How to book a table at Tomkat in Lucca

If you are wondering how to book a table for tonight, the answer is simpler than a French wine list. At Tomkat you can book on OpenTable, from the Book page, by phone on +39 376 203 5395 or by email at info@tomkatwines.com. We are at Via Calderia 12, in the historic center, open Monday to Saturday from 18:00 to 23:00.

For us, a well-made booking has a very practical purpose: getting you the right table at the right time, with enough time to drink well and eat without rushing. Whether you are in Lucca for two nights or live ten minutes away, a few details are all we need.

How to book, in practice

OpenTable is the quickest option, especially for a same-day booking: you see what is available, choose a time and enter the number of guests. If you have a specific request, such as a bottle you would like to drink or a table for a group, call us or write to us. One extra sentence saves a lot of back-and-forth.

There is no need to turn a booking into a negotiation. What helps us is your name, the number of guests, the time you would like and a clear idea of why you are coming: for dinner, for a glass and a few dishes from the pantry, or for a bottle to enjoy slowly. If you are arriving late from a train or from a day out in the city, let us know. Lucca is easy to explore on foot, but the time between a medieval gate and a booked table has a way of disappearing.

For two people it is often worth trying even on the same evening. For groups of four or more it is better to book ahead, especially on Fridays and Saturdays. Not because we like being mysterious: we simply want to run the service, the kitchen and the bottles in an orderly way.

What to tell us when you book

If you already have an idea for the evening, just write it down, no elaborate wording needed. “Two people at 20:30, dinner and a Tuscan bottle” is perfect. “Four people at 21:00, it’s a birthday and we’d like a quiet table” is even more helpful. If you have allergies or dietary requirements, mention them when you book: the menu changes with the seasons and we can guide you better.

The same goes for wine. You don’t need to know the producer or the vintage: you can simply tell us you are looking for a Chianti Classico, a Brunello, a red from Bolgheri, a Champagne or a Burgundy. The wine list has nearly 200 labels, mostly Italian and French, with Tuscany and Piedmont alongside Burgundy and Champagne. The French side is not there for decoration: there is also a Bordeaux Experience with mature vintages from the 1980s.

If you have read about a particular bottle or want to celebrate something, ask before you come. The wine list changes with every new edition and some bottles run out sooner: we don’t promise a wine until we have checked that it is still available. It is not a very poetic method, but it saves you from longing for a wine someone else has already drunk.

Booking for dinner, a glass or a bottle

Booking at Tomkat doesn’t have to mean a full dinner. Some guests come for a bottle and stay for the Comté, the Tuscan cold cuts, the pecorino cheeses or another dish from the pantry. Others book a table to eat and then stay on for a second glass. Both make sense.

The wines by the glass change often. Right now there are nine: five reds, three whites and one Champagne. If you live in Lucca, the Piana or Versilia, that is a good reason to come back during the week, rather than saving Tomkat for when friends come to visit. If you are only here for one evening, it is the easiest way to get a feel for the wine list without having to choose a bottle straight away.

If you would rather have dinner, the menu follows the seasons. Don’t set your heart on a dish you read about months ago: it may no longer be there, and that’s fine. You might find focaccia with Cilento tomatoes, salt cod in tomato sauce, Tuscan-style meatballs or a lasagna with 24-hour ragù. The cooking is simple, direct and made to sit alongside the wine, not to make it give speeches.

For a table that likes to share, there is also a tasting menu at €40 per person, with a pairing of 3, 5 or 7 wines. When you book, you can tell us you are interested: it isn’t required, but it lets us prepare and advise you more precisely.

If you want a tasting, book the right one

Tastings are a different kind of appointment from an ordinary dinner at the table. They start at 18:00, last about 90 minutes and are held in Italian or English. There are six tasting flights, booked and paid for online on the Tastings page: Tomkat’s Choice, Tuscan Reds, Italian Reds, Burgundy Reds, Champagne and White Wines of the World.

Tomkat’s Choice starts at €20 and you can do it on your own. It is the practical option for anyone passing through Lucca who wants a considered taste of our idea of a cellar, without having to round up three friends at improbably short notice. The other flights require at least four people. If you are coming as a group, book a few days ahead: it gives us time to set up the table and check the bottles set aside for the tasting.

If you are looking for a gift, there is also the “Gift a Tasting” card, from €50 to €250 and with no expiry date. It is useful when you don’t yet know the date of the trip, or when you want to leave the person receiving it free to choose the flight.

The time you choose makes a difference

At 18:00 the atmosphere suits those who want to start slowly, perhaps with a tasting or a glass before dinner. Later the pace changes and the table becomes the place for a bottle, dishes to share and conversations that don’t need to end quickly. There is no single best time: it depends on how much time you have and what you want to do afterwards.

If you only have a short evening, tell us. If you have an important bottle in mind, do the same. A mature 1980s Bordeaux is not something to squeeze in between two appointments, whereas a glass and a few slices of Pata Negra may be exactly what you need before heading back to your hotel.

We have received a Silver Star in the Best Newcomer List category at the Star Wine List of the Year International Open 2025, and another in the Best Medium-Sized List category in 2026, as well as the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence in 2025 and 2026. We are glad of these awards, but you don’t need them to book. All you need to know is that we take our bottles seriously, far more seriously than we take ourselves.

If your plans change

In Lucca, plans change easily: a walk takes longer, a lunch runs later than expected, someone decides at the last minute to join you. If you need to change the number of guests or the time, let us know as soon as you can, through the same channel you used to book. The more we know, the easier it is to find a sensible solution.

If you can’t find a table online at the time you want, call us. We can’t always add a table, but we can tell you clearly which alternatives really make sense. A clear answer is better than a “maybe” left hanging.

Book your table, tell us whether you are after a Tuscan bottle, a Champagne or just a good glass, then arrive with a little time to spare. We’ll take care of the rest.

Pier Giulio Bendinelli