Accolades & Reviews

Named "Best Restaurant in Carmel"
Monterey County Weekly Readers' Poll
March 2008

"This hip, city style casual Italian eatery erupted onto the spot where Toots Lagoon used to reign during the 1980s, reincarnating with the same high energy and magnetic appeal. Redesigned by wife Kathleen, this David Fink creation matches fresh hand-crafted Italian specialties like wood-oven-fired pizzas, home-cured salamis, pasta dishes and seasonal specialties with an extensive all-Italian wine list offering tastes, glasses and bottles from across every region in Italy. Add a full, lively bar scene, friendly staff and local buzz that won't quit and you've got the hottest—and the best restaurant in Carmel."

Planning a trip to Carmel, California
WHERE TO EAT
Cantinetta Luca, Dolores Street between Ocean and 7th avenues; (831) 625-6500, http://www.cantinettaluca.com. This is the newest of the eateries listed here (it opened in late 2006), and it delivered the best meal of my visit: a risotto made with chanterelle mushrooms from Big Sur. A busy dining room wraps around a shapely bar, with a small counter in back overlooking the kitchen action. Prices up to $64, which buys a 24-ounce Florentine-style T-bone. Lunch and dinner.WHERE TO EAT
Christopher Reynolds,  Los Angeles Times, April 13, 2007

Metro-trattoria - Cantinetta Luca blends Old World cuisine and big city cool in sleepy Carmel, Monterey Herald, January 11, 2007

Reports: Eat Here Now - The tables to book in your favorite places around the world
"Cantinetta Luca: Brick walls, soaring beamed ceilings, and a mammoth wood oven. Must order grilled baby leeks with parsley-pancetta vinaigrette.
Travel & Leisure - January 2007

Room For Style Cantinetta Luca brings youthful, big-city, classic Italian vibe to Carmel, Coast Weekly, November 9, 2006