Had a quick trip to Luca, and ate at this quaint restaurant! The read, the meat and cheese board, the drinks, and the food were wonderful! The outdoor seating is great for people watching and seeing beautiful sites. read more

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Just saw that I never posted this review for Stella Polare. My husband and I were there last fall, first night in Tuscany, we stopped in for a drink and couldn't resist trying the pasta even though we already had dinner. The wine selection and food were great, beautiful location to take in the night sky. read more

This is a wonderful place! We reserved ahead for a large party, as we make a habit of doing. The staff were accurate, timely, friendly, helpful and kind. There was sufficient staff on board to take care of normal size parties as well, looked like. The food is excellent! It veers a bit from full-on Toscana cuisine, in a wonderful way, thanks to the creativity of a talented young chef. For instance, the local favorite, rabbit is present in a puff pastry case AND IT IS DELICIOUS! Their appetizer boards are fresh cut, and offer a couple of little surprises. If you like chicken livers, that appetizer is spectacular and generous. The beef filet is excellent! The wines are very good. The cocktails are beautifully mixed. There are linens. We sat outside. It's covered, the tables don't wobble, the floor is flat, and chairs are comfortable. It sits in a peaceful corner of Piazza Napoleone, so the setting is tranquil and romantic. I've been for morning and afternoon coffee, aperitivo and dinner. All tops! read more

I couldn't love Stella Polare (The North Star) more if I tried. Their barista is the best in town - very serious about what she does, and DANG can that woman make a cappuccino. Their pastries aren't as good as others in town (Dianda and Regina both have better pastries & very competent coffee), but the quality of the coffee at SP draws me here pretty often, even though it's all the way across town (admittedly, not a big deal - "all the way across town" is only a 2 km bike ride through a completely flat and mostly-traffic-free town. Worth the trip). We've been here 7-8 times for breakfast or a after-lunch coffee, and we've been here 4-5 times for aperitivo. Aperitivo is Italian happy hour (happens much later than ours - most bars don't get started until 7 pm, and don't get hoppin' until around 8 pm). You buy a drink (nearly always 5 euro for a cocktail and 3-4 euro for a glass of wine or a beer, anywhere in town) and the buffet is free. Their aperitivo spread is the best I've seen in town. Most places have a few crostini, peanuts, and olives.... SP brings out the boomstick. They've got 10-15 different plates of crostini, bruschetta, veggies, fried balls of wonder and amazement... all of which are delicious, and it's hard not to fill up while grazing and drinking whatever delightful cocktail Marco has prepared for you. We've also been here once for dinner and we'll go back at least once more before we leave. My husband adored his pesto lasagne (my pasta was good but not outstanding) and we shared a tagliata afterwards - competently prepared. The waiter was extremely friendly, switching back and forth between Italian and English in a gracious and easy manner, and he made a great wine recommendation (a excellent local Lucchese red that was very affordable, around 15 euro). To top it off - Stella Polare acts as a satellite location for De Coltelli, the incredible gelateria from Pisa (which is only about 30 min away). The gelato is at a little take out window on the side of the building, and they offer a good selection - about 15 flavors - of De Coltelli's heavenly gelato. Cioccolato salato - salted chocolate - and Serena - a blend of ricotta, honey, and pine nuts - are two of my favorites. Lucca is a completely wonderful and magical town, full of foodie-food... and I have no problem putting this place in my top 5 of any bar/restaurant in town. read more

wow. some really amazing pasta here. had one in a light cream a sauce with sausage and porcini thats was out of this world. try it. read more

Stella Polare - don't miss - Bars Near Me - Lucca, LU