Get off to a good start when your vacation dates coincide with the sunniest days of the summer.
So there was a definite spring in my step as I headed to Lucia's in Swaingate Court, York, to meet up with some girlfriends and grab a bite to eat.
This popular York restaurant is open for lunch on Mondays and tables are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
It opened at noon, so we got there a little early and got an outdoor spot with the benefit of a side canopy to protect us from the heat of the midday sun.
We had all played tennis earlier and were parched and hungry.
So, the first thing I drink is sparkling water (£3.10). Fentiman's Sparkling Elderflower (£3.95) and two bottles of fresh orange juice (£2.30 each) (additional charge of 65p if you add a splash of soda to one of them).
The menu had a wide selection of dishes to suit all budgets and appetites, including large plates, small plates, pastas, risotto, burgers, steaks and salads.
Entrance to Lucia's from Grape Lane
I also noticed that from Monday to Friday they have a special 'Lunch For Two' menu where you get two main courses and two drinks for £20 (£10 per person). Perfect if you want to enjoy a cheap lunch with friends in a nice place in the city center. We had rump steak, pork gnocchi, sea bass with saffron risotto, beef burger, and spaghetti with meatballs.
If the Eat Out to Help Out scheme (where you get £10 off your meal from Monday to Wednesday during August) hadn't been in place during our visit, we would have been tempted by the lunch menu and would have chosen another time. I bet you made a note to try it out.
Check out the best places to eat outdoors in York, reviewed by The Press, here.
Then moved on to our orders.
From Petit Lucia's menu, one friend chose grilled goat cheese (£6.50). It's served on a side plate, so it's perfect for people who don't want to worry about portion size. My friend wanted to leave room for a proper dessert and was happy with his choice.
Lucia's goat cheese small plate
The goat cheese rounds were lightly toasted and were just starting to change color. A sprinkling of walnuts added texture, and she also enjoyed the diced beets. My one complaint is that the fig compote was a bit too sweet for her taste, and she would have preferred fresh fig pieces.
Two friends opted for the Caesar salad (£8) with chargrilled chicken breast for an additional £2.50. This was a classic combination of cos lettuce and parmesan shavings and croutons. She enjoyed it, but thought the chicken was a little overdone. On the other hand, the croutons could have been crispier and the cheese mixed into the salad rather than left in a heap at the bottom of everything.
Our third friend was more pleased with his selection of grilled halloumi with roasted vegetables, hummus, beets, oranges, salad and flatbread. It was a good sized portion and she ate a lot.
Lucia's York halloumi salad
The heat definitely influenced our choices. I also chose a salad. This time it's Tuna Nice Words (no eggs. I haven't eaten eggs since I was forced to eat them at nursery school). The waitress asked me how I wanted the tuna cooked and I told her so it was still pink in the middle. When it arrived, it wasn't red-pink yet, but the center was a pale flesh color, so I suspected it had been frozen to begin with. The taste was OK, and the salty tapenade on top made it even better. Warm new potatoes and a handful of sun-dried tomatoes appeared as guests between the salad leaves. It also came with toasted flat bread, making it a fulfilling lunch.
We also ordered chips (£3.75) to share. This came in small metal cups and was a handful each.
One friend who decided to have pudding took the initiative with dessert.
Lucia's is an Italian cafe and patisserie located next to Grape Lane that one of my friends heartily recommended. If you feel like stretching your legs, call there for après.
We decided to stay where we were and gave our order to the waitress. One friend ordered the salted caramel cheesecake (£6.25) and the rest had gelato. Flavors included stracciatella, vanilla, coffee, honeycomb, and strawberry, as well as lemon and forest fruit sorbet. 2 scoops costs £3.95, 3 scoops costs £5.75.
The gelato came in a lovely ice cold sundae glass and was so smooth and soft that it started to melt while I was eating it. As I scooped up every last drop, there was silence. Stracciatella, vanilla, coffee and honeycomb are all guaranteed to be of the highest quality.
Lucia's salted caramel cheesecake
The rich and rich cheesecake was also popular. The sweet caramel flavor is tempered slightly by a hint of salt. The menu promised it would be served with raspberries, my friend's favorite, but it was actually served with strawberries and blueberries, the second best in her book.
We finished with a cup of coffee. I had a decaf flat white, but the milky brew made it difficult to detect the coffee flavor, so I didn't order it again.
Another friend was at another table. She and her partner both had pasta and particularly recommended the shrimp tagliatelle. Probably something to focus on next time.
The bill for 4 people was £82.60 but thanks to the Eat Out to Help Out discount the £10 per person was reduced to £42.60.
Lucia, 13 Swinegate, Court East, York YO1 8AJ
W: luciawinebar.co.uk
Phone: 01904 731599
Food: Mainly delicious 3.5/5
Service: Good 4/5
Atmosphere: Great 5/5
Value: Average 4/5
Reviews are independent and meals are covered by The Press.
