How to plan a private dinner in Lucca

A private dinner is not organized by choosing the largest table first. It is organized by deciding what guests should remember when they leave. For some, it will be a Brunello di Montalcino opened at just the right moment. For others, slow-cooked beef roast with chimichurri sauce and tangy beef jus. For everyone, it should be an evening that flows without rigid schedules, obligatory toasts, or dishes placed on the table just to fill it.

At Tomkat, at Via Calderia 12, just a few steps from Piazza San Michele, this is exactly how we work. We are a wine bar with a kitchen, open in the evenings from Monday to Saturday, and a private dinner with us starts with wine but never ends in the glass. The kitchen is focused, the pantry is substantial, and the menu changes often. There are nearly 200 labels, selected bottle by bottle from Italy and France.

How to plan a private dinner without overcomplicating it

The first useful question is not “how many courses should we have?” It is “why are we getting together?” An intimate birthday, a dinner among colleagues visiting on business, a small group of friends spending a night or two in Lucca, or a table of people who want to drink well without having a ceremonial dinner: every occasion calls for a different pace.

If the group wants to talk, it is better to plan a table with relaxed service and dishes to share at the beginning. The Focaccia y Tomate—focaccia, Campanian tomato, Tuscan oil, and Maldon salt—is made for this: it is eaten by hand, requires no explanation, and puts everyone at ease. If, on the other hand, the idea is to build the evening around important bottles, we can start more slowly and give the wine more space.

When you contact us, tell us the date, the number of guests, and the reason for the dinner. Add one simple detail: does the group mainly drink Tuscan reds, prefer white wines, want a guided tasting, or include people who eat little and would prefer a lighter dinner from the pantry? This saves us from guessing and allows us to prepare a table with a clear purpose.

Reservations can be made through OpenTable or by calling +39 376 203 5395. For a private dinner, it is best to plan a little ahead, especially if you would like a specific selection of bottles or have a highly sought-after date in mind. There is no need to turn a dinner into a construction project, but making a few decisions beforehand makes everything easier that evening.

Start with the bottle that brings the table together

In Lucca, many international guests arrive with one very clear wish: to drink Tuscan wine. It is a sensible choice. Brunello di Montalcino, Bolgheri, Sangiovese, and Vermentino are among the requests we receive most often, along with local Tuscan wines. For a private dinner, they are a natural starting point, especially when people at the table have different tastes but share a common curiosity.

We do not offer one formula for everyone. A group of eight people who want to compare Sangiovese from different areas and vintages does not need the same sequence as two families who would like a bottle of Bolgheri, a few dishes to share, and then a second choice if the conversation continues. It depends on the number of guests, the budget, and the energy of the table. Bottles do their job best when they are not treated like a test.

For those coming from Lucca, the Piana, or Versilia, the choice can be even more open. The selection of wines by the glass changes often. Sometimes this is the best approach for a weeknight dinner: a well-chosen glass, something from the pantry, a hot dish, and no need to commit to a full bottle. For a larger table, however, it is often worth opening something that does not come along every day.

Our cellar has a strong Italian foundation, with Tuscany and Piedmont in the forefront, but it also has a distinct French identity. Burgundy and Champagne come from both major houses and small producers. The Bordeaux Experience includes château from the 1980s onward. It is not a list designed to impress with numbers, even though nearly 200 labels are numbers you notice. It is a list designed to give the table a genuine choice.

The kitchen: fewer dishes, easier decisions

A private dinner succeeds when the food supports the wine and conversation, not when it tries to steal the spotlight. That is why we work with a short menu. Slow-cooked beef roast with chimichurri sauce and tangy beef jus is the dish to choose when the table is leaning toward structured, full-bodied reds. The sweet & sour Pork Ribs suit a more direct, shareable evening, without unnecessary formality.

The pantry makes it possible to build a dinner without following the classic appetizer-first course-main course progression. There are cured meats ranging from Culatta di Parma to 100% Ibérico de Bellota Jamón, Italian and French cheeses from aged Tuscan pecorino to alpine Comté, Gillardeau oysters, and caviar. You do not need to order everything. In fact, it is rarely a good idea.

It is better to choose based on what you want to drink. With a Tuscan Vermentino, the more saline side of the pantry can be the right place to start. With a Brunello or Barolo, the beef roast takes on a different weight. With Champagne or Burgundy, we can consider cured meats, cheeses, and dishes without forcing textbook pairings. If one of your guests is a collector and the others are not, the solution is not to turn the table into a lesson. Open one bottle that deserves attention and let everything else remain a dinner.

When to include a guided tasting

Guided tastings can be booked from €20. In a private dinner, they work well if the group shares a common interest or if you want to give the evening a clear beginning. They can be a brief interlude before everyone properly settles in; they do not need to become an exam with notes and scores.

For a group visiting Lucca for a few days, a Tuscan selection can immediately give the table some direction. For those who return often, it may be more interesting to explore the current wines by the glass or ask for a different direction in the French cellar. For more experienced drinkers, Bordeaux with mature vintages, Burgundy, or Champagne can be the focus of the evening. But here too, one simple rule applies: choose a theme only if you are genuinely interested in it. A private dinner does not improve simply because it has a title.

The pace matters as much as the menu

The most common mistake is wanting to decide everything in advance. Some things should be settled: the number of people, arrival time, any dietary requirements, and the general idea of the budget. The rest can remain open. A second bottle chosen after the first course is often more appropriate than a sequence imposed days in advance.

We can prepare, but we do not want to direct your evening. If you are in town for an anniversary or to wrap up a day of work, you probably want to sit down and get started. If you are organizing a dinner among passionate friends, perhaps you would like a few minutes with the wine list. Both situations are normal. Just tell us.

Our two rooms and evening pace help those looking for an intimate place in the city center, without the rituals of a formal restaurant. The cooking remains simple, the bottle stays at the center, and the table can take its time. We received the Star Wine List Best Newcomer 2025 and Best Medium-Sized Wine List 2026, as well as the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence in 2025 and 2026. These awards are useful above all for one reason: they show that the list is carefully maintained, even when your dinner is simply a Tuesday dinner.

If you are deciding how to plan a private dinner in Lucca, start with who you want sitting across from you and what you would like to pour into the first glass. We can think about the rest together, without filling the table with things you do not need.

Pier Giulio Bendinelli