We have missed Bar Italia in Ponte a Serraglio for the last 12 days. Annalisa reopened the bar in spectacular style with a party. Friends came from near and far.
There was music and lots of food and wine.
Our lovely baristas were back on deck.
The cabinets were full of delights…as usual.
The counter was covered in flowers.
I had a quick look at the new area.
I have chosen my seat for breakfast every morning.
I love the new area!
The new Tabacchi setup looks good.
I think my favourite young customer has set the mood for the revamped Bar Italia.
The party went well into the night and fun was had by all.
Congratulations Annalisa and crew. The expanded Bar Italia is a great success and I look forward to many breakfasts, lunches and aperitivo.
The jazz evening in the restaurant at La Ninfa hotel in Ponte a Serraglio was a great success. The music was excellent and the food and wine delicious.
The event was well attended and there will surely be more in spring and summer. Well done everyone involved.
We are very lucky in Ponte a Serraglio to have Bar Italia. It is open from early in the morning until late at night every day of the year. I go every morning for coffee when I am in Ponte a Serraglio, a perfect start to the day.
Recently, owner and barista extraordinaire, Annalisa, took over the Tabacchi beside the bar. The space is being renovated and will reopen soon as an extension of Bar Italia. All Tabacchi services and some new ones will return with the opening on 5th April.
Bar Italia will close from 24th March until 5th April in order to complete the final renovation work. I will certainly miss my morning coffee and aperitivo at Bar Italia!
When I tell my friends in Australia that I go to the bar for breakfast every morning when I am in Italy they look a bit surprised. In Australia you go to a bar to drink alcohol. In Italy you go to a bar to do everything…breakfast coffee and pastry, meet friends for a light lunch and head back again in the evening for aperitivo. It is the very best place to gather and socialise.
We are lucky in Bagni di Lucca to have great bars. Bar Roma in Bagni di Lucca Villa has been in the Tomei family for decades. Some handed down recipes appear in the form of Nonna’s budino, home made foccacia for delicious sandwiches, gelato and much more.
Bar Roma has recently added a covered area to meet when it is hot, cold, raining or sunny…perfect.
After breakfast my favourite time is aperitivo. I think it should happen all over the world.
As soon as I get back to Bagni di Lucca I’m heading up to Bar Roma to eat a budino!
Simone, the young and passionate chef at La Ninfa is cooking up food the locals love. It is great to see the newly renovated hotel doing well. A local contact sent me some photos. I look forward to trying it when I return to Ponte a Serraglio in early 2025.
Ponte a Serraglio is delighted to see the reopening, after months of renovations, of the Hotel Corona with a new name, La Ninfa. The hotel has had an excellent upgrade and is ready to welcome visitors.
The terrace beside the river will be a great place to sit to enjoy the view.
Aperitivo will be fun in this lovely setting.
Local residents are welcome to enjoy the beautiful surroundings, come for aperitivo and admire the stunning view from the terrace. I wish La Nifna a bright future.
When I travel around Italy I often come across a special cake or pastry particular to the town or city I am in. Sometimes it is only available in that place. In some cases it has become so popular and famous it has travelled further. One of my favourites is the sfogliatella from Naples. I can’t go to Naples without sampling several of these. Fortunately the sfogliatella is available far and wide.
In Puglia we hunted down the pasticciotto in the town where it began, Galatina. We continued our search for more in different towns in Puglia and were rarely disappointed.
We found Polenta e Osei in Bergamo and had to try several to be sure we liked them. Research can be tough work.
Schiacciata all’uva appears in Florence around Carnevale time. I like to get mine at Caffe Gilli on the edge of Piazza Republica, but they are found around Tuscany.
We went to Guardiagrele in Abruzzo to sample Nun’s breasts.
There was a large sculpture devoted to this delight, but it has been taken away and we had to make do with a smaller one outside the pasticceria where they are made.
Lucca has a special Buccellato which has a slight aniseed flavour. Taddeucci is the place to buy them.
Cantucci, a special type of biscotti, originated in Prato in the Middle Ages, and are now eaten world wide – as they should be.
All these delicious special cakes made me think Bagni di Lucca should have a local cake, only available in our local bars and bakeries.
I made a possible contender. Chestnuts and honey are plentiful in our area so my cakes are made with chestnut purée with marscapone and honey icing on top.
I invite anyone interested to come up with a cake or pastry to represent Bagni di Lucca and maybe we can encourage local bakeries to make them and start a tradition…they have to start somewhere.
Leave a comment or send me an email…debrakolkka@gmail.com if you have a cake suggestion.
Bella Bagni di Lucca 