Appearances can be deceiving. What might seem like a small Trattoria Italiana turns out to be a dining institution listed in Phuket’s Top 25 Restaurants in 2022 and remains in Phuket’s Top 5 Italian Restaurants in 2023. What appears to be a simple pasta dish turns out to be an extravaganza of flavors and a tribute to Italian home cooking.

Yet, what looks like Luca Cini can only be Luca Cini, the unique man behind one of Phuket’s most amazing food and wine stories.

Raised in a gastronomy-centric culture, spoiled with amazing food since childhood, and bespoke wine later, Luca at some point stepped onto the path of a sommelier and wine trader, which brought him to Phuket in 2013 and led to in the opening of Luca Cini – A Wine Story.

“That’s my name; it’s easy to pronounce for speakers of any language, and the spelling is simple”, Luca explains while sitting in his Trattoria or Osteria, which are Italian counterparts of a tavern or pub, a social place with simple but quality food.

Serving such fare is exactly how Luca and his amazing chef Bruna won the hearts of countless Phuket residents and tourists.

“I’ve been into food since I was a kid, and I’ve always been passionate about home-style food. I wanted to have a restaurant with exactly this style, and Luca Cini was born for that purpose – to serve Italian food, which you have in Italy not in a restaurant but at home”, Luca says.

Luca’s and Chef Bruna’s story is one of staying true to an authentic that they understand and love. Both are equally important, as food is all about strictly following traditional recipes and using only fresh ingredients.

“This is the secret – let’s say ‘secret’ – of Luca Cini”, Luca says with a smile.

This approach allowed Luca Cini to make it through the pandemic. When many venues closed, the simple but perfect Trattoria Italiana continued to serve its food, be it takeaway or delivery. Fancy dining experiences were put on hold, but perfectly made home-style Italian fare survived.

As the restrictions were lifted, Luca Cini stormed into the new chapter of his story by winning the coveted Phuket’s Top 25 Restaurants Award from Travelindex.

Meeting Chef Bruna was Luca’s lucky day as he encountered a woman who cooks like an Italian mom but with the skill and consistency of a top-level chef. Just as many generations before her, Chef Bruna praises the quality of ingredients over-abundance.

“And we don’t have a lot of storage space, so we have to cook with the freshest ingredients. Basically, we buy, we cook, we sell. And the guests feel it”, says Luca.

As a professional wine trader, Luca is also capable of providing perfect pairings for his dishes, from everyday refreshing libations to exquisite liquid poetry.

“If the bottle exists in Thailand, I can get it”, Luca says with the utmost seriousness. Jokes are off when an Italian talks about matching food and wine, the two pillars of the country’s culture.

Just like everyone else on the island, Luca and Chef Bruna had a tough time during the pandemic, struggling themselves and literally feeding the needy.

If not for the lockdowns, Luca would have celebrated 2020 by expanding his business. Instead, his long-awaited Cibo Gourmet store opened in 2022 and has since celebrated only its 1st anniversary.

Luca Cini – A Wine Story:
+66 65 402 8998
Facebook.com/lucaciniawinestory