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Ticinese grotto in Lugano’s old town,in a former wine cellar just off Piazza della Riforma

Monday to Saturday, 11:30⁠–⁠15:00 and 18:00⁠–⁠23:00

Opening hoursVia dei Gorini 2
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Risotto, polenta, ossobuco.

The dishes people who come down to the cellar mention most.

  1. Risotto

    A plate of risotto at La Tinèra

    CHF20.–with Gorgonzola

  2. Ossobuco

    Ossobuco with its bone and marrow, beside the polenta

    CHF35.–veal, with polenta

  3. Luganiga

    The glossy luganiga in front of the risotto

    CHF21.–pork sausage baked in foil

  4. Tiramisù

    Tiramisù in its glass bowl, filled to the brim and dusted with cocoa

    CHF8.–

At lunch, the weekly menu with saladCHF20.–

The full menu

A few steps below the street,an old wine cellar where the cooking is Ticinese.

  1. The vat-shaped lantern lettered La Tinèra, lit in the evening, and the “Restaurant” plaque on the façade
    La Tinèra’s lantern

    Piazza della RiformaVia Pessina

  2. La Tinèra’s door ajar under the lit orange awning at dusk, the stairwell lit inside
    The door, under the orange awning

    the alley

  3. The white stairs going down to the cellar, under the red “La Tinèra” lettering
    The stairs, down to the cellar

    a few steps down

The dining room at La Tinèra, laid, its wall lamps lit over the white niches, under the dark beams

About 50 seats, in the cellar.

A tinèra is the cellar where the wine vats were kept.

Our cellarHow to get here

Merlot in the white tazzino, filled to the brim
The merlot is served in the tazzino, a ceramic bowl.

Reviews

4.4on Google, from 1,030 reviews in at least eight languages.

“Going down the dark alley and down the steps to the basement restaurant made it more than just a meal.”

— from a Google review, 2025

The same things come up in the reviews: the way down into the cellar, the wine in the tazzino and the risotto.

The Rick Steves guidebook puts it like this: …serves affordable, traditional Ticinese cuisine… tucked away in an old wine cellar.

Book a table

For a table down in the cellar, tell us the day, the time and how many of you there will be.

You can send a request at any hour; we confirm by email.

OrCall

For a group, write to us on the Contact page.

Opening hours and address

Monday to Saturday, 11:30⁠–⁠15:00 and 18:00⁠–⁠23:00

  • Monday to Saturday · lunch 11:30⁠–⁠15:00, last orders 14:30 · dinner 18:00⁠–⁠23:00
  • Closed on Sundays
  • Via dei Gorini 2, 6900 Lugano
  • From Via Pessina, into the alley, then a few steps down.
  • Pay by card or contactless
  • Dogs allowed
  • Air-conditioned
DirectionsHow to get here