Lucali

Food:<br>Lucali was honestly disappointing, especially because I went in wanting to love it. I’ve followed this place for years and heard all the hype, so I expected something much stronger. The flavor itself was excellent, which is what makes the review frustrating. You can taste the quality in the sauce, cheese, crust, and pepperoni. The calzone was the best thing we had fresh and probably the only item that really made sense in the moment. It was rich, cheesy, satisfying, and felt more complete than the pizza. The cheese and pepperoni pies, though, were a letdown fresh out of the oven. The slices were sloppy, oily, and had almost no structure. The cheese slid off, the slice could not really hold itself together, and for a place this famous and this expensive, that is hard to excuse. The pepperoni was much better reheated at home once it crisped up, and that version was genuinely excellent, but I do not think a pizza should need a second life in my oven to show what it can be.<br><br>Service:<br>Service was slow and not very attentive. I understand the place is busy, but the experience felt more like they knew people would come no matter what than like they were trying to make the meal feel worth it.<br><br>Summary:<br>Overall, 3/5. The flavor is real, and the calzone was strong, but the pizza we were served was too oily, too loose, and too expensive to fully defend. I’m glad I tried Lucali, but based on this visit, the hype was much better than the actual experience.

Firstly I think it really depends on your personal favourite style of pizza. For me this is more of a classic Italian style and it’s ok. Is it worth the hype sadly not. Even if you didn’t have to queue to get the reservation, the food is ok, the guys making the pizza are lovely, super friendly and the vibe inside is very cute. The service for me was mixed, the server advised we could order a pie with half and half as my wife is vegan which was some good advise. However the rest of the service this evening was a bit abrupt, servers asked if we had finished when we still had a slice left and a mouthful full of food for me was just poor service. They advise you that you have the table for an hour but we felt like we were rushed out of the door when we still had 15 minutes and we ended up leaving 10 minutes, the weird eagerness to get us out the door for an expensive average pizza is not the one.<br>It ain’t worth the hype, but at least we can say we know. I think the hype is purely down to people not ever having a quality Italian pizza or the lack of variety in New York. Maybe it is down to so many places doing New York style pizza and this just different. For me it’s a bang average place, with nothing to write home about and I’d save your money.

Totally worth the hype! This is the best pizza I’ve had in New York. We came Monday around 3pm to wait in line and get a table for later that night. Around 3:30pm someone came and started taking peoples reservations. We were able to get a table for 4 people at 7pm. When we came back at our scheduled time we were seated shortly after checking in.<br><br>We shared one pizza, one calzone and one pasta and felt it was the perfect amount of food to share. We had half cheese and half pepperoni for the pizza, and for the calzone added spicy peppers, mushrooms and shallots. Both the pizza and calzone were amazing. The pasta was great too but the other items were significantly better. It’s BYOB but they have water and soda options. It’s also cash only, but there is a chase nearby. Overall it wasn’t terrible to come early and put our names down. It’s probably better to do so on weekdays rather than weekends, but I’d definitely come back!

If you can snag an early seating, I think the experience would be a lot better than mine. The pizzas were good, but I wouldn't wait until 10pm to have it again. Atmosphere and service is great

Lucali is absolutely charming, cute, and intimate, the kind of place that feels special the moment you walk in. The menu is refreshingly simple, just pizza, one pasta dish, and a calzone, which adds to the whole experience. The staff was truly wonderful, welcoming, friendly, and made us feel right at home.<br>The atmosphere is a big win. Watching the dough being prepared and ingredients prepped in the open kitchen adds to the magic and makes the experience feel personal and intentional. The crust was crispy and well cooked, and the wood-fired setup is beautiful.<br>That said, the pizza itself was… fine. Solid, but average. It didn’t quite have that standout flavor or signature taste that sets it apart from other good wood-oven pizza spots. Nothing wrong with it, just nothing that made me say, “I need this again immediately.”<br>Overall, Lucali shines for its vibe, warmth, and experience more than for the pizza itself. Worth visiting for the atmosphere and hospitality, just go in knowing the star of the show is the setting, not a life-changing slice.

Incredible pizza and truly irreplicable old Italian spot vibes. Ask for the spicy sauce with the calzone, add garlic and shallots to the pepperoni pizza, and you’ll have a super super memorable meal.

Cash only, walk in only, highly rated local pizza joint in a residential area in Brooklyn. Be prepared to wait an hour, we got there on a Wednesday evening around 8:30 pm, there was already an hour wait. Their menu is simple- pizza, pasta or calzone, simple is better. Veggies are $3 in toppings and pepperoni is $5, artichoke is $8. You can watch them making pizza right in the back of the restaurant. It is a small restaurant with one room and all the tables are tightly fit together. It is also BYOB, so come with your favorite drinks. The pizza is GIGANTIC, and for two people it was more than enough. We got half pepperoni, half artichoke.

Wish it was easier for me to get here because the food was spectacular. Thought it lived up to the hype. Don’t know how often I will make it here, especially in the winter, but it’s definitely worth a trip at least once. pasta, meatballs, pizza, and calzone all delicious.

This place is every bit worth it. Absolutely loved the atmosphere of this place, it felt like we were inside a painting. The pizza was great as well. We went there on the day after Thanksgiving and the line to get reservations was not long and we were able to get a table booking in just 25-30 mins.

Cool place with excellent pizza, calzone, and an off menu pasta dish. All very good - recommend keeping it relatively simple with the toppings. A bit hard to get a table here, you need to wait in line to get put on the list later in the day, so it’s a commitment. BYOB and cash only. Worth visiting if you have time in Carroll Gardens!

Lucali feels like a postcard from old-school Italian Brooklyn. Candlelit, no frills, quietly confident. On our third attempt over the course of the year, we finally got in, which already tells you something about the place. This is not dinner. It is a mission.<br><br>On weekends, the process is well known but worth repeating. Show up by 2:00 or 2:30 to get in line. The reservation point person steps out around 4:00 pm, you pick a time slot, and then you build your afternoon around it. We did exactly that, took a detour to the Dyker Heights Christmas lights, came back about 20 minutes before our reservation, and they took us without hesitation.<br><br>Once seated, the clock starts. You have 60 minutes to eat, which is fine given the very limited menu. Fewer choices, higher expectations. Also, important operational notes. Bring cash. It is BYOB. Plan accordingly.<br><br>Now the food and the setup. The calzone is the clear winner. Truly excellent, rich, thin crust, well-balanced. The sauce is tasty and well-seasoned, but nothing extraordinary. The pizza, specifically the margherita, is good but not flawless. The basil leaves were piled on top and not baked in, which made the slices awkward to eat and threw off the balance. Baking the basil into the pie would go a long way here. Small change, big impact. And add pepperoni to everything. It adds an overall spark.<br><br>One practical challenge is the table size. The restaurant holds 30 people max. The tables are very small, and the trays used for the pizzas and calzones are enormous. The combination makes it genuinely difficult to eat comfortably, turning the meal into a bit of a balancing act. Eating great food should not feel like a test of coordination.<br><br>The waitstaff were friendly and attentive, and the open pizza kitchen added extra coziness to the space.<br><br>This brings us to the bigger question. There is a lot of hype for this hole-in-the-wall pizza shop, and we are still trying to fully understand why. The food is solid, but the experience has become more about the mission to get a table than the meal itself. When the logistics overshadow the plate, expectations naturally climb into dangerous territory.<br><br>Lucali is charming, nostalgic, and clearly doing many things right. With a few tweaks, the food could speak louder than the wait. Still glad we went. Just not convinced the quest should be the main course.

Every bit worth the wait! The pasta and pizza are both incredibly delicious. Some of the best I’ve ever had. The food comes out so quickly, it will catch you off guard. The service was so friendly and accommodating. BYOB, so bring your own drinks, no charge. People usually start getting in line a couple hours before they open.

Likely the best pizza experience we've ever had. The mood, taste, decor, people, and atmosphere were perfect. The candlelight dinner was so epic we left nearly speechless.<br><br>Go, get on the waitlist, and make your pizza eating dreams come true.

Lucali in Brooklyn has that perfect mix of calm and buzz. The room is dimly lit, warm, and smells like dough and basil. Service is attentive without hovering, plates arrive when they should, and you’re never rushed. The pizza is exceptional: thin crust, crisp edges, and ingredients that actually taste fresh. Mark, the owner, was personable and welcoming. It’s simple food done perfectly, and that’s the whole point.

Easily one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had but don’t sleep on the calzone! If you have the opportunity to eat here you must try it at least once, it is well worth the reservation process. We had the pasta special, a calzone, and pizza which were all delicious. The vibe is so homey and comfortable it feels like you’re at a family place and the servers reinforce that. My favorite item has to be the calzone because of how light and delicious the cheese is, it always tastes fresh and flavorful with the sauce. The cherry on top is that they are BYOB too!<br><br>Getting a reservation I recommend coming around 3pm on a weekday and earlier on a Friday or weekend day. The hostess starts taking names at 4pm and tables go fast. There is typically a wait for getting seated too depending on how long people stay but having been multiple times now it’s never been more than 15min. Parking is sparse so make sure to factor that in. They are cash only too so don’t forget!<br><br>I can’t wait till my next visit. This is one of the best date night, friends, and family spots there is. The ambiance alone is worth the trip but the food is to die for!