Lucca

lucca is a big-ticket spot that would not be out of place in the back bay or downtown. lots of well-dressed couples come in to dine on wood-grilled meats and fish, and the homemade pasta is outstanding. a great date spot!

Pros: location, atmosphere

Cons: parking, prices

Posted 01/13/07

I just had dinner here with some friends. Exellent place. The food was tasty and scrumptious. We were so hungry and it really satisfied our hunger. I recommend the lasagna. Great italian choices to choose from. The decor is really pretty. Nice dim lights, not overy loud. Recommend dinner and drinks here. Make reservations.

Pros: service, food, ambience

Cons: no

Posted 01/05/07

Having lived in Italy, I'm picky when it comes to Italian restaurants, but since a friend from Milan had recommended Lucca, I was confident I'd enjoy the food. And the food was fine. Nothing special, in fact, I prefer Dave's Fresh Pasta takeout in Davis Square. My boyfriend and I ordered 3 appetizers (oysters, salad and mushroom lasagne) and 2 glasses of wine. I might have inferred that our relatively small bill inspired the server's brusque and inattentive behavior, if I didn't hear her act the same way with the neighboring tables. And we would have ordered capuccino and dessert, but it was so hard to get the server's attention that we gave up and went to Modern Pastry across the street. We had intended to enjoy a romantic dinner before a show (hilarious comedy at Improv Asylum), but we treated like customers at a truckstop diner. The only thing I can say in Lucca's favor is that they have a dinner deal with Improv Asylum if you order through the theater, and for those who get better luck with service (and are hungrier than we were - it's about $45pp) I'm sure it's a good value.

Pros: Decent Italian food, right next to Improv Asylum and Modern Pastry

Cons: Rude and inattentive service, getting to the North End is a pain

Posted 12/12/06

We love this place! My husband took me here for the first time two years ago the night he proposed to me, and we've been come back on special occasions ever since. It's expensive but worth it. Our latest visit was Thursday night, 11/30/06. The service was great. The atmosphere was nice; it's somewhat dark but warm-feeling. The food was EXCELLENT! We started with the appetizer lasagna ai funghi which was unusual but good. I had the fish of the day (swordfish) which was good as well. My husband had the bistecca con risotto (beef tenderloin) which was fantastic. I'm not a big meat person but I'll definitely order this next time if it's still on the menu. Our favorite dessert is the formaggio, a sample of different cheeses. It's so yummy! All in all, we highly recommend this restaurant!

Posted 12/03/06

I had previously been somewhat of a regular at Lucca and told everyone I know to go there for the great food. However, I will never do this again. I went last weekend and they charged my card for someone else?s meal. Although it was voided, it did affect my available balance. The amount was not immaterial (hundreds of dollars) and I called to let them know what happened. When I received a phone call back I was subsequently cursed out by one of the owners, who took no responsibility on the part of Lucca. Needless to say the cursing was unacceptable and unprofessional; I was completely aghast especially seeing as I tangentially know the rest of the ownership and have heard great things about them. I have never been treated so rudely or unprofessionally and will be taking my business elsewhere, of course. For a professional restaurateur I would have expected much more tact and respect when speaking with customers. Lucca has a lot to compete with on Hanover St, or anywhere else in the North End for that matter, and I recommend you try those places first.

Pros: Good food

Cons: Unacceptably poor customer service

Posted 11/14/06

Excelent atmosphere. We were seated right away, on time for our reservation. Servers were friendly but not overbearing, they were there but not on your back every five minutes. Great wine selection. Food far exceded expectations. On a side note, our server spilled a small amount of wine from our purchased bottle, not even a fourth of a glass. Immediately he apologized and informed us he would pay for each of us to enjoy an additional complimentary glass. Due to the amount of wine spilled was not necessary but was well appreciated. Accidents do happen, and our server cleaned the spill thoroughly. Will definately dine here again in the near future. And it was not a bank buster. A definate gem on Hanover St.

Pros: Everything but the cab ride was great.

Cons: None whatsoever

Posted 10/02/06

Lucca is a great place to experience some of Boston's best italian cuisine. The food is fabulous. There's a wide range of appetizers and dishes to choose. The wine list is great as well. The staff are very friendly and the crowd is a great mix. A nice place to enjoy a good meal and have fun with friends or that special someone. Lucca is a nice choice if you're thinking of having dinner in the North End.

Posted 06/15/06

If you believe that good Italian food requires lots of red sauce - this isn't the place for you. If you like Northern Italian cuisine and enjoy good wine, this is a must. The decor isn't in-your-face Italian, it is what you'd expect from a sophisticated restaurant. But it also isn't a we're-so-dark-so-your-date-doesn't-see-you-turn-red-when-you-get-the-bill place. No, it's not cheap, but you absolutely get what you pay for. And the service is friendly and knowledgeable, and the crowd is a great mix. And if you come in late, half the North End is in there because they have a late night menu.

Pros: Great food

Cons: Parking difficult

Posted 04/20/06

I recently took a client here from out of town and the itilian food is fresh and the wait-staff is very informing and helpful..! The owner even greets you at the door like family i will definately make this place a pit stop before i head out on the town..

Pros: nice, clean, good food

Cons: none

Posted 03/08/06

This is one of the most fantastic Italian restaurants in Boston. The roasted duck tart with carmalized onions, goat cheese and fresh spinach was to DIE for. I also had a bottle of the best prosecco I've ever had. This is an incredible restaurant. The owners are always there helping out and greeting customers, which is a sign of a well-run restaurant. It's hard to do justice to exactly how wonderful the food is. Do yourself a favor and bring someone special here.

Posted 01/28/06

Lucca is my favorite upscale restaurant in the North End. Their wine list is impressive, and has been mentioned several times in wine spectator. Our waiter seemed well versed in wines and made an excellent recommendation based on our entrees. We had the potato and mushroom lasagna as an appetizer, (lasanga ai funghi) and it was absolutely incredible. Be forewarned that the online menu is not up to date currently, so while it provides a great idea of the types of cuisine they offer, don't get your heart set on one particular menu item. The service is phenomenal, our wine glasses were always kept filled, our questions answered thoroughly an knowledgably. There's excellent more reasonably priced Italian in the North End, but Lucca is one of the places that's worth the slightly high menu prices.

Pros: excellent service, great wine selection, amazing food

Cons: expensive

Posted 10/26/05

This place is great. Everything and everyone is very accomidating and you are treated with complete respect. Very dim lighting but noisy because you are dining all in one main room. In the summer the windows that line one complete wall open up and its like your eatting outside. The bar is attended by a older man who knows his liquiors. The food is one of the best in the North End. Out of all the restuarants in the North End this is on the top of my GO TO list. The food from italian entress to the beef tenderloin is incredible. The attire would be dressy casual.

Pros: ambience, food, valet

Cons: noisy

Posted 10/14/05

Went to Lucca with friends for a birthday dinner and had an absolutely wonderful meal. We were a group of 8 that arrived a few minutes late for our reservation, and they accomodated us with no fuss or nasty comments. The ambience is cool, kind of dark and trendy -- it would make a great date spot. Wine was great, and wonderful entree suggestions were made by our patient waiter Chad, who took the time to explain the menu to each of us. Timing of each course was right on. We were there for a long time, and we never felt rushed or bored. And save some room at the end -- the flourless chocolate cake is incredible.

Pros: ambience, valet, food- yum

Cons: expensive

Posted 09/27/05

This restaurant deserves many accolades...it truly is the full package! Although reservations are a plus, this large restaurant and staff are all too accomodating to find you a seat somewhere for a great meal. The bar and dining area offers something for everyone..from lighter fare, vegetarian options, to business clientele and yes! even your pain in the ass in-laws. I would be just as happy to bring my family, a date, a group of pals, or even a business meeting. The wine list is skies the limit if you wish (bring a cheap skate, or your lavish dining guest, you can always find something) This staff will bend over backwards to make your meal truly an experience. Thanks Lucca for doing it right!

Pros: great food, great wine, great service

Cons: very dark

Posted 05/31/05

My boyfriend was visiting me in Boston and wanted to have a nice dinner in the North End. We wanted a place that had more of a flair to its menu items. Lucca was the first place we saw. The managers were very friendly. Our server was nice and attentive. Antipasti we had the Mussels which were ok and the Rustic Duck Torta which was AMAZING....they could have made a main dish out of this!!! Must order that. The wine list was extensive, so much to choose from. For the main course I had the Lamb and he had the Fish of the Day with Butternut Squash Risotto. Both were very good...the Lamb was a very RICH dish. We had the chocolate flourless cake and vanilla bean gelato which were YUMM. I highly recommend Lucca...we had no idea where we were eating that night but we chose the right place.

Posted 04/03/05

great wood grilled meats and fishes, great homemade pasta, good wine list, a great date spot

Posted 03/16/05

great wood grilled meats and fish, pretty little bar, great homemade pastas

Posted 03/09/05

we've been having drinks at lucca for a while, which is always fun. sometimes hard to find a seat but the drinks are good and service really good. we just ate there for dinner the other night and were really impressed with the food, wine, and service. if you're eating on the weekend make a reservation. it is expensive, but definately worth it.

Posted 03/01/05

Before going to Lucca, I looked at the menu online to make sure that there was something that I liked on the menu....I showed up at dinner only to see that the menu on the web was outdated and they did not have what I wanted - but the "new" menu was also more expensive than what was on the web. The service wasn't great, but the worst part was when they lost our coats for 30 minutes and couldn't find them....Only to have us find them on the floor below their coat racks and have them act like it was our own fault...

Cons: , bad service, outdated menu on web

Posted 01/02/05

There are too many choices in the North End to spend too much money and receive snotty service. A group of six girls for a 9pm dinner, we did have a few special requests to accomodate a pregnant woman and vegetarians. The waitress was not thrilled to "customize" our dishes (ie. pasta sans wild boar) but at these prices, it should not have been an issue. Pasta with tomato sauce was adequate, antipasto was ok, flourless chocolate cake was delicious.

Pros: fun location, busy

Cons: , attitude

Posted 10/04/04

My fiance and I ate here a few weeks ago and was disappointed to find out that they didn't have any of the items we wanted because they hadn't updated their menu on their web site. We specifically went there to order some of the things they offered on their menu and would've went somewhere else if we had known prior. The service was also below average and a bit overpriced.

Posted 07/23/04

My wife and I celebrated our wedding 3rd anniversary at Lucca. Before I made the reservation for our special dinner, I looked at the other reviews (Lucca's bad service) and skipped Lucca. However, only few high-end Italian restaurants are opened on Sunday, so I went back to Lucca. Actually, it turned out that we had very good dinner. The waiters were very friendly and well trained. The food, especially the pasta, was very delicious (not too oily and good combination Seafood + Green Vegetables). The beef was over well done, although I ordered medium. Over the past 4 years, we have visited over 40 high-end restaurants in Boston. Lucca is one of our top 5 restaurants.

Pros: Price Value, high quality service, good food

Posted 03/14/04

For those romantic evenings which are few and far between in these busy times, its nice just to stop sometimes and see what you have been missing. Lucca is for those times , came in late was seated immedietly, the waiter was very friendly and knew his menu and wines, my steak was cooked perfectly, and my partners scallops, to die for, wine list fantastic, music great, lovely new twist on old style cooking. A great place just to forget for awhile and enjoy a romantic evening

Pros: Service , Food

Cons: Room a little cold

Posted 09/29/03

ive bee to lucca many times and have never had a bad experience at lucca. i love the food. The service is amazing, everything from serving from the left the manners when holding conversationg. this restaurant is by far my favorite in the entire north end. Im glad i have had the experience to go there and i think anyone who can sit there and say they had a bad time is greedy and spoiled. when eating here is spoiling yourself, dont complain!

Pros: service, food, attentiveness

Cons: none!

Posted 07/13/03

I'm not sure which was worse, the food or the service. I was overwhelmed by the arrogance of the staff. I brought out of town guests--not a good way to convince them to come back any time soon. And to add insult to injury the bill was astronomical! You could get food 5x better for a fraction of the price by walking 10 more steps down Hanover St.

Posted 06/03/03

That's all I have to say. Everything was SALTY! I couldn't enjoy the food, which I'm sure was very good. There was way too much salt on everything from the oysters to the entree.

Posted 03/07/03

i ended up at lucca by chance. my boyfriend and i had our valentine's day reservation at another restaurant cancelled on us when my flight from san diego was 6hrs delayed. dejected, we happened upon lucca and decided to give it a try. on valentine's day of all days, we were seated instantly! the waitress was wonderful--she took the time to explain the specials and was knowledgable about the wine. the atmosphere was dark and candlelit (pleasantly but not intensely romantic) with a lively bustle. i would suggest dressing nicely, but i was overdressed (wearing a cocktail dress for the other restaurant). the food was good (especially the platter of mussels we had as an appetizer). my entree was somewhat bland (a seafood linguine) but my boyfriend enjoyed his. the tiramisu dessert was quite good. it's not a cheap eat, but the prices are reasonable for an upscale italian establishment.

Pros: excellent service

Cons: drafty near the door

Posted 02/21/03

I found that the atmosphere was great if you are a romantic. I also found that some of the dishes that they are "known" for were not being served that night. The food was fantastic and the prices were not that bad. If you want a romantic italian dinner. Lucca is the place.

Pros: Atmosphere

Cons: Avaliability of food

Posted 12/12/02

Lucca is your best neighborhood italian restaurant in Boston. It is nice to see that they really care about you eating there--something not seen anywhere else in town these days. For example, the owners keeps tabs on customer satisfaction. The food is very good, authentic italian. The wine selection is good, including the house wine. The desserts are tasty and not excessive. The service is excellent, waiters go out of their way to be pleasant and helpful. Overall, a good time at a friendly place.

Pros: Great Service, Great Food, Very Friendly

Cons: None

Posted 11/07/02

We went to the restauarnt on halloween and it was quite empty to start but filled up and had a good atmosphere, selection of food good and reasonably price....for Boston.

Pros: Ambience, Selection

Cons: Price

Posted 11/01/02

My favorite place to have an amazing Saltimboca dish. The veal is tender and the chicken is awesome! The staff is extremely friendly and always welcomes me back. They are the best!

Posted 07/25/02

Romatic candel light setting in the North End. Very dark and mysterious. Excellent food, service, and wine. Fabulous desserts...

Pros: great dessert

Cons: expensive, hard to park

Posted 07/18/02

Quite simply put Lucca has the best food on Hanover Street. Probably best to go when it's quiet as the service seems to go down hill as the crowd increases. The mussels are amazing and probably best shared ! The ambience is romantic but relaxed, better for couples and small groups. The place is reasonably priced as well when you consider the quality of the cuisine.

Pros: Quality of food, Ambience

Cons: Service

Posted 06/24/02

I don't know what this last guy is talking about. I thought that the service at Lucca was some of the best I have ever had. In fact that is one of the things I mention when recommending the restaurant to other people. The food is also to die for. I had the beef .... mmmm mmm good. The desserts are also outstanding and the wine list had anything you could possibly want. So maybe there was one bad waiter but I'm sure they won't last there.

Pros: everything

Cons: nothing

Posted 06/21/02

My friend and I both went to Lucca's recently. The hostess was very nice and all was going great until the rude waiter showed up. When he informed us of the special, he barely finished speaking before he rudely started walking away without even asking us if we were ready to order, etc. Throughout the entire meal, he had this very snobbish, contemptuous attitude: like it was beneath his dignity to serve us!! The food wasn't that great either. My friend had eaten there many times before and she said the food is usually better.... I didn't feel like tipping the waiter at all--still did. In cases like these, is one really expected to tip for rude, contemptuous, snobby service from the waiter???? The rest of the waiters seemed nice, in general, but the one that served (or didn't serve!) us was abhorring!!

Pros: friendly hostess, dimly lit/romantic

Cons: horrible, rude waiter, tasteless food

Posted 06/06/02