Lucca’s Trattoria – Robertson Quay
With Italian restaurants spread all across the red dot island, it would take some thought and planning to open a new restaurant serving this cuisine. My wanderings this time led me to Lucca’s Trattoria, a quaint and rustic eatery located in Robertson Quay. The quadrangle is filled with restaurants – and a lot of people! The moment you enter the restaurant, what strikes you is the long wooden paneled counter, the huge display of wine bottles, the red-checkered table cloths and counter design. The decor definitely helps in setting up a calm, no-frills and private atmosphere. The counter has a light display which shows the trademark Italian specialties they offer and states that they make everything in-house from scratch.
The Orders
While trying Italian cuisine, I like to go for the quintessential classic – pizza. Since they focus extensively in this cuisine, they have a wide range of options on their menu. We ordered the ‘Vegetariano Supremo’ which contained bell peppers, black olives, mushrooms, grilled zucchini, artichoke, onion and rucola leaves. The special pizza grade flour is imported from Italy. The pizza is made in the open kitchen on a oak table top. The crust had a substantial bite to it and the pizza tasted great. It is available in two sizes in case you want to share. There was authenticity in the taste of the sauce too. The house-made pastas are also quite popular at this joint.
For my drink, I ordered the ‘Apple Juice’ and steered away from the classic red wine pairing for a change. The juice was refreshing and had the subtle taste of apple to the amount I like.
What ultimately stood out in this place were the desserts. This course transported me to Italy as the taste felt authentic and the chef exactly knew the process for making it in a true Italian style. The item definitely not to be missed is ‘Lucca’s Tiramisu’. They make it using Lady’s Fingers soaked in Sicilian marsala wine and espresso. The mascarpone cheese was dense and every bite was like a dream. Overall, it was lush and boozy – and highly recommended.
Another yielding to temptation happened after seeing their extensive gelato counter. Prepared by Italian-trained gelato chefs, this has some new flavours that looked exciting. One of my favourites has been the ‘Chocolate Orange’ combination and the gelato was extremely good. The dark chocolate was bitter with the notes of orange cutting through it with elan. Savour every bite of this when you try it!
This is a restaurant that aims to bring Tuscany fare to the forefront in Singapore. The real connoisseurs can tell how much they have succeeded in doing that successfully. If you are looking for a nice evening in a homely Italian setting with authentic taste, this place won’t disappoint. They have lunch promo deals at $15 and also a tasting menu that looks promising as a promotional offer. For good service, great Italian desserts, hand-made gelatos, Luccca’s Trattoria is worth a visit.
| In a Nutshell | Deelightful Rating |
| Cuisine Type: Italian | ★★★1/2 |
| Nearest MRT: Clarke Quay | |
| Address: Robertson Walk, 11 Unity Street, Singapore 237995 | |
| Timings: Mon-Thu: 12pm – 11pm ; Fri-Sat: 12pm – 1am ; Sun: 11.30am – 11pm | |
| Website: http://luccastrattoria.com/ |