I dined at Luca D'Italia recently with my husband after reading the owner/chef cured his own meats. The appetizer sampler was the only dish that was solely his own cured meats so I thought we would... More

I dined at Luca D'Italia recently with my husband after reading the owner/chef cured his own meats. The appetizer sampler was the only dish that was solely his own cured meats so I thought we would try just that. It was so amazing we stayed for more! Nothing we tried disappointed us... We shared different appetizers, a butternut squash pasta, a lasagna (not at all what you're thinking!) a tuna tartare... all were delightful. The chef came to our table and chatted with us and the service was excellent. It was such a special treat to go there.
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This is hands down the BEST Italian themed restaurant in town! Unbelievable food, great set up with the appetizer size pastas, so I can try pastas and still have an entree. The service is... More

This is hands down the BEST Italian themed restaurant in town! Unbelievable food, great set up with the appetizer size pastas, so I can try pastas and still have an entree. The service is excellent and very knowledgeable. Wine list is a plus!
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Luca D?Italia Inventive great tasting Northern Italian food. This restaurant alongside Mizuna provides 2 of the best restaurants Denver has to offer. We visited during harvest week and had the... More

Luca D?Italia Inventive great tasting Northern Italian food. This restaurant alongside Mizuna provides 2 of the best restaurants Denver has to offer. We visited during harvest week and had the special tasting menu and from start to finish the meal was a delight! If you would like to see pictures and much more info on the meal feel free to check out our blog at www.milehigheater.blogspot.c om
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We like this restaurant, but unfortunately the last time was much more special. It is very charming when a restaurant offers an amuse bouche, but not polite when a vegetarian is immediately... More

We like this restaurant, but unfortunately the last time was much more special. It is very charming when a restaurant offers an amuse bouche, but not polite when a vegetarian is immediately presented with sausage and must pass it to his dining partner in front of the server. The bread basket is very generous but is served with a spread of "lardo." Yes, bread with lard. Authentic? Probably. Vegetarian friendly? Most certainly not. Even the meat-eating person in our duo wouldn't touch it. Our first course was delicious, but when the second course came, again, a dish covered in sausage. We asked to see the menu, and it turned out that the server ordered the wrong dish for us. The correct dish was brought out quickly, but was in an appetizer size, three very small ravioli, rather than the dinner size (at least I HOPE that was the appetizer size). Everyone was very polite, and they went so far as to buy our desert for us, but one of us left feeling hungry. We'll eat at Luca D'Italia again because of the friendliness and charm of the location but will be speaking louder when naming a vegetarian at the table. Pros: Deliscious breads (minus the lard), nice location, friendly staff. Cons: Why do many nice restaurants make it difficult for vegetarains to enjoy them?
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After dining at several local hyped restaurants, I decided to go to one of Denver's few restaurants that consistently garnishes great reviews. I was not disappointed. The service was by far the... More

After dining at several local hyped restaurants, I decided to go to one of Denver's few restaurants that consistently garnishes great reviews. I was not disappointed. The service was by far the most polished I have seen in town, both for service and suggestions. The menu here is inspired, with obvious great passion behind it. The salumi plate, a testament to the skill of the "in house" philosophy of preparation, was varied and delicious. Next were the pastas. Having been repeatedly disappointed by pastas offered in Denver, my hopes weren't too high. However, after sharing and ordering a third pasta, my girlfriend and I whole-heartedly agreed these were the best we've tried. The delicate butternut squash agnolotti and the simple, but perfect seafood lasagnette were our favorites. We decided on veal and beef for dinner, nothing crazy. We were rewarded with two red meat dishes that were better than those found at a lot of steak houses in town and actually arrived with great sides and sauces, especially the veal. Dessert was beyond our limits, so we just enjoyed the rest of our wine which, by the way, was suggested by Luca's very knowledgeable sommelier. We can't wait to return to Luca. Pros: Inspired fare, polished service, sommelier on site Cons: decor
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Perhaps this was once an interesting, excellent place to eat but when we went one Friday night before Christmas, I was totally underwhelmed. The service was rather condescending and the ambience is... More

Perhaps this was once an interesting, excellent place to eat but when we went one Friday night before Christmas, I was totally underwhelmed. The service was rather condescending and the ambience is decidedly 90's and snoozy. Frankly, the menu was way overpriced and lacking in some fundamentals. For example, I like to begin or end my dinner with a simple, mixed greens salad. Not only was this option not listed on the menu, but the server told us that it was impossible to make one for me. The other salad options included things I didn't want and would have been too big or heavy to have with a meal, so I didn't have a salad at all. Secondly, although my risotto was very well done, I really don't feel as though the menu has enough options. And it's certainly not traditional Italian, so I don't quite understand the inference in the name. Overall, I found it lacking in authenticity, selection and ambience and everything is really overpriced. We won't return. Pros: What the menu offers is prepared well Cons: Overpriced, boring, dated atmosphere, not enough authenticity
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We just tried the halibut and bacala and rabbit--shared a gnochi. Unusual flavor combinations, unexpectedly good. Dined in front of the open window to the kitchen, so it felt like we had a little... More

We just tried the halibut and bacala and rabbit--shared a gnochi. Unusual flavor combinations, unexpectedly good. Dined in front of the open window to the kitchen, so it felt like we had a little cooking show with dinner. Server was well informed and attentive; som guided us through an all-Italian list to a perfect pairing. We'll be back. Pros: beautiful dining room, attentive service, great food Cons: difficult to book on weekends
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We recently dined at Luca and experienced an average meal, nothing special. The pasta dishes were OK and the sauce was overwhelming on both dishes. The rabbit was delicious and well prepared. The... More

We recently dined at Luca and experienced an average meal, nothing special. The pasta dishes were OK and the sauce was overwhelming on both dishes. The rabbit was delicious and well prepared. The lamb dish was very small portion and was favorless! The wine was fantastic, but a little pricey. We skipped dessert and basically wrote off the restaurant for any future returns. There are plenty of excellent restaurants in Denver and I think they need to step it up...
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The bresaola with burrata, the ziti, the bread, and the dessert were all amazing and as good as any restaurant in Denver. Our server was friendly and efficient. The pork was good but not as good... More

The bresaola with burrata, the ziti, the bread, and the dessert were all amazing and as good as any restaurant in Denver. Our server was friendly and efficient. The pork was good but not as good as I would expect from Luca, but the sole was amazingly bad. I was shocked at how bland my entree of deep fried fish and a boring salad was at a restaurant where everything else had been so good. I would still recommend going here for restaurant week if you can get a reservation, but stay far away from the sole. Pros: One of the best Italian restaurants in Denver Cons: Could have picked better entrees for Restaurant Week
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We decided to try Luca during restaurant week, and I can honestly say I've never been so disappointed. I can honestly say the only thing that was even remotely good was the bread basket. The ziti... More

We decided to try Luca during restaurant week, and I can honestly say I've never been so disappointed. I can honestly say the only thing that was even remotely good was the bread basket. The ziti was overcooked and acidic. The Sole was deep fried and bland, a McDonalds fish filet is better than that. Lastly the dessert was bizarre and flavorless. I hate to say it, but this restuarant is bottem of the barrel. Including our server who was unfriendly. Pros: bread basket Cons: everything else
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