La Tinera in Lugano

Thanks. Very friendly service. Lovely local food. We'd love to come back. Thanks again for the friendly service and the good food. Great house wine. Zabaione on the top with ice cream🤩🥰😻

Nice atmosphere, very small. You will find different varieties of Ticino dishes! Friendly and attentive staff. I had a good time! I will happily return.

Very good and authentic food. Always good. Back there after three years. Excellent wines!

Very suggestive. Good menu, good service, good choice of wines and good food

Such a cozy, laid back yet nice restaurant. The food was flavorful and I really enjoyed a plate of risotto. The people working there were very kind and inviting.

The entrance to this restaurant is completely hidden. The food was very good. The service was friendly. The atmosphere was very special. Tip: reserve

Very welcoming place, not so big, grotto style, very good food. Speciality: homemade eggnog handmade at the moment

Food and location superrr… Service is terrible, you notice that you are not treated equally compared to the locals!

Hidden restaurant, the food was good but the owner was grumpy and unfriendly, we were seated at the back table with a small child and dog and be careful, the Ticino tazzinos (wine cups) are charged 30 francs (are available online for 4 francs) if you order them not used properly, e.g. to give water to a dog who is half thirsty - it can be concluded that the hygiene leaves something to be desired and the dishes are not washed properly. Owner and waiter very dissatisfied and unfriendly to customers! Not recommended and never again…!

From memory it is the only typical Ticino restaurant in the center of Lugano. Excellent local dishes such as luganiga and risotto, polenta with porcini mushrooms, ossobuco and obviously there is no shortage of cold cuts.

This was our best meal of our trip so far. I had tagliatelle with deer ragu (I had never had it before) and he had polenta and deer meat, we loved it.

Wonderful hidden gem. Small, rustic place with amazing home-cooked food that tastes like my grandma made it.

Very rude and unfriendly owner.

Dish of the day: delicious tagliatelle with venison ragù! Efficient service. A typical Ticino restaurant, recommended!

This restaurant is really worth a visit! The hidden cellar in the downtown area delivers a great atmosphere and made us feel comfy right away. The food was excellent, very flavourful, tender meat and fish as well as good portions. Delicious house wine and attentive service. The prices are normal for the location. Would definitely recommend!!

The seasoning is mild and you can enjoy it without pretentiousness.

Hurray Travel Agency - One of the meals on the Swiss 🇨🇭 railway trip. Meal: Stewed beef shin + Italian risotto, the bone marrow is delicious and delicious. The red wine is delicious. But because there is poor air circulation in the basement.

Very good food, great service at a pleasant price, in the Luganese underground.

Highly rude staff, okay food but nothing exceptional. There are other restaurants in the area where the staff is friendlier and the food and place are better in Lugano.

Very good, but we arrived early because we had a train and it wasn't very welcoming, the waiters watched us eat a little. However, fast service and delicious food. We had the Osso Bucco with the Polenta.

Perfect cuisine with fresh and typically Ticino products. The staff is really friendly and takes care of you. Its location is slightly out of the way which makes the terrace quiet. I can only advise you to go there.

Great service, good food. Price a little high but in line with other restaurants in Lugano.

How is it possible that a tourist guide can recommend such an address? The service is not friendly and the food is a disgrace to Italian cuisine! Even in the horrible canteen at my high school I ate better! Gorgonzola polenta is so salty that it is inedible, forget the creamy risotto that has made Italian cuisine famous! There you will have a plate of dry and tasteless rice... And all this served on plates which suddenly resembled those of my old "cantoche"... To avoid!

Completely ordinary parmesan risotto that only tastes like rice, with non-existent dish presentation. Moderately friendly waiter and absolutely incomprehensible price for this level of cuisine. In short, move on.

Someone from Lugano recommended this restaurant to us and it was great! You have to eat inside, of course in summer it can be a bit stuffy because it is in the basement, but the rustic setting is great, it would be a shame to miss out on that. The waiter was very pleasant and the dishes were excellent (polenta with bolognese and bolognese).

A lovely spot tucked away from the main square. Incredible food, especially the risotto. Highly recommend eating here as the food is made with passion!

Had the perch and risotto and it was v good and more affordable. The risotto was flavorful and refreshing. Appreciated how wine forward it was without overwhelming the dish. The perch was okay! Tiramisu was good. Service was great. Thank you to the kind old gentleman who kindly pointed out the local dishes for us in english. Recommend sitting ourside as inside is abit stuffy.

A very big disappointment. Recommended by the Lugano tourist office as a rustic table of Ticino cuisine, we made a reservation in this restaurant located in a vaulted cellar. We should have stayed on the surface, especially with the good weather! Parmesan risotto without parmesan, osso bucco in reduced proportion at 35 Swiss francs and lemon sorbet with 2 tiny scoops without biscuit accompaniment. As a bonus, the fan that gives you a cold. Tourists of course but still. In short, a bad dining experience.

Simply delicious without a lot of chichi. The homemade salami as a starter was perfect. Not too fresh, not too old, even the brown bread was excellent. Luganiga (sausage) poached in aluminum foil was freshly presented at the table. My wine recommendation (Bianco) is a cuvée of Melot and Chardonnay (photo). The Merlot Cube No. 1 is also very pleasant, tastes slightly of vanilla with a good minerality.

Typically “Ticino”, reminiscent of a grotto, very authentic, fine

For us Lugano people it is a "historic" place, but for occasional customers I suppose it could be a surprise, both for the rustic and convivial environment in the heart of the city and for the homemade flavor of the food.

We ate porcini mushroom risotto and osso bucco and a light summer wine. All very tasty.

I've been here each time I visit Lugano - great for local specialities, extremely fast service and unbelievably good value by Swiss and city centre standards. It was quieter in the summer - in winter a reservation is definitely needed. Very attentive and friendly service too.

Local food, very cozy, worth it!!

Very good restaurant, simple and regional dishes (grandma's meal) The server is a little cold though..

We initially went here based on reviews and cost efficient ratings on Google. In my opinion, they were way off. The food was highly overpriced for the quality and the quantity. The food was mediocre and everyone was still hungry afterward. They also got our order wrong. The server visited our table four times in total; After 10 minutes we received water, then they took our order, delivered our order, and brought us the check. They never followed up with us regarding our needs or food. Also, it was in summer and the restaurant is in a hot cellar. Next time I will definitely choose to sit on a patio. My dish is displayed. Basically just butter noodles with red pepper flakes. I was still very hungry after having this and it cost 16-18 francs.

Perfect across the board, not a tourist trap :-)

Very bad experience! We were placed on a charming terrace, in the middle of a construction site. The waiter was rude and made fun of our request when we reported being bothered by the constant smell of cigarettes reaching us. The food, without being bad, was really not up to par: a poorly seasoned and poorly presented risotto, a poorly cooked ossobuco in a gelatinous sauce... To avoid !

Entrecot is served without a sensible side dish (just spinach cooked in water), no herb butter or anything else to season it and the whole thing for 35.- The chicken was prepared like a stew, dry, bland and certainly not fresh, as it was served after just 5 minutes. The waiter seemed rushed; when asked about a good red wine, they only referred to the menu. We hoped for more for the price

Even after 38 years, just good. Also the Zabaione.

Excellent typical Ticino cuisine. Fine risotto veal osso buco, ploenta.e.t.c. Pear sorbet with Williams, Zabaione, tiramisu, nut ice cream with nut liqueur, fine cheese varieties. Courteous service

The restaurant is quite hidden and is located in the basement . It is a very local restaurant and was quickly proven they are not used to tourists as everyone at the restaurant stared at us as soon as we entered both the staff and customers . However the food was great and we had no complaints . 👍🏻

Food was OK, but nothing special, would rather pay a bit more to actually get nice food.

Fantastic, especially the food!

Hidden gem underground! Delicious food with great service and relatively fair prices in Switzerland. Definitely recommend 💯

Phenomenal restaurant located on a side street in the basement, just a bit away from the main squares. An excellent meal - the sausage with risotto was an incredible dish, as were the daily special ravioli with ricotta and spinach

The stewed rice is delicious, and the beef knee bone is also good. Unfortunately, the basement is full and the air will be a little thinner, but it is comfortable and the atmosphere is great!

The soul sold to Asian group tourists. A pity. Food still okay, nothing more.

This is exactly the kind of place that they refer to when they say step away from the crowded square with the tourist trap restaurants. Literally a 20 second walk out of the square, if you look hard, you will find this very quaint hidden, locals only restaurant. After locating it on Google maps, we literally followed locals to the entrance and enjoyed one of the best meals we've had on our trip. The lamb ossobuco with polenta was incredible and the sausage and risotto was much more than you would expect. The servers were very friendly and helpful. It was surprisingly slow for a weekday lunch, but as some of the reviews say, I imagine you could need a reservation on busy weekend nights.

To eat in a classic atmosphere and well. Thank you for your spectacular cheeses in oil

Small and informal place, featuring some typical dishes and famous national dishes such as caprese, Parma ham etc. Good and plentiful dishes.

Excellent polenta and osso bucco. The wine of the house is Delicious. The restaurant is in a basement which keep us fresh and the waiters were very helpful. Definitely recommend this place to eat.

Great risotto gorgonzola. Classy traditional atmosphere.

Very disappointing. I ordered an asparagus parmigiana and all I got was some asparagus with butter and Parmesan. You can’t offer that as a full dish… My friend’s pasta wasn’t very impressive either.

Nice restaurant in the basement. Great ambience. Friendly waiters. The porcini mushroom risotto and penne arabiata tasted good, but didn't blow our socks off. Insalata mista was measly for the price of 10 Fr.

Lovely little restaurant away from the hustle and bustle on the city center favored by the locals. Located in a basement, and serving local Italian cuisine. Suggest trying the the Osso Bucco and Risotto.

The tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms was an extra request. Unfortunately the dish was served without a sauce, I would have expected it with a (cream) sauce, for 26 CHF. The spinach as a side dish was nothing special. The service was very good, friendly and quick.

I ordered the grilled beef with risotto sides. It looked plain but tasted so good. This review is a reminder for myself to order the same thing again.

Small eatery tucked in the basement of a quiet building. The place was packed on a Saturday evening, so a reservation is recommended. We booked for 9 PM and was perfect. Our order was rather simple, and I loved every dish.

Nice basement with homemade food)

The atmosphere and the food are excellent.

Traditional dishes from Lugano and the Ticino region, but surprising! It is worth it. Fair price and exceptional food. Unique risotto.

Simple restaurant with very good cuisine and friendly service in Lugano. The pasta is served al dente

The waiters refuse to speak any other language (e.g. English or French) than Italien which is surprising since Switzerland is very diverse in terms of languages - "tourists" / non-italien speaking guests don't seem to be welcome in this restaurant. Choosing the right wine or getting a proper recommendation is quite complicated then. The food was good but not extraordinary like some other references would suggest.

Great restaurant with local typical and authentic food, top service . Thank you for this great experience.

Null. 26.- for a small salad of nothing at all (9.-) accompanied by a lousy risoto (17.-)... The risoto had nothing going for it except its disconcerting simplicity. After this poor, absolutely not nourishing meal, a McDonalds would seem divine. Not to mention the so-called "group price", promised over the phone, which we absolutely had no opportunity to benefit from. In three words: zero zero zero

Really pleasant both in terms of location and service. Really tasty local dishes. Definitely recommended.

Small but nice.... Food was great, everything was freshly prepared, even without a reservation we were able to eat for a short time... until the big rush came, we'll be back...

Very nice particular place. Good food, nice staff

Very good. Super honest prices. Local menu. A little noisy when full. We will definitely be back!

Nice place with very friendly staff. Decent food (risotto too al dente, little butter and with 3 porcini mushrooms on the cross, good polenta but dry braised meat), nothing excellent, prices in line with Lugano centre.

I can't understand the high average customer reviews... Staff are not very welcoming, indeed, often quite rude and not very polite; prices in line with the general average of the place, but very poor value for money! The presentation of the dishes is not very careful and the mise en place appears very spartan. I ordered simple spaghetti with tomato sauce as a first course: well, the cooking of the pasta turned out to be more raw than al dente, also (in my opinion) also a little lacking in salt. For second course, sole with vegetables and steamed potatoes: the fish is too greasy and the vegetables are unseasoned; the potatoes, unfortunately, were also a little behind in cooking. The interior of the place is nice, but absolutely nothing sensational. In short, a decidedly unpleasant experience, I strongly advise against it!

Terrible experience. Unfriendly and rude staff, very high prices for bagged/heated food, the restaurant is under the stairs.

Good insider tip. The restaurant is in the basement and not so easy to find, but very centrally located. The staff is very friendly and the wine comes in funny tiles. The wine itself is also good. The entrecôte was very good.

We were at this Restaurant with Australian Guests and it was truly the most authentic and delicious Food in Ticino. We will visit this place everytime on our next trips to Lugano. Visit and let yourself be surprised about the wonderful and true ticinese cuisine. Grazie in the Kitchen!

This is a really nice Italian restaurant. The room is quiet enough to talk with. People are very friendly and kind. There are very enjoyable meals and the price is very reasonable.

Great no-nonsense restaurant in the basement of a building in the center of Lugano. Simple regional dishes, but they are extremely tasty. The selection of regional wines is also very OK. Service is very friendly and the pace is pleasantly high; that was just right.

Wonderful find. The food was excellent and service quick.

The mixed boiled meat and breadcrumbs are excellent, and the shared round table is beautiful. Typical Ticinese restaurant, local products and cuisine

A hidden gem in the center of Lugano. We had homemade lardo for dinner, artichoke salad with grana padano and spaghetti ragù. Everything was delicious, authentic cuisine! The tiramisu is one of the best I tried, not too heavy and with a lot of coffee flavor. All that, including water and a bottle of wine, and two shots of grappa for two people was 160 CHF. We will be back!

Very fine food. Chops and risotto are recommended. Attentive staff. My recommendation.

Food is actually decent to pretty good Portion size is below average Service is terrible, and to be specific - not our waiter. Ownership is horrible here. Not welcoming, not smiling, not appreciative of new customers patronizing his business, etc Again, food is pretty good.

Individuals feel that they are not very welcome.

The mixed boiled meat is very good.

Amazing meal, fantastic wine. Very solid regional cuisine .

Incredible experience in a warm, local, family restaurant. Among the best dishes in Lugano with the most affordable prices in the city (and we have to search for a long time). An essential yet hidden address. We enjoyed our dishes and we even had more! Go ahead with your eyes closed

Cervo salami 👍 Scaloppine of cervo with funghi porcini and polenta 👍 Old decor, quiet and pleasant place, all with good cuisine. Incredibly good meat, perfectly cooked. I highly recommend.

A wide choice of local specialties.

Hidden away in the basement of an alley, this place is small but has a very warm, kind, welcome ambience. Staff is very friendly. Me and my fiancé were seated at the same table as two other guests who arrived at the same time as us, which was a little awkward. But, there was enough space between us where we could still enjoy ourselves. Overall the L’ossobucco vitello (ox-tail) was good but a little pricey.

Very Good and excellent service

Excellent food as well as very nice location. Family atmosphere. Prices are a little expensive for us Italians but in Lugano we know that this is the case

Great hidden restaurant, rustic decor, lovely staff. Had the fish and risotto as recommended by reviews and was not disappointed. House white - Anselmi San Vincenzo was also a delight. Would recommend a visit.

Live review super good osso bucco and super good veal liver, delicious Valpolicella wine thanks to the pleasant and charming waiters

Rarely have I eaten such a good piece of meat. Really highly recommended this restaurant!!

Authentic. We have eaten here for years and love that it is a cellar. The atmosphere is cozy, the food is amazing and the staff are warm men who make you feel happy to be there 😊. Highly recommend! I always love polenta con funghi.

Super typical and relaxed restaurant, a stone's throw from the main square

Great little restaurant with few tables and a small menu but the dishes are excellent and the setting is great! A must in Lugano!

Please be careful - they just want to make money!

The food wasn't freshly cooked. I've never seen anything like this...

Loved this little side street below ground restaurant. It had a lovely local atmosphere and the staff were very friendly. We both loved our meals Costoletta Tinèra, special tagliatelle venison ragu and tiramisu. We enjoyed our meal and would recommend