Lucia Ristorante

My husband and I came to Lucia for a Saturday night dinner with a group of friends. We had made reservations in advance and arrived a few minutes early but were seated right away at our table on the lower level. We really enjoyed the ambiance for a mutiple couple date night and were able to chat without battling music or an overly crowded atmosphere. Everyone’s meals were delicious and the drink pours were what you’d expect from a North End spot.

Went to Lucia for dinner on New Year’s Eve, and could not be more satisfied. Showed up just in time for a 9pm reservation and the table was ready immediately, and then we weren’t rushed out after dinner even though I’m sure the staff would’ve loved to get out of there. The atmosphere was just as expected, very warm with murals all over the walls — exactly what I’d want from a classic Italian restaurant. For dinner I had the Stuffed Bone-​In Veal Chop special with prosciutto, spinach, and Fontina cheese inside with penne and broccoli rabe on the side. Haven’t had a better meal in recent memory. The chop was huge, so tender and juicy, with just the right amount of filling. I wish it wasn’t just a special or I’d make the trek out there more often. Given the size of the chop I was pleasantly surprised to get the check and see it was only $ 36. Service was great, wine list seemed good though I’m in no way an expert. I’ll definitely be back here in the future,

I absolutely love this place for large groups. I just hosted two parties of 20 & 25 over the last week. Roseann was a tremendous help in organizing and making sure we pre-​ordered apps. Both parties were in the lower private room with a bar. Great to gather and mingle with drinks and apps before you sit down. People were blown away with the food, amount and quality. Hardy portions and great sauce. I love the veal chop special. All the food looked amazing. The staff is very attentive and accommodating. Even with a large group ordering from the menu the kitchen got the meals out timely. It’s fun, great food, and very reasonably priced

Fantastic restaurant great service. Food was super delicious. My father came into town to visit and I wanted to take him to a «traditional» north end meal. Looked on Unilocal and found Lucia cause they offered gluten free pasta options and had good reviews, and all the reviews were true the food is solid and tasty. Great American Italiano food. We order and shared tomato and mozerlla salad, fresh and creamy. As well as a pasta with chicken veal and broccoli, which we all loved and the high light of the evening chicken parmigiana, this was everything and more than I imagined. Thin pounded chicken cutlet lightly breaded with light tomato sauce and cheese that has been roasted under the heat to perfection. Didn’t stay for desert due to other arrangements but I’m sure it would had been on par with the rest of the meal. In addition the server was a nice young guy with fantastic manners who made me feel as we were eating at his home, and very respectful. Could ask for a better north end experience. Also the wine was fantastic. All in all a great evening.

The restaurant is packed on a Saturday night. But that’s because it’s GOOD! The food is all very very good. It’s loud and tight and there isn’t much room in between tables. Service is quick with a smile and pleasant servers but they want to turn the tables because there is a line out the door. Shrimp Scampi Appetizers, Veal Saltimboco and Stuffed Veal Special get extra special shout outs from our table!

We ended up here because of the fact that there was no wait. It ended up being good. The staff was very nice and always nearby in case we needed anything. We got the pollo Francesco as well as the salmon. The pollo Francesco was not spicy (as the menu says) and not worth $ 23 in my opinion, but it was good. Their side salad was delicious because of the house dressing that they put on it. The salmon was good, but simple. Overall, the salad was the best part of my meal. The restaurant is still worth a visit because of the nice atmosphere and staff and has potential in its food as long as you order the right thing (which we may not have). Our meal was $ 80 overall for 2 people. I would have expected to have eaten something a little bit more amazing for that much money. Just ensure that you pick carefully off of the menu.

Excellent place to eat! The service is wonderful, amazing value and great food! Get the veal chop they have on special… its the best veal chop I have ever had! The location on hanover is excellent as well! If you are looking for a casual place to have a filling meal, look no further.

Ended up here after most surrounding places had waits over an hour. We were seated quickly however the booths are connected to the one behind you and not secured into the floor so whenever the person behind you moves the entire seat moves which is quite annoying.
Portions were large and entrees came with a pasta side which I liked. We both or chicken dishes one was the white wine with artichokes and the other was in a vodka sauce. Both were good and filling but didn’t blow my mind. We had plenty of leftovers to bring home. Service was prompt and staff were friendly enough. Better places in North end but also worse places too.

Went as a party of 4 last saturday. Reservation through opentable. I recommend making a reservation. Good service, very good food, a little tight on space, wasn’t a fan of the house wine. I tried the calamari, Caesar salad, veal Marsala, and lobster rav special. Doggy bagged what I couldn’t finish. I will go again.

After doing some research on a restaurant that serves desserts in North End, I decided to go with Lucia Ristorante, which is located on the quieter side of Hanover Street. Honestly, it was hard to find a restaurant (with guaranteed seating) that served desserts other than just cannoli’s.
In addition to iced water, we ordered Port’s, hot tea, hot coffee, and a Tropical Sangria. I was surprised that they didn’t have a variety of tea to choose from. They just had Lipton Tea. The hot coffee came with cream and sugar. The Tropical Sangria consisted of a blend of white wine, triple sec, coconut rum, absolute vodka, pineapple, cranberry, and orange juices. It was garnished with orange peels and strawberries. I was in for a sweet treat.
For dessert, we shared two desserts — Torta di Nicciola Con Crema Inglesa and Tiramisu al Limoncello. The Torta di Nicciola Con Crema Inglesa consisted of a slice of amaretto cake with hazelnut bites dusted with powdered sugar and served in a cream anglais. We liked how the outside was crispy and had a burnt taste. The Tiramisu al Limoncello consisted of four espresso dipped lady fingers surrounded by a limoncello infused thick custard dusted with espresso powder. We felt that the tiramisu was too heavy for us to enjoy the entirety of the dessert.

Came for dinner last Sunday for the first time and was very pleased with the meal.
Got a nice booth for two which I was pleased about because most NE restaurants stick you at a small table you can barely move or hear your own conversation. So off to a good start.
Bread and water took awhile, which in my opinion should come soon after you seat, just a small suggestion.
I ordered the Chicken Saltimbocca, which I believe was Veal on the menu but I asked for chicken which they were able to do. I got a side of penne in red sauce which was tasty. The chicken with the Mushrooms in the white wine sauce with prosciutto was absolutely delicious.
Will definitely be back to try something else!

We had an impromptu birthday celebration in the North End and found this little gem of a restaurant. Our server Maria was wonderful and the food, too much for us to consume, was delicious. We felt like we’d been going there for years. We’ll definitely go to Lucia again.

First off, the cocktails…
The tropical sangrias where outstanding. I’ve finally found my official cocktail for the summer of 2015. I would get a carafe to go if I could (or we were in New Orleans).
The meal itself was tasty, but there was nothing memorable. It’s 2 days after the fact and I’m scratching my head to remember what exactly we had for dinner. If I were to rate Lucia’s on food alone, I’d probably have given it a 3.5. There was nothing wrong with it all. It was solid. There just wasn’t an «Oh my god I have to go back and have that dish again» kind of dish. I’ve certainly had more flavourful experiences in the North End.
The restaurant itself has a nice warm ambiance. The host and waitresses were spot on and made for an really enjoyable dining experience. The excellent attentive service pushed my score up to a 4 stars.
Bottom line, It’s a good place for an reasonably priced intimate evening of good Italian dining fare.
I’m excited to add another entry to my stable of good North End eateries.

Absolutely delish. Great service, wonderful food and the ambiance is so right for the food. Thanks to my Airbnb host for getting me to get out of his condo and walk Hanover street. The salad dressing on the house salad is ridiculously good. The veal is so tender delicious and lightly sauced. So good. I miss this in Tampa. Every Italian place, maybe except for Bella’s, wY overdoes it. Lucia’s knows what they are doing and they do it well. Brava!

This place was decent, but way over-​priced. We were tired of fights swarms of tourists that had descended on the North End at night. We had no idea it would be like that, having just been there in the afternoon a day or two before. We looked at menus, and tried to spot a place with some of the actual local community dining, but we got too tired to go deep enough into the neighborhood before we just caved and decided to try the next place. We ended up at Lucia, despite a bit of reservations. The owner, who was very nice, was at the door telling people to come in, not a good sign in Miami, and I figured the same would be true here.
The server seemed newer, but we were patient. The bread came super late, like when we had already been eating for a while, ha!
For an app, my husband got the mussels, but they were overcooked and shriveled up. He did really enjoy the sauce though. He learned the joys of sopping up tasty sauces with bread at this meal, and that’s something. For an entrée, my husband got the veal saltimbocca, which he said was just okay. I ordered the gluten-​free braccioletine calabrese, which is served with penne. I usually hate penne, but I was too hungry to care. This particular penne wasn’t bad. First, let me say that the sauce was zesty and very tasty. The chicken was grilled nicely and was tasty with the peppers, mushrooms, and onions. My husband thought my dish was pretty tasty too. However, the peppers were cut with little skill – way too clunky and big for the dish. It got in the way a great deal for me. There was a lot of meat on the plate, two split breasts I think. I could only eat one. When they packaged my dish, they didn’t pack most of my sauce, so I was quite disappointed. I would’ve like to box it myself anyway, but for some reason, these restaurants like to insist on doing it for you.
As far as ambiance, what could’ve been a nice, romantic spot was cave dark to the point of hurting our eyes. I really wish that restaurants would give a bit more attention to lighting. They even adjusted it a couple of times, but always lower: o!
It was our most expensive meal, but we just didn’t feel that it delivered to meet the cost. We don’t at all mind paying for good food, but we both found this to be well beyond reasonable. It was pretty good, but I definitely wouldn’t go back because I didn’t find it worth the price.

I made a reservation thru open table app for 730 on a Saturday night. We got there at 720. The hostess thought she may have been able to sit us immediately but then said give her ten minutes. While we waiting just outside the door I overheard her saying she was sitting people with reservations at their best tables so def make the reservation! We were sat ten minutes later right at 730.
On to the food! The Caesar salad was huge. could easily be split by two. Bread would have been better if warm but it was still good. I chose the lasagna and my husband said as soon as he saw my fork go through it like a hot knife though butter he knew it was going to be good and yes it was… by far the best lasagna I’ve ever had! Outstanding. He had veal parm and it was very good but if we find ourselves here again he would get the lasagna too. Didn’t get dessert because really if you’re on hanover you’re going to mikes for some pasty after dinner!

The Good:
— fair sized/​quality/​price of wines by the glass and bar fare
— amazing out of the oven bread
— ok mozzarella — the star was the peppercorn oil
— fantastic vegetarian menu
— excellent home stuffed ravioli
— accepted day of reservations as late as 5pm for later that night; and held our table for 15 minutes whilst we hunted for parking! UNHEARD OF!
The Meh:
— it’s a good date night ambiance because there’s maybe 7 – 10 tables total; but the acoustics are odd… You can hear the dates going on to you immediate left and right on Fridays and Saturdays. So go later… And enjoy less white noise and no one listening in on you.
— the staff was a little, awkwardly overly apologetic for slower service. It was Saturday, filled to the rafters, and it wasn’t horrible… But they interrupted about 5 times to apologize. Totally silly. And after the 5^th time — a little annoying.
— the food is some of the better Italian I’ve had in the area; but it’s a wee bit expensive for the quality of what you’re eating. Still — it’s fresh, good, pleases all your picky eaters, and is paired with fair wines.
The ugly:
— I love the coziness of this place; but it seriously looks like a good will for old Italian grandmother décor. When we walked in; I was a little worried about my friend’s recommendation. (But no need — it’s legit fun.)
Overall:
— Would I go back again: probably
— Would I recommend to a friend: Yes! Especially if you have special diet eaters a Newport is sometimes not too diverse –especially later in the night.
8.8 out of 10… A little décor updating and 15% off would make this a home run!

The food gives this place 4 stars. The cocktails give this place 0 stars.
As for the food, it was delicious and typical of most good North End restaurants. Only complaint was that portions were smaller than expected, but prices were not too bad.
The cocktails were way too watered down for what we paid. We could taste water while first tasting them. Not what you’d expect when paying $ 12 for a drink. Beer selection was also pathetic, with only 5, mediocre options like Bud or Amstel Light.
Come here for the food, but wine is the only alcohol that you should order!

My fiancé and I came here for dinner last night to celebrate Valentine’s Day and we both really enjoyed it. Our waitress was very sweet and made nice recommendations along with checking with the kitchen about a different pasta option for my fiancé. The chicken vegetable soup was to die for and so was the old school al la carte meatballs and bolongese sauce that we ordered as our appetizer. The chicken parm was very good and so was the shrimp scampi, however we both agree that we like both dishes better at Rosalina’s Kitchen in Worcester
Nevertheless we are looking forward to come here again sometime soon. Enjoy!

Three of us were in for an early dinner on Saturday evening (arrived around 4:30) and the food was good, but I am knocking off a star because the service was a bit slow.
My friends started with the calamari which they said was great (I don’t eat it) and while I server (female) said she would bring bread, I had to try and flag her down so that I could eat something while these guys were eating. She was out by the door talking to a hostess, and at one point I almost just got up to get her.
Food was good: I had the veal and eggplant parm (I couldn’t decide which one, so I decided to have both), one friend had veal and the other had something I just don’t remember. Portions were good, food was nice, but there wasn’t a huge sense of «service».
Can’t speak for dessert since we went to Mike’s afterwards…