The atmosphere was warm and cosy with superb customer service. The home-made food was extremely delicious and memorable. We had the braised duck ragout, seafood stew, and tiramisu. The food arrived promptly despite a good dinner crowd. There were many loyal customers at the dining room and they chatted with servers liked family. We highly recommend Cafe Lucci for the utmost quality and friendliness which had made our dining experience top notch. read more

Cafe Lucci is among the best restaurants in the Chicago area. From the greeting of the complimentary valet to the final sip of espresso the experience is memorable. The food is wonderfully constructed and presented with fantastic depth and quality. The wine list is excellent and the off list wines even better, be sure to inquire. Not to miss are the gnocchi with duck ragu, the beet salad, the sea bass (multiple presentations) and one of the best filet around, which is saying a great deal about the quality of the meat and preparation. One of the best. read more

I came here last night for the first time with my husband and I was impressed! From the beginning when you walk through the door everyone is very friendly and helpful. The bread with olive oil and cheese is amazing so definitely make sure you incorporate that into your calorie allowance!! We got the calamari Bobby Style which I highly recommend. It's a little spicy, lightly fried and honestly some of the best calamari I've had in a long time. I also ended up getting the linguine scampi with vodka sauce. You get 4 large shrimp with a large helping on linguine ... so I ended up taking some of it home. You definitely won't starve here. They have a full bar so you can get wine, liquor, cocktails. I got the Lady Blush martini which was very tasty. It is a bit pricey here but it's worth it as the quality and atmosphere are there. We are definitely coming back. read more

Talk about a great place! The atmosphere is absolutely outstanding. It all started with the valet who greeted us immediately with a warm smile. Once my wife and I entered there was an extremely friendly hostess who welcomed us to Caffi Lucci. The lighting was perfect, not too bright and not too dimmed where you're unable to see your dates face. We were walked over to our table and conversations all around us made us feel at home. Everyone seemed to enjoy each other's conversations. I couldn't help but stare at the food on everyone's table. It was almost as if the food was calling out to us, I was tempted to poke someone and ask "Hey, what is that? I'm thinking about ordering that." The owner (I think) was walking around greeting people and going table to table asking people how they were doing. It wasn't the obnoxious type of owner who overstayed his welcome but it was the right amount of visit where you didn't feel he overstayed his welcome. When he came to our table he asked how we were and then asked if we would like to start of with anything to drink. Talk about service! We ordered a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, it was 2006 Mount Veeder. The bottle was brought out almost immediately. I was really impressed with their wine list. It's so vast and extensive. After I perused the wine list, I looked up at my wife and said that we're coming back even if we didn't like the food, just for the wine. She just nodded and smiled. She definitely agreed with me there. The waiter was really knowledgeable on the menu and even though I had the menu in hand he was able to describe how the food was prepared and the ingredients. We started with Insalata Caprese, the mozzarella just melts in your mouth. Definitely freshest mozzarella I've ever had, my wife agreed. For entrées I had the bistecca di vaccaro and the wife had vitello scampi. Sublime. We enjoyed it throughly and split a creme brulée. Overall, a great experience. We will be back most definitely. read more

My favorite classic and unique Italian place in Chicagoland. Great staff and menu is ever changing for great food selection and wine selection. Park in back or valet available! read more

Have eaten here twice in last 6 months, and enjoyed it. Pleazant atmosphere, well cooked dishes. Recommend gnocchi, vitello shiitake was tasty too. read more

YUM! I had the half chicken meal and calamari. I loved loved loved the calamari. The half chicken was well seasoned with cracked pepper. It came with yummy minestrone soup. The price was really reasonable for what you get. Cafe Lucci is in a weird location. I would not expect this kind of fancy-pants Italian restaurant next to coin laundry and 7-11. Still, I hear it's been there forever. The food was great and the service was excellent. They let us be slow about our meal and brought out our food in a well-timed manner. read more

Now that's Italian. Food was just like we had in Italy. All four of us had different dishes and everything was wonderful. The fish, pastas, wine, sauces, deserts, coffee were all remarkable. Unfortunatly we live in Louisiana so we won't be able to go back for some time but when we do go back to Chicago this will be the first stop we will make. By the way the service was fantastic. Everything about this restaurant was worth the price. read more

We recently hosted a funeral luncheon at Cafe Lucci, and it was perfect. Chris was a delight to work with - so flexible and accommodating. The service and the food was outstanding. I highly recommend this restaurant for any and all occasions. read more

Absolutely horrible phone personality. I just called to check availability for possibly hosting a baby shower at their site. Their initial response to my asking to speak to the banquet manager was a perturbed: "what for?" I was then placed on hold and then a second person answered with an annoyed: "yes?" No introduction. Nothing to possibly convince me that I would want to work with such impersonable staff. When I continued to inquire about availability and more information; I was shrugged off and told to look at their website. Every other venue I have called today requested an email so they could personally send menus and pricing. Which of course included a contact person and phone numbers, should I have any further questions. I am crossing off Cafe Lucci's on my list as a possible baby shower venue. They obviously are not interested in promoting their restaurant by being rude to people over the phone. read more

They have the best escargot when available. Free valet parking is nice. Great atmosphere. Take a first date here to impress!

As a visitor to Chicagoland, I am must say that I am impressed with its strip mall dining options. In this part of the country, it seems that its residents balance the perils of the Lake Effect with yummy food tucked along its four lane roads. Cafe Lucci is one of the finer examples of an evening Italian venue. The restaurant is the picture of elegant simplicity with its decor being mainly its wine on display and white clothed tables. The wait and host staff is very attentive to both your pre-seated and seated experience. We were updated on the status of our table and the waiter engaged us in genuine, kind and jocular conversation. He was very nice to my father who is a vegetarian and who usually is greeted with perplexed looks and abrupt substitutions. The food was prepared with great skill and simplicity. The fried calamari was light and crispy, the scampi grilled to plump perfection, and the pastas al dente and enshrouded in flavorful, fresh sauces. I am happy that I was able to frequent such a lovely place and I hope that you will too on your next special occasion. read more

Used to go here more often when I worked nearby. Always enjoyed the food and recently went back after 3 years. Happy to say it was just as enjoyable as it was before. I ordered Chicken Rottolo, chicken breast wrapped around dried tomatoes, spinach, crab meat and some cheese. It was one of the specials that evening and lived up to that title. And speaking of specials, Cafe Lucci constantly comes up with creative specials that augment their already delicious menu. They also have great appetizers, including some of the best fried calamari around. Excellent desserts - creme brulee to die for. I'll definitely return soon - won't be another three years before I go back as the food here is too good. read more

This is one of our favorite places to eat. Was here last night for a special occasion and had an amazing time. We had a 6:00 reservation and arrived early to relax in the bar for a drink before dinner. The bartender was friendly and had us laughing. We were seated right on time and our server Derek was fantastic. He went over the menu and the specials and gave us excellent recommendations. He totally made our evening!! We couldn't of had a better experience. Derek even rushed out to the parking lot with our leftovers that we accidentally left behind. Can't wait to go back! read more

Was first at Cafe Lucci on 11/21/09, my wedding day. My wife and I had our reception there (just a small, intimate gathering) in the upstairs banquet room. The service, the food, the ambiance, everything was perfect. We had most of the apps as well as everything off the menu. We allowed our guests to order their own meals. Every single person at our dinner gave it a five-star rating. Going there next weekend to celebrate our one-year. Really looking forward to it! read more

Great service, great food -- it's such a hidden gem on the north shore. We went out with a few couples and it was a great venue. The waiter was hilarious and helped us pick a great bottle of wine. The salads and entrees were all delicious -- authentic Italian but not too heavy. Although we were too full for dessert the tray that came past looked amazing. I'd totally recommend this for a special occasion with family or friends. read more

My wife and I went here for Valentine's day this past year. I read all the reviews on here first and decided this place was: 1) close by our house 2) had an extensive wine list, and 3) I kinda made reservations on the day of, so there weren't that many places for me to choose from. Its got quite a romantic setting being that it was quiet and intimate. And the service is great, although the waiter we had was a bit short and abrupt with us. My wife loves wine, and they have a great selection here. But the food was a bit of a disappointment to me. That's not to say that it wasn't great, but if you're the type that loves food with flavor and spice, then this is not the place to go because for me, the food was bland. But other than that, its a pretty good place. read more

Cafe Lucci is a nice Italian restaurant that you may easily drive by and not know it's there because it's in between some strip malls. I've heard about this place from a lot of friends but never imagined it would be such a fancy little restaurant. I don't drink beer and ordered a white wine with my dinner and they only serve you half a glass which I didn't think was worth it at all. My boyfriend ordered the Filetto alla griglia, a 12-oz filet mignon, which he has always raved about. I loved it too! It's extremely tender and melts in your mouth! I ordered the fresh fish of the day and at that time it was Chilean sea bass cooked with sun-dried tomatoes & asparagus. It was ok because the tomatoes were just too overpowering. I should've gotten steak too! read more

Cafe Lucci is easily on my top 10 lists of places to eat in the Chicagoland area. Great food, both Italian and otherwise, and a fantastic wine selection. This place takes great pride in their wine list and is very good with suggesting wines to pair up with your meal. One of my favorite things here that most other places don't do is serve roasted garlic with bread when they put it on the table. I could almost make a meal out of that alone. There are so many good items, that I can't begin to list my favorites. The last visit we enjoyed the baked clams, Bruscheta, Lasagna Verdi, Oregano Skirt Steak, all of which were wonderful. They are also very good about making things to order, so if you don't see what you really want on the menu, don't be afraid to ask. I have never left this place without thinking to myself that I can't wait to come back again. Additionally, I find Cafe Lucci to be surprisingly affordable. I took my team from work here for a holiday dinner party and not including alcohol or tip, it was just over $200 for the 5 of us. That included lots of appetizers, our meals, after dinner coffee and a couple of deserts. Very reasonable, particularly considering the quality of food and service. Try this place and see for yourself how good it really is. read more

4 Stars for accommodations!!! Super busy and noisy as I walked in. I think the manager was able to tell by the look on my face. As I walk my and my friend to our seat, the manager asked if I wanted a more quite area. My immediate answer was yes, please!! I wanted a salad as a starter, but there were no side salads. So the manager ( I think) said he was going to throw something yummy together. Arugula and Spinach with Balsamic. My all time fave. I had pasta with scallops. I though it was decent, nothing spectacular. I might not return. read more

Always wanted to try Cafe Lucci and finally made it there last night. Did not have reservation but the owner kind enough to give us a table. Great ambience & the food was wonderful. Had cream of portabella soup to die for as was the rest of the meali I will definitely return as everything on menu looked delicious!! Great dining experience. read more

Family owned, personal service and warm friendly atmosphere. Good food and good portion sizes. Linger for a drink. read more

Delicious! From the bread to the garlic paste to the pastas (Harry's Fettucine and Fettucine Basilico) to the beef carpaccio, escargots, and beet salad... all delicious. read more

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PASTA LOVERS PARADISE!!!!! Cafe Lucci was a pleasant surprise and wonderfully delish!!!! The home-made minestrone is a MUST Not too much of a "family-friendly" place, but we are comfortable anywhere luckily! Our waiter was a bit arrogant, and not too friendly, but the food was by far superior to any Italian food I have had in awhile.... A MUST FOR ITALIAN FOOD LOVERS, Enjoy :) UPDATE Went recently and was disappointed with my usuals, including the minestrone....was not the same sadly dropping to 3 stars read more

Not a place I would think of going but it's not that bad. The food's pretty decent but the service is great. I think of I'm in the area for something or would make sense to hit this spot up but otherwise I would get done comfort food. Was forced to meet some business guys here and the spicy sausage pasta looked good even though I got the chicken. I would say check it out once! read more

All is excellent with Pelligrino drink, angel hair, marinara, sausage, peppers. No complaints and I absolutely plan a return.

This place is great! We had a very good Italian cuisine experience Eddie was our waiter and we loved him! From appetizers to dessert (tiramisu) and double espressos everything was amazing! Definately will be back!!! read more

Just had a bridal shower at Cafe Luccis. The food was excellent, the service was impeccable, they worked with me on the menu & the price to stick with in my budget. They couldn't have been more accommodating & easy going. Worked with Heather who was so in tuned to what I needed. She gave us great suggestions & was so pleasant. I'm not sure if she's the owner if she's not, Cafe Luccis is lucky to have her represent the restaurant. read more

In all fairness, I have to review this place again. My last visit three years ago was not good and I said as much. However, I ended up at Cafe Lucci last night (not my choice) and it was wonderful. The waiter was pleasant and suggested a delicious bottle of pinot noir. The six of us were seated at a comfortable round table in the back and even though there was a very large party with kids next to us, the noise level was good. I started with the beet salad which I loved and then ordered the veal with the morel mushroom sauce. So delicious, I sopped up every last drop of the sauce. The other people ordered veal limone and the salmon and everyone was extremely pleased. I guess I'm putting this place back on my go to list! read more

I love this place. They greet you by name and treat you like you're the most important guest of the evening. The wine selection is out of this world and Bobby is always excited to pair up one of his favorite bottles with your meal. A perennial favorite, my family goes here at least once a month. See you next time I'm in Glenview! read more

This review is based on a family party we hosted at Cafe Lucci early September 2017, for our daughter's one year old birthday. Communication: Our experience with Bobby [owner] was challenging throughout the entire process. He was often unavailable by phone, even when calling at the times he requested. Email responses were delayed as well (took 2-5 days on average; some times sooner if we asked for an urgent response). Venue: Our event was on a Sunday afternoon when the restaurant was closed to the public, but open for private events. Upon initially booking the restaurant, we were told the larger private room (above) was booked, and we were left with using a private area in the main restaurant space. As the event date approached and I finalized our guest count (45 adults plus a few kids), Bobby said to let him know if our count grew, so that he could open the larger area above- the count didn't grow, however it was confusing as we understood we had only one option based on earlier discussions. During the day of the event, we happened to be the only private party and we were instructed to set up in the back of the restaurant in a small sectioned off area. The seating was overall cramped. It was difficult to move around and talk to all our guests, especially when the servers needed to get through to bring out food/beverages and clear dishes. Service: The servers were nice but seemed overwhelmed taking care of our party in the tight space. They seemed to be constantly in a rush and we felt uncomfortable asking them questions. For the last few guests that arrived late, the servers were scavenging for food from other tables and put together a plate of food but it was overall unappetizing. We had paid per guest so we are not sure why there was not enough food. Food: There were a few good options including the warm bread with garlic spread, bruschetta, pasta, and seasoned potatoes. Again, there was not enough food for all the guests. The salad was not fresh and was drenched in dressing. A few people came late, and although we notified the servers of who they were, they did not get any bruschetta or salad. We have hosted multiple events at restaurants in the past for a larger group and have always had a pleasant experience in the past. Our experience at Cafe Lucci was an anomaly. Overall we were disappointed with our experience with Cafe Lucci and do not recommend it for food or as a venue for private parties. read more

The food was delicious unfortunately due to Covid-19 dining outside in a tent, even with heaters, was uncomfortable.

Had a great experience. We had the crab cakes and fried calamari for our apps. Calamari was cooked perfectly. Crab cakes were extraordinary. I had the veal bocce with Vesuvio potatoes. Very tasty. Service was on point. The only negative is the layout of the dining room. I felt too close to the neighboring tables. read more

Quote from my brother in law during dinner to the waiter: "Sir, there is something horrifically wrong with this chicken." They came back with another dish quickly, but uncooked chicken really put a damper on the dinner. read more

If you are considering a visit, you just HAVE to go! This is one of my favorite Italian restaurants in the Chicagoland area. The food is consistently fantastic! The cream soups melt in your mouth. The entrees are always wonderful, and you HAVE to save room for desserts. Especially the Chocolate Mousse, Bananas Lucci and the Chocolate Fantasia! And I have to rave about the service. I always feel like family when I walk in the door. read more

Great food. We went there along with a group of coworkers for Christmas lunch. Good food, however the waiter ( bald felllow ) was loud and appeared to have a rough day as he served my plate I was in the middle of conversation yet he loudly interrupt me and then placed the plate from wrong side on the table. Everyone at the table notice his rough behavior read more

A great find. Everything was fantastic. Some of the best mussels I have ever had and the veal ravioli was outstanding and not too heavy. Our waiter was very attentive but not overly so. The valet already had our car warming up right outside the door when we got up to leave. I highly recommend to anyone looking for a great Italian meal in the north suburbs. Well done! read more

We had to go all the way to California to learn about a fantastic Italian restaurant in our backyard. Now that we've been several times, my only disappointment is that we didn't find it sooner. This is where we bring people when they visit from out of town. Bobby is incredibly welcoming to his guests. The first time we went, it really felt like we were crashing someone's enormous family dinner. A little loud, a little rambunctious, but ultimately a great experience. Cafe Lucci is the best Italian food we've had in the suburbs. The specials are worth a listen, but you can't go wrong anywhere on the menu. My husband can't get enough of the Pollo Peperoncino, which is enough for at least two meals but is a delicious combination of roasted chicken, sausage, and peppers. The calamari "Bobby's style" is a great take on the traditional fried calamari appetizer, and if you save enough room for dessert, we're partial to the sticky toffee pudding when they have it available. read more

We were a party of four tonight at Cafe Lucci where the noise level was so high, that you could not hear across the table to carry on a conversation. About the food, out of four dinners, two dinners were fair and the other two dinners were poor/awful. When the Maitre'd, Benny Arifi, asked if I wanted to take my leftovers home and I said no because it was awful, his answer was OK, I'll throw it in the garbage. I know it is not the fault of the restaurant when the patrons are loud, but it is the fault of the restaurant when the staff are rude. There are too many restaurants in Glenview, to put up with rude employees. I asked Benny who was above him that I could speak too, his answer was "My Dad" and get out. I doubt the senior Arifi is proud of his son tonight. read more

As you can probably tell from my Yelp profile, I don't often write reviews. However, my wife and I had such an incredible meal at Cafe Lucci last night that I had to make an exception. Without a doubt, Cafe Lucci is the best Italian restaurant on the North Shore of Chicago. We shared the Mussels with white wine broth as an appetizer, and then my wife ordered the Insalata de Pesca as her entree and I had the carbonara. I enjoyed a Dirty martini to start and then paired a great glass of Cabernet with my entree. Not only were the food and drinks spectacular but the service was also top-notch. If you are looking for an excellent dining experience on the North Shore, then I would absolutely recommend Cafe Lucci....we will be back! read more