Lucia Wine Bar and Grill York - Restaurant Reviews

Down Swinegate Court East not easy to find

Three star rating image Kevin Ireson comments: This is a pleasant, strangely intimate, restaurant that is tucked away in a small arcade in the Olde Quarter just off the restaurant mile in York. The menu has a good selection of Italian style dishes with a slight Turkish twist to some of them. Staff are friendly but, don't always remember what you have and have not ordered. The atmosphere is quite vibrant and you will even get people sitting outside during the winter. All in all it is an OK value for money place to eat. We will go again if only for the late night bar upstairs.

Lucia Offers a Pleasant Intimate Atmosphere With Lots of Tables for 2

The atmosphere in here is pleasant and warm. You enter through 1 of 2 door. One is the late night music and cocktail venue upstairs (�3 for cocktails before 7om most night). The other is for the restaurant. If you ask you will be guided to either.

It is surprisingly large when you sit down inside although the mirrors might be tricking you into thinking this. There are a good number of table for 2 people. That does make for a feeling of romance and intimacy while you are eating and talking.

Menu - Italian and Turkish Makes It Interesting

I was told by staff that this is a Turkish owned restaurant. You can get an idea of that when you are ordering. The menu has on it plenty of pizza risotto and pasta dishes but, there are also simple Eastern delights like hummus and pitta too. This is something i had to try as I am a fan of this vegetarian starter. If was a delight, as explained below.

Greeted by staff at the door of Lucias Wine Bar
Our Choice of Food on the Evening

We started the evening up in the bar after being told there were no tables available inside. There were some outside and people at them but, it was way to cold for that in the winter. We both got Boulevardier cocktails which is a negroni with bourbon whiskey instead of gin basically. Just as we got the drink we were told they were ready for us and seated. We got some olives and bread after asking 2 different members of staff. These were nice and big green and brown olives. Bread was a bit dry but, olive bread. It needed some olive oil on it which was on the table.

I started with hummus and pitta bread. It can in a little ramekin, was quite lemony, not too much garlic, a hint of olive oil favour and some dried crushed chillies to make it slightly spicy. The pitta bread might well have been made in house as it did taste a feel like homemade unleavened bread. The classic king prawn and chilli starter was OK if somewhat under whelming in flavour. However there were good number of large prawns offered, which might have been frozen.

Down Swinegate Court East not easy to find

For my main I went for the sea bass which our waitress said she really liked. My 2 fillets of sea bass were hot with crispy skin and not over cooked too much. The dressing that came with the warm tomato salad made the dish. Squeezing the lemon helped alleviate the over seasoned / salty fish skins. That was a real shame. Just too much salt.

David's medium rare rump steak was nice. Only one chewy bit was the bit he gave me. Unlucky chewing gum experience that was at best Luke warm in the middle. Herby roast new potatoes were lightly roasted and lightly herded but searing hot! All in all the steak was very good and David is a picky eater at the best of times!

Good Value Wine - Forgetful Staff - Things That Need to be Improved

House white wine was good value, tasty and quite smokey. I have had these inexpensive bottles of American wine before here and you are never disappointed, especially when you see the cost.

Staff when we got their attention were attentive and friendly. They did however offer us things we had not ordered a couple of times. Beer once and then 2 coffees the other time. It was not a terrible experience. they were all very happy to give you things. It was just 2 times in one night. Maybe next time we should say yes and hope it doesn't appear on the bill?

Things We Think Need Improving

  • The bread to start was tasty but dry. A little bit fresher or certainly more moist would be the call of the day
  • Prawns were plentiful but lacked flavour. A little most taste would be appreciated.
  • Staff need to get better organised. Being offered what we didn't order 2 times is a bit much really.
  • Over seasoning of otherwise good sea bass. I know salt makes for crispy skin but, I had to remove some of it because it was like eating a teaspoon full.

Three star rating image David says: This place is decent and good value for monoey. wee will come again.
Olives and bread after asking 2 members of staff for them were nice and big, both green and brown in colour. Bread a bit dry olive bread needed oil which is par for the course. Choking prawns in chilli oil were plentiful if somewhat underwhelming flavour wise. Hummus was lemony with an undelying taste of olive oil and hint of chilli/pepper heat.
My fish was seeved piping hot with crispy skin and not over cooked too much so as to be quite flakey. The sauce that came with the warm tomatoe salad made the dish. Squeezing the lemon helped alliviate the over seasoned / salty fish skins. My partners rare steak was nice. Lucky for me when I tried it I got the only chewy bit. Unlucky chewing gum experience that was at best Luke warm in the middle. Herby roast new potatoes were lightly roasted and lightly herbed but searing hot obviously strait out of the oven after the reheat!
House white wine was good value tasty and quite smokey. Staff when we got their attention were attentive and friendly.

One star rating image Never again says: Unfortunately my experiance of Lucia was not as pleasant as the other reviews. It started out well with efficient service and the food being of a high standard. However, as we were eating early Saturday evening the manager was so keen for us to leave that he wouldn't even let us finish our drinks. I want to warn anyone who goes there in the early evening to expect that shortly after finishing your meal you will have waiters hovering over you and the manager staring at you. The staff will be cleaning your table and resetting it while you are trying to finish your drinks (to the point where one of the other customers had cleaning products sprayed on them!). It was most definitely not a relaxing or pleasant environment and I certainly wont be going back.

One star rating image Never again says: Unfortunately my experiance of Lucia was not as pleasant as the other reviews. It started out well with efficient service and the food being of a high standard. However, as we were eating early Saturday evening the manager was so keen for us to leave that he wouldn't even let us finish our drinks. I want to warn anyone who goes there in the early evening to expect that shortly after finishing your meal you will have waiters hovering over you and the manager staring at you. The staff will be cleaning your table and resetting it while you are trying to finish your drinks (to the point where one of the other customers had cleaning products sprayed on them!). It was most definitely not a relaxing or pleasant environment and I certainly wont be going back.

Five star rating image Sandra tells us: Ate here for a lunch, fabulous! The service was friendly and efficient, the food delicious as was the wine, we sat outside in the courtyard and with the music playing felt we were anywhere but in the centre of York! We enjoyed it so much we are planning out next trip back there!

Four star rating image Sent in by Rob and Julie: Calls itself a Wine bar as they have a wide range of wines to choose from but, to us Brits, it's a Restaurant with an Italian twist. Excellent food and service, nice atmosphere and pleasant al'fresco area if the weather is good, not too pricey either. We both had had 3 courses and bottle of wine which was around 45 pounds. Its a bit tucked away but worth seeking out!


Please mention Hotels in York website when you call. Thanks.

Lucia Wine Bar
12 - 13 Swinegate Court East, York, YO1 8AJ
Telehone: 01904 731599

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