more. That's how popular this excellent and inexpensive restaurant is! They make their own bread and it is truly wonderful so make sure you savour it with whatever delicious food they provide you with. They also make their own pasta, desserts and biscuits! One bottle of water, one litre of pretty good house red for €10.00, four large side dishes at €4.00 each (chick peas cooked in the oven, deep fried vegetables, spinach, white beans), one main course of homemade pasta, one main course of sea bass fillet with clams and two coffees cost €55.50. (Next time I might try a bottle of Gigi Rosso instead of a litre of the house red.) The owner is involved in all aspects of the running of this restaurant but takes the time to speak graciously and politely (in English) with all visitors.

Dinner on Sunday 10 September 2017 It was busy again but we were greeted like regulars and made to feel really welcome. We were seated inside this time and surrounded by Italians, which is always a good sign. One bottle of water, one bottle of excellent Gigi Rosso at €10.00, one starter of spinach, one starter of chick peas cooked in the oven, one main course of flat ribbon pasta, tomatoes and three large prawns, one main course of gnocchi, burrata cheese, pesto and sun dried tomatoes and two coffees...

The food here is decent. It’s extremely touristy and that’s reflected in the weirdly superlative reviews here, which seem to be mostly from non Italians/locals. The vibe is very cliche old school Italian trattoria - we sat inside and the decor was a bit dusty and dated. I had the baccala with chickpeas which was nice but was literally just the fish and a LOT of chickpeas - no salad or vegetables. My husband had the grilled chicken which again, was fine, but came with the saddest, tiniest most wilted pinch of salad leaves I’ve ever seen and some greasy reheated roast potatoes. We also got some cannellini beans as a side which again...were fine, although tasted as if they had probably come from a can. The bread was by far the worst I’ve had in Italy - it tasted like Subway baguette bread, like it had a bunch of sugar in it or something. Very weird and surprising. Service was prompt and efficient but it wasn’t enough to make this a special experience, and it wasn’t cheap - my fish was 18 euros and I don’t think it was worth it. You won’t eat terribly here but there are so many more special places in Lucca to eat that I just don’t think it’s worth it, and from what we ate it’s certainly not deserving of these...

An amazing meal had here. Wandering around on a wet Monday night looking for open restaurants and found this one. Whilst the inside was full, there was tables outside in the covered area. The incredibky friendly waitress who looked after me made sure to put on the heaters and was very quick to get menus and take a drink order while I mulled over what to eat. The waitress was very knowledgeable about the menu and offered suggestions about the local cuisine. I started with the Tordelli. Meat ravioli in a meat Ragu, and it was delicious. Soft pasta, and a tasty filling in a rich meaty sauce. Followed by a beef stew served on a bed of polenta. The stew was super tasty and the meat was super tender and worked well with the polenta which was very filling. Left just enough room for a dessert, homemade chocolate tart. Sweet crumbly pastry with a lush chocolate filling. Went very well with a limoncello or 3. I'd happily return here if I'm ever in Lucca again. The food and the service were top notch and Id recommend this place to...