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Lucia Dallas Reviews
This restaurant has a unique practice, where the menu
This restaurant has a unique practice, where the menu changes often and therefore you are not privy to the menu beforehand. Which has its ups and down. For instance I am pescatarian and I am allergic to avocados. Upon telling the waitress, she took the menu to make it more friendly for my restrictions, which resulted in crossing off more than half of the menu. Turns out all I could have was some octopus and cheese plate appetizers and pappa aI pomodoro. Needless to say we left and went to another restaurant, I was hungry and these options weren't gonna cut it. I understand the premise of creating a unique experience for your patrons, however I do think it would be good practice to ensure there is at least one item on the menu that appeals to those with restrictions. That being said, I would try it again, but maybe call beforehand and see if they would be willing to share the menu. :)
We love to get Lucia's Sunday or weekend meals .
They are great for a small dinner party.
As always, when people ask me what my favorite dish is from
As always, when people ask me what my favorite dish is from there, I tell them "all of them" because the menu changes so often I won't be offered the same item more than once. I love the romantic vintage look inside the restaurant. The fact that it is so exclusive makes it more appealing. On most visits, the staff is superb and friendly! They really know their foods and drinks well and make everything sound so appealing...and aren't wrong. Their paper plane drink is my favorite! Jennifer is such an amazing host and you truly feel like you are in her home when you're there. Now here are my complaints from this one visit only- and I think maybe it was due to some disorganization having just come back from their summer break. I've been here a number of times and the service is almost always sorprendente! This was a one-off incident in my experience there: I arrived about 20 minutes prior to my scheduled reservation. I checked in with the hostess to let her know I was there and she told me she couldn't seat me early. I completely understood. I used to manage restaurants and this restaurant is very strict. Then she made me dump out my water cup (it was 97ยฐF outside). I asked her if I could purchase a beverage from the bar and sip on it on the patio while I wait for my colleague to arrive in time for our reservation. She seemed very confused and said she didn't have anyone who could serve me until my reservation time and my entire party was present. I asked again: "May I please walk up to the bar and order and pay for a drink?" She again, told me no, but was nice enough to point me in the direction of another bar (Paradiso...see my review on that too). I almost canceled my reservation, due to that awkward exchange, but my colleague was from out of town and very excited to try this place out. As soon as my colleague arrived, she was able to seat us - probably about 10 minutes before our scheduled reservation. Our service was pretty slow, which was surprising considering how strict they are with the 2-hour dining limit. It took forever just to get our order placed. We kept trying to get the bartender's attention and she'd tell us she'd be right back to take our order. We waited another 20 minutes before she finally took it. Then it took forever for each of the courses to come out. We were already at the 2-hour mark and still had 2 courses to go. We never once complained, but I think our bartender could tell we were getting a little impatient. Jennifer came out to apologize for the delays and offered us a complimentary dessert. We were late to our next meetup, but I will definitely come back to Lucia again.
I thought the food was okay.
Overrated but wonderfullll customer service and great vibes
Perhaps a perfect restaurant.
Combines thoughtfully considered recipes for food and drink, prepared expertly but still with the best kind of freshness and simplicity, which are then presented by a team that seems to sense who you are and why you're there. Yeah, this is a really nice place that also happens to be a well-run restaurant.
Took a long time to get a reservation here.
The service was good ! The people are so nice . Flow of service went smoothly . The bread and tartare were our personal favorites!
Perfecto! With each course the flavors and deliciousness
Perfecto! With each course the flavors and deliciousness elevated so the trajectory of the experience never waned. Great timing for service. Super friendly and welcoming. Transcended the hype. Bravo, Lucia! Sei un gioiello!
I was so happy when I finally snagged a reservation at
I was so happy when I finally snagged a reservation at Lucia! I had heard many people share this was the best Italian food in Dallas, so was excited to check it out and see for myself. Here is what I tried and how I would rate: - Wagyu Culotte and Veal Sweetbreads (5/10) - Tonarelli w/ rock shrimp (7/10) - Seeded sourdough (8/10) - Fusili w/ spicy ragu (8/10) - Foie Gras Stuffed Prunes (10/10) Overall, the homemade pastas were very flavorful, pillowy-soft and saucy. The bread was yummy too, but surprisingly my favorite part of the meal were the prunes! They were out of this world and had such a unique flavor... yummy salty and sweet combo. This was definitely a special meal; however, I wish we hadn't had the wagyu (that was a bummer and not tasty/worth the spend). Overall, it was an enjoyable meal and I appreciated the romantic ambiance and great service we received!
The menu has a short selection of antipasto, primi and
The menu has a short selection of antipasto, primi and second. However, everything we tasted during our first visit was excellent. The service is also superb. Cocktails menu is limited, but wine list is available.
Lucia makes we wish I was wealthy so I could go more often
Lucia makes we wish I was wealthy so I could go more often ! The food is incredible as is the service . Celebrating my birthday with 2 friends. Server gave excellent suggestions on what and how much to order and the perfect wine for our meal. We had the bread and butter, fabulous! Always order this delicious starter. It won't make it to the second course. I could go on and on but the menu is always changing. Promise to treat myself more often, and best to bring a few people, it's a great place to share plates!
I'm all for trying new things but when the menu is absolute
I'm all for trying new things but when the menu is absolute gibberish and they act annoyed when you ask for clarification on what your getting it leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
My wife and I were lucky enough to have dinner at Lucia
My wife and I were lucky enough to have dinner at Lucia last night and we absolutely loved the food and experience. The seating is cozy and the design and decor brings you into an Italian grandmothers kitchen. Our server was knowledgeable and extremely nice. I started with the house special brown butter old fashioned which was smooth and tasty. My wife got a flavorful and refreshing mocktail. We love sourdough bread and ordered the house made bread along with the scallop appetizer. Scallop dish was refreshing and combined texture, temperature and flavor to create an amazing dish. The gnocchi was absolutely incredible. I'm reluctant to get gnocchi bc it can be dense and heavy, however, these gnocchi are soft and pillow-ee. Highly recommend this dish if it's on the menu. Our last dish was the wagyu beef cheek and it was full of flavor. The meat was braised and melted in your mouth. Sauce was flavorful and the mushrooms had a great bite and texture. I could hardly move after the first three dishes but found a way to enjoy the desert. Flavorful and many different textures working together in harmony. Overall amazing experience.
We have frequented Lucia for the past 5 years.
Their service is always top-notch and the most pleasant experience! We love the cozy, warm atmosphere and their attention to detail. Whether sitting inside, at the bar, or on the patio, their staff always provides stellar service. We adore their house-cured meats, which never disappoint. Their bread is delicious and creative. We tend to opt for pastas and have had a few that weren't quite our cup of tea (though still well prepared), we've also had some of our most favorite pastas from Lucia! We always look forward to our visits. Getting a reservation can be hard and I would love to see more availability, but that would compromise the atmosphere, so we happily take the opportunities we do get.
Delicious food, and a calming ambiance this place is a gem!
Delicious food, and a calming ambiance this place is a gem! Highly recommend to anyone looking for an Italian meal, foodies paradise.
My husband and I did not like Lucia at all.
We could not eat the food and we tried our very best. May be we were just in over our heads because this was way fancier than the Italian restaurants we typically go to (monarch being one of our faves) but we'd never had the combinations they put together and were open to trying but they simply did NOT taste good. We were almost lost for words at how unappealing the food was. We looked around the very cramped restaurant and everyone seemed to be thoroughly enjoying their food (the same food) so I'm not sure if it was just us but for the price we paid, to be still hungry after is insane. Also the reservation is so hard to come by I had to book this months out for food that did not taste great. The menu shifts so maybe if we came a different time it'd be different, who knows.
Okay I was honestly so disappointed in Lucia.
Maybe I just went on a bad night? I'm not sure. The menu was honestly not very inspiring. Our group didn't feel like the dishes were unique or had complex flavor profiles. There was a lot of repetition of similar flavors. The textures of many dishes were off. The chicken had a weird texture that my fiancรฉ described as akin to "airplane chicken". I didn't feel there was depth of flavor either. The service was also not good. Incredibly slow, the pacing of the dishes was off, they accidentally took my fork and then delivered our next course. I sat there for 5-10 minutes waiting for a fork so I could eat my food until finally I stole a silverware set from the bar. They also forgot to put in our bottle of wine until I had to remind our waiter much later. It came towards the end of the meal which was not when we wanted it. I definitely do not think this is even close to the best Italian restaurant in Dallas. I am hoping my experience was an anomaly. Maybe I just went in with too high of expectations after the James Beard nomination? Not sure but I have had plenty of significantly better meals in Dallas.
I've now been here several times since writing my last
I've now been here several times since writing my last review and must say, this is the place to go for Italian food if you're in Bishop arts. If you happen to be solo or maybe with a +1 you can walk up and ask if they may have room for you at the bar, they usually try to save a few seats for walk ins. The pasta is made fresh daily and paired with the most wonderful of flavors. My favorite entree was the wild caught Ora King Salmon. Omg it was so moist and full of flavor. It made you realize why it's the wagu of the sea. Coincidentally I went to a local restaurant (who shall remain unnamed) who also had Ora King Salmon and it tasted totally off in flavor and wasn't rich in the oils as Lucia's. After inquiring from the kitchen I found out it was farm raised Ora King. I now inquiry as to how my fish came out of the water!!! You cannot go wrong with Lucia. They will always use the best ingredients and you will go home with a happy belly.
Def did not live up to the hype, the service pushed it from
Def did not live up to the hype, the service pushed it from a 2 to a 3. Cocktails were good to great, and were actually the highlight of the night, the food was very meh and I say this independent of the buzz this place gets. The vibe really matched the menu, everything felt a little 2008 e.g. this was a cutting edge concept 10+ years ago but versions of this have been done that are way less expensive to dine at.
The food was great.
However, the hostess lied to us about needing our spots so, once I found out that our seats were not filled after we left, that left a bad taste - figuratively and literally. Don't care to go back to be around a liar(s). Dallas has plenty of nice Italian restaurants.
Was told they accommodate vegetarians, just for the only
Was told they accommodate vegetarians, just for the only non-bread/salad option to be butter noodles. Either don't say you accommodate vegetarians or have actual options.
Lucia was an absolutely flawless experience from start to
Lucia was an absolutely flawless experience from start to finish. Every item -- from the cocktails to dessert! -- was thoughtfully prepared and absolutely delicious. Our server, Audrey, was amazing and had the best recommendations. She suggested items I never would have looked twice at, like the sweetbread pasta, that were beyond amazing. We had the best time chatting with her and the service was so attentive and quick. We highly recommend the incredible pork collar, duck breast, the beet & radicchio salad, pork pate crostada, the Hugo cocktail -- but the menu is constantly changing! If you're lucky enough to see any of these, you'll love your meal as much as we did. The restaurant itself is gorgeous and we loved the music. We had bar seating but there was plenty of room and they spaced patrons out nicely. It felt like a private table! I'll be fighting for more reservations soon! I can't wait to see what they will serve next.
Overrated
I wanted to love this place but left incredibly disappointed. We went on a Thursday night and found parking behind the restaurant. Score. We ordered a lot of items to try and planned on taking some home to my husband. The sourdough and butter were delightful as was the chefs choice salami. The sous vide octopus was tougher than I would expect, but I enjoyed the flavor. Then the pastas... What should have been the highlight of the meal was the biggest disappointment. We ordered a browned butter pasta and the ragu Blanca. Both were severely over salted to the point we could hardly eat them. I considered asking to have them remade, or better yet, removed from our ticket but my dinner companion didn't want to complain. We took a large amount of leftover pasta home. I tried reheating it the next day after rinsing the sauce off, but there was no salvaging either. We had already ordered a fish entree which was just ok and ended up skipping out on dessert. My friend did order a fig infused old fashioned and that was quite nice. Overall though we won't be back.
I had been hearing about Lucia for a long time and finally
I had been hearing about Lucia for a long time and finally made a reservation to go! Definitely worth the hype, given the amazing pasta choices .
Worth the wait to get a reservation.
Service was excellentThe paper plane cocktail was tart delicious and unique. Chef salumi was A+3 yr aged prosciutto lived up to the hypeFusilli was fresh and tender* Gruyรจre Ravioli - maybe the VIP-of the meal. So rich with tons of layers of flavor. Hake was light and the vegetables had a balance that was perfect Wagyu Babette steak was the 1st runner up for vip. It was cooked perfectly great seasoning and meat flavor on a super tender bite. Panna cotta was really good loved the lemon & grapefruit.
Great meal.
Good service. Ok patio. Generally speaking, if it's great, it's appropriate. I hate this application. We have to tell it was bullshit to get it through.
Incredible from start to finish.
From the food to the ultra-charming Bishop Arts District where Lucia is located, I loved everything about my experience here and can't wait to go back.
HANDS DOWN my favorite restaurant in Dallas.
Liz and her team truly understand how to run a dinner service. Everyone is so attentive and the service feels truly personal. Plus, the food is authentic and delicious.
Certain places have reputations.
Sometimes they even live up to those reputations. This, happily, was one of those times.The Salumi board was just heavenly. Yes, its a lot for one of four courses for two people, but they do have to go boxes. Absolutely worth it. Fantastic flavors, all very separate and delicious. Must get.The menu changes often enough to make a review of the individual items a bit of a wasted effort, but all were very, very good. We did two pasta courses, a shared main and a shared dessert, all were wonderful. The dessert ( Donut-like things that started with a B - Hey, I took Spanish in High School, not Italian ) was a highlight as well.Oh, the Baby Its Cold Outside take on an old fashioned was absolutely amazing. Service was very knowledgeable and quick, accurate and efficient.If you haven't been, its definitely still the special place at the top of Dallas dining.
Classy and delicious with a cozy feel.
The staff are friendly and caring. You must book ahead of time to get a spot. Superb drinks. Oh and the Italian food is to die for!!
Exceptional experience, very impressed and will return.
Staff and owner pay careful attention to the clientele. Well done.
Delicious! I waited months to get a reservation and it was
Delicious! I waited months to get a reservation and it was worth it. My now fiancรฉ purposed to me the night we went. After being stuck in traffic for 90 minutes the hostess and server were so good to us. They helped us celebrate our engagement and we appreciated them making the extra effort. We ordered so much food so we could try everything. We were thrilled to have those leftovers the next day! Yum!!!
Great experience
Great ambiance, good food, and definitely good service. Will go back again for sure. It is a must go to restaurant, highly recommend it. Cleanliness and food presentation with a proper temperature.
Never had better service.
Food top notch too but I'll let you in on a little secret:It is extraordinarily difficult to get a reservation at Lucia. However, if you're willing to put your name on to be a walk~up... And/or eat at the bar. You will likely be sat in under 30 minutes... Even on a Wkend
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Let's say Peter has a great morning and decides to take his three friends to Lucia Dallas at 6 PM the same day.
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