I had such a wonderful meal that I had to go back again for a second time...The oysters were the best in Carmel, bar none..Very affordable meals given the high quality of food that is being served. Other favorites were the cheese plate, salami platter, and caprese salad. The suggested wine pairings were on the mark; and the staff were so friendly and helpful with their suggestions :) Thank you for wonderful gustatory memories Cantinetta Luca!
We were a party of 8 and the service was superb. Our waiter was excellent and the food was fantastic. The ravioli was filled with so much flavor and my husbands steak was cooked to perfection. Our compliments to the chef and staff. We can't wait to go back again!
Deborah Lucchetti Roberts
+5
Went to their La Maialata dinner (Celebration of the Pig) and wine pairing last night. Fabulous! Italian wines served with each course. Lovely dinner and evening.
Cantinetta Luca is in downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea.
This has been our favorite place in Carmel for a long time. Great food, outstanding wine list, and impeccable service every time!!
Josie was amazing, she was knowledgeable on the menu and drinks. She was able to help me decide on the perfect meal for my indecisive palate lol. I am very picky and want what I like, she was able to fulfill that need. Thank you JOSIE for a memorable dining experience.
Quality not quantity!!! Delicious from beginning to end!! Service is excellent!!! (Mario)
Jonathan Andrew Carlin
+5
Great atmosphere and pizza. Bread and spread were delicious as well.
Always is a great option!!! Amazing customer service as well.
Great restaurant with unique atmosphere in the heart of Carmel. The food was perfect and the staff and service were outstanding! Thanks to Mario. Excellent!!!
I will be back! Ambience, food and service was amazing
Our daughters had their wedding rehearsal dinner there October 2014. The food exquisite, service impeccable, ambience perfect for the occasion.
Delicious food, interesting view into the kitchen, great!!
This was a lovely find in Carmel by the sea. We arrived last minute and weren’t able to book some of the more popular restaurants so we expected very little. However our server was friendly, helpful and very available to assist us. We were also surprised by the quality of the food, my pork chop was cooked perfectly and the flavour combinations with it were surprisingly tasty (I’m talking grilled peaches, kale and mushrooms). I will say that the focaccia we ordered as a starter would have been nicer with some herb seasoning but otherwise dinner and dessert were fab. Our cannolis were the best we’ve had in America so far so I’d definitely recommend that one in particular. My boyfriend kept taking bites out of my tiramisu also! We were seated quite close to another couple but they turned out to be quite friendly too so that was okay. I can imagine some people preferring more privacy though. All in all I would come back.
I ordered the focaccia and it was $3 extra for olive oil...which is pretty outrageous, esp with how small the amount of olive oil is you can see in the photo. I also ordered the Tagliatelle Bolognese, and I may be extremely biased about this because I've actually been to Bologna Italy and learned how to make bolognese, but it was pretty salty here and the depth of flavor wasnt as expected. And its a little disappointing as that is one of their most popular dishes. Everything is pretty overpriced, I asked for a sparkling water and got charged $7 for it. But the service was good and its a nice restaurant, I just dont think it was worth the $.
If you can, take a seat at the bar facing the kitchen where you can see everyone working, it’s just a gratifying experience to see the people hard at work making those seriously delicious Italian fares - it makes you appreciate the labor, the discipline, and the creativity that goes into making your meal.
The food itself was amazing, the gulf prawns on the bed of chickpeas was just grilled to perfection. The fungi pizza was straight from the wood fired oven in front of me and it was so hearty and comforting. The carbonara was as good as it can get. Overall excellent, we will come back again and also try to sit at the same place.
In Carmel it is near impossible to get a bad meal. Cantinetta Luca is by far one of the best in town. We were here a year ago for the wife's birthday and this year was no different. I wanted to give 5 stars for atmosphere but the restaurant was very loud. There's a large table on the left as you walk in and the patrons were absurdly loud....
Shannon Benedict Caldwell
+5
We had a lovely experience last week at Cantinetta Luca. Our server (Ali) was friendly, knowledgeable and gracious. The caprese salad with burrata was delicious. We ordered the Bolognese pasta and the Carbonara pasta. Both were absolutely amazing. Perfectly cooked. The best ingredients. So flavorful.
Allie was a fabulous server-great recommendations and really friendly! The carbonara was delicious!! Loved the burrata and the fresh tomatoes! Don’t miss the pink Negroni! We will be back!
Food was delicious. The porterhouse was absolutely spectacular, superior beef and cooked to perfection. Enjoyed the atmosphere as well and all servers were wonderful. Only issue was we had a pasta dish that was quite late to the table and probably only delivered because we reminded them. Having said that it was quite busy as it was a holiday weekend and the porterhouse was big enough that it tied the person over until the pasta arrived. We will absolutely go back.
Incredible restaurant! Our first time in Carmel and we happened to choose this place for dinner. We sat at the bar and both the food and service blew us away. The octopus appetizer and yellowfin tuna entree were exceptional. Julian and Timothy were also wonderful and helped guide our decisions with each course. We will be back here!! Loved every second.
The food is excellent quality and the presentation is on point. The service is also top notch. The wine list is extensive and polished.
Now for the critique... the food is such good quality and taste, that it does NOT need to be slathered or drowned in cheese. 4/5 dishes we had were overdone this way.
Finally, I understand restaurants are a business, but it should be less apparent that the wait staff is trying to flip tables and rush you out of your seat so quickly.
Life is better without indigestion from swallowing your food whole. Take time to chew and enjoy. ☺️
Simply the best experience I’ve ever had. We got reminders of our reservation and even a phone call to check on us since we driving for 7 hours the day before. When we got there, everyone was super friendly, amazing, and the food was out of this world. I’ve never had pumpkin ravioli and it was everything you thought it would be and more. They made my best friends night by bringing her some ice cream for her birthday! I cannot express how accommodating this place is, how friendly the staff is, and how the food was the best Italian I’ve ever had in California!
I made a promise to them that we would visit again this year and I intend to hold that promise.
Phenomenal dining experience. Food was delicious and Mario was a great server. The wine list is also expansive and there’s good wine by the glass as well. Make a reservation if you want a table, and this especially applies on the weekends.
I am a food crazy person (or a**hole), I’ve been lucky and eaten at the most celebrated places in existence. So here’s what I have to say:
Amazing…..
We had a pizza, salmon, shrimp, octopus, eggplant, house cured meats and pasta.
I can’t find a single flaw in any dish, it was perfect.
There was an amazing woman (be sure to call her Mam) that manages the bar area, she’s tony and will put a smile on your face.
The chef is great, humble and a master, in fact he was a little taken back by the compliments.
Carmel by the Sea is an amazing town and LUCA is the icing on the cake.
JonT
Cantinetta Luca is a very good Italian right in the heart of Carmel. We waited 15-20 mins to be seated at a table (even though booking in advance) which was a bit disappointing but the staff made up for it in service that followed. Food was excellent - would definitely recommend the pizzas. Two complimentary glasses of Prosecco received as we were on our honeymoon! :)
Excellent Italian food in the center of Carmel-by-the-sea. The wood-fire oven pizza is outstanding and rivals pizza from Napoli itself. Elegant, cozy decor. Very friendly and fast service. Great wine selection. We'll certainly come back next time in Carmel.
Loved the place. We had the full service meats board with buratta, great drinks and wine selection. Even had a terrific espresso martini for dessert. 100% going again
Very tasty and authentic Italian food. Craft cocktails were also very delicious. A table for two was a little cramped, but still worth it.
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