The food is amazing and always perfectly prepared and served. It is a very nice atmosphere but you don't have to dress up if you don't want to. The staff is very friendly and always checking on you. I go every year for my birthday and our anniversary. We always check on the new menus so we can try them out. read more

The food here was second to none in Helena! Myself and my lady had a full four course meal with a double dessert to share and still didn't see our bill go over $100 (no wine however). Service was more than accommodating and friendly without imposing themselves on our meal. The Atmosphere is quiet and quaint somehow even with 15 foot ceilings. I am most definitely interested in returning! read more

Lucca's - Italian Near Me - Helena, Montana

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Took my wifey there a couple of weeks ago and had a great dinner. The small restaurant is very nice, and it's in the downtown walking mall area. The atmosphere is nice but not pretentious. We had the mussels in pesto sauce as an appetizer which were awesome. My wife had the spicy but delicious shrimp fra diavolo, and I had the lasagna. So good, and I highly recommend this place/ delicious Italian food. read more

I love this place! They have great ciabatta bread and garlic infused butter! Their Sherley temples are amazing! Their menu has a wide variety of Italian foods, and let me say, the food is delicious! I have been here so many times and it never gets old! read more

I know so many people love this place. But I'm so lukewarm on it. If people I'm dining with insist on going, fine, I'll go. But overall you can do better for the price tag. I've eaten here twice. The service was great both times. I have a dairy allergy and they accommodated that nicely. It's slow but that is not due to service, it's more due to the pace of a nice meal generally being slow. A lot of people like the pasta here, but they charge a lot for it and don't even make their own (On Broadway does). A waitress told me they use packaged gnocchi. With the price tag for a meal here, they shouldn't be using packaged anything, especially things that are so easy to make! I've had 2 meals here, one was a lamb chop, and one was a seafood pasta. The mussels appetizer was good, their seafood is very fresh. However, neither meal, while good, blew me away or justifies the price. I doubt you'll be disappointed if you go here, but there are better place you can go. read more

I have been here many times and always enjoy my meal. My go to is the Shrimp Fra Dia Volo. You will not be disappointed. The steaks are alright. Also, get dessert! It is well worth saving room for. I always leave her with a happy belly! read more

Outstanding food, and our wait person, Brianne, was attentive, informative, warm, and personable. This was an exceptional meal. While the menu is limited, the specials add variety and are excellent. The prices are not low. One Appetizer, two entrees, a bottle of wine, and a single desert was a bit north of $100, but $40 of that was the Bottle of wine we chose. So the food is not outrageously expensive, but it is more expensive than many other establishments in Helena. I would argue, though, that Lucca's is much better - in quality, service, and ambiance - than most of the other top end restaurants in Helena. For a top shelf experience in Helena, I would recommend Lucca's over any of the others. read more

A truly wonderful evening! I had never been to Lucca's before and came with a date and an empty stomach. I am so glad that I did! The atmosphere is perfect for a date or a small group of friends. There are only about 15 tables so reservations are required, at least on the weekends. From the moment I walked on, I felt very welcome and even a little bit pampered. We started with wine for me (recommended by Ray), bourbon for the mister and pesto mussels. The bread and dipping sauce was perfect, as was the soup, salad and of course, the mussels! We had to get another loaf of bread to sop up all of the delicious pesto. I had the Shrimp Fra Diavolo and my date had a special of the evening, which was a seafood pasta dish. We ended up switching half way through as both of the dishes were exquisite. If you like a little heat and perfect cream sauce, order this dish! I am not a fan of "gourmet" restaurants where you need a magnifying glass to see your food and the portions at Lucca's were plenty big enough to take home (if you can stop yourself from eating it all). After thinking that we couldn't possibly eat any more (but wanting to) we finished with French press and a flour less chocolate cake. All the tables around us were having dessert too - I saw a tiramisu that was to die for and a gelato type dessert that also looked heavenly. When we finally left, I looked at my clock. We had spend three solid hours at dinner and I had hardly noticed. I never felt rushed the whole time, which in such a small restaurant really speaks volumes. I overheard our waitress telling other tables that they were out of certain items later in the night. Some people may be annoyed by this, but to me it indicates that the restaurant has a high level of expectations. They do not serve anything but fresh, wonderful food. read more

Fantastic Experience! Besides the wine being smooth, the bread being served warm with Gorgonzola butter and balsamic dipping sauce, and the salad being light yet satisfying (raspberry balsamic), the end-to-end experience was relaxing and borderline nostalgic. The atmosphere is quiet and calm and with the restaurant being small and the service being drawn out (in a good way), the table turnover was almost non-existent with people around us staying the full 1.5 hours we were there. Expensive but quite the experience! read more

Lucca's - Italian Near Me - Helena, Montana

Stellar food. From appetizers to desserts, everything was absolutely incredible. Highly highly recommend. Our server (Jordan) was also fantastic. read more

Love, Love, Love Luccas! The staff is always friendly and very good if you have questions about the menu or pairing your dinner with a great wine. Appetizers I recommend: antipasto, mussels (I'm not a fan of mussels at all, but my friends love them here) My favorite menu dish: Shrimp Fra Diavolo (its a little spicy) Tips: Always order the nightly special (if they have any left!) and Wednesday night you get 1/2 off your 1st bottle of wine! read more

Great food and service. Food is incredible. Can not go wrong. Ray really helps out on the wine pairing.

Very pleasant and welcoming atmosphere. We arrived without a reservation at 6:30 on Thursday evening and had no problem being seated. Within minutes nearly every table was full. Good wine selection, and the menu has many delectable dinner selections - it was hard to choose! The Amuse Bouche was a cannelini bean soup with asiago cheese & a drizzle of olive oil - delicioso! The salad arrived family style and was a perfect start. Tender spring greens, dried cranberries, parmesan cheese and a dark & light balsamic vinaigrette - another winner! For dinner, I chose the pork porterhouse - it was cooked to order. Tender, juicy and flavorful. It was accompanied by a selection of sauteed vegetables and an orzo prepared in a risotto style. Well prepared food, attentive service, pleasant surroundings - it was a pleasure! read more

I really have not been treated worst in any restaurant than I was here. I wouldn't recommend this place to my enemies. Nothing was misrepresented...and even if it was, I should be treated properly by the staff. read more

Hands down the best dining experience in Helena. Outstanding service, amazing wine selection, and terrific food with a seasonally rotating menu. Also, a great location downtown on the walking mall and right next to the Big Dipper! read more

Lucca's - Lucca's beautiful dining room. - Italian Near Me - Helena, Montana

Very nice place. Everybody was so nice. Food was rich and tasty. Wanted desert but didn't have room. I would highly recommend this for any size party. I can say this was as good as any Italian restaurant I've eaten at. read more

Fantastic meal! Great wine selection! The waitress was fantastic; she did a great job. I highly recommend this restaurant.

We went out to Lucca's for our 6th anniversary after moving to Helena only 6 months ago. We chose Lucca's based on online reviews. We were not disappointed! Every detail from the amuse bouche to the dessert was balanced, delicious, and well-thought out. We shared the crab and artichoke appetizer, which was wildly flavorful and the crostini was perfectly crisp. The complimentary bread with sun-dried tomato spread and balsamic dipping sauce was also to die for. The salad of arugula and spinach came with dried cranberries and a nice peach vinegrette dressing and some kind of cheese on top (I can't remember what kind). We noted that it was also seasoned. You know how arugula and spinach can sometimes be bitter? This was not; even my husband and I who usually sort of set the salad aside thinking we want to save room for the "good stuff" or the entree, ate every bite served to us. My husband had one of the specials, an 8 oz tenderloin with a shallot butter and the orzo. I had the pork chop with apple. Again, all of these things were so well balanced and delicious - we were so impressed! The only thing that was a little lack-luster were the side veggies; they were still a bit more crisp than I would typically like and they lacked the robust flavor that every other element had encompassed. But the portions were generous and neither of us felt cheated by the lack-luster veggies. After the entree, we were both so full that we just knew we didn't have room for dessert. Because everything to this point had been so incredible, we had to ask what they had - just in case. We couldn't resist the raspberry white chocolate panna cotta and, again, we were so impressed. Both raspberry and white chocolate have the potential to be overwhelming, but this chef knows balance. Everything was just so incredibly balanced and delicious. Lucca's, you've definitely won our hearts as our official anniversary restaurant. And likely every special date we can get away from the kids and afford a really nice dinner. After enjoying every single course there was to offer, sparing nothing that we could want because it was a special date, we still rang in under $100 (minus tip of course because the service was also incredible). Worth it. Worth every single penny. Oh! I almost forgot to mention. We don't drink, but they had a very elaborate selection of wines and even offered to let us taste one. That seemed very classy and nice. I did, however, thoroughly enjoy my nonalcoholic mixed drink - a huckleberry cream Italian soda. Seriously, I'm the kind of person that kind of drinks several glasses of my soda during a meal, sips water here and there, but this flavor was just so wonderful - it lasted me my entire meal right up until the panna cotta came. I didn't NEED to drink it quickly. It was just so satisfying and great that I just wanted to savor each sip. Again, that balance. We will surely be back! read more

Oh My Gosh! Nuff said! By far, the best meal I've had in the last 2 weeks traveling through Montana! I ordered the lamb, which chef recommended rare....perfect since that how I like my meat anyway! It came with orzo, which I wasn't sure I was a fan of....but yeah, apparently I am a fan! Even the salad that comes with dinner is fresh & crisp and delicious! I also ordered a glass of cab franc that they were running a special on and it did not disappoint either. I sat at the bar (only 3 seats) since I was dining solo and watched the kitchen work like a well-oiled machine.....no yelling and screaming...just everyone focused on serving up some awesome food! And when the wine glasses come out of the dishwasher, they are meticulously wiped down so you are sure to not find any lipstick or water spots on your glass (a real pet peeve....someone else's lipstick on my wine glass!). Also, my waitress, Nicole was very attentive without being intrusive The chef asked how I liked the lamb....another sign that he actually cares about what he is doing! Wish I was staying here longer so I could come back and try other things, but I'm leaving tomorrow so I guess it will have to wait til my next visit to Helena! No worries....in the meantime I will have happy dreams about this place! read more

If there is a better restaurant in Helena, I haven't found it. Everything is top-notch....The homemade bread, the salad with house dressing and the honey-glazed salmon. Someone in the kitchen knows what they are doing. To top it off, service was amazing. My server, Claire, was attentive and detail-oriented. Finding this place made my night. read more

I have been missing good Italian food since I moved to Montana and I finally found it! The service was sincere and attentive, the wine selection was wonderful and the food was delicious from the bread service to our entrees. I had the shrimp and scallops and loved them. My boyfriend was thoroughly impressed by the lasagna. We were delighted from start to finish! read more

We live in Bozeman and will drive to Helena just to eat here! Best Italian in MT. Seriously. The food is truly amazing and the service is wonderful. It is a quaint restaurant that seems quite intimate due to its size. It is worth the $$$ for the amazing food, wine, service & ambiance. I would recommend the scallops/shrimp pasta, the gnocchi, their house salad and mussels. I'm convinced you cannot order anything that is not superb!! read more

This place is incredibly hyped. Took my gf here for her bday- spent 120 for what was no better than Olive Garden. Salad and table bread were the best part. Tiramisu pretty good. The entrees though-- if you are charging 30-40 per dish they better be a step above. Mine was a creamy monstrosity. Over priced Italian fine dining is not hard-- Get some imported Italian pasta with an elegant sauce and bam... happy customer. Both of our dishes were mediocre, middle of the road, "Italian night" at the college cafeteria. Our server savannah was kind, but the manager was disappointing. I approached him in the middle of our meal to request a cake with a candle on it to surprise my lady- he said he'd relay the message to our server. Pretty standard request. When our meal came to it's end the, our waitress asked if we'd like dessert-- guess the manager forgot. Left me in an awkward position where I had to sneak off a second time to the waitress to ask for the candle. You'd expect the food and service to somewhat reflect the high prices. Nope. On Broadway is better with slightly better prices. Save your money. The only thing fine dining about Lucas is their prices. read more

A favorite for special occasions. Food is top notch as is the service and the wine pairings have never disappointed. Even though for Helena it might seem expensive, it's worth every penny and more. read more

Mussels are to die for. Bread, butter, and balasmic/olive oil/cheese blend are perfect. Shrimp fra diavolo is divine. Huckleberry dessert is the icing on the cake. Can't go wrong with anything here. And love how the wine, ice cream, and bread are from shops around the corner. read more

This is our favorite place to eat in helena! The food is always delicious and the service is great! For a great dining experience, this is the perfect place to go! Try the pesto Mussels as an appetizer, you can thank me later! read more

Got a reservation for three and sat down to a table spaced well apart from the next table. Service is attentive and quick. Food is amazing and they know how to do gluten free. That gluten free brownie, though. . . read more

Ate here for date night with my lovely wife. Wonderful atmosphere, food was amazing, service was fantastic. The wine pairing was excellent! read more

This is my favorite restaurant in town. I've eaten here lots of times. The food is always great, head chef Mike does an excellent job. Definitely make reservations and save room for dessert. If you want a wonderful experience, go to Lucca's! read more

My husband & I came to eat dinner here after researching many local restaurants. Our meal was fabulous! Service was impeccable, staff was knowledgeable & friendly. Our food was superb! Thank you. read more

This is the second time I have have eaten here and I will never eat at another Italian restaurant in our area again. I will also make this my new go to for bringing guests to dinner when they come to visit. Lucca's has an amazingly comfortable environment, exceptional staff, and the food is beyond delicious. Each time I've come to this restaurant, it's been an experience and not just going out to another dinner. I can't wait to go back. read more

Horrid experience. Treated like crap by the pretentious door man. Walked out before we could order. This is NOT a friendly spot to visit. Plenty of other great choices in town luckily. read more

I've been dining in Helena for 35 years. I appreciate good, top quality Italian fare. Based on just 1 experience, Lucca's has a pleasant atmosphere, and the food was quite good. But the menu is limited, and the price's are probably among the highest in Helena. Maybe it's changed in the year since I went there. But my single experience (and that of my three companions) was not enough to bring me back. read more

Went here to eat with my coworkers for dinner on Thursday night. It's a nice intimate restaurant and definitely a date scene. The odd thing was that when we called to make reservations, they indicated only two available slots: 5 or 8 pm. We were too hungry to wait until 8 pm to eat, so we rushed out of the office to make it to our 5 pm reservations. When we got there.. there was only ONE table occupied in the entire establishment. Not once during our two-hour dinner did the place fill up or get busy, so we're not really sure why we couldn't get reservations for any other time that night.. oh well--moving on... The restaurant has good service and provides some complimentary bread with two very delicious spreads (butter with sun-dried tomatoes and butter with balsamic vinaigrette) while you wait for your food. I had their special lemonciello martini drink. This was a very strong drink and I think I got a bit tipsy after my 2nd or 3rd sip! I ordered a pasta dish that I see is not listed on their online menu right now. I can't remember what it was called, but it had "Lucca's" in the name. It was breaded chicken breasts stuffed with mozarella cheese on top of fetuccini noodles, fresh spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes. This was a nice dish and the chicken was cooked perfectly, but there wasn't enough flavor in it for me--it's definitely a light sauce dish. A colleague ordered one of their specials, which was an eggplant dish with some type of red sauce and it was very delicious! There was a lot of flavor in the dish and it made me regret I didn't get it. Someone else at our table ordered the Shrimp Fra Diavolo, which she said was one of the best she ever had. Although I didn't have a taste of her dish, everyone who did mentioned how it had a very strong kick. So, for those of you who can't do really spicy dishes, I may think about avoiding that dish. read more

Lucca's is an absolute delight. Helena may not be a culinary hub, but Lucca's would shine in any location. The atmosphere is intimate. The service is outstanding. In terms of food, you really can't go wrong with anything on the menu (which rotates seasonally). Dietary restrictions are not a problem. The staff is always willing to go out of their way to accommodate even the trickiest of diners. Make sure to save room for dessert! read more

The maitre'd asked me to consider removing my last review. I have. I have given 1 more star than my last review. However, not impressed again. Most of the food of the evening was great once we got our food. It took 1 hour and 10 minutes to get our salad. We were told it was due to a big table in the restaurant. Needless to say when we had our meal about 1 and half hours in we were hungry and not happy. My mom had the veal which she loved. The mushroom pappardelle was ordered by my daughter in law. This needed to have the moisture of the mushrooms cooked out before serving as it was a pool of liquid when the pasta was finished. My meal was the sausage cavatappi and it was overly salted. I didn't eat all of it and brought it home so that my husband could try it but he wouldn't. I am sorry I really was hoping for more. read more

This is my favorite restaurant in Helena! The first few times I was there, they were so willing to accommodate my being vegan. The last time I went, and made a reservation, the chef called me to run a few menu ideas by me! The service is exceptional, and is bested only by the food. Go on Wednesday nights; your first bottle of wine is half off. :) read more

Probably the finest dining experience in Helena. The food here puts Olive Garden or Macaroni Grill to shame in regard to Italian. Food was amazing. Girlfriend and I went last night to celebrate her new job. The atmosphere is very well set for a romantic dinner. Lighting is just right, we can hear each other. Staff was very friendly and professional. This will be our "go to" place for the romantic getaways in Helena. Nice job Lucca's! read more

WOW..........is this possible? We are from Southern CA (yeah I know another CA idiot) and can compare this restaurant to many in the San Diego area. I must say it is superb if not better than most Italian restaurants I've been to. The food was out of this world and the server, Kristen, was professional, courteous, and knowledgeable. My fiancé had a featured wine from Paso Robles and it was delicious. They KNOW what they are doing at this restaurant. I would recommend this to anyone. We're now 2 hours from Helena but I would drive that again just to eat at Lucca's. read more

We had a great experience here the other night. In fact I would say it was the best dining experience we've had since we moved out of California 3 years ago and definitely the best since living in Montana. Our server, Brianne, was not only friendly but also competent, which I had not yet experienced at a restaurant in Montana. She really knew her stuff, she didn't forget anything, and we actually got what we ordered. The food was amazing! I ordered the Shrimp Fra Diavolo, which was actually spicy and super delicious. My husband had the special, which wasn't as good as what I ordered but was still very good. I wish this place wasn't so pricy so we could enjoy it more often but we will definitely be back. read more