My husband and I came here on a whim. Other Yelp reviews informed me that although Luci Ancora does not cater to vegans, they will take care of you if you let them know your needs. It happened to be late night happy hour (starts at 8pm) and they had some great options on that menu. We each had a glass of wine ($3-$5 each) and $5 bruschetta. My husband had the daily chefs special and he was in love. It was a pretty small amount of food, but he said well worth the price. I simply told them to surprise me with a vegan entree, and was made a lovely sautee of many veggies and shiitake mushrooms (score! I love those suckers). It did not have any pasta (all the pasta must have had eggs in it) but had a great sauce. read more

The restaurant was beautiful. We were greeted when we walked in. The host and our waitress was very informative. Everything was perfect from beginning to end. Everything we tried had a beautiful flavor. The service was fast. The different wines suggested was great for my palate. read more

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This is absolutely one of our favorite spots to eat! I have never been disappointed- the food and drinks are always delicious. Not only that, but the ambiance and service are great. I always feel comfortable, appreciated, and welcome. We have introduced family to Luci, and now they want to go whenever they come visit! My father is particularly fond of the tasting menu. It isn't cheap, but you can definitely taste the quality that you're paying for. I'm a little surprised by some of the comments about small portions. Don't expect leftovers, they are small compared to chains I guess, but it's more then enough to satisfy. I personally love the portion sizes because it keeps me from overeating. read more

Tasty Italian food in an elegant setting. I came in for the "late night happy hour" which happens nightly after 8pm. For $5, you can order small pasta portions and appetizers. The fusilli with chicken was fantastic, very buttery with a hint of spice. The wine list was great, and happy hour prices on wine were even better ($3 glass of Italian reds). read more

This is an amazing spot! Small inside but intimate. Food is well priced and delicious. Servers have always been nice. Always a treat!

Morel mushrooms! Wow!!! Go for the 4-course daily special. You won't be sorry! Run, don't walk!

Wonderful food, staff, atmosphere and time spent with family. We brought my bro-in-law here for his 50th bday. He worked at the original Luci kiddy corner to this years ago. Many of the cooks are still there today. The staff was great to work with and treated us very nice and were all very attentive. We started with wine and a couple of apps - mozzarella, truffle ravioli, a type of falafel and bread. Sooooo yummy! Especially the truffle pasta. Then main courses and the standout was the tenderloin. For sure get this if you love deliciously tender beef. We enjoyed one of each of the desserts. All were great. Espressos were amazing. Get here if you're looking for great Italian in a great part of town. read more

This place is phenomenal! I can't put it into accurate words to tell you. First time I was there I loved it. This was bacK in 1997! Then I took my wife there last November 2019 and remembered why I loved the place. You need to try it read more

This restaurant is a small gem. Everything is good here the service, wine, and food. It has a nice small cheerful ambiance.

It is a good restaurant. Bread was ok but the salad, pasta and desert was good. Food is simple but tasty. Staff is friendly Clean restaurant . We will definitely visit again. read more

Best Italian restaurant hands down. If you've been to Tuscany and loved the food, this will give you a little bit of what you remember. Nobody else comes close, in my opinion. Luckily, I live 3 blocks away, but seriously worth the trip. Sign up for for emails because their wine dinners (usually paired up with Thomas Liquors) are a great time! read more

Great food and ambience. Always consistent. Mushroom risotto was excellent as was the salmon.

My wife and I went to Luci Ancora for dinner last night and had a great time. The atmosphere is quite nice with white tablecloths and a real wood burning fireplace. The tables are spaced well. The menu is limited, but sufficient. Everything we had was good, from two different salads, to the pizzetta, two pastas and a couple of different deserts. We found the portion sizes to be decent, not skimpy like we had read in some reviews. The service was top notch. It is a well-run business. It is at the higher end for price, but a deserving spot for a special evening. read more

We moved out of the neighborhood so we had not been to Luci Ancora for a bit. So glad we decided to eat there. My husband had the pre-fixe menu. Two callouts- Tomato soup and butternut squash ravioli. Tomato soup was luscious. He enjoyed it so much, he took home a quart. It was his first time for the ravioli. He loved it- as did I when I snuck a taste. Usually it is a dish where ravioli takes center. This was extremely balanced between pasta, filling, and butter. Our server Erin was efficient and a delight. We'll be back soon! read more

What a fantastic little Italian place! As a vegan I almost always rule out Italian food as it is almost impossible to find without any dairy and usually chicken breast tops everything so when my mother suggested Luci I was a little concerned. However I indulged her and Boy! am I glad I did! Firstly the waitstaff was VERY knowledgeable about each dish and went so far as to outline for use which meals would work, which could be accommodated and which could not be. My true marker of a good server is what they know about the bread. Before I could even ask the waitress was offering advice about which bread had dairy and which didn't. It always makes my meal easier when the waitstaff anticipate my questions and remember my needs. Mother and I both had the pasta prima vera which was To Die For. As was the bruschetta which, I'll be honest with you, I've never had due to my avoidance of Italian food. About half way through the meal the chef sent out some basil oil he had found to add flavor to our meal...I know right, A-mazing. All in all fantastic place, VERY vegan friendly. If you've been avoiding Italian because of dairy issues this is the place to go! read more

This place is within walking distance of my house. Nothing like a stroll through the gorgeous St. Kate's campus to work up your appetite. The past few times I've eaten here, I've been underwhelmed, which makes me sad because well...see above. Most recently went here with a party of four at the request of my father-in-law who (used to) love the place. The salad was tasteless. The bread (which is from St. Agnes bakery and usually awesome) was stale. The tasting menu fettuccine arrived with 2 shrimp. Now I know there are reduced portions with the tasting menu, but two shrimp seems skimpy when you are paying $36. My mother-in-law (who ordered another dish) picked at her pasta like a 3-year-old and did not request a doggy bag, which was her polite way of saying, "yuck." Our waitress was neither very knowledgable nor friendly, but she did bring food and clear plates effectively. Hopefully a robot will not take over her job before she moves on the bigger and brighter things. I had made reservations online several days prior indicating it was my father-in-law's 70th birthday and no one at the restaurant said anything. I reminded the waitress and she said, "Happy Birthday" reflexively. I was not looking for a hand-out (he's 70 not 7), but some special recognition or showmanship, or having the manager come over or something would have been nice. We did share a bottle of delicious St. Innocent Pinot Noir. That was the best part of the meal. I don't see a reason to come back any time soon, which makes me sad because part of the appeal of living in the city is walking to places. But why walk into disappointment? read more

I don't write many reviews, but want to express our gratitude for the staff here. We came here with 25+ family members after the funeral of my dear Nana. This isn't a huge restaurant, but they accommodated us so kindly and made us feel welcome rather than a burden. We had small children, a stroller, an older relative with a walker and none of it was an issue. Our servers were fantastic and welcoming, food was all ready at once, and we were well taken care of. Bonus: I am breastfeeding and had to feed my baby at the table, and was never made to feel uncomfortable. It was so nice to have a calm, comfortable meal after a day of grieving. I realize very little of this is about the food, but the star this night was the service. read more

Atmosphere: 4.5 What one generally thinks of as a slightly higher end, classic Italian restaurant. Romantic, dimmed lights, there was even a small fireplace in one corner. The decor was simple, but classy. All in all, nice, but a little on the small side. Service: 5.0 Perhaps we were lucky to get a vegan server, but she, of course, certainly knew her stuff. She was very polite (even when one member of our party made quite a few complex orders), and was very attentive. Food: 4.5 Quality-wise, the food was formidable. Unfortunately, there were not too many options available to vegans, but the restaurant in general seemed very accommodating to us (and the special was vegan as it was). Both the dishes I had were delicious, fairly classic and not too creative -- but both had a bit of a flair (for the salad, the very remarkable olives unlike most I've had, and for the pasta, shredded fried potato as a garnish). Keep away from the bread, however, as our server mentioned it having milk in it. read more

Looking over the reviews posted here and at other restaurant pages, it's quite obvious that the average Minnesotan has an unsophisticated palette. That said... Our group had a very nice Father's Day dinner here. Good bread, good Caesar salad, fried risotto balls w/scallops, spaghetti aglio e olio, pollo brasato e saltati, costine di manzo brasato, pesce del giorno (White Salmon), Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee and Belgian Chocolate Flourless Torte. All very good. Some reviewers complain about the portion size. It is typical for a restaurant of this type, especially when they're using better quality ingredients and putting more care into the cooking, to serve smaller portions. The average American is used to large portions of mediocre industrial food. I'll most definitely return here or to Ristorante Luci. read more

I recently made a point to come to Luci Ancora because I had a faint memory of a birthday dinner a few years back. So I talked my buddies into making a bro-date out of the affair. Now we knew there was something off right when we walked in and it wasn't the fact the three young handsome men want to enjoy a nice meal at a nice restaurant for once. The problem was that our cumulative age may have been just over the median for the room. This was an important omen for the food ahead as the restaurant obviously caters towards this crowd. For the food, we all went for the fixed menu, which had a strong start and a weak finish. I had a pork cutlet for my antipasto, which isn't really traditional, but very good. The insalata was a simple yet good Ceaser Salad with plenty of anchovy. Once again, it was not very Italian, but more American. Now when they hi t the Italian food seems to be when they faltered. The Pasta Puttanesca was very bland and lacked the saltiness I normally associate with it. The secundo was a beef fillet that was cooked properly, but was once again a bit on the underwhelming side. All told, when the bill hit I was satisfied but not impressed for the price. Almost everything was ably done and good, but just not quite there in my book. In my opinion, Luci Ancora needs to some research into the cucchiaio d'argento to get back to the Italian in Italian food. read more

Family owned and operated with great food and wonderful people! We love coming back every time. You'll love it too!

One of the best Italian Restaurants in the Twin Cities & run by a lovely family with Italian roots. Menu always something new and delicious to try and some old favorites as well. I normally sample the four course taster's dinner as it never disappoints. Give it a try...you'll be come a regular for sure. read more

I've dined here twice for special celebrations in the past six months. Our first experience was so extraordinary that we chose it again for a second special occasion four months later. Alas, the second experience was as disappointing as the first experience was good. My star rating represents an average. For both occasions we had exactly the same people attend, with only one new person at the second event. We had six and seven people, respectively. The big difference? For our first occasion, we had a 5:00 seating on a Saturday, and were the first party in the restaurant. We had the place and the server to ourselves. We got loads of personal attention, and the food was fresh and served quickly without feeling rushed. Several of us had the fixed price menu. The homemade pasta was outstanding, and each course seemed better than the last. We lingered over dessert and coffee, and everyone remarked on what a wonderful experience it had been. So of course we decided to go back for another celebration. This time we had a 6:30 seating on a Friday, and the place was packed. We were seated quickly, but that was the last quick thing about the night. The server took forever to take our order, and the food took forever to get to us. This time, the food was uninspired, lacking the fresh zest of a summer meal. I'm no expert, but the pasta did not taste homemade this time around. I couldn't believe I was at the same restaurant. And for more than $300, I expect a better experience. My husband looked at his watch so much I thought his hand would fall off. I remembered reading similar reviews about inconsistency and now I understood what they meant. If you get an early seating in the summer when fresh local ingredients are at peak, you probably stand a better chance of a great experience. I would go back, but I'd be selective about when. I hope they improve their consistency because when they get it right, it's fantastic. read more

I've always driven by and wanted to go here. Recently purchased a "living social" deal so thought it was the perfect time to check it out. The ambiance is nice, white table cloths, cozy atmosphere. We were seated right next to the fireplace - even though it was steamy outside - it was perfect inside. I had the mussels - which were decent, but not the best ever. Split a salad w/ my friend, had some good wine and then split the pasta. The pasta had mangos and jalapenos in it! It was definitely a nice touch. I thouroughly enjoyed that. We had the flourless chocolate cake for dessert, and that was also excellent. Overall good food, but not quite up to what my other faves are. So 4 stars, definitely worth a trip. read more

For me, Luci Ancora is decent, but not exciting. This is the kind of place you go when your great-aunt or grandma or people from out of town want to take you out to dinner. Everyone will find something on the menu they like. Solid food, but not surprising or remarkable in any way. They do use really good ingredients, which helps. It would be a good place to go with people who are used to Olive Garden-type restaurants and you want to nudge them into something a bit better. They do have some specials that are a really good value: Currently, on Tuesdays and Thursdays you can get a four-course tasting menu of the day's specials for $20 per person, if two people order it. read more

I've been to Luci's Ancora about 10 times or so and have had an amazing experience every single time. The menu is always changing which is nice and makes each dining experience unique. It really is a fine dining experience. The service is excellent, the atmosphere is relaxed, and the food is phenomenal. The first time I went I was expecting more of the traditional red sauce Italian food & pizza but this is anything but that. It's fine fish, meat, pastas, salads. All the ingredients are very fresh and everythign comes together perfectly. I would reccomend getting the sampler dinner -- you get a lot of different courses and feel like you're havin ga very complete meal. For dessert I absolutely reccomend the flourless torte. This is a great place, a great atmosphere, amazing food, and a fabulous dining experience. read more

Quaint romantic restaurant. Friendly and polite staff who truly show you they care about your dining experience. The four course taste item on the menu is spectacular. Highly recommend this establishment. read more

Lovely little spot with attentive servers and craveable food. Went for their Thursday four-course tasters special and was not disappointed. My favorite was the pasta. Perfectly cooked spaghetti (cannot be overrated, IMO), with a smokey spicy tomato sauce. After about two bites I decided I wanted to come back and order a big bowl of that pasta next time! I just couldn't get enough. Another surprise was the Mixed Salad that was served with a very tangy Dijon vinaigrette. It was a punch of flavor from the first bite. My dinner partner and I each actually made an exclamation upon tasting it. Also had the tiniest little tomatoes. Our water was constantly refilled and server was always swinging by to clear plates and make sure we were set. My only real complaint is that both the steak and salmon were slightly overcooked and dry. Not unpalatable, but an aberration to an otherwise nice meal. I hope to return for that big bowl of pasta! read more

Luci Ancora is a great italian neighborhood asset! The atmosphere is comfortable with a fireplace at the end of the room and the accoustics are good for conversation. The food is amazing! During this visit we had the spaghetti alla siciliana which was nice and light and the olive oil, golden raisins, spinach, pine nuts, hot pepper flakes really do a number on your taste buds. The raisons are a great touch to this light fare. We also ordered the fish special of the day which was the Ono fish (light fluffy white fish) filet garnished with beets and pinapple. Can't say enough about these dishes! Good time! read more

It's a very nice place, but the food is just OK. I had the tasting 4 course dinner (it was Tuesday, so only $25!). The shrimp cake was all rice. The pasta course was teensy and tasted like ground pork with cream of mushroom soup. The fish (salmon) course was perfectly prepared, but not exceptionally flavorful. I rarely get dessert, but got the panna cotta. It was very good. However, I am not rushing to go back. read more

Everything was excellent and their portion size is perfect allowing room to enjoy multiple courses without feeling stuffed. The soup of the day was great, and the dinner salads offered very fresh lettuce with a flavorful dressing. We had room for dessert, and again they were done well, not too big or bulky Creme Brule and Chocolate Torte were a nice finish to an overall good meal. The place is full of patrons indicating consistency and quality albeit our first time here. The cocktail and wine list was in thoughtful alignment with everything else. read more

We just had our first visit here, and it was a strong showing. We came on a Monday with our kids, and we were able to get a reservation an hour before we arrived. We were seated by the fireplace, which set a nice relaxing mood that we enhanced with a good Chianti. Service was great and attentive-our server answered a lot of questions and made some spot-on recommendations. I had the crab fettuccine and it was delish. My wife had the Manzo plate with steak and a wild mushroom pappardelle. My only wish was that the portions were slightly more generous, but truthfully, they were far from skimpy. The space was nice too; we had a window table and a nice view of St. Kate's through the large picture windows. All in all, a great find and happy to have this gem in HP! We'll be back. read more

This is a great restaurant! I got the dinner that gave me tastes of 4 courses. I loved it as I didn't have to choose between pasta and another entree. I got both, and more! Every dish was excellent! Our waitress was fun and very attentive. If you're in Minneapolis, definitely come here! read more

Celebrating my mom's birthday, eight of us met at Luci Ancora after finding it on Yelp. The experience? Eh. Food? Quite good. Service? Inexperienced but a good attempt. The restaurant is cozy which adds to the classy ambience. They oddly had no music playing in the background, the room was chilly but the place looked as I expected. Our server tried but didn't know much about the food. She did help my sister find GF options (which she loved!). My party had: ribs (good stuff), scallops (eh), fettuccine (good), Kobe beef with potatoes (a must), a GF pasta with apples and ham (she refused to share, said she was pulling a Joey from Friends ;) ), mussels (good) and the risotto (num). Skip the Caesar salads. It was overall ok, but we will probably not be returning customers. Moving on ;) read more

Fantastic five-star food and service. Absolutely worth it every time we've been there. Top notch.

I was there on Valentine's day. It was probably the most expensive meal I've ever had that was that low-quality. You could tell some of the dishes were microwaved, or something cause of how hot the plate was. It tasted... so bland... I can't quite explain it. It tasted like a frozen meal that I could have microwaved at home. I was hungry, yet didn't even want to finish the food. My date asked me, what was your favorite part of the meal? I honestly thought to myself, the Cesar salad. The Cesar salad was my favorite part of a multi-course meal that came out to a bill of $177. The server was really nice, though. But god... I'm still sad thinking about what good of a night I could have had somewhere else... read more

They have great food with easy parking lot pick up. Now have frozen food. Picked up a very enjoyable dinner Sunday & a frozen lasagna. Enjoyed the pasta(2 different mains) with a polenta fritta starter, Caesar salad & carrot cake. All yummy. 2 days later, after defrosting the chicken lasagna we enjoyed that. That was something new for us. We've been there many times and will continue to pick up their authentic Italian dishes. Highly recommend. We often add a bottle of their many wines. read more

Food came and we were truly shocked ... the portions were extremely small. We all left still hungry and we ordered appetizers too. The portion size wouldn't have bothered us as much if the food was good. Some things were ok, but my noodles were way over cooked and FLAVORLESS. We stopped at Cossetta's to get a pizza on the way home. Save your money! There are far better Italian restaurants to eat at. read more

Good service seems harder and harder to find at restaurants in the Twin Cities. It is so refreshing to dine at Luci Ancora and receive excellent service. From the moment I walk in the door to the moment I leave, the service is excellent and professional. Tonight, I had dinner with two associates from out of town. In all, we were there for two hours and not once did we feel rushed by our server. She was attentive, but not over bearing. She was knowledgeable about the menu and the wine list. We all had the four course tasting menu which consists of smaller portions of the night's specials. The antipasti course was a piece of shaved pork with some onions and radicchio. One of my companions was not a fan of the dish, but I think it was the radicchio. Personally, I love radicchio so was very happy. The Zuppa course was a generous bowl of a lovely tomato soup in a chicken stock base. It was warming and comforting on this snowy winter night. I would go back just for another bowl of this soup. The Primi Piatti was a pasta with walnuts and dried apricots. It was the perfect combination of spicy and sweet. I think the smaller portion for the tasting menu was the perfect size. It was interesting, but I wouldn't want a larger portion. For the Secondi Piatti I chose the Kobe beef with risotto and truffle oil. The risotto was perfectly cooked as was the beef. Of the four courses, this was the least interesting. Still, it was very good. All for $33. A reasonable price for a lovely meal. We each had a dessert to complete the meal. My companions had the carrot cake with the salted caramel. They raved. I had the flour-less chocolate cake. Excellent. read more

Cozy family restaurant with great food and service. Maggie made us feel right at home and was extremely knowledgeable. The short rib was delicious. Great wine and after dinner drink selection read more