Lucia

Recommends

Werder1

Joined 5 years ago

European look & feel - loved it. Yesterday was the first time that we went to Lucia. Reading the reviews I did not know what to expect since they were mixed but must say that I was impressed. We had a very friendly waitress who was knowledgable about the food and able to make recommendations. We had bruscetta as a starter and then Tagliatelle with Shrimps and the Chicken Milanese. The food was freshly prepared with very tasty ingredients. Everything was cooked right and came very hot. We had sufficient time between the courses to enjoy the wine and conversation (what is it about people wanting to be in an out of a restaurant in an hour?).

I would definitely recommend this as a true Italian restaurant - it felt very European and a nice change to all the family style restaurants with portions no one can finish.

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RKGSN

Joined 5 years ago

Changes: Good and Bad. We had eaten at Mama Lucia's a few times before the remodel. We liked the atmosphere (kid friendly) but I didn't like the food. Being Italian, I thought the food was just okay. Last night we decided to eat there for my husband's birthday and was SHOCKED to see the changes. We decided to eat there anyways and complained about how 'fancy' the place got. However, the food came quickly and was WAY better than before. The fries were light and crispy. The bolagnese sauce was delicious and the calzone was great! We will definitely go back again but w/o the kids. Conclusion: sad to see the old family style decor gone, happy to have some good Italian food!

Recommends

krissy_247

Joined 5 years ago

Highly reccomended !!!. Personally- these other people are crazy!! This place is perfect whether your on a date, or with your friends- it has a great atmosphere and great service! The prices for the quality of food they have are very cheap!! Great food, great wine - You have to try it!!!

Doesn't Recommend

adinfinium

Joined 5 years ago

Newer is most definitely not better. My wife and I ate at Lucia's this evening. Having eaten at Mama Lucia's in the past we were encouraged from the website to see what the new restaurant and menu offered. Sadly we were massively disappointed. After getting a table against a wall and set far too close to the tables around it, we had to ask for someone to find our waiter 15 minutes later. My wife's Tuna Tartare starter was bland and served with 4 pieces of unseasoned toast -- also with no oil or butter. For her main, my wife ordered the Pasta Angelina which she described as slightly overcooked and nothing special. My Braised Kobe Beef with Pappardelle was excellent, though the menu describes it as "Kobe strips, red peppers, mushrooms. red wine sauce". The beef wasn't strips, more like a fine mince of beef, as were the mushrooms and peppers. For dessert, we ordered the Creme Brulee. I'd never seen a Creme Brulee with a slightly sunken center and hard edges before. The caramelized sugar was soft and one bite let my wife to describe it as "Horrible!". I couldn't agree more. It was clearly overcooked, with a texture more like a cheesecake and certainly not made to order. We sent it back. Overall, the service was mediocre, the food overpriced and not all that good, and the general feel noisy overcrowded with barely a few inches between tables. Not a place we'll be returning to.

Doesn't Recommend

Reviewperson

Joined 5 years ago

remodel ruined once great eatery. I am also horribly dissatisfied with the changes to my once beloved eatery. The interior renovations did add needed seating, but on my mid-January visit, it seemed there weren't enough customers to half fill the old space. I suspect the few other customers were remnants of the old clientele, not new hipsters restaurant is so desperately trying to appeal to. The interior looks like a modernist chic from a decade ago, it is a boring black and white and grey. The stark unflattering interior is well complimented with the freezing temperature of the dining room. The food has lost its appeal, the fancy touch of cooked vegetables do not over come the under cooked noodles and small portions. The pizza is greasy and the sauce is little more than a can of pureed tomatoes. The service is equally abysmal and oblivious to their glaring failures, the table next to me ended up passing around their own plates, drinks went unfilled, but it did appear the staff had very good social chat at the hostess booth.

I will be surprised if they are in business next year, they wasted money on the remodel, and drove away their customers.

Recommends

kirklandgal

Joined 6 years ago

Love the new Lucia- Finally a good date place in Kirkland. I am really amazed at the negative reaction that Lucia has been receiving. I have been a long time customer and have visited the new Lucia a few times since the the reopening and I absolutely love it! (Maybe it is because I am willing to spend a few extra dollars for a MUCH nicer dinner.) The food is wonderful and the service has been excellent. From waitstaff to bartender the service is great. As with any new restaurant there are always a few kinks to work out but I have full confidence that the line out the front door will only continue to get longer. Don't let these naysayers deter you from a great dining experience. Yes, a few things have changed but I think it is exactly what Kirkland needs. From a cozy fireplace to a intimate loft there is a place for everyone. I am so happy I no longer have to drive to Seattle to experience fine dining and a great night out.

Doesn't Recommend

megs_kirkland

Joined 6 years ago

Visited I Love Lucia, the former Mama Lucia's...and will not ever be returning. I used to go to Mama Lucia's all the time. It was my favorite Italian restaurant. The bread and olive oil was fantastic, caesar salad was the best on the East side...service was great. I visited the newly remodeled restaurant last Saturday night and the food was practically cold when it arrived, the new foccacia bread was not tasty, the service was less than satisfactory. This restaurant use to have so much charm, the food was great and the service. Things have changed...and the prices have increased! How sad ~

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italianmomma

Joined 6 years ago

Not a Great Remodel. Anyone who enjoyed Mama Lucia's (now re-named "Lucia") prior to this Fall's remodel is in for a shock. Gone is the cozy, intimate dining room, and in its place is an larger, ultra-modern dungeon. It's dark, and it has a very cold feel. The dinner menu is basically the same, only more expensive, and it does not match up well with the new modern surroundings. Service was just fine, and the food was tasty, but we won't be going back. The new ambiance made the food totally unappealing. Not to mention the bigger price tag. We can get better Italian in Kirkland for less.

Doesn't Recommend

penng

Joined 7 years ago

Mama Lucia's - great / Lucia's (remodel) horrid. After waiting over two months for the "remodel" we went to Lucia's tonight. We have been regulars for the past ten years. We will NOT be returning. The menu has been reduced - for some reason. It has been increased, substantially, in price. They have also eliminated bread/olive oil and starter salads (while increasing the prices). Wine prices have increased 30 - 40%. Our food - Calzone and Lemon Chicken Pasta was delivered lukewarm. That is not why we returned both of them. It was quality and taste. My friend ordered something else - I did not (I lost my appetite), however, I was charged for mine. I complained and the waitress finally came back in a huff and said they took it off the bill. They probably spent a lot on the remodel. Now the accoustics are so bad - one has to yell to be heard, or hear one's self. It is really unfriendly. I will say, though, that they accomplished a very upscale/yuppy atmosphere that exemplifies the NEW KIRKLAND - expensive and fake.

As I said, we will NOT return and I am really sad, because the old Mama Lucia's was so wonderful.

Doesn't Recommend

mcgowne

Joined 6 years ago

Horrible Service. We went here last night and I was careful to explain to the server that I have a dairy allergy and could she recommend dishes that would be good for me. She recommended chicken marsala and the bruscetta for apps. The bruscetta came covered in cheese (a first for me), and the chicken marsala was also covered in cheese with a cream sauce on top. When i asked for a replacement I was told that everything had dairy in it including the salad dressings. The staff was rude and unaccomodating - it's a good thing I liked the martinis, otherwise I would have walked.