Lucia restaurant described as casual and kitsch

Updated October 12, 2026,first published November 18, 2024

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Nearly three years on, Lucia has found its groove. Shiny happy people order caviar and martinis; laughter and clinking glasses tinkle from luxurious booths and cosy tables. White-jacketed, white-sneakered waitstaff spirit away coats, unfurl napkins and pour barolo.

Eclectic snacks include deftly cut tartare presented in a marrow bone, and a “taco” of wafer-thin kohlrabi wrapping a zesty mix of lobster, avocado and tequila dressing. The best mains are fine-dining level, such as tender duck breast with skin the colour of walnut floorboards, and service keeps pace from first to last dish.

The handsome dining room and striking bar are elegant spaces in an unlikely office-block location, screened from Kings Way by creamy sheer drapes and an upbeat soundtrack. Pick something bracing and herbal from the long list of amari while you watch bourbon-coffee sauce spiral its way down Melbourne’s most mesmerising meringue.

Good to know: Next door’s Via Lucia Caffe and Mercato, by the same team, does upscale work lunches and take-home meals.

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