Lucia LA
Restaurant · Beverly Grove ·
Afro Caribbean fine dining with modern takes on classics
Afro Caribbean fine dining with modern takes on classics
"I experienced Lucia as a stunning, upscale take on Afro-Caribbean cuisine on Fairfax Ave., where Top Chef Canada semifinalist Adrian Forte elevates downhome favorites — from a hibiscus-dusted plantain starter to a shallot-loaded rice and peas and a perfectly tender snapper escovitch with pineapple habanero sauce — all set in a luxe dining room with shell- and shore-inspired accents and DJs spinning diasporic jams that make it feel like a dream of growing up Caribbean in LA." - Astrid Kayembe
"Los Angeles is in its fancy shrimp toast era, and this Afro-Caribbean spot’s version hits all the right notes with a crisp, brown exterior and a generous filling of peppery shrimp. If coconut-fried chicken is on the menu, add it to the order; if not, the jerk chicken — served half or whole — will more than satisfy. For a quieter dinner, book an early reservation, since a DJ usually starts around 8 p.m., morphing the room into a late-night party." - Eater Staff
"Walking into the Fairfax restaurant begins with a funhouse-mirror effect, but entering from the column-glass vestibule moves the experience from a fractal one to one of integration — an experience that deals in high-concept design and "unmitigated Black joy." Scalloped structures behind the bar mirror the cave-like banquettes that line the main dining room, where the mood lighting gets even moodier come 8 p.m., the time when early-dinner energy turns into a more party-like late-dinner atmosphere with louder music and bigger groups vying for tables or bar seats. The okra martini beckons. Don’t miss the vegan lychee ceviche, wine red from its sorrel infusion; the wagyu patties with mango scotch-bonnet sauce; the dripping jerk chicken; or the verdant snapper swimming in a coconut-culantro sauce. Bed it all in the equally coconuty rice and peas to sop up the sauces — and let the boisterous room be your entertainment for the night." - Eater Staff
"Prepare for a bottleneck when you enter Lucia. Not because of a bad layout, but because everyone is stopped in their tracks gawking. This transportive Afro-Caribbean spot looks like a nightclub on Arrakis: Giant tulip structures soar toward the ceiling and pod-shaped booths resemble miniature Hollywood Bowl shells. The food is just as much of a conversation starter. Start with a pickled okra martini and spicy wagyu beef patties while watching gorgeous Sezane-wearing couples at the bar, then add the craggly, coconut-crusted fried chicken or jumbo braised oxtails. Expect a few clubby touches—a DJ booth next to the kitchen, a velvet rope outside, and the option to add a caviar bump to any dish—but Lucia is a restaurant first. One that you should get to soon, before the bottleneck spills onto Fairfax. Reservations are released two weeks in advance, with primetime tables usually snatched within an hour. Lucia’s seating is primarily booths though, so it’s easier to get in as a party of four than two. The bar is also first-come, first-served with an abridged menu of snackier dishes like saltfish croquettes and beef patties." - brant cox, sylvio martins, cathy park, garrett snyder, cathy park, cathy park, cathy park, brant cox, sylvio martins, cathy park, brant cox, brant cox, sylvio martins, cathy park, brant cox, sylvio martins, brant cox, cathy park, brant cox, brant cox, sylvio martins, garrett snyder, sylvio martins, cathy park
"It’s not summer without a big-budget blockbuster, and as far as restaurants go, the season belongs to Lucia. Chalk it up to this Fairfax spot's suave Afro-Caribbean menu, a gorgeous crowd swishing around in Omnes dresses, and an otherworldly space that looks like the backdrop of Christopher Nolan’s next production. Get your tickets—er, reservations—now." - brant cox, cathy park, sylvio martins, jess basser sanders