Lidia's Restaurant

I was in Kansas City for two days with my boyfran, and we looked up unique places to eat. Lidia's sounded like the perfect place, and it was very near our hotel at the Power and Light district. We began with 2 kinds of bread and 2 kinds of spread served in olive oil. One spread had black olive, the other was a pesto blend. This was curious and good, though a little bland. It was just getting us warmed up. The first exciting part was the soup. I cannot find the recipe, but I know that one soup was tomato-based with garbanzo beans(chickpeas) and sage, with a hint of honey. The other soup had spinach, leeks, and fennel, I believe. They were both so flavorful that the cup-sized servings were plenty. For the entree, I chose the lobster, potato, and leek frico, which was one of three dishes our waitress recommended for an ""unforgettable"" meal. I had been eyeing it anyway, so I ordered that. Boyfriend had the wild boar ravioli in rosemary-infused white wine sauce. The frico, frankly, was awful. It was overcooked, the lobster was tough, and the mixture of cheese and potatoes was overwhelming to anything else in the dish. I found one slice of leek. I actually sent it back, which is not something I am wont to do. I tried the wild boar ravioli, which were huge and so intensely tasting of rosemary and sage and pork. The texture was just right, too, doughey outside/meaty cheesy inside. I said, ""I've got to have this."" It was amazing. Our waitress seemed a little miffed that I sent the food back, but was polite nonetheless. We had recently had a conversation about tiramisu and so that was our dessert to satisfy the craving, though they had some really fancy and interesting ones I will try the next time I am in Kansas City. If you like overpowering cheeses, I recommend the frico! more

Having watched Lidia's Italy on multiple occasions, I was truly looking forward to dinner here. Unfortunately, it was so disappointing. For the appetizer, we took the server's recommendation. It was a bust. The ""Frico"" was a soggy, greasy mess. To hedge our bet, we went with the pasta tasting. Another miss. The pasta was salted with such a heavy hand. Not just one dish...but all of them. We were so turned off by the food, that we gave up and called it an evening. I assume that it was just a bad night in the kitchen...but It was so disappointing. \r \r I think I'll give Lidia's another try. Just not the Kansas City location. Pros: Nice Decor, Friendly Service Cons: Pasta Dishes more

I love the atmosphere at Lidia's. The bar and managment staff are very attentive and warm. And if you sit at the bar in the winter, you stay warm because of the huge fireplace there. Delicious breadsticks and cured olives are the ""beer nuts"" here. I can't believe someone says teh combination of the lemon chicken and olives and spinach was ""dreadful""! That is my VERY favorite dish at Lidia's! It's delicious every single time. I also love the manicotti and the soups are always different and interesting. I had one that was pea soup with shrimp - not a combination I'd think of bu it was delightful. In this city known for its beef, you MUST try the bone-in ribeye! It's easily one of the best steaks in town and it's huge. This place is not your spaghetti-and-meatballs kind of Italian - the influences are Slavic mixed with Italian. And if you don't want trains to interrupt your meal, eat somewhere that isn't located in the historic train yards of KC. Duh. You can't hear the trains inside. Lidia's rocks. Pros: food, atmosphere, service Cons: I always eat too much when I go there more

We read the reviews and saw the local ads, so my wife and I thought we'd try it last night. The patio had a nice atmosphere except you can't hear when the trains go by. Four trains went by while we were there. The service couldn't have been better - very attentive. The only things that really bothered me was that the food was 1) over-priced and 2) wasn't very good. I ordered the lemon chicken which was OK at first, but the glaze was over done in spots. The dish was truly ruined by the spinach and olives. What a dreadful combination. I tried, but couldn't eat half the dinner. What a waste of money. It was double the price of what it should have been listed for anyway. My wife's ordered their premier dish, the pasta sampler for $28. We figured this must be great if they can charge $28 for pasta. You get to try three types and it's bottomless. She couldn't finish even one serving. Two out of three were actually good, not great, just good. One just tasted bad. But, where did they come up with the price? Reminded me of The Emperor's New Clothes. Only a fool would go along with this charade. A Peroni was $4.50. I can buy almost a six-pack for that price. We won't ever eat here again and can't recommend it to anyone. Save your money and go somewhere nice. Pros: Patio Cons: flavor & food combinations, train noise more

Pleasant staff, comfortable atmosphere and delicious food, all for a reasonable price. Pastry chef should be commended for variety and presention.\r \r I would go again, my next visit to KCMO Pros: Clean ( Bathroom too ),roomy tables, friendly staff Cons: Service a little slow but not unexceptable more

I was extremely disappointed in making payment. We paid the bill with a debit card and left a 25% cash tip.\r My husband checks our banking account each day for debits. The next day he found the amount was 20%\r more than the amount of our bill. We had put a 0 on the tip line. So someone had to add this tip to our bill.\r The next day I returned to the restaurant and spoke to the assistant manager. She had the manager call\r me the follow day. The manager tried to first say the bank wanted to make sure there was enough money\r in the bank for the tip. When I responded that the bank could care less about these waiters tips. He then\r said they had an agency that did there money transactions at the end of the day. It took 3 business days\r to get that 20% back in our bank. I may be slow, but I am not stupid. This was a feeling of being robbed and\r I did not appreciate having someone takeing advantage of my banking account. We eat out alot with our family and have never had this happen before. What usually happens is the amount we agree upon is deducted from our account in a pending status. I will never eat at this restaurant again even if it is a 5 star restaurant. I felt Lidia needed to know what her employees are doing to the customers. more

Went on a Sunday afternoon and although it wasn't too busy, it took forever to be seated. The rather large hostess just sat there and told us repeatedly for 10 minutes or so, that someone would be right with us. Why she didn't walk my fiancee and I the 20 feet to our eventual table was beyond us! While the server took a while to get to us as well, the server was very knowledgeable and although the brunch didn't really suit either of our taste,it did look good and we were both happy with our selections of Gnocci and the pasta trio. We also had plenty to take home. Pros: Food, ambience Cons: Hostess, speed of service more

I was excited to try this place - it was a Christmas present to my family. I'd have to say it's beautiful and striking and I'd love to try it in the summer and sit on the patio.\r \r To me, the food was a little hit-and-miss. We did enjoy the fritto, bisteca and pasta sampling, along with the bread, salads, dessert & beverages. I was disapoointed with the frico (too hard & not much flavor) and the salmon BLT was not a good combination and way too salty, including the potato salad that accompanied it.\r \r The service was excellent, but I was a little surprised to hear that they were already running out of food, esp when they were expecting 400 reservations later that same evening - Christmas eve, which I would think is a HUGE night for them.\r \r Overall I would recommend it, but just not quite there for me. Pros: Interesting location, patio, atmosphere Cons: Several menu items are sub-par, too salty more

I arrived on a Saturday night, 7:30 pm; without a reservation it would have been a long wait. The dining experience here was exceptional. The staff, service and beverage selection exceeded expectations. \r \r The food was very good, plated quickly and very pleasing to the eye. Each dish sounded delicious from the menu and it was very hard to select. \r Pros: Very good Italian food Cons: A bit pricey but worth it more

Probably our overall favorite Italian restaurant in KC. Definitely NOT a ""pasta house"" yet pasta is what we love to go for. Probaby get the ""Pasta Trio"" on 3 out of 4 visits. It's always different. Rotated at least weekly, sometimes more often. Call ahead and they will describe it...pastas with meat in them are our favorites. Last Friday we had Ravioli with pork, Fettucine alfredo, and penne with marinara. Nothing terribly fancy...but ALL were outstanding and a taste sensation. My wife had the lemon chicken with capers and the taste was fabulous. I could go on forever, but you probably get the idea....Try It Yourself! Pros: Ambience, Fabulous tastes, Variety, Wine list, Value Cons: Sometimes a long wait more

Good food, good service, good ambience and a most pleasant and helpful sommelier. Would recommend to anyone looking for Northern Italian food. Pros: Helpful and pleasant waitstaff and sommelier. Good food. Cons: Too "open" so was lacking somewhat in ambience though certainly well appointed. more

Sunday Brunch? Not impressed at all. Food was OK, atmosphere was just OK, service was a little above average, but then again you are serving yourself for 3 of the 4 courses.....IF you count the small plate of bread on your table a course. The food looked like a picture out of a magazine but wasn't real tasty. Overall, not much for your money.........course I'm not a 'Jet Setter' so maybe it's what the younger crowd is looking for. more

Passing through Kansas City on my move from San Francisco to NY, I made sure I planned a stop at Lidia's. Well, I was not dissappointed. The lunch special (pasta sampler) was fantastic! The never ending servings of three different pastas, more than filled me up after my first week of driving! The lemonade was very tasty and the wine selection was great too! Having recently been to the Lidia's Pittsburgh, I can say that the franchise is a great one! The best deal is definitely the pasta sampler. Great place to have a great meal. The ambiance was very good too and I was there during lunch. I would imagine that it would be even better for dinner. The service was great too. Pros: Food, Service, Ambiance more

I ate here on business with several people, we all needed seperate checks and the waitress was more than happy to assist!!! Now for the food - I had the lunch special which consisted of three freshly prepared pasta dishes, salad and bread! I cannot describe to you how good these were, all of 12.99!!! The lemonade was to die for and so were the desserts!!! You have definatly got to try this resturant!! Pros: Inexpensive, Great Food, Great Servbice more

overrated, over priced, do not understand why some folks like this place. Cons: food, price more

The atmosphere is great here. Love it when they use a old structure for a new purpose. The food is fantastic. If you love italian and want a real italian experience without visitng a chain restaurant this is the place. Pros: Excellent selection, Wonder atmosphere, Value more

I came here on a visit to KC from Los Angeles last year and will definitely go back on my next visit. I thought the food was excellent, the wine list was very complimentary. I had the pasta trio tasting- very delicious. I thought the decor was very nice and was not overpriced for a nicer restaurant. Give it a try. No, it is not Bucca Di Beppo or some other cheap ""italian"" restaurant, so dont expect that. What you can expect is top quality food with beautiful decor. Great date spot Pros: pasta, wine, decor more

If you don't mind waiting 45 minutes past your reservation to be seated, a small menu, and average food, this is the place for you. I'll probably give it another try, but with hesitation. Pros: ambiance Cons: long wait, small menu more

Lidia's has great food served in a very trendy environment that is affordable. I encourage everyone to try it. If you do not know what to have, try the Pasta Trio. Each day they feature three different types of pasta - usually something in a red sauce, something in a cream sauce, and something in a broth. This has been a favorite for my husband and me; and has never been a disappointment. Pros: Good Food, Inexpensive, Cool Environment Cons: Not a typical Italian more

took our dad to lidia's for his 50th b-day. wonderful food (bland is expecting to be served risotto EVERY time you go out for italian), amazing service, and great ambiance. will definitely go again the next time i am in town! Pros: ambiance, food, service more