A slice of Italy in the city: a new restaurant has opened its doors in Toulon

Lasagne Factory opened its doors two months ago on Rue de l'Équerre. Nestled in a small square just off the famous Place de l'Équerre, the restaurant offers Italian dishes while seated on a charming, colorful terrace.

At the helm is Stéphane, 56. This former composite materials engineer decided to embark on the restaurant adventure after having "lost the meaning of [his] profession." The trigger was the death of his mother a few months ago. While tidying up his things, he came across a notebook containing all the recipes from his childhood, from his grandparents who were originally from the island of Ischia, in the Gulf of Naples.

"I decided to share this family cuisine by opening this restaurant," Stéphane says with emotion. He launched a first project in Hyères which did not come to fruition due to a lack of authorization from the town hall before turning to Toulon: "My daughter told me about the Place de l'Équerre and I heard that a space was becoming available, I went there on the gall and the space was mine!" exclaims the young restaurateur. After two months of work, Lasagne Factory was ready to open on June 5, in time for the summer evenings at the Équerre.

A homemade card made with love

On the menu, of course, is lasagna. Stéphane offers classic lasagna every day, as well as a salmon and spinach lasagna and a vegetarian option. Each week, he also adds a "lasagna of the week" based on his inspiration and his recipe book.

" I also suggest tasting my grandfather's Italian stew recipe ," he adds. The difference between it and the beef stew we know in France? " Tomato sauce and a slightly peppery Italian sausage ," explains Stéphane. He also offers octopus stew and pasta and salads.

A simple menu but one that makes an impact: "I'm starting to get regular customers, people are giving me positive feedback and they're interested in the history of my cuisine, it's great," he confides, with a smile. To extend the Italian experience, tiramisus are offered for dessert and spritz for the aperitif.

Bring Italy back to Toulon

The selection of products is carefully crafted, with everything done to ensure customers rediscover the flavors of their childhood on their plates. His supplier imports the products directly from Italy. Stéphane himself frequently travels to the country to select the finest cheeses, which he says are "impossible to find in France."

>Practical: Lasagne Factory, 16 rue de l'Équerre in Toulon. Open Tuesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Vegetarian and gluten-free options available.