“It’s a good thing we had a reservation,” I think as the waitress leads us to our table in the centre of the room. Because it seems to be almost completely full. It’s Sunday lunchtime. When, if not now, do you go out for a relaxed meal with friends or family?
It may still come as a surprise that it’s so full. After all, the restaurant opened less than four weeks ago. But perhaps that’s where the great interest lies. When a new restaurant opens in the neighbourhood, it’s usually a welcome addition. Especially if you live in a small village like us.
My wife and I were suitably curious when we discovered a few weeks ago that a new restaurant was to open in the pub in our street, which had been empty for several months.
Per Lei Restaurant – Pinseria (not Pizzeria), because this is where pinsas are served. These differ from their Italian cousin in that they use a special flour mix and a different type of dough, which makes them particularly airy, light and easily digestible. The shape – oval instead of round – and the usually fresher toppings also distinguish the pinsa from the classic pizza.
Almost endless menu
In addition to a total of 27 pinsas, the menu includes a whole range of starters, salads, interesting-sounding pasta and meat dishes and a few burgers – not forgetting the desserts. Overall, the menu seems very extensive.
As a starter, we choose fritto misto, consisting of squid rings and prawns, served with a little tartar sauce. While the squid rings could have been a little crispier, the prawns are perfect – slightly flavoursome, juicy, a delight.
The fritto misto, consisting of squid rings and prawns, was excellent © Photo credit: Jeff Karier
The dough of the pinsa tastes different to that of a pizza due to the flour mixture © Photo credit: Jeff Karier
The burger with spicy jalapeños and flavoursome meat was a delight © Photo credit: Jeff Karier
For my main course, I opt for a pinsa, as I want to know how it tastes compared to a pizza. After some deliberation, I choose the Pinsa Parmiggiana with salsa napoletana, fior di latte, mortadella, fried aubergine and parmesan.
What is striking is that the dough also differs in flavour from that of a pizza. After all, it consists of a mixture of wheat, rice and soy flour. The aubergine gives the pinsa a pleasant basic flavour, rounded off by the mortadella. For me, there could have been a little more fior di latte and parmesan to round off the flavour.
My wife opts for the Mexican Hot Burger, which is served with bacon, onion, jalapeño, cheddar cheese and a Jack Daniels sauce in addition to the beef patty, tomatoes and lettuce. As my wife abhors raw onions, she asks to swap them for caramelised onions. The flavour is solid. The jalapeño is nice and hot, the meat juicy and flavoursome – all in all, an excellent burger.
Already a regular customer
This is not the first time we have been to Per Lei. On 2 May, when the restaurant opened, we visited on the off-chance, i.e. without a reservation. We thought that it would hardly be full on the first day – far from it. We were told at reception that we wouldn’t be able to get something to eat for just under an hour due to the crowds.
We were also impressed by the cordon bleu with mushroom sauce. We took some of it home in a doggy bag © Photo credit: Jeff Karier
The Casarecce alla Birichina pasta dish was really delicious and the quantity was more than you might think at first © Photo credit: Jeff Karier
As the weather was beautiful and we were offered a seat on the terrace, this wasn’t a problem for us. So we enjoyed an aperitif, studied the menu and ordered. However, we didn’t have to wait an hour to get our food. That time I chose Casarecce alla Birichina – pasta with aubergines, spicy salami, nduja and tomato sauce – delicious. My wife went for a cordon bleu with mushroom sauce, a very generous portion and also excellent.
Back then we sat on the terrace, which is out of the question today. The weather is grey and rainy. Accordingly, the terrace is empty and the modern dining room is full and quite warm. Despite my pleading glances in the direction of the air conditioning unit hanging from the ceiling above us, it just won’t get any cooler…
As I look around the room, I notice a few guests that I think I recognise from our first visit. It seems to me that Per Lei has managed to attract a regular clientele in a short space of time.
No wonder, as the food is good and more varied than at most other Italian restaurants in the country. The staff are also very friendly and, despite the large crowds, very quick. The best conditions for a successful restaurant. We will definitely be coming here more often in future, but always with a reservation and hopefully in terrace weather.
Info
26 Grand-Rue 8372 Hobscheid
Monday: Closed
Tuesday – Thursday: 12:00-14:00 and 18:00-22:00
Friday – Saturday: 12:00-14:00 and 18:00-22:30
Sunday: 12:00-14:00 and 18:00-22:00
(This story was first published in the Luxemburger Wort. Translated using AI; edited by Cordula Schnuer)