Lucia Restaurant Bar - Carmel Valley

We were looking for a place to eat and a local recommended this place. We stayed at the lodge and generally do not eat in our hotel restaurant. This restaurant is a certain exception. My short rib-dinner dish was as good as it will. Here's something I never said. My huevos rancheros breakfast was my favorite meal of the trip.

The service was excellent, but the food quality and quantity suffered, while prices rose. Menu is ultra an al-car.

We ate at the bar at 5:00 on a Sunday because online explains that the restaurant was booked. Although it looked like they had enough tables at that time when we arrived. Wait staff / bartender was friendly and helpful. My wife is gluten-sensitive, so the bartender didn't know what was in food. He had to ask another server that was helpful, but she wasn't sure what was safe to eat. The double lamb hacks my wife ordered $60) were big and medium rarely made, but she could not get the knife through them to hack the two. It would have been better if the boss cut the two pieces apart. The sauce had no taste, presentation was best minimal. The Brussel sprouts on the menu sounded amazing, but what she got was some slimy onions and paprika with 4 small Brussel sprudel leaves. My crab cake and Cesar Salat were tasteless. No notes of citrus or herbs. Just what a mayonnaise-based dressing on the salad. Who ever was in the kitchen this night? not to put her heart in her, they just walked through the movements. A culinary farewell, especially at the price they charge.

Everything is cooked well, especially the strawberry shortcake. Strongly recommend.

Pretty good experience. Although no tasting menu was available. Food was pretty good. Servers, etc. were friendly. We used to dine hear when Cal was the executive chef. Food was much more elevated then. Very nice place, just a different experience from our previous ones.