LUCA Barrie — Restaurant in Barrie

Had a truly wonderful experience at Luca! We could tell that every element of each dish was well thought out with care and attention. Everything was incredibly flavourful (without needing to compensate by overloading with salt) and well-proportioned with layers of unique flavours, textures, & intentionality behind the ingredients. The same can be said of both the service & overall atmosphere. Cannot recommend highly enough! There really isn't anywhere else like this in Barrie.

Food:

Pizzas- Obsessed with how perfect their pizza dough is; perfectly thin base crust on the bottom, nice bit of crispiness without being burnt, and wonderfully light, fluffy, & airy outer crusts.

Meatball & ricotta pizza- Well balanced ratio of tomato sauce, cheese, meatballs, ricotta, & pickled onion; they didn't skimp out on any of the toppings. The tomato sauce was simple and fresh!

Mortadella pizza- A richer, more indulgent white sauce, with a generous amount of mozzarella and again perfectly proportioned with the amount of basil pesto & sausage slices. The pesto was especially flavourful without being too salty at all - one of the favourites at our table!

'Nduja pasta- A rich & creamy sauce with the nduja & crispy kale seamlessly incorporated. Loved the garlicky breadcrumb topping, and most of all that it was actually decently spicy! Not too hot if you're not used to spice, but enough that you get the right amount of kick to offset the cream. Impressed with how many layers of flavour & elements are in this pasta dish without being overly complicated either.

Seabass- The fish was very fresh, & enjoyed the balance of the pickled cabbage in combination with the sage cream. The crispy celeriac was a unique/fun addition as well.

Roasted Fig Cauliflower- The cauliflower was deliciously crispy & smoky, and was so good with the sweet but not overbearing preserved figs and light cream sauce.

Chocolate tart: Absolutely divine! Super rich, creamy, and fullbodied chocolate mousse that wasn't too milky or sickly sweet, but without the bitterness of dark chocolate. Appreciated how relatively big it was as well!! My only feedback for this one is that the almond crust base could be a tad thicker, just to have a bit of extra crunch with each spoonful of all the layers together.

Service: Friendly & attentive service without being overbearing. Appreciated how well-staffed it was overall, so we felt well taken care of and not abandoned/forgotten about trying to find someone to flag down.

Atmosphere: Beautiful & welcoming interior design without being pretentious, so you can dress up or down without feeling out of place. Overall atmosphere was warm & inviting, and we left in...

Our first visit to LUCA was an absolute delight and exceeded all expectations.

From the moment we arrived, we were warmly welcomed by an enthusiastic host.

The service staff was exceptionally inviting, making us feel comfortable and unhurried. Their excellent recommendations were truly appreciated and contributed significantly to our enjoyable experience.

The culinary experience was outstanding. We started with incredible PEI oysters, uniquely served with a side of tequila, homemade hot sauce and mignonette, it was a delightful surprise. The beef carpaccio was the best we've ever tasted (seriously)!!! For entrées, the Nduja was so exceptional it inspired thoughts of recreating it at home, while the Salami Pizza was devoured completely, leaving not a single crumb. Our server, Melanie, provided attentive and prompt service throughout the service, ensuring our needs were met without delay (thank you Melanie - service will make or break an experience, you OVER delivered).

Overall, we had a fantastic lunch and eagerly anticipate our next visit. For anyone seeking a truly exceptional dining experience in Barrie, LUCA comes highly...

I have now been to Luca 3 times and am ready to give this wonderful restaurant a 5 star review. The service is wonderful and the food is outstanding! As a foodie who cooks a lot at home, I am especially picky with Italian food but my meals at Luca have been wonderful. Over the past 3 meals, my favourites have been the wild boar ragu, the nduja pasta and the ricotta and sausage pizza. I absolutely love the chocolate almond tart as well. It is rich and decadent with a good contrast of texture from the crunchy almonds. The first time I have it, it had more caramel around it, which I appreciated as it added a nice balance to the rich chocolate mousse, I wish it would have the same amount the next time as I found I could barely find it, but I still really enjoyed the dessert. I’ve included a few pictures of item we had over...