Lucca in Tendring

The food is top tier but watch out for hidden costs, they’ve now started adding a service charge to all bills, before it was only for large groups, which makes sense, but they now add it to every bill. So even if there is two of you having a 40min quick lunch, you’ll have to either pay a hidden service charge or have the awkward interaction of asking to have it removed. If running costs have increased, then increase the costs to your menu, don’t add hidden fees. Other than that, I can fault this place.

My Sister took me to Lucca for lunch to celebrate my birthday..the food is always good but there were flies landing on the food as we were eating it..we couldn’t eat it all so had to cover it until the waitress came to box it for us and I said to her that we have had to cover it as there are flies landing..and she said yes we have had lots of flies due to the water nearby..it’s very off putting to be eating with flies landing on the table and the food you are eating ….its a shame as this restaurant is usually very good

Came here for a friend's birthday and we all absolutely loved it. Would definitely recommend the tiramissu

Polite and friendly staff, just the right amount of attention. Was told by several people how good the food was, and was certainly not disappointed. Sorry to say I was halfway through my starter before taking photos.

Lovely Italian style restaurant. We've eaten here loads of times and never been disappointed.

We went on a busy Sunday. The team were very attentive. We had a hungry toddler and asked if we could get food quickly, which it did. Food was superb and we had a super time.

We happened to be here and were extremely pleasantly surprised! Mussels as a starter, handmade ravioli and an anchovy pizza. Everything was great with excellent service and a really nice atmosphere. We are rarely in this area. Now we have one more reason. Mille gratie!

Pizza and pasta dishes are usually very reliable and service is friendly. Our party's pizzas were very good but this time my wife's pasta carbonara was very unappetizing. Possibly due to inexperienced staff, some mistakes were made on this and our previous visit, e.g. starters served with main course and wrong drink served.

Love this place but what would be even better is local delivery, take this place to a whole another level

Calzone nice . Spaghetti di mare ok. Salad late, dry leaves, one walnut, piece of beetroot. Had to be returned and was still kept on the bill. Bad business ettiqet.

Best authentic Italian for miles

We had a fantastic meal for our son’s 12th birthday. The staff were so friendly and the food was great. The exact words of the birthday boy were “this is the best pizza he has ever had!” We will be back

We had dinner here for our anniversary and were very pleased with our experience. We were served by Tessa who was new to hosing on her own and she did a wonderful job. She was ever so kind and helpful and handled the stress very well. The food was very nice but then again we’re biased, we love pasta. We would recommend this restaurant and would visit again

Visited here for the 2nd time during our 2nd trip to our caravan park 30mins away. Staff extremely lovely and helpful (even refused tip as they said its in the service charge) how sweet never had that before. Food super fresh, clean tasting and delicious. Our 3 year old loved he's pasta too! Great little gem always busy not hard to see why. Great job as always. Thanks Katherine 😊

Absolutely delicious food and very attentive friendly staff. Highly recommend the calzone. Pizza and pasta dishes also tasted great. Really liked the atmosphere as well. Tiramisu was ok but I’ve had better. Nonetheless, we loved it and will be back for more in the future.

Speaking from someone who had previously worked and managed in hospitality, I can only give an honest opinion on what I experienced today. Went with my other half and a toddler (all parents will know the struggle with going out for meals with babies, toddlers, children etc). I personally could not fault the quality of the food and service experienced today . I hope and I'm sure the compliments are passed onto the relevant areas of the business as I know passing these messages on can mean the world to the team. Normally when I have pizza I always opt for the deep pan base, but with it being my first time happy to accept how it comes, it came thin base and was pleasantly surprised. All authentic and all. Only bit of feedback is that the toppings could ofbbeen slightly smaller but I feel that is more down to personal preference than anything, compliments to chefs. In regards to customer service, it was nice seeing a business that looks at having a suitable level of staffing levels allowing them to contribute to a high level of service which contributed to the experience we experienced. Too many are trying to get the same level on reduced levels of staffing and meaning it can at times fall short. Always someone on hand to fulfil the needs of a custumer and good communication between staff i noticed. Not just my table, but other tables at the same time. Compliments to the waiter staff. Also.huge levels on cleanliness in restaurant and within toilets. Not a normal contributer myself but felt I was compelled to to. Hopefully it can inspire other contributers / readers to either visit this restaurant or others, knowing that good feedback can be hard to come by. I would definitely recommend and hope to come back soon. .

Best Italian pizza pasta dining in the area. Wonderful cocktails,warm efficient service, cosy unpretentious atmosphere.

Had an amazing day in Manningtree, topped off with a beautiful meal at Lucca, couldn't fault the food in any way. Every bite completely delicious 😋

First time there and will definitely go again. Highly recommend it.

It's my second time here. The first time wasn't too bad. However, the second time didn't enjoy it. Pizza was tough, dry, not of much flavour and definitely not DOP mozzarella. Also told the pizzaiolo that Margherita DOP shouldn't have olives and I wasn't expecting olives, his reply was it's written on the menu. Well, you might as well add pineapple on Margherita and write it there as Margherita, you might as well. MisleadinThis menu is misleadingibly fraudulent as they , as it advertisesita DOP" and add itemsaddst on the original DOP version. Please before us you have the right ingredients first.before using such marks

Not my first review of this excellent Italian pizzeria, and unlikely to be my last, however two visits this week and two brilliant experiences. Ria and Sophie two superb hosts. Whilst the pizzas here remain excellent, the service is always so warm and welcoming; two elements that combine to give a real V for victory restaurant.

First class service and food at a great price I’d of given them 10 star it I could very well recommend

Pizza was cold . Staff not very friendly seemed to be in a hurry to get a order. Drinks came after food. Price was a little high for what it was.

Good food, but service was poor. Staff made you feel they just couldn't be bothered. Waitress came to see if we wanted to pay. with a payment device, before we had finished our coffees.

Lovely meal with the family! Downstairs appears to have more atmosphere! Speedy service by the young crew! Well done👏🏻

Been coming here for an eternity. It’s always be a good option if we don’t feel like cooking. Staff are very good as are the pizzas. Sadly, the introduction of a service charge is a mistake. It is no more than a tax on the food and drink which we are already paying for. If the service warrants a monetary thank you, then a cash tip to the server is fine. This isn’t America.

Wow the cozze were delicious, as was the calzone . Everything really. We really enjoyed it and will be back. Thank you

This is how it should be done. The best pizza you will have anywhere, ever. Great service from lovely people, fantastic. Believe the hype!!

Excellent pizzas. Thin base, lovely crust. Must be good because it was our third visit in the last few weeks.

Great Italian wine bar and restaurant. We come here often.

Un-be-lievable. Superb service, food that exceeded all my expectations and SO reasonably priced. Would come back immediately. Honestly, just so impressed with everything. DELICIOUS tiramisu. Graat great great

Lovely restaurant with personable staff and amazing food. Lovely atmosphere but not so noisy that you can't have a conversation. Perfect.

We went for dinner on NYE. Food was excellent, loved the atmosphere and it was excellent value for money.

This place is a true gem. I am never disappointed. It's pizza is peerless (including the supposedly artisanal offerings in the big smoke), the service is always spot on with little fuss but just the right level of attention to detail and care (very hard to balance) plus warm welcome and really charming staff. I love it here. Keep up the sterling work.

We had a lovely meal, staff excellent, although we had a family that could not control their youngsters, really annoying

A great way to spend New Year's day. Lovely place, highly recommend.

Great place for Italian food. All freshly made. Really delicious food. Lovely atmosphere. Service is amazing. Can be a bit drafty in certain places if it's a cold day.

Great pizza as always and very friendly service, especially with our young son. Highly recommend visiting Lucca’s.

We where very cold and didnt go to much on menu prezzo is better

Great pizza, pasta and very nice antipasti! Very fast at serving as well

Delicious pizzas and outstanding service from a team of very attentive staff. The fennel sausage topping is definitely one I would recommend.

What a super place this is. Great atmosphere and excellent service along with tasty appetisers and delicious main meals. The gamberi starter and the seafood linguini were so good I didn’t leave a morsel. Definitely recommend and will be back in January 2025.

Sorry to say after saying we would never go there again 2 yrs ago because it had gone downhill we tried it again today. There really is a problem with lack of flavour in the food, all three of us said the same but the service was good, staff attentive just need new chef/s maybe. Shame because over the years it was good.

Wonderful front of house, friendly waiter and the pizza was amazing! Thank you team and merry Christmas!

Best Neapolitan pizza I've had. Beats the local competition hands down. Great to see your pizza prepared and cooked right in front of you in the authentic wood fired oven as you wait. All fresh ingredients and you can taste the difference. Highly recommend 👍

We visited on a Sunday evening this excellent italian restuarant in the lovely town of Manningtree. It was busy which created a very good atmosphere. There are two floors for eating. The staff are very friendly and professional, offering us excellence service throughout our two hour visit. The menu is varied and the standard of the food will not disapoint.

Nice impromptu visit with the family. Food as ever really good. Waiters good with our young daughter too who enjoys it there!

Excellent Arangini and Pizza. Enjoyed the special cocktail

Absolutely amazing atmosphere the staff are very welcoming the food is always amazing and alway leave with an full stomach to the blonde girl who was working on the 10 of November 2024 during the evening with her hair up in a bun I just wanted to say thank you , you were so fun and enjoyable to talk to and made the vibe amazing you were honestly such a lovely person, Luccas is by far an absolute amazing Italian restaurant and will recommend for a long time keep up the good work Luccas crew

One of the best pizzas I ever had in a great atmosphere and wonderful staff

After recently moving to Mistley Lucca’s has become my go to restaurant in the area. Spectacular food, warm and welcoming atmosphere and the staff never disappoint! Always so happy and helpful, and the food is just so amazing! The Romana pizza is definitely my go to! I would recommend this restaurant to anyone locally who hasn’t tried it before, not much comes close! See you again soon 👏🏼

OMG superb Treat your self ! A must !

We went to Lucca as a family (2x parents and kids 8 and 5) and we loved it. The service was perfect and fast, the food was really good and the icing on the cake was a really great play list of music (not too loud!) that had us all smiling and singing and dancing in our seats. Great place!

The experience is second to none. The food is awesome.. and well priced... I have lived in Mistley Manningtree since 2006 and always used this beautiful venue, i have never had a bad time there, so long may that continue... When Andy Dean was manager, 6/7 years ago, he made me a VIP customer.. lol.. RIP Andy Dean 🙏🏿

Lucca’s Pizza is truly Authentic and Italian. The service was amazing by Kaylie she was so nice and patient suggesting us popular dishes. Highly recommended

First visit to Manningtree & found this restaurant on the High Street. It looked welcoming, with its pizza oven visible from the front door. We took advantage of the sun and sat out front. Starters were generous and very tasty (we went for the mussels and the prawns). Pizza was main course and again, both were good-sized pizzas and delicious. No room for dessert! Service was very friendly, attentive and efficient. We also thought the bill was reasonable. Really couldn't fault the place, so it gets 5 stars.

Had a great lunch with 3 other friends. Friendly and attentive staff with great food and some lovely wines. It was good value for money. Will go again when this way.

Always great at Lucca's, food and service are always really good 👍👍

Lovely service, amazing authentic pizza and pasta. Great coffee after. They were very accommodating to our dietary requirements (vegan) and lovely with our 3 year old. Banging playlist too

Lovely food, great atmosphere and fantastic staff - highly recommended!

After a very nice bottle of Sauvignon blanc at Estuary wine bar we went to Lucca. What an excellent dining experience. Very attentive service , well prepared and presented food and very reasonable price. Highly recommended.

Fantastic pizza at great prices.

Staff decorated the table for a birthday for us. The food was delicious especially the Pomodorino pizza and garlic bread. Would recommend 👌

The food is absolutely fantastic, the staff are very welcoming, friendly and quick. But the food is just exquisite, one of the best Italians I've ever been to, authentic Italian food, and the chef is lovely.

The best Italian restaurant we've ever been to. Shame its 200 miles away from home. Fantastic food and service , next time we're in Essex we'll be back

I came here for my birthday with my boyfriend and our daughter. The service was brilliant, clearly very family friendly and met all our needs. We never had to wait too long for drinks or food. The atmosphere was really nice also. Food was amazing. Brilliant portion sizes and priced very reasonably. I do have to say the pizza crust/dough was so tasty, I don’t think I’ve ever had crust that nice. Unfortunately we don’t live local, we visited during our week away in Essex. If we ever come back we will be returning to Lucca again. I would recommend reserving a table.

Lovely meal with excellent service.

We have been coming to Lucas for a number of years now and they have never disappointed us! They are all very friendly and the food is scrumptious. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Beautiful experience all around! Our waiter Jude was so super kind and funny and just made the experience lovely. Food was delicious and portions were amazing. Such a lovely space for all occasions. Only 1 issue the bossy lady on the bar who spoke disrespectfully to all other staff and loudly commented on them to which we could overhear making us quite uncomfortable. Other than that lovely evening and super happy!!

Had a lovely pizza here! Service was excellent, and the atmosphere was positive 👌

always fab food. unfortunately this time we waited nearly 2hours for our food as our ticket was "lost". understand mistakes happen but noone came to check on us, offer drinks etc

Best Italian food I’ve ever had. Ellie was an amazing waitress and really made it all the better. 5/5

For my 60th birthday we booked a table for 10, including 2 small children. We were served by 2 members of staff both of whom were really attentive, especially to the children. Our food was excellent, we had a really great evening. We have been to Lucca many times, but never with the whole family. It was a lovely end to a perfect day. Thanks to everyone at Lucca xx

Another top notch meal at this lovely casual eaterie. This time we sat in the garden. Nice space on a warm evening. Service was top notch. Food was spectacular. Value for money was amazing. Another lovely meal.

My family all love Lucca and we weren’t disappointed when we visited for a wedding anniversary lunch today. The food was fantastic, and service was speedy and friendly. Prices are always very reasonable. It’s no surprise that this place is so popular!

It is a lovely restaurant with good Italian food.

One of our favourite places. So friendly, nothing is too much trouble. Food is always excellent with a great choice. Lots of vegetarian options.

As special mention Ellie went above and beyond for us. She was a lovely server and picked up on our vibe instantly and made our night. The best Italian restaurant in reach of Ipswich (sorry, towny review) The spaghetti Gamberi was excellent and the Antipasti Misti was enough for 6 to start. The tiramisu Martini is responsible for any current spelling mistakes but was delicious. A perfect birthday celebration for my sister in law. Class eating without the fuss.

I'm already a big Lucca fan however the Romana pizza I had today was one of the best pizzas I have ever had. Made to absolute perfection. Service was so quick. Lucca Lemon cocktail is so refreshing and a must have. Literally love eating here. The only thing is it was so hot and just as hot inside! The fan above us was bust so hopefully that gets fixed soon! Thank you!

We were on holiday and Lucca's looking inviting. It was and lived up to our expectations. We are both Vegetarian and it is difficult to find restaurants that provide good veggie food. Lucca restaurant was simply the best. The staff were more than helpful. The wine was good and the food was excellent. Really top class. We live in Deal, Kent, 3 hours drive away otherwise Lucca's would become a regular for us. Highly recommended. The pizzas looked good but my pasta vongole was superb. Not a lot of places cook this so well done Lucca's . A must for anyone in the Manningtree area.

The cozy spot in Manningtree transports you to Italy as you step in the door. The waitresses are helpful and very friendly, always there if you need anything. The food was amazing, not overpriced at all, definitely worth what you pay. There was a huge range of food, with lots of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten - free options to chose from. Very good would definitely recommend.

Good food lovely stalff very reasonable

Fitted us in as a table of five last minute and it was absolutely fantastic! Service was great, food was delicious, best pizza and focaccia and the kids options were incredible. Thank you! Highly recommend

Nice venue but rather warm as the fan was broken. Food was tasty for everyone. I had the Venison Ragu & its fitting to quote a restaurant joke. Waiter to client "How did you find your fillet steak sir?" Client, "Oh I just moved a potato & there it was." In all honesty I could fit the venison on a level teaspoon. The tagliatelle was very tasty though. The pizzas I suppose, were typically Italian, with a soft 10mm crust. In South Africa we prefer a firm 5mm crust which is not doughy like the Italian one. The mussels were excellent & numerous.

Beautiful authentic Italian food. One issue with a closed muscle, which was quickly dealt with. Slightly disappointed that waiter said returned dish was a new fresh one. Infact it was the original, with the closed muscle removed . Still enjoyed and would return.

Really nice tasty food. friendly staff. Can't wait to go back.

Attentive team, quick service, delicious food, absolutely flawless.

Without a booking for this lovely place they found us a table on a friday evening, i,m so glad that they did our meal was top class and the service was amazing! A must if in the area.

Always a good meal and great service

Excellent, proper quality Italian food. Everything cooked as it should be and is very tasty. Prices are fine and the staff are relaxed and helpful.

Great authentic Italian restaurant. Busy but service still good. Nearby on street parking.

Came here last night for my mums birthday and we were absolutely blown away! The service was top notch, lovely staff :) The food was absolutely incredible, you could tell they used fresh ingredients! The prices are super reasonable too, i’d happily pay more for what I recieved. We will definitely be back, thank you everyone at Lucca :)

Went for a 70th birthday was not disappointed fantastic food. Service brilliant Staff excellent. Been twice now sat downstairs and upstairs both clean and friendly.

A true taste of Italy very friendly service

Great food, service and atmosphere. Very well priced all things considered. I thought the bruschette was average, but the ravioli, calzone diavolo, cheesecake and panna cotta were great! Will be returning again.

Always good choice on menu Helpful and polite staff. Nice relax atmosphere. Well done to all concerned.

Fabulous visit, would highly recommend - delicious with fantastic service. Eddie was a really attentive waiter, chatted with the kids and helpful throughout dinner 🙂 All the staff were lovely, couldn't do enough for us and great Happy Birthday singing 😀 Kids enjoyed tomato linguini and meatballs, we had the arancini and garlic bread to start and then two delicious pizzas. Finished with pannacotta, icecream & coffee 😋 Thank you to everyone for a lovely dinner.

Great food fabulous lively atmosphere. A great place to eat out. I highly recommend

Very lovely authentic Italian restaurant!

On sundayevening at 21.00 hrs looking for a place to eat, everywhere else was closed, we arrived at Lucca in Manningtree. We had a wonderful evening with excellent and top service provided by very friendly staff. The restaurant is very dog friendly. The menu offers several options for specific diets such as vegan. It was a wonderful experience, so much so that we nearly missed our ferry to sail back home to the Netherlands 😆🙂