Again, very good authentic food. Ambiance and service right on target. Professional, friendly, accommodating Our waiter Gavin, very personable, professionally...we will return again. Thank you, for your excellent patronage. read more

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 had a decent meal however I got severe food poisoning after eating here. I have never felt this sick before. Wish we chose a different place to celebrate our anniversary! Ughhh... read more

The chicken parm was delicious! The salad and the tiramisu were good too. The service is a bit slow but the servers were really nice and accommodating! The ambiance was super cute and love the decor. It reminds me of a rustic Italian bistro. It's super cute. read more

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The first time we got food to go it was a Friday night. We got a grilled chicken breast and minestroni soup. It was excellent. Then about a week later we got the same order only this time the chicken was hard and mealy and the soup was greasy. It would be nice if the chef was more constant because when we first got it we could not stop raving about it. Hopefully if we do go back it will be like the first time which was incredible. read more

Best service in a long time from a restaurant thanks to Cheyenne!! She is the most attentive and friendly in the business. We had a great time celebrating my husbands bday and was made more memorable with her service. The food was great and the ambiance is so 2000s Tuscan vibes loved it!! 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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This is a favorite in my family, but I personally do not care for this restaurant. Overall, I just think the food and experience is very mid. Tonight was no different. We opted for eggplant Parmesan, couple of starters, including soups and salad and the shrimp scampi appetizer. I could've sworn the eggplant said fried on the menu and I'm talking about the entrée not the appetizer it came out with like no breading, greasy and mushy. It was terrible. The minestrone soup was good. Shrimp scampi was just OK. I think the shrimps are are probably 21 to 30s but they look smaller. service was very slow tonight. And just from my self-awareness and observing, we only ordered one alcohol drink, and no wine tables around us did have wine and the server spent a lot more time with these tables than ours. We asked to substitute mashed potatoes on the chicken piccata for side of linguine and we were actually charged for it. We thought it would just be a one for one. And honestly, though old world Gramma's house vibes just wane on me. Yes it's very popular. Locals has the old-school vibe. There was some live music tonight, but honestly, I think there's better places for Italian overall and tonight they did not have the valley Parking, which I think must have been stopped. There's a small lot in the back, but good luck, finding street parking with all of the other neighboring restaurants around. 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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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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You must try this local family owner Italian ristorante ! Authentic italian food made as Mama Luciana did for many years. Her son now runs the establishment. We have chicken/pasta with alfrado sauce and chicken piccata. Both fantastic. Order the Italian wine !!!! We will be back soon. We enjoyed talking with Mike the bartender ( knows his wine) and George the owner. 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

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

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

Used to be my favorite. It was our anniversary and they were happy to re seat us after initial poor seating, but had we known there would be very young children having fits and making noise at the table right next to us, we would've stayed near the servers walkway where we were lol. I'm sure this horrified the staff too. How do you handle this? This is a fairly upscale dining establishment, not Chucky Cheeses. While this was going on, on I received my hastily prepared linguine with clams. Shiny, and swimming in way too fruity extra virgin olive oil. I mean sopping. The chefs were just rushed, I figured. The clams would do and I left the oily pasta on my plate. My Wife had her usual fantastic dish and normally the linguine/clams dish is great but not this time. The waiter was great and created a chasm from negativity. But not enough to bridge this gap. read more

Went for my birthday had not been to restaurants for many years ( and I don't know why) we were seated in the library room our server was Nikki a wonderful person and good waitress. Started our dinner off with the green beans for an appetizer ( would recommend trying them) for my main course I ordered linguine and clams very delicious my wife had the sea food pasta which was very tasty the wine list is complete with all types of wines. I was brought a small cupcake for my birthday with a candle on top to celebrate, and we also ordered the tiramisu which was absolutely out of this world I would recommend this restaurant for anybody wanting to celebrate a special occasion and an the ability to request different rooms to celebrate it in. Shout out to Nikki for making my birthday a special occasion. 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

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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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

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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Ambiance is good and it's a cool restaurant. I think the food was good just overpriced and small portions

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

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

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

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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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

Luciana is our go to for Italian food. The food is always great with variety and quality. We always enjoy our meals there as we try and visit them a few times per month. The servers are friendly and very helpful and have been there for a long time which shows that they work in a great place. read more

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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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

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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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

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