Lucio's

Ph: 9380 5996; 47 Windsor St, PADDINGTON 2021 www.lucios.com.au

Italian, $$$, ** for Food & Ambience
Open Lunch Mon-Sat 12.30pm-3pm Dinner 6.30pm-11pm, Closed Some public holidays; Licensed; AE DC MC V EFT
Chef (Logan Campbell, 2007-11-3) Owner (Lucio & Sally Galletto, 2007-11-3)

Mietta's Review
One of the major feeding bowls of the media mighty, the infamous and the arty-farty, Lucio's has undergone a renaissance with the arrival of a new, young chef. The signed Olsen's remain, the clubby atmosphere continues, but the Italian menu has been given a new lease of life. In a city not noted for polite, attentive waiters, Lucio's has virtually cornered the market in that commodity. The feeling here is good particularly in the lower room with its attractive windows. Of course, if you happen to be seated in the no-man's land between it and the main areas your view of these wonderful waiters may not be of their attentive face but of dissapearing backs, as they hasten past to serve the massed diners above and below. The wine list is pricey.

Other published opinions

Gourmet Traveller 2009 Australian Restaurant Guide Score: ** "Picture an Italian restaurateur who is obsessed by Australian art. His restaurant overflows with Storriers, Zofreas and Blackmen. Memorably, John Olsen's Great Noses of Australia decorates the wine list"

Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2008 Score: 16/20, Two Hats "Welcome to Lucio Galletto's dining room, superbly wallpapered with serious art. Loyal diners - some having enjoyed the complimentary olives and fennel for nearly a generation are offered a special aperitif before embarking on an elegantly rustic meal inspired by your host's Ligurian heritage"

Gourmet Traveller 2008 Australian Restaurant Guide Score: ** "After nearly 25 years in Paddington, that crossroads of trend transference, Lucio's displays none of the nervous tension of the edgy newcomers"

Sydney Eats 2008 "Every city needs a Lucio's - artistic, elegant and urbane, like the man himself, Lucio Galletto. Come to think of it, Lucio's is to the artistic community what Beppi's is to the business and media crowd"

Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2007 Score: 16/20, Two Hats "Few restaurants that have earned the title 'Sydney institution' can match Lucios, not just for longevity but also for consistency and quality. More than 22 years on, this charming corner terrace remains a favourite among the movers and shakers of the corporate, art and media worlds."

Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2006 score 16/20, 2 Hats "After more than two decades, Lucio's still exudes the energy and passion of its Italian origins. Add the enthusiastic charm of Lucio Galletto, good northern Italian-inspired food and seamless service, and it's no wonder its popularity never wanes. Appreciative regulars include the art luminaries whose extraordinary works adorn the walls, pollies, media moguls, the infamous and the Eastern Suburbs set."

Gourmet Traveller 2006 Australian Restaurant Guide ** "The customer has two primary requirements of any restaurant. It must serve good food and be a comfortable place in which to dine. All else is frippery. Lucio's serves good food, bloody good food, and has done so for more than two decades, hence its unwavering appeal in a fickle market."

Sydney Eats 2006 "Yet another long-term stayer, the creation of food and art lover Lucio Galletto continues to delight its core audience and those lucky enough to find it. The room is filled with enough paintings to cover the walls of three of the smaller terraces surrounding it"

SMH Good Food Guide 2005 Score 15/20 One Hat Good Wine List "Service this good doesn't happen by accident: it's a philosophy so refined that it rivals the celebrated and aweinspiring artworks covering just about every square inch of wall. Inexpensive it is not, but if you value passionate, considerate service and being surrounded by conversation-provoking paintings, Lucio's is an unfailingly great experience."

Gourmet Traveller Australian Restaurant Guide 2005 ** Good Wine List, Good Vegetarian Options "It's an institution and has stayed on the top of the pile because the eponymous proprietor, Lucio Galletto, understands that, to survive, you must not only maintain standards but seek tirelessly to elevate them."

Sydney Eats 2005 "First, this elegant northern Italian restaurant has been around for over 20 years. Second, the creator of the terrific food, Timothy Fisher, is an Aussie boy. And third, its owner, Lucio Galletto, is a man of great artistic taste and sensibility whose core audience is some of the city's most celebrated painters - their work adorns the walls, plates and menus."

SMH GFG 2004, Score 16/20, 2 Chefs Hats-Really Lovely, Good Wine List,'The food at Lucio's is solid across the park and dependable...And every restaurant has to have that one extra special element.At Lucio's it's the astutely professional,but never sniffy,style of service that seeps down from proud restauranteur Lucio Galletto.Bravo!'

Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide Australia 2004, 2 Red Stars, Good Vegetarian options,'a restaurant fiercly lauded by its regulars, who have been riding high on host and owner Lucio Galletto's passion for good food and art for 20 years...the service is seamless and helpful without being forced.The wine list includes a great selection of Itailan and Australian wines.Lucio's is most definately the place to come to satisfy all the senses.'