Luminosa

Review summary

1. T

   Terri

   Western NC

   13 reviews

   3.0

   13 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   Lovely space, very cozy and warm. I really like the banquettes for parties of 4 or 6. Our waiter was excellent. He knew the menu well and was jovial to chat with. For a primo I ordered the radicchio salad with gorgonzola & pepitas which was bountiful and perfectly dressed. For a secondo, 2 of us ordered the bucatini carbonara, which was very tasty with delicious smokey pancetta, egg yolk and parmigiana. Unfortunately it took a good 30+ minutes to arrive after our salads, but once it came out it was tepid. I know there is egg yolk in the sauce and it needs to be tempered it so it doesn’t cook and it remains creamy but it was not even warm. The pasta had no heat to it whatsoever. The waiter offered to have the kitchen remake it but they would have had to start it from scratch and could take a while, and I couldn’t have our group wait another 20+ for me to get my entree so I accepted it as it was. Again, it was tasty but not optimal - it would have been so much more enjoyable if it were warm. Another person at our table also ordered the same thing and he said his was cold too but also didn’t want to make everyone wait while they remade it. His unfortunately didn’t have much egg yolk at all and it was very dry. Altogether not a standout dish for $28.00. In the end, after we paid the bill they brought us out a surprise gift of a tiramisu and a congelato which was nice. Just a thought: Maybe the carbonara really shouldn’t be on the menu of it is so time sensitive and tricky to execute properly. When things get backed up in the kitchen this dish definitely suffers.
   

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2. r

   rachel

   Greensboro

   8 reviews

   4.0

   8 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Nice range of menu offerings. Very fresh. Inventive. Good wine selection by glass with tastings available. Excellent service with energetic ambiance.
   

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3. ML

   MikeL

   Western NC

   5 reviews

   5.0

   5 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Fantastic place with great food and wonderful service. It was our 45th anniversary and the staff was so sweet in continually honoring our milestone. Definitely will go back. Historic building updated to a warm and friendly setting with modern food and drinks.
   

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4. A

   Ann

   Western NC

   30 reviews

   5.0

   30 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We happened to dine during AVL Restaurant Week and everything, from the greeting when we checked in to the final goodbye, was exceptional. Our waiter Rob was friendly and helpful as was every person who delivered food to our table. Beautiful restaurant, excellent food and delightful staff. Our evening was an A+ experience!
   

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5. R

   Raphael

   Washington DC

   3 reviews

   4.0

   3 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   The place is super nice, and I even got a birthday card from all the staff. The food took a bit to arrive but I ordered a half chicken so I assume it was kind of expected.
   

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6. M

   Mark

   VIP

   New York City

   145 reviews

   5.0

   145 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   Beautiful restaurant with great food! Best pasta in town.
   

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7. K

   Kim

   VIP

   San Francisco

   14 reviews

   5.0

   14 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Wonderful service - great recommendations for what to choose on the menu!
   

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8. F

   Faiz Afsar

   New York City

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Our experience overall was a great one! It was a busy night and we were seated by the restrooms and the kitchen which made us a little uncomfortable, they were understanding and got us another table which was much better! The service was brilliant. It was easy to see that everyone who worked there, thoroughly enjoyed their work which makes the entire experience that much more enjoyable for the diners. Rob recommended the perfect wine pairings, he understood exactly what we were looking for! We had the bread basket, beef carpaccio, the 8oz steak with salsa verde and the bucatini carbonara. The butter in the bread basket was brilliant, we couldn’t get enough! (If they bottle it and sell it, we will buy it). And the steak salsa verde left such a great taste in my mouth, I didn’t want to sully it with anything else. The carbonara while good was a little too heavy for our liking. Maybe a smaller portion of something that heavy would go down better.  We then finished the meal with the tiramisu which was just right. We will definitely go back to try more!
   

   LuminosaResponded 3 days ago

   Hello Faiz, Thank you for dining with us. We are happy to learn you had a "great' overall experience. We appreciate your nice comments on the service, food and in particular your feedback on the carbonara. We look forward to your next visit and another table location. Thank you for your support. Jeff Elstro-General Manager The Flat Iron Hotel.
   

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9. B

   Britta

   Western NC

   3 reviews

   5.0

   3 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Absolutely exceptional, and consistently so, on every level- food, wine, service, atmosphere. Last night was our third time dining here, and once again we were blown away by every dish we ordered and the warmth with which we were treated. The host went above and beyond making our party comfortable (thank you for that!) and our server Jamie was positively top notch. Could Luminosa end up becoming Asheville’s first Michelin rated restaurant? It wouldn’t surprise us a bit. As longtime Asheville locals and natives, we are beyond thrilled to have a restaurant like Luminosa in town, and it is quickly becoming our favorite special occasion spot. And honestly, it could also be a fun spot to grab a pizza, an app or two, a nice bottle of wine and dessert (just so we don’t have to wait another year for a birthday or anniversary to celebrate…!) Thanks to the chef for the remarkable dishes every single time, and to the entire team for such a special evening. We can’t wait to come back again.
   

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10. K

    Kimberly

    Western NC

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    This is a new Asheville favorite for us! We first ate here at a Christmas party in December and loved it so much, we decided to have our Valentine’s date here. These folks have their act together! Everything tasted delicious and the staff are excellent. We got to sit by the open kitchen and witness the incredible teamwork. They had a cheesecake for two special that I may never forget. I will be recommending Luminosa to anyone who will listen.
    

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