Focaccia was out of this world. Unsure what the dipping sauce was - possibly pea based? It wasn't overly flavorful. Garlic bread w/ mozzarella - almost like garlic bread wrapped around mozzarella? Not what we were expecting but insanely good and the tomato sauce that came with it was honestly some of the best tomato sauce I've ever tasted. Ceasar salad was delicious - Parmesan croutons were Burrata was also quite good. Blood orange martini was delicious. We had a 6:15 reservation on a Friday which was unusually early for us but we were grabbing dinner before an event. Neither one of us were particularly dressed up but we were surprised by how casual some of the customers were dressed (casual graphic tshirts and backwards hats, etc.). I know it's becoming less and less common for restaurants to have dress codes but I was surprised that they allowed backwards hats (or baseball hats in general to be honest). The bar area and high top tables seemed to be more casual and seat yourself. We had a wonderful experience. I will say that I wouldn't recommend this spot if you are in a rush (unless you are planning to just grab a quick drink at the bar). We didn't order a ton of food but our meal was spaced out quite a bit (not by request) and it did take awhile for drinks and food to come. We personally didn't mind as we had intentionally made an early reservation so that we wouldn't feel rushed but it is something to keep in mind if you have a tighter timeline. In many ways it was nice to not feel as though we were being rushed for a table turn. The staff were wonderful - everyone from the bussers, to the hosts, to the managers, to the servers were lovely. They seemed to all be working together and very in tune with guests' needs. read more

I came to Lucca's expecting a good Italian dinner because someone said to go eat Italian on the north end. I left questioning every life decision that led me to eat mediocre pasta anywhere else. Seated immediately at the bar. Great atmosphere, hip music, and a bartender who knew the menu like she had a direct line to someone's Italian grandmother. She made several recommendations, and I surrendered my dignity and let her steer the ship. First mistake: I declined the complimentary focaccia. Second decision: I ordered the mozzarella garlic bread. Friends...this wasn't garlic bread. This was an edible love letter from Italy. The warm marinara on the side should be classified as a controlled substance because one bite and I was ready to ask for a bowl and a spoon. It tasted like someone bottled sunshine, tomatoes, and childhood memories of someone growing up in Tuscany. Then came the shrimp linguini. If Nonna herself wasn't in the kitchen making this by hand, then Lucca has somehow cloned her. The pasta was perfectly cooked, the shrimp were spot on, and the sauce had the kind of depth that makes you wanna pray to the gods who allowed this dish to bless the earth. For dessert, I asked the waitress to surprise me. She handed me a mysterious brown bag, and I waited until I got back to the hotel to find out what was inside. Cheesecake. I love you! I am now deeply disappointed...not because of Lucca's cheesecake, but because every other cheesecake I've ever had has been lying to me. This thing was impossibly creamy, perfectly balanced with just the right amount of sweetness, and finished with the faintest hint of citrus. It was damn near perfect. The problem is, Lucca has now ruined me. There is officially a new benchmark. Every future plate of pasta, every bowl of marinara, every slice of mozzarella garlic bread, and every cheesecake I eat for the rest of my life will be judged against this meal. And to add salt to the wound, I live in San Diego... yeah, we have Little Italy but definitely another level in Boston's North end. I've reached the point where I'm considering flying my family from San Diego to Boston just so they can experience it. That sounds ridiculous...until you've eaten at Lucca. This wasn't just dinner. It was the meal that reset my expectations of what Italian food should taste like. read more

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This is a super cute restaurant. The service is very professional. Three of us shared an excellent Caesar salad.They don't charge for bread yet, which is becoming less and less common. My father really enjoyed his veal chop. My mother and I planned on sharing the gnocchi with mushrooms and the lobster ravioli. The gnocchi was a five star dish. The lobster ravioli, I have no idea what they are thinking. It had a spicy red sauce that totally overpowered the lobster. We left most of it. The sauce was good, but put that on something without delicate lobster, that it completely overwhelmed. That dish definitely knocked the two stars off. read more

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We came over for what should've been a quick stop, but for one, the Cowboys game was on!! So yes, the Cowboys!! Then it was such a vibe. The staff were awesome and so friendly! The man at the door was so sweet and kind, had some great humor too!! The bartender, whose name I didn't get was just as great. She worked the bar like a ninja!! I loved the dark ambiance of the bar, and they had a selection of cigars you could choose from. The sever comes over after delivery to cut it for you if needed. We all ordered our drinks, which were delicious! Angels Envy for me...mmmmhhh Greta way to end the evening with good vibes, football, cigars and a nice whiskey!! read more

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Exceptional food, service and ambiance. First time seated in the dining/wine room downstairs, and it felt very intimate and cozy for our dinner. The duck confit and braised short rib apps were outstanding. read more

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Had a small pata dish with fried eggplant strips. Very small portion, too small, over cooked eggplant strips. I thought I might need a steak knife to cut them. Won't be returning. Service was good, ambiance good. read more

We stopped in here over the weekend for dinner. There was no wait and we were able to be seated instantly. The service was okay, but we had to keep waiving down our waitress to order entrees and to get our check. They gave us complimentary focaccia bread and a garlic pesto spread. We enjoyed their focaccia bread. We had their brown butter calamari, which was also very good. The entrees unfortunately were disappointing. The rigatoni meat and sauce were not very good and I wouldn't order again. The orecchiette was okay, but had too many breadcrumbs and not enough flavor. We would probably try another Italian restaurant when we go back to the area. read more

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I went here the other day for dinner with my friend for my birthday. Everything was spectacular! The staff were very friendly, the ambiance was classy & cozy, and the food was delicious! We had the meatballs for our appetizers, I had the pappardelle bolognese, and she had muscles read more

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Amazing Italian food and pretty good cocktails too. Very friendly staff and an overall great vibe. We will definitely come back when in the area. read more

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Work dinner here on my first time to Lucca. Service was impeccable. Good craft cocktails and wonderful wine selection. Dinner and appetizers were delish. Highly recommend the burrata and the meatballs. For entree I had the Wild boar pasta. Delish. Everyone's meal around the table looked delish. Lobster ravioli was a hit as well. Nice ambiance and a nice view out the front in the North End. Wonderful experience. read more

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On my first night back in Boston, while showing a friend around town, we decided to come to Lucca restaurant & bar. It was a Sunday night, but the tail end of the Saint Anthony's festival so the old North End was a madhouse. After being turned away from several restaurants, we managed to grab a last-minute reservation at Lucca. My friend had sought out this restaurant in particular because of a gluten allergy and luckily they served gluten-free pasta for her. To start, we each ordered a glass of wine - myself a Pinot Grigio and her a house red. The focaccia bread and pesto dipping sauce that came complementary was absolutely incredible and I could have easily eaten that as my entire meal. For my dish, I ordered the homemade fennel sausage pasta and it was quite tasty. The sausage had great flavor and the pasta was cooked perfectly al dente. My friend enjoyed her gluten-free penne pasta dish with shrimp. I had never been to Lucca before so I was glad my friend suggested it and I would definitely come back and try it again. read more

I chose this thinking great place to bring in new year great food etc...left much to be desired. Our waiter provided our service but was very aloof. I order braised short rib w gnocchi. Could barley find the short rib and the gnocchi was extremely salty. Ordered the meatballs for appetizer. Sauce and balls were room temp. We also had frilled swordfish for an entree. Without the sauce the fish had zero seasoning..with the sauce it wasn't bad. I realize that New Years eve is a busy night but there was no countdown no toast NOTHING. I would try this place a again for one reason..if the gnocchi was doused in salt it had an amazing texture size and continuity and I love a great homemade pasta. read more

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Stopped into Lucca for dinner in the North End and had a nice experience overall. The service was excellent -- attentive without being overbearing -- and the wine selection was impressive, with plenty of options that paired well with our meal. The food itself was good but didn't quite wow me. Everything leaned very traditional, which isn't a bad thing, but at the price point, I was hoping for something a bit more memorable or creative. With so many incredible Italian spots in the North End, it's easy to find a place that offers the same classic feel but with a little extra spark for the cost. That said, I'd definitely recommend Lucca for a special date or occasion when you want that quintessential North End experience. Located right on Hanover Street, it's in the heart of all the hustle and bustle, and the restaurant itself has a dark, romantic vibe -- complete with beautiful stained glass details that make it feel timeless. read more

I love Italian food and when I'm in the north end of Boston there's so many places to pick from. So my friends and I came here for a quick dinner and drink before a show in Boston When I'm at an Italian restaurant, I usually get spaghetti or some type of ziti with red sauce because if you can't make that good then the rest of them menu is gonna be just average. I had some ziti Bolognese and their homemade pasta a the dish is amazing. I was highly surprised. So if you're in the area, I highly suggest you to try out this place you won't be disappointed. read more

Lucca Restaurant & Bar - Ziti bolognese. - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Great chicken parm! We have been to this location many times and they always have quick friendly service. The warm bread is always a welcome addition to the table along with meatballs. The chicken parm was a special for the night but could be a great addition to the normal menu. Overall, a good way to experience north end dining in Boston. read more

Absolutely phenomenal dinner at Lucca! I went with a group of 10 and everyone thought the food was excellent. I was also surprised at how well spaced the service was. Sometimes with large groups, it seems like you're waiting around for too long for food. Not at Lucca! We were finished with dinner and had enough to walk around and enjoy the North End more. Highly recommended! read more

Lucca Restaurant & Bar - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Service was great. They were attentive and made sure we had what we needed. The food was meh. They brought house bread that wasn't warm or crispy just spongy and I think it was a pesto hummus but I don't know. Flavor was lacking. We had a group of 4. I ordered boar cannelloni, there was a short rib app, a chicken pasta and a halibut. My boar filling was good but pasta was tough and not silky. Also the red sauce had way to much acid that they didn't try to tamp down. You could feel it burn. I tried the short rib and it was ok. But not a lot of gnocchi at all the area is super cute and I lived the walk but I wouldn't go back if here again. read more

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I definitely suggest a reservation especially if you want in on the weekend. The ambiance is wonderful with the restaurant open to the street and a beautiful stained glass window. The server was attentive and willing to make recommendations. The food itself was fantastic. The bruschetta was the best I've ever eaten. I could have made a meal of just that! read more

Lucca Restaurant & Bar - Bruschetta - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

We came in to grab a drink at the bar and Justin walked past and let us know that we could sit at the bar tables and ended up serving us. This was a pretty popular place it seems because the bar was busy with lots of people around our age. Justin was really nice and attentive with our drink orders. This is definitely a louder spot with TVs with whatever game is on. I didn't look at a food menu because we came after dinner but all of the cocktails seemed great, I even ended up having an espresso martini which was made to perfection and then I had a glass of wine before walking back towards where we were staying. I would love to dine here next visit to see what they have to offer. read more

It was a warm autumn evening in Boston, when Beau & I, came here to dine. And so, we stepped in, passing through the dark busy bar, into very plush rooms. Here, in a private chamber, we had a lovely intimate dinner, along with a few others.. Surrounded, in Sumptuous Settings, we sat with old friends, making new friends, on our trip to this new city!! What a pleasure, meeting native New Englanders, making new friends over dinner!! What joy in finding, (contrary to all I'd read prior): that Bostonians, can be nice!! After dinner, our new friend, actually paid, for our uber ride!! All in all, we had a delightful time... Our Impressions Of The Evening: Ambiance : Dark & Elegant Bar.. Sumptuous Chamber Room, Adorned With Old World Italian Artwork.. Food: Excellent filet mignon. Average dessert.. Service: Efficient overall. One server, was very sweet. However, one server, nearly knocked us down, as he balanced a tray of food, on our way out!! Overall: A Very Intimate Venue: Dimly Lit, Regal & Refined In Mood ..Would recommend for the richly dark atmosphere & food.. read more

Red sauce dishes were incredibly underwhelming. Very pleasant staff. Good atmosphere if you aren't in the basement. I've been here before and it was amazing (not the pasta dishes) and this time was really disappointing. read more

The vibe of this place is what makes this place. Good food. Good vibes. Marathon weeekend baby

It was a pretty easy reservation and a cute romantic ambiance in the restaurant. Our server, Danielle, was amazing and great, accommodating all our needs. We ordered the Meatball, which was amazing! I loved the ricotta cheese on top of the red sauce. The Orecchiette is great for those who like a creamier white sauce type pasta and the Shrimp Fra Diavolo was so perfect!! It was probably my most favorite dish. The perfect amount of spice in the sauce. All the pasta was homemade which made it even better in taste! The watermelon salad was a special dish and tasted great but I'm not sure if it was worth the price for it. The complimentary chickpea pesto was a good idea but I also think it's an acquired tasting since it only tasted like chickpea... no other flavor and you couldn't taste the "pesto" in the dip. Lastly, the Flan was not worth it. It was too dense and did not have much flavor to it at all. I'd suggest another dessert dish if you're up for it. Overall, it was a great experience and would have loved to sit by the open window. Maybe next time I come!! read more

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Items ordered: Fettuccine with gluten free pasta, added salmon, Montepulciano wine Value: Really overpriced for what you get at this place Service: Server was kind and accommodating to gluten-free but didn't really check on us The Review: Get your vocal chords ready because Lucca is Loud! Either the acoustics are terrible or everyone is screaming but we were definitely screaming to hear one another. The food was fairly good. I'd say that the competing Italian spots all have nicer gluten-free pasta than Lucca. Though $29, there was no protein so I added salmon, which came out tasty but dry and overcooked. The salt on the wound was when the waiter gave us our packed up food and mixed up the meals, so I took home something I'd be allergic to. The remainders of our expensive meals went to waste. 2/5 for making me yell so my friends could hear me, while I paid twice the normal price for pasta. And four times if you count them losing the other half of my meal. read more

Lucca Restaurant & Bar - Salmon* - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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What a wonderful experience! Lucca was a beautiful restaurant, with a very close knit family feel. We were very impressed with the staff, who had wonderful recommendations for our group and was attentive, yet not overbearing. The swordfish was incredible, I highly recommend! It was cooked to perfection with a very light yet tasty red sauce. I will definitely be coming back to try more of the menu! read more

Service was great considering it was mobbed. We were there in a large group of about 30 people, so we didn't have the regular menu for us; only 3 choices for entrees. They started with wonderful fresh focaccia bread and pesto. The pesto was very smooth, but not much flavor. The salumi they brought out with 3 meats and I'm assuming a version of bruschetta was amazing! As much as I wanted to try their Caeser salad,y husband and I both chose the lobster bisque. I love a bisque with chunks, but this was smooth and soooo delicious. I chose the chicken under a brick with risotto. The chicken was very dry, but the risotto was the best I've ever had. My husband had the cheese ravioli with arugula pesto and toasted pepitas. They were ok. I personally wasn't crazy about the pesto, but the ravioli was nice. I chose the chocolate torte that I didn't even try because i don't like coffee flavor, but took home for my husband. My husband had the tiramisu and was in love. I may not have been overwhelmed, but like I said, choices were limited to things I wouldn't have ordered and it was a really big group and they were very on top of everything! read more

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Horrible food especially for the price point and the service was bad too. It took forever for them to bring out the bucatini and the server never came around to update us until one of our other dishes was ready. The tragic part is even after the wait the taste was so disappointing - it's just pasta with some mushrooms and corn in a very bland sauce. And on top of that the prices were insane - the bucatini was $32... highway robbery. The bread they served at the start was also not fresh and I wasn't a fan of whatever basil pesto sauce that came with it. The ambiance is nice though so maybe it's a decent spot to grab a drink? As far as food goes though don't be enticed because it's one of the few places open very late in the area, you're better off going anywhere else! read more

Service was just okay. Portions were a little bit small on the pasta . We had the wild boar and it was very unique.it was the biggest portion size at the table by far. The garlic bread wasn't worth it despite the rec from the waiter and the burratta wasn't wow worthy. The vibes were fun though!! We were told by a local it's a tourist trap though :/ read more

This restaurant was recommended to me and my family by the concierge at the nearby Battery Wharf hotel. The waitress told us the appetizers were a good size for two people to share, but they came a bit bigger than we expected. The Octopus was great and served with potatoes in a tomato sauce. The Arugula Salad was kind of bare. The apples in the salad were candied and tasted like apple pie, but there were only a few pecans and a couple very thin radish slices. I ordered the Rigatoni Bolognese but subbed gluten free pasta (they just have penne for GF). It was kind of creamy and pretty good. My parents liked the Scallops and raved about the mushrooms. We almost ordered an additional side of mushrooms but were too full. My boyfriend got the Boar Ragu, and my sister got the Short Rib Gnocchi, and they both enjoyed their dishes. We are pretty late, around 9:30pm, in the second dining room. The noise level was low despite tables being pretty full. Around 10:30 they dimmed the lights more. The main room where you first enter was dark and louder, because folks were watching the basketball game. read more

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Very beautiful, higher end Italian restaurant in the Northend. Not your typical pasta dishes. The food was delicious, service a little slow- but it was a busy Friday night. On the pricey end, but worth a nice dinner. Fresh bread , with a delicious plate of oil and pesto. The charcuterie- if you want meat and cheese - specify. We ended up ordering one of each- after only meat came out. read more

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Came to this restaurant at 11:40 while the sign outside says kitchen open until 12:15 and we're told kitchen was closed. We were looking forward to eating here and we're denied service read more

Tough to find a space in the north end for a party of 10 and additionally didn't have to do a pre-fixe menu. We were seated downstairs We did family style for the party so was able to enjoy everything. Favorites of the night were: - really really good pork and veal meatballs - octopus - rigatoni bolognese - a MUST - 4-cheese ravioli Service was great, food and wine was delicious. Thoroughly satisfied read more

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Fast and pleasant service. Huge portions with good prices. Nice view of the water. Safe area. Loved it. read more

The service was outstanding; our server was attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable about the menu. They made excellent recommendations that truly enhanced our dining experience. I ordered Lobster Ravioli and it was any delicious. The flavors were perfectly balanced, and you can tell that fresh ingredients were used. read more

Lucca Restaurant & Bar - Lobster Ravioli! - Italian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The service! We were seated quite quickly. Brought to a back room -it was empty. The hostess stated it's romantic. Were greeted with a nice waiter. We get my drink ordered we order a few apps n they were excellent the meatballs were very good as an app. I would like to go further with this review but it ends here ! A table of 10-15 people are seated next to us. The waiter never comes back to take our dinner order. Shame cause we really were hungry. We finally got his attention got the check n left. He did say he got over whelmed. Sorry not sorry. We got lost in the mix. Totally forgotten. So you get two stars. Wish we had gotten to try your food. read more

Really elegant dining room with lots of renaissance artwork. Friendly staff. Our food was generally very good but lacked consistency. --The free bread course was a thick piece of focaccia which lacked crispiness or flavor, served with an unappealing pesto hummus --Caesar salad was very good, with a tangy and creamy dressing though the croutons were a bit stale --Branzino was incredibly good, crispy, buttery, piping hot, served with a red pepper infused sauce and surrounded by potatoes, capers, cherry tomatoes --Garganelli pasta (similar to penne, a rolled tubular pasta) with wild boar ragu was rich and very good but served luckwarm --My 4 cheese ravioli with cauliflower and squash was bland and served at room temperature We asked that the two cold dishes be heated and that took a long time, we were told they were making new dishes for us, but when they arrived they were about the same temp as before. We also ordered a nice bottle of Ponzi Pinot Noir. Overall a nice evening but some issues here and there. We will likely return though. read more

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We've been here many times over the years, and we've always enjoyed it. It was our "special" romantic go-to. The food was amazing and I was so looking forward to this visit. What a disappointment this time! The food was awful. Not only was it sub-par in flavor, but it was hard to find the meat in the dishes! They were all (overcooked) pasta with a few little pieces of meat. Sorry to say, but it was as good (or should I say as bad) as Olive Garden or a Lean Cuisine -- but with a super high price tag. The waitress was also a bit gruff. LUCCA - what have you done? I heard they may have had a chef change in the last year or so. Until they change, we are changing our go-to "romantic Italian restaurant" to Grotto! read more

Number one rave review: Service!! Excellent customer service by our waiter, even though we were only stopping in for drinks! We ended up with a couple of rounds each, and it was probably due to our amazing server. We had just stopped off at Mike's for some (amazingly delicious) pastries, and we were on our way over to Union Oyster House for dinner. But, we were very early, and as our hotel was miles away, we weren't about to go back just to turn right around again. Long story, but cutting to the chase, we decided to rest our feet and refresh ourselves at Lucca with some cocktails before dinner. Oh man... what an experience. First of all, our server offered to hold our pastry boxes in the refrigerator while we rested. This not only kept our table space free, but it kept the cannolis (et cetera) chilled until we headed out. Very thoughtful! Second, the drinks themselves! The cocktails were inventive and very tasty. We ordered off their menu instead of your standard fare which you can get anywhere, and we were not disappointed. Everyone had two tasty beverages that were enjoyed universally! Third, the décor in the place was really nice. It was dimly lit, but that led to a cozy feel. Yes, we needed our phone lights to read the menu, but chalk that one up to a day outside walking all over Boston and tired eyes. So, between the service, the cocktails, the location, and the ambiance, we were very happy with our 'pit stop' on the way to dinner. We did see some of the entrees going to tables that evening, and they all looked and smelled amazing. In hindsight, we wish we'd stopped here to eat one of the days we were in town! Next time, Lucca... next time. Overall, definitely worth visiting if you're in town and doing the tourist thing, or probably even if you are a local. The drinks and the service alone were well worth stopping in for. I would return in a heartbeat if we're ever in town there again! read more

Went to Lucca on a Sunday night and they were able to squeeze in a large party. They were not very busy which usually isn't a good sign in the North End. The bread was just ok and the hummus dip wasn't good. The carpaccio was not good at all. The octopus wasn't bad. I had the wild boar and the pasta was way overcooked to the point it was soggy. My wife had the Oreccheiette and said it was good. Service was very good. Overall not impressed. read more

We made a reservation for our 2 year anniversary! highly recommend make a reservation this place was packed !! Got in, sat down staff was great took our coats showed us to our table. Waitress was amazing, food came out quickly, and the food was delicious!! Highly recommend, would come back !! read more

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