Lucca

Situated in Little Italy, Lucca is an authentic upscale Italian restaurant. It’s busy, cozy, and tightly packed; even with a reservation, there was a 10 minutes short wait. The menu lives on a chalkboard, the tables are closely staged, and the small bar stands nicely at the back of the restaurant. The server took the time to answer any questions we had from the menu. We ordered the off-board special Antipasti. The octopus came tender, paired with fresh fennel, onion, bell pepper and cucumber, grounded by a grainy chickpea purée. Better still were the baked figs stuffed with goat cheese, wrapped in bacon: tenderly sweet, salty and memorably unique (I loved it!). For mains, the meat pasta of the week (pasta ragu della settimana) delivered ribbons of fresh fettuccine tangled with boar (!), spinach, and mushrooms in a hopefully homemade tomato sauce. The seafood linguine went all in on sea-saltiness, with a generous amount of mussels, clams, shrimps and scallops (& capers and pepper). Very savory! Taste-wise, Lucca would be ranked on my top restaurants in Montreal :) (I might be a little biased tho cuz Italian food is my fave).

Lucca is truly a place where you get what you pay for — quality fish, meat, pasta, and impeccable service. After visiting for the second time, it has officially earned a spot as one of my top Italian restaurants for fish and pasta. The service is consistently spot-on: attentive, welcoming, and always ready to enhance the dining experience. Yet, it’s the food that speaks volumes. From the moment you taste the in-house bread, you know you’re in trouble — it’s so good you’ll want to eat it all. The crispy, tender calamari tastes incredibly fresh, and the house-made pappardelle is paired thoughtfully with its accompaniments. The cioppino was so flavorful I could have ordered a cup of the broth to go, while the lamb chops were cooked to absolute perfection. Every sauce tasted as fresh as possible, elevating each dish. Lucca has become my go-to spot when I’m craving authentic, high-quality Italian cuisine. And don’t skip dessert — the homemade tiramisu and pistachio ice cream are simply to die for.

A renowned artist and friend, DJ Ricky Campanelli recommended this restaurant for my anniversary. My wife and I are from Ontario and I've got to say, this is one of the best Italian restaurants I've been to. Food was incredible and the service was on point. Can't wait to come back here.

An amazing experience! We walked in without a reservation - the place was packed as usual - and our waiter told us it would be a five minute wait. We got settled in and loved the ambience, the vibe and the service. The menu is on a chalk board on the wall, fresh and local ingredients and something for everyone. I ordered the zucchini flowers and lamb ragu (small portion would have been enough but eyes were bigger than stomach!) my husband got the arugula salad and the lamb chops. Our friends had the halibut and the linguine frutti di mare. I also had an amazing glass of red wine from Tuscany! All our food was delicious, great attentive service and a must visit when you are in the area!

The food was fantastic and the service was even better. If you’re in the area, you have to come here. Make sure you make a reservation because it was packed every night we walked by.

Pricey but super worth it. Great service, great food, great presentation and ambiance. Try their lamb chops so good.

10 out of 10. Visited from Toronto on a Monday night and felt like we'd been admitted to a secret society. Had the seafood linguini and wild boar tagliatelle..Both were perfect: refined and elegant and as good as any we have ever had. If you cant give this place 5 stars I don't know what's left.

I chose this restaurant on December 20th 2025 for my birthday celebration after hearing many positive things about it as an authentic Italian spot. We were seated at table #43. Overall, the general atmosphere was pleasant and the food itself was excellent. Unfortunately, the experience was soured at the end when we received the bill. We were charged for the large linguini portion, even though the waiter never asked which portion size we wanted. What made this particularly disappointing is that we clearly overheard the same waiter explicitly asking the table next to us which portion size they preferred. I brought this up to the waiter, but nothing was done to address the issue. It left a bitter taste at the end of what was meant to be a birthday celebration. Service should be consistent across all tables—if portion size is asked of one customer, it should be asked of all, rather than assumed. Sadly, because of this experience, I won’t be returning.

My absolute favourite place in Montreal!!!! The pasta ,soup,salad,dessert omg I can't explain what a huge winner this one is!! I will recommend over and over again!! Waiters are so nice. Atmosphere perfect.

Fabulous, just fabulous. Food, service, ambiance are all top notch... Thanks to Bernie, Anthony and the chef's for a perfect evening!

Reservation was a breeze ! The street parking on Wednesday was reasonable and easy. The ambiance was really nice but the tables were so close to each other that you could hear several conversations a happening at the same time and forced us to speak really loud across the table. Our waiter was amazing, he explained the menu and recommended some house staples. The food was tasty and I would come back to try other items on the menu. The only thing holding me back would be parking and the noise level.

Can't say that the service or ambiance stood out for us, but the star of meal was the salt. And lots of it, in both separate main dishes. For that price, screwing up pasta sauce has no excuse and without much justification as to why or suggested replacements when it was brought up. Plenty of competition in the neighborhood we'll try next time instead. Disappointing date night.

This little Italian restaurant is such a gem! Me and a friend stopped for lunch and we were not disappointed! The service was delightful, super friendly and helpful. We had the lunch combo which was amazing, you get an entry of soup or salad (we got the soup), a man dish, a desert and a coffee for around 30$! The food was delicious as well, we loved the minestrone soup, that came with bread and a delicious olive oil, we also got the pasta with pancetta and eggplant which was to die for, and the tiramisu for desert. I thought the coffee we'd get at the end was gonna be just coffee but NO, they give you at coffee you want - from lattes to cappuccinos! We got the cappuccino and it was really really good. The terrasse is super cute, perfect for a sunny day if you are going to coming back from Jean Talon. The fact it's located on Little Italy makes it a great spot to grab lunch and then walk around the neighborhood! DEFINITELY recommend.

This is a classy restaurant with a casual atmosphere. Get dressed up and take your special someone for a romantic dinner or take the kids for a casual dinner on the terrace. Good selection of alcoholic drinks and wine. For the current Corona reality, they are very well setup. Plexiglass between tables, staff are wearing masks and visors. We ordered a couple of starters and 3 mains. I would rate the dishes between 4 or 5, out of 5. The only reason for the '4' was the risotto, for my taste it was a little over done, but that is just me. My main was a bisson steak with mash and greens, wow it was a 5+. The other main was a pasta with seafood, and boy oh boy it was filled with really good seafood, I give it a 5+.

Top of the line Italian meals. Mozza di buffala was amazing. Risotto was perfect. The fiche caprino (goat cheese filled figues) were really good, it's a perfect mix of flavour from salty to sweet. Tomatoes lack that Italian freshness but that can't be helped. The reginette with rabbit stew was out of this world and my favourite dish of the evening. I had to eat it all until the last bite despite being full. A bit pricey for what you get but definitely worth it.

Great food, and impeccable service The staff work extremely well as a team and seamless in responding to guest requests. Try the calamari and lamb chops !

Great food and service. Cioppino was excellent. Green salad had just the right amount of olive oil and balsamic vinegar

It was delicious! Just be sure to get a reservation. The salad and fillet mignon was incredible!

What a neighborhood gem! Food is excellent, drinks are great and the service is incomparable. They recently renovated the dining room and it's truly a delight to have dinner there. The rule the seafood linguine, SOOO GOOD!

Small genuine italian restaurant located in little italy, the service was awesome! We had the arugula salad and calamari fritti to start, paired w a nice bottle of red wine. As main dishes we had the 2 pastas of the day which were both excellent! For desert we shared the pistachio gelato which was to die for, will be going back 100%.

This is a great spot for a great fork. Italian to the core, the staff is Italian and the restaurant is said to be family owned. We took the Rigatoni and the risotto. Both plates were absolutely delicious. Flavours flowed through in a unexpected harmony. The wine card is complete and offers a great selection of privately imported Italian bottles. It might look pricy at first, but the food here is worth every penny. If you're in Montreal be sure to stop by Lucca for a meal.

Great food and wines! The staffs are really friendly and kind. I recommend this place.

My favorite restaurant! Small menu changes slightly all the time everything is amazing. The garnishes are even amazing. Its a small cozy place. Perfect for date night.

Can't believe I've never reviewed them. It's simple, if you are looking for quality classic Italian meal done right, you just can't go wrong. It's a little on the pricy side, but totally justified in quality and execution of their dishes. The veal chop is gorgeous and every pasta dish is always perfectly made.

Just came back from having a terrible dinner at Lucca. Had not been there in over a year. It is such a disappointment to see the significant decline. The linguine pescatore was very disappointing and the fish of the day was an inedible over cooked mushy cod. To add insult to injury, the service was very lax. Will not go back!!

We had trouble finding a restaurant while visiting Little Italy and walked past this restaurant that had an empty table. Fortunately, they seated us and the served us one of the best meals we have eaten in Montreal. The tomato sauce and pasta were perfection. Everyone was happy with their meal. They started with crostini as soon as we sat down that was so good with fresh ripe tomatoes. Compliments to the chef on an excellent meal!

I went to dinner with my boyfriend on Valentine's Day. The Owner and waiters were really nice and friendly. They served bruschetta and The appetizer was fried calamari . Taste so good. And the risotto went with veggies and meat also very nice. Tuna was cooked medium and very fresh very juicy. The dessert we had chocolate soufflé I really loved it because it's Not very sweet but yummy. It's a little pricy but we really enjoyed it and had a good time. I will go back to there again.

Lucca is a small vibrant resto located in the heart of Little Italy so you'd expect them to nail it. As soon as you arrive they start you off with a complimentary order of bruchetta which is excellent and a very nice touch. For appetizers we ordered the Buffalo Mozzarella, made with beautiful fresh ingredients, it was amazing. I suggest that you ask them to add a bit of balsamic to the dish, a reliable source tells me that the previous chef use to serve it this way. We also ordered the calamari, which was very disappointing. I love calamari and I didn't even finish the plate. Wow, I can't believe that there was calamari in front of me and I didn't eat it! It was very chewy and not enjoyable, it tasted like something you'd pickup at the food court. For our main course my wife had the filet mignon and I had the lobster pasta. The filet was uninspiring and a bit salty and the lobster pasta evening more disappointing. The pasta was served with a lobster bisque for the sauce, a well done lobster bisque is one of my favorite things. Unfortunately this was very bland and uninteresting. The pieces of lobster in the pasta were few and far between. For dessert I had the chocolate lava cake.Chocolate cake is one of my favorite things on earth. Again this dish lacked flavour and any sort of punch or excitement. Overall I must say the meal was very uninspiring and with so many other great options available I will not be back to Lucca any time soon.

*The Chalkboard Restaurant* This was a horrible experience for an Italian restaurant. You get your menu from a chalk board on the wall, It's hard to read especially when its above your head. If that day they don't have something you like, well guess what you go hungry and go to McDonald's a few steps away. They have the bistro concept, everything is "small". Small restaurant, small menu, small portions.

This place is in the heart of Montreal's Little Italy. Menu on a chalk board was quaint, but hard to follow. I felt pressure to decide when the waiter visited my table to explain the menu. Since I was dining alone, the drink selection was limited. (Maybe if I ordered a bottle of something, but I only wanted a glass.) I began the meal with a complimentary Bruchetta on Crusted Bread. The tomato and olive oil was so fresh. I then ordered the Arugula Salad with Shaved Parmesan and a Balsamic Vinegar Reduction. Yum! Ate every bit. Then I ordered the Farfalle Pasta with Lamb Ragu. The portion was huge. Couldn't finish. It tasted very nice -- not out of this world, but still quite good. Only down side, the price. Meal for one with salad, drink and tip was over $50. For that price, I expected more. Probably won't return.

Great food and excellent service. This place is a sure bet everytime! The wine list is on point and their menus have something for everyone, done right!

Nice find in Little Italy. An established Older crowd. Cavatelli bolognese was tasty. A little Smokey. The calamari was really good and a decent wine selection.

Excellent!! Wow I love Lucca. I`ve lived in Montreal my whole life and never saw this place but always heard about it. Finally some friends invited me to a birthday and I found myself at Lucca. The place was packed and buzzing, not too loud considering how small the dinning room is. The staff was really nice, they were all very casual and in good spirits, they made us feel at home. The food was great, everything we ordered was so fresh and simple. Loved every mouthful, especially the risotto!! Going back for sure!

Petit Italia, for my Italian husband, was a must see. This restaurant was highly recommended by someone at Bar Italia. I had the spaghetti with beef, mushrooms, truffles and spinach and it was well done! Not too much truffle and the pasta was al dente. The staff and service was excellent and the restaurant well appointed. Well worth the trip!

I'm a born and raised Asian from Asia who's trying to integrate into Canadian culture. I only started eating Italian food when I moved to montreal. Gotta say this is my fav Italian resto. My boyfriend is half Italian and he totally agrees with me. Best risotto I've had in my life. We go there for his and my birthdays or any other special occasions because it's not a place we. An afford every weekend. Lol maybe that's for the better after all

Everything on the menu is great. Terrific value for lunch with soup/salad, entree and tiramisu for ~$25+tx. One of Montreal's hidden gems. Everything here is good. Definitely worth trying!

Great restaurant, always come here for special occasions. Staff is very pleasant and warm, very cosy feeling to the place and the food is absolutely phenomenal

Very good experience. Waiter took his time to go over the menu. Pasta and meat portions were very big and waiter was very knowledgeable in his wine recommendations. Small place and had a nice time with gf. Nice touch of not charging espresso and cafe au lait.

The greatest Italian restaurant in the city. Menu always changes ,always fresh food, amazing service. Don't pass up on the gnocchi if they have it :)