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Eating, drinking and entertainment
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Lucca has some high-quality
restaurants
. Local specialities include
zuppa di farro
, a thick soup made with spelt (a type of grain) and
capretto
, mountain goat, often roasted.
Puccini
, opposite the composer's house at Corte San Lorenzo 1 (tel 0583.316.116; closed Tues & Wed lunch in summer; all day Tues in winter), has a light touch and classy approach to its exquisite pasta and especially good fish dishes: this is top choice for a lunch to remember, or a romantic dinner date.
Da Giulio in Pelleria
, Via della Conce 45 (tel 0583.55.948; closed Sun & Mon) is a lively trattoria always packed in the evenings - the food is not exceptional, but the atmosphere is.
Da Leo
, Via Tegrini 1 (closed Sun), is a locals' haunt with solid Tuscan cooking; and
Da Guido
, Via Cesare Battisti 28 (closed Sun) is a heartwarming place with much joviality and truly unbeatable prices. Lucca's most famous
cafAŠ-bar
is
CaffA? di Simo
at Via Fillungo 58, once Puccini's favourite haunt and still with an appealing turn-of-the-century ambience. Of the bars around Piazza San Michele,
Casali
at no. 40 is the most alluring.
The town's food shops are equally good. Caniparoli in Via San Paolina is a wonderful chocolate shop; La Cacioteca, Via Fillungo 242, sells a wide variety of cheeses; Forno Amedeo Giusti, Via Santa Lucia 18, is the town's top bakery, with delicious fresh focaccia ; Pellegrini on Piazza San Michele has pizza by the slice; and Pasticceria Taddeucci on the same square has a stunning interior of wood-panelling and mosaic tiles to match its selection of cakey delights.
The
Lucchese Settembre
festival features plenty of activity throughout September, centred on a
candlelit procession
on the 13th, when the bejewelled
Volto Santo
is carried through the streets from San Frediano to the duomo. Consult the tourist office for details of affiliated September events, such as
classical concerts
(including performances of a Puccini opera) at the intimate, four-tiered Teatro Comunale in Piazza del Giglio, as well as
jazz
happenings and
art
exhibitions. Another key musical event is the summertime
Estate Musicale Lucchese
, often featuring big-name international stars performing in Piazza Anfiteatro. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Italy,
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