Lucca

We ate at Lucca on Saturday night and had a great meal and a wonderful time. Friends picked the restaurant, and I was perturbed by the reviews on Citysearch. We were seated promptly and courteously, and the waiter and staff were efficient and friendly. Our drink order was taken right away, and drinks returned swiftly. The wine list is way overpriced, but our waiter was familiar with some of the more modestly priced wines, and recomended a red that was delicious, although slightly more than we wanted to spend. I had pumpkin soup which showed a true pumpkin flavor, and then the short ribs, which were meaty and melting, served over polenta and some vegetables. My wife chose not to share her Caesar salad, which is high tribute, nor her appetizer/entree. Another person had the wild boar pasta, which he pronounced excellent. No complaints from anyone! Pros: Food, service Cons: Little chisels more

I absolutely adore this restaurant! A date brought me here a few months ago and I've been hooked ever since. The food is always great. The potato lasagna is one of my favorites, but I've liked everything I've tried so far. The orechiette is a must try as well. The wait staff is great, the service is friendly ans helpful without being too pushy. Lucca is now at the top of my list of great Boston restaurants. Pros: great food, great servcie more

Always exceptional great service atmosphere and decor. When i need to impress clients i always go to Lucca first Pros: great atmospher and cocktails more

Went to Lucca on Saturday night and can safely say that I will never be back. The previous reviews pretty much cover it - service is embarassing, food is subpar and prices are outrageous. There are so many better choices in the south end, please don't bother with lucca. Pros: location Cons: everything else more

I decided to take my girlfriend here for a night out on the town, even though I was a little bit cautious because of the poor reviews on citysearch. Next time I will listen to the reviews better! The service from the host to the bartender to the waiter was HORRIBLE. They were rude and short, and acted like they were doing us a favor. Service was extremely slow, even though the restaurant wasn't that busy, and our entrees both came cold. When we mentioned it to the waiter he did nothing. To boot the bill was shocking. Won't be back. Cons: service, food, prices more

this place is amazing. i have nothing bad to say. i have been here four times now always perfect. a great overall experience Pros: large so easy to get in more

I have eaten at numerous north end restaurants. Lucca is the best for food, service, decor and ambience Pros: excellent more

Went here expecting a great meal and great service but got neither. Food was below average and staff was unbelievably rude. There are so many better places to go in the North End, I wouldn't waste your time here. The only thing I got here was a big bill! Pros: can't think of any. Cons: food terrible. service horrible. high prices. more

Went here with a friend for a casual night out in the middle of the week. We made a reservation, and even thought the restaurant was empty we were made to wait for approximately 30 minutes. When I asked the hostess if they forgot about us, she told me to ""chill out, we're only 30 minutes past your reservation time"". The attitude and realization that they were late should have been a sign. We eventually sat down and the service continued to unimpress. We waited 20 minutes for the bottle of wine we ordered - again, there were only 4 other tables seated at the restaurant. When we finally got our food it was cold and the pasta was completely over cooked. I mentioned something to the manager on our way out - he could not have cared any less and told me that they already had my money and I could go somewhere else next time. I guess they do so well with the tourists that they don't need tho local business - STAY AWAY from this over rated north end restaurant unless you want poor service, terrible food and attitude from the management all the way to the staff. With all the restaurants in the north end, you can do better anywhere. Pros: In the north end Cons: food, service, management more

STAY AWAY. I went with a group of 8 people and it was probably one of the worst dining experiences I have ever had. The waiter didn't get our drink orders until 1/2 hour after sitting down at the table. We finally ordered drinks and food and about an hour later the food slowly starting trickling out, one by one. By the time everyone was served the food was cold. When we finally paid our check, the waiter mis swiped our credit cards. When we approached the manager, he said that this waiter was stealing and he would be ""gone"" tonight. What? This place is a nightmare. Lots of other choices in the N.End. Cons: Service, food, management more

My boyfriend and I went to Lucca for our 2 year anniversary and what an amazing dinner we had. We were overwhelemed with what to pick to eat (everything sounded so good). We asked to split their green salad (expecting a salad and an extra dish for sharing) and when it arrived our salads were divided for us, perfectly split, and presented beautifully; there was definitely enough for each of us. It is pricey, however, the food is absolutely delicious and the atmosphere is perfect. Lucca is the perfect place to go for Italian food, cocktails and a special night out on the town. The staff is very friendly and attentive too. We had a great and memorable time. Pros: food, drinks, atmosphere, waitstaff Cons: price more

The food was ok but all 4 of us ordered various seafood dishes and while we liked the flavors they were all overcooked? If they could get down their basic cooking skills then I would go back, but only with a reservation because we were sat at the far back corner, under a ?spotlight? next to the bathroom? there shouldn?t even be a table there? but the management and our server were nice and accommodating. Pros: right flavors for the dishes, grerat location Cons: ALL food was overcooked more

Lucca is a fantastic resturant, where both food and service are to perfection. The decor and ambiance is suited for both a romantic dinner, as well as bussiness, while the menu is for food lovers. Lucca is a North End resturant to rely on for the best Italian food in Boston. The wild boar ragu is outstanding, the antipasto is to recommend. Pros: Top resturant, service, food more

When I go to this place the whole wait staff treats me like family. The staff is professional and courtious. The food is great. My favorites are the beef tenderloin (the call it a different name) for my main course, Mushroom lasagne for an appitizer and flowerless chocolate cake for desert. If you order this you will rave about your food for weeks. Give it a try. Pros: Food and service Cons: Parking more

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 more

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 more

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 more

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! more

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 more

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 more