Ristorante Luci

We ate here during the Spring Graduation Ceremony at St. Kate’s. The staff was top notch, the restaurant was clean and the food was delicious.

Been here multiple times over the years, and it’s our go-​to place for a great meal at a reasonable price. Service is always on par, and it’s by far, the best Italian food in the cities. As others have stated, the décor is understated, and the tables are close, but it adds to the ambiance in my opinion. Make a reservation well in advance, and enjoy a fabulous meal!

Been to Italy 6 times and Luci feels very much like the neighborhood restaurants there. This is not (in my opinion) a flashy place to get all dressed up and have a ‘fine dining’ experience– I mean, they have a Pabst Blue Ribbon sign, for heaven’s sake! With that said, it is VERY impressive that they always seem to have some prime beef on the menu. (sidenote: it’s unbelievable to me that so many of the top Twin Cities «steak places» don’t offer prime beef). And the wine selection is good without being outrageously expensive. The wines by the glass were nice though you do need to talk to the servers to pinpoint which ones are likely to suit your tastes (dry or sweet, tannic, etc). For me, this is one of my favorite places to have a comfortable, delicious meal with friendly, responsive service. I’m a huge fan of Broders Pasta Bar but find it frustrating to have to wait for a table there, every time. Every pasta dish I’ve had at Luci was just as good at Broder’s, but it helps if you asks the Luci servers which dishes are made from housemade pasta– those are better. I’ve dined across the street at Ancora, which is much fancier but I prefer the cozy space and feel in Luci. Ancora is a bit more of a place to get dressed up for– both have delicious food that matches what I found in Italy.

Visiting Macalester for overnight stay for my daughter. This place is small, quiet, personable. I had the prezzo fisso sampler for $ 32. It was a fair price. The food was very good. Not super great Italian. Perhaps a bit too salty. I’m not sure they make places like this anymore. It is simple, honest and authentic.

We love this place. Over the years this has been the best Italian restaurant in the area. Do make it a point to dine at the original location (small and intimate) for the best experience. The new larger building is not my preference. The bread is made daily for the number of reservations and so yummy. The place is small and intimate but the spacing is enough to allow conversations to remain private. The wait staff is the best. Always friendly, professional and smiling. The chef has been at this location for a long time and our favorite meals remain consistent over the years. The prices today are not much higher than 15 plus years ago. From special family moments to marriage proposals to fun nights out, Ristorante Luci has always delivered a great dining experience. The parking is plentiful on the street in a safe quiet neighborhood. Reservations are needed. We enjoy the three course tasting menus and of course the desserts! There are few places like this in Minnesota. Enjoy!

We had the flight of wines and the four course dinner. They’ve made a lot of improvements in the ambiances for Ristorante Luci, so if you haven’t tried it in a while, I would strongly recommend you do.
Great service and food.

Spaghetti Pomodoro ~ Fresh Heirloom Tomato, Roasted Garlic, Onion, Carrots, and Olive Oil. — What does that description elicit in your imagination? I thought of a nice, fresh tomato, garlicky, summery sauce that pops in your mouth. I got overcooked noodles with a sauce that was less interesting than Franco American spaghetti in a can, but similar in consistency. I loved that stuff as a kid, but have out grown it.
The butternut squash soup was quite good, but the pasta after the creamy soup that was unexpectedly creamy didn’t give a nice balance.
The waiter was good enough, but I would have hoped for a little more from him. Was not asked how everything was while eating (I would have told him) and I was waiting for 15 minutes alone for a friend who was late and not offered anything like a bread basket with my wine for quite some time.
I might try it again because of some other good reviews.
I agree with Catherine P. about the ambiance. I was looking at the walls, thinking I’d like to sell them some of my colorful hand-​painted tiles, ditto on the window treatment and conversations. And finally, while I hate freezing my butt off in a restaurant, it was a hot summer day and it was a bit stuffy, leaving me longing to have to put on the extra shirt I brought.

Living only 6 blocks away, we often drive past Ristorante Luci and wonder why we never go there. Then, when the opportunity to go out for dinner happens, we never think of it. Last night, after living half a mile away for 5 years, we finally gave Luci a shot.
The food was absolutely fantastic and the service was wonderful. The hot, fresh bread on the table kicked off an amazing meal. We tried the daily antipasto (a tomato and beef bruschetta), the spaghetti carbonara and the spaghetti with clams and peppers. It was all super wonderful.
I’m reserving a couple of stars for the same reason I reserved them on my review of Luci Ancora (the sister restaurant catty corner from Ristorante Luci). The environment is so bland! The blinds are pulled so you can’t see outside, the lights are too bright and very stark, no music was playing so we could hear the hushed conversations of our neighbors word-​for-​word, and there is absolutely no décor in the place. Brightly lit, bare walls. I find this to be so weird for a place that has put so much thought into their wonderful food and their great staff. Other people have called this place cozy and intimate but I totally disagree. Where’s the ambiance?
I would so happily make Luci my neighborhood staple, but I think take-​out in my own home would be a better dining experience.

Ristorante Luci is a gem. The space is intimate, with white tablecloths and candles glowing. Servers are friendly and skilled. The menu offers some fantastic bargains as well as daily specials and a changing tasting menu. The carpaccio was perfectly sliced and impeccably fresh. The zucchini soup (daily special) was surprisingly good, with a delicious nutty finish. Caesar salad was a bit small but had a nice garlic flavor and came with anchovies, as a proper Caesar should. I was most impressed with my spaghetti carbonara, which was perfectly enveloped in eggy goodness and came with plenty of lovely pancetta.
Service was friendly and professional. A solid selection of Italian wines by the glass and bottle are on offer. Prices are extremely reasonable given the quality of the ingredients. I’ve dined at Ancara many times but found its reach often exceeded its grasp. From now on, I’m walking across the street to Luci and calling it good.

This was only a disappointment in comparison to their sister restaurant, Luci Ancora, however this location is more casual, and more affordable.

I had a lovely dinner at Restorante Luci with two business associates. This is a small restaurant with maybe 12 tables. That results in a very cozy and intimate dining experience.
My party of three enjoyed the Prezzo Fisso tasting menu — $ 25/​person on Wednesdays.
First Course:
I had the mussels in saffron broth. I was served six lovely mussels with a spicy red broth. The mussels were fresh and the broth perfect.
Second Course:
The ceasar salad was good as far as ceasar salads go.
Third Course:
I had the Beef Ragu. Paperdelle with braised beef in a san marzano sauce. It was amazing.
Fourth Course:
The lamb shank with butternut squash. The lamb was falling off the bone. The braising broth was perfect. The squash added just the right compliment to the lamb and broth.
The tasting courses are exactly the right size. I was pleasantly full.
The service was outstanding. I will be going back. On a Wednesday.

Food took forever, staff couldn’t have cared less. Mediocre when we finally got it. Too many good options in the area to deal with the attitude of the staff and the food, which used to be very good. It happens when a place gets complacent. What a shame.

This is a small cozy neighborhood joint close to it’s sister restaurant Luci Ancora. Our table was very tight but, the food was amazing. You have to have a reservation or you won’t get in. The dining area seats a very small number of people.
We ordered the Roasted Beets (fennel, almonds, parmigiano, green onion, dijon vinaigrette) which were delicious. We also ordered the soup of the day and the pasta special of the day where were both very good. The service is immpecable.
The only downside to this restaurant is that they don’t have that many entre options for patrons that don’t eat meat.

Would prefer to give zero stars. Nothing was homemade or fresh, which is opposite of what the website claims and what our server told us. Everything was prefrozen and probably microwaved. Not acceptable for the price. It smelled like an old stuffy room that makes you think you’re back in the early 1900’s. Not only will I never return, I will be sure to tell people that this place is a restuarant nightmare. Servers, what are you thinking working there? You deserve better! Chefs (if you deserve that title), what are you thinking serving that crap? Your customers deserve better!

Italian can be pretty heavy on your body after a meal. (At least what I had). This meal was italian but with a lighter twist — but still left me very full. I had the Butternut Squash Ravioli which was delicious. It was light pasta, with a hint of the butternut sweetness. Afterwards everyone shared the limoncello (which was VERY sweet but still good just the same).
I would recommend that this would be a great intimate date night for two. I would also highly recommend a reservation being made, otherwise with the limited seating and the deliciousness of the food, you might be in line for a while.

This is a little hidden gem. The food was great and if you want a seat i would recommend reservations because this place is tiny. The wine selections were large and desert was great. This little gem offers great import beers and great ambiance. The place makes you feel like your at home.

This is the smaller, simpler cousin to Luci Anchora down the street. Doesn’t have the full scale ambiance of Anchora, but more intimate and quiet.
Enjoyed a nice meal of the Spaghetti special, a Caesar salad with chicken, and Shrimp scampi horderve.
Amount Saved — $ 20 with a Groupon

A hidden gem. Luci still in an unassuming location with little hype out front. Inside you are greeted by a friendly staff, an intimate atmosphere, and a cacophony of enticing aromas. Luci is small, thus make a reservation or plan to wait.
The menu is little more than a page but full of wonderful dishes. The wine list is interesting yet not overwhelming, and there are plenty of good glasses for less than $ 10.
The food smacks of «you can get this level of Italian in the Twin Cities?! Damn…» I went with the classic spaghetti carbonara. If you have ever tried to make this dish, then you know how it can stress test a chef’s skills. I was not disappointed with Luci’s offering. The pasta was stupid good… most likely due to the fact that is it made on site, and the sauce was of the consistency that I always try to achieve yet miss. I wanted to go to the kitchen and ask, «how did you do this?»
Luci is now on my list of «the best» in the TC, but try it for yourself. I will be surprised if you are disappointed.

Here’s my full dinner review. First, a question. Ever have that feeling that you really want to LOVE a place? Well it was easy for me to feel that way about Luci. A very unassuming exterior. Inside you’ll find a simple décor that includes white table cloths and an ambiance makes you feel you’re the special guest at someone’s family dinner.
Service was personable, friendly and perfectly attentive. I really felt like these folks cared that I completely enjoyed my meal. And that we did! My intent was to come back especially to try the four course Taster Menu and it exceeded my expectations. The dishes were thoughtful combinations of simple ingredients, in smaller portions. In my opinion, the size all restaurants should serve. Citrus Olive Crostini-​YUM! Corn Chowder with a kick of habanero pepper, they were 2 for 2! Our penne pasta dish had a lovely fresh tomato flavor. The salmon was spot on.
Desserts aren’t included with this special, so we added the Passionfruit Cheesecake. A wonderfully bright and slightly twangy fruit that flavored a creamy white chocolate base. And can’t close without saying that the bread pudding was also very satisfying in that «comfort food» kind of way.
I liked that this place is small enough that on the way out we could express to the chef’s the super job they’d done to make the evening a very enjoyable foodie experience.

I was a bit confused when I saw an old PBR sign near/​above the restaurant, but it turned out to be for a nearby establishment. Don’t get me wrong, I love PBR, but not what I had planned for an Italian dinner.
Ristorante Luci was.
The cozy, intimate sibling to Luci Ancora (across the street) Ristorante Luci seats about 25 people, and serves up some tasty dishes. I was really impressed with the gnocchi and kobe beef entres. The fucilli wasn’t all that impressive, however.
Great date spot. Good menu selection (not enormous, but options), and a decent wine list.
They’re also offering some sort of sampler special on Tuesday/​Thursday nights where it’s $ 20/​person if you have more than two people.