Buca di Sant’Antonio

Reviews

• Steph B.

  star star star star star 6 June 2026

  Simply amazing restaurant. The service is fabulous and the food excellent.
  
  We were seated right away for lunch, but I think a reservation is best for dinner. The waiter spoke excellent English and was very helpful in guiding us through the menu and choosing a good wine.
  
  I definitely recommend this restaurant for the food, atmosphere and friendly staff!

• Valerie N.

  star star star star star 3 June 2026

  What an amazing al fresco meal! I made reservations in advance and am so glad I did. I requested to sit outside but I must say - the interior was extremely charming and had excellent music playing.
  
  We were swiftly seated on the outdoor patio which is separated from the street traffic by hedges. We were greeted with a complimentary glass of Prosecco and the most delectable meatball bites and fried fish. I'm describing it so poorly as these bites were elegant, thoughtful creations that set the tone for our beautiful meal ahead.  We hadn't eaten all day so we're very hungry when we got to the restaurant so I think these little bites tasted even better thanks to that!
  
  Angelo was our waiter and did a terrific job recommending wine to pair with our meal. We had a vermentino from Antinori to go with our starters. For our starter, we had a delightful chicken pate with truffles. I had thought our pate earlier in the day and craved it. With a crisp white wine, it was creamy perfection on a summer night.
  
  For our next course, we again split a dish - this time hand made tagliolini with butter and freshly shaved black truffles. Again, delightfully full flavored yet light, perfect for summer.
  
  For our main courses, we had to have coniglio (rabbit). My husband ordered rabbit bites while I had the tagliatelle with rabbit ragu, something I had on our honeymoon in Napa many years ago. The rabbit bites were absolutely elegant and full of terrific flavor. The tagliatelle was positively dreamy; full of delicious flavor and elegant while still being comfort food. The Lucchese Syrah recommended by Angelo paired perfectly.
  
  Stuffed from dinner, we skipped dessert but I did order hot water with lemon that turned out to be quite the treat thanks to the fruitiness of the Italian lemons.
  
  The chef came by and we enthusiastically praised his delicious food. The service was elegant, the food perfection, the wine offerings plentiful, and the ambience everything I want on a date night. I will definitely return next time I'm in Lucca!
  
  Fun fact: right around the corner in front of the Puccini statue there was piazza karaoke we heard throughout our meal. So fun!!!!
  
  Also there was a family right beside us with a sweet baby and toddler. The restaurant was so caring towards them. Being a parent myself, I loved seeing how family friendly the restaurant was.

• Andy W.

  star star star star_border star_border 2 June 2026

  Hmm,
  Well, the place was nice, and the setting is great. The wine was really good. We started with the chicken liver pate which was excellent. For our primo I had some pasta parcels which were good, my wife had mushroom with tagliatelle which was definitely over cooked. My second (veal) was ok. But the grilled cod was really overcooked, dry, salty and not good. Served with garbanzo, not a great pairing.  Honesty underwhelmed. Service ok, but nobody asked why my wife had left 70%  of her fish... perhaps they knew. For a Michelin restaurant to cook pasta to a slimy consistency and then turn a helpless piece of fish into shoe leather... disappointing.

• Vladimir S.

  star star star star star 21 May 2026

  I don't give 5 stars easy but here it is.
  Food is exquisite
  Wine is delicious
  Service is attentive and caring
  Price is  reasonable.
  The restaurant looks beautiful.
  Yes! Do it!

• Angela S.

  star star star star star 11 May 2026

  What an amazing place. From the personal attention of the amazing waitstaff to the transportational tortellini in brodo... to the perfect polenta, the magnificent chocolate mousse and the excellent wine pairing... Bravissimo Buca di Sant'Antonio e grazie mille per una cena never to be forgotten. Amo Lucca.