Grotto Pierino - Pregassona

As a family we were travelling to Italy and stopped in Lugano on the way for a few nights. We wanted to eat in a Grotto to get a local flavour of the area and went here after looking at TA. We, sorry I went unprepared without a phrase book (Italian) and struggled with the menu but the people here were really helpful and eased us to a selection cobbling together our limited Italian and their English. We had a fantastic meal the local Merlot was lovely and the kids liked it, job done. We were shown around the place by this proud old fella who is pictured and he sent us on our way with a couple of local drinking cups gratis. Could not fault these people, the food was great and they were as hospitable as anyone you could meet.

I just enjoyed drinking a glas of red wine with polenta and brasato on the terrace. Grotto Pierino offers a limited but excellent choice of local food with wine in a quiet location with a beeautifull view on Lugano from the terrace (Cureggia is not far from the top of Monte Bre). The owner is there since years and knows a lot about the collection of pans (in the '800s lot of people of nearby Val Colla emigrated in US, Italy... to repair copper pans) or about the choice of polenta (the main dish of Grotto Pierino).

Magnificent typical Ticino restaurant, the food is excellent, wonderful. The service is top notch and the digestive with coffee is to die for. Go there, it's worth the detour.

From the selection of cured meats, to cheeses and polenta with what you like most, service, friendliness and honest prices. I don't know if it's the last grotto in Ticino, but certainly in Lugano.

Beautiful grotto (very simple) with a breathtaking view... the fireplace polenta with rabbit was delicious.