Excellent family run business. Kind staff, delicious food! Charming small town. Highly recommend!read more

Your stomach is tired of pizza, panini, salads, even bistecca alla Fiorentina. By the way, one can…read morefind many places in Lucca that cook excellent, aforementioned culinary items unforgettably. However, the moment comes when your mind craves for something different; your palate demands something uniquely brave -- fresh salt water variety of muscles, langostini, clams, and other gifts of the Ligurian sea. Where can one find a great 'pesce povero' Ligurian-style restaurant in the landlocked township of Lucca? Search no more. There is only one -- L'anciüa [phonetically L'Anchuua]. The place is owned and carefully attended by the brave crew of ladies - Susanna [the owner], Eleanora [her daughter], and Arianna [the waiter]. Translating 'pesce povero' from Italian will leave you perplexed. The literal meaning of 'fish of poor' is playfully deceiving. L'Anciua presents a very different angle of sensory & visuals [see photos] in a designed simplicity -- modest in execution, rich by concept, with modern twist of the meaning to a 'fisherman dinner'. To that point, do not expect opulence in the environment. L'Anciua offers demure yet tastefully appointed ambiance, resembling the colors of Ligurian fishermans' houses [from colors of placemats, to raffia chairs, to the walls of azure and deep blue hues]. Yes, L'Anciua serves dinners tirelessly 19:45-23:00, with Monday closure. Yes, Susanna or Eleanora will great you at the door and suggest one of the three famous menus, non-tourist fixed price with water/wine/gelato-sorbet. Menus are adjusted to what they've received fresh from Liguria, but you'd never be disappointed by the integrity of the owner and the chef. Yes, you need to pace yourself with 'scarpetta' [soaking wonderful sauces by a piece of an artisanal bread], served generously by the basket. Yes, save your appetite for three types of desserts and digestivo. Yes, the place is very small, two dining rooms; hence, you are advised to call in advance to reserve your table for the romantic-two or a friends-of-four. Yes, wine is served by carafe of 0.5 or 1. Litter. Take your time, enjoy hospitality, delectable food, and just close your eyes to immerse into Ligurian cuisine. Thanks for reading thus far. I decided not to mention the menu items but trust me it is wonderful one and all - look at the photos attached. Picture says 1000s words! p.s. I am rarely on Yelp, busy traveling the world; however, when I am so loquacious about one Italian 'ristorante', it would only mean - the place is a gem to pry out of its shell! We've been in L'Anciua 6 times now [since their opening in 2015], wife and I, or with friends. Never disappointed, Always intrigued to discover what Susanna has to offer!

This is one of my favorite restaurants ever. We were in Lucca for two weeks and this was by far…read moreour best eating experience. It's a fixed-price menu with options ranging from 15 to 30 euros per person, with combinations to choose from containing seafood appetizers, pasta dishes, and fried anchovies. Water, wine, dessert, coffee and a liqueur are all included. The price is crazy inexpensive for what you are getting; I think it is because by keeping the menu very limited they keep their costs down. The decor is charming and the place generally has a very nice feel. It's a place to go if you like seafood and you like having a really good cook bring you whatever she thinks will be great. If you are not very adventurous then you might not like it. The woman who runs the restaurant is extremely charming. if you go on a weeknight the pace will be slow and you can interact with her. On a weekend you must have a reservation, and you must go to either the 7:45 or 9:30 seating. The place will be very busy and you will get a good look at how it operates, which is pretty interesting. But you won't be able to interact with the owner and that is too bad. Our waitress was kind of the opposite of her - just trying to get her job done and nothing else. We went twice and we loved everything. The pasta dishes are excellent but filling. One time we both ordered the 20-euro menu, which came with four appetizers and a pasta dish for each of us. The other time we ordered one 20-euro menu and one 30-euro menu, which meant that we also had a plate of fried anchovies in addition to the two plates of pasta. I don't normally like fried fish - in fact it's normally about the least appetizing thing I can imagine. But it turns out that fresh anchovies, lightly coated in flour and then fried, are amazing. If I were going back again, I think I would go for two 20-euro menus and have pasta with one of them and fried anchovies in the other. (Since they are fresh they aren't at all salty like what you would get in a can in the US.)

Amazing service, out waiter was so attentive. He encouraged us to try the 2 pasta specials of the…read moreday, and they were both great choices! If they are serving the cauliflower and sausage pasta or the deer pasta, I highly recommend it. The bruschetta assortment and creme brûlée were standouts as well.

We went to dinner and service was very good. Food was delicious and deserts too. Very traditional…read moreItalian food. Totally recommend

Food was exceptional, but the service was terrible. Not sure if the waiter was homophobic or just…read morein a bad mood, but barely grunted any communication and eroded the whole experience. So many other choices in Pisa, not worth the poor customer service.

Well hidden in the easy & quiet part of Pisa, this restaurant fulfilled every expectation…read more This place is about real cooking, making you discover great combinations of tastes from a truly fresh kitchen! Definitely worth the (short) walk!

I discovered this place in my guidebook, and despite the lack of reviews on yelp, I tried it out…read more Am I ever glad I took the chance! We had our best meal in Lucca at this restaurant. The wine list is varied, and unlike many places in town, there are some expensive bottles (if you want to splurge). However, their moderately priced bottles are excellent as well, and if they're sold by the glass, the waiter will bring you a sample if you are feeling indecisive. We shared the pasta with rage and mushrooms. It was some of the best pasta I have every had. The pasta was perfectly cooked, and the fresh mushrooms gave a little more texture to the velvety sauce. I then had veal, which was so delicious. Before that night, my husband didn't know he liked veal, but he became a veal aficionado from then on. My husband had the grilled steak, and I thought it was excellent.

This restaurant was featured in Diners, Drive-in's and Dives and we took note of the fantastic food…read morefeatured on the show. When visiting Lucca we made this a 'must' destination for our Anniversary dinner and were not disappointed! The food was amazing and service excellent. We began sharing a plate of Eggplant Parmesan w/Pecorino Cheese, which as amazing! For the primi we shared Fresh Orecchiette Pasta complemented with a hint of anchovies that was out of this world. The pasta was cooked 'al dente' perfetto! Secondi my husband ordered the beef "Tagliata' steak, which arrived slightly undercooked though the flavors were amazing. I had the Pork Fillet on honey and mustard sauce. The flavors took me to another planet and though full could not resist eating one bit after another. Bravo Chef Leonardo! We will definitely return this fall without question to enjoy new menu options!

Lunch, June20, 2017: Authentic seafood 3 blocks from Pisa Centrale. Homey, very delicious food from…read morea family run restaurant. My elder daughter found this when we planned a day trip to the leaning tower of Pisa. There were a bunch of locals and some tourists at lunch time. The lady who took our order was very cheerful and took pains to explain the Italian-only menu. We ordered some prosecco and they proceeded to cool it in a bucket, while they served the appetizers: The shrimp was crispy and you can eat the skin, sauce was delicious. My grilled Seafood platter was an incredible value, I had salmon, squid, a large prawn, skate and some branzino, with some vegetables. The branzino filet (they call it sea bass) with olives was also quite tasty, as well as the gnocchi in pesto. The only one we didn't like so much was the sliced steak, which was just okay (still, not bad for . I guess here one should order seafood. The gentlemen proprietor offered us the digestif Amaro, which had a very interesting taste and really rounded out the meal. Definitely recommended for lunch or dinner.

Amazing food. If you don't know what to take as appetizer, take the assorted and you get to try 5…read moredifferent appetizers. Free bread and fried cookies (they refill!). For the meat, we took the variety of meat with racket. Very good quality price, very close to the train station in Pisa, with a good taste of italian food.

What a gem. This is an especially great traditional Italian restaurant pleasantly decorated and…read morecomfortable seating arrangements. Bring a date, bring a customer, or just come by yourself. They won't disappoint. I went on a Friday and they had a great off-menu specials. They have seafood, a variety of meats, and fresh pasta. Staff was very pleasant. Just don't sit at the table in the entrance. Sort of weird. Their outside seating would be fine in the warmer weather but for a mid November night, I sat inside. Enjoy!

My husband and I had a nice dinner here. Though I felt like the food was nothing special hence the…read morethree stars. I had the gluten free Alfredo, it was very peppery.

I was in Lucca and stopped here for dinner. The reviews were good and the menu online showed more…read morefish being offered I thought they would have more seafood, but being in Tuscany, I realized that most places don't. That's OK. The inside was very homey and nice. The owners, I believe are a husband and wife team who are helpful. Salmon carpaccio was an appetizer special - it was excellent Swordfish for the main was a mistake. Should have stuck with a pasta. This fish looked like it was frozen and it's was fair, nothing special. Tiramisu for dessert was so good. totally made up for the swordfish. It was made fresh that day and you could tell. This and the service raised the rating from to 4.

Both the gorgonzola gnocchi and the lasagna were some of the best dishes we have had in Lucca…read more Great service and a super helpful staff