I had lunch with a friend today. It was my first experience at Lucca. I loved it. I ended up deciding (after much debate) on the turkey and swiss sandwich with a greens salad. The bread was the best part. It was thick, airy, and so delicious. Everything inside the sandwich and the salad were also just so yummy. I can't wait to try dinner. I hear it's amazing. Lunch comes highly recommended, though!! read more

More or less New American-Italian prix fixe as so many DSM places are lately. Lucca's website told us to expect three courses on Saturday, and it looked like the best deal around. As it turned out, they hadn't been to Gateway to stock up on cheeses, so there was no cheese course. Lucca has carved itself out of a space that once held the Dumpsters for the neighboring businesses. It's now an alley with a roof and a kitchen in the middle. When an open kitchen is done well, it's an admirable accomplishment. So many things can go wrong in a kitchen, and so many things happen in a kitchen that would ruin the appetite of the average diner, that they are best kept in the back. Lucca's 2-man kitchen did seem to handle everything smoothly and professionally, though i wonder how the cooks heard each other over the din of the jazz band at the front of the house. Katie ordered the gnocchi, and I requested the pear and spinach salad. They were out of gnocchi, so she settled for the frittata. She ordered the scallops, and I had the salmon, since they were also out of swordfish. She got the better of both courses, though even hers were forgettable. My pear and spinach was just that. Pears and spinach don't make a salad. A salad really should have more than two ingredients. However in the event that these two ingredients are included, pears should be cored and spinach should be de-stemmed. Slicing a pear in half and forgetting to remove the seeds does not make it fancy or elegant. It's tacky. Spinach that has been so hastily removed from its bag that no care was put into its placement is even worse. Fritattas are hard to fuck up, and Lucca lived up to this expectation. The fritatta included vegetables, eggs, and cheese. However, any additional details were forgotten moments after consumption. Onto the mains. Katie's scallops over vegetables were well executed and had a very nice presentation. The scallops were sizeable and not the usual small portions sometimes dished out by stingy restaurantuers. The underlying bed of vegetables was well porportioned with a light sauce. My salmon, on the other hand, was the handiwork of a novice chef. It was salty, slightly overdone, and swimming in an unappetizing bath of mashed legumes that looked like baby diarrhea. It did taste better than it looked, but I do wonder if it was well-served by being pureed. The stark juxaposition of these two seafood items was discombobulating and seemed to appear from two different kitchens. Then there were the bathrooms. Strangely, no one has mentioned these cubicles of hell before on Yelp. Perhaps because everyone has tried desperately to dissociate or block them from memory. The bathrooms occupy a squat closet that is oddly situated in the dining room, rather than customarily tucked away into a back corner. Once inside, the bright walls are accented with a full mirror right there so you can watch yourself "do your business." Why anyone thinks a patron wants to be that intimate with their bodily functions is beyond me. Not to mention the implicit rationale for the band must be to distract those eating from the occasional flushing sound coming from behind the kitchen. Finally, there are the details of the wine and absentee third course. The wine was excessively over-priced for Des Moines. More upsetting though, it was overpriced for its vintage and label. Before arriving at Lucca's, we had compared their prix fixe to those at Django and Bistro Montage. Since D.C.'s Blue Duck has made us partial to having our cheese for dessert, we were drawn in by Lucca's third course, which included cheese, on Saturday nights. When our bill arrived, rather than a cheese menu, Katie inquired about the missing component. The waitress grimaced and responded that it was a "secret deal" that wasn't usually provided. Except that "secret deal" is mentioned on the website. All in all, we spent approximately $90 on dinner (including wine). Undeniably, our money would have gone further and been better spent elsewhere. read more

Simply Outstanding Food! One of the best meals I have ever had. From start to finish it was divine. Was here for a business dinner. Was not sure what to expect after a first glance at the menu. Our server described the menu, then we had to make the difficult decision of what to have. I started with the sage butter gnocchi. Melt in your mouth goodness. So light, like little pillows. Next I chose the chicken stuffed with asparagus. There are no words to describe how fabulous this was. From the first bite to the last. Perfectly cooked. Lemony, buttery, cheesy, perfectly cooked chicken and asparagus. We sampled all three of the desert offerings. all 3 were very good. The service was excellent. I hope someday to get to come back here and have another wonderful dining experience. I am jealous of the locals who get to dine here all the time. read more

The building and atmosphere were very unique, but I've had better food and felt that it was overpriced. read more

Lucca - Top: Risotto Sausage Soup Middle: Scallops Bottom: Steak - Italian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

Dined here during restaurant week. Absolutely wonderful food. Simple food, not overly spiced or sauced. This restaurant really brings out the true flavors of their ingredients. A smaller restaurant - this place is great for date night. I recommend making reservations on Fridays & Saturdays. The upstairs is gorgeous and is available to rent for an event like a rehearsal dinner. Price: $$$ but worth it read more

Dinner was fantastic. Had the carrots w:yogurt and cracked pepper to start, followed by a jalapeño corn pasta, and the salmon with a steamed cucumber salad as the entire. The space was great the dinner was fantastic. The dessert left more to be desired. Additionally, they could expand their wine menu. Great choices however did not appear to pair up well with all the dishes. read more

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This place is awesome... I sometimes forget about it but today it was top of mind... the food is always top notch and the owner is always present and uber pleasant. If you are looking for a great quick lunch in the east village this is your place. You will not find a more enjoyable place. read more

Lucca - Italian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Lucca is a fine place to dine. They do a good job of mixing it up and attempting to shape the dining scene in Des Moines. There were 4 of us tonight; I had the risotto with sausage and peppers (for a starter) - perfectly al dente risotto; my wife had the salad - it was a salad; across: the gnocci which was excellent and the amatriciana which was fruity and very tasty. I had the braised lamb - had it been non-domestic (Australian or New Zealand) I probably would have appreciated it more. My wife had salmon - strike 2 - Not a big salmon guy. Across: steak, very tasty and a chicken pasta - it was very good. Lucca is an excellent restaurant and just what a chain town like Des Moines needs. You could do a LOT worse. Go. read more

Whether or not it's merited, I tend to think of Lucca as a "special occasion only" restaurant. Recently, I discovered that Lucca is one of the few DSM restaurants that offers gift certificates on restaurant.com. Since you can usually score a $25 gift certificate for just a few bucks, I thought this more than merited a visit to Lucca. I would usually recommend securing reservations, but we dropped in on a Saturday and were seated with no trouble. Though service was slow (we were seated in the bartender's section, so it was understandable), we were happy to pace our meal slowly and just enjoy the atmosphere. High ceilings, exposed brick - it's a lot like my other East Village love, the Continental. There are a few good beers available on tap as well as a nice wine list, but I love Lucca's cocktails. I couldn't pass up the tarragon gimlet, which was just lovely. It had been a year or so since the last time I'd visited, but the gnocchi was just as good as I remembered. Though I personally prefer toasted gnocchi, Lucca's version is pillowy and soft. It practically melts in your mouth. Sadly, the delicious chicken livers (really, I'm not kidding, they're delicious) were not available - but since Lucca's menu rotates often, I trust they will be back. For our main courses, Charlie ordered the steak with gorgonzola cream and I had the braised pork. Both were very good, though I'd probably choose the steak over the pork next time. The steak was really remarkable, and the gorgonzola cream was fantastic. About halfway through our meal, a little old man who had been eating alone at the bar got up from his seat, made his way to the grand piano by the window, and started playing. The live music was lovely, and really made the evening special. Though I do think Lucca is among the best restaurants in Des Moines, it doesn't quite achieve five-star status for me. When Lucca opened, they offered a three-course prix fixe menu. This included a lovely and amazing cheese course which never failed to disappoint. I'll be honest, there is nothing I love more than a cheese course, and I am truly saddened that this is apparently no longer available. I'm obsessed with cheese. I would have gladly paid a few dollars more if it meant I could have finish my meal with a perfectly curated cheese course. If Lucca reinstates the cheese course, I might just reconsider my rating. Either way, I know I'll be back. read more

We came here for date night based off the reviews and that you could get a large selection on a prefix menu. Ambiance was nice. Wine was tasty, however the food wasn't quite up to par with what we thought it would be. The salumi salad was salty and overdressed. Gnocchi was amazing, high point of the night. Steak, scallops, both were just ok. Dessert was more or less mass produced and very dry. Service was great, but in the end, the food definitely wouldn't bring us back. Sad to say! read more

Was visiting Des Moines over the weekend so I just had to return to Lucca. It was my 2nd visit to the restaurant and, i must say, it just keeps getting better...and it was pretty darn good to start with. First of all, the owner is sweetly handsome. At first I thought he was giving me the eye as I was putting my dog in the car (don't worry, it was not hot out and it wasn't too cold. Any my car has a very comfy dog area with a super soft bed and everything a dog could possibly desire). I parked right across the street form Lucca so I could keep my eye on my pooch in the car. Well...sad to say...I think the owner was really eyeing my dog because he asked a lot of questions about her when I entered the restaurant. Anyway, I think Food and Wine magazine compared the owner to George Clooney, but I think closer to Cary Grant. And there is a cute waiter there who looks a bit like a blond raccoon with a buzz cut. Also, a tall dark waiter that most people would probably find attractive. Of course, all of this would be irrelevant if the owner had not created such a delightful restaurant with superb food. Gnocchi with sage, Rigatoni with black olive pesto, butternut squash risotto, goat cheese and beet salad. Yes, I had all of these dishes. You see, I asked the owner what he recommended for a vegetarian like me and he really served it up. Is it possible he liked me too? Service is efficient even if the speed at which items came out of the kitchen was a bit alarming. How did they get this apple spice cake with caramel sauce so warm in what seemed like a second? Was a microwave to blame? Probably not, but the pace of dishes coming out of the kitchen could be a bit more leisurely. But, what, am I now complaining about fast service? Yes, i guess I am. Servers are fine and friendly, but all seem a bit green when compared to the owner. If you find yourself in Des Moines, you should definitely find Lucca. read more

Great food. Great service. The good was so well prepared and delicious. Limited menu but if you like Italian you can't go wrong with whatever you order. Clean place but not fancy. No reservations on yelp but you can call read more

My wife and I had a few very good dinners here. We ate here the night I proposed to her. The risotto is very good. It's a nice place, with very high ceilings, a sparse, industrial interior and tables with enough space between that it feels intimate. Now that we've lived in Chicago for a few years my idea of "fine dining" has changed quite a bit, but Lucca is a nice place and I wouldn't hesitate to give it another shot for a nice dinner in Des Moines. read more

Haven't been in a few years. It has definitely improved! We sat upstairs...very cool atmosphere, tall, tall ceilings and big windows at the front on Locust. Arriba, the menu upstairs is upscale Mexican...subtle flavors....really good. Good service, too. Will definitely be going back. Bonus!! One can actually have a conversation without yelling to be heard! Pretty good acoustics upstairs. read more

My wife and I went there for the first time recently. Cool restaurant. I like the simple, but elegant design. It is very long and narrow and the kitchen is in the middle of the restaurant. On ordering - the menu wasn't large and you had to choose a first course and second course. Everything was priced the same ($33). Dessert was separate and optional. I had a Moroccan soup and Pork Vindaloo as my second course. Both were very delicious. My wife had a mixed salad and a salmon dish with orzo. The server was great - very friendly, knowledgeable. He was a little slow bringing our wine and apologized and only charged us for 1 glass. Otherwise, he was very good at describing the menu and attentive to us during the meal. PS - might be tough to find for first-timers. The gray awning doesn't really stand out. read more

We had a good experience at Lucca! The service was fantastic, my scallops were the BEST I've had. My husband's steak was quite grissely for that caliber of restaurant, which was the only disappointment and the only reason for my 4 star. All in all I would definitely recommend! read more

Lucca is an Italian-leaning Continental restaurant in Des Moines's East Village neighborhood that my boyfriend and I picked out of the NYT for a visit. We made an 8 o'clock dinner reservation, got there, and had to wait ten minutes to be seated. But! They gave us two free glasses of wine. A great first impression. The restaurant interior is fantastic: long, exposed brick, all-white bar, tables, and chairs. We loved the big city feel. Others have noted that Lucca would survive in bigger cities like New York or Chicago, and they're absolutely correct. It'd feel right at home. The meun changes nightly, but follows the main ingredients and combinations listed on the restaurant website. Our risotto and gnocchi appetizers will appear every night, just not in their respective shrimp and olive oil dressings. When we went, the chicken/rice was a chicken breast folded over prosciutto and cheese, with tomato-scented white rice. The scallop/vegetable combination had a sesame-orange, Asian flare. It was delicious, if a bit heavily sauced. I would highly recommend Lucca for all Des Moines visitors. (Read more @ iowasthinking.wordpress.com) read more

Lucca - Lucca - Italian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Lucca is a great little gem in the East Village area of Des Moines. I've joined them for lunch on multiple occasions and finally made the trek in for dinner. The dinner menu is a prix fix menu. $40 gets you 4 courses and they have s good variety from which you can order or each course. The food is expertly cooked fresh when you order from their kitchen in the middle of the restaurant. The pasta was cooked perfectly. All of the portions were perfect! Dessert was the highlight of the night. They brought it 5 small desserts for the two of us to share. All of them were delicious! Lucca is a great place to grab a casual dinner or if you are looking for somewhere a little upscale, it would be a great choice too! read more

The best restaurant in Des Moines, plain and simple. Lucca is a must stop when I journey back to Iowa to visit my family and friends. The exposed brick decor and open kitchen accentuate the simple yet stunning dishes that are served here. The staff know their stuff. The cheese cave harbors gems. The wine list is commendable. Lucca could easily compete in a bigger city such as NYC or SF. I had my favorite dish in August '08 during a meal with my girlfriend, mother, stepfather, and grandparents: pork chops, an Iowa specialty. The chops came with plenty of pepper, a honey glaze and bell peppers of various shades. Outstanding. I cannot stop thinking about this dish. On my recent visit during the Holidays I thoroughly enjoyed sea scallops with brussels sprouts, haricots verts, julienne carrots and a spicy aioli. For my first course I had seared foie gras with paper thin sliced pears and sweet balsamic reduction. Both dishes were prepared correctly, presented artfully and delicious to the last bite. I highly recommend Lucca for any dining occasion. read more

Lucca is a very contemporary fine dining restaurant in the East Village. It's a long, narrow building with exposed brick walls, high ceilings, and white table settings. A very modern feel of what you would expect in NYC. The food is Tuscan-Italian inspired but it's not limited to that cuisine. The menu will change daily. Lunch is served from 11-2pm and dinner from 5-10pm. Dinner is a 2 course meal M-Th and includes a 3rd cheese course on Fr-Sa. Absolutely outstanding food, every time. Don't be afraid to order something you normally wouldn't like because chances are you've never had it like this. The wait staff is knowledgeable and friendly, and I've never had such consistent results on the plate in a restaurant. Be sure to try the gnocchi for the first course. I love gnocchi but I've never had it as wonderful as it's prepared here. read more

The risotto was under done by about 10-15 minutes & the potato on the steak had zero flavor. The steak was cooked rare as requested but slightly dry, the sauce didn't make up for it. The Scallops were defiantly NOT fresh, it had an overbearing "fishy" (old) smell when the food arrived. The potato gnocchi was defiantly AMAZING. read more

Lucca - Italian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

We arrived in Des Moines on New Year's Eve with no plans (or reservations) and walked in to this restaurant because it was near our hotel. Although they were full, they were nice enough to seat us at the bar away from others (we felt safe). The food was delicious and we had a nice time - great ending to a tough year. We would recommend. read more

This pasta is sooooo good. I don't see why anyone would order pasta from anywhere else. Thank you Lucca.

I think this is THE best place in the East Village to have lunch. The resturant is sunny, clean, simply decorated. Staff is friendly, and accommodating. Not to mention the food is well prepared and delicious. They close at 2 pm to prepare for dinner so don't dawdle if you are late for lunch. Get it to go. It's worth it. read more

Stumbled upon here when I was in town. We didn't have reservations, but they had a few spaces at the bar for walk ins. Set price, great menu. I had beet salad, clam spaghetti, and the scallops. It was all delicious! My date had ceasar, sausage rigatoni, and chicken parmigiana. Dessert hit the spot. Can't wait to go again! read more

Came in for lunch with some amazing people, ordered the Cajun Tuna Sandwich with a choice of soup or salad, I chose the salad. I asked the woman taking mommy order if the Cajun made the tuna really spicy she said no, she was right! It was absolutely amazing! I will definitely be back!!! read more

My boyfriend and I tried Lucca for the first time before we had tickets to a show on a Saturday night. We made reservations to make sure we had plenty of time to eat before we needed to be at the show however the service was very slow. We received our first 2 courses while other tables around us that arrived after us were already finishing their last course. 1 1/2 later we still hadn't received our main dish so we flagged down the waiter for our check and asked that he box up the rest of the meal to go. For a somewhat spendy dinner I would have liked to have ate it fresh. I was surprised the waiter didn't apologize for the wait time on the food. I am not sure we'll be back. Food was great but the experience left me cold. Literally. read more

This is my first experience at Lucca and the service was excellent. The menu was setup for a 2-course meal all for the same price. There were 6 or so first cource options and 5 main course options. I chose the Risotto and the steak. I have never tried risotto before but it was tasty and not mushy or grainy so I believe it was prepared properly. The steak was cooked perfectly and the rosemary potatoes were great. My gripes are that their wine by the glass options were slim so we felt forced to buy a full bottle to get the type of wine we wanted. Also my steak was cut into pieces for me when I got it. Kind of made me feel like a little kid and mommy had cut my steak up for me to eat. Other than that the food was good. I will probably come back again. read more

Lucca is my go-to restaurant for date night. Minimalist, cozy atmosphere. I've never had a bad meal. Whatever risotto they're serving that night, I'm having. The service is top notch. Come here when you want to feel like a fancy pants and you won't be disappointed. read more

One of the best restaurants in Des Moines. Located in the trendy East Village, Lucca has a trendy atmosphere with exposed brick walls and all-white-everything. There is a limited menu but everything is outstanding. Don't leave Lucca without trying their homemade gnocchi (at least once). Bar selection is limited (at least in terms of cocktails), so you may be better off ordering wine. read more

service, food, atmosphere everything was just amazing! our server was so nice and informative. from the first course to the fourth one everything was just perfection. and for the price i can't wait to come every week just to try all the dishes! read more

Took 35 guests here a couple months ago and was very pleasantly surprised! Of course, with a 35 top, the food took a little while to come out, however, it tasted fantastic! They even went so far as to ask what kinds of drinks (ie: whiskey, wines, etc.) we prefer and they purchased it prior to our visit! Top notch service and great atmosphere! I will eat here again! read more

Very nice and unexpected. I found Lucca on Yelp and walked in, sat at the bar and had an outstanding meal. The staff knew the details of the dishes and wine, I really enjoyed it. Very unique, they said it was an alley that the owners built a roof over and opened the restaurant. Very cool. read more

I suppose we made a mistake thinking my wife and I didn't need a reservation on a 10 degree Thursday night. We were seated immediately, offered wine and then ignored as if to demonstrate indignation for "just showing up". The prix fix menu did not describe the dishes, but instead indicated the two primary ingredients. Interaction with the "laid back" staff was required to understand the offerings. I enjoyed the chicken liver pâté bruschetta and my wife was pleased with the capicola and pear antipasto. Things began to deteriorate at this point. My three cheese genocchi, although slightly bland, was cooked to perfection. My wife's seafood ravioli on the other hand, was cold in the middle, suffering from inadequate reheating time in the microwave. I selected the braised pork shoulder as the protein offering, served on white polenta. It was bland and unremarkable. My wife's salmon looked like a burnt offering and was essentially indelible. I hope we caught Lucca on an off night. I doubt we will be going back. For $38 apiece we could have had a better meal at the school cafeteria. read more

I enjoyed eating at Lucca and the food was great, but the price is simply too high for the food they offer in this market. I'd prefer Montage, Django, or Phat Chefs over Lucca for the price. I appreciate what they've done with the space and that they've taken some risks in the menu selection, but I doubt I'll go back with so many great restaurants in the area which provide a higher and more consistent value. read more

Real good food. I gave it 5 stars cause I feel bad giving less than a perfect score. But gotta point out that their menu doesn't have a lot of options. Everything on it is good though. read more

Pretentious. Food was alright, but inconsistent; some dishes too hot, some cold. My salmon was under seasoned as well.

My favorite restaurant in Des Moines. Food is consistently outstanding, great atmosphere, with a nice simple menu. The gnocchi is amazing.

A tremendous restaurant in Des Moines. I liked how the kitchen was right off the bar, all the food was piping hot. I went here on a whim and will make it a must stop on my next visit. The sausage and pepper risotto was awesome. I followed that up with the chicken parmigiana and wasn't disappointed. The wait staff was very helpful and knowledgeable about the wine selection. As someone who makes his own pasta sauce from his grandmother's recipe, I have come to loathe sauces that come in a jar since I always think they taste like ketchup. This sauce was outstanding and would definitely come back the next time I'm in Des Moines. read more

Excellent service, excellent food. Excellent ambiance, too. Lunch is good--similar to Basil Prospieri's in 801 Grand, a bit pricier--dinner is divine. The prix fix menu leaves you plenty of choices and everything I've tasted there has been well-executed. Their servers are smart and approachable. I hesitate to tell this story, but remember I gave this place five stars. The first time we went for dinner, my wife found a piece of plastic in her pasta--I think the wrapping of a cheese. We were a bit appalled, but the server/management handled the situation with grace and generosity. We didn't make it back for months, and when we went back, more than one server remembered us and made sure we were taken care of. Now, the experience is (I think) out-of-the-ordinary, but speaks well to their commitment to being Des Moines' best restaurant. read more