I went for happy hour and was very happy with the food, the prices, and the service. I had their arugula salad, which was fresh, and had a lovely light lemon vinaigrette. Then I had their meatballs, made with no filler, and served with a nice sauce and caramelized onions and fresh parmigiana. Both were delicious. And the whole thing cost less than $10 before tip! The other happy hour items I saw served looked great as well. read more

We loved Luca!!! I can't believe I haven't tried it sooner. Adorable interior and great ambiance + service from Jordan. It was a beautiful night and we sat near the front windows that opened to the outside. My husband ordered his martini with complex instructions and said they did it right. Bonus. He ordered a second. I got their Sauvignon Blanc and enjoyed it. For dinner we shared several small plates: meatballs - yum! Ask for some bread to sip up the extra tomato sauce; the Burrata - delicious with the Grilled bread, but I felt it needed a bit of salt; and then the pappardelle bolognese and the mushroom/truffle fusilli. Ummmm YUM. The pastas were both INCREDIBLE and I wish I would have chosen one of the two as my entree. Can't decide which was better. Both were amazing - the bolognese my have been the best I've had in the city. The hubby got the Duck Two Ways entree and I got the Asparagus Salad for my main. I don't even like duck typically and it was awesome. I'd potentially order the duck next time - it was so good. The salad was good - combo of white and green asparagus cut like on a mandolin, with lemon ricotta and a couple pieces of prosciutto. It was good, but I was just too full at that point to finish. We will DEFINITELY be back. read more

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For dinner on a Friday night, we tried out Luca and decided to go all out with the 6 course tasting menu. We avoided the wine pairing and instead chose a glass of wine at the suggestion of the server. Both glasses that we had were excellent - really enjoyed the Nebbiolo which I hadn't had before. Most of the 6 courses went by in a bit of a blur - not because it was quick - but because just a couple seemed to really stand out. Unfortunately many of the courses seemed over salted which took away from the other flavors in the dishes. Our favorite was the first course which was a calamari, a roasted cauliflower, and sweetbread. All 3 were delicious. I also enjoyed the lamb tartare as well. Unfortunately the remainder of the dishes escapes me and none seem to stand out in my mind except for the saltiness. Our service was decent overall, even though our server failed to notice that we needed another glass of wine until we flagged him down. My dining companion felt that the service and atmosphere was a bit pretentious, but I didn't notice that. Half way through our meal we were wishing that we'd just ate at the bar and chatted it up with the bartender. Parking is a bit of a cluster in the area - so taking advantage of the valet is worthwhile. read more

At least on my first visit, I am slightly underwhelmed by Luca D'Italia. Of course, my expectation might be too high, however, for its price range and reputation, I believe it's reasonable to have high expectation. We started with grilled baby octopus, house-cured meat plates, and paired with a glass of house rose brut sparkling wine. Everything, including the house breads, was pleasant and quite filling. One exception was that the smoked pig trotter by itself (used in grilled baby octopus dish) was a bit too salty to my taste. Moved on to the pasta courses, we ordered the Braised Oxtail Mezzaluna and Buckwheat Chitarra, and paired with a glass of house Nebbiolo. The flavor of the oxtail ravioli, in my opinion, was good but definitely not great enough to do the glory justice to the black truffle, veal sauce and smoked parmesan cheese. For the buckwheat homemade paste, I like the chitarra paste, the escargo and herbs combination, but didn't quite get the use of those crispy sweatbreads. First of all, the sweetbread bites weren't crispy or adding any depth to the dish. Second of all, the deliciousness of the sweetbreads was completely lost in this rich dish. We didn't order any second course, but did ordered a side vegetable dish. Since my first choice of cauliflower was out, we settled for the Kale, which was quite salty and buttery. Overall, the service is great and so is the wine list. read more

Went to Luca for Valentine's Day. Was very excited to try this restaurant, as we LOVE Osterio Marco. The restaurant itself is really lovely. If I lived in that neighborhood I'm confident I would go frequently. Decorations are great, music choice (Motown) was awesome! Service was really nice, she helped us pick some great dishes on our first time there. Started with a charcuterie board--some amazing meats on there that I understand they craft themselves! We got a couple of pastas--bone marrow ravioli for the win of the evening! The mushroom fusilli--it was alright, I think a poor choice on my part as creamy pastas aren't typically my favorite. Overall, again, really tasty, a fair value considering. Nicely done! read more

We went here for restaurant week and it's definitely one of Denver's finer and more expensive restaurants. It was a great pick, but the antipasti and desserts were nothing to write home about and at this price point borderline disappointing. Secondi was very nice but at regular price I am not sure I would have felt it was worth it. Since they create a separate and probably cheaper menu for restaurant week I won't go into the specific dishes as we dined the last night, but.... The pasta was the best in Denver so far and the wine was lovely and reasonable so when I return that's what my dollars will go into. If it's special night with extra dough to throw around... maybe also split a Secondi. Go elsewhere for dessert and skip the cappuccino - it was not worthy. One final tip, the bread is great, but they don't offer seconds, so save some up for dipping in their lovely sauces... read more

Amazing meal and impeccable service. The atmosphere was modern and artsy -- definitely intimate feeling. The menu was more diverse and larger than I would have thought for a specialty Italian restaurant, but we loved every bite. We started with the bread sampler -- wood-fired and fresh -- and meatballs. The sauce of the meatballs was excellently flavorful. My husband had an octopus salad which he said was perfectly executed. Then, for entrees, I had 2 smaller portions of both the Tortellini Nero and the Bolognese Pasta. Both were complex and interesting. My husband had the duck two ways and basically licked his plate clean. He also enjoyed two of the diverse cocktails offered on the drink menu. All and all, just a wonderful meal and great service. We will definitely be back. read more

The stars came together this past Saturday for a perfect meal at Luca. From the greeter at the door, the glass of Prosecco, the understated, efficient, and friendly service, the wine, the food - all pretty much perfect. I have been, often several times, to many of the higher end places in the Central Denver area (Fruition, Barolo Grill, Potager) and this was as good or better than all of them. It's not cheap ($210 including tip for two, 3 glasses of wine total, 4 course tasting menu + one extra app) but it's worth it. read more

Awesome food, but a somewhat bizarre menu in the sense that if you're going to charge $28 to $34 for an entree I'd like a few more choices. SO wanted to give Luca D'Italia 5-stars, but I just can't due to the prices. If I was more of a "foodie" I'm sure 5-stars is a no-brainer, but it's just a really expensive place --- and I used to live in NYC, Chicago, and LA, so I'm used to expensive meals. That said, I will say the food was worth every penny spent. Very torn on not giving 5-stars. That said the food was EXCELLENT. The service was IMPECCABLE. The ambiance was BEAUTIFUL. I will definitely be back. read more

I had a wonderful experience tonight - I sat at the bar with Taylor bartending. She makes an incredible whiskey sour - I love that they use egg whites. A server with a silver streak in his hair recommended the duck two ways, I completely understand why this is his favorite dish, and am grateful for the recommendation. It wasn't what I would've ordered without his suggestion, but it was delectable. He also brought out a burrata appetizer on the house, saying the duck could take a little while to come out. The burrata was so creamy, and it paired very well with everything on the plate - a great balance of sweetness and saltiness. The portions were large but not overwhelming - I feel completely satiated and everything was absolutely delicious. I asked the bartender for a wine to pair with the duck, and that was great too. I will definitely be back - the atmosphere was impeccable - staff was friendly, attentive, and professional - the other bar guests were also very kind. This is my new favorite 'fancy dinner for me' spot :) read more

We go a couple times a year and order the tasting menu without ever bothering to look at the regular menu. It is consistently five courses of excellent food with every course being a winner. There are very few restaurants we go to that we can say everything was really good but we always say that after eating here. The lastest Luca outing: A spoons course that featured airy parmesan crisp with tomato soup; foie gras flan; pickled sardine with pork belly (sounds strange, tastes outstanding); quail stuffed ravioli in veal sauce; pepper rubbed steak with apple foam, lobster involtini and spinach gnocchi. read more

We went to Luca for Restaurant Week, and I'm glad we did. Wine was on point, the calamari was some of the best calamari plates I have had, and then we split a full portion of the carbonara. The carbonara was so good that my boyfriend and I ordered a second helping so we could take the rest home with us. My major hangup - I was put-off by how our waitress abruptly asked me for my ID... I was in the bathroom while she took our drink orders (can't you wait until both parties are seated?). When I came back to the table she made an abrupt point to ask me for my ID. My boyfriend asked if she wanted to see his too, and she point blank responded with "No. You're fine. Just hers." Uh, okay? I understand I look younger, but that was a rude and awkward situation, and she did not handle it in a friendly manner. I've never encountered that at a nice restaurant. Besides the weird service, the meal and wine were fantastic. I would absolutely come back. read more

Loved Luca! Another one of Frank's successes. We started with amazing drinks. The bartender knew what she was doing! We started with a meat and cheese platter, plus burrata. Our group ordered the dry aged NY strip, ricotta cavatelli, and Italian sausages. All were delicious. Dessert definitely followed and you should definitely leave room for it!!! read more

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My boyfriend and I recently moved from lohi to cap hill and have been making it a point to check out new restaurants around us for date night every week and we kept striking out on Friday night without a reservation until we came across Luca. Not terribly promising that there was only one other table occupied at the outdoor seating, but it was fully packed inside. We had such great service with the host even bringing us a little complementary sparkling rosé to start out with. She recommended the chefs five course meal with a wine pairing but because we are both vegetarian and the main dish was duck, we decided to just order off the menu (note: she did say the chef would create a veggie entree for us instead of the duck had we wanted). Server was very helpful with her opinion on the various dishes and very accommodating for us being vegetarians. I am a pasta fien and when I say that the Bucatini Pomodoro impressed me so much that I ordered it on door dash two days later, I'm not kidding. My partner got the mushroom truffle fusilli and loved it too. It's a full bar and while we didn't get any wine, the cocktails were very good! A strong, tart whiskey sour and a superb aperol spritz. Honestly so impressed and excited to have found this place in our neighborhood, we will for sure be coming back again soon. Server even packed us some homemade "donut" style pastries with our leftovers. read more

It started out so well... The antipasto - Sicilian Calamari (with their delicious bread) and Cucumber Crab Zuppa - Both delicious. Then.... Luca Burrata - with Arctic Char and Caviar - Did not resonate any sort of wow factors. Fish needed smoke or cure, dish needed some sort of acid. Then.... Fusilli with white truffle and mushrooms - ahhh. Such high expectations so perhaps that explains it's downfall. Slightly overcooked pasta, too much white truffle oil (none of the real stuff). It was a flavor bomb that resulted more or less in disaster. Perhaps I ordered the wrong things ...... I will be back. (Oh, decent staff, decent wine by the glass) read more

My experience at Luca D'Italia was lovely. The Baby Squid appetizer was exceptional and the entire staff was very friendly and accommodating. Also appreciated the complimentary valet. read more

Luca - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

This is definitely an excellent Italian restaurant. We decided to do the chefs' special tasting. It is an excellent six course meal for two people, but don't worry, they come in very small portions. It is one of the best places that I have ever eaten at, everything is absolutely delicious. It can be a little bit pricey, but it's great for a special occasion. The staff is all excellent, knowledgeable, and friendly. I couldn't find anything about this restaurant that I didn't like. Frank really knows how to make quality food in an upscale, impressive fashion. read more

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Was super excited about trying Luca as I've loved the other Bonnano concepts but this was not the best experience. We waited at the entrance unattended for over 5 minutes to checkin for our reservation. The restaurant was only about 2/3 full. The hostess was fantastic and apologized and even brought complimentary Prosecco for the wait. Our waiter, Jake may have been new but when the person ordering wine commented to him that the list was overwhelming and he was unsure what to order, instead of offering a suggestion, he simply said "I'll give you more time." Lost opportunity for a sale and to exceed a customers expectation. The burrata appetizer was tasty but the bread was truly burned. My order of duck with Roman gnocchi was just gristly duck meat covered in heavy, yet tasty, leek cream sauce. The duck was not crispy at all. The "gnocchi" was simply polenta. My bad for not understanding the nuance between potato dumplings (gnocchi) and polenta (Roman gnocchi). The waiter did not know either and had to go ask the kitchen before he came back to explain. Overall the atmosphere and service was acceptable, as was the food. However it was not what I would expect from a Bonnano restaurant and certainly not at the top of my list for a return visit. There are too many other great options. read more

Amazing little spot! Very quaint and casual. Amazing house specialty drinks and delicious desserts! I recommend the "Deconstructed Grapefruit" and the "Chocolate Bavarian"! I cant wait to try their dinner menu, it all looks and smells so dang good! read more

I was looking for a special place to celebrate a special occasion and have been looking forward to delicious Italian food for weeks. Unfortunately we didn't realize our reservation was during restaurant week, meaning not all of the options were available. Our Burrata was so-so which was shocking, and the steak was inedible. Actually gross. Chicken, bolognese, and the meatball were all good. Overall was disappointed in Luca, but I'd give them another chance outside of restaurant week. Service was wonderful, and drinks were delicious, so there's that!!!! Ended up coming home for more food and dessert because this place didn't live up to standards. read more

Such a great experience every time I go! Great service. Friendly staff. And the food is unbelievable. The best Italian restaurant I've been to in Denver by a long shot! The pizza is a must have! read more

Took my in-law here for to celebrate their new car purchase. It is a little hole in the wall-ish, but even in the rain there was a wait. The decor was nothing great but the food was phenomenal! I actually wasn't too hungry so I got a appetizer form of the Lasagnette and it was enough for my dinner since I wans't that hungry. It also left room for dessert, too, which I was happy about. The food was delicious. I also liked that you could see into the kitchen...I love being able to watch all the hustle and bustle of it all. It seems like Mizuna received better praise on Yelp. Will want to check that place out next! read more

Chef Bonanno always seems to knock it out of the park at his restaurants and Luca is no exception. I went with a group for a birthday, and the birthday girl used to work for the Bonanno empire and was friends with our server. So needless to say we got the royal treatment and hooked up, big times. We shared plate after plate and everything was delicious and inspired. Fresh pasta, a wonderful appetizer that was a play on the flavors of an everything bagel, risotto with sea urchin, and too many to remember. For my entree I had the scallops which was of course amazing. The service there is impeccable as well. The bill may set you back a bit, but it is definitely worth every penny. It was easily the best meal I've had in Denver and definitely the perfect place to splurge on a romantic dinner. read more

Ignore all bad reviews! Anyone who gives this restaurant less than 4 stars has no idea how to properly review a restaurant or enjoy a fine meal with complicated cooking and prep methods and exotic ingredients. Definitely an upscale restaurant so be ready to spend your money however with top notch cuisine and preparation methods accompanied by a stellar wine list and sommelier on staff you will be treated to one of the best meals in denver. Several dishes have been local favorites for over a decade i.e. mushroom fusilli simply amazing my favorite on the menu. The dry aged steak has been dried and aged... Obviously the meat loses some mass in the process however one of the tastiest ways to treat beef, and yes the pieces are small but rich and flavorful. Sweetbreads have a naturally wierd taste to them, several reviews faulted this dish however if you are familiar with this organ and enjoy this taste you will not be let down. The lobster tagliatelli is a first course main dish thus the 19 price tag... The menu is divided by appetizers, salads, first courses and then second courses lobster is in the first course section not appetizers. Now that we've clarified, on your 1st visit i highly advise you go with the 4 course tasting menu with the wonderful wine pairings hand picked for each individual dish you order by the aforementioned resident somm and do not miss the fusilli! The dry aged beef and scallops are wonderful as well and those 2 are in the second main dish section, (if you do 4 course you can do fusilli and one of these next!) One disclaimer, my date was not crazy about caesar salad, but again a very complex salad with egg yolk to mix in to sort of finish the dressing and delicious anchovies. Date doesnt like anchovies and without them the salad is just incomplete especially with egg yolk and the absence of typical caesar dressing. Anyway we switched salads and i loved this complex original presentation of a typically boring salad. Service has been incredible everytime, took note that every server in the restaurant interacted with our table throughout the meal. Table maintenance is exceptional as even the hostess replaced my dates napkin with a new one when she went to the restroom. Even saw the somm in his nice suit constantly helping bus tables! Absolutely the best fine dining italian food in denver if you're truly upset with any aspect of this meal move to san francisco because there and New York are the only cities with enough high end restaurants to satisfy your needs... Dont ever change Luca! read more

Overall, great food & service. Our appetizers & entree sized pasta were all delicious. We had the fusilli & carbonara. Our server was friendly & knowledgeable. Good wine selection. The downsides. They were fairly minor. The toasted almond cake. I guess it was supposed to be this way but the texture of the cake was that of day old cornbread. It was so dry. The caramel & gelato that came with it were delicious but not enough moisture to make the cake better. And the flow. We were there for 2 hrs for apps, pasta entrees & dessert. I appreciate not being rushed but it was really slow for not being that busy. Overall, it was really good and I would recommend it. Good value for the price. read more

Absolutely the biggest mistake I've made. Let's just start with that I've never seen such expensive "Italian" food. I had high expectations and man were they disappointed. The portions were beyond small. Why would you give me such a big plate with such a small portion. I guess that can be considered "fancy" but more like getting someone's hopes up for nothing. Since it was so small I expected it to be decent but also disappointed. Even going to Olive Garden you would get better pasta. The free bread they brought to the table was straight up burnt. I understand some char is good but it was burnt. It's a very small interior. Not much parking outside. Overall #kevinisverysadanddissapointed. SMH SMH read more

Had, grilled artichoke, tagatelle bolognase, and shrimp dish. Service was great also, the only reason for four stars is the atmosphere, for the price of everything, the place is all old wood tables, definitely not comfortable and such a blah atmosphere with amazing food. There are so many other places with same quality and price that to skimp on atmosphere feels silly. Please remodel and get comfortable tables! read more

We just had dinner at Luca. Visiting Denver from the New York area, the Luca experience was fantastic. The warm ambiance of the bar and adjoining dining room is conducive to quiet, relaxed conversation. The attentive service is friendly but efficient, very knowledgeable. A great wine list can offer superb pairings to any of the wonderful Tuscan dishes. The homemade cheeses on the charcuterie board are very special, a must for any visit. All in all, we had an excellent meal topped off with some incredible desserts,(the deconstructed tiramisu my favorite). We hope to return to Luca everytime we visit Denver in the future. Certainly a must. 10/31/2018 read more

I'm going to start with the positive here. The bolognese was to die for and then some. The flavors were amazing. My son had the lobster fra diavolo and that was killer too. We also really appreciated the enthusian of our waiter and how everything is made in house. Now to why I'm giving this a 4 instead of 5. First, I sent an email and left a vm the day of our ressies asking if I could change the number of our party and if we could bring someone extra along. No response. Second, we arrived and there's a sign that says parking is around the corner. Uhhh, ok, can you be a bit more specific? Like cross streets maybe. Third, the place didn't look open. It was incredibly dark inside that I couldn't read the menu and it took my eyes forever to adjust to the lighting. read more

Potato Gnocchi and lobster cream is extremely good and satisfying. The pasta dishes are exceptional here and so is the Burrata. We told the server that the bread element in our panzanella were too burnt to our liking....so to be honest...to anyone. The answer was" oh you didn't know that it was the bread salad...and yes the breads were supposed to be that way" They took it off the bill and we would gladly paid for it but the reaction wasn't what we were expected. read more

So just to mix it up this year we decided to nix the Mother's Day brunch and go out for a fantastic dinner the night before. Given the weather this year it was a great decision. I was in charge of the venue decision and wanted to take my mother and sister to someplace special. The service, the food, the ambience was exactly on target for my idea of a decadent celebration. The little touches, bite size starters to get the palate revved. The sommelier sent over a glass of bubbles for each of us knowing that we were celebrating. My Mom was a bit overwhelmed with the menu but the server asked some very pointed questions and was able to guide us through our choices. This is the kind of personal service that sets a restaurant apart. We started with the house made burrata (highly recommend) and then the fusilli pasta (so rich and velvety I would definitely recommend sharing as an appetizer--not as a full order entrée). We also had the tagliatelle with huge chunks of lobster --another great dish. Unfortunately my sister was feeling a bit under the weather. She had been ill the night before and was not doing well. I spoke to our waiter and explained the predicament. What a pro. They were able to box up our mains and we cut short the meal. Again this was a moment of truth for the professionalism of the staff and they went above and beyond. My Mom called me the next day to rave about her halibut. We laughed that if it was that good a day later and reheated imagine how it would be if we had enjoyed it that night. She said that she can't wait to take my Dad back for dinner. For someone who can be a bit ambivalent about fine dining this is the greatest possible compliment. Thanks Luca team--job well done. read more

So this used to be one of my favorite restaurants but it has really gone down hill. They changed the concept from a really nice Italian restaurant to a casual bistro. Unfortunately, the food is that not good anymore. It's ok but not great. Really disappointing. read more

Luca is a terrific little neighborhood Italian joint if you know what you're looking for. The antipastos and pastas are absolutely terrific. Homemade noodles and delicious sauces. Highly recommend the pastas. The salads and small plates are also pretty good. The entrees however are not on par with the rest of the offerings. Go for the pastas and antipastos all day!!! read more

Lovely wines and delicious food. Great space with really friendly staff. The burrata is so good I would eat it every day.

We booked an earlier table to avoid crowds and that worked. The decor is straight out of a homeless shelter. Music selection was loud and very out of place which might have worked if it wasn't so bad. When seated the server poured an aperitif, nice touch. Just the smell of it was absolutely awful. We ordered a bottle of wine to share which is our normal routine wine was fairly priced. Complimentary bread was nice. Appetizers were split. Burrata was ok, Italian meat plate was a joke it was like they opened a variety pack from Safeway. Arugula salad was something we both liked. Pasta was split again. Fusilli was good. Lobster fra diavolo was inedible. Pasta grossly over cooked, sauce horrid. Note to chef, a lobster dish should include lobster! Main course, short ribs were dry and flavorless. Scallops were cooked perfectly but then doused with so much salt we had to rinse them to get the dog to eat it. Risotto piselli was cooked rice, nor risotto. We didn't stay for desert. read more

It was 90 outside the windows were open and the fans were on..so hot we all were sweating.asked about airconditioning and he said it was an old bldg. Service was slow and food was just OK. Our waiter said if we ordered a pasta dish we should order a second entree as portions were small. We were with friends from italy and they too were disappointed..Would not go back read more

so this was recommended to me by a coworker as one of the best italian joints in denver. umm, i don't think so. she came with and she agreed. the octopus, which was recommended by the waiter, ended up being rubbery and the flavors really didn't mask the smokeiness of the preparation. i had the seafood lasagna that was over sauced. the side of brussel sprouts were fine, but nothing to call home about. only pros were the beet salad and the wine selection. i have to give props to the sommelier. read more

Wanted to go to Mizuna, but they were booked, so we tried Luca, who had plenty of tables 7:30ish Saturday night. Luca is like Mizuna's step-child, Like Cinderella who had to live in the attic, is Luca who didn't get the decorating budget. When I spend $30-42 on an Entree, $10 for a salad, I want decor. Luckily the food made up for the green institutional paint, bamboo 1/2 shade, tiny tables, and silly service. Pretty laughable the cliques that are put forth from the servers, as "Are we done enjoying the spinach salad?" The plate which previously held maybe 10 leaves of baby spinach was long since licked clean. All in all, it was a very nice meal...however, it's probably a one and done. ps. The BF who is way less pickier than I, rated Luca 3 stars. He had excellent points: 1. Price was way over the top -- for what you got. Dinner was $180 with tip-- and he was still hungry. Not starving, but for almost $200 he felt Luca could have been more generous with the portions. 2. The meal was tasty, nicely plated and cooked to perfection, but nothing special. We had had that exact meal in many a restauant -- he wasn't Wow'd about anything he had. 3. He detested the deserts. We had 2, the chocolate/orange which was dry and not fresh tasting, and a torte that had a jelly topping, and the worst crust imaginable; it was dry, cold, and undercooked. 4. He liked the service, however he too felt the coldness of the restaurant. Not romantic at all. read more

I am a carb-a-holic. Let's face it...pasta is good. Unless it's bad...but, at Luca D'Italia the pasta is really, really good and homemade to boot. On the occasion of my birthday, my husband and I decided to check out one of the "finer" dining and non-chain restaurants in the Denver area. We'd heard about Frank Bonanno's restaurants and as I was decidedly in search of some authentic Italian, we chose to celebrate at Luca D'Italia. It did not dissapoint. Upon being seated at our table by the window, we found a note written by the restaurant notifying me that a dear friend of mine had called ahead and asked their sommalier to select a nice Pinot Grigio for us as a birthday surprise. (Bonus points for their lovely display and the fact that they accomodated this request over the phone since my friend lives a mere 1700 miles away.) Our bottle of wine was chilled and displayed at our table when we arrived. The pleasant surprise made a lovely addition to our meal and our first course - what else, but pasta? I had the lasagnette which was chock full of chunks of lobster, shrimp and plenty of crabmeat. I was quite pleased until I tried my husband's fusilli with wild mushrooms, shaved grana padana and white truffle cream sauce...it was heaven! I could have had either of these pastas as an entree and been completely satisfied. For the main course, I selected the scallops while my husband chose the hangar steak. Both were delicious. The scallops were prepared perfectly - and this can sometimes be a testament to a good chef. If you've ever had badly cooked scallops (and I have), you know what I mean. A bottle of wine later and we'd left no room for dessert, though I wasn't as impressed with the options available...nothing that really jumped out at me as something you'd just "have to try." The service was impeccable and our server friendly and knowledgeable. She paid us just the right amount of attention without being intrusive. All of the plates came out with beautiful presentation and their wine selection is substantial. The space is not large, so I strongly suggest reservations (we made ours about a week out), but Luca D'Italia is definitely a restaurant we will be returning to and next time I think I'll satisfy my carb craving by having a full entree of one of their hand-made pasta dishes. Buon appetito! read more

What happened to Luca D'Italia?! I have been here several times in the past and have really enjoyed it. Despite its hefty price tag, it has been worth it and I am happy to pay a little extra for a great meal with great service. This was not the case. We arrived (three couples) at 7:45ish for our 8pm reservation before we headed to a friends holiday party. The hostest was friendly and directed us to the bar while we waited...and waited...and waited. About an hour after our reservation, the bar tender suggested she would take care of us with some apps. We ordered the calamari (semolina free since I am alergic to corn) and cheese & salumi plate. Finally about an hour 25 after our reservation (9:30) we were seated and they brought the apps out with semolina on the calamari. Not a big deal, they corrected it and brought another plate out. The waitress heard us discussing the holiday party we were supposed to be going to next (ending at 11pm) and asked if we were in a hurry. We said we would like to enjoy our meal but if they could make sure and get us taken care of in a reasonable time, we would be good (which I didn't think would be an issue since they kept telling us the delay in our reservation was the time it was taking the previous party to finish their meal). My girlfriend and I split the truffle fussili and scallops with a side order of brussel sprouts and another couple split the scallops as well. First, they brought our fussili with the others salad course. I know that pasta is typically served first, as the primi course, but the waitress brought it out with the others salads. We said we weren't ready and she acted offended that she didn't want us not to have something to eat wtih the others salads (which I found strange since there were a few others who didn't have a salad), then offered nothing else. We covered it with another plate to keep it warm. When we ate it, it was quite good, I must say, but would have been much better hot. The scallops on the otherhand, were honestly pathetic. They came out with 3 of the smallest tiny bay scallops that are the equivalant on one normal sized sea scallop. I absolutely love scallops (and all things food), so I know the value of a sweeter, smaller female scallop but this was not the case. It was then massacred in pig and a bunch of other garnishes. We could barely cut the third baby scallop in half to split it. For $34 for a plate in Denver, I expect at least three large bay scallops if not more. To be honest, it was barely an appetizer. Our friends steak was mediocre although I do have to say my husbands entree sized (still a bit small) blognese was very tasty. If you are going to go hear, stick to the past and they can double the primi course to make it an entree. Oh, and they ran out of the bottle of wine we had ordered first, so we chose a different one (not as good but not a huge deal) and they ran out of any chilled beer that men were drinking. It took almost 2.5 hours for them to serve us so I think the delay wasn't really the party before but the kitchen/staff (def not the scallops since they couldn't have taken more than 1 min to cook) and we missed our holiday party. The worst part, they comped NOTHING. Not the appetizers the bartender suggested we try as she said she would take care of us, not a drink, bottle of wine, nothing (and they added their own 20% gratuity to the bill since it was a party of 6). With two split entrees, it was still $100 per person and I was still hungry. We said something about how we were dissapointed that we waited patiently for an hour and half after our reservation and nothing was taken care, despite being aluded that it woudl be, when the hostess asked us how everything was. We also said we were dissapointed to her and the waitress with the scallops of which the waitress did nothing. She asked surprised they didn't take care of anything, then said she was sorry...and turned and left. I used to love this place and was willing to spend the money for it, but this was not only mediocre at best from a food perspective, the service was no where on par with the pricing. If you must go here, stay away from the scallops mentioned in previous reviews and stick to the pasta but I can't think of several much better itialian restaurants for half the price. read more