Osteria Lucio marries classic Italian food with an Irish setting, brought to life by the multinational friendship of renowned chefs Ross Lewis and Luciano Tona.
Exposed brick walls in the dining room mimic its exterior facade and deep plum-coloured high chairs face the marble-topped bar, with a view of the woodfired oven ahead. Hidden away in a confined tunnel-like alcove lies additional seating – choose between industrial-style chairs and more comfortable leather sofas.
The menu is a well-executed exercise in sprezzatura – making difficult dishes look easy and vice versa – with the chefs relying on high-quality ingredients to amaze guests rather than gimmicky presentation. The food appears straightforward – think bruschetta with heirloom tomatoes and ‘nduja and rosemary on flatbread – but the attention-to-detail means that the flavours shine through. A glance at the menu reveals that cured meats are sourced from Fingal Ferguson, cured pork neck from Tuscany and seasonal vegetables from Italian and Irish suppliers. The ‘Big Lucio’ tasting menu gathers a selection of cicchetti, antipasti, handmade pasta, a main or pizza and finally sorbet and dessert for a sharing-style feast.
Dine the Italian way, with cicchetti followed by handmade pasta – the squid ink capelli d’angelo with Irish crab catches our eye – or beef tagliata. The wood-fired pizzas shouldn’t be an afterthought, with toppings ranging from slow-roasted porchetta to classic quattro formaggi. The restaurant is so proud of its homemade pizza bases that it’s even willing to serve them sans toppings. Save space for the restaurant’s take on a classic tiramisu, jazzed up with chocolate shards and an espresso crumb.
The drinks list is a further reminder of the restaurant’s dual heritage, featuring the chefs’ handpicked wines from Italian smallholdings alongside cracking Irish craft beer and vermouth cocktails. Whether you’re looking for a quick pizza, pre-theatre dining or a tasting extravaganza, Osteria Lucio fits the bill.