Luca Restaurant — Restaurant in Calgary

Restaurant Review: Luca YYC

My girlfriend and I were really looking forward to trying Luca YYC, especially after hearing so many glowing recommendations. Unfortunately, it ended up being a letdown for us, and we both agreed we wouldn’t return.

First Impressions & Seating Experience: Walking in was a little confusing. There’s no visible host stand when you first enter, so you have to walk through the restaurant to find someone to check in with. Not a big deal, but it set an odd tone.

We were seated at the bar next to a couple on a date, even though there were four empty seats beside us. We politely asked to move one seat over for a bit more space, both for us and the other couple, but were told by the host that the restaurant was too busy to accommodate that. It seemed strange since those seats remained empty for our entire visit. When we later asked the server about it, he explained that they like to keep those seats open just in case a group of four walks in. While that might make sense in theory, it didn’t feel necessary and made our experience less comfortable.

Service & Ambience: The service felt inconsistent and lacked warmth. It wasn’t unfriendly, but it also didn’t feel welcoming. Simple requests felt like a bit of a burden to the staff. For example, I asked if I could substitute a different vegetable since broccolini and asparagus upset my stomach, and the interaction felt awkward. The waiter seemed confused by the request. Thankfully, after speaking with the chef, they were able to offer carrots or Brussels sprouts, which we appreciated. The carrots were excellent, but the process of asking for an alternative was uncomfortable.

Food: The highlight of the meal was definitely the steak and potatoes, which were cooked very well and full of flavor.

On the other hand, the calamari was disappointing. The texture was off, and we both agreed it tasted more like fish sticks with tartar sauce than fresh calamari.

My girlfriend ordered the lobster and prawn pasta from the feature menu, but after one bite, she didn’t enjoy it and ended up ordering a steak instead after trying mine. The portion size of the pasta was also quite small, especially for a feature item.

We did really enjoy the bread and butter served before the meal. It was flavorful and a great start.

Drinks & Pricing: Something that caught us off guard was the \$9 charge for water. I had still, and she had sparkling. While we’re not frugal people, it would have been nice if that charge had been mentioned when it was offered. It just felt a bit sneaky.

Desserts: The tiramisu was a letdown, which was especially disappointing for me since it’s my favorite dessert. I’d give it an 2 out of 10. It tasted like cream cheese lol The other dessert, panna cotta, my girlfriend ordered was better, and we’d rate it around a 7.5 out of 10.

Final Notes: When boxing up our leftovers, the server asked if we wanted our steaks bagged together. It was a small thing, but felt like an odd question, especially if we were just friends.

Right before bringing us the bill, the staff offered us a drink on the house. While we appreciated the gesture, we don’t drink, and the timing felt a little off. We had already asked for the bill and were ready to leave, so it came across as a last-minute attempt to improve the experience.

The menu lights up when you open it. That’s super fun. We loved that.

Overall, while the restaurant had some strong points like the steak, bread, and carrots, the overall experience just didn’t click for us. From the seating and service to the awkward moments around simple requests, it wasn’t what we had hoped for such a place. Luca YYC might be a great fit for others, but it missed the mark for us, and we don’t plan on returning. Or...

As a high-end establishment, I would expect Luca to hold its staff to a high standard of professionalism and inclusivity, reflecting the values of quality service and respect for all patrons, REGARDLESS OF THEIR RACE.

For the price we paid, we expected not just excellent food but also service that aligns with the kind of experience Luca claims to represent.

Given my experience today, I have to question the restaurant's morals and whether they truly stand by the principles of fair and respectful service.

Our server Jeff’s disgusting attitude, unprofessional and dismissive behaviour make it hard to believe that this is the standard the restaurant wants to uphold.

My girlfriend and I were celebrating Valentine’s Day and based on some recommendations, we decided to have our dinner at Luca. The atmosphere was very romantic and we were sat fairly quickly despite being early to our reservation.

However, our experience quickly soured when we were introduced to our server, Jeff. He had an unpleasant attitude and was unfriendly, which was surprising given the caliber of the restaurant. Jeff was surely dismissive of our table. This was made evident by how slow he was to service us, making us wait several minutes before greeting and offering us water, signifying how disengaged he was.

Throughout the night he made several snarky comments, particularly when we were just asking questions about items on the menu.

Additionally, every time we thanked him for his service, we were completely ignored and not once were we acknowledged the entire night.

In STARK contrast, he was very friendly and actively conversing with the table behind us. He spoke to them warmly, offering them other restaurant recommendations, and making them feel welcomed.

Jeff only spoke to us when delivering the food, almost as though he was reading from a script.

Towards the end of the evening, it felt as though Jeff was rushing for us to finish and at one point, he reached to grab the dessert my girlfriend was still finishing, and pulled back saying “Oh, you’re still not done.”

Even when it came time to pay our bill, there was no effort to engage with us or offer any kind of pleasantries, which only further highlighted the difference in how we were treated.

It’s hard not to notice that OUR ETHNICITY played a role in the DISGUSTING service we received from Jeff.

I’m never the type to leave reviews but we made sure to remember his name for this review so that he will never be so comfortable to DISCRIMINATE other patrons again. This type of service was shocking and I’ve never been so compelled to leave a review.

I understand that one of the last tables at a restaurant can be tiring to serve, but when the table behind us is receiving completely different service than ours, this type of leniency can’t be applied.

Jeff’s service completely ruined our night and despite the excellent food and atmosphere, I can’t see us returning again nor recommending to anyone solely because of his nasty attitude and service. I regret leaving nearly $40 in tips, Jeff was truly...

Service - Vijay was our server and he did a great job tonight. We were celebrating my daughters Birthday and his attention to detail was on point. We had pellegrino water for just three of us and my older daughter only likes flat water and he made sure our glasses were never empty.

Bread - There was a variety of fresh bread and we all enjoyed it. I tried not to fill up on bread so I only had a very pieces, but my kids ate it all.

Calamari - One of the best Calamari dishes I've had. Not your typical Calamari dish. This one was different and it was delicious. Roasted lemon was a nice touch as well. Help bring some acidity to the dish.

Crostone - The flavour of the dish was excellent. The only thing was the toasted bread was soggy. If you order this I would eat it right way. The flavour was good just the soggy bread was the only issue.

Shaved Brussel Sprouts Salad - Toast almonds, with dried cherries adds a nice texture to the salad. The truffle dressing is not over powering. It had great balance and topped with some padano cheese to give added richness to the salad.

Polenta Fries - Nice and crispy on the outside with a nice creamy inside. Served with a nice fondue dip for added richness to the fries. We really enjoyed them. But nice time we would like to try the Broccolini.

Grilled Lamp Chops - So tender!! The lamp was perfectly cooked. The peppercorn sauce was delicious. Served with nicely whipped potatoes and side of vegetables in a tomato sauce. Couldn't get over how tender the lamb was. This is a must try if you like lamb.

Cioppino - This dish was recommended and it did not disappoint. Loaded with seafood. This dish had nice fillet of Ling Cod and came with prawns, scallops, and clams bathing in a rich broth. This was a nice compliment to our meal. The portion sizes are huge and we all shared every dish.

Bavarese - We really enjoyed this dessert. This had a few combinations with the vanilla gelato. Amarena cherries was a nice sweet tarty component with the dark chocolate ganache.

Tirami Su - This a nice light dessert with a hint of espresso. It is not overly sweet. It did have an alcohol component. Wasn't too strong but I tasted it.

We had a great dinner at Luca and will be back. We will for sure recommend it to our friends and family. ...