Ristorante Regina Lucia

We really enjoyed everything we ate! Portions aren’t big and it’s somewhat pricey but it felt very worth it. The setting is also beautiful and the staff were very nice!

We stayed 10 nights in Ortigia and this was our best meal. The location is amazing, right in the Piazza Duomo and we sat outside. Yes it’s on the pricey side but it was worth it. All our food was beautifully presented and tasted amazing. As was the wine. A wonderful experience.

I was a “walking-in” during the late night to Regina Lucia restaurant. Strolling through the beautiful square and its cathedral, which by night its at its best, got an incredible table to a mind blowing view for a really memorable dinner. Service was the most welcoming, very helpful to choose greats wines to enjoy the view and suggest few specials dishes to try as we were not hungry enough for a full dinner. Clearly all the dishes were top quality on flavor, presentation, ingredients, but mostly on the plate full setting it offers for a great balance. My favorite was the raviolis, that despite its shelfish filling its prime flavor came from its sauce. I got to say that it’s balanced and elegant. I would say each plate holds a core flavor without it u adding to many kicks as other would do. A litter meal that i really enjoyed.

Expensive but worth it - food, wine, service and atmosphere all bordering on a Michelin star I think.

While the food was great, the whole dinner was ruined by the utter incompetence of some of the staff. They neglected us as the restaurant became busier, we were charged more for our dinner (the price online is way different than what you pay there, and their excuse is that they haven’t updated the prices yet - is that even right?) and in general we felt not welcomed. It’s a shame, as I think the chef’s incredible masterpieces are ruined by the way we felt during dinner. I would recommend to go elsewhere, so many better restaurants to eat. My advice to the restaurant is to hire more professional waiters.

We had a private room with great service and catering for 30 people all of whom had attended a wine tour this week. All dietary requirements were seen to and understood with great high-quality substitutes provided. As free, I always feel I get a poor substitute so I was very very happy with the effort they had provided. The food was exquisite! Highly recommend

Amazingly located and some good food, but room for improvement. If you can sit outside (what I can fully recommend), you’ll have a nice view over the piazza and the duomo - nice and a great location. But that’s also why the restaurant is often frequented by tourists and accordingly quite pricey. Unfortunately, not all dishes are worth their price. The Millefoglie di Pesce Spada alla Norma (swordfish) was really good, the pasta was good too. The secondi sea bass patty (Branzino con patate schiacciate alla matalotta in crosta di pistacchio) and the tuna (Tonno leggermente scottato con Caponata mandorle e pistacchio) were rather average and already a bit cold when served. The chefs could have made more out of the high quality ingredients. Also the espresso was a bit disappointing, quite thin - very untypical for an Italian-style coffee. Service was also rather okay-ish. Once we had ordered, we were ignored and had to put a lot of effort into getting the attention of the staff. All in all: food is okay, but the atmosphere doesn’t justify the high prices.

The restaurant is on the main square of Ortigia and one may think it is a tourist trap BUT it is lightyears away from that. The deco is nice with transparent design chairs and lamps. It is somehow incredible to sit on that historical place next to Caravaggios' painting (opposite of the restaurant) and enjoy place and food. The restaurant offers 5 courses and more menu but we have decided to eat à la carte. We have chosen different primi and secondi to finish with a dolce. As a starter we have had a special prepared egg and gnocchi. Both were extraordinary in taste, texture and quality. For main course we have had tuna fish and a local one. Both were once again prepared and spiced to perfection. The prosecco that we have selected by glass accompanied us through the different meals and was based on the sommelier recommendation well balanced and fitted the menu. Maybe this is a moment to mention the staff which was highly professional, multilingual, working with discretion and kindness. In my eyes they have performed flawless as well as the chef in the kitchen. The hammer was for me the semifreddo al pistacchio, my favourite dessert in Sicily. I take it very regularly but this semifreddo al pistacchio was out of this world delicious, the harmony of pistachio, cream, sweetness, saltyness, mouth melting texture... I can't describe it but it was the best semifreddo I have eaten this year. All in all I do not only recommend Regina Lucia but I can say she is the Regina of the best cuisine of the region 👑 Bravo 👏

Okay the positives: the presentation is outstanding. The idea great. The setting on the piazza del duomo unbeatable. The staff is attentive. Great wine list. The not so good: they serve you plates in the tasting menu at lightening speed. Even faster than American service. The table to my right and to my left had the same complaint. One asked the server if there's a specific reason for the rush. And the other sent back plates that came in ridiculous proximity. Italy is known for its beautiful long dinners so you can enjoy the company and the wine. As I read through this restaurant's reviews, I see people complaining of the slow service and I can't help but wonder if they are overcompensating in response. Nonetheless, the food- despite the gorgeous presentation- falls flat. Almost every dish had an issue. The octopus was not tender enough. The fish dishes were too heavy with a rich sauce underneath that overwhelmed the fish and made the tasting menu impossible to finish. The dessert was good. I really wanted to love this place. The restaurant inside and outside was stellar. Just keep refining the food....

Looks really beautiful and it's nice that they give you champagne and like other appetizers that you don't explicitly order. However the service is super slow. The portions are small cuz it's a fancy place. Food was okay but not worth the price. We ordered tiramisu and it was not tiramisu it was like low quality coffee ice cream. Not really worth the price at all. I regret spending well over a hundred dollars there. Wasn't terrible but there are better places to eat in ortigia. It was really beautiful though.

My husband and I stopped in while on a cruise without a reservation. The staff was extremely accommodating. We had a DELICIOUS meal and the ambiance was fabulous. The octopus appetizer was amazing and the waiter recommended an excellent bottle of wine. We loved out entrees, but the deserts really shined. We had cannoli and a pistachio semifreddo. We had such a great time that we almost missed our final boarding call on the ship.

This restaurant should be avoided. The physical setting is lovely but that is it, if you are seeking good food this is not the place to go. I took my family of six to celebrate a birthday and anniversary. The food was bland, two of us had meat dishes which tasted like cardboard. It was such a disappointment!

Made a reservation based on a friends recommendation. The restaurant is beautiful. The setting picturesque. And that is where I stop with the positives. It took them 30 minutes to take our wine order. They did not have appetizers available that were on the menu. The staff was inexperienced and had little knowledge of the menu. The service was awful for lack of a better word. Extremely disappointing for a much anticipated evening ... I would recommend dining at the many adorable holes in the wall in all the side streets. So much more character and delights.