Luciano's on the Marina — Restaurant in Adelaide

7/10....could be 10 out of 10 if the service improved....

I've heard very mixed reviews about Luciano's, both regarding food and service.

I had been told that the pizzas there were a highlight (which indeed they are).

I decided that I would try what is reportedly their 'jewel in the crown' (pizza) takeaway, in order to sample the food alone with, seperate from in-restaurant dining, where the quality of the service is such a significant part of the experience.

Despite this, I still managed to cop some of the infamous 'Lucianos attitude' from the man greeting diners.

I was told bluntly, 'Uh...kitchen closes in 15 minutes'.

Does this mean they aren't making meals? Does this mean that you can only have takeaway? Does this mean you can dine in but only if you are eating something that takes less than 15 minutes to prepare?

I responded politely asking if I was able to order takeaway pizza, which was met with an eye roll and an expression reading that my business was of great inconvenience.

If my order of two pizzas was that inconvenient, just say that takeaway orders have finished for the evening and I would have just come back again another day?

While waiting, I ordered a drink from behind the bar and was pleasantly surprised that not only do they sell Mumm by the glass but that the woman serving me was so polite and helpful in stark contrast to my interaction with the previous male.

The pizza was delicious, a nice balance of flavours, distribution of sauce, toppings and flavourful cheese and the crust was perfect.

The interior of the restaurant is lovely the location on the marina is nice but there are enough Italian restaurants in Adelaide at a similar price point which offer a similar or higher quality menu, where the customer service is in leagues above Luciano's.

When you are a restaurant in that bracket, service is what differentiates a place from its competitors and if you value your dining experience as a whole rather than just being able to look at the sea while eating, then there are significantly better options...

TRULLY OUTSTANDING ITALIAN CUISINE!!!

As it was our last day before flying back to Melbourne, a colleague recommended we come to Luciano’s for a (very) lazy afternoon’s Italian lunch. What a beautiful location, between the Marina and the beachfront. As we entered the restaurant, we were impressed by the airy interior decor. We were welcomed warmly and seated at the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the sparkling beach…”JUST PERFECT”!!! Staff were so courteous. Straight away we were presented with a dish of warmed Mixed Olives “on the house” to get our taste buds “in the mood”. Such a nice and relaxing gesture to commence our Italian culinary adventure. Sparkling Mineral Water was brought to our table throughout our meals..

 The Bruschetta: An explosion of flavours!!! Sweet Cherry Tomatoes, soft Goat’s Curd, Ricotta Salata, Confit Garlic Butter on toasted Focaccia. Delicious flavours combined perfectly.  The Barramundi: Soft texture, juicy and flavorsome, with Pancetta Salad and Romesco Dressing…Delicious!!  The Hanger Steak: (This is The Hero Dish!!!) Medium Rare of course. Beautifully presented on the plate for maximum appetite appeal. 280gm of unspeakable mouth-watering pleasure!!! Prepared to Medium Rare PERFECTION. Soft as melted butter. The Red Wine Jus, Parsnip Puree and Confit Garlic brought the flavours to a delicious crescendo in my mouth….TRULY AMAZING Dish!!!  The Tiramisu: (This is a large dessert to share) Outstanding combination a strong Coffee and Oh-So-Smooth Cream.. Delightful conclusion to a WONDERFUL Dining Experience!!!

I was so impressed by what my wife and I had just enjoyed that I went over to the kitchen and congratulated the Head Chef (FRANKY) and his Winning Team (TOD, JANIE & JAY) for their inspirational culinary creations.

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for an unforgettable Italian luncheon or dinner...

What a disgrace of an experience. For a weekday lunch service with only a handful of customers: the female host bumbled, made us wait lengthy periods while on the phone not delegating to waitstaff to seat us. When seated we asked for sparkling water, 10 mins later host advises it is warm, offers ice in glass which we accept except she jitters the ice all over the table. Waitress brings toasted bread w aprox 1/3 cup olive oil and less than half tsp balsamic. We order old fashioned cocktail which confused the host as not on cocktail list, 10 minutes pass she advises cannot make it so I order the whiskey mash on the cocktail menu to which she explains for over 10 mins that she is not good at making cocktails, the barperson is away and asked me to order a normal drink. We ordered the beef carpaccio (I assumed this was a carpaccio like many others but no, I should read the menu description in full - it is ROAST BEEF that is thinly sliced and not raw beef pounded thin and seasoned w lemon n salt etc. It was light, nice but I could have been eating corned beef and it by definition is not carpaccio. We had the crab linguine which was under seasoned and generic. I orded the duck ravioli which was only just under seasoned, it was nice although opening the ravioli was just a smear of ground brown paste thus not definable (if ravioli is hand made I prefer the protein to be identifiable not looking processed... unless it was, or not hand made). The service was terrible, the host when clearing plates accidentally knocked garnish all over my partner then froze realizing but quickly left without apology. The menu is overpriced, misleading and staff are either undertrained or have...