Eating in a restaurant inside a grocery shop can definitely be classified as one of the “quirky” food experiences you can have in Luxembourg.

Vinissimo is one of the reference points for Italian shopping in Luxembourg City: you can mainly find top-tier and niche brands, from pasta to preserved fish, cheese and charcuterie.

Inside the shop, right in the middle of the hall, between shelves of wine bottles and tomatoes, is the restaurant Divino, directed by Chef Alessandro Vannelli , who was named Mediterranean Chef of the year by Gault & Millau in 2023.

Forget about the spartan accommodations of certain “botteghe” in Italy. Divino welcomes you with red armchairs and sophisticated tableware.

The menu offers a range of classic – but not obvious – choices and more creative dishes.

We chose to start with a charcuterie and cheese platter to share with our friends, which was filled with delicious products – ham with a texture as soft as butter, “ciauscolo”, which is really hard to find in Luxembourg, a spicy jam to accompany it, along with focaccia and preserved veggies.

For our main courses, we each had a pasta dish. I had the “fusilloni” with rabbit and olives, which was simple in ingredients but complex in taste. I also tried the duck ragout, which was sweeter and richer, and the anchovy “bottoni”, which were tasty but probably needed an acidic note to soften the umami.

Between aperitifs, wine, food and digestifs, we spent around 70 euros each, which was totally fine for what we had – especially considering the generous shared platter.

One of the highlights of Divino is its great wine list, which includes well-priced bottles of good quality. I wished the sommelier wasn’t so snobby if you choose a bottle that doesn’t break the bank, as dining out is already a luxury these days.

Aside from that, the service was welcoming, very kind and warm.

Overall, Divino is the perfect place to try seasonal Italian cuisine, flavorful and prepared with great ingredients. You have a range of prices for food and drinks for all the budgets, along with friendly service and a location that’s totally different from the usual spots.