The food was so delicious and Jose our server was very attentive. I loved the inside of this restaurant the ambiance was very pleasant. I ordered the RAVIOLI DI VITELLO which is the Chef's handmade ravioli, braised veal with red wine and reduction fungi porcini sauce. Definitely did not disappoint. read more

Luciana's Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Dana Point, California

Food was good. Not amazing but good. Salcicca pasta was good, cannoli was better. Caesar salad was forgettable. My friend had the bolognese and it was delicious. The restaurant is dated and feels old. But not in a good way. There's a lot of history there but they could do with an update inside. Small parking lot out back or street parking. Service was very friendly and attentive. read more

Luciana's Ristorante - Cannoli - 2 per order - Italian Near Me - Dana Point, California

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We went here with some friends and heard really good things about it. It had a fancy high-end Italian atmosphere. I ordered the ravioli and felt like I wasn't full afterward. The prices were high compared to what we got. My husband ordered the lasagna and enjoyed it. He thought the portions were small too! It's a nice place but overpriced and not the best Italian food in town. The best part is the atmosphere. Parking is also hard in this area and they have a full parking lot but you can only use it if you vallet. Street parking is tough in this area. Taste: 4/5 Price: 3/5 Service: 3/5 Atmosphere: 5/5 read more

We came in here for dinner tonight and I was skeptical since our first experience was just mediocre. Where are all these people eating, Long Island?? Chris is a great waiter and he gets all three stars The food is just average and the ambience is so 1960s. I'm not sure why this restaurant is popular. Would I come back here, definitely not for the pasta or the vibes. Maybe they need to do a renovation and update the music because no one wants to listen to Frank Sinatra, this is 2025. Wake up and modernize and roll with the changes. read more

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My cousin and I went out for a birthday dinner, we really wanted to check out a pizza spot nearby, but unfortunately we couldn't get reservations and the wait was too long till closing. So we decided to check out Luciana's Ristorante nearby, and it was pretty good backup. The ambiance definitely has the feel of a classy sit-down Italian restaurant, so it was perfect for a special occasion. The drinks were strong, and the food was mostly pretty good. They did run out of the seabass and one of the pastas was very salty (Penne Puttanesca), but the wait staff was very kind and understanding. The melanzane rollatini, garlic bread, and rigatoni pesto were amazing, I highly recommend all of those as an app, side, and main (respectively). Another wonderful surprise, was the flourless chocolate cake, it's their signature dessert, and it makes sense after you try it! It was extremely rich and very decadent, more of a dark chocolate vibe, but still very dessert like and delicious of course! Food: 4/5 Drinks: 4/5 Service: 4.5/5 Ambiance: 4.5/5 Value: 3/5 Overall: 4/5 read more

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Ignore all the reviews that mention the dog-friendly patio. It is definitely not dog-friendly. They have a huge sign at the front door, the gist of which is "no dogs anywhere; we hate dogs." It would be nice if they could put that on their website so that people would know before making plans. But if you end up there with a dog, there are many restaurants with actual dog-friendly patios in the Lantern District, such as Luxe. read more

The wait staff was attentive. The wine room was cozy but lacked circulation . We ordered the garlic bread but it was cold harder than croutons . I had to soak it in the marinara sauce to make it eatible. The arugula salad was ok . I needed more dressing . The fettuccine boscaiola was overly fishy instead of a garlic white wine sauce . The farfalle contadina was flavored well . read more

We recently attended a dinner presentation at Luciana's Ristorante. The restaurant is very old as well as their decorations. Everything looks so antique. It located more towards the ocean part of Dana Point but no ocean view. Food was good and service was just okay. But to be fair, we were a large group of almost 30 people so I know it isn't easy to serve everyone perfectly, especially during a presentation. Both, my husband and I had the bow tie pasta with grilled chicken, mushrooms and artichokes. Everything was good, just need a bit more chicken as it was mostly pasta. The person next to me had the eggplant with pasta and he finished it all so it must be really good. I also saw the person across from me had chicken parmigiana with spaghetti and the piece of chicken was huge. He also ate it all :) but didn't say a word about it, so I presumed that was also good? read more

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I ordered the veal, which was well-prepared and tasted fine, but nothing particularly stood out to make it memorable. It felt pretty expensive to me. This appears to be a long-established restaurant with a loyal customer base - you can see why some people return regularly for special occasions and group celebrations. Our server was an older gentleman who seemed overwhelmed by the busy night, running around trying to keep up with demand. His approach was a bit brash, likely due to the hectic pace. The ambiance aims for an old-world Italian experience, and it clearly resonates with the mostly older clientele who frequent the place. However, it was quite loud and crowded during our visit, making conversation challenging. The restaurant seems designed for big celebratory dinners rather than intimate dining. read more

Haven't tried the food yet. So cannot report on that. Will update once it comes. What I can report is that they have a very large sign about pets vs. service animals as the first thing you see walking into the resteraunt. I was curious about its size and verbiage since it felt very intense and I encounter a lot of issues while traveling with mine. I thought perhaps there had been a situation. Before sitting I went up to a manger just to ask and said "wondering about your sign, I have a lot of issues while traveling with my animal so just curious why the tone is so aggressive. His answer was actually very reasonable, after he insulted me. He initially said" well, people who don't actually need service animals are the ones that find it aggressive." ................... I'm guessing he saw the look on my face and changed his tune to tell me he was glad I understood the law, and that actual service animal would be welcome. For everyone's reference, there are two questions they can legally ask you when you enter a business with a service animal. Usually this resolves any issues of fraud or fakes which is why I was curious about the scope of the signage. Additional the animal must obviously be well trained etc. There really was no reason for the insult and apparent defensiveness. So that was disappointing as I was just curious having never seen anything like that before. Oh well. Also, they don't have fresh mint. Update** the food was incredible. No complaints highly recommend. Just maybe don't ask the manager about their sign. read more

Luciana's Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Dana Point, California

They have outside seating and indoor and the service was very good. My husband had the lamb shank which he said was very good and I had the Ravioli W veal porcini mushrooms which was also good. Dessert was just ok coconut cheesecake n these fried balls with cheesecake inside forgot the name of it which was just ok. Kind of pricey! We sat inside and it was very nice. Great aperole spritz!! read more

We celebrated a wedding reception here and it was all superb! The service was flawless. The lasagna was so delicious. Calamari- wow! Everyone had so much fun!!!! Kathy, the private Dining manager was a breeze to work with and went above and beyond. Joel, the manager understands customer service! Mike and Chris were cheery servers! They met all of our needs. I highly recommend having your event on the patio or even the whole restaurant. They don't charge a room fee or service fee and you add the tip. They did not charge to cut the sweetheart cake to add to the dessert plates. Five star experience, service and food. read more

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Everything was amazing ! The food , the service and the atmosphere! I can't compliment the amazing food enough!!! Worth every penny and more

We celebrated two birthdays yesterday at Luciana's Ristorante. While the food was good and the prices are fair, once again we left with a bad feeling and it spoiled the night. It took 3.5 hours for dinner. They have a $5 split charge and then they do not do the split themselves. There is also a$3 plate charge for cake plating. We spent $34 on fees alone! Their parking lot really needs to be redone it is dark and very uneven. Walking through it in high heels is just an accident waiting to happen. Our server did his best to accommodate us. The ambience is very romantic but there are so many great restaurants in SOC to choose from. read more

We had a lovely dinner at Luciana's! Started off with lemon drop martini + calamari + fresh yummy burrata. Then came the pastas that were so tasty and delicious: my pesto rigatoni with chicken & pine nuts was a good size, just the right amount of creaminess and pasta was al dente; my husband's rigatoni salsiccia was just as tasty with generous servings of sausage, I kept on digging into his plate! Son enjoyed his porchetta as well. Dinner was well-paced, ambience was cozy and festive and service was attentive and friendly. For the quality and location, it was also reasonably priced. We will definitely return! read more

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I start by looking for locally owned restaurants, in which the staff feels like family. This place hits all the right notes. Dinner was excellent. We went Friday night, and came back Saturday night. A lot of the attraction is the staff. They are wonderful. Have a chat with Donna on the accordian in the bar, and tell Marcus behind the bar exactly what you want, and he will deliver. I had the lasagna one night, the spaghetti bolognese the next. Everything tasted great. We're going back next week. Highly recommended..... read more

Luciana's Ristorante - Marcus the bartender. Excellent, not sweet, not acidic... - Italian Near Me - Dana Point, California

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Our "Cheers". You cannot get better service in this state! And the food, absolutely amazing. Creatures of habit, we start with the calamari and although my wife samples all of the delicacies, I stick to the rigatoni salsiccia. Thank you Eder and Linda for always making us feel like we are home! read more

Luciana's Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Dana Point, California

My wife and I love this spot. We've always lucked out and sat at the bar inside but it is always crowded and last week we weren't lucky so we sat at the bar outside (in the tent). ITS EVEN BETTER!!! We love the bartenders inside and outside! Both are pros. Food as always is awesome. Can't say enough except we go there at least 6 times a year and it never gets old. read more

Luciana's Ristorante - Pollo alla Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Dana Point, California

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To start with, the location is excellent, right on the strip, and the street parking was easy. We had a large party and sat on the patio which provided the perfect balance of heat from heaters and fresh air. The service was excellent and professional and friendly. Despite not having a kid menu, they serve pasta matched with any sauce for the kiddos, and mine especially liked the generous helping of freshly shaved Parmesan along with his Shirley Temple. My caprese salad was excellent. They do a great job with food allergies here as well. We had ice cream for dessert, and it was a perfect meal. read more

We were craving Italian and I ALWAYS brush this place off because I'm all about "ocean views". Omg. The inside of this restaurant, COMPLIMENTARY valet and ALL the food on the menu had my bf going insane from my indecisiveness! Service; AMAZING. It is rare for me to say, and this place had it ALL. Definitely coming back for our Italian craves. read more

A beautiful and elegant restaurant with a wonderful atmosphere. I came in the evening with two friends and we brought our daughters with friends and the experience was lovely! After our girls left, we changed from table to bar. The risotto was excellent and the food overall was delicious. The staff treated us amazingly and made us feel very welcome. It's such a charming place to spend time with friends . We will definitely be back. read more

Luciana's Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Dana Point, California

I'm visiting the area and went here with some family who are transplanted locals. The food was very good. The service was over the top happy... almost weirdly. They were out of several of the bottles of wine we were interested in but we did end up with a good one. The server delivered my entree on a hot plate holding it with a napkin the he dragged through my bread plate (ick). Overall I'd come back but it wasn't quite a 5 star experience. read more

Oh man. This is a hard one because I really don't like bringing down a local restaurants score- but this whole dinner was a miss for me. It's strange- the outside of this restaurant looks like modern, but warm. Painted and decorated with perfectly placed lighting. Once you walk in- it's like a flash back to I don't even know when but somewhere in Italy long ago. This wouldn't be a bad thing, if the food was closer to authentic Italian food. Maybe the "list of ingredients" is the same.. but the combination seemed off in certain dishes. For example, there were chunks of barely cooked tomatoes in the broth? I can see the dish working of maybe the tomatoes had been fire roasted in olive oil and some Italian spices... but it was just a miss. Also, there was soooo much sand in my clams . I don't know how other restaurants do it- but this one needs to figure out a better way to clean them before serving. I ordered the Chicken with Kale risotto as my main and I really liked this dish. Very flavorful! I'm going to circle back to getting seated once we were in the restaurant since I got sidetracked :). We had a reservation for 5:30, arrived on time and were seated at one of the worst tables with constant traffic. It was near the opening separating two rooms. They shouldn't even have a table there honestly. Although- maybe some people don't mind this? It felt like we were seated on an airplane aisle. Not ideal. Also- we didn't even realize we could've sat outside, as it was never even offered to us? We only saw it was an option as we left (and there were still plenty of open tables out there as it was early). Our server- who I swear called himself Eric (but receipt said Eder G). He saved the night. He was great! I would not come back here. Finding Italian food as a gluten free girl is hard because I have been spoiled by Italy itself. Corn penne is cheap and just plain yucky (and always genetically modified- so no thank you)... I wish they were more creative in their GF pasta choice. My husband said his veal ravioli was ok... he didn't like how much sauce/gravy was on top, but that's just his preference. There were a few other things that happened during our meal that I won't bore you with- but all in all, we wouldn't return. It seemed like a lot of older locals were regulars here though- so maybe just not our cup of tea. read more

Luciana's Ristorante - Gritty clams with chunky, half-cooked tomatoes - Italian Near Me - Dana Point, California

Mike and Mike took great care of our family! The bread at the start of the meal was excellent and I had a delicious linguine and clams. Great homey vibes inside with music and a chill ambiance that makes you feel right at home. Great for an evening dinner and not too far from the beach! Also, bonus points for getting high ratings from Joshua Lyman read more

Luciana's Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Dana Point, California

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Oscar was our server he has been here for 30 years! That should say something about this lovely Italian restaurant! Wonderful old world service and menu! Lovely dinner for the appetizer we order clams & mussels in a lovely broth! Delish! Everything was perfect! I recommend highly! read more

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We decided on Luciana's for my son's Wedding Reception Dinner. We looked at other possible options first. We originally planned for 34 people, but my son neglected to tell us that one other friend was invited. No issue. Kathy the banquet manager worked closely with us on entrees, and the beverage manager suggested three wine offerings. We had an open bar, and consumed plenty. The patio room just left of the front door entrance is where we ate, drank, and had multiple toasts and speeches. Everyone had a great time - especially our bride and groom! Kudos to Luciana's - and especially their staff. High quality Italian food and nice environment. I recommend Luciana's. read more

Last night I had the Tagliata, flat iron steak with balsamic vinegar, arugula and shitake mushrooms, and it was a luscious blending of flavors gently spices and cooked to perfection. Complemented with a Negroni and dessert, made for a very enjoyable time out. read more

Luciana's Ristorante - Tagliata: Flat Iron Steak - Italian Near Me - Dana Point, California

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Luciana's could serve me a plate of hair and I'd still come back for more. Not only is the food out of this world, the ambiance 10 out of 10 BUT THE SERVICE... unmatched. This is the type of restaurant that makes you feel like family. Don't even get me started on Francesco... He practically read the menu to me as if he himself owned the restaurant and curated the menu. Passion and professionalism at its finest.. going above and beyond to ensure everything was to our liking. Despite so many new restaurants popping up in DP Lantern District, Luciana's always calls me back. read more

Had wonderful perfect dinner last night at Luciana's . We were happy they added Shrimp cocktail to the menu. The shrimp cocktail was succulent and delicious. Just ask for lt. My wife and I love this restaurant and highly recommend it to anyone that loves great food. Thank you , Sebastian read more

Lucian's - All Hype, No Heart I hadn't been to Lucian's in years, and after finally going back, I can confidently say--nothing has changed. It's still incredibly overrated. From the start, we were not welcomed--completely the opposite of what you'd expect from any Italian family. The staff was cold, dismissive, and uninviting. With that kind of attitude, you'd expect Michelin-star service to back it up--but it fell flat at every turn. We waited far too long just to get a drink order in, and even longer to receive them. We felt like an inconvenience the entire time. Food-wise, it was hit or miss--mostly miss. The calamari was the only standout: fresh, light, and flavorful. But the chicken parmesan was forgettable, the shrimp pasta tasted like tomato water with shrimp cooked into dust, and the kids' fettuccine? Basically cheese water. Completely unpalatable. I'm honestly questioning the glowing reviews Lucian's gets from locals. And the acoustics in the back room are terrible. It's loud, echoey, and hard to enjoy a conversation. I read a review where a family was treated poorly because their children were loud, and I can believe it. It's not the kids--it's the bad design. Lastly, it's honestly shameful to name dishes and branding after "Nonna" when the experience is nothing like how a true Nonna would treat people. There's no warmth, no welcome, no hospitality. Just attitude. We won't be back. read more

I loved everything about this place! Started off with their Melanzane Rollatini appetizer which was very yummy! Then we had their pastas that was super delicious: mine was the linguine vongole with alfredo cream sauce instead of the white wine sauce (I wanted something creamy, and I'm so glad they accommodated for me!) and my husband got the melanzane parmigiana. We ended with two desserts: a creme brulee and vanilla gelato :) Everything was so delicious! The atmosphere was cozy and romantic. We sat outside with the clear windows facing the sidewalks; there were heated lamps near us. Service was 10/10! We loved our server, Eder, who was extremely accommodating, warm, and kind! We will definitely be back :) read more

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My friend and I knew we wanted to grab dinner in Dana Point, but didn't know where. We ended up here as a long-standing favorite in town and valeted the car with their complimentary service. They sat us relatively fast without a reservation and the dining room was warm and cozy with a lit fire in the fireplace. The server was great, Mike, and he guided our choices for apps, salads and entrees. We started with a glass of wine, bread and the baked eggplant appetizer that was a light, tasty and different dish that was delicious. We then shared the pear and Gorgonzola cream salad that was unexpected, rich and fantastic. We shared the risotto with large shrimp and it was a perfect choice for the cold evening. Luciana's is wonderful and special with staff that has been there forever and that's a good thing! read more

Luciana's Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Dana Point, California

Our first time. Josh, the mgr. Eder our server, the food...all outstanding. It felt like I was at a family members home. We will definitely be back! And highly recommend it. They make you feel like you are wrapped in a warm blanket. We highly recommend it. Rose Salkin Jacobson read more

My wife and I have combed the area from San Diego to LA for Italian restaurant's that make us want to return. I'd say 8 even 9 of ten we don't go back. We usually order calamari to start, the lovely lady gets gnochi if available, I get lasagna, and we try the tiramisu. If all four of these things are done right we return. We strayed slightly, as she got the lamb pappardelle, which was phenomenal truly! A good lasagna has proper layers, loads of meat in the sauce, ricotta and mozzarella in ever bite, and a nice "tang" to the sauce! Checked every box!! Easy 9 plus one of the top 5 I've ever had. I've had over a hundred I'd guess. I asked Chris the waiter about my tiramisu requirements and he with no hesitation told me I'd love it. I'm not a coffee guy, and so often it is either drowning in coffee or marred by too much chocolate And Chris moved my wife away from an inferior glass of wine to his preferred vintage, and offered his choice when asked for best entree choice, and it was a home run! Josh oversees and manages and was very pleasant and genuine. Free valet is always classy, so we got a place to return to and a waiter to ask for! There is a reason they've been around like nearly 40 years huh? Nice patio view and vibe attentive service not rushed just right. read more

Luciana's Ristorante - Lasagna done right looks like this - Italian Near Me - Dana Point, California

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Our go to on Sundays! We've been to Italy and this place is what we felt like the closest to the true Italian. We sat at the bar once we didn't have our kids and Mike was awesome to chat and served us so well. When we go with the kids we always enjoy the servers knowledge and kindness. It's our favorite read more

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We've been loyal patrons of Luciana's for over 20 years, celebrating countless birthdays, anniversaries, and milestones with family and friends. Unfortunately, after our most recent visit, we won't be returning. We came to celebrate our daughter's second birthday and were seated in the back room, which has very poor acoustics--every sound seems to echo. That said, our children (who dine out regularly and know how to behave) were calm and respectful. Despite this, two managers approached us and told us we were being too loud. Their tone was unnecessarily harsh and condescending. It was humiliating--especially after decades of supporting this restaurant. We gave them a chance to make things right by reaching out to the general manager a week later. Sadly, there was no accountability. He was dismissive, said he would "get everyone's side" and get back to us, but never did. No call, no apology--nothing. It's really disappointing to see how far Luciana's has strayed from the warm, welcoming place it used to be. They've made it clear that families--and loyal, long-time customers--are no longer welcome. If you're looking for a place to celebrate a special occasion or enjoy a family dinner, I'd recommend looking elsewhere. The management here has lost touch with what hospitality truly means. read more

Eaten there many times .....really looked forward to Veal Picata. Very disappointing! Not tender at all. My friends weren't happy with there food either! Not sureif the guy running around was the owner....or Manager. Looked very slovenly!! What happened??? read more

Came to Luciana's for dinner to celebrate our anniversary on a Thursday night. The first thing we noticed was they have a separate outdoor covered dining space for special events. I think someone was having a wedding reception or rehearsal dinner taking place so that's awesome! Within the restaurant, it's a very homey Italian feel - very dark. The table next to us had an older lady and I heard her make a comment that she couldn't see the menu very well. If you want a brighter spot, there is covered outdoor seating connected to the main restaurant as well. My husband and I ordered: -Burrata ($15) - absolutely delicious, the cherry tomatoes were well balanced with the burrata (not too soggy or wet) with the perfect flavor of balsamic and guanciale -Special Zuppa del Giorno ($9) - cream of mushroom soup of the day. Very earthy, borderline too potent when you bit into the actual mushroom but the soup was very flavorful! -Farfalle Contadina ($23) - pasta was al dente, definitely made in house. The cream was a bit too runny for me and portion was a bit smaller than I would've expected for a dinner portion. I had to add quite a lot of parmesan cheese to thicken up the sauce -Pollo alla Parmigiana ($22) - chicken parm. Wanted more mozzarella on the chicken but the breading was on point, the crisp just perfect. Marinara sauce was aamazing -Linguine Vongole ($27) - a bit flat, not as flavorful as I'd hoped (garlic overpowered the clam sauce). Would not order again. We got a vanilla bean scoop for free as our anniversary dessert. Henriett was our waitress and was a bit hard to flag her down, she must've been waiting on several tables. Overall, would return to try other things on the menu and really enjoyed the appetizers! read more

Wow wow wow!!! 5 stars for this spot!!! I cannot believe I didn't find this place before when visiting this area. Came here Saturday night for dinner make sure you make reservations. We were seated promptly. Service was fantastic! Mike was our server and he was such a pleasure. He was attentive, extremely friendly and overall wonderful!!! He suggested many great items and we couldn't be any happier. The salmon was delicious and paired so well with veggies. The chicken parmesean was so good, my son and I split the dish so they cut the chicken parm in half and each of us got bowtie pasta with parmesean cream sauce. We loved it!!! Best of all my son loved it, he said, "This was his new favorite restaurant in this area and would come back again!! This made me so happy that he was able to enjoy his meal as much as we did. The complimentary bread and butter is an absolute treat that whipped butter oh my was so addicting. Great service, reasonable prices, complimentary valet park and delicious food. You can't beat it. I highly recommend!!! read more

Luciana's Ristorante - Split chicken parmsean with bowtie pasta with parmsean cream sauce - Italian Near Me - Dana Point, California

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Good Italian food. So far the best we have had since moving to the area. Looking forward to visiting it again soon