Seafood restaurants are thin on the ground in this meat-obsessed region, so the long existence of Tre Cristi (it’s been around since 1830) should be heartily celebrated. The menu here is as elegant as the decor, and touches such as a complimentary glass of prosecco at the start of the meal add to the experience. Exemplary service.
Experience Category: Food & Drink
Piazza dell’Anfiteatro
The Piazza dell’Anfiteatro in Lucca is today a bustling plaza where tourists can enjoy their food and drinks, but several centuries ago, it was in this very spot that gladiators battled for supremacy in front of rapt audiences.
Situated on the northeastern side of the ancient walled Italian city, the marketplace is surrounded by buildings constructed exactly on the lines of an old Roman amphitheater, using parts of the original structure, giving it a distinctive elliptical form and its name. The best way to see the plaza’s shape is from above but the view from inside the buildings also offers a different perspective of the plaza.
The construction of the amphitheater began in the first century but it wasn’t completed until much later with the financial help of a wealthy resident. The theater’s 18 rows could seat nearly 10,000 viewers, making it an important site of entertainment and games of strength.
During the Gothic Wars of the sixth century, the site, along with many parts of the city, was fortified, and later houses and even a prisons were built on the crumbling ruins of the theater. The plaza took on its current form between 1830 and 1839, when architect Lorenzo Nottolini demolished some of the buildings crowding the inside of the arena, and restored its structure by using the original elliptical plan. The base of the amphitheater is now buried about nine feet below the center, and the remaining vaults and arches have been incorporated into the modern shops, cafes, and houses that circle the plaza.
The Piazza, which is also called Piazza Del Mercado, can be reached via four gateways, each at the four extremes of the ellipse. A recent addition to the plaza, a massive bronze sculpture of a human head by Polish artist Igor Mitoraj, is fast becoming one of the most popular selfie backgrounds in Lucca.
Gustevole
With enticing flavours like liquorice and mint, ricotta with fig and walnut, or pine kernel made with local Pisan kernels (nuts in sweet, crunchy caramelised clumps), the most recent addition to Lucca’s artisan gelato scene is pure gold. Gelato is organic, natural and gluten-free. The key to entering gelato heaven: ask for a dollop of thick whipped cream on top.
Le Volpi e l’Uva
Le Volpi e l’Uva was opened in 1992 by Emilio Monechi, Riccardo Comparini, and Ciro Beligni with the intention of cultivating relationships with small wine producers and creating a locale where wine is accessible to all. 25 years ago this approach was an entirely new way of buying, selling, and presenting wine in Florence.
Throughout the years, Le Volpi e l’Uva have continued to search every region of Italy for wines, paying extra attention to the unique terroir of individual areas and appellations, highlighting wines made with native grapes, and featuring wines made using organic and biodynamic agriculture. Le Volpi e l’Uva believe in the importance of buying directly from the winemakers, as well as taking time to visit these producers and understand the philosophy behind each wine.
Essenziale Restaurant
Essenziale is a project started in September 2016 serving Italian cuisine that enjoys to be contained from the rest of the world. Service is taken care of by only one waiter, that takes orders and serve the wine, while all the rest is done by our cooks, that serve and explain the dishes they prepare. Open for dinner from Tuesday to Sunday.
There’s no finer showcase for modern Tuscan cuisine than this loft-style restaurant in a 19th-century warehouse. Preparing dishes at the kitchen bar, in rolled-up shirt sleeves and navy butcher’s apron, is dazzling young chef Simone Cipriani. Order one of his tasting menus to sample the full range of his inventive, thoroughly modern cuisine inspired by classic Tuscan dishes.
If you’re lucky, it will be the chef himself who brings the dish to your table and treats you to a detailed explanation: don’t miss the tale behind his remarkable Fior d’Evo dessert, notably with kale (another of his desserts includes artichokes). Sunday ushers in brunch, a fabulously revolutionary affair with a choice of three courses, unlimited coffee and water, and most likely the most remarkable French toast, waffles and eggs (with purple cabbage) you’ve ever tasted. Reservations essential.
