Trattoria Da Leo

So I read the reviews and was curious. As I only had one night in Lucca I decided to go.
First course, simple pasta pomadoro. Easy, simple. Nothing zesty or exciting about it.
Second course: grilled pork chop. Now, I pause. Very flavorful. Simple. Delicious.
Dessert: lemon and pistachio sorbet. Nothing extraordinary, but good. A clean finish.
Here’s the true surprise: a very nice, simple meal, € 23.00 total. Was very affordable and happy I stopped for dinner. On to Florence!

Went here after reading the amazing reviews on there, and I must say, I found it to be ‘meh’! Both service and food. Nothing to rave about. It wasn’t bad either, it just wasn’t as great as I’d expected. For me, not worth a return visit. We had different pastas and veal.

We found this little gem just off the beaten path in Lucca. We sat outside and enjoyed beer, wine, antipasti, pasta dish, and I had the Insalata Leo: mixed salad with tuna, egg, and mozzerela. All our dishes were great. Kids enjoyed the pesto pasta and weinershnietzel. Outdoor seating was covered nicely and shaded, even in July (and it was a hot day). Staff was attentive and efficient. Highly recommend! Stay out of the piazzas and look for restaurants around the corner in a quiet nook.

demais!
Lugar muito aconchegante, comida melhor ainda! Atendimento atencioso e gentil, cheguei sem reserva e deram um jeito de me acomodar. Comi um Torteli al Ragu di carne, que estava muito bom. Mas a sobremesa, Tiramissú al caffe estava SENSACIONAL! Um dos melhores que comi na italia

This place was pretty good, but I admit that it was probably a tourist trap. Pretty much everyone around us was speaking English.
They really push the house wine on you here. They don’t even offer a wine list, although there are wines you can buy by the bottle. The house wine was fine but not the best wine we had in Tuscany.
Food portions are huge, so come very hungry. We shared the antipasto, and I was pretty full just eating that. The pastas were great too. I didn’t love my roast veal (and my husband didn’t like that his porchetta was served at room temperature), but the potatoes that came with it were excellent.

Nice atmosphere, attentive staff, food flavorful and good, but we women were given quite small portions, compared to the men at the next table. Enjoyed the traditional Italian cuisine. Even though it was raining and few people were out, this restaurant was full of happy diners!

Following on from you Unilocalers out there, we came to discover this little establishment in the heart of Lucca. I insisted it must be a better venue than others, as my fellow Unilocalers had said.
My Gf really enjoyed the bean soup with spelt which is a speciality for the restaurant, this grew on me after a while and also when I added a little salt and bread to the equation. By the end of the soup it was becoming rich and creamy rather than only savoury. We were here for the firenze steak challenge. I was expecting 200g, however was a little overwhelmed on seeing th e 700 mg mucca placed in front of my eyebrows. I turned on my eating hat and fortunately we had only been eating constantly for the last few days.
Anyhow the steak I asked for was medium rare. Obviously with such a big piece of meat this was never going to be cooked consistently. I cannot say I particularly enjoyed the medium aspect of the steak, however r th e medium rare part of the t bone was pretty succulent and I managed to devour it with room for the wine and coffee.
Also of note is the Italian management of this little trattoria. The restaurant is painted in flaming yellow and orange in parts with a disco ball just at the entrance. Additing to the eclectic mix is a rather beautiful stained glass front door which I would have liked to take back home. Unfortunately I wasn’t feeling in the correct state to ask.
Little to say, Definitely worth a visit.

By far one of the best places we ate on our trip to Italy! This was recommended by one of the locals we stayed with. Right at the top of the hour the gates open and you are ushered into a small eating area where your order is taken. We were surrounded by locals and felt somewhat privileged to have had an opportunity to eat here.
Ordered the roast rabbit which was great. The ambiance was perfect for setting that romantic overtone. Bright lights that the old stonework just drinks up, leaving behind a rusty yellow hue that bounces around just right. The old but sturdy tables and chairs will hold you in place while giving you just the right amount of confidence to try something new.
Food was served by a very attentive staff whose interactions make it clear that they have invited you in to there establishment to be treated to there delicious culinary delights. Get out of line, and you may find yourself on the wrong side of that hospitality.
On our next trip we will definitely be eating here again. I would encourage new patrons to dress appropriately for this establishment as a matter of respect.

We dropped in at 10:25pm, thinking we were acting appropriately European. Though it was 5 minutes before closing, the owner accommodated us remarkably. When I noted they didn’t take credit cards, without hesitation and not knowing me from Adam he stated, «Pay me tomorrow»! We chose the outside dining. The meal of soup, salad, roast pork, spare ribs, potatoes, bread, and ample wine was not only delicious, but so inexpensive I paid with pocket change.

In der schönen Altstadt von Lucca haben wir einen wunderbaren Abend verbracht. Es ist eng und laut, aber das entscheidende ist: das Essen schmeckt hervorragend! Es gibt recht einfache Gerichte, die aber klassisch zubereitet sind und uns viel Spaß gemacht haben. Die Bedienungen waren außerordentlich nett.

Osteria is genuine old-​school, in a wonderful physical site, dine in the large room!
I review on 1 – 5 scale and offer a word attribute for:
Venue: 5-​stars. Large.
Host: 5-​stars. Immediate service.
Service: 4-​stars. Warm.
Food: 4-​stars. Historically correct
Value: 5-​stars. Fair
Dined, Antipasti=brodo soup. Primi=Bolognese pasta.. Side dishes. I had house wine, great house wine. Desert=fig tart. Expresso.

I love and adore this place.
I have been here many times over the three summers I have spent in Italy and it’s never a disappointment.
It’s good, hearty Lucchese cuisine. Their ‘tortelli al ragu di carne’ which is Lucca’s signature dish is simply delicious, and if you want my opinion, the more parmesan you put on it the better!
So that’s for ‘primo’. For secondo, some sort of grilled meat with lemon and a side order of fried vegetables if they have them. The veg is so crisp, and with the batter and some lemon juice… mmmm…a must!
And finally for pudding, a reasonable sized slice of either their chocolate or vegetable tart. Yes, I know vegetable tart sounds weird. But trust me, it totally works. They sweeten it a bit, and add some pine nuts, It’s scrummy. Have it with an espresso, and if the waiter likes you, you might even get a wee glass of their homemade, chilled limoncello. A real treat!
The staff have always been very friendly, efficient service. The house wine is good (I believe there is no wine list) and served in carafes. The dining rooms are basic, but clean and nice. Quite authentically Tuscan. If the weather is good, try to get a table outside. It’s in a great location for people watching.
All in all, I love Trattoria Da Leo, and if you’re only going to eat one meal in Lucca, do it here!
(Booking is almost essential in the summer months, so don’t risk not getting a table and pop in earlier in the day to do this!)

Amazing food, all home made pasta and soups. Amazing and simple. Go here for real AUTHENTIC non-​touristy good food. I wonder if the chef is an old italian grandmother.

We walked passed and spontaneously join the restaurant because there a party like atmosphere. We all had various set menu items and the food was good. It was Halloween time and the decorations were fantastic.

The room is lightly decorated in simple Italian flare. Sevice was great and the food was down home cooking. I had the roasted pork with potatoes and zucchini in tomatoes. Flavors that not only tastes good but made you mouth water. At the end of the dinner rush, lots of «CLEAN» plates. This place was not easy to find so let you noes guide you through the streets of Lucca and it helped with the GPS.
Be sure to check out the deserts. Yum

The menu has, like an Italian restaurant should, lots of pasta’s, things with garlic and pomodori. But the classics are done in a particularly good way. All the effort is put in the quality and taste of the food. Not in the way it looks when it’s served on your plate or not in the attire of the waiters. :-) And that’s the way it should be.
This ordinary looking dish of linguini with sweet onion and anchovies (see pics) tasted heavenly. The (large) steak I had was grilled to perfection and for the home made pistachio ice cream, I can’t find a superlative. It would sound stupid to say it’s made from real pistachios. but I’ve never had pistachio ice cream which tasted so much like pistachio :-)
The place is still a spot for locals to go to, despite the popularity with tourists ( Unilocaling and Lonely Planetting people). The big tables inside are filled with families and the like.
The personnel are regular folks with love for good food and their business. The owner, Leo is a remarkable guy.

Der Empfehlung des Reisführers folgend hier die Mittagspause eingelegt. Sehr schön. Schattig. Tolle kleine Gerichte. Klare Empfehlung. Und die Qualität ausgezeichnet.

When is the last time you got a check and checked it over and over, because you were sure it’s just too little to be yours?
We walked by this place as we were wandering without direction at dinnertime just in time to see them bring out several plates of amazing food. Okay, that made up our minds and we quickly got one of the last tables for four. This restaurant fills up quickly and it’s not because it’s easy to find.
My son had tortelini in chicken broth that was so dense with chicken flavor that he rightfully asked why we can’t have this at home. It’s not like chicken is a stranger to our house so I really couldn’t offer him an explanation why it’s so much better here.
My daughter had fettucini with a bolengnese ragu that was fresh and out of this world. My wife enjoyed some very nice half moon pasta with bacon, cream and asparagas and could not stop raving about it.
I enjoyed pasta with some very strong, in an excellent way, mushrooms and some procuitto. The base was a broth, not cream and it was full of smoky, earthy flavor. It was rich in flavor without being crazy rich with butter or cream. It was just excellent.
We finished off with some roasted vegetables and some roasted peppers with basil, which were also excellent. The peppers alone would have been an amazing meal alll on their own.
Throw in a couple of Sprites for the kids and some nice local white wine for the grown ups and surely this meal should of cost more, but it didn’t. Upon leaving, we saw them bring out a plate of Ossobucco and we had the same thought we had when we originally passed the restaurant. «Maybe we need to go back and try that too!»

Not worth writing home about. Ravioli really not Ok, I can make them better myself.
Wine is ok though, good price.

Totally fantastic. Zuppa di Farro is amazing local Tuscan bean soup with spelt. I go here every time I’m in town.

si c’est dans le lonely planet ça a dû être bien, mais l’est-ce encore??? en tout cas c’est bondé et chaleureux au premier abord (et surtout un des rares endroits ouverts en ce dimanche hors saison). on fait la file sagement 25 minutes sans que personne né prête attention puis on se retrouve casés à une table. Commande expédiée, plats apportés 30 secondes plus tard à table (?) et cuisine honnête mais basique et pas donnée pour ce que c’est.
on est sorti avec un peu la sensation d’avoir mangé à la cafet de l’usine, d’autant que la déco est à peu près de ce niveau, tout comme le rythme de l’ensemble.
ah, le vin du patron était inbuvable.

One of the few places in very Central Lucca where you can still taste the good local Tuscan food at non touristy prices. In fact the place is always busy with local workers especially at lunch, as a proof of the good quality and affordable price. I recommend the grilled meat, I had the rosticciana and it was delicious. If you’re spending some time in Lucca, lunch at Leo’s is a must!

While on vacation in Tiscany we were lucky enough to come across this gem. Great big rooms with lots of light only makes the experience even better. We ate here twice and both times we discovered something new to crave. The pasta dishes are made to order and always amazing, light and flavorful and clean no fluff, less is best and it works. we also had the rabbit which is so popular in Tuscany, and while we were full and content, the wonderful Leo himself twisted our rubber arms and served some dessert samplers, of these the pistacho gelato was the show stopper, reasonably priced and well worth the stop, it is a great place to relax and savor one of lifes true pleasure, among friends or for a tete a tete

Fort sympathique restaurant familial à l’ancienne. Bonnes assiettes.

Had a great meal in this busy little trattoria.
Came late, and had to wait for a table, but got a free glass of Rosso as we sat by the bar.
Ate ribs, fagolli beans, spinach and pasta with ½ litre of rosso di casa for EUR4. Good simple food.
Enjoyed the evening tremendouly and our seven month old loved the tagiatelle!