Luca

Recently went to Luca D'italia for a friend's birthday dinner...... The food quality was marginal at best, the portions were tiny, the server continued to interrupt conversations every time she approached the table, it took forever to get the check and dinner was COMPLETELY overpriced...... Will NEVER go again!!! more

My friend and I went here for dinner. Our server was mediocre at best. He did not know what was on the tasting menu at all, did not know the three sorbets and only once did he top off our wine(we did it the rest of the time). This is unacceptable at a restaurant that bills itself as one of the best in Denver. my friend had the octopus appetizer and while there was nothing wrong with it, the sauce was the only flavor. The meat was bland (you will realize this is a theme throughout the meal). I had the Tuna Carpaccio appetizer and it fell very flat. The fish was gooey and tasteless. My friend then got the Lobster Ravioli...again no flavor, three small ravioli with probably the tiniest lobster claw I have ever seen in the middle. I had the Halibut. It was perfectly cooked, but it should be at this type of restaurant. It had a nice crust, but no flavor. It was on a bed of corn chowder and fresh tomato. These ingredients did not mesh with the dish at all. The fresh tomato completely detracted from the fish and the chowder bed. The wine recommended by the bartender was excellent. The reason for two stars--I expect something better out of a place that gets written up everywhere and touts itself as something special. Get creative, add some flair and flavor or why bother. more

My husband and I celebrated our anniversary at Luca and it was fabulous. As requested, they reserved us a great little table by the window. The treated us like honored guests on our special day. It could not have been more memorable. We did the tasting menu paired with wine and the pace of the courses and the wine pairings were great. We had many wines we would have never selected on our own. What a fun experience. The only negative is that there may have been too much food. One of the best in Denver - or anywhere. more

This is hands down the BEST Italian themed restaurant in town! Unbelievable food, great set up with the appetizer size pastas, so I can try pastas and still have an entree. The service is excellent and very knowledgeable. Wine list is a plus! more

Luca D’Italia Inventive great tasting Northern Italian food. This restaurant alongside Mizuna provides 2... more

Luca D?Italia more

Luca D’Italia Inventive great tasting Northern Italian food. This restaurant alongside Mizuna provides 2 of the best restaurants Denver has to... more

We like this restaurant, but unfortunately the last time was much more special. Pros: Deliscious breads (minus the lard), nice location, friendly staff. Cons: Why do many nice restaurants make it difficult for vegetarains to enjoy them? more

After dining at several local hyped restaurants, I decided to go to one of Denver's few restaurants that consistently garnishes great reviews. I was not disappointed. The service was by far the most polished I have seen in town, both for service and suggestions. The menu here is inspired, with obvious great passion behind it. The salumi plate, a testament to the skill of the ""in house"" philosophy of preparation, was varied and delicious. Next were the pastas. Having been repeatedly disappointed by pastas offered in Denver, my hopes weren't too high. However, after sharing and ordering a third pasta, my girlfriend and I whole-heartedly agreed these were the best we've tried. The delicate butternut squash agnolotti and the simple, but perfect seafood lasagnette were our favorites. We decided on veal and beef for dinner, nothing crazy. We were rewarded with two red meat dishes that were better than those found at a lot of steak houses in town and actually arrived with great sides and sauces, especially the veal. Dessert was beyond our limits, so we just enjoyed the rest of our wine which, by the way, was suggested by Luca's very knowledgeable sommelier. We can't wait to return to Luca. Pros: Inspired fare, polished service, sommelier on site Cons: decor more

Perhaps this was once an interesting, excellent place to eat but when we went one Friday night before Christmas, I was totally underwhelmed. The service was rather condescending and the ambience is decidedly 90's and snoozy. Frankly, the menu was way overpriced and lacking in some fundamentals. For example, I like to begin or end my dinner with a simple, mixed greens salad. Not only was this option not listed on the menu, but the server told us that it was impossible to make one for me. The other salad options included things I didn't want and would have been too big or heavy to have with a meal, so I didn't have a salad at all. Secondly, although my risotto was very well done, I really don't feel as though the menu has enough options. And it's certainly not traditional Italian, so I don't quite understand the inference in the name. Overall, I found it lacking in authenticity, selection and ambience and everything is really overpriced. We won't return. Pros: What the menu offers is prepared well Cons: Overpriced, boring, dated atmosphere, not enough authenticity more

We just tried the halibut and bacala and rabbit--shared a gnochi. Unusual flavor combinations, unexpectedly good. Dined in front of the open window to the kitchen, so it felt like we had a little cooking show with dinner. Server was well informed and attentive; som guided us through an all-Italian list to a perfect pairing. We'll be back. Pros: beautiful dining room, attentive service, great food Cons: difficult to book on weekends more

We recently dined at Luca and experienced an average meal, nothing special. The pasta dishes were OK and the sauce was overwhelming on both dishes. The rabbit was delicious and well prepared. The lamb dish was very small portion and was favorless! The wine was fantastic, but a little pricey. We skipped dessert and basically wrote off the restaurant for any future returns. There are plenty of excellent restaurants in Denver and I think they need to step it up... more

The bresaola with burrata, the ziti, the bread, and the dessert were all amazing and as good as any restaurant in Denver. Our server was friendly and efficient. The pork was good but not as good as I would expect from Luca, but the sole was amazingly bad. I was shocked at how bland my entree of deep fried fish and a boring salad was at a restaurant where everything else had been so good. I would still recommend going here for restaurant week if you can get a reservation, but stay far away from the sole. Pros: One of the best Italian restaurants in Denver Cons: Could have picked better entrees for Restaurant Week more

We decided to try Luca during restaurant week, and I can honestly say I've never been so disappointed. I can honestly say the only thing that was even remotely good was the bread basket. The ziti was overcooked and acidic. The Sole was deep fried and bland, a McDonalds fish filet is better than that. Lastly the dessert was bizarre and flavorless. I hate to say it, but this restuarant is bottem of the barrel. Including our server who was unfriendly. Pros: bread basket Cons: everything else more

Overpriced, disappointing food. Upon recommendation from friends and after reading the menu, I was looking forward to my dinner here. While I can appreciate the fact that they their salumi is ""house-made"" what's the point if it doesn't taste good. The only flavor was salt and it was dry to boot. The panzanella salad was greasy with too much oil and the roasted peppers in my salad tasted old -sizzled in my mouth. For my entree I ordered the saltimbocca but again was overwhelmed by salt. We ordered the almond cake for dessert, it was very dry even though it was swimming in caramel sauce, the ""gelato"" served on top was icy instead of creamy. On the plus side, the wine list is interesting and we enjoyed a nice Barolo with our dinner. Too bad the food did not live up to the wine. The food and atmosphere do not match the fine dining prices. Dinner for two with wine and tip was over $250. Save your money for a restaurant that does it right like Alto in NYC, Spiaggia in Chicago, Delfina in San Fran or even Frasca right up the road in Boulder. Pros: Wine list, valet parking Cons: Mediocre food, expensive for what you get, bathrooms need work more

this is one of the best restaurants i have dined in for a long time. i am a very picky eater and everything on the tasting menu was wonderful. the service was great.....ambience terrific... and for the quality of the evening, the price was reasonable. i will definitely make this my first choice for special evenings and entertaining clients. thank you for a great dining experience. more

On special occasions my boyfriend and I like to try chef's tasting menus at restaurants we're unfamiliar with. For his birthday this year we had the extreme pleasure of enjoying Luca's chef's tasting. The staff was very friendly and our server was very very knowledgeable about the tasting menu. The food was absolutely to die for, and resulting in one of our best dates to date! I would highly recommend Luca D'Italia for a pleasant, delicious, and romantic evening. Pros: Great modern italian, chef's tasting, wine selection and service more

I had family in town and wanted to take them to a place that would be elegant, but still friendly enough to make everyone feel comfortable. Luca was the perfect choice. The staff was very knowledgeable about the menu without being pretentious, and guided us to some great choices that we otherwise wouldn?t have picked. And don?t let the ?Italian? label fool you into thinking Luca is spaghetti and meatballs?the food was outstanding and perfectly prepared, with tons of variety throughout the menu. I had the scallops and my brother had the beef tenderloin, both were fantastic! I would definitely recommend Luca to anyone looking for lots of variety and spectacular food, there is nowhere else in Denver like it. Pros: Fantastic food with lots of varitety, staff is friendly and helpful Cons: Parking can be a bit of a pain. Dining room is small, so make reservations more

I love Luca d'Italia--the food is rich and warming, the dining room is soft and inviting, the service is over-the-top great, and the wine program is fabulous. I dined with my roommate on Haloween, we had this great little table in the window that faced the street, and every one of our five courses was well-timed, satisfying, and perfectly paired with something their sommolier picked out for us. The downside: a crummy view of a cheesy Benny's poster. The best part: small bowls of pasta that work as an appetizer (my favorite was the butternut squash agnolotti). Pros: Great girls night out Cons: Bad parking, unless you use the valet around the corner more

On Tuesday we had reservations at Luca. We got there on the dot with several tables obviously open; but still had to wait 45 minutes in their tiny, drafty foyer. The hostess was snotty and less than helpful. When we asked why we could not be seated she said the tables were already booked. We were finally seated 45 minutes later and those tables were still empty! As we looked at the menu (limited and too much fish) it was actually difficult for my wife to order a vegetarian meal. When we asked the wait person he said they would do something for her. When her meal did come, it was a mish-mash of dried out, unimpsired vegetables and starch that was inedible. The wine was HIGHLY over priced and the service took forever. We won?t be running back anytime soon. We went there under the direction of the ""Gabby Gourmet"" book and how she always speaks so highly and great Frank's restaurants are supposed to be on her radio show. What a let down. We won?t be back...a waste of time, money and effort. Pros: location Cons: everything else you can imagine more