Lucia’s

Lovely, lovely restaurant
We had an excellent dinner here when recently visiting Minneapolis. The restaurant is beautifully decorated and the staff are very helpful and attentive. I had fresh green salad to start followed by the bolognese tagliatelle. My fellow-​diners split a salad and a beef tenderloin. We ordered a bottle of Pinot Noir to accompany our meal which was recommended by our server. We were too full to enjoy dessert, but definitely had a fine and memorable meal. I would definitely recommend this restaurant.

The atmosphere of the building is clean, and the servers are fantasric, but the quality, cost and menu options are totally lacking. I would not come back here.

I’ve gone to Lucia’s multiple times and was reluctant this time based upon recent reviews related to the change of ownership. My son and I went for lunch. Service was great, but our food was disappointing. My chicken entrée had Un-​trimmed skin/​fat hanging off it and it was flavorless. My sons frittata was bland.
Disappointing b/​c the expectations were high. Hopefully they can turn it around.

My boyfriend and I make it a point to visit Lucia’s every time I’m in town. Everything on the menu is always extremely fresh with the best flavor. Last night we got the potato gnocchi and it was to DIE for. It was perfectly rich and melted in my mouth. If that’s on the menu I’d get it EVERY time.
The wine list is always great and the wait staff are extremely professional and helpful.
Love Lucia’s!

Love this place! I remember coming here with my mom when I was a little kid, it’s been a staple of uptown for so many years. They basically started the farm to table movement in the twin cities. every time Im in the area I take a moment enjoy this place and their lovely meals. The menu is always changing so completely by here is a new experience every time.

I had eaten here a few times before and always thought the food was wonderful. Last night I was there with a large group (we had two tables of six). The service was somewhat slow and inattentive at our table (the other table, who had a different server, fared a bit better).
I ordered the pork, which at $ 29 was listed as having fresh corn polenta, roasted heirloom tomatoes and braised greens. The pork was good but had quite a bit of inedible gristle (making the serving smaller than it had seemed). Polenta was good. «Roasted tomatoes» consisted of three or four small cherry tomatoes — felt a bit stingy. The braised greens were OK but didn’t have much flavor.
Perhaps if the service had been better, or the entrée had been somewhere under $ 25, I would have left feeling more satisfied with the experience.

Where to begin? There isn’t one thing I’ve tried at Lucia’s that I haven’t absolutely adored. It’s split into two sections — part wine bar, part to-​go bistro, and fully Parisian. Lunch, dinner and brunch are great in the dining area, but I prefer the smaller to-​go side. I had the fortune in college of having Lucia herself come speak to one of our French classes, and she was as classy and fascinating as her establishment. The dishes and ingredients are inspired by her trips to Province and she invokes French culinary genius into everything.
The quiches, crepes (ham and gruyère, ahhh!), handmade oatmeal, sandwiches and gorgeous desserts are out of this world delicious. My personal favorite though are the scones, baked just right so that they’re slightly crispy on the outside and soft and moist on the inside. The flavors are always interesting and vary depending on what’s in season — my favorite are the currant scones. There is no better start to my Sunday than with a scone and espresso, curled up at a cozy corner table watching the hustle and bustle of Uptown. Pure perfection.

I had lunch at Lucia’s today in honor of a departing co-​worker. I’m giving it 3 out of 5 stars for the following reasons:
1. The food was quite good, but the menu is incredibly limited. I know they do this on purpose, and the menu changes daily. I had a Farmer’s Salad with chicken… it was good and very light. In fact, I’m already starting to feel hungry again.
2. The service was… meh. I was seated so that I could see the waitress approach. Her face wasn’t exactly in a scowl, but very expressionless. As she approached the group she adjusted to a slight grin — not quite a smile. She got our orders right, and the food was delivered promptly — so no issues with that — but a smile would have been welcome. When she cleared the table, she left one plate behind. We all exchanged a look, like, «what, you think she intends to eat those crumbs?»
3. We didn’t have a reservation but were able to be seated promptly. I guess a Tuesday noon lunch isn’t very popular… unless of course you are a Scandinavian woman in her 70’s, if that’s the case — this is the place to be. There were two men in the entire dining room… very odd. This is where the ladies lunch!
I might go back, knowing that the menu changes daily. But I wasn’t overly impressed with the experience. I wouldn’t say no if a group I am with is gun-ho…but I would offer a different suggestion in it’s place. There are too many excellent places to eat in Minneapolis to settle for mediocre.

This review is based on their catering from a wedding this weekend.
I’ve never eaten at their restaurant before so my expectations were wide open and ready to shape. Lucia’s started out the evening with a selection of great appetizers. We had veggies, olives, their famous bread with cheese, tomato and artichokes. That being said, there were only napkins available with the appetizers so you had to stack 5 deep if you didn’t want tomato juice or olive oil dripping on your hand and outfit. Not great.
The next downside came during dinner. Caterers should fulfill two goals. 1. Don’t keep guests waiting over an hour to eat and 2. Make sure there’s enough food for everyone. Lucia’s failed on both. With 230+ people and one buffet line it took my table 2.5 hours to eat. That’s right. We ate at 9:00pm! To our surprise, us and about 15 other folks had food options of a farro salad, more bread with 1 pat of butter left and lettuce with some lemon dressing. Some folks didn’t even get that, because the farro salad went quick! Thankfully the farro salad I did get was great and filling enough to last 4 hours of dancing.
As a caterer it’s your job to know how much food is needed, and that the eyes are always bigger than the stomach so bring extra. They either should have plated the meal themselves, or had two buffet lines with signs to take 1 – 2 pieces, spoonfuls etc when going through first. I was very disappointed in their service and that they didn’t try to apologize for their lack of food or amend the situation. Let’s just say I will never hire them to cater. They’re lucky they get 1 star.

I was super disappointed with my lunch at this fail safe and pioneer in farm to table staple. Our roasted Rosemary nuts came out of the refrigerator and were cold. Not pleasant .
Our farmers salad was haphazardly thrown together. The vegetables were fresh but presentation sorely lacking. The pieces were so large each one required a knife and fork. The chicken had too been refrigerated and still had pieces of skin and connective tissue attached to it.
On the bright side, our waitress did actually make my iced green tea after she said they could only do it hot. I suggested bringing the hot tea with a glass of water. She actually completed that! Thank you for that!
Taste – fine, service – good, experience and presentation – mediocre deli quality.
I’m sure it was a rare mediocre experience. I have been here scores of times over a lot of years and it is usually very predictably excellent.

Yea yes and yes!!! Everything about going here makes me happy!!! Breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner the ever changing menu is always wonderful, the staff is fantastic. I love going here with my sisters on a wonderful afternoon sitting outside. This is a must go to place

I came here with a friend on a Sunday evening and was surprised to hear it was half off bottles of wine. So naturally we ordered a bottle as we sat on the patio. The menu changes weekly, but my friend got a chicken dish and I got a flatbread and hash browns. Everything was very tasty. Our server was very friendly and attentive, and I would definitely recommend Lucia’s. The patio area is very nice on a warm evening and the food is awesome.

Food and Drink: superb.
Service: fantastic.
Atmosphere: absolutely charming.
My wife, daughter (1 year old), and I were absolutely blown away by this little bistro.
We started off with a couple of cappuccinos and baked items around 10am for brunch. I am a bit of a coffee nerd (not snob, mind you) and I was really impressed – in my experience, it is nearly impossible to find a properly made cappuccino anywhere outside of a specialty coffee bar in the U.S.
The baked goods we tried (raspberry pistachio scone and a mini Budapest muffin) were unique to us, but were executed perfectly. Come to think of it, balance is what defined Lucia’s offerings. As our entrées arrived (lemon nectarine hot cakes and breakfast flatbread) every flavor melded perfectly with those surrounding it. The lemon was not too strong, nor the nectarine and syrup too sweet. The peppers on the flatbread had good flavor, but the spice didn’t overwhelm, and the bacon added just the right amount of saltiness to offset the veggies. Mwah!
The staff was terrific. Our server was very kind, knowledgable, and attentive, but the thing that stood out to us the most was how accommodating everyone was with our daughter. At some establishments, we feel shunned when we walk in with our adorable little human, but at Lucia’s they were quick to make way for a high chair and one of the team members brought out a bowl of fruit for our hungry little lady to snack on until the rest of our food arrived. We felt so well cared for.
As for the atmosphere, I could hardly believe we were in Minneapolis. It felt more like we were in a cozy European café, looking out on a lazy morning, with great food, coffee, smells, and clangs coming out of the open kitchen. Another element that seemed to add to this non-​American feel is their appreciation of fresh, local, sustainable, and organic. For this reason, their menu changes weekly.
We are remiss to say that we are only traveling through, as we would love to make Lucia’s one of our staples. You won’t be disappointed.

This was such a great little find in Minneapolis. I’d never been before and loved the farm to table vibe. The restaurant is actually quite big — separated into sit down and to go. Very cute on the inside– great for family or date like evenings. The wine selection is on point. Note that they change their menu every week.
I had brunch there and absolutely loved the salmon dish with the hashbrowns. The frittata was pretty good too. It was all just very fresh tasting so you knew the quality was there.
Recommended for those stopping in Minneapolis — that little uptown neighborhood has some shopping and cute stores to walk around as well.

The special today was lamb w/​pasta and cheese. Very tasty and fulfilling. The alfresco dining along a quiet street in the evening with the sun going is very enjoyable. Highly recommended.

You guys, you guys, I had the best dinner I’ve had in a long time at Lucia’s last night. Their brunch has always been tasty and dependable for fresh food made with quality ingredients (other than their Bloody Mary’s, which are lackluster), but this dinner was mind-​blowingly perfect.
Let’s set the scene. Sunday night. Beautiful spring weather, and our group of three wants to sit on the patio but there was only a two top. The server, who was overall just awesome, rearranges some sitting tables and finds room for us. Score!
We order drinks. I get an old fashioned, because Sundays are for Mad Men and we were headed to the Leon Bridges concert (60s soul– check him out!). Their old fashioneds are delicious– they have amaretto in them, which gives them a little more sweetness. I had two. Oops.
Start off with the breads and spreads. Toasted goodness with parmesan artichoke spread. Then split a salad (which they split in the kitchen, which is always the best), filled with mangoes, pistachios, fresh buffalo mozzarella and radishes in a lime vinaigrette. YASSS.
Next up is the entrees. Petite tenderloin cooked so soft and tender it felt like it was melting in my mouth. We got hashbrowns with it, because #fatlife. The hashbrowns were so crispy and delicious, on par with Manny’s. We also got mushroom ravioli, which they also plated for three (more restaurants should do this, seriously), and it was equally tasty.
For dessert we did some chocolate ganache business to continue the #fatlife trend. Everything was served at a great leisurely pace, allowing us to enjoy the beautiful night and take our time.
I understand the hype for all the Spoon and Stables and Bar La Grassas of the city, but sometimes it’s nice to just have a dependable spot where you know everything will be on point. No frills, no scene. Lucia’s is that spot.

I’ve been to the wine bar portion of Lucia’s, but never to the restaurant. When you’re at Lucia’s, ordering anything other than wine to drink is a ludicrous idea, and I was not disappointed with my wine choice. The menu here changes weekly, so this review is about food from three weeks ago.
We had the cheese plate to start, which was surprisingly basic. There are better cheese plates to be found in the Cities (Café Maude comes to mind.), so I’d recommend skipping it. You could construct this cheese plate in your own home for about the same cost.
Both of the entrées were fantastic, as were the desserts. I had a mushroom risotto due to having a temporary crown on one of my molars, and it seemed to be the only food on that week’s menu that was going to be easy for me to chew. My friend had the chicken, which he seemed quite pleased with. I had a small taste and was instantly jealous I couldn’t chew anything.
The desserts weren’t presented to us on a menu, but on a tray to see the options IRL. They, of course, made a fresh one of what we picked.
Given that Lucia’s was recently sold, I’m glad I got in to try it before anything might change. Which it probably will.

After hearing Lucia’s was sold, my friends and I decided to grab brunch there one last time… just in case things change under new ownership. Service was excellent – our coffees cups were never empty, our server was prompt and efficient, and everyone we encountered was friendly and accommodating.
I had the broccoli, carmelized onion, parmesean cheese french omelet. Good flavors and perfectly cooked. My companions had the puff pastry benedict (amazing), chili chicken french omelet, and the roasted leek frittata. We indulged in a popover and baby buddha muffins too – what a fantastic idea! $ 1 sweet treats are impossible to pass up, especially when they bring the tray to your table. Who can say no to that?!
My only comment for Lucia’s is to consider plating the french omelets differently. The menu says it comes with breakfast potatoes and a little side of fruit. No joke, I had ONE red potato cut into 5 wedges, 2 little red grapes, and ¼ of a pineapple ring on my plate. It looked so stingy and pathetic and not even close to what I considered as sides. I think you’d be better off serving the omelet alone than with that sorry looking accompaniment. The potatoes were excellent too; I was bummed to only get one!

Some restaurants in the Twin Cities are only good for one season. They either have an awesome patio that’s fun in the sun. Or they have a cozy indoor scene that’s bold in the cold (ok, I’ll stop rhyming now). But Lucia’s is great any time of year, any meal, any season. You can sit outside on a Sunday morning for brunch with your girlfriend and debrief about the debaucherous weekend wearing big sunglasses. Or you can meet your boyfriend’s family on a snowy Friday evening wearing a fur-​lined coat at the wine bar next door. It all works and it’s all great.
The menu changes with the time of year, which I appreciate, as a self-​diagnosed ADD and Commitment-​phobic Orderer. There’s always something new to try! The food is consistently great, the service is wonderful and the ambiance is peaceful and beautiful. But what I love about Lucia’s is that it doesn’t try too hard. It’s not stuffy. Not cheesy. Not overly formal or overly trendy. It knows what it is – a quiet, calm restaurant that serves great-​tasting, unexpected food and brings people together.

I have patron this quaint, cute little place several times and haven’t been let down yet! Today we decided to take my sis from out of town here for some late breakfast and of course treats! We tried some cookies too, but all were gone before they could pose for pics (cowboy, mint choc., and BP cookies). I would so no go for the mint choc., it taste like toothpaste. Here’s the lowdown:
Thumbs up:
–private lot parking, rare real estate in these parts
–variety of menu food, desserts, drinks
–reasonably $
–family friendly and pet friendly
–in and outdoor seating
–their popovers are worth the trip in itself, but come early they go fast!
–veggie friendly, although I ordered the frittata which said no meat and I confirmed that it was vegetarian, but when I bit into it, it had pieces of ham! :(However their staff corrected the mistake accordingly with an apologic smile, a refund, and a free breakfast! Winner!
–friendly staff
Thumbs down:
–parking can be a pain at times
–no more popovers means *sad face* :(
–uptown traffic is no fun to get there
Try their coconut cake too, you won’t regret it!