Lucca restaurants & day trips

In Lucca, our favorite restaurant in terms of food, wonderful host & general vibe is Osteria Pasqualino - Corte Morovelli, 4, Make sure to reserve at least a week in advance and probably more if on the weekend. If it's on the menu order the caponata appetizer.

Day trip from Lucca: I would suggest a visit to Pietrasanta -- a hidden gem of a town that can be reached fairly easily from Lucca. We drove (about 40 minutes) but the train is also an option. You would catch the train (actually 2 regional trains -- very easy transfer) first from the Lucca station to Viareggio and change there for another regional train to Pietrasanta.

Upon arrival it is a 10 minute walk to the heart of the village. Such a perfect little jewel box of an open-air museum with amazing modern artwork and sculptures scattered about. In addition to all the free outdoor art there are galleries and shops and of course places to eat and drink and it is just such a pretty setting with the mountains in the background. We were there on a weekend in May and stumbled upon a wedding in the main piazza among the sculptures. It was such a magical and memorable day and I am really not any kind of a sculpture aficionado! Many of the art pieces were quite whimsical and entertaining -- I think anyone would enjoy it. Here is a link that will give you a bit of flavor: https://www.pietrasantaincanta.it/en/arte-e-cultura/

Have a wonderful trip!

Thank you for taking the time to provide such a detailed response!

We are in Italy now and will be in Lucca in a few days. Will have a rental car. Thank you for the day trip recommendation!

I will vouch for the Osteria Pasqualino suggestion, an absolutely fantastic place. I have eaten there a few times, and it has been wonderful. Reservations a must.
I will add a second choice, Ristorante La Norma. On a par with Pasqualino, but a more formal vibe.

In Lucca there are many good restaurants - nearly any "famous" restaurant - Osteria dal Manzo, Giglio - will probably require reservations a few days ahead. Piazza dell'Anfiteatro is beautiful and worth wandering through at night but is for tourists not locals. If you want to make that scene Sotto Sotto has the respect of the locals so I'd eat there.
I like Rosticceria Da Nonna Tati on the tiny Via Santa Zita - next to the laundromat in an old bakery location. They are doing new things with Italian food, but not crazy, and it's all really good but unusual given the adherence to "nonna's kitchen" in Tuscany.

Best sandwich place: Ciacco on P.za Napoleone. Also salads as big as your head - not kidding.
Second best sandwich place - very different sandwiches - Pan di strada - Corso Giuseppe Garibaldi
Both places have excellent Cicchetti as well.

Best gelato; Ele (formally De' Coltelli) and Momo in either location. There are other good places but these are the best - ele for wacky combos and amazing fruit flavors.

Best local pizza experience - Pizzeria da Felice - always packed and spilling into the street outside with little quarter given to tourists. Run the way it always has been with pizza and cecina sold by weight. Try the cecina with the pepper when offered.
Probably better pizza but less of "an experience" is Itaco across town.

Cheaper local wine store: Vini e Liquori di Ugo Massei Via Sant'Andrea, 19 - owner only speaks Italian.

Some day trip ideas:
Pietrasanta - arty small upscale town
Pistoia - pleasant real Italian town on the same train line
Barga - small mountain town with a strong Scottish influence
Pisa - the obvious choice - you can even bike it if you want
Castelnuovo di Garfagnana - mountain town with a castle fortress and an amazing theater
Also Viareggio - more blue collar Italian beach resort, Forte dei Marmi - upscale beach community

Hope that helps, have a great trip,
=Tod