“ Don't let the negative Google reviews about service deter you – my experience at Lucali was exceptional. Yes, there's a unique reservation system: we arrived at 4 PM to secure one of the last available dinner slots at 10 PM (on valentine's day). When we returned for our reservation, we were seated within 15 minutes. The service was fantastic. Our server was incredibly friendly, providing glasses for our BYOB beer and ensuring our water glasses stayed full. The ambiance is absolutely magical – the aroma of coal-fired pizza, flickering candlelight, and perfectly curated music create an unforgettable atmosphere. I ordered the large calzone with their hot pepper sauce. After about a 30-minute wait, what arrived was, without exaggeration, the best calzone I've ever eaten. While it's true that Lucali isn't cheap and requires some planning with the wait times, for a food lover, it's absolutely worth every minute and penny spent. The place definitely lives up to its hype. ”

“ Lucali is a true gem that effortlessly blends rustic charm with a warm, intimate atmosphere—perfect for a romantic night out. The candlelit space, with its exposed brick and open kitchen, feels like a cozy Italian hideaway where time slows down and good food takes center stage. And the food? Absolutely divine. The pizza is a masterpiece—thin, crispy crust with just the right amount of chew, topped with fresh, simple ingredients that let the flavor shine. The calzones are equally unforgettable, perfectly baked and oozing with melty cheese and rich sauce. Lucali isn’t just a pizza place—it’s an unforgettable experience. Romantic, soulful, and authentic. ”

“ Simple menu, great pizza! It is a BYOB place. No reservations so highly recommend arriving early for the waitlist. Our experience: - Arrived at 6.30pm on a Wednesday, put names on the waitlist and got a table at 7.15pm - Service was good but slow. After putting the order in for a pizza right after sitting down, the food came sometime after 8pm (so be advised on waiting for that food, keep the entire order ready to minimize wait) - We ordered a basil pizza pie with half garlic and half mushrooms. The taste and texture of the pizza made all the wait worth it!! The crust was cooked to perfection and the sauce and mozzarella flavors blended so well on each bite that was simply memorable. Can’t wait to be back here again! ”

“ Lucali in Brooklyn is a true gem, offering some of the best pizza in New York. This cash-only, BYOB spot in Carroll Gardens is famous for its thin-crust, brick-oven pies, handcrafted with fresh ingredients. The tomato sauce is rich and flavorful, the cheese perfectly melted, and the crust has just the right amount of char. Toppings are simple but high-quality—fresh basil, garlic, and pepperoni are favorites. The cozy, candlelit atmosphere adds to the charm. Be prepared for long waits, as they don’t take reservations, but the experience is well worth it. Lucali delivers a near-perfect New York pizza experience. DG ”

“ I’ve tried to get a table here, half a dozen times and succeeded twice. Both times the pizza was classic. The ingredients are simple but it’s done at such a high-level that it’s hard to complain about anything else. The ambience even the wedding line to get a table, however, annoying contributes to the exclusivity of the establishment. They don’t have ice they don’t sell alcohol or many drinks to speak of. You can bring your own, but that’s also a bit extra. Of course the pizza is the draw here and it is stellar. The only weird thing was we got seated about five minutes after our time, but it took them 50 minutes to bring my pizza and they had the nerve to imply that I should hurry and eat it five minutes later, but it was all good. I ignored them and ate my pizza at my leisure no problems ”

“ Everything about Lucali was great from start to finish. The host, the server, the owner all 10/10. I been trying to come here for a while, but sometimes you need to get earlier in the day to get in line. Waiting a long time for food is a reflection of quality and service. This was my third attempt at arriving early enough for a reservation. I arrived by 2:15 and was 6th in line. My wife and I came here for a date and were able to get in at 5pm. We were actually the first names written down for 5pm. The last time I tried I arrived at 3:45 and we were offered a 9pm table. Again, a reflection of the quality and service. The first time I arrived at 5pm and was offered 7:30. This is a place where waiting in line early in the day is part of the experience. You chat with your group and/or people in front of you. Experience: My wife and I were there at 5, brought in two tall boys for myself and she had wine. We ordered our food and it didn’t take long to arrive. We shared a half pepperoni and half plain, tried the pasta as an app, and shared a calzone. The pasta was amazing. My wife and I go out in Staten Island and usually the sauce isn’t as good as what we make at home. Lucali’s made a better sauce than I make at home. The sauce was a creamy tomato with a hint of red pepper flakes. The noodle was similar if not exactly a Fusilli. I’m assuming it was house made it was that good. The pizza was OUT OF THIS WORLD. It’s so good it might have ruined ordering pizza anywhere else. The dough, muz, and sauce are 1000% home made. The dough was perfectly barely overdone on a small part of the crust. Overall I would give the pizza a 9.8. The dough and crust are so drastically different than anything I’ve ever had and yes I’ve had every big name pizza spot in all 5 boroughs. I grew up in an area in Jersey where going to an Italian restaurant, it was traditional the owner or head chef would come out and ask everyone how everything was going. Mark went out of his way not only to great others, but my wife and I as well. He looked me dead in the eye with a smile and asked how it was. Mark is a class act and Lucali’s is too. The calzone is absolutely next level game changing. Again, everything tasted homemade. Easily the best calzone I have had in my 35 year life. I’m what the internet would call a thiccck boy, and trust me, this calzone was next level. Before coming to Lucali’s I was worried it wouldn’t live up to the hype as a few other NYC pizza places had not lived up to theirs. As someone who is not a New York native, who has 0 bias to any borough, Brooklyn is the best borough, and Lucali’s is the best pizza place I had in the city. It’s worth the wait, worth the price, and I look forward to returning in the future. ”

“ intimate ambiance and delicious experience and worth the wait, liek a crossover between grimaldis and real nyc pizza slices. loved the thin perfect crust and the fresh ingredients on the pie half marg and pepperoni with shallots, and the pasta special vodka and a nice tich bite, and the calzone was a unit - toasty cheesy and hot and delish. ordered with garlic which gives flavor and honestly doesnt need the marinara, also totes diff from the pie. cozy, not rushed, and feels real charming, i would def recommend ”

“ The pizza promise land lived up to the hype! We went on a Thursday in April 2025, arrived about 3:30pm and there were about 25 folks standing in line. At 4pm they started giving out reservations. We were hoping for early and lucked out with a table for two when they first opened for service at 5pm. The service was awesome, all the staff were super friendly and very attentive. The pizza oven and kitchen is all open and you can tell by watching them that they are all pros. We ordered a pizza and calzone. Both were amazing with the slight edge going to the pizza. The star of this pizza is the sauce. You can taste the freshness of the sauce, and paired with the basil it makes for the perfect pie. It was so good we ate more than we thought we could, but still ended up taking some to-go. Still tasted great later. Can’t wait to go back! ”