Bar Luca — Restaurant in Sydney

By now almost every Sydneysider has visited Bar Luca at least once, so I am but one small voice in the chorus of genuflection: the Blame Canada burger is the best burger in town.

With its nectary maple-glazed bacon and creamy poutine curds, the Blame Canada burger ($16; +$6 for fries and smoky, spicy BBQ chicken wings) is a joyous celebration of sweetness, saltiness, fat and American exceptionalism with every mouthful. Despite there being so many ingredients and so many contrasting (yet ultimately and oh-so-satisfyingly harmonious) flavours, the beef remains the true star of the burger. And rightfully so, because it's cooked to such pinkish perfection that it overflows with its juiciness - it's the first thing you notice with every bite, until suddenly an explosion of fruity sweetness arrives with the maple-glazed bacon, a taste lingering just long enough for the soggy poutine fries and cheese curds to round things off with their creaminess. Rinse and repeat, and before you know it, the burger's gone, this inspired symphony of flavours has finished, and by the time you've polished off the remaining strands of nori-sprinkled and perfectly seasoned fries, you've already mentally pencilled in your next visit to Bar Luca.

Despite such awe-inspiring food, several minor but inexcusable annoyances prevent Bar Luca from being a 5/5 experience in my books.

Firstly, there needs to be a better dining system - the "ordering at the bar and bringing a number back to your table" method may work for any other pub, but for a packed and numbingly loud place like Bar Luca, it just increases foot traffic within the restaurant unnecessarily, making the otherwise simple activity of ordering food overly complicated and frankly, headache-inducing. Either have full table service, or don't allocate tables to people until they have their food.

Secondly, Bar Luca really needs to hire more staff: the waiting list to get into the place, the first and integral step of their convoluted system of operations, was unmanned for most of our wait, which meant quite a few people walked in off the street, jumped the queue and headed straight for the line at the bar to order their food. Luckily, some staff caught on to this and directed them to wait outside, but again, it's just unnecessarily complicated.

Thirdly, due to their meteoric rise in popularity over the recent years, Bar Luca has crammed in as many bar stools and tables as possible into an already cramped space. This means during peak times you're literally shoulder-to-shoulder and back-to-back with strangers: think about all the "excuse me"'s you'll be muttering as you shuffle past them to order your food and all the bumping of elbows as you struggle to eat comfortably.

Bar Luca, for all the frustrating faults in its operation, offers absolutely stellar food that has dominated social media and the Sydney foodie zeitgeist for several years now. In combination with their unique and creative weekly burger specials, it's hard to imagine how they will ever go...

For those of you who are coeliacs Bar Luca does a pretty good gluten free burger. Even though the menu says the fries are gluten free they are cooked in the same oil as other foods that contain gluten. For those who can ingest gluten and are trying to lead a gf lifestyle or for those with a very mild allergy you might be OK (your choice ultimately) but for severe intolerances or coeliacs I wouldn't recommend getting them. I got a side of corn with this great fake, liquid cheese on it. It was good but it was no fries. The gluten free/dairy free burger bun wasn't the best. Betty's Burgers & Concrete Co. in Sydney (three locations) or Honest Burger in London (34 locations) have the best gluten free buns in my opinion, but the Bar Luca bun wasn't terrible, just not the best. It was a bit spongy. The staff member who took my order was so considerate and checked with the kitchen regarding my questions (like, could I eat the fries?). He was very nice too! Service was great, the food arrived quickly, the music was 12/10 with rad artists like Jeff Buckley, Fleetwood Mac and Tool being played + the atmosphere/look of the place is super dope. My partner doesn't have any food allergies and loved his burger, fries and wings. He said it's one of the better burgers he's had in Sydney. It was also great value with two burgers and sides coming to around $40. Not to shabby for a burger in the city! I'd defs recommend giving Bar Luca a go if you want a good gluten free burger! For more gf reviews hit up The GF Minx on...

The Good: Let’s start with the positives. Bar Luca has some good things going for it. My son is a self-declared burger addict and chose this place for his birthday dinner—and I can see why. Tucked away in a quiet CBD street, it still managed to have a line out the front (thankfully we booked!). The vibe is fast-paced and funky with cool aesthetics, a great bar setup, and comfy seating. Service was on point too. We ordered the BL Burger, the Mac Daddy, a burger bowl (love the bun-less option), and some beer-battered onion rings. Everything was fresh and full of flavour, and those milk buns… absolutely to die for. The Aperol Spritz was a refreshing touch, and the milkshakes—complete with a literal cherry on top—sealed the deal.

The Room for Improvement: Honestly, not much to fault here, though I will say those burgers are hearty—so don’t expect to fit in much else if you're going full burger mode. And now I’m annoyed I didn’t leave room for the mac’n’cheese. Next time!

Would I Return? Definitely. It’s rare to find a place this quirky and cool in the middle of the CBD that delivers on taste, service, and vibes. I’ll be back—with or without the burger-loving birthday boy.

The Verdict: In conclusion, Bar Luca hits the mark if you're into fresh, juicy burgers, fun atmosphere, and something a little unexpected in the heart of the city. A hidden gem with serious...