Last year a friend invited me to join her at Lucas for a wine dinner. The dinner was held in their wine cellar room, separate from the modest main dining room. The setting was quite elegant yet cozy. The food was impeccable and was paired seamlessly with an assortment of unique Greek wines. I would highly recommend Luca's for an intimate dining experience in Keene! read more

The food is absolutely superb. The service is excellent. I would prefer they serve their delicious bread with olive oil for dipping instead of hummus, but all I had to do was ask and they brought olive oil right out to me no problem. I had the duck confit taco, it was delicious. The whole family loved their food. The patio was quaint. read more

Although I've had decent food here before, I had a terrible experience at Luca's tonight. I ordered the risotto special. Our server checked on us once right after serving our food, then proceeded to ignore us for the rest of our meal (at least 20 min). The risotto was *hard*. I kept on looking at the server, but she refused to come over. Finally, I walked toward her, and only then did she came to our table. I told her the risotto was hard, and explicitly said that I wasn't asking for a discount, and her first response was "Well, why didn't you tell me earlier?" No apologies or anything for the bad quality of the food. I then ordered the pumpkin cheesecake, which tasted stale and grainy. I paid full price for both items (without disputing it), and even gave a 15% tip (because servers have to make a living), but I definitely would NOT recommend this restaurant. read more

Maybe a great restaurant in Keene, but I am used to big city food. Only a handful of the items are fresh and completely prepared in house.

Very good. Excellent wine selection -- their label, out of a barrel. Don't know how they manage that but an absolutely top rate Malbec. My salmon morrocan style was delicious as was my wife's pasta pescadore. Great service and atmosphere. Hope to go back before we leave Keene in 4 days! read more

Luca's is the best! No matter what dish you go with, you won't be disappointed. Luca's skills are FLAVOR COMPATABILITY and FLAWLESS PREPARATION. They use fresh, quality ingredients and the result are dishes that dance on your tongue. They achieve this with familiar ingredients for the most part, so no need to fear taking your "meat and potatoes" friend along. In my opinion one of the best dishes is a perfectly prepared Pan Roasted Chicken Breast with mashed potatoes and vegetable of the day. SImple - but seasoned and cooked to perfection. Of course I branch out to other items - their Pasta della Casa is sometimes too perfect to pass by, and the Seafood specials are amazing - my husband had a Red Snapper that was sublime, so great that the exact title of it has slipped him memory LOL!. Most recently I dined with a friend from across the pond who was offered (by Luca himself) the last available Braised Lamb Shank of the evening - and over her moans of pleasure I believe I heard her say it was the best lamb she had ever tasted. The service at Luca's is INCOMPARABLE. And it comes down from the top. Most days/evenings Luca himself is there to have a word or two with patrons at their tables, making suggestions and asking for feedback. And he listens. All that with an extremely likeable and fun personality. And this treatment is what you will receive from everyone in his staff - whether you are having a dinner in the restaurant, or going next door to the Market to pick up some of the fabulous creations of the day to take home. While I KNOW no place can be perfect, I can honestly say that in my approximately 10 years of going to the café, I have NEVER had a bad meal or anything less than superb service. And that's a keeper to me! You really should check this place out at least once and see for your self. read more

Agree wholeheartedly with the 5-star posts here! Of our entire New England vacation, Luca's stands out as the best dinner we had! If they have it on the menu, the pork scallopini is a MUST.... we dreamt about it all week! read more

I have never been disappointed after eating at Luca's. The ravioli is delicious and so is their pizza! I've also been at events where Luca's catered and the food was really good! read more

Our first visit to Luca's was a complete success. We were greeted upon arrival by one of the wait staff. Seated and time to preview the menu and order before our visit to Luca's Market for a night with Monadnock art night. The food was top notch and service was great as well. Try anything on the menu and you will not be disappointed. Luca the owner is very pleasant and accommodating. From one New Yorker to another we will return and bring our guests from the city!! Thanks Luca for having a top notch restaurant in Keene!! Will miss NYC a little less now!! read more

Luca has added some new menu items recently. Tonight we tried baby kale salad with ginger dressing. Great addition to the salad choices- I recommend it!! We also enjoyed fresh pasta with Lucas marinara sauce and added spinach and mushrooms. Perfect blend of flavors and so nice to have new vegetarian options to enjoy. We could not leave without trying Limoncello cake. Wow, great lemon flavors in this light cake. Excellent finish to our meal! read more

Keene's premiere upscale joint. Personal attention and service that is unparalleled in the region. Something for everyone including interesting seasonal/fresh dishes and flavors. Great wine selection. Make sure you make a reservation or you might not be able to enjoy during prime times. read more

Just delicious. Cozy inside, maybe a little small, but otherwise lovely. Will definitely be back.

What a great place for a frigid New England night in January. When visiting my mother in law my wife and I wanted to take her out to celebrate her wedding. We wanted to surprise her with the restaurant choice so I looked on Yelp and found Luca's. The food, menu, decor looked great and it had great reviews so we booked a table. Just in case they'd been there before we asked them where in the area they've been and whether they liked it hoping to hear Luca's as a good place they've been to or perhaps never to have been to at all. She rattled them off one by one and then suddenly she said Luca's. I asked if she liked it and she said no. She said it was in the winter the cold air from the door opening ruined her whole night. She also was in bad company and although she didn't say she didn't like the food, the combo of being cold and with bad company just left a bad taste in her mouth. Luckily I dove into some of the reviews and someone had recently mentioned the addition of tapestries by the door to quell the movement of air when the door opened. With that in mind and some great food photos we convinced her to give it another try. When we arrived it was toasty warm inside which complemented the cozy decor and size of the place. The door opened a few times but we barely noticed. The tapestries definitely helped. The food and service was great. Apps were spot on. We had the roasted cauliflower, almond crusted mozzarella, and a pot of mussels. As a main my wife and I both had the beef and mushroom risotto which was to die for. My mother in law had the salmon and she literally licked her plate clean. My father in law had the swordfish and he also loved it. We loved the small menu. Nothing scares me more than a restaurant that serves everything under the sun. Luca's has plenty of choices that span all across the Mediterranean. I'd love to go back and try something else. Overall it was a perfect place for the occasion and perfect way to spend a cold winters night with good wine, great food and pleasant company. read more

We were here in May 2012 and it was one of the worst dining experience we have ever had. I'd give zero stars if possible. The mussels appetizer was grainy and unpalatable. We sent them back. We never send things back, so we were feeling pretty bad and just wanted to move on to the entrees. Luca came out and did not apologize, he did blame the staff though. We had the Pasta al Pescadora which was awful and we also sent back. Again, the "seafood" was over done, grainy, and chewy. (At least we were getting practice on sending things back and not feeling bad about it.) The flavor was pretty bland too. They offered to replace it with something else, but at this point we just wanted to get out of there and took the check. read more

Five stars, without any question. If I could pull off more kid free dinner dates with my husband I would land here often. Clean, professional, fresh, delicious food unlike much else you'll find locally. read more

I called first to ask about vegan options & was pleased to hear it wouldn't be a problem. Came for dinner Luca came over to talk to us, he came up with a delicious vegan pasta dish. definitely coming back!! read more

made a reservation for 6:15, arrived at 6:05 and were promptly seated in a quiet nook next to the window. server was prompt in offering either "plain" or bottled water, and brought wine list and beer menu (no draft, but good selecton of bottled beer.) wine list is heavy on full bottles, not so much on by the glass. also, no sauvignon blanc is offered, but there is a good riesling (and waitress recommended a spanish white). my guest had shiraz....(red zin, her usual, by bottle only. i had a beer to start, the riesling with dinner. we shared an app.of shredded duck wrapped in lettuce leaves (3) which were very good, as was the tangy sauce served with them. guest ordered the seafood risotto, and showed me the plump mussels that topped it. she said it was very good. i had the broiled salmon over couscous (the pearly type), which i ordered "rare" and it came that way, very well prepared. we were going to a dance performance and since arriving with plenty of time we were not in a hurry and server worked well with that. a little pricey, but mostly worth it. i would definitely eat there again. happy trails. read more

Best Alfredo in the world. And I've been to Italy. No really. This alfredo was so good. I dream about it still. Our waiter was friendly and knowledgeable. The food came pretty quickly. The champagne was good. I can't rave enough about this place. We drove 30 minutes to get there. Worth it! read more

I took my mom to a special wine dinner here last week. Each course was paired with a Malbec. The dishes prepared were absolutely amazing, and the service was great too (as always)! read more

Tie between here and Nicola's for best fine dining in Keene.

Best marinara sauce we have ever had! Details of the meal were just very nice we definitely will return!

We visited tonight from eastern ma for a most delightful, unexpected, amazing meal! One of the best ever... the duck was a meal to live for!!! So as I ate this spectacular gift, I thanked the precious animal that blessed my palate. Thank you for my spectacular meal and I wish you continued success with this amazing gem! read more

Honestly, it's probably some of the best food you'll get in Keene. Besides Nicolas, there is virtually no higher-end cuisine in the town. Some decent joints on Main Street, but this place has definitely one of the more enticing menus. We went there for dinner and both ate pretty well, bill ended up being 60.00 without tip. SPEAKING of tip, it's also some of the best service in Keene. Great front end, good food to the point that I get frustrated that I can't even dress a salad as well as them. Bottom line - make a reservation and go if you're in town. read more

My husband and I came here with our 4 year old on a whim last week for dinner. Luca was extremely pleasant and very sweet to our daughter Mia! Even though this place is high class delicious Italian, it had the best kid menu an Italian restaurant could offer. She was well entertained as we enjoyed our DELICIOUS and reasonable cuisine! Thanks and we WILL be back.! read more

Would highly recommend this restaurant. Excellent inventive cuisine. Outstanding flavors. Staff was very friendly, helpful, and attentive. read more

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My fiancée and I chose Lucas Mediterranean Cafe as the restaurant for our wedding rehearsal dinner because it is our favorite local restaurant and they do an amazing job at always serving delicious food (even when faced with my long allergy list). As always, Luca and his staff were a pleasure to work with and they smoothly served us a delectable, four course meal for 28 people. Our guests were still mentioning how good the food was 3 weeks later!! read more

We went here after reading good reviews about this restaurant and looking at the menu. It all sounded delicious. Sadly, that was not the case. We got there a little earlier than our reservations, but they seated us anyways. From there on it went downhill. Our first course, cup of soup and a salad - took nearly an hour to get served. When we finally did get our meal, the portions were underwhelming and the food was not Mediterranean as expected, but it was rather just cobbled together. Nothing special. read more

Comfortable elegance. Take a date, take your ex, take your boss. You'll quickly be enjoying the perfectly prepared food and professional service. I can't wait to go back! read more

I want to like this restaurant it's cute, it's close, it promises a dinner I'd like to eat, but every time I go there I'm reminded of why I stay away. Last night our dinner was barely edible. The appetizer, almond crusted mozzarella was good but not at all like the picture on the website which showed a nice piece of cheese on the plate with greens and sauce. Ours came with too much cheese and too little greens and sauce. Someone in the kitchen must have just been throwing salt around because our dishes were so salty we couldn't eat them. The mushroom and wild boar risotto came in a skillet and looked like something from Denny's. It was just a skillet of slop. I had expected mushroom risotto with the boar on top. I guess the boar was mixed in, because of the salt I didn't eat enough of it to find many pieces. My friend had the short ribs which were, salty, and tough. Short ribs, tough. Our waitress was friendly but we were sort of disgusted when she laid the specials menu across the bread basket. We giggled a bit too when we heard her explaining the specials to the table behind us. We didn't get any explanations of the specials or why she would lay a dirty menu on top of the bread basket. The drinks were good, we needed them to try and wash the food down. Maybe the chef should spend more time in the kitchen instead of the front of the house and while he's back there hide the salt shaker. read more

It's been years since I've been to Luca's but I thought I'd give it another try. Sad to say, still not impressed. There were 3 of us and we each ordered a different entree - steak, lamb and pork. We all had the same reaction - the food was ok - just ok. None of us were wowed or even slightly impressed. Service was ok, the place was ok. If you are willing to settle for "just ok"' then You will enjoy Luca's. read more

I lived in Keene for 4 years, and went here often.The food is amazingly delicious, and the chefs take pride in their work. Luca has superb customer service and is frequently out on the floor making sure his customers are happy, when he's not cooking. pumpkin cognac cheesecake is amazing in the fall! read more

Great service! The staff a really great attitude! The food was super fresh and tasty :)

A fantastic restaurant that caterers to the most discerning adult tastes, but still makes younger guests feel just as valued ( and parents relieved that their kids are happy!) read more

This was an excellent stop on our weekend in Keene. All of the pasta dishes we tried were wonderful, but the roasted corn tagliatelle was superb! Great, professional and prompt service from Katie! We will be back! read more

Cosy family owned eatery that does Italian comfort food with flair, a wonderful alternative to all the loud bustling places everywhere in the U.S. We enjoyed the chicken with mashed potatoes, nearly as good as home made, and penne with a simple sauce. Reminded us of our neighborhood Italian places back home. Belissima and authentic! read more

We had a great dining experience meeting Luca and having Josh as our waiter. We can't wait to go back again.

Went there with some friends and the place was packed and the waitress really hustling. Despite that the crowd was intense and the kitchen was firing on all cylinders, the delay in getting our food was tolerable and when it came, it was very, very good. read more

Simply the best restaurant in Keene, (OK tied with Nicollas Tratoria). Fine dining. Great price. Luca is a star. Highly recommended

Maybe 3.5. A few more dinner options/specials would be nice. It seems as though they take short cuts, everything could be done a bit more carefully, a bit more upscale, for the price. Lunches seem to be the best value. Also, it would be nice, since the prices and atmosphere are upscale, if they would ask "gentlemen" to remove their baseball caps when seated. Apparently, that needs to be said today. Go figure. read more

I was visiting my children in NH and traveling with 2 chi's. I had read this place was great with animals and even gave them water bowls. I made reservations to eat outside. We arrived early and our table was being prepared at that moment. Things looked promising. The menu looked amazing but 2 of our group were youngsters and found nothing to their taste on the menu. The service was lacking. We actually had 2 waiters which I thought meant one was in training although they were both so bad we couldn't tell which one was new. Our drinks were never refilled nor were we asked if we needed refills. We had to go ask for our bill. Then when she brought it, we had to go find her again to turn in our credit card. No water bowls for dogs but at least they were permitted on the outside patio. We would not eat there again. read more