I saw an Instagram flyer (and later a Facebook ad) mentioning that they have a DJ in the evenings, so we decided to check it out! We were able to make a reservation for the same week--a Saturday evening--for a group of 10. We arrived around 6:30, and while it was quiet at first, the space was bigger than I expected yet still felt cozy and intimate. The crowd wasn't particularly young, but everyone was warm and welcoming. We had our table from early evening through the night until the DJ wrapped up after 1 AM. We brought a cake for our celebration, and the staff kindly stored it for us, then sliced and served it beautifully. The food was delicious, the service was excellent, and the atmosphere made the whole night special. We'll definitely be back! read more

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I made a reservation for Saturday noon lunch here. Upon arrival the restaurant was totally empty, we were the only ones for about an hour before another group came in. Loved the interior of the place, cozy setup, nice bar area and also closed outdoor seating area. We started with bunch of appetizers. The mussels were good, soaked in tasty marinara sauce, but the bread pieces were hard like rock. The grilled octopus was decent, but should been cooked further. Same with the calamari, the outer layer seemed undercooked, would have preferred it to be more crispy. For entree I had the mazon burger. It came with burrata cheese and roasted peppers, two ingredients that do not go well in a burger together, in my opinion. The patty was also extra large and lacked flavor. I was very disappointed. The staff were super nice. They constantly checked on us. Since we were the only ones in the restaurant, the dishes came out quickly. Though the vibe and the service was outstanding, I wasn't impressed with the food here. read more

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Refined Italian dining at Closter neighborhood. Decoration is elegant and flowery. Great place for an event, friends gathering, family dinner. Definitely love the calamari and mussels. Grilled octopus is pretty good too. I had Bronzino. A little bit too much sauce for me. I wanna be able to eat the crispy skin. And the sauce more on lemony/ citrus side. Wonderful service by the team. Attentive. Friendly. Solid spot for good service and dining experience. read more

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We booked a party at Lucio's to celebrate my mom's 100th birthday. It was fantastic from start to finish! Violet was incredibly helpful in giving me decorating tips and in just smoothing over all the details. The food was fabulous-- everyone raved about it! The service was flawless. All in all, a wonderful, memorable experience! Thank you so much, Lucio's !! read more

Lucio's @ Closter We had lunch at this place and everything. I mean ... everything was great. The food, service and every detail was to the point. Starting off with the warm bread and olive & eggplant spread. Then the appetizers of fried calamari - crispy & chewy with spicy sauce, eggplant rollatini (wanted more !!!!!!!) They were both very satisfying. Could have ordered more !!! The main dishes were : salmon with eggplant and zucchini, chicken Marsala with good mushrooms - not the can or cheap types, and the linguini with good clam (not canned) !!!! Every detail was fresh and well decorated instead of the regular canned food. Definitely for a special occasion. Quite pricey but worth it !!!!! read more

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My husband and I have been dining at Lucio's since the new dedicated and proud owners took over. Every time we go, we order different specialty dishes. I have to say that the food is delicious, fresh and of high quality. The chef is always very polite, attentive and accommodating. The ambience is amazing, very entertaining and elegant. Last but certainly not least, the service is superb. I highly recommend Lucio's Restaurant for a night to always remember. One of the best restaurants in Bergen County! read more

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Kind accommodating staff made us feel so at home from the door to the table and when leaving made sure we were very happy. Food exceptional did not leave a thing on our dishes Calamari , Octopus , Shrimp Salad to start perfectly prepared The arancini w truffle oil and Parmesan probably one of the best I've tasted We had the Bronzino delicious! The black ink Linguini w seafood & the Rib eye fantastic!!! Make sure you try the homemade apple tart lightest desert no syrup sugary taste flakey crust w ice cream! Definitely our new spot can not wait to go back! Also had a live singer singing Sinatra , Dean, Elvis & more while dining felt like the old supper club vibes read more

I've been at Lucio's twice. Most recently tonight. It was a great restaurant! The food is fresh and very tasty. The service was great. Violet was amazing. They had karaoke tonight and every Tuesday with a really good DJ. I really cannot criticize anything about my experience there and I don't do many reviews. read more

Food (4.6) Service (3.9) Ambiance (4.5) First visit since new ownership and name. The food was very good. Their calamari app was very good, tender and not greasy. As always I use a staple dish for comparison so had the eggplant parm and son had the Chicken Parm. Both were very good. Wife had the fish special which she enjoyed and guests has a steak and a ravioli special. The steak was huge and both enjoyed their meals. Wine list is amazing. Prices are high, but you get what you pay for. The service was outstanding but I needed to downgrade by a point based on the 20% gratuity pad without notice (except for small note on bill) and there were only 6 of us! We actually placed another 25% tip onto the bill before I noticed the 20% adder, so they only got what they forced us to pay. They really should not add a tip with a party of 6 imo, the guests you want know how to tip!! The ambiance is very nice, what you expect from a high priced establishment. First class. read more

A solid Italian spot in Bergen County. Not much has changed in the transition from Locale to Lucio's--the food and service remain consistently good. The braised short ribs are particularly enjoyable. read more

Amazing food and drinks! I recommend this place for family and friends. Love the Atmosphere! read more

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We had brunch on Sunday morning. The service was incredible, the food so tasty and the environment friendly and cozy with amazing decor. We will definitely go back soon. Can't recommend more. The hostess violeta is fabulous ​ read more

Lucio's is essentially the same as its predecessor Locale with nicer, brighter interior. Enjoyed the meal but they stretch the servers too thin. Was noisy for anyone interested in having cross table conversation. Also, the homemade paperdelle pasta was served in my dish in 1 big clump all stuck together. Inexcusable for an Italian restaurant of this pedigree. read more

What a find! delicious food, great service, and an elegant atmosphere make this restaurant our new Go To spot for Thursday's Ladies Night, Friday's live music, DJ Saturdays, and yummy Sunday brunches! read more

I had the meatball appetizer... I have to say it was just like mine that i make at home ... and mine are Da Bomb!!! I highly recommend the meatballs fo sho !!! I also tried the papardelle bolognese... outstanding !!! The food here is fantastic! There was also a DJ when we were there and the vibe is way cool !! Def recommend checking this place out !!!! It will not disappoint! Jill read more

Great food and atmosphere. Went last week with 10 people in total, and to a person nothing but positive things to say on their food selections. Be weary of the different types of Espresso Martinis. Don't stray from a traditional one. Otherwise very good. read more

I gave my family member an engagement dinner here. It was our first time. I can't say enough about how special they made it. Food was excellent!! The servers were great! They refrigerated the cake I brought and cut it from the bottom so the decoration wasn't disturbed when the soon to be bride took the rest home. All in all it was wonderful in every way from beginning to end. Again, the food was delicious! There were 7 of us and not one complaint. I will be returning very soon for another celebration. read more

NYE event was amazing. I never have high expectations for the food on NYE as most restaurants prep ahead and the food comes out warm at best. This was not the case at Lucios. Everything was delicious and served hot right out of the kitchen. Their 4 course meal with unlimited bar was a steal! Can't wait to come back on a regular night. I imagine it will be even better. Staff went above and beyond to make sure we were taken care of all night. Great DJ too! read more

Lucio's - NYE celebrated with great friends - Italian Near Me - Closter, New Jersey

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I had a great experience at Lucios. I came here for the ladies night and had dinner before. The food was really good. We got the bolognese, the branzino and the Milanese and all of them were amazing. They also have drink specials for ladies night so that was a great bonus. read more

Wow amazing food & service! The server, Karina was amazing and the manager came by to greet our table and check on us. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

food was good ...the salade dish was very interesting and very good...service was better than we have experienced in other establishment...

Lucios was fantastic! The atmosphere is warm and inviting, the service friendly and attentive, and the food delicious and beautifully prepared. Everything tasted fresh and high-quality. A great spot for a relaxed, enjoyable meal -- highly recommended! read more

Everything amazing. Service exceptional and the food super tasty. Totally recommended.

Deliciously amazing food! Extensive wine list also. If cocktails are your jam, they make them great too. Fully loaded bar with a rustic yet chic feel. Great vibe and atmosphere. Minimalist decor which is actually very refreshing. Super clean and an excellent wait staff. The service is great and you're never waiting to be attended to. Let's get back to the food- Yummy! We had appetizers, main courses and dessert! I should also mention we had two bottles of wine and cocktails! We were there for nearly three hours. Every single course (there were 4 of us) was absolutely delicious. This used to be Locale and now it's Lucio's! A new name and new owner's. They're doing it right. I have to say it is quite impressive. Can't wait to go back! read more

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As a business you need to understand the "Location" that you operate in. The support of the Locals is essential. I grew up right next to where Locale has operated. Many restaurants have come and gone at this location. Locale has managed to survive here more than most. But when they start blaring music at 10:40pm in a residential area its just not cool. My parents had no objections when they wanted to keep the outside patio area. They were happy that the business was doing well... But when the business starts to operate outside the parameters that they are allowed to operate that's not cool. When they stop the music just because the po po came and then start again just after they leave... Not cool. We are more native here to Closter than you Locale. Conform and be nice to your neighbors. read more

I wish I could pick 3.5 stars, but will give Lucio's the benefit of the doubt. My wife and I agreed--the biggest problem with Lucio's is that the name, the website and at least parts of the menu suggest it is an Italian restaurant. But lots of other clues point you elsewhere. When you sit, they give you bread along with a kalamata olive dip and a hummus dip (which was really heavy on the cumin). I like both of those things, but ... not super Italian. My wife started with clams oreganato, and she didn't care for them; usually, they are prepared such that the bread crumbs are broiled and crispy. This was served un-browned, soft and moist; I would guess that they were steamed. Never seen this preparation before. I started with a seafood salad of calamari, octopus, shrimp, and scallop in lemon and olive oil. This was tasty, but for some reason, they decided to chop everything into small bits. Not quite cat food, but too close. It's an odd way of treating fresh seafood, and is a preparation I've never seen before (and candidly, hope not to again). For entrees, my wife had a chicken ravioli special. She thought they were tasty, but neither the filling nor the sauce called to mind La Cucina Italiana. I had a grouper special in a pea sauce, which struck my wife and me as a twist on Troisgros's famous Salmon with Sorrel. Delicious, but Italian? As a side to share, we ordered Zucchini chips. They were absolutely delicious. But they were served with.... tzatziki dip. Service was good; waiter was very friendly. Wine list is mostly filled with inexpensive options, but some of the markups were over 5X retail. Space seems to have just been renovated and is very clean and modern. Almost stark. In sum, I think this is a restaurant with a lot of potential with lots of talent in the kitchen, but a bit of an identity crisis. If the restaurant had been marketed to me as an European bistro, for example, it would have better aligned with the actual experience. read more

Food was honestly great but the service was slow and unorganized, maybe it was an off day. Ambiance was nonexistent

Hmm.. I want to like their lunch appetizers and entrees but... BUT, calamari is frozen and not much to offer, the tom & mozzarella.. typical plastic tasting.. I don't know why restaurants keep giving out 'fake' food! It's so so hard to find genuine authentic Italian cuisine in this area! read more

My family and I celebrated my sisters' 60th Birthday this past Saturday and Everyone had a wonderful time. Ambiance: We were in the Wine Room- it was cozy and inviting. Food: Every dish was savory and served promptly- Delicious! Service: Last but not least, we had the best wait staff ever! Our thanks to: Norman, Masidonyo, Mario, Luis, Josue and Hilal. All our requests were attended to with courtesy, professionalism and a smile- no request was too big. From now on, lucio's is our go to restaurant! Thank You! MJ read more

First impression walking in was not terrible, nice tables, atmosphere etc. Menu looked ok, but overall food was nowhere worth the price. The beet tower was a few beets thrown together with two slices of goat cheese, no seasoning or flavor for $12.95. My wife's Cesear salad was good, but the entrees were no better than chain Italian food or worse. The Chicken martini was a parmesan breaded cutlet in a greasy butter sauce and my wife's linguine with clam sauce was swimming in a greasy gross butter/oil soup. Not a nice light clam broth with garlic and a touch of olive oil like one would expect. The kicker was when the check came, they charged me a credit card fee, even though I paid with cash. The waiter told me that it would come off automatically. When my change came back ten minutes later it was actually short an extra $10, along with the credit card fee. They were not exceptionally busy, probably less than 25% of the tables. Total disappointment on our first and last visit. Never going back. Too bad, we dine in that area often and are good repeat customers to very nearby consistently good restaurants. read more

DON"T GO! The entire experience was awful! First of all, after we were seated at our table for 10 minutes we had to ask another staff member to get our waitress. She then came to take our drink orders and bring our menus. She returned to the table with only 3 of the 4 drinks. The Cosmo needed to be sent back because it didn't taste right and the new one was just as bad! We then tried to place our appetizer order - after we told her what she wanted she then replied "oh we don't have crab cakes tonight" - I asked her to repeat what she had written down only to find out she didn't add something! The appetizers arrived and they were all bad - the meatballs tasted like saw dust and the grilled octopus was almost inedible! Dinner finally arrived and that was just as bad! I should have know when we walked in at 7 pm on a Saturday night and saw the place half empty. Terrible food, terrible service! We won't be returning. read more

Made reservations here and then was a bit skeptical after reading some of the reviews ... but we ate here anyway. Crowd seemed to be overly protective of COVID and at one point, I wondered if we should even be eating there as we did not walk in masked. What really threw me for a loop was the young couple ordering food and drinking wine masked (pulling it down between sips) ANYWAY... we ordered a bunch of things Caesar salad - excellent Mussels - excellent Escargot - you might as well take this off the menu. I'm pretty sure they were previously frozen .. and a few were mushy Main - I had probably the best lamb chops that I've ever eaten! They were PERFECT. Hubs has the spinach pappardelle with seafood. His too was excellent! We will be back! read more

Went to Lucio's on Valentine's Day with the family. We all had a marvelous experience. The cocktails were delicious! My husband loved his lasagna and my children and I thoroughly enjoyed our black linguini with shrimp, crabmeat, and arugula. The restaurant gave us chocolate covered strawberries for dessert. In addition, we got cheesecake and pistachio tartufo which were to die for!! Lucio's is definitely becoming one of our favorite restaurants. The owners and waitstaff certainly go all out to make you feel special. read more

Perhaps staffing and timing would be better if not COVID...but I have been here before and the service is just plain slow. When a drink order for 5 is placed, all should come out at the same time...etc. We sat outside. They did really expand their outdoor seating, and it is quite nice. Expanded with tents in the yard and their patio, great for nice weather. Food is good, but not great. Salmon was good. Filet had a good amount of gristle. Not what one would expect at these prices. Will try again, but not sure that service will improve... read more

Octopus salad is my favorite one! So fresh and you can smell the citrus. The escargots is AMAZING, the garlic and parsley butter made it so delicious and warm. And the tiramisu is not too sweet, it's perfect sweetness, surprised at how good the tiramisu was at a restaurant and not a cafe! read more

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my husband and I were celebrating our anniversary 12/3/24 it was a Monday night no one was in the dining room, we order dinner, when we got our food it was so hot that I was surprised because normally the plate is that hot not your food. the food had not taste to it mine or my husbands. We were very disappointed. Don't think I will be recommending it to anyone which I always did. read more

From the valet parking through the meal service, everything was wonderful! The room was filled with patrons, yet the flow was seemeless from start to finish, with each member of the team attending to their task perfectly! The decor reflected the upcoming Easter holiday, and the table lighting was both refined and functional. Our dishes were prepared expertly, including the house special veal chop with ionions and asparagus, and the battered dover sole, served with an almond butter sauce with garlic spinach, and although they offered to bone the fish, we chose to do it oursleves to have the time to savor each mouthful slowly. The meal concluded with sharing the pistashio tartuffo, with espresso and cappucino. We were well-cared for and enjoyed every moment. read more

Came here for Mother's Day lunch with 2 visiting children. Reservations were made and they even called to confirm. Food: we were all happy with our entrees, including the desserts, Creme Brulee and Tiramisu. Even coffee was great. Just a note: actual menu prices are higher than what's published on their website and Open Table -- but that's ok, it does say prices are subject to change. Service: have to say staff were very attentive and friendly. The young girl who seated us and took our orders was very nice. Ambiance: chose this over another because it looked nicer. Although reservations were made, we were initially seated away from the main dining area, in a small room, curtains closed (no natural light -- it was fluorescent ceiling light, not warm light, and yes, a table lamp), stuffy. They turned AC on only after seating us. At 1pm. And the chairs, although cushioned, were FOLDING CHAIRS. It felt claustrophobic, a little better when I asked curtains to be opened. We were the only ones seated there and could hear staff (near kitchen; also near the bathrooms). Needless to say, despite my children's protestations, I asked to be moved - we were given a high table by bar, which is really by entrance and still not in main dining area, but at least it's airy and did not feel like we were thrown in the stock room or basement to handle the overflow. Thoughts: we were not walk-ins, it was a reservation - we should have been told that we would be in an overflow room (with folding chairs). Especially, since it's a special day -- it's Mother's Day. And boy, was it putting me in a really sour mood. Folding chairs?!? omg. Thanks to my glass of wine, I managed to enjoy lunch with my kids. So: great food, great staff service. Just make sure you're not in overflow and ... CHECK YOUR BILL!! Clearly it was a mistake, got to be -- good thing told my son to carefully check bill, and special pasta was billed at $160!! (my son thinks corrected amount was actually $20 something -- I'm thinking it's more). Of course, this was an obvious easy fix. But sometimes we're just quickly checking items and not amounts -- so here, check everything. It wasn't a small mistake -- it was at least an additional $130 mistake. Otherwise, by the time you're signing credit card slip and don't have the breakdown anymore, you wouldn't know you paid $160 for a plate of ravioli. With all the faux pas on Mother's Day, a discount would have been good customer service. Oh well. read more

this restaurant has been around awhile, but it took some time for me to try it. and when i finally did, i was pleasantly surprised. scallops cooked really well. they accommodated a substitution for pasta instead of escarole. but of course i ordered the escarole also. mushroom risotto good texture and flavor, with truffle. fra diavolo seafood pasta - shrimp were large, plump, and cooked perfectly. the calamari looked undercooked, but surprisingly were so delicious, don't let looks deceive you. and then the burrata was so good - one of the best textured burratas i've ever had. i'm excited to try more things the next time i come back. read more

Overall *** 2.67 weighted stars. I have been laying a bit low lately as many establishments have been a disappointment and I don't want to be overly critical as often the reasons are out of their control. Locale may be suffering from somewhat the same fate. It is a very attractive restaurant that has a great outdoor seating area but scores low for Service and Value with the Food not worth returning for to me. (5/23/02) Setting **** We sat outside so I don't have a great take on the inside other than it being dark in a Capital Grill kind of way, which isn't a bad thing. The bar is L shaped so it is partially wall facing but can sit about 20. They did a really nice job setting up the large outside area. The tables aren't jammed together and there are plenty of heaters about if needed. The chairs aren't the most comfortable as they are metal with a thin cushion on them. The area has no cover that I could see so check the weather accordingly. The clientele was mostly 50+ couples and it quieted down quickly after 9:00. *Valet only, at least on Saturday night. Service ** Friendly but very, very slow and barely competent. The bartender struggled to get any drink right and even when you ordered another we received different glasses each time. That may sound like being overly picky but a Gin & Tonic served in a rocks glass gives the proper proportions. When your next G&T comes out in a giant wine glass with it being 90% tonic it isn't the same. Here is the real funny part though. When asked if I could get my drink in a rocks glass instead of the wine glass the waiter picked up the wine glass dumped what would fit of the contents into a rocks glass at the table! He seemed very proud of that fix as well. Food *** Most everyone at our table used the same description, tasteless. Seafood tower for two was the best of what we received. The lobster tail and shrimp while cooked properly but lacked any seasoning. The oysters didn't look or taste overly fresh and there wasn't much I could do to add much flavor as the accompanying sauces did nothing. We also had appetizers of Eggplant, Shrimp Avocado and Calamari. All suffered the same fate of being ok but pretty boring on the tongue. Two table mates ordered the Veal Chop but described it as "meh", my wife did not enjoy her Branzino, instead just pushed it aside and ate the sides. My Chicken Scarpariello was more like steamed chicken and with only 4 of 5 thin pieces of sausage (the best part). Again edible but not worth coming back for, especially not at... Value ** ....these prices. I get it, everything costs more but then you have to at least justify it with a quality product. Terribly made mixed drinks at $15 each, "meh" Veal Chop $44, Scallops $40, Branzino $32, all are on the higher end of the value scale. For a table of 6 with tip was $745 which isn't ludicrous these days but certainly not what I want to spend for what I received. read more