Lucia

I have been to the upstairs bar and patio a few times. The first time was a couple years ago, and there was a DJ outside and the place was packed! This is actually a place where there is nice comfy patio furniture and people dress up (no scrubs). It was fun, classy and felt exclusive because it’s hard to find. The last time I went there was the other night, and I think we were the only people in the place. Granted it was somewhere around midnight, but it was Friday night! Where the heck was everyone? The patio still looked nice as ever and the drinks were yum! I will come back, but I may not stay very long if it’s dead again.

Nice place. We got a Groupon and decided to check it out. Unbeknownst to us, we went with another couple who had a bad experience here a couple of months before when they went with a Groupon. They never told us about it, but as a result of whatever happened the manager told them that when they came back their meals would be taken care of, and he did! We had a probably $ 275 bill and all that we were charged were for the drinks.
The food was good. Most of it comes from local farmers. The beef was from free range, grass fed cows. Everything was fresh and well presented. Our server was knowledgable of the entrees as well as the wine list. He paired some nice wines with our entrees. I ordered their signature «Jalapeño Cucumber margarita» drink and I was impressed. (This one is a «must-try»…a dreamer came up with this blend) Their specialty drink of the day was a Sangria and when the new bartender (she was in training) didn’t do such a good job our server went behind the bar and made it himself! It was incredible.
It appears these folks have received some bad «press» on the internet and they are working hard to improve the image. We will definitely return…

I was on vacation in Albuquerque, and stayed in the Stunning Andaluz Hotel. Since I was staying in this hotel, I had the opportunity to eat at this restaurant 3 times. I have a very mixed review because my 3 experiences differed greatly.
Two of my visits were for breakfast. The staff was on their «A» game, and took care of our every need. They were attentive, polite and efficient. The food was good, and in large portions, so I left breakfast very satisfied – both times. I was with a large group and the breakfast menu accommodated all tastes.
My third (and final visit) was for dinner. What a nightmare this was. The restaurant was not very busy, and our waiter was horrible. When one of my dining companions had a question about the menu, he verbally insulted her intelligence. We would have left, but we were starving. The food took forever to come, and it was just flopped on the table as the waiter ran off before we could ask for condiments or other things. We continuously asked to have our water glasses refilled, which never happened, so we just gave up on that one. Looking around the restaurant, we noticed that several tables without patrons had not been cleared for over an hour. It was gross to look at all of the dirty dishes at the tables around us. The dinner tasted mediocre, and our entire party left dissatisfied.
Due to the dinner experience, I wanted to give this restaurant 0 stars (if possible). But, the morning staff really saved this rating from disaster.

They were ill-​prepared for a reservation of 7 today– the GM ended up waiting tables– our waitress kaitlynne needs serious training– not one time did she ask how about food was– which was very sub-​par.
It took nearly an hour to get our food– the general manager apologized to me for the lack of service– lack of timeliness and assured us that the entire table would be comp’d. Well considering the chicken was frozen, the bread was stale and it took nearly 1hour to get– damn good thing it was free!

Okay — pros, nice atmosphere, you can actually dress-​up and not see someone in their pj’s. The food was okay, it wasn’t stellar, but the antipasto was good, my house salad should be re-​named «the vinegar bomb,» the caprese was gigantic but nice flavor, steak was seasoned well, my risotto wasn’t really a risotto… but it tasted okay. Decent flavors. I recommend for large groups as the apps are so huge.
The main con — which ruined any pros. Our waitress was aggressive, sometimes passive aggressive… maybe a tad rude? First, when we weren’t ready to order, she asked, «do you want me to leave??» Then when she decided to tell my hub steak au pouvre was really peppery and he said he spoke a little French, we got «yo hablo espanol…» under her breath but you know, aggressive. After the wine arrived we were chatting, and I kid you not, the waitress came over and said, «silence is golden!» … «are you ready to order?» I also heard her tell another table it was, «time to pay the piper!» The experience later was laughable but at the time I just couldn’t believe the lines, surreal, inappropriate, unprofessional… weird.
The other con — no pacing. Our app came followed rapidly by the salads, and then immediately after, the entrees. It wasn’t very relaxing. I’m not sure I’ll ever go back for dinner, but there was an upstairs lounge that seemed intriguing… we’ll see.

Went here for a sponsored event for a conference. They had a set menu. I started with the strawberry Spinach salad. The salad was tasty. I followed this with a 14 ounce NY Strip steak done medium rare. The cut was good and it was cooked perfectly. It was tasty but I think it had a little too much pepper on top (easily scraped off with a knife). I ended with a cheesecake dessert. All the portions were big and I was stuffed even before the dessert came.

Had a great time. The chicken was perfect and crispy. The cheesecake was amazing as well. The raspberry was a perfect topper. Would return.

If Chillys decided to try fine dinner it would be Lucia but thry better and cheaper. we order the Scallops it was $ 39.00 and rubbery the Risotto was tuff and tasteless. also had the half roasted chicken for $ 29.00 not as good as the $ 9.95 roasted chicken at Smith’s came with a tasty fried mash potato cake, sadly it was cold in the middle. they re-​cooked it, came back out greasy and over cooked, when I ask if they re-​fried it, she claims no she threw it away. I hope she was lying, because if not they took it out of trash

Lets be honest, most hotel restaurants are fair to mediocre. Lucia is wonderful.
We bought a Groupon to try them out, we have eaten snacks «tapas» at Ibiza bar and really enjoyed ourselves. But let’s get back to Lucia…
We made our reservation and my hubby asked for a quiet, romantic table for us. They delivered. A small two top in an elevated corner of the restaurant (looks out onto street corner) We found out later that this was the table that Conrad Hilton proposed to Zsa Zsa Gabor.
A now the food. Hubby started with the black mussels appetizer… sweet tender, savory herb broth and a few pieces of grilled bread. Big enough to share, really more of an entrée size plate. I started with the special ceviche salad, mixed seafood with mango and roasted corn on top of fresh arugula. We should have passed on our entrees as this was already enough food, but gluttons we are, we pressed on
Hubby had the NM lamb special with garlic mashed potatoes and broccolini. He said the lame was cooked perfectly and seasoned well, not fatty. The mashed were just ok me? I ordered the vegetable risotto. Yummy. Al dente with asparagus and fresh mushrooms (wish there had been more mushrooms). Very nice but really too much food.
Wine list was nice.
Looking forward to our return

The sun-​filled dining room at Lucia provided a lovely backdrop to my boyfriend and I’s recent breakfast here. We were very pleased with the service and our food – we both had breakfast bowls with green chili. They were delicious! I am always happy when a restaurant has a full coffee bar and I enjoyed a non-​fat cappuccino with my breakfast. Friendly, efficient staff. Nice place for a weekend breakfast.

This place gave me my worst meal in years. I literally paid over $ 20 myself and left most of it. I wanted to experience a nice, New Mexico restaurant with local flavors. This was on a list we were given with suggested restaurants and it sounded great.
We arrived and the host said «no reservation?» No hello or welcome. We should have left but we asked if he could seat us. The place was not packed but not empty either. He said he could. Still not friendly. Our server startedoffs ok but we’ll ended up ignorant of the situation. I had the antipasto platter. We were told the chips were pita but they weren’t. The chorizo was like hard checkers from a kids game set. The mozzerella cheese was too soft. The peppers were squishy. The flavors were flat. The others entrees were just ok. Our server didn’t ask how our entrees were. The male manager saw a full plate go back no to go bag wanted and still no questions. While I appreciate local ingredients, the taste is important as well. The wine is way overpriced. The service is just ok. Not trying to make a patron happy and ignoring problems is not service oriented or professional. It is a cute restaurant close to conventions but too expensive. Hop a cab to another establishment. I won’t be back and wouldn’t recommend to fellow conference goers. Pass this on by.

We’ve been here twice to celebrate special events. The wait staff has been attentive, but not overbearing. The food has been some of the best in Albuquerque (and comparable to other nice restaurants in cities that aren’t 10 years behind the cuisine curve).
It’s not a typical New Mexican restaurant, and they don’t try to be. The servings will be correct for one person. An exception: house salad as an appetizer can easily be split. The meats have always been cooked to perfection and we appreciate the vegetarian options, local food sourcing, and general good practices.
We’ll be back!

The staff was great and good-​fun but I had to write this review because of the food.
Getting started, the first 3 wines I wanted were not available. It’s not a big list, but fortunately the manager provided an alternative for the same price. I got a $ 45-​$ 50 Chilean Cab instead of the $ 35 Malbec.
So I ordered the ribeye (medium-​rare) with asparagus and polenta. The steak came out drenched in an adovada sauce, which I don’t remember being on the description. I wasn’t going to be able to taste the beef under it and I think is was drenched in the sauce because the steak ended up being poor quality and terribly over-​cooked.
It was what I would call a hockey puck, though a little bit bigger. It had a hint of pink in the center and was tough to saw through with a steak knife. It was resting on top of 5 – 6 pencil thin asparagus and next to mini-​disc of polenta… not a lot of food for $ 38. When the dish came out, I mentioned to the server (bartender) that I was hoping for some big asparagus to get my veg. He quickly said he would go see if he could get me some more (good service). He brought back another 5 skinny asparagus. The collective asparagus would have added up to about 4 normal asparagus from a grocery store and maybe 2 of the ones you get at a fancy-​pants steakhouse.
Initially I decided to try the steak despite the fact that is was covered in sauce a quarter-​inch thick. Unfortunately, as I mentioned the thing was way overcooked. I don’t send food back and I was was really hungry so I tried to tough it out… pun intended. I ate about a third of the steak then some veg and the polenta. The polenta had green chiles and was rather bland. After eating the sides I went for another third of the steak but couldn’t hork down the rest of it because it was unappealing and I was tired of gnawing on it. I left a third of it on the plate. It wasn’t a big steak, maybe 6 – 8 ounces. I paid. Left a glass to a glass and a half of wine in the bottle and left a little hungry.
I realize dinner in Albuquerque on a Monday night is not going to have a lot of options but the food was atrocious. Hopefully they get their act together.

Loved this hotel — I took more pictures here than anywhere else on my trip (wasn’t staying here though). We had very good service, appreciated the complimentary valet, enjoyed the many vegetarian options and were impressed by the ravioli and tofu steak. The risotto was a little undercooked. We had no space for dessert from cleaning out the plates but were happy and satisfied full!

When asked which sauce you prefer in New Mexico, you need to say «green». Not red, not blue, not brown, not taupe and not plaid! You go for the green!
If you are lucky enough to have breakfast and depending on the dish your server will ask you this same question. GREEN! As was the case last week with me. I went huevos rancheros and did not even hesitate when given a choice.
See, New Mexico is green chili country. Now do not get me wrong, their red chili is delicious but the green is sublime.
I loved this restaurant, and for a hotel eatery was one of the best I have encountered in recent memory. The service is excellent and the food amazing.

Wow, one of the best meals I’ve had in Albuquerque! I’m not sure why there are so many negative reviews. Although I’m also not sure why there are many restaurants that serve heaping piles of crap on a plate and get 5 stars. My guess is that people like the price of the crap on the plate, and when they have to pay more they give negative reviews because they expect more. What that more is, I don’t know. Lucia has the best of everything!
They are expensive. A dinner for 2 with wine, a started, a meal, and one dessert ran $ 100. It was worth every penny. The atmosphere is fantastic. Although crowded, I was able to enjoy my company and felt like no one was around us. I didn’t like the table they initial sat us at, so I asked for another and they sat us there. The service was attentive and professional from start to finish. Our waiter was very knowledgeable and was able to identify certain elements of the dish that I asked about. It was a perfect evening.
I was happy to know that this restaurant is sustainable, filtering their own water and creating dishes from local ingredients. The owner of the hotel is a vegetarian, our waiter told us, and they have nightly vegetarian specials. I had the vegetarian napoleon and it was one of the best meals I’ve had. This dish was a perfect marriage of flavor and texture, and I already can’t wait to go back and get it again.
Good, healthy, quality food cost money. While I can’t dine like this often, I understand the value and feel like Lucia’s value is great. One of the best restaurants in Albuquerque, hands down. And the bar upstairs is great too!

Usually I’d skip hotel restaurants in favor of wandering the neighborhood to find a local spot. Since downtown ABQ is like a ghost town on weekend mornings, we ate at Lucia for breakfast twice. The hostess is accommodating and let us choose our table outside. She even gave us recommendations for jewelry shopping in the area since my aunt noticed her necklace. They don’t have a huge breakfast menu but there are a few options of pancakes & eggs along with sides.
I had oatmeal the first time and the lemon ricotta pancakes the second. The oatmeal was well, oatmeal. It’s hard to screw that up. The lemon ricotta pancakes were HUGE. I think 2 people could share one order. They were light and lemony but in a subtle way.

Lately I’ve been doing something rare for me… asking our waitress/​waiter what they would recommend off the menu and then more times than not, ordering it. Sometimes I’m thrilled with the results and other times…
Hubby and I started with the mezze platter (olives, hummus, tabbouleh, etc) and then on the waitress’ glowing review, I ordered the sea bass. Definitely high quality ingredients and well prepared at that. Overall, the appetizer platter was very good but the sea bass was leaning toward the blah side. It came with cauliflower and a potato purée and needed something a little more dynamic in order to stand out.
The restaurant is nice. Dark and cozy. The service was fantastic and being in town for just a couple of days, it was nice that the waitress took such an interest in what we should do whilst in Albuquerque.
The wine list was good and it was nice that they sent us on our way (to our room upstairs) with the rest of our bottle and a couple of wine glasses in tow.
So why the 3 star review? Overall Lucia needs something more… The food is creative but I just don’t think it’s «there» yet. Handling different ingredients and making them beautiful on a plate doesn’t always wow the palate. With that being said, I do think they have a lot of potential.

The food is four star for sure but our service was only a two at best, hence the rating. Three of us went to dinner (with a reservation) and were seated at the foot of the staircase, not exactly an ideal table. Considering it was a Wednesday night the place wasn’t very busy at all and there seemed to be an abundance of staff. Nonetheless, the nicer positioned table one over had yet to be bussed. With so many staff standing about, none of us could understand why that table couldn’t have been ready (or at least in the process of being made so). Only one person came down the stairs while we were dining, thankfully. Had it been busy the table would have been uncomfortable.
Our waitress was friendly at first and checked with us after we had received our wine and bread (though we had to request some of that) but then disappeared after our entrees arrived. When she finally returned to check on us, we were almost finished dining, two of our water glasses were empty, and my boyfriend had poured all the wine. (With the price we paid and the ambiance, we both expected her to handle the pouring.)
The food, however, was quite good. I had the sea bass which, as others have said, was delicious and perfectly cooked. I saw no sign of the «crispy artichokes» mentioned in the menu, but didn’t miss them after the first few bites. My mother enjoyed her shrimp and scallops very much. My boyfriend ordered the vegetarian crepes and while the flavour was good, the texture wasn’t what we had expected. Mashed potatoes and blended artichokes in a crêpe give a very soft consistency, making the whole plate one texture — rather mushy. The wine list is rather good too.
Not sure if I’d return or not.

I stayed at the Andaluz during a conference, and I fell in love with her (
). While waiting for my room upon check in, I had my first experience at Lucia. I went for their 30 Minute Menu: went with the Green Chile Philly and a yummy soup whose flavor escapes me. All I remember is that the quickly prepared meal was tasty as heck.
For a dinner on my last night during my stay I went with the:
** NM Heritage Ranch Beef Filet 8oz. **
This thing was BOMB! So yummy. It’s presentation was art-​like. The accompanying vegetables were perfect (I loved the sweet potato purée). The steak was also prepared to my specifications and was date-​worthy.
For a libation I asked for an Old Fashioned from Ibizia upstairs and their take on this muddled classic was spot on and also all their own.
I can’t remember our server’s name, but he was cool, quirky, and on point. I’d definitely come here for another Love Affair with dear Andaluz!