Did the LivingSocial deal as Bobbi H. mentioned below and expectaions were also exceeded. Lots of freedom on the entree selection--no special list. Our waitress was Caitlyn (sp)? and her service was excellent. Friendly, competent, and efficient without being interruptive. Not often easy to do. Food was very good--I had the Ravioli Con Astice, wife had one of the penne dishes w/ Italian sausage. Appetizer was Antipasto della Casa--really good. Small and quiet (it was a Monday night). Seated right as we walked in for our 645 reservation. Parking easy in the nearby in Gott's garage.
(5)
Brian P.
This place is great! Fast accommodations and superb food and wine! The ambiance is good, all is well put together. I highly recommend
(4)
Rene R.
NYE - 4 course meal $40 each. We had a reservation and were seated promptly upon arrival! The young lady greeting us was really sweet. Our server was Erin and she was great. We ordered the lamb for apps and they were delicious! Served on a bed of polenta which I had never had before but am now going to try at home. They were perfect sized for appetizers. Those plates were cleared and our salads came out. Fresh greens on cold plates. Delicious dressing choices. For my entree I had the beef medallions with crispy potatoes on a bed of spinach with a wonderful mushroom sauce. I loved it. The meat was well cooked, the potatoes were crispy and great with the sauce and I just loved the spinach. The hubs had the lobster risotto - he also enjoyed his meal. We each had the chocolate ravioli for dessert - divine! The service was great, the food was wonderful and we will be back on a normal night. It was a small place maybe 15 tables. Lovely holiday decorations but not over the top. And the ladies room was very nice and clean. Since it is a smaller place, i'd recommend reservations on a weekend night and especially on a holiday!
(4)
J B.
The service was very pleasant and the tomato, mozzarella, and eggplant appetizer was good. Other than that...the food was not very good.
(2)
Laura G.
We don't get to downtown Annapolis very much, but when a groupon popped up for this place we took the deal in hopes it would motivate us to try something new. My husband and I stopped in for lunch. Basically, the experience can be summed up as decent food, tired restaurant. The "host" (man that appeared from the kitchen) was wearing jeans and a tshirt. Did I not read in more than one place (their website, for starters) that attire is business casual to formal? He sure did not set the tone. The table cloth and menu were stained in more than one place and I suspect the paper covering the table top is only to hide more. My direct view was of flowers that had seen better days and were hanging out in some appetizing brown water. Like I said, tired. Our waitress, bless her heart, was running for her life. She was the only server working the lunch hour. She did the best she could but there is just no way to provide exceptional service when you have 8 tables, one of which is a big party of about 10. I ordered the vodka penne and my husband customized his own pasta dish, bowties with marinara, italian sausage and onions. Both were fresh and tasty. Be warned, diced onions apparently means thick long strips. While we enjoyed our meals, it wasn't enough to say I'll ever crave it again in the future or pursue returning.
(3)
Rob B.
Not many places in this town where owner and chef will also wait on you and make you feel special. Very smalll so make a reservation. Erin is a total host. Let her walk you through the menu. The $35 Four Course is a wonderful deal. We felt like we dined at a friends house and loved every moment.
(5)
Ben F.
Extensive gluten free menu including gluten free pizza. Small cozy ambiance. The gluten free pizza that my wife tried was not that great. Suffers from the soft pizza dough center that most GF pizzas have. Interestingly, Dominos and CPK do a great job in cooking the pizza evenly. I had the carbonara. It was drenched with alfredo sauce. I should have read the menu more carefully. If you're expecting 'real' carbonara, you'll be greatly disappointed. I was hungry and I still couldn't finish it because it was that bad. Taste, consistency, both awful. There were other items that I may try and will likely give them another shot, but not anytime soon since there are other restaurants I'd like to try.
(2)
Eduardo F.
Great atmosphere, awesome service! The food it's amazing and very flavorful. I recommend this place for sure!!
(5)
Brooklyn D.
So I went to Luna Blu went I came to visit my hometown, and friends and their spouses decided dinner would be great. We wanted to do Saturday night at 8:30, for six people. What do I do to make that happen? Make a reservation. We called at 2 pm and successfully made an 8:30 reservation for 6 people. What was unsuccessful was getting a damn table. I got there at least ten minutes early, and was told out table was currently paying and we would be sat shortly. I waited for over an hour. We saw them give our table away. No one could give us an answer about when we would be sat. Then to appease us offered us free dessert. At that point the waitresses were rude, and I was told AGAIN, that a table was paying and was about to leave. When I mentioned that I've heard that before, she was so rude. No manager in site and I couldn't leave because at this time everywhere is packed. Dinner was okay, and the waitress was inattentive, I had to flag her down twice. Would not go back.
(2)
Pamela R.
This was my second time at Luna Blu. It is such an amazing place. One of the best restaurants in the area. I did the 4 course $35 dinner which is a great deal! You pick any App. get the house salad. Any Entree and any dessert. Sounds kinda iffy right? Well its not. Our server who I believe is also the owner Erin was very nice and such a charm. I highly recommend the Fried green tomatoes, Crab Bruschetta, The salmon with the crab, cream sauce, spinach, and Scallops. For dessert the Tiramissu was divine along with the apple pastry and egg custard w/ strawberries. The last time I had the chocolate mousse and it was absolutely amazzziiiingg! I highly recommend this place to anyone who wants to enjoy some good food and great drinks. Also the best Amaretto Sour ever!
(5)
Alexus V.
So this place isnt much to look at on the inside or outside which I am sure can be discouraging to a naptown resident but honestly, their food is pretty good. The service was good and the portions were perfectly sized. The pricing was actually really good for this pricey area which made me more than happy! I had the italian chicken and cheese with a half greek and I was very satisfied.
(4)
Richard g.
My lady and I sat down and immediately ordered our glasses of wine. When the waitress, Erin, returned with our drinks, she asked for our orders. I asked for a few minutes to look at the menu, I asked about specials. Before I could finish my sentence Erin informed us that the restaurant was overbooked - our table had to "turnover in 45 minutes" - and we needed to order immediately. NEVER in decades of dining out have I been so rudely. I appreciate the hard work and long hours waiters and waitresses put in. However, Erin, there is no excuse for rudeness. And only when Erin is no longer employed at Luna Blu will I return.
(2)
KM S.
3.5 We have gone here twice--and our second experience was much better than our first due to some Yelp research. We enjoy the setting both times--it is quaint and comfortable. The first time, we ordered calamari, a veal dish and the penne vodka--from what it seems veal is not their specialty. The penne vodka and calamari were okay, but nothing to rave about. During our second visit, we ordered the Baked Brie en Croute for an appetizer. This was a tasty and unique dish that we would order again. K ordered the Tortellini alla Romana--tortellini and sausage in a creamy parmigiano sauce. The tortellini were cooked well and the sausage was a nice accent to the meal. It is definitely cheesy and tasty. M ordered the Seafood Fra Diavola. It has a nice spicy sauce and a lot of seafood. Overall, it was a good well-balanced mix. We also had 2 glasses of their Sangiovese which was very tasty. We will definitely look to return.
Erin is always so accommodating! Set my husband and I up at the front window table for our anniversary and just made our night so special. Get the lobster ravioli - the BEST! And the fried green tomatoes for an appetizer.
(5)
Geoff Z.
We were walk-ins with no expectations, and came out fans. It is very small but cozy and wonderfully set. The service was perfect. The food was fabulous. We had the special that was $35 for appetizer, main course and desert. Salad was included. I would go back in a minute. If you're in the area, try it. You'll love it.
(5)
Vanisha O.
I love the fact that a percentage of her lunch time sales went to the CASA organization today, which is why I ate from this restaurant today. I think that for the amount of food I received, the price was very reasonable. The lady behind the counter, who I think was the owner was super nice and very quick with my carry out order. The food was presented very well but it was super bland. Also, I ordered an Italian steak and cheese - now excuse my ignorance of Italian culture, but when I think of steak and cheese, I'm thinking chopped steak, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, etc. Well to see what I got, check the photos. She did an amazing job on the tiramisu though. .. I'm eating that as I write this review.....yummm! Oh, and I asked for seasoned potatoes with my sandwich, and got pasta with pesto sauce.
(3)
Lisa L.
So what is the point of a reservation? To know that my table will be available when I get there. That apparently was not the case last night. I had an 8:30PM reservation with my best friends and their hubbies. My friend got there at 8:20, and somehow they still manage to give our table away to another party. We waited almost an hour for our table. When we addressed a waitress about it, her reply was not very nice. She apologized with an attitude. That doesn't fly in my book. . But in the end, they covered our dessert. At this point, I'm over it. After waiting an hour to get our table, we made our round of orders. I got the Cesar salad as an appetizer and the lobster ravioli has my entree. The salad was average but I loved the lobster ravioli. Delicious. Sauce as on point, crab meat, peas and mushrooms everywhere. All my favorite food in one dish. Next comes our dessert. I ordered a dessert that started with a "Z" that consisted of a yellow egg custard served in a glass topped with strawberries. Was not a big fan. It really did taste like egg. I was expecting a creme brulee type of taste but it just tasted like straight up egg. My boyfriend's tiramisu was delicious though. I guess I just ordered the wrong dessert. It's all good. I didn't have to pay for it. Our waitress, whom was not the blonde lady that we dealt with earlier that evening, was very sweet and attentive. Would I come back? Maybe on a night when I have time to waste. I'm pretty sure it was an isolated incident, which I understand but I thought it could have been handled better. The food was good but I wouldn't make the 1 hours drive (I'm live in Arlington, VA) for it unless I have other things to do in Annapolis.
(3)
Louisa E.
Went early on Christmas Eve for first time and were surprised to learn that they don't have fresh made pasta. Wasn't too busy but one of the waitresses was so loud when she talked to her tables the whole restaurant could hear. It was really weird and distracting from the conversation. We literally had to stop talking when she was at the tables around us. Half price bottle of wine night is great though. The calamari in red sauce app was delicious and some of the best sauce I've had out. Had the pesto pasta, clams and linguini and a seafood pasta. All three dishes had over cooked pasta- couldn't believe it! The pesto pasta was good but too greasy and the other two dishes were very bland. Very disappointing. The limoncello granita was great for dessert though but id probably serve a smaller portion because it all melts before you can get to the end and turns a little syrupy. Half the meal was disappointing and half good. I won't try it again.
(3)
Sierra S.
Well, what to say about Luna Blu? Although the reservation was for 7pm, my party wasn't seated until closer to 8pm so apparently, having a reservation makes no difference. The restaurant is quite small but the tables were spaced out comfortably enough. Service was downright risible even though majority of my party ordered dinner salads and I think one person ordered a pasta dish. Don't see myself being a repeat customer here.
(2)
Daniel R.
Pretty standard good Italian restaurant. They don't try to add any new twists to the classics. Sometimes that's refreshing. I opted for the $35 four course dinner. It's quite a deal. The offer includes almost all offerings on the menu and it will satisfy even the largest appetite. The fried green tomato dish was nicely done. Tomatoes were fried to perfection and the buffalo mozzarella was suburb. It's was served over marinara. The house salad was probably better skipped. Greens were fine, but the shaved carrots and gloppy Italian dressing would be more at home in a cafeteria. For the entree I had the fettuccine scampi - a white wine sauce with lobster, shrimp, and scallops. The pasta was excellent. The lobster does not disappoint. So often lobster in a discharge is overlooked and tasteless. They got this right. The shrimp and scallops were not the stars of the dish. Overall it was a tasty dish. I'm not sure I would have wanted to pay the $24 or so listed as the menu price. But it was good. Desserts are classic Italian and about why you would expect. I ordered the tiramisu and would review it but I decided to take it to go. The ambiance is that of a small bustling bistro. It a feel I like in a restaurant. The wait staff was attentive. Nothing pretentious here. There is something good about a busy place with the kitchen pushing out plates of Italian classics to satisfied diners. If you plan to go on the weekend make a reservation. Luna Blu is a classic Italian joint that will not disappoint.
(4)
Joya L.
My husband and I stopped at Luna Blu on a Sunday afternoon while out on a motorcycle ride. Needless to say, we looked like a couple of people right off a motorcycle. Beside that, I'm Italian, so I almost never go to an Italian restaurant -- it's pretty hard to live up to my expectations. But we really enjoyed this restaurant! It's very quaint -- much like small, family-owned restaurants in Italy -- and I was pleasantly surprised that the greatest hits of one of my own favorite Italian artists were playing in the background -- not too loud, but just enough to add to the lovely ambiance. When we walked in, we were greeted by Erin. She was so nice! I just realized from the website that she is the owner. She's doing a great job! She told us about the specials and really made us feel welcome. It was mid-afternoon, so we ordered the create-your-own lunch. Nothing fancy, but all very well prepared. My husband had the soup of the day, which was a creamy corn chowder made with locally grown corn. He loved it. I managed to talk him into giving me a spoonful. Fabulous! He also had the Chicken Sant'Elena sandwich, which he said was also very good. I ordered the arugula salad and half Caprese sandwich. They were both done exactly the way they would have been if I ordered the meal in Italy. Just delicious! Nothing fancy, but that's how real Italian food is - tasty, fresh, and satisfying, made with love. We didn't have a dessert, but I have no doubt that it would have been just as good as anything else we had. Even the light lunchtime portions filled us up! But we did have an espresso, which was a nice touch before we hit the road. Luna Blu is a hidden gem -- away from the more touristy spots in Annapolis. It's definitely a place that we will visit again, even though that it's more than an hour drive for us. We will certainly make this a Sunday afternoon destination when we're out for a ride again!! Grazie mille, Erin, for making our lunchtime experience in Annapolis such an enjoyable one!
(4)
Dawn R.
I came here last night with my boyfriend, as I had a Restaurant.com $25 certificate that I'd been holding onto and decided to give it a try. Neither of us had been here before, so we went in with high expectations. While he seemed to think everything was OK, I guess I'm a little harder to please. First of all, on restaurant.com , it says that reservations are recommended. So, being the pre-planner that I am, I made us a reservation for 6:30. When we arrived, it was clear that reservations were NOT needed, as there was only one other occupied table in the place. What I found even more interesting is that the server made the announcement to the diners at her ONE table that she apologized for the delay in getting their appetizers, but that the dinner rush was beginning. Dinner rush? Does a second table constitute a rush? Hmmm.... She was pretty quick to get us our drinks and some bread, and the appetizer didn't take too long. We ordered the crab bruschetta, which was actually pretty tasty, but not really what I'd consider bruschetta. More like some triangles of puff pastry with shredded crab cake on top, but still good. When our entrees came out, I was at first impressed with the size of the portions, but they quickly lost their luster when I took the first bite. I had the chicken piccata, and the lemon was SO strong it was simply overpowering. I only ate about half of the food before I gave up. My boyfriend got spaghetti a la ragu (I REALLY hope it doesn't mean they just opened a jar of Ragu, but at this point I figured anything was possible), which he said was really good. I'll have to take his word for it, since I didn't try it. We decided to skip dessert and just have coffee. Their prices are a little steep, especially considering the poor quality of the food. For two entrees, two glasses of wine, one appetizer, and two cups of coffee it came to $85. Granted, that was inclusive of the tip, but still seemed a little high in my opinion. I wouldn't have minded if the food had tasted better, but this simply left me underwhelmed.
(2)
J P.
Beautifully apportioned with a cool and collected atmosphere. Superb Italian cuisine and an excellent staff. The homemade bread divine, but there is no private parking. Only a few tables are in this ravishing, and quaint locale.
(4)
Bob W.
The ambiance was a 3/5 stars, cozy but a little dated. The food was 2/5 stars. My penne was over cooked and mushy and the meal tasted under seasoned. The service was the real down point at 1/5 stars. The owner was present and only had one server working the dining room. The server took the orders of two parties ahead of our order that were seated after us. Our server was cordial but lacked polish. The place came off as more of a carry-out than a restaurant.
(2)
Monique B.
Food was amazing and Caitlyn was an excellent server, very attentive but not annoying! Will definitely visit again! Great food, nice wine and amazing strudel!
(5)
Amiel B.
Very nice place. Pasta dishes were very good. Nice basic wine selection, but nice. I'm not sure how it stacks up to the other Italian restaurants in Annapolis yet, but seems good.
(4)
Daniel M.
Went for my partner's birthday dinner. Everything tasted amazing! We did the living social deal plus it was half price bottle of wine night. Here's what I have to say- GO! Just go! It's yummy, filling, we got great deals, and our server Sarah was very accommodating and friendly. I'm telling everyone.
(5)
Jessica P.
Do not choose Luna Blu if you have a large party or are celebrating a special occasion. Our experience was absolutely awful. We were rushed from the beginning- and our reservation was intentionally very early. The waitress was loud, abrasive and seemingly intent on letting us know that we were inconveniencing the restaurant by taking up too much space and not ordering all courses before our whole party arrived (some got lost and were late) - and by requesting separate checks (which Luna Blu says they will not do, but we'd called ahead to try to arrange something due to the size and nature of our party, and been kindly assured that it would be fine). If the person we spoke to in advance was the same person who served us, she did a great job of luring us in and then ruining our experience. She went so far as to inform the guests of honor what time the restaurant was turning our table over, and that we needed to hurry our experience along. She was absolutely horrible and none of our party (or anyone we speak to) will be returning to Luna Blu. Sadly, the food wasn't good enough to make up for the (lack of) service.
(1)
Lynn R.
Been there twice. Both times I thought the service was terrific. My husband and I really enjoyed our entrees. The location is very convenient for an evening in Annapolis and they validate parking --which can be tough to find in that area. Five stars with the living social deal. Might be 4 if I paid full price.
(5)
Peter C.
Six stars because this is our favorite restaurant and we eat out 5 or 6 nights a week. Erin used to work here and is now one of the owners. The food is very good, nice atmosphere, and reasonable prices. Downside is that the menu hasn't changed much in 3 yrs but I can't recall getting anything I didn't like. You can always go for the specials. Biggest suprise here is that we are almost always able to get in without a reservation even though it's a small place. Get the dessert thing with apples in it...
(5)
Stephen L.
We went here by recommendation from a new friend as their "Favorite" spot, so we gave it a try with high hopes. At first glance this place may turn some people away, but it is small and comfortable like your grandmothers house. Some of the lights can be a bit over bearing at the tables and if you're not into paper top tables move along. My wife and I don't care about these things if the food is great and, trust me some of the best food I have ever had have been in the worst looking places you can imagine, Luna is nowhere near a horrible atmosphere, just Grandma-ie. Now to the food. My wife and I opted for the for course meal for 35$ each, it includes and app, house salad, entree and desert. For my starter I got pan seared scallops over polenta and my wife got the mussels and clams in white wine sauce. The first thing that jumped out to me was that the scallops were over cooked, not super bad, but over. After that the polenta had no seasoning reducing it to more of a scallops over bland grits? The mussels and clams where cleaned perfectly! no grit or beards and cooked well, the whit wine sauce was a bit off and again not seasoned well at all. The salad's were your standard house salad nothing exciting here. Main course. I got the Penne Vesuviana with sausage. Here's the thing, it wasn't a bad concept and, I imagine some people would like it but it was just not executed well. The biggest problem was the sausage, it tasted like it was frozen and then microwaved. This can happen with sausage when you freeze it and then throw it in a pan to brown before you plop it in a pasta sauce. It was unfortunate because if executed well I LOVE THIS FLAVOR PROFILE! Side note to the chef maybe try subbing mascarpone in instead of mozzarella. My wife got the lamb lollipop and risotto special. It was horrid. Again this goes back to seasoning in the resotto, It was cooked perfectly, no seasoning so salt and pepper had to be aggressively applied. The lamb was also under seasoned and a bit fatty overall creating a underwhelming dish. Dessert. We both got the Tiramisu, and the marscapone was good but it overall tasted like a cream cake with cocoa on top. Meh. We both had high hopes for this place, but you win some and you lose some. The wine was great and, our waiter was FANTASTIC (John I think). We will for sure give this place a second chance based on the fact that it was a slow night on the coldest day of the year, so maybe the A game wasn't rocking and again our server made this a very good experience! So I will see you next time Luna Blu. Please make me eat all these words!
(2)
Kate P.
I love this place! I worked in Annapolis for a bit and this was my go-to lunch place. I have had their salads, pasta, and sandwiches/soups and they are always tasty. My favorite sandwich is the Italian Steak and Cheese and their tortellini soup is yummy. Highly recommend.
(5)
Bobbi B.
Purchased a Living Social deal for this restaurant, $35 for an appetizer, two entrees and two glasses of wine. My expectations were far exceeded! We were seated right at our reservation time, 8 p.m. You're allowed to choose from everything on the menu. Considering the deal, I assumed we'd have to choose from a special list so I was pleasantly surprised. Our waitress was super friendly and attentive. Meals didn't take too long. My sea bass with mozzarella, sauteed spinach and tomatoes was AMAZING. The chocolate mousse for dessert was even better. The meals are a bit pricey (for me) but the portions and quality support it. I will definitely be visiting again!
(4)
Janie C.
Amazing food and even more amazing service!! Luna Blu offers a pleasant atmosphere and we always feel very welcomed...as if Erin, the Owner, has invited us to her home for dinner. The 4 course meal is a BARGIN!!!! So much food, certainly plenty left to bring home for lunch the next day. (My husband looks forward to the leftovers.....something about how the sauce taste even better the second time around). It's impossible to resist the fresh bread and olive oil dip, which is seasoned perfectly. The bread with a glass of wine is a great start to any dish you select. We live on Kent Island and dinner at Luna Blu is a simple trip, especially with convenient parking behind the restaurant. We never miss dinner there prior to a show at Rams Head. I recommend making a reservation for dinner, we love the table at the front window, it's a great seat for people watching. We haven't made one of the Sunday night Wine Dinners yet, (hate to admit this), but it's on our list to attend. I've been told the dinners are excellent, fun, and always for a cause with a % of sales donated to a charity. Plus, oils and vinegars from Cleo's! Yum!! Compared to other restaurants in Annapolis, (especially other Italian ones), Luna Blu is far better and much more reasonably priced. And the wine list offers a nice range in selection and prices!!
(5)
Mary B.
Had Valentines prefix meal here last night. Truly, the food was not good. Not good quality and definitely not prepared well. Fish, that I am sure had been frozen, but worse... was way over cooked and dry on top of the spiciest pasta I have ever tasted and not in a good way. Veal chop was so over cooked that it literally crumbled. It was suppose to have been stuffed with cheese and ham. All of that must have melted and stayed in the pan. Truly a terrible meal from start to finish. We won't be back.
(2)
Michelle W.
Cute Italian restaurant in a very cute town. I came here with a large group for dinner. We had reservations at 8, which is on the later size, and we thought that we wouldn't have a problem with getting a table, but when we arrived, we had a wait quite a bit as people were finishing up, and the restaurant could put all the tables together to accommodate our large group. A little bit annoying that we had to wait, even though we had reservations. The 4 course meal is a steal! However, it's A LOT of food. They serve regular portions for this, rather than trimming down portions. It's great, but I was visiting so wasn't exactly able to get a doggie bag. Instead, my friend ordered the 4 course meal and I ate a bit of her appetizer and dessert. The shrimp appetizer was delicious! Maybe it's something about those capers and olives and that savoriness, but this was probably the highlight of the entire meal. I ordered the Seafood Fra Divola for my appetizer. They were certainly generous with the seafood and the spicy marinara had a little bit of kick to it. For dessert, I tried a bit of my friend's dessert, the egg custard. It was rich and creamy. I think I would have been able to enjoy it a bit more if I wasn't completely stuffed from my pasta. Overall, it's say it's 3.5 stars for the food and affordability, but dock half a star as they weren't that organized with their reservations...
(3)
Mary Ellen W.
I had the 4 course dinner for $35. It was great. The mozzarella and eggplant stack salad was delicious. The house salad dressing was yummy. For an entree I had piccata, delicious. I loved that you had a choice of having it over pasta, spinach or asparagus. I opted for spinach. The teramisu was a nice ending to a wonderful evening. I can see why most of the dining room was filled with regulars.
(4)
Sydney F.
My boyfriend and I celebrated our anniversary at Luna Blu just last night. We arrived for dinner at 5 pm on the dot, so we ran into no complications with seating and reservations. Being that this restaurant is quite small, I could see this being an issue. Erin was our waitress, who to my understanding is also the owner. She was very sweet, attentive, and knowledgeable. All good things. We got an appetizer, took our time with it, and then ordered dinner. Erin was accommodating and didn't make us feel rushed. Our dinner was delicious. Presentation was nice, and the food didn't disappoint. This was such a nice place for a date. We also liked that our appetizer was 1/2 off, being that we were dining on a Tuesday before 6. (I believe the special is 1/2 off apps Monday-Wednesday's from 5-6pm) We will be back in the future.
(5)
Jamey C.
Food was great and it's always nice to have the owner taking care of us! Would go back in a heartbeat, the menu is a bit limited of you are looking for meat but if you love pasta this is the place in Annapolis to go. Prices are great!
(4)
Janet K.
I think that 2 stars is generous for this place. A caveat is that my review is based on one visit which I usually think is not enough of an overview to judge fairly, but since I am never going back, I thought I'd post a bit of a warning to those looking for good Italian food in this section of town. Our experience started well enough with a friendly hostess/waitress. The decor was nice and since we were using a 50% off coupon, we were in the mood to splurge a bit and see how the kitchen could manage a rather upscale dish. In addition, we ordered a cheese pizza. Also on a plus, warm rolls were delivered rather quickly, but the wait for the entrees was interminable... Now I am more than willing to forgive a long wait if the food is worth it, but alas, this is not the case at Luna Blu. The theme of the dishes here apparantly is BLAND-- to the max. My suspicion is that the kitchen staff are clueless about Italian food. I don't think a clove of garlic passed through any of their sauces. And no salt or pepper either for that matter. The pasta from the create your own selections had the "tooth feel" of a very cheap dried generic brand. The pizza dough had a strange flavor--like chiabatta maybe. There was no saving these dishes with add on spices--I tried there and then later at home. They were hopeless.... Next time I want some good Italian in the area, I will give Carpaccio's a try (a few blocks down towards Taylor Ave circle) I will certainly not buy another coupon for this place--not even if they offer 90%off.
(2)
Will S.
Don't eat here; I want my $70 back. Although Luna Blu has a decent wine and dessert list, the food and dining room ambiance are horrible. We started with a bruschetta that was made with bland tomatoes that had clearly been frozen and thawed. We had the chicken piccata and penne alla vodka with chicken for our entrees. The piccata was bland and the chicken was flavorless and gummy. The sauce resembled dishwater with capers floating about. The sauce on the penne was decent but chicken was overcooked and gristly. The dining room is a little cramped and the decor is very dated. Service was prompt and friendly...I wish we had the stomach for dessert. Despite being lifelong Annapolitans, this was our first time in. We won't be back.
(1)
s p.
Before going to Osteria 177, I'd say hands down this is my favorite Italian place in Annapolis. It differs from Osteria because I think Luna Blu has a much more authentic and quaint atmosphere. The owners of this place are really nice and I have never had a bad meal here. If you are looking for a quiet Italian Dinner, and you want something that is very hearty, tasty, and made with top ingredients, GO HERE! My friend is an Italian from New York. So as far as a restaurant that isn't in her beloved city- she does give this place her approval, that should mean something right?
(5)
Joanne F.
Was underwhelmed. Husband's salad had no dressing on it. When he asked for some the waitress said that they lightly dress their salads. That was interesting because my ceasar salad was swimming in dressing. I ordered the carbonara spaghetti - one of my favorite Italian dishes. It was awful. Too much sauce, and the sauce was quite bland. Presentation was not stunning, either. In all, not what I was hoping for such a highly regarded restaurant.
(2)
Drew P.
This place is not good by any stretch of the word. All the food was terrible and when my girlfriend sent back one of the appetizers the waitress seemed appalled that she didn't like it. The sauces were watered down with very little subsistence to the them, do yourself a favor and dine elsewhere.
(1)
Leah S.
This place is incredible. Food is amazing, WONDERFUL service, lovely atmosphere. Our new favorite downtown Annapolis restaurant.
(5)
Wen-fai F.
I'm really surprised at the mediocre reviews. I really enjoyed my experience at Luna Blu. I am from Boston so Italian food is plentiful but also very expensive. In our "little Italy" district (called the North End), plates half the size of Luna Blu's run for the same price. I ordered the Lobster Ravioli and my friend ordered the pesto dish (it was some sort of pasta, maybe tortellini?). The portions were really large and had I not been from out of town and lacking a fridge, I would have saved it for the next day. But I magically made my stomach expand and ate all the ravioli. Wonderful lobster taste and light on the cheese. The cream sauce was very good and this dish is great if you like mushrooms as there are plenty of them. My friend liked her pesto pasta and it certainly looked delicious. Perhaps you won't get the MOST flavorful dishes here, but the dishes are tasty enough and the quantities are great for the prices (~$15-20). Also, it's still within a 5-minute walk from the ocean so if you're staying by the water, I'd check this out for a nice date-night! The restaurant was quiet when I arrived but started filling up as the night went on.
(4)
Zoë M.
We went in and were met by an over-enthusiastic waitress who, we quickly learned, didn't actually care about us! She was clearly over-worked and had far too many tables to tend to. She would smile and then you'd see the smile disappear before she turned around and turned it back on for another customer. We waited ages to get served and the food, whilst massively portioned, was mediocre at best. The pasta was over-cooked and, I would say, cooked in a massive vat and served up on order. We were not made to feel welcome or important and so didn't feel inclined to tip much. The decor of the place is cheap with polystyrene pillars and gaudy paintings which are supposed to depict a holiday atmosphere. The restaurant is tightly packed with tables, making moving around in there quite a challenge.
(2)
Myaa V.
Six of my friends and I came to the restaurant for Annapolis Restaurant Week. Unfortunately, we failed to read the reviews before booking our reservation. Our reservation was for 7 pm, and it was not very busy. That being said, we did not leave until 9:30. We ordered from the standard 4-course, $35 meal menu. Which means we ordered everything but dessert at the same time. It took at LEAST 20-35 minutes between each course (including appetizer to salad). The waitress took forever with ANY action. It would take 15 minutes for a glass of wine, she would disappear, she was a mess. The food was less than satisfactory. I ordered the Frittura di Pomodori Verdi (fried green tomatoes) which were pretty good, but I could have made them at home. They were also lukewarm when they came to the table. The house salad was fine, though it's difficult to screw that up. For my entree, I ordered the risotto, which our waitress pushed as the special. The risotto was undercooked, and it was the blandest meal I have ever tasted. Two of us at the table ordered it, and we both sent it back. Everyone at the table tried it, and no one was willing to take it home. The only redeeming quality for this restaurant was the dessert. I ordered the cream with strawberries (cannot remember the name), and it was delicious. Some of my friends ordered the chocolate mousse, and it was quite tasty. I will NEVER go back to this restaurant, and the waitress did not deserve the 20% tip that was automatically added for a table for 5 or more. At least she took the risottos off the bill.
(1)
Tim M.
3rd wedding anniversary last night 10.10.12. Spared no expense - took the wife to Luna Blu with a coupon for $25 lol. This is one of the few restaurants in the area I'd not yet been to even though I hang out quite alot directly across the street from it at an irish pub there. The coupon was a good deal and I know my picky wife can usually survive a pasta joint. The Yelp reviews are actually pretty accurate - it isn't horrid - but it isn't great either. I doubt I'd go back to be honest. 90% of all downtown Annapolis restaurants are not very good - they never have been. They cater to a demographic that isn't terribly discriminating and thus ho-hum equals survivability. Luna is very small - just a long hallway really. It's not clear when you walk in where to go to get seated. The tables are covered in white paper instead of linen/cloth - to me this is really tacky and you lose points quick - this isn't a crab house. I was hoping since it was a Wed night we'd have the place to ourselves but there was a huge party I can only assume was an entire office there that took up the majority of the space and the majority of the soundsphere. It was very hard to talk or hear over the group - this is by no means a reflection on Luna of course however. Our waiter was very pleasant and while it did take a few minutes longer than I expected to get greeted at our table the service itself wasn't an issue. Wife ordered the tortellini soup which comes in one size; no cup/bowl selection. The portions are VERY generous and for the prices really should be. I tried the soup - it was a tad watery to me. I ordered an escargot appetizer which was an unusual presentation; snails stuffed in phyllo square covered in mushroom marinara. This is why I ordered it - long strides away from the usual garlic and oil combination or the stuffed puff pastry versions. The problem with this dish is that the marinara overwhelmed the delicate flavor of the snails - they were lost in there. I also got hold of a fairly sizeable piece of shell. I'll stick with more traditional prep with my escargot in the future - this really didn't work. For entrees wife got farfalle w/ pesto cream and I got spaghetti carbonara. Not very adventurous I know - but a fair benchmark for Italian authenticity. Again portion sizes were really huge - we couldn't get through half of ours and unfortunately neither dish travels well - reheated the sauces will break and be pretty gross so it was a waste of food. Knowing the portion sizes would help up front or offering halves - we didn't ask - but that would be nice. The 'proscuitto' in my carbonara was tasteless and really was more like chunks of regular ham as best I could tell. Otherwise it wasn't that bad - but I've had waaay better carbonara. Pasta was cooked properly - a problem many have reported here. Wife's pesto cream was also not horrible but I think the same dish from the freezer at Trader Joes would have tasted the same... We had no room for dessert. I ordered one cocktail (Myers and Coke) and the waitress returned saying they were out of Myers and Mt Gay (i.e. no rum other than _yuk_ Bacardi). I got a Capn Morgan rocks instead. The bar needed stocking - not good. Value = a little pricey but portion sizes are commensurate - problem is they are too big period. Service = not bad at all even with the huge table next to us. Ambience = only if you're alone - otherwise it's very noisy. FOOD = our sampling was a no go. Lastly I peeked into the kitchen and a common situation in Annapolis restaurants - no Italians. It is no treatise on Latin american chefs being unable to cook the cuisines of other countries however if you're going to TOUT your joint as authentic Italian - you should have a couple authentic Italians on site - I didn't see one the entire night... Not remotely humbly submitted this day, D. Food Snob, Ph. D.
(2)
Adrienne R.
Maybe I chose poorly. My sauce tasted out of a bottle. I had penne in a marinara sauce with mozzarella. I added chicken. The chicken was small cubes, the same size as the mozzarella and not much of it. My friend had bowtie with pesto and it was really good. An appetizer of fried green tomatoes with cheese on top in a marinara sauce was pretty good too. Service was pretty slow, we were the only table so maybe they were winding down. We were a table of four. They added 20% gratuity to the check, on top of the two taxes that are added. The server was friendly but super slow to check on us and did not warrant a 20% tip. Plus I think I saw on the menu tip is added for parties of 5 or more. I had longer for some delicious pasta, but this was not the place. Other reviews raved about the Greek salad. I found it to be underdressed and did not care for the dominant type of lettuce in it. The rolls they give you were good though. Oh well, won't be back.
(2)
Allison L.
I tried the 4 course menu and while the food was decent... I wasn't impressed and probably wouldn't choose to return. I started off with the Baked Brie en Croute... now the description says it is topped with marinated strawberries... this is a bit misleading when it came out with ONE strawberry cut in half on top... It was good, but I probably would opt for a caprese salad if I had to do it over. We also tried the Frittura di Pomodori Verdi which was OK as well but I would have liked more mozzarella. Next, I did the Frittura di Pomodori Verdi with veal. This dish was completely flavorless. I didn't even eat the veal. I did box it up however and give it to my dog when I got home. I reheated the pasta with crab meat the next day but I added my own rose sauce to kick it up a bit. I don't think the sauce or the meat were seasoned at all before it was slopped together. The one thing I did like about the entree ordering is that everything is made to order so you can compile your own dish and do plenty of substitutions as well. My friends ordered the risotto and Farfalle di Cremona. I was told the risotto was good but had a bit of an odd flavor and my friend didn't even touch her Cremona... she ate the seafood and tossed the pasta. For dessert I had the apple tart with caramel... I wasn't impressed and I LOVE apple/caramel dishes... We raved over the tiramisu because it was so light and delicious. The lemon ice was HORRIBLE!!! it was so sour it caught us all of guard and a few even spit it right back out. When you do go you MUST try the Zabaglione. If I were to ever go back it would only be for this reason!! The Service was OK. I could tell she was busy because she was the only server and there was no hostess or other front floor staff. I served for close to 8 years and I can say she wasn't the nicest server I've ever encountered but she wasn't the worst either. We were asking for recommendations and what specific foods tasted like (like the Zabaglione for example) and she couldn't give us much substance other than, "it's all made fresh, it's good". She seemed to be very annoyed, but hey we all have your nights so maybe she was having a rough one!
(3)
Tyler P.
I am a fan of Luna Blu. They are friendly and generally fast. They will also make just about anything you want even if it is not on the menu. I get a Risotto made to order (not the daily special) and it is flavorful, hearty, and a great portion. I would also suggest trying out the Tortellini alla Romana- it is really good.
(4)
Anne F.
You can go to get respectably good, but thoroughly unadventerous Italian food at Luna Blu. The menu hasn't changed in my 4 years in Annapolis. Many of the appetizers (capresi, insalate, something with "Medusa" in the title -- it's been a while) are usually excellent. The entrees, extremely heavy on shellfish dishes (this is crab country...), are more hit-or-miss. I never got a thoroughly satisfying risoto, but the pasta dishes are very solid. One nice feature, however, is the $35 for 4 courses deal. This is enough food to stuff even my boyfriend, who is only 135 lbs at 6', but can eat more than anyone I've ever met. 1st / 2nd courses always good; 3rd course, hit-or-miss, but with some pretty solid hits; 4th course -- possibly the most disappointing Tiramasu of my life! Other than that, we've only had friendly servers, and the decor is appropriate.
(3)
Tony P.
Out to dinner with my wife and another couple. Restaurant is kind of folksy, small, warm and comfortable. Service, stop to start, was not great. The waitress and her "server assistant" were trying hard, they just weren't very good. Two of the four dishes came out cold, they had a few holes in their wine list they didn't know about ... so the server had to come back to the table twice to say that they were out of the bottle we ordered. Food was a mixed bag. We had the 4 course meal, which is an exceptional deal at $35. The appetizers were small, but the mussels and calamari were pretty good. Salad course was ample and fresh. The main courses were: 1. chicken picatta/poor, 2. risotto/quite good; 3. pasta with a red sauce/good, once it was heated; 4. Salmon/fair. The deserts were nice. So, this place isn't terrible. If a couple of things had been a little better, it would be a 3 star rating. The place needs a little more adult leadership, someone to tighten up their business practices.
(2)
John G.
My wife and I LOVE Luna Blu!! If you go, you have to do the four-course for $35, its a great deal and you get sooo much food!! The apple turnover ala mode for desert is beyond amazing, and they always have great entree specials and the service has never been short of amazing either! If I have one thing I have to find wrong with the place, its that you cant seperate the check......And really, its not going to stop me from going!
(5)
Cheryl S.
We were in town on a busy Saturday night after the Navy-Air Force game and couldn't get reservations at any restaurant in town except this place. We ordered the meat/cheese/veggie antipasto and it was a little disappointing. The meat was more brown than pink, the cheese was dry. It looked like it had been prepared days before it was served and then refrigerated; not very fresh. The fresh ciabatta bread was tasty and they had a pretty good selection of wine. Our entrees were basic at best. I had the chicken marinara penne and my husband had the four cheese penne. The atmosphere is a little lacking as well; this place could use an update in decor.
(2)
Bernadette N.
So disappointing. We've been dying to try this place and finally find a decent Italian spot in Annapolis, but the search continues... We started with the Antipasto della Casa (not bad, but the cured meats weren't very impressive, probably could get equal quality at Giant) and the Insalata Greek (fine). If I'm not a little impressed by the appetizer, I'm probably not going to love dinner - and I was right. Hubby ordered the Spaghetti alla Carbonara (TERRIBLE, this was not a carbonara first off. the menu does say "creamy alfredo" which should have been a warning, but it was just a flour-based roux, disgusting). I ordered the ravioli stuffed with lobster and sauteed with crabmeat, peas and mushrooms. I admit it was leagues apart from the carbonara, but my husband pointed out it was probably only good "by comparison". I ended up not feeling well after we walked home, but in full disclosure rich foods on a pregnant belly may not have been the best decision. The servers were also pretty inexperienced and a little disorganized. Our bread was tardy, my hubby never got his second glass of wine, etc. Even though hubby wanted out of this place, I ordered tiramisu. It was actually pretty darn good, and by far the best thing I ate here. Needless to say, we won't be coming back.
(2)
Tiffany C.
I just rediscovered this restaurant after a few years of absence. It used to be on my way home from work and i'd either go there for dinner or take out a few times a month. Luna Blu, Im so sorry I've neglected you. Today is my moms birthday and she just wanted a good salad. Just then I saw something on facebook pop up from Luna Blu and remembered their salads were always so fresh, so I ordered their Greek Salad for mom and a Chicken San Elena for me. Mom loved her salad, and i was blown away by the pasta salad and sandwich. The bread is so light and flakey on top and perfeclty fluffy in the middle. I will be back!!! Thanks Erin!!
(4)
M D.
My wife, son and I had a nice meal here on a quiet Monday night. We all got a different pasta dish, and they were all pretty good and the portions were very large (Although none re-heated particularly well). The Service was very good as it was a rather slow evening although it seemed to be picking up as we left. Overall we had a nice casual and satisfying meal we'll likely return.
(4)
Laura S.
Food and service was okay. I had a Groupon/Living Social coupon so we decided to try it out. Food was just average. Given the number of restaurants in the area, I probably wouldn't go back. If you're feeling like Italian, I would recommend Picolla Roma on Main St. instead.
(2)
Matt C.
This place is quite the gem. It is perfect for dates and their food is about as authentic as you can get in Annapolis. Their Gamberi Napoletana is out of this world, I really feel like they need more attention in this town. If you are looking for something out of the ordinary that can really hold its own this is the place. Check it out and support some local flare - encourage this sort of creativity!
(4)
Emily M.
Cute little place, and the prix fixe menu is a fabulous deal - we had so much food. My escargot pastry and crab pasta were enjoyable and everyone agreed that the desserts were amazing.
(4)
Sarah J.
This was the second time that I visited Luna Blu. The first experience had friendly staff and good ambience but the food was really lacking. The cream sauce was greasy and didn't appear fresh. The stains on the table cloth and menus left me wondering where they spend their money. I was hoping the second experience would be much better but again the food was a real let down. I ordered the spaghetti with meat sauce but it seemed to arrive with little or no meat. I find it really odd that a restaraunt that charges over $20 per plate has paper on the tables. While it is an Italian resteraunt the paper makes you fee like you are at Buddy's Crab Shack. Can't say I'll go back nor would I suggest anyone else go there either.
(1)
Silvia C.
LOVED this place. The food selection was amazing...very similar to the Italian restaurants I have been to in Italy. So many things I wanted to try and everything looked so good. My bf and I went there for our anniversary, and couldn't pass up the four course dinner special. For my appetizer, I got the Baked Brie en Croute. YUM!!!! DELICIOUS!!! Just very filling. Thank goodness I had my bf there to split it with, however, he had also gotten his own four course meal, and had ordered the Antipasto della Casa, which has different meats, cheeses. We both shared. Both apps got two thumbs up for sure. Both selections were very good, and not the norm you find in US Italian restaurants. We also got salads, which were fresh and a good size. For my entree, I got my favorite Italian meal, Seafood Fra Diavola, my bf got the Pollo o Vitello all' Annapolis. My meal was to die for. Amazing..! My bf loved his. I thought it was good, but couldn't get over my Seafood Fra Diavola, which I barely dented from all the food I had eaten prior to receiving my dish. I did try my best, though....but alas, my stomach would not allow anymore. Especially since we know that....DESSERT was still on the way...!!! Tiramisu and an amazing chocolate mouse thing was selected, which we both split and enjoyed very much. I'll just have to say, both my bf and I were very impressed by this restaurant. Not just with the food selection and how amazing they all were (I have been to Italy, and my bf had lived there for a while), but the service was amazing as well. Very professional, friendly and catering. He was very knowledgeable on the food, wine selections, etc. Not just that, but the prices were very reasonable, and the portions were huge. We will definitely be going there again. In fact, just writing this review is making me want to go, like, NOW...!!! :)
(5)
tracey s.
This is a place you go and order th pasta bolognese or something like that - basic big plate of Italian pasta - not the risotto or anything fancy. I ordered the special, which was risotto - never ad anything more bland in my life...salt & pepper & Parmesan couldn't save that dish... The people who ordered the basics were very happy!
(3)
Rich T.
My wife and I went for an early anniversary meal and were disappointed given our previous positive experiences there. The first thing that happened was when I tried to use a Restaurant.com coupon I was told very loudly by our server in front of the whole restaurant that it was not usable on weekends. Our fault but I wish she would have been more discreet. She continued to be too loud throughout the entire evening. The calamari appetizer was good as was my pasta dish but the rockfish my wife ordered smelled really old and from the server's reaction she seemed like she knew it when she served it. I later found out she was a part owner of the restaurant To their credit they replaced the fish with a veal dish but the veal was tasteless and tough. I've loved this place in the past, even having my company's Christmas party there once. I will probably wait a while to go back and use my coupon but if the restaurant doesn't improve, my guess is that I won't go back again. It's a cute little restaurant and that would be a shame.
(2)
Amy H.
I love simple Italian food, so I was very excited to try Luna Blu. I went with my father who has eaten there prior and really enjoyed his meal. This was NOT our experience. The decorum is quite charming, however, the door was left open and there were flies everywhere. We sat down and each ordered a glass of wine. I was carded and did not have my ID. I am 25 and was with my father. There were only two other tables in the restaurant as well. The server informed me she was not allowed to serve me without an ID, which I understand as I have worked as both a server and bartender for several years. I asked if I could speak to the manager to see if they would allow me ONE glass of wine. She refused to involve the manager saying they would also decline. Fine. I suppose I understand this... My father and I each ordered a caesar salad. They arrived drenched in cheese and dressing. Neither of us ate even half it was so soggy. For my entree I ordered pasta in a basic cream sauce. When it arrived I was disgusted. It looked like something out of a can. The sauce was more of a soup with piece of pasta floating around. There was no presentation and the sauce tasted like heavy cream. Considering how easy it is to make said sauce, I don't understand why it was so watery and bland. My father order chicken marsala. The chicken was rubbery yet undercooked, and the pasta had visible chunks of unmelted butter on it. We both laughed it off, pushed our food around, went home and called dominos. Overpriced. Bad service. Terrible food.
(2)
Heather C.
It seems hard to find a nice, quiet restaurant around this town for a date night where the couple can actually hear each other during dinner out, but it's here at Luna Blu. Food was very appetizing, red sauce a tad "runny" but pleasantly flavored. Bread with the meal is just "eh", not great. Thought we'd be treated to some warm, crusty Italian bread but no. Ceasar salad was yummy; all chopped up w/a very good-tasting Ceasar dressing. Mahi mahi chef special was the highlight, served with angel hair pasta with a bit of mozzarella, tomatoes, and olive oil. Erin was very enjoyable as a server. I'd go again for the $35 4-course meal.
(3)
John B.
Went to Luna Blu on New Years Eve and was really expecting something great. First impression: cold inside. Each time the door opened, a rush of cold air filled the restaurant, which is small to begin with. No problem for me and my group, but several patrons asked to be reseated away from the draft. The menu for the night was fixed price, with multiple selections for each part of the meal. For me, the night started off fine with a delicious baked brie pastry. I am sorry to say that it was all downhill from there. My salad was OK, fresh, but not flavorful. Still, I am having a good time. My entree, however, was not so good. A grouper prepared with pasta. The fish was overcooked, and I would dare say, not fresh. It really had the taste and consistency of rubber and was not at all appetizing. The accompanying pasta was good, however. Lastly, the meal was finished with a ho-hum chocolate mouse. Needless to say, I was bummed with the overall experience. I had heard that this was a good place to go, but I will not be going back. FWIW, the service was good, but even good service does not make up for lackluster execution.
Great location in the heart of West street action. Hadn't been to Annapolis in awhile. West street seems to be the new Main Street of old. We had 9pm reservations and arrived to a packed house. There is no bar area which is a little odd so we waited outside for a table. There was a large group of 20 which in a small dining room was a little overpowering, but the feel of the restaurant changed instantly when the group left and it returned a more intimate dining area as designed. Wait staff was great and very attentive. Timed all the courses great. Food was very good. They have a 4 course price fix menu for $35 which is a deal but alot of food. One of us got the price fix for an appetizer and dessert to share. Would have no problems recommending this to friends. We will be back to West street.
(4)
M M.
I was disappointed with Luna Blu. While the appetizers, salad, and dessert were fine, the entrees were simply bad. We had two seafood dishes-- the lobster risotto special and the rockfish. The presentation was poor and the food looked unappetizing. Sadly, it tasted worse then it looked. The risotto was bland and dry-- more reminiscent of chinese take out rice than any risotto I've had. The lobster and rockfish both tasted bland, dry, and definitely not fresh. The pasta was overcooked and lacking the delicate white wine sauce described in the menu. To emphasize just how unenjoyable the experience was, I left thinking that McDonalds would have provided a better meal.
(2)
Matthew S.
The restaurant had an odor when you first walked in. Once you get use to that you will make yourself comfortable in some really tight quarters. The servers have way to many tables to be attentive. My wife and I both ordered the $35.00 4 course dinner. Make sure you are aware that you can sub your salad choice for the difference in between the items. The entry was littered with clutter and gave the impression that the restaurant needed a good cleaning. I honestly did not feel as if the food was worth the menu prices. I would suggest that you save your money and head down to Tsunami.
(2)
Melissa G.
My husband and I went here while in town and it was awesome. Great service, great food and prices were reasonable.
(4)
Jackie H.
A group of us came here for my friends Bachelorette party dinner. We had about 15 people, but we called ahead and they could accommodate us. We got there and our table was ready to go even though we were late. Our waitress started taking our and didn't rush us. We all really enjoyed the food and cocktails. I got the crab ravioli and I ate the entire thing. YUM! The only down side is the place is very small so we did feel a little cramped. But I would love to come again and maybe eat out side with my husband. I will definitely come again.
(4)
Jimmy B.
Great location in the heart of West street action. Hadn't been to Annapolis in awhile. West street seems to be the new Main Street of old. We had 9pm reservations and arrived to a packed house. There is no bar area which is a little odd so we waited outside for a table. There was a large group of 20 which in a small dining room was a little overpowering, but the feel of the restaurant changed instantly when the group left and it returned a more intimate dining area as designed. Wait staff was great and very attentive. Timed all the courses great. Food was very good. They have a 4 course price fix menu for $35 which is a deal but alot of food. One of us got the price fix for an appetizer and dessert to share. Would have no problems recommending this to friends. We will be back to West street.
(4)
M M.
I was disappointed with Luna Blu. While the appetizers, salad, and dessert were fine, the entrees were simply bad. We had two seafood dishes-- the lobster risotto special and the rockfish. The presentation was poor and the food looked unappetizing. Sadly, it tasted worse then it looked. The risotto was bland and dry-- more reminiscent of chinese take out rice than any risotto I've had. The lobster and rockfish both tasted bland, dry, and definitely not fresh. The pasta was overcooked and lacking the delicate white wine sauce described in the menu. To emphasize just how unenjoyable the experience was, I left thinking that McDonalds would have provided a better meal.
(2)
Anne F.
You can go to get respectably good, but thoroughly unadventerous Italian food at Luna Blu. The menu hasn't changed in my 4 years in Annapolis. Many of the appetizers (capresi, insalate, something with "Medusa" in the title -- it's been a while) are usually excellent. The entrees, extremely heavy on shellfish dishes (this is crab country...), are more hit-or-miss. I never got a thoroughly satisfying risoto, but the pasta dishes are very solid. One nice feature, however, is the $35 for 4 courses deal. This is enough food to stuff even my boyfriend, who is only 135 lbs at 6', but can eat more than anyone I've ever met. 1st / 2nd courses always good; 3rd course, hit-or-miss, but with some pretty solid hits; 4th course -- possibly the most disappointing Tiramasu of my life! Other than that, we've only had friendly servers, and the decor is appropriate.
(3)
Tony P.
Out to dinner with my wife and another couple. Restaurant is kind of folksy, small, warm and comfortable. Service, stop to start, was not great. The waitress and her "server assistant" were trying hard, they just weren't very good. Two of the four dishes came out cold, they had a few holes in their wine list they didn't know about ... so the server had to come back to the table twice to say that they were out of the bottle we ordered. Food was a mixed bag. We had the 4 course meal, which is an exceptional deal at $35. The appetizers were small, but the mussels and calamari were pretty good. Salad course was ample and fresh. The main courses were: 1. chicken picatta/poor, 2. risotto/quite good; 3. pasta with a red sauce/good, once it was heated; 4. Salmon/fair. The deserts were nice. So, this place isn't terrible. If a couple of things had been a little better, it would be a 3 star rating. The place needs a little more adult leadership, someone to tighten up their business practices.
(2)
John G.
My wife and I LOVE Luna Blu!! If you go, you have to do the four-course for $35, its a great deal and you get sooo much food!! The apple turnover ala mode for desert is beyond amazing, and they always have great entree specials and the service has never been short of amazing either! If I have one thing I have to find wrong with the place, its that you cant seperate the check......And really, its not going to stop me from going!
(5)
Joanne F.
Was underwhelmed. Husband's salad had no dressing on it. When he asked for some the waitress said that they lightly dress their salads. That was interesting because my ceasar salad was swimming in dressing. I ordered the carbonara spaghetti - one of my favorite Italian dishes. It was awful. Too much sauce, and the sauce was quite bland. Presentation was not stunning, either. In all, not what I was hoping for such a highly regarded restaurant.
(2)
M D.
My wife, son and I had a nice meal here on a quiet Monday night. We all got a different pasta dish, and they were all pretty good and the portions were very large (Although none re-heated particularly well). The Service was very good as it was a rather slow evening although it seemed to be picking up as we left. Overall we had a nice casual and satisfying meal we'll likely return.
(4)
Laura S.
Food and service was okay. I had a Groupon/Living Social coupon so we decided to try it out. Food was just average. Given the number of restaurants in the area, I probably wouldn't go back. If you're feeling like Italian, I would recommend Picolla Roma on Main St. instead.
(2)
Matt C.
This place is quite the gem. It is perfect for dates and their food is about as authentic as you can get in Annapolis. Their Gamberi Napoletana is out of this world, I really feel like they need more attention in this town. If you are looking for something out of the ordinary that can really hold its own this is the place. Check it out and support some local flare - encourage this sort of creativity!
(4)
Emily M.
Cute little place, and the prix fixe menu is a fabulous deal - we had so much food. My escargot pastry and crab pasta were enjoyable and everyone agreed that the desserts were amazing.
(4)
Sarah J.
This was the second time that I visited Luna Blu. The first experience had friendly staff and good ambience but the food was really lacking. The cream sauce was greasy and didn't appear fresh. The stains on the table cloth and menus left me wondering where they spend their money. I was hoping the second experience would be much better but again the food was a real let down. I ordered the spaghetti with meat sauce but it seemed to arrive with little or no meat. I find it really odd that a restaraunt that charges over $20 per plate has paper on the tables. While it is an Italian resteraunt the paper makes you fee like you are at Buddy's Crab Shack. Can't say I'll go back nor would I suggest anyone else go there either.
(1)
Silvia C.
LOVED this place. The food selection was amazing...very similar to the Italian restaurants I have been to in Italy. So many things I wanted to try and everything looked so good. My bf and I went there for our anniversary, and couldn't pass up the four course dinner special. For my appetizer, I got the Baked Brie en Croute. YUM!!!! DELICIOUS!!! Just very filling. Thank goodness I had my bf there to split it with, however, he had also gotten his own four course meal, and had ordered the Antipasto della Casa, which has different meats, cheeses. We both shared. Both apps got two thumbs up for sure. Both selections were very good, and not the norm you find in US Italian restaurants. We also got salads, which were fresh and a good size. For my entree, I got my favorite Italian meal, Seafood Fra Diavola, my bf got the Pollo o Vitello all' Annapolis. My meal was to die for. Amazing..! My bf loved his. I thought it was good, but couldn't get over my Seafood Fra Diavola, which I barely dented from all the food I had eaten prior to receiving my dish. I did try my best, though....but alas, my stomach would not allow anymore. Especially since we know that....DESSERT was still on the way...!!! Tiramisu and an amazing chocolate mouse thing was selected, which we both split and enjoyed very much. I'll just have to say, both my bf and I were very impressed by this restaurant. Not just with the food selection and how amazing they all were (I have been to Italy, and my bf had lived there for a while), but the service was amazing as well. Very professional, friendly and catering. He was very knowledgeable on the food, wine selections, etc. Not just that, but the prices were very reasonable, and the portions were huge. We will definitely be going there again. In fact, just writing this review is making me want to go, like, NOW...!!! :)
(5)
tracey s.
This is a place you go and order th pasta bolognese or something like that - basic big plate of Italian pasta - not the risotto or anything fancy. I ordered the special, which was risotto - never ad anything more bland in my life...salt & pepper & Parmesan couldn't save that dish... The people who ordered the basics were very happy!
(3)
Cheryl S.
We were in town on a busy Saturday night after the Navy-Air Force game and couldn't get reservations at any restaurant in town except this place. We ordered the meat/cheese/veggie antipasto and it was a little disappointing. The meat was more brown than pink, the cheese was dry. It looked like it had been prepared days before it was served and then refrigerated; not very fresh. The fresh ciabatta bread was tasty and they had a pretty good selection of wine. Our entrees were basic at best. I had the chicken marinara penne and my husband had the four cheese penne. The atmosphere is a little lacking as well; this place could use an update in decor.
(2)
s p.
Before going to Osteria 177, I'd say hands down this is my favorite Italian place in Annapolis. It differs from Osteria because I think Luna Blu has a much more authentic and quaint atmosphere. The owners of this place are really nice and I have never had a bad meal here. If you are looking for a quiet Italian Dinner, and you want something that is very hearty, tasty, and made with top ingredients, GO HERE! My friend is an Italian from New York. So as far as a restaurant that isn't in her beloved city- she does give this place her approval, that should mean something right?
(5)
Rich T.
My wife and I went for an early anniversary meal and were disappointed given our previous positive experiences there. The first thing that happened was when I tried to use a Restaurant.com coupon I was told very loudly by our server in front of the whole restaurant that it was not usable on weekends. Our fault but I wish she would have been more discreet. She continued to be too loud throughout the entire evening. The calamari appetizer was good as was my pasta dish but the rockfish my wife ordered smelled really old and from the server's reaction she seemed like she knew it when she served it. I later found out she was a part owner of the restaurant To their credit they replaced the fish with a veal dish but the veal was tasteless and tough. I've loved this place in the past, even having my company's Christmas party there once. I will probably wait a while to go back and use my coupon but if the restaurant doesn't improve, my guess is that I won't go back again. It's a cute little restaurant and that would be a shame.
(2)
Amy H.
I love simple Italian food, so I was very excited to try Luna Blu. I went with my father who has eaten there prior and really enjoyed his meal. This was NOT our experience. The decorum is quite charming, however, the door was left open and there were flies everywhere. We sat down and each ordered a glass of wine. I was carded and did not have my ID. I am 25 and was with my father. There were only two other tables in the restaurant as well. The server informed me she was not allowed to serve me without an ID, which I understand as I have worked as both a server and bartender for several years. I asked if I could speak to the manager to see if they would allow me ONE glass of wine. She refused to involve the manager saying they would also decline. Fine. I suppose I understand this... My father and I each ordered a caesar salad. They arrived drenched in cheese and dressing. Neither of us ate even half it was so soggy. For my entree I ordered pasta in a basic cream sauce. When it arrived I was disgusted. It looked like something out of a can. The sauce was more of a soup with piece of pasta floating around. There was no presentation and the sauce tasted like heavy cream. Considering how easy it is to make said sauce, I don't understand why it was so watery and bland. My father order chicken marsala. The chicken was rubbery yet undercooked, and the pasta had visible chunks of unmelted butter on it. We both laughed it off, pushed our food around, went home and called dominos. Overpriced. Bad service. Terrible food.
(2)
Heather C.
It seems hard to find a nice, quiet restaurant around this town for a date night where the couple can actually hear each other during dinner out, but it's here at Luna Blu. Food was very appetizing, red sauce a tad "runny" but pleasantly flavored. Bread with the meal is just "eh", not great. Thought we'd be treated to some warm, crusty Italian bread but no. Ceasar salad was yummy; all chopped up w/a very good-tasting Ceasar dressing. Mahi mahi chef special was the highlight, served with angel hair pasta with a bit of mozzarella, tomatoes, and olive oil. Erin was very enjoyable as a server. I'd go again for the $35 4-course meal.
(3)
John B.
Went to Luna Blu on New Years Eve and was really expecting something great. First impression: cold inside. Each time the door opened, a rush of cold air filled the restaurant, which is small to begin with. No problem for me and my group, but several patrons asked to be reseated away from the draft. The menu for the night was fixed price, with multiple selections for each part of the meal. For me, the night started off fine with a delicious baked brie pastry. I am sorry to say that it was all downhill from there. My salad was OK, fresh, but not flavorful. Still, I am having a good time. My entree, however, was not so good. A grouper prepared with pasta. The fish was overcooked, and I would dare say, not fresh. It really had the taste and consistency of rubber and was not at all appetizing. The accompanying pasta was good, however. Lastly, the meal was finished with a ho-hum chocolate mouse. Needless to say, I was bummed with the overall experience. I had heard that this was a good place to go, but I will not be going back. FWIW, the service was good, but even good service does not make up for lackluster execution.
3rd wedding anniversary last night 10.10.12. Spared no expense - took the wife to Luna Blu with a coupon for $25 lol. This is one of the few restaurants in the area I'd not yet been to even though I hang out quite alot directly across the street from it at an irish pub there. The coupon was a good deal and I know my picky wife can usually survive a pasta joint. The Yelp reviews are actually pretty accurate - it isn't horrid - but it isn't great either. I doubt I'd go back to be honest. 90% of all downtown Annapolis restaurants are not very good - they never have been. They cater to a demographic that isn't terribly discriminating and thus ho-hum equals survivability. Luna is very small - just a long hallway really. It's not clear when you walk in where to go to get seated. The tables are covered in white paper instead of linen/cloth - to me this is really tacky and you lose points quick - this isn't a crab house. I was hoping since it was a Wed night we'd have the place to ourselves but there was a huge party I can only assume was an entire office there that took up the majority of the space and the majority of the soundsphere. It was very hard to talk or hear over the group - this is by no means a reflection on Luna of course however. Our waiter was very pleasant and while it did take a few minutes longer than I expected to get greeted at our table the service itself wasn't an issue. Wife ordered the tortellini soup which comes in one size; no cup/bowl selection. The portions are VERY generous and for the prices really should be. I tried the soup - it was a tad watery to me. I ordered an escargot appetizer which was an unusual presentation; snails stuffed in phyllo square covered in mushroom marinara. This is why I ordered it - long strides away from the usual garlic and oil combination or the stuffed puff pastry versions. The problem with this dish is that the marinara overwhelmed the delicate flavor of the snails - they were lost in there. I also got hold of a fairly sizeable piece of shell. I'll stick with more traditional prep with my escargot in the future - this really didn't work. For entrees wife got farfalle w/ pesto cream and I got spaghetti carbonara. Not very adventurous I know - but a fair benchmark for Italian authenticity. Again portion sizes were really huge - we couldn't get through half of ours and unfortunately neither dish travels well - reheated the sauces will break and be pretty gross so it was a waste of food. Knowing the portion sizes would help up front or offering halves - we didn't ask - but that would be nice. The 'proscuitto' in my carbonara was tasteless and really was more like chunks of regular ham as best I could tell. Otherwise it wasn't that bad - but I've had waaay better carbonara. Pasta was cooked properly - a problem many have reported here. Wife's pesto cream was also not horrible but I think the same dish from the freezer at Trader Joes would have tasted the same... We had no room for dessert. I ordered one cocktail (Myers and Coke) and the waitress returned saying they were out of Myers and Mt Gay (i.e. no rum other than _yuk_ Bacardi). I got a Capn Morgan rocks instead. The bar needed stocking - not good. Value = a little pricey but portion sizes are commensurate - problem is they are too big period. Service = not bad at all even with the huge table next to us. Ambience = only if you're alone - otherwise it's very noisy. FOOD = our sampling was a no go. Lastly I peeked into the kitchen and a common situation in Annapolis restaurants - no Italians. It is no treatise on Latin american chefs being unable to cook the cuisines of other countries however if you're going to TOUT your joint as authentic Italian - you should have a couple authentic Italians on site - I didn't see one the entire night... Not remotely humbly submitted this day, D. Food Snob, Ph. D.
(2)
Allison L.
I tried the 4 course menu and while the food was decent... I wasn't impressed and probably wouldn't choose to return. I started off with the Baked Brie en Croute... now the description says it is topped with marinated strawberries... this is a bit misleading when it came out with ONE strawberry cut in half on top... It was good, but I probably would opt for a caprese salad if I had to do it over. We also tried the Frittura di Pomodori Verdi which was OK as well but I would have liked more mozzarella. Next, I did the Frittura di Pomodori Verdi with veal. This dish was completely flavorless. I didn't even eat the veal. I did box it up however and give it to my dog when I got home. I reheated the pasta with crab meat the next day but I added my own rose sauce to kick it up a bit. I don't think the sauce or the meat were seasoned at all before it was slopped together. The one thing I did like about the entree ordering is that everything is made to order so you can compile your own dish and do plenty of substitutions as well. My friends ordered the risotto and Farfalle di Cremona. I was told the risotto was good but had a bit of an odd flavor and my friend didn't even touch her Cremona... she ate the seafood and tossed the pasta. For dessert I had the apple tart with caramel... I wasn't impressed and I LOVE apple/caramel dishes... We raved over the tiramisu because it was so light and delicious. The lemon ice was HORRIBLE!!! it was so sour it caught us all of guard and a few even spit it right back out. When you do go you MUST try the Zabaglione. If I were to ever go back it would only be for this reason!! The Service was OK. I could tell she was busy because she was the only server and there was no hostess or other front floor staff. I served for close to 8 years and I can say she wasn't the nicest server I've ever encountered but she wasn't the worst either. We were asking for recommendations and what specific foods tasted like (like the Zabaglione for example) and she couldn't give us much substance other than, "it's all made fresh, it's good". She seemed to be very annoyed, but hey we all have your nights so maybe she was having a rough one!
(3)
Tyler P.
I am a fan of Luna Blu. They are friendly and generally fast. They will also make just about anything you want even if it is not on the menu. I get a Risotto made to order (not the daily special) and it is flavorful, hearty, and a great portion. I would also suggest trying out the Tortellini alla Romana- it is really good.
(4)
Drew P.
This place is not good by any stretch of the word. All the food was terrible and when my girlfriend sent back one of the appetizers the waitress seemed appalled that she didn't like it. The sauces were watered down with very little subsistence to the them, do yourself a favor and dine elsewhere.
(1)
Leah S.
This place is incredible. Food is amazing, WONDERFUL service, lovely atmosphere. Our new favorite downtown Annapolis restaurant.
(5)
Janet K.
I think that 2 stars is generous for this place. A caveat is that my review is based on one visit which I usually think is not enough of an overview to judge fairly, but since I am never going back, I thought I'd post a bit of a warning to those looking for good Italian food in this section of town. Our experience started well enough with a friendly hostess/waitress. The decor was nice and since we were using a 50% off coupon, we were in the mood to splurge a bit and see how the kitchen could manage a rather upscale dish. In addition, we ordered a cheese pizza. Also on a plus, warm rolls were delivered rather quickly, but the wait for the entrees was interminable... Now I am more than willing to forgive a long wait if the food is worth it, but alas, this is not the case at Luna Blu. The theme of the dishes here apparantly is BLAND-- to the max. My suspicion is that the kitchen staff are clueless about Italian food. I don't think a clove of garlic passed through any of their sauces. And no salt or pepper either for that matter. The pasta from the create your own selections had the "tooth feel" of a very cheap dried generic brand. The pizza dough had a strange flavor--like chiabatta maybe. There was no saving these dishes with add on spices--I tried there and then later at home. They were hopeless.... Next time I want some good Italian in the area, I will give Carpaccio's a try (a few blocks down towards Taylor Ave circle) I will certainly not buy another coupon for this place--not even if they offer 90%off.
(2)
Will S.
Don't eat here; I want my $70 back. Although Luna Blu has a decent wine and dessert list, the food and dining room ambiance are horrible. We started with a bruschetta that was made with bland tomatoes that had clearly been frozen and thawed. We had the chicken piccata and penne alla vodka with chicken for our entrees. The piccata was bland and the chicken was flavorless and gummy. The sauce resembled dishwater with capers floating about. The sauce on the penne was decent but chicken was overcooked and gristly. The dining room is a little cramped and the decor is very dated. Service was prompt and friendly...I wish we had the stomach for dessert. Despite being lifelong Annapolitans, this was our first time in. We won't be back.
(1)
Myaa V.
Six of my friends and I came to the restaurant for Annapolis Restaurant Week. Unfortunately, we failed to read the reviews before booking our reservation. Our reservation was for 7 pm, and it was not very busy. That being said, we did not leave until 9:30. We ordered from the standard 4-course, $35 meal menu. Which means we ordered everything but dessert at the same time. It took at LEAST 20-35 minutes between each course (including appetizer to salad). The waitress took forever with ANY action. It would take 15 minutes for a glass of wine, she would disappear, she was a mess. The food was less than satisfactory. I ordered the Frittura di Pomodori Verdi (fried green tomatoes) which were pretty good, but I could have made them at home. They were also lukewarm when they came to the table. The house salad was fine, though it's difficult to screw that up. For my entree, I ordered the risotto, which our waitress pushed as the special. The risotto was undercooked, and it was the blandest meal I have ever tasted. Two of us at the table ordered it, and we both sent it back. Everyone at the table tried it, and no one was willing to take it home. The only redeeming quality for this restaurant was the dessert. I ordered the cream with strawberries (cannot remember the name), and it was delicious. Some of my friends ordered the chocolate mousse, and it was quite tasty. I will NEVER go back to this restaurant, and the waitress did not deserve the 20% tip that was automatically added for a table for 5 or more. At least she took the risottos off the bill.
(1)
Peter C.
Six stars because this is our favorite restaurant and we eat out 5 or 6 nights a week. Erin used to work here and is now one of the owners. The food is very good, nice atmosphere, and reasonable prices. Downside is that the menu hasn't changed much in 3 yrs but I can't recall getting anything I didn't like. You can always go for the specials. Biggest suprise here is that we are almost always able to get in without a reservation even though it's a small place. Get the dessert thing with apples in it...
(5)
Mary B.
Had Valentines prefix meal here last night. Truly, the food was not good. Not good quality and definitely not prepared well. Fish, that I am sure had been frozen, but worse... was way over cooked and dry on top of the spiciest pasta I have ever tasted and not in a good way. Veal chop was so over cooked that it literally crumbled. It was suppose to have been stuffed with cheese and ham. All of that must have melted and stayed in the pan. Truly a terrible meal from start to finish. We won't be back.
(2)
Adrienne R.
Maybe I chose poorly. My sauce tasted out of a bottle. I had penne in a marinara sauce with mozzarella. I added chicken. The chicken was small cubes, the same size as the mozzarella and not much of it. My friend had bowtie with pesto and it was really good. An appetizer of fried green tomatoes with cheese on top in a marinara sauce was pretty good too. Service was pretty slow, we were the only table so maybe they were winding down. We were a table of four. They added 20% gratuity to the check, on top of the two taxes that are added. The server was friendly but super slow to check on us and did not warrant a 20% tip. Plus I think I saw on the menu tip is added for parties of 5 or more. I had longer for some delicious pasta, but this was not the place. Other reviews raved about the Greek salad. I found it to be underdressed and did not care for the dominant type of lettuce in it. The rolls they give you were good though. Oh well, won't be back.
(2)
Janie C.
Amazing food and even more amazing service!! Luna Blu offers a pleasant atmosphere and we always feel very welcomed...as if Erin, the Owner, has invited us to her home for dinner. The 4 course meal is a BARGIN!!!! So much food, certainly plenty left to bring home for lunch the next day. (My husband looks forward to the leftovers.....something about how the sauce taste even better the second time around). It's impossible to resist the fresh bread and olive oil dip, which is seasoned perfectly. The bread with a glass of wine is a great start to any dish you select. We live on Kent Island and dinner at Luna Blu is a simple trip, especially with convenient parking behind the restaurant. We never miss dinner there prior to a show at Rams Head. I recommend making a reservation for dinner, we love the table at the front window, it's a great seat for people watching. We haven't made one of the Sunday night Wine Dinners yet, (hate to admit this), but it's on our list to attend. I've been told the dinners are excellent, fun, and always for a cause with a % of sales donated to a charity. Plus, oils and vinegars from Cleo's! Yum!! Compared to other restaurants in Annapolis, (especially other Italian ones), Luna Blu is far better and much more reasonably priced. And the wine list offers a nice range in selection and prices!!
(5)
Melissa G.
My husband and I went here while in town and it was awesome. Great service, great food and prices were reasonable.
(4)
Jackie H.
A group of us came here for my friends Bachelorette party dinner. We had about 15 people, but we called ahead and they could accommodate us. We got there and our table was ready to go even though we were late. Our waitress started taking our and didn't rush us. We all really enjoyed the food and cocktails. I got the crab ravioli and I ate the entire thing. YUM! The only down side is the place is very small so we did feel a little cramped. But I would love to come again and maybe eat out side with my husband. I will definitely come again.
(4)
KM S.
3.5 We have gone here twice--and our second experience was much better than our first due to some Yelp research. We enjoy the setting both times--it is quaint and comfortable. The first time, we ordered calamari, a veal dish and the penne vodka--from what it seems veal is not their specialty. The penne vodka and calamari were okay, but nothing to rave about. During our second visit, we ordered the Baked Brie en Croute for an appetizer. This was a tasty and unique dish that we would order again. K ordered the Tortellini alla Romana--tortellini and sausage in a creamy parmigiano sauce. The tortellini were cooked well and the sausage was a nice accent to the meal. It is definitely cheesy and tasty. M ordered the Seafood Fra Diavola. It has a nice spicy sauce and a lot of seafood. Overall, it was a good well-balanced mix. We also had 2 glasses of their Sangiovese which was very tasty. We will definitely look to return.
(4)
Doug R.
Did the LivingSocial deal as Bobbi H. mentioned below and expectaions were also exceeded. Lots of freedom on the entree selection--no special list. Our waitress was Caitlyn (sp)? and her service was excellent. Friendly, competent, and efficient without being interruptive. Not often easy to do. Food was very good--I had the Ravioli Con Astice, wife had one of the penne dishes w/ Italian sausage. Appetizer was Antipasto della Casa--really good. Small and quiet (it was a Monday night). Seated right as we walked in for our 645 reservation. Parking easy in the nearby in Gott's garage.
(5)
Brian P.
This place is great! Fast accommodations and superb food and wine! The ambiance is good, all is well put together. I highly recommend
(4)
Rene R.
NYE - 4 course meal $40 each. We had a reservation and were seated promptly upon arrival! The young lady greeting us was really sweet. Our server was Erin and she was great. We ordered the lamb for apps and they were delicious! Served on a bed of polenta which I had never had before but am now going to try at home. They were perfect sized for appetizers. Those plates were cleared and our salads came out. Fresh greens on cold plates. Delicious dressing choices. For my entree I had the beef medallions with crispy potatoes on a bed of spinach with a wonderful mushroom sauce. I loved it. The meat was well cooked, the potatoes were crispy and great with the sauce and I just loved the spinach. The hubs had the lobster risotto - he also enjoyed his meal. We each had the chocolate ravioli for dessert - divine! The service was great, the food was wonderful and we will be back on a normal night. It was a small place maybe 15 tables. Lovely holiday decorations but not over the top. And the ladies room was very nice and clean. Since it is a smaller place, i'd recommend reservations on a weekend night and especially on a holiday!
(4)
J B.
The service was very pleasant and the tomato, mozzarella, and eggplant appetizer was good. Other than that...the food was not very good.
(2)
Michelle W.
Cute Italian restaurant in a very cute town. I came here with a large group for dinner. We had reservations at 8, which is on the later size, and we thought that we wouldn't have a problem with getting a table, but when we arrived, we had a wait quite a bit as people were finishing up, and the restaurant could put all the tables together to accommodate our large group. A little bit annoying that we had to wait, even though we had reservations. The 4 course meal is a steal! However, it's A LOT of food. They serve regular portions for this, rather than trimming down portions. It's great, but I was visiting so wasn't exactly able to get a doggie bag. Instead, my friend ordered the 4 course meal and I ate a bit of her appetizer and dessert. The shrimp appetizer was delicious! Maybe it's something about those capers and olives and that savoriness, but this was probably the highlight of the entire meal. I ordered the Seafood Fra Divola for my appetizer. They were certainly generous with the seafood and the spicy marinara had a little bit of kick to it. For dessert, I tried a bit of my friend's dessert, the egg custard. It was rich and creamy. I think I would have been able to enjoy it a bit more if I wasn't completely stuffed from my pasta. Overall, it's say it's 3.5 stars for the food and affordability, but dock half a star as they weren't that organized with their reservations...
(3)
Mary Ellen W.
I had the 4 course dinner for $35. It was great. The mozzarella and eggplant stack salad was delicious. The house salad dressing was yummy. For an entree I had piccata, delicious. I loved that you had a choice of having it over pasta, spinach or asparagus. I opted for spinach. The teramisu was a nice ending to a wonderful evening. I can see why most of the dining room was filled with regulars.
(4)
Rob B.
Not many places in this town where owner and chef will also wait on you and make you feel special. Very smalll so make a reservation. Erin is a total host. Let her walk you through the menu. The $35 Four Course is a wonderful deal. We felt like we dined at a friends house and loved every moment.
(5)
Sydney F.
My boyfriend and I celebrated our anniversary at Luna Blu just last night. We arrived for dinner at 5 pm on the dot, so we ran into no complications with seating and reservations. Being that this restaurant is quite small, I could see this being an issue. Erin was our waitress, who to my understanding is also the owner. She was very sweet, attentive, and knowledgeable. All good things. We got an appetizer, took our time with it, and then ordered dinner. Erin was accommodating and didn't make us feel rushed. Our dinner was delicious. Presentation was nice, and the food didn't disappoint. This was such a nice place for a date. We also liked that our appetizer was 1/2 off, being that we were dining on a Tuesday before 6. (I believe the special is 1/2 off apps Monday-Wednesday's from 5-6pm) We will be back in the future.
(5)
Matthew S.
The restaurant had an odor when you first walked in. Once you get use to that you will make yourself comfortable in some really tight quarters. The servers have way to many tables to be attentive. My wife and I both ordered the $35.00 4 course dinner. Make sure you are aware that you can sub your salad choice for the difference in between the items. The entry was littered with clutter and gave the impression that the restaurant needed a good cleaning. I honestly did not feel as if the food was worth the menu prices. I would suggest that you save your money and head down to Tsunami.
(2)
Stephen L.
We went here by recommendation from a new friend as their "Favorite" spot, so we gave it a try with high hopes. At first glance this place may turn some people away, but it is small and comfortable like your grandmothers house. Some of the lights can be a bit over bearing at the tables and if you're not into paper top tables move along. My wife and I don't care about these things if the food is great and, trust me some of the best food I have ever had have been in the worst looking places you can imagine, Luna is nowhere near a horrible atmosphere, just Grandma-ie. Now to the food. My wife and I opted for the for course meal for 35$ each, it includes and app, house salad, entree and desert. For my starter I got pan seared scallops over polenta and my wife got the mussels and clams in white wine sauce. The first thing that jumped out to me was that the scallops were over cooked, not super bad, but over. After that the polenta had no seasoning reducing it to more of a scallops over bland grits? The mussels and clams where cleaned perfectly! no grit or beards and cooked well, the whit wine sauce was a bit off and again not seasoned well at all. The salad's were your standard house salad nothing exciting here. Main course. I got the Penne Vesuviana with sausage. Here's the thing, it wasn't a bad concept and, I imagine some people would like it but it was just not executed well. The biggest problem was the sausage, it tasted like it was frozen and then microwaved. This can happen with sausage when you freeze it and then throw it in a pan to brown before you plop it in a pasta sauce. It was unfortunate because if executed well I LOVE THIS FLAVOR PROFILE! Side note to the chef maybe try subbing mascarpone in instead of mozzarella. My wife got the lamb lollipop and risotto special. It was horrid. Again this goes back to seasoning in the resotto, It was cooked perfectly, no seasoning so salt and pepper had to be aggressively applied. The lamb was also under seasoned and a bit fatty overall creating a underwhelming dish. Dessert. We both got the Tiramisu, and the marscapone was good but it overall tasted like a cream cake with cocoa on top. Meh. We both had high hopes for this place, but you win some and you lose some. The wine was great and, our waiter was FANTASTIC (John I think). We will for sure give this place a second chance based on the fact that it was a slow night on the coldest day of the year, so maybe the A game wasn't rocking and again our server made this a very good experience! So I will see you next time Luna Blu. Please make me eat all these words!
(2)
Kate P.
I love this place! I worked in Annapolis for a bit and this was my go-to lunch place. I have had their salads, pasta, and sandwiches/soups and they are always tasty. My favorite sandwich is the Italian Steak and Cheese and their tortellini soup is yummy. Highly recommend.
(5)
Bobbi B.
Purchased a Living Social deal for this restaurant, $35 for an appetizer, two entrees and two glasses of wine. My expectations were far exceeded! We were seated right at our reservation time, 8 p.m. You're allowed to choose from everything on the menu. Considering the deal, I assumed we'd have to choose from a special list so I was pleasantly surprised. Our waitress was super friendly and attentive. Meals didn't take too long. My sea bass with mozzarella, sauteed spinach and tomatoes was AMAZING. The chocolate mousse for dessert was even better. The meals are a bit pricey (for me) but the portions and quality support it. I will definitely be visiting again!
Erin is always so accommodating! Set my husband and I up at the front window table for our anniversary and just made our night so special. Get the lobster ravioli - the BEST! And the fried green tomatoes for an appetizer.
(5)
Geoff Z.
We were walk-ins with no expectations, and came out fans. It is very small but cozy and wonderfully set. The service was perfect. The food was fabulous. We had the special that was $35 for appetizer, main course and desert. Salad was included. I would go back in a minute. If you're in the area, try it. You'll love it.
(5)
Vanisha O.
I love the fact that a percentage of her lunch time sales went to the CASA organization today, which is why I ate from this restaurant today. I think that for the amount of food I received, the price was very reasonable. The lady behind the counter, who I think was the owner was super nice and very quick with my carry out order. The food was presented very well but it was super bland. Also, I ordered an Italian steak and cheese - now excuse my ignorance of Italian culture, but when I think of steak and cheese, I'm thinking chopped steak, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, etc. Well to see what I got, check the photos. She did an amazing job on the tiramisu though. .. I'm eating that as I write this review.....yummm! Oh, and I asked for seasoned potatoes with my sandwich, and got pasta with pesto sauce.
(3)
Jamey C.
Food was great and it's always nice to have the owner taking care of us! Would go back in a heartbeat, the menu is a bit limited of you are looking for meat but if you love pasta this is the place in Annapolis to go. Prices are great!
(4)
Lisa L.
So what is the point of a reservation? To know that my table will be available when I get there. That apparently was not the case last night. I had an 8:30PM reservation with my best friends and their hubbies. My friend got there at 8:20, and somehow they still manage to give our table away to another party. We waited almost an hour for our table. When we addressed a waitress about it, her reply was not very nice. She apologized with an attitude. That doesn't fly in my book. . But in the end, they covered our dessert. At this point, I'm over it. After waiting an hour to get our table, we made our round of orders. I got the Cesar salad as an appetizer and the lobster ravioli has my entree. The salad was average but I loved the lobster ravioli. Delicious. Sauce as on point, crab meat, peas and mushrooms everywhere. All my favorite food in one dish. Next comes our dessert. I ordered a dessert that started with a "Z" that consisted of a yellow egg custard served in a glass topped with strawberries. Was not a big fan. It really did taste like egg. I was expecting a creme brulee type of taste but it just tasted like straight up egg. My boyfriend's tiramisu was delicious though. I guess I just ordered the wrong dessert. It's all good. I didn't have to pay for it. Our waitress, whom was not the blonde lady that we dealt with earlier that evening, was very sweet and attentive. Would I come back? Maybe on a night when I have time to waste. I'm pretty sure it was an isolated incident, which I understand but I thought it could have been handled better. The food was good but I wouldn't make the 1 hours drive (I'm live in Arlington, VA) for it unless I have other things to do in Annapolis.
(3)
Ben F.
Extensive gluten free menu including gluten free pizza. Small cozy ambiance. The gluten free pizza that my wife tried was not that great. Suffers from the soft pizza dough center that most GF pizzas have. Interestingly, Dominos and CPK do a great job in cooking the pizza evenly. I had the carbonara. It was drenched with alfredo sauce. I should have read the menu more carefully. If you're expecting 'real' carbonara, you'll be greatly disappointed. I was hungry and I still couldn't finish it because it was that bad. Taste, consistency, both awful. There were other items that I may try and will likely give them another shot, but not anytime soon since there are other restaurants I'd like to try.
(2)
Eduardo F.
Great atmosphere, awesome service! The food it's amazing and very flavorful. I recommend this place for sure!!
(5)
Brooklyn D.
So I went to Luna Blu went I came to visit my hometown, and friends and their spouses decided dinner would be great. We wanted to do Saturday night at 8:30, for six people. What do I do to make that happen? Make a reservation. We called at 2 pm and successfully made an 8:30 reservation for 6 people. What was unsuccessful was getting a damn table. I got there at least ten minutes early, and was told out table was currently paying and we would be sat shortly. I waited for over an hour. We saw them give our table away. No one could give us an answer about when we would be sat. Then to appease us offered us free dessert. At that point the waitresses were rude, and I was told AGAIN, that a table was paying and was about to leave. When I mentioned that I've heard that before, she was so rude. No manager in site and I couldn't leave because at this time everywhere is packed. Dinner was okay, and the waitress was inattentive, I had to flag her down twice. Would not go back.
(2)
Pamela R.
This was my second time at Luna Blu. It is such an amazing place. One of the best restaurants in the area. I did the 4 course $35 dinner which is a great deal! You pick any App. get the house salad. Any Entree and any dessert. Sounds kinda iffy right? Well its not. Our server who I believe is also the owner Erin was very nice and such a charm. I highly recommend the Fried green tomatoes, Crab Bruschetta, The salmon with the crab, cream sauce, spinach, and Scallops. For dessert the Tiramissu was divine along with the apple pastry and egg custard w/ strawberries. The last time I had the chocolate mousse and it was absolutely amazzziiiingg! I highly recommend this place to anyone who wants to enjoy some good food and great drinks. Also the best Amaretto Sour ever!
(5)
Alexus V.
So this place isnt much to look at on the inside or outside which I am sure can be discouraging to a naptown resident but honestly, their food is pretty good. The service was good and the portions were perfectly sized. The pricing was actually really good for this pricey area which made me more than happy! I had the italian chicken and cheese with a half greek and I was very satisfied.
(4)
Richard g.
My lady and I sat down and immediately ordered our glasses of wine. When the waitress, Erin, returned with our drinks, she asked for our orders. I asked for a few minutes to look at the menu, I asked about specials. Before I could finish my sentence Erin informed us that the restaurant was overbooked - our table had to "turnover in 45 minutes" - and we needed to order immediately. NEVER in decades of dining out have I been so rudely. I appreciate the hard work and long hours waiters and waitresses put in. However, Erin, there is no excuse for rudeness. And only when Erin is no longer employed at Luna Blu will I return.
(2)
Louisa E.
Went early on Christmas Eve for first time and were surprised to learn that they don't have fresh made pasta. Wasn't too busy but one of the waitresses was so loud when she talked to her tables the whole restaurant could hear. It was really weird and distracting from the conversation. We literally had to stop talking when she was at the tables around us. Half price bottle of wine night is great though. The calamari in red sauce app was delicious and some of the best sauce I've had out. Had the pesto pasta, clams and linguini and a seafood pasta. All three dishes had over cooked pasta- couldn't believe it! The pesto pasta was good but too greasy and the other two dishes were very bland. Very disappointing. The limoncello granita was great for dessert though but id probably serve a smaller portion because it all melts before you can get to the end and turns a little syrupy. Half the meal was disappointing and half good. I won't try it again.
(3)
Sierra S.
Well, what to say about Luna Blu? Although the reservation was for 7pm, my party wasn't seated until closer to 8pm so apparently, having a reservation makes no difference. The restaurant is quite small but the tables were spaced out comfortably enough. Service was downright risible even though majority of my party ordered dinner salads and I think one person ordered a pasta dish. Don't see myself being a repeat customer here.
(2)
Daniel R.
Pretty standard good Italian restaurant. They don't try to add any new twists to the classics. Sometimes that's refreshing. I opted for the $35 four course dinner. It's quite a deal. The offer includes almost all offerings on the menu and it will satisfy even the largest appetite. The fried green tomato dish was nicely done. Tomatoes were fried to perfection and the buffalo mozzarella was suburb. It's was served over marinara. The house salad was probably better skipped. Greens were fine, but the shaved carrots and gloppy Italian dressing would be more at home in a cafeteria. For the entree I had the fettuccine scampi - a white wine sauce with lobster, shrimp, and scallops. The pasta was excellent. The lobster does not disappoint. So often lobster in a discharge is overlooked and tasteless. They got this right. The shrimp and scallops were not the stars of the dish. Overall it was a tasty dish. I'm not sure I would have wanted to pay the $24 or so listed as the menu price. But it was good. Desserts are classic Italian and about why you would expect. I ordered the tiramisu and would review it but I decided to take it to go. The ambiance is that of a small bustling bistro. It a feel I like in a restaurant. The wait staff was attentive. Nothing pretentious here. There is something good about a busy place with the kitchen pushing out plates of Italian classics to satisfied diners. If you plan to go on the weekend make a reservation. Luna Blu is a classic Italian joint that will not disappoint.
(4)
Joya L.
My husband and I stopped at Luna Blu on a Sunday afternoon while out on a motorcycle ride. Needless to say, we looked like a couple of people right off a motorcycle. Beside that, I'm Italian, so I almost never go to an Italian restaurant -- it's pretty hard to live up to my expectations. But we really enjoyed this restaurant! It's very quaint -- much like small, family-owned restaurants in Italy -- and I was pleasantly surprised that the greatest hits of one of my own favorite Italian artists were playing in the background -- not too loud, but just enough to add to the lovely ambiance. When we walked in, we were greeted by Erin. She was so nice! I just realized from the website that she is the owner. She's doing a great job! She told us about the specials and really made us feel welcome. It was mid-afternoon, so we ordered the create-your-own lunch. Nothing fancy, but all very well prepared. My husband had the soup of the day, which was a creamy corn chowder made with locally grown corn. He loved it. I managed to talk him into giving me a spoonful. Fabulous! He also had the Chicken Sant'Elena sandwich, which he said was also very good. I ordered the arugula salad and half Caprese sandwich. They were both done exactly the way they would have been if I ordered the meal in Italy. Just delicious! Nothing fancy, but that's how real Italian food is - tasty, fresh, and satisfying, made with love. We didn't have a dessert, but I have no doubt that it would have been just as good as anything else we had. Even the light lunchtime portions filled us up! But we did have an espresso, which was a nice touch before we hit the road. Luna Blu is a hidden gem -- away from the more touristy spots in Annapolis. It's definitely a place that we will visit again, even though that it's more than an hour drive for us. We will certainly make this a Sunday afternoon destination when we're out for a ride again!! Grazie mille, Erin, for making our lunchtime experience in Annapolis such an enjoyable one!
(4)
Dawn R.
I came here last night with my boyfriend, as I had a Restaurant.com $25 certificate that I'd been holding onto and decided to give it a try. Neither of us had been here before, so we went in with high expectations. While he seemed to think everything was OK, I guess I'm a little harder to please. First of all, on restaurant.com , it says that reservations are recommended. So, being the pre-planner that I am, I made us a reservation for 6:30. When we arrived, it was clear that reservations were NOT needed, as there was only one other occupied table in the place. What I found even more interesting is that the server made the announcement to the diners at her ONE table that she apologized for the delay in getting their appetizers, but that the dinner rush was beginning. Dinner rush? Does a second table constitute a rush? Hmmm.... She was pretty quick to get us our drinks and some bread, and the appetizer didn't take too long. We ordered the crab bruschetta, which was actually pretty tasty, but not really what I'd consider bruschetta. More like some triangles of puff pastry with shredded crab cake on top, but still good. When our entrees came out, I was at first impressed with the size of the portions, but they quickly lost their luster when I took the first bite. I had the chicken piccata, and the lemon was SO strong it was simply overpowering. I only ate about half of the food before I gave up. My boyfriend got spaghetti a la ragu (I REALLY hope it doesn't mean they just opened a jar of Ragu, but at this point I figured anything was possible), which he said was really good. I'll have to take his word for it, since I didn't try it. We decided to skip dessert and just have coffee. Their prices are a little steep, especially considering the poor quality of the food. For two entrees, two glasses of wine, one appetizer, and two cups of coffee it came to $85. Granted, that was inclusive of the tip, but still seemed a little high in my opinion. I wouldn't have minded if the food had tasted better, but this simply left me underwhelmed.
(2)
J P.
Beautifully apportioned with a cool and collected atmosphere. Superb Italian cuisine and an excellent staff. The homemade bread divine, but there is no private parking. Only a few tables are in this ravishing, and quaint locale.
(4)
Bob W.
The ambiance was a 3/5 stars, cozy but a little dated. The food was 2/5 stars. My penne was over cooked and mushy and the meal tasted under seasoned. The service was the real down point at 1/5 stars. The owner was present and only had one server working the dining room. The server took the orders of two parties ahead of our order that were seated after us. Our server was cordial but lacked polish. The place came off as more of a carry-out than a restaurant.
(2)
Monique B.
Food was amazing and Caitlyn was an excellent server, very attentive but not annoying! Will definitely visit again! Great food, nice wine and amazing strudel!
(5)
Amiel B.
Very nice place. Pasta dishes were very good. Nice basic wine selection, but nice. I'm not sure how it stacks up to the other Italian restaurants in Annapolis yet, but seems good.
(4)
Laura G.
We don't get to downtown Annapolis very much, but when a groupon popped up for this place we took the deal in hopes it would motivate us to try something new. My husband and I stopped in for lunch. Basically, the experience can be summed up as decent food, tired restaurant. The "host" (man that appeared from the kitchen) was wearing jeans and a tshirt. Did I not read in more than one place (their website, for starters) that attire is business casual to formal? He sure did not set the tone. The table cloth and menu were stained in more than one place and I suspect the paper covering the table top is only to hide more. My direct view was of flowers that had seen better days and were hanging out in some appetizing brown water. Like I said, tired. Our waitress, bless her heart, was running for her life. She was the only server working the lunch hour. She did the best she could but there is just no way to provide exceptional service when you have 8 tables, one of which is a big party of about 10. I ordered the vodka penne and my husband customized his own pasta dish, bowties with marinara, italian sausage and onions. Both were fresh and tasty. Be warned, diced onions apparently means thick long strips. While we enjoyed our meals, it wasn't enough to say I'll ever crave it again in the future or pursue returning.
(3)
Daniel M.
Went for my partner's birthday dinner. Everything tasted amazing! We did the living social deal plus it was half price bottle of wine night. Here's what I have to say- GO! Just go! It's yummy, filling, we got great deals, and our server Sarah was very accommodating and friendly. I'm telling everyone.
(5)
Jessica P.
Do not choose Luna Blu if you have a large party or are celebrating a special occasion. Our experience was absolutely awful. We were rushed from the beginning- and our reservation was intentionally very early. The waitress was loud, abrasive and seemingly intent on letting us know that we were inconveniencing the restaurant by taking up too much space and not ordering all courses before our whole party arrived (some got lost and were late) - and by requesting separate checks (which Luna Blu says they will not do, but we'd called ahead to try to arrange something due to the size and nature of our party, and been kindly assured that it would be fine). If the person we spoke to in advance was the same person who served us, she did a great job of luring us in and then ruining our experience. She went so far as to inform the guests of honor what time the restaurant was turning our table over, and that we needed to hurry our experience along. She was absolutely horrible and none of our party (or anyone we speak to) will be returning to Luna Blu. Sadly, the food wasn't good enough to make up for the (lack of) service.
(1)
Lynn R.
Been there twice. Both times I thought the service was terrific. My husband and I really enjoyed our entrees. The location is very convenient for an evening in Annapolis and they validate parking --which can be tough to find in that area. Five stars with the living social deal. Might be 4 if I paid full price.
(5)
Wen-fai F.
I'm really surprised at the mediocre reviews. I really enjoyed my experience at Luna Blu. I am from Boston so Italian food is plentiful but also very expensive. In our "little Italy" district (called the North End), plates half the size of Luna Blu's run for the same price. I ordered the Lobster Ravioli and my friend ordered the pesto dish (it was some sort of pasta, maybe tortellini?). The portions were really large and had I not been from out of town and lacking a fridge, I would have saved it for the next day. But I magically made my stomach expand and ate all the ravioli. Wonderful lobster taste and light on the cheese. The cream sauce was very good and this dish is great if you like mushrooms as there are plenty of them. My friend liked her pesto pasta and it certainly looked delicious. Perhaps you won't get the MOST flavorful dishes here, but the dishes are tasty enough and the quantities are great for the prices (~$15-20). Also, it's still within a 5-minute walk from the ocean so if you're staying by the water, I'd check this out for a nice date-night! The restaurant was quiet when I arrived but started filling up as the night went on.
(4)
Zoë M.
We went in and were met by an over-enthusiastic waitress who, we quickly learned, didn't actually care about us! She was clearly over-worked and had far too many tables to tend to. She would smile and then you'd see the smile disappear before she turned around and turned it back on for another customer. We waited ages to get served and the food, whilst massively portioned, was mediocre at best. The pasta was over-cooked and, I would say, cooked in a massive vat and served up on order. We were not made to feel welcome or important and so didn't feel inclined to tip much. The decor of the place is cheap with polystyrene pillars and gaudy paintings which are supposed to depict a holiday atmosphere. The restaurant is tightly packed with tables, making moving around in there quite a challenge.
(2)
Bernadette N.
So disappointing. We've been dying to try this place and finally find a decent Italian spot in Annapolis, but the search continues... We started with the Antipasto della Casa (not bad, but the cured meats weren't very impressive, probably could get equal quality at Giant) and the Insalata Greek (fine). If I'm not a little impressed by the appetizer, I'm probably not going to love dinner - and I was right. Hubby ordered the Spaghetti alla Carbonara (TERRIBLE, this was not a carbonara first off. the menu does say "creamy alfredo" which should have been a warning, but it was just a flour-based roux, disgusting). I ordered the ravioli stuffed with lobster and sauteed with crabmeat, peas and mushrooms. I admit it was leagues apart from the carbonara, but my husband pointed out it was probably only good "by comparison". I ended up not feeling well after we walked home, but in full disclosure rich foods on a pregnant belly may not have been the best decision. The servers were also pretty inexperienced and a little disorganized. Our bread was tardy, my hubby never got his second glass of wine, etc. Even though hubby wanted out of this place, I ordered tiramisu. It was actually pretty darn good, and by far the best thing I ate here. Needless to say, we won't be coming back.
(2)
Tiffany C.
I just rediscovered this restaurant after a few years of absence. It used to be on my way home from work and i'd either go there for dinner or take out a few times a month. Luna Blu, Im so sorry I've neglected you. Today is my moms birthday and she just wanted a good salad. Just then I saw something on facebook pop up from Luna Blu and remembered their salads were always so fresh, so I ordered their Greek Salad for mom and a Chicken San Elena for me. Mom loved her salad, and i was blown away by the pasta salad and sandwich. The bread is so light and flakey on top and perfeclty fluffy in the middle. I will be back!!! Thanks Erin!!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Garage, Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Smoking : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Doug R.
Did the LivingSocial deal as Bobbi H. mentioned below and expectaions were also exceeded. Lots of freedom on the entree selection--no special list. Our waitress was Caitlyn (sp)? and her service was excellent. Friendly, competent, and efficient without being interruptive. Not often easy to do. Food was very good--I had the Ravioli Con Astice, wife had one of the penne dishes w/ Italian sausage. Appetizer was Antipasto della Casa--really good. Small and quiet (it was a Monday night). Seated right as we walked in for our 645 reservation. Parking easy in the nearby in Gott's garage.
(5)Brian P.
This place is great! Fast accommodations and superb food and wine! The ambiance is good, all is well put together. I highly recommend
(4)Rene R.
NYE - 4 course meal $40 each. We had a reservation and were seated promptly upon arrival! The young lady greeting us was really sweet. Our server was Erin and she was great. We ordered the lamb for apps and they were delicious! Served on a bed of polenta which I had never had before but am now going to try at home. They were perfect sized for appetizers. Those plates were cleared and our salads came out. Fresh greens on cold plates. Delicious dressing choices. For my entree I had the beef medallions with crispy potatoes on a bed of spinach with a wonderful mushroom sauce. I loved it. The meat was well cooked, the potatoes were crispy and great with the sauce and I just loved the spinach. The hubs had the lobster risotto - he also enjoyed his meal. We each had the chocolate ravioli for dessert - divine! The service was great, the food was wonderful and we will be back on a normal night. It was a small place maybe 15 tables. Lovely holiday decorations but not over the top. And the ladies room was very nice and clean. Since it is a smaller place, i'd recommend reservations on a weekend night and especially on a holiday!
(4)J B.
The service was very pleasant and the tomato, mozzarella, and eggplant appetizer was good. Other than that...the food was not very good.
(2)Laura G.
We don't get to downtown Annapolis very much, but when a groupon popped up for this place we took the deal in hopes it would motivate us to try something new. My husband and I stopped in for lunch. Basically, the experience can be summed up as decent food, tired restaurant. The "host" (man that appeared from the kitchen) was wearing jeans and a tshirt. Did I not read in more than one place (their website, for starters) that attire is business casual to formal? He sure did not set the tone. The table cloth and menu were stained in more than one place and I suspect the paper covering the table top is only to hide more. My direct view was of flowers that had seen better days and were hanging out in some appetizing brown water. Like I said, tired. Our waitress, bless her heart, was running for her life. She was the only server working the lunch hour. She did the best she could but there is just no way to provide exceptional service when you have 8 tables, one of which is a big party of about 10. I ordered the vodka penne and my husband customized his own pasta dish, bowties with marinara, italian sausage and onions. Both were fresh and tasty. Be warned, diced onions apparently means thick long strips. While we enjoyed our meals, it wasn't enough to say I'll ever crave it again in the future or pursue returning.
(3)Rob B.
Not many places in this town where owner and chef will also wait on you and make you feel special. Very smalll so make a reservation. Erin is a total host. Let her walk you through the menu. The $35 Four Course is a wonderful deal. We felt like we dined at a friends house and loved every moment.
(5)Ben F.
Extensive gluten free menu including gluten free pizza. Small cozy ambiance. The gluten free pizza that my wife tried was not that great. Suffers from the soft pizza dough center that most GF pizzas have. Interestingly, Dominos and CPK do a great job in cooking the pizza evenly. I had the carbonara. It was drenched with alfredo sauce. I should have read the menu more carefully. If you're expecting 'real' carbonara, you'll be greatly disappointed. I was hungry and I still couldn't finish it because it was that bad. Taste, consistency, both awful. There were other items that I may try and will likely give them another shot, but not anytime soon since there are other restaurants I'd like to try.
(2)Eduardo F.
Great atmosphere, awesome service! The food it's amazing and very flavorful. I recommend this place for sure!!
(5)Brooklyn D.
So I went to Luna Blu went I came to visit my hometown, and friends and their spouses decided dinner would be great. We wanted to do Saturday night at 8:30, for six people. What do I do to make that happen? Make a reservation. We called at 2 pm and successfully made an 8:30 reservation for 6 people. What was unsuccessful was getting a damn table. I got there at least ten minutes early, and was told out table was currently paying and we would be sat shortly. I waited for over an hour. We saw them give our table away. No one could give us an answer about when we would be sat. Then to appease us offered us free dessert. At that point the waitresses were rude, and I was told AGAIN, that a table was paying and was about to leave. When I mentioned that I've heard that before, she was so rude. No manager in site and I couldn't leave because at this time everywhere is packed. Dinner was okay, and the waitress was inattentive, I had to flag her down twice. Would not go back.
(2)Pamela R.
This was my second time at Luna Blu. It is such an amazing place. One of the best restaurants in the area. I did the 4 course $35 dinner which is a great deal! You pick any App. get the house salad. Any Entree and any dessert. Sounds kinda iffy right? Well its not. Our server who I believe is also the owner Erin was very nice and such a charm. I highly recommend the Fried green tomatoes, Crab Bruschetta, The salmon with the crab, cream sauce, spinach, and Scallops. For dessert the Tiramissu was divine along with the apple pastry and egg custard w/ strawberries. The last time I had the chocolate mousse and it was absolutely amazzziiiingg! I highly recommend this place to anyone who wants to enjoy some good food and great drinks. Also the best Amaretto Sour ever!
(5)Alexus V.
So this place isnt much to look at on the inside or outside which I am sure can be discouraging to a naptown resident but honestly, their food is pretty good. The service was good and the portions were perfectly sized. The pricing was actually really good for this pricey area which made me more than happy! I had the italian chicken and cheese with a half greek and I was very satisfied.
(4)Richard g.
My lady and I sat down and immediately ordered our glasses of wine. When the waitress, Erin, returned with our drinks, she asked for our orders. I asked for a few minutes to look at the menu, I asked about specials. Before I could finish my sentence Erin informed us that the restaurant was overbooked - our table had to "turnover in 45 minutes" - and we needed to order immediately. NEVER in decades of dining out have I been so rudely. I appreciate the hard work and long hours waiters and waitresses put in. However, Erin, there is no excuse for rudeness. And only when Erin is no longer employed at Luna Blu will I return.
(2)KM S.
3.5 We have gone here twice--and our second experience was much better than our first due to some Yelp research. We enjoy the setting both times--it is quaint and comfortable. The first time, we ordered calamari, a veal dish and the penne vodka--from what it seems veal is not their specialty. The penne vodka and calamari were okay, but nothing to rave about. During our second visit, we ordered the Baked Brie en Croute for an appetizer. This was a tasty and unique dish that we would order again. K ordered the Tortellini alla Romana--tortellini and sausage in a creamy parmigiano sauce. The tortellini were cooked well and the sausage was a nice accent to the meal. It is definitely cheesy and tasty. M ordered the Seafood Fra Diavola. It has a nice spicy sauce and a lot of seafood. Overall, it was a good well-balanced mix. We also had 2 glasses of their Sangiovese which was very tasty. We will definitely look to return.
(4)Leigh W.
We had a reservation through Yelp for 7.30 and we did arrive about 10 minutes late and so weren't seated until just after 8. Not sure how we would have been seated at 7.30 as they were full anyway! Menu looked great, and a very good deal for the 4 courses for $35. Service was prompt and friendly from the table waiter. My husband ordered the pasta with shrimp, scallop and crabmeat and I ordered the pasta arrabiata which was okay although very spicy, even though I can eat quite spicy food, this was hot hot!! Immediately my husband ate a shrimp he said it was not right. It had an ammonia taste to it akin to seafood not being fresh. We eat out at least 3-4 times a week and have very close friends in the seafood export business so know what seafood should taste like! Immediately we drew the waitress' attention to this and sent half the scampi back to the chef. No feedback. We summonsed the waitress and asked what the chef had said. Not being her fault, she tried desperately to explain it was the difference between sautéing shrimp and grilling and we were welcome to have some additional scampi grilled. She also pointed out no one else had a problem! Not the point. These were not good and potentially off. Please tell the chef. Still nothing from the chef, the matre'd or the waitress. Long story short .... the flavours in the seafood dish were good, it was just the specific scampi were not good. The only way we felt to deal with this fundamental lack of customer service was to leave without leaving any tip. We won't be back and very disappointed in the experience.
(1)Poppy H.
Erin is always so accommodating! Set my husband and I up at the front window table for our anniversary and just made our night so special. Get the lobster ravioli - the BEST! And the fried green tomatoes for an appetizer.
(5)Geoff Z.
We were walk-ins with no expectations, and came out fans. It is very small but cozy and wonderfully set. The service was perfect. The food was fabulous. We had the special that was $35 for appetizer, main course and desert. Salad was included. I would go back in a minute. If you're in the area, try it. You'll love it.
(5)Vanisha O.
I love the fact that a percentage of her lunch time sales went to the CASA organization today, which is why I ate from this restaurant today. I think that for the amount of food I received, the price was very reasonable. The lady behind the counter, who I think was the owner was super nice and very quick with my carry out order. The food was presented very well but it was super bland. Also, I ordered an Italian steak and cheese - now excuse my ignorance of Italian culture, but when I think of steak and cheese, I'm thinking chopped steak, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, etc. Well to see what I got, check the photos. She did an amazing job on the tiramisu though. .. I'm eating that as I write this review.....yummm! Oh, and I asked for seasoned potatoes with my sandwich, and got pasta with pesto sauce.
(3)Lisa L.
So what is the point of a reservation? To know that my table will be available when I get there. That apparently was not the case last night. I had an 8:30PM reservation with my best friends and their hubbies. My friend got there at 8:20, and somehow they still manage to give our table away to another party. We waited almost an hour for our table. When we addressed a waitress about it, her reply was not very nice. She apologized with an attitude. That doesn't fly in my book. . But in the end, they covered our dessert. At this point, I'm over it. After waiting an hour to get our table, we made our round of orders. I got the Cesar salad as an appetizer and the lobster ravioli has my entree. The salad was average but I loved the lobster ravioli. Delicious. Sauce as on point, crab meat, peas and mushrooms everywhere. All my favorite food in one dish. Next comes our dessert. I ordered a dessert that started with a "Z" that consisted of a yellow egg custard served in a glass topped with strawberries. Was not a big fan. It really did taste like egg. I was expecting a creme brulee type of taste but it just tasted like straight up egg. My boyfriend's tiramisu was delicious though. I guess I just ordered the wrong dessert. It's all good. I didn't have to pay for it. Our waitress, whom was not the blonde lady that we dealt with earlier that evening, was very sweet and attentive. Would I come back? Maybe on a night when I have time to waste. I'm pretty sure it was an isolated incident, which I understand but I thought it could have been handled better. The food was good but I wouldn't make the 1 hours drive (I'm live in Arlington, VA) for it unless I have other things to do in Annapolis.
(3)Louisa E.
Went early on Christmas Eve for first time and were surprised to learn that they don't have fresh made pasta. Wasn't too busy but one of the waitresses was so loud when she talked to her tables the whole restaurant could hear. It was really weird and distracting from the conversation. We literally had to stop talking when she was at the tables around us. Half price bottle of wine night is great though. The calamari in red sauce app was delicious and some of the best sauce I've had out. Had the pesto pasta, clams and linguini and a seafood pasta. All three dishes had over cooked pasta- couldn't believe it! The pesto pasta was good but too greasy and the other two dishes were very bland. Very disappointing. The limoncello granita was great for dessert though but id probably serve a smaller portion because it all melts before you can get to the end and turns a little syrupy. Half the meal was disappointing and half good. I won't try it again.
(3)Sierra S.
Well, what to say about Luna Blu? Although the reservation was for 7pm, my party wasn't seated until closer to 8pm so apparently, having a reservation makes no difference. The restaurant is quite small but the tables were spaced out comfortably enough. Service was downright risible even though majority of my party ordered dinner salads and I think one person ordered a pasta dish. Don't see myself being a repeat customer here.
(2)Daniel R.
Pretty standard good Italian restaurant. They don't try to add any new twists to the classics. Sometimes that's refreshing. I opted for the $35 four course dinner. It's quite a deal. The offer includes almost all offerings on the menu and it will satisfy even the largest appetite. The fried green tomato dish was nicely done. Tomatoes were fried to perfection and the buffalo mozzarella was suburb. It's was served over marinara. The house salad was probably better skipped. Greens were fine, but the shaved carrots and gloppy Italian dressing would be more at home in a cafeteria. For the entree I had the fettuccine scampi - a white wine sauce with lobster, shrimp, and scallops. The pasta was excellent. The lobster does not disappoint. So often lobster in a discharge is overlooked and tasteless. They got this right. The shrimp and scallops were not the stars of the dish. Overall it was a tasty dish. I'm not sure I would have wanted to pay the $24 or so listed as the menu price. But it was good. Desserts are classic Italian and about why you would expect. I ordered the tiramisu and would review it but I decided to take it to go. The ambiance is that of a small bustling bistro. It a feel I like in a restaurant. The wait staff was attentive. Nothing pretentious here. There is something good about a busy place with the kitchen pushing out plates of Italian classics to satisfied diners. If you plan to go on the weekend make a reservation. Luna Blu is a classic Italian joint that will not disappoint.
(4)Joya L.
My husband and I stopped at Luna Blu on a Sunday afternoon while out on a motorcycle ride. Needless to say, we looked like a couple of people right off a motorcycle. Beside that, I'm Italian, so I almost never go to an Italian restaurant -- it's pretty hard to live up to my expectations. But we really enjoyed this restaurant! It's very quaint -- much like small, family-owned restaurants in Italy -- and I was pleasantly surprised that the greatest hits of one of my own favorite Italian artists were playing in the background -- not too loud, but just enough to add to the lovely ambiance. When we walked in, we were greeted by Erin. She was so nice! I just realized from the website that she is the owner. She's doing a great job! She told us about the specials and really made us feel welcome. It was mid-afternoon, so we ordered the create-your-own lunch. Nothing fancy, but all very well prepared. My husband had the soup of the day, which was a creamy corn chowder made with locally grown corn. He loved it. I managed to talk him into giving me a spoonful. Fabulous! He also had the Chicken Sant'Elena sandwich, which he said was also very good. I ordered the arugula salad and half Caprese sandwich. They were both done exactly the way they would have been if I ordered the meal in Italy. Just delicious! Nothing fancy, but that's how real Italian food is - tasty, fresh, and satisfying, made with love. We didn't have a dessert, but I have no doubt that it would have been just as good as anything else we had. Even the light lunchtime portions filled us up! But we did have an espresso, which was a nice touch before we hit the road. Luna Blu is a hidden gem -- away from the more touristy spots in Annapolis. It's definitely a place that we will visit again, even though that it's more than an hour drive for us. We will certainly make this a Sunday afternoon destination when we're out for a ride again!! Grazie mille, Erin, for making our lunchtime experience in Annapolis such an enjoyable one!
(4)Dawn R.
I came here last night with my boyfriend, as I had a Restaurant.com $25 certificate that I'd been holding onto and decided to give it a try. Neither of us had been here before, so we went in with high expectations. While he seemed to think everything was OK, I guess I'm a little harder to please. First of all, on restaurant.com , it says that reservations are recommended. So, being the pre-planner that I am, I made us a reservation for 6:30. When we arrived, it was clear that reservations were NOT needed, as there was only one other occupied table in the place. What I found even more interesting is that the server made the announcement to the diners at her ONE table that she apologized for the delay in getting their appetizers, but that the dinner rush was beginning. Dinner rush? Does a second table constitute a rush? Hmmm.... She was pretty quick to get us our drinks and some bread, and the appetizer didn't take too long. We ordered the crab bruschetta, which was actually pretty tasty, but not really what I'd consider bruschetta. More like some triangles of puff pastry with shredded crab cake on top, but still good. When our entrees came out, I was at first impressed with the size of the portions, but they quickly lost their luster when I took the first bite. I had the chicken piccata, and the lemon was SO strong it was simply overpowering. I only ate about half of the food before I gave up. My boyfriend got spaghetti a la ragu (I REALLY hope it doesn't mean they just opened a jar of Ragu, but at this point I figured anything was possible), which he said was really good. I'll have to take his word for it, since I didn't try it. We decided to skip dessert and just have coffee. Their prices are a little steep, especially considering the poor quality of the food. For two entrees, two glasses of wine, one appetizer, and two cups of coffee it came to $85. Granted, that was inclusive of the tip, but still seemed a little high in my opinion. I wouldn't have minded if the food had tasted better, but this simply left me underwhelmed.
(2)J P.
Beautifully apportioned with a cool and collected atmosphere. Superb Italian cuisine and an excellent staff. The homemade bread divine, but there is no private parking. Only a few tables are in this ravishing, and quaint locale.
(4)Bob W.
The ambiance was a 3/5 stars, cozy but a little dated. The food was 2/5 stars. My penne was over cooked and mushy and the meal tasted under seasoned. The service was the real down point at 1/5 stars. The owner was present and only had one server working the dining room. The server took the orders of two parties ahead of our order that were seated after us. Our server was cordial but lacked polish. The place came off as more of a carry-out than a restaurant.
(2)Monique B.
Food was amazing and Caitlyn was an excellent server, very attentive but not annoying! Will definitely visit again! Great food, nice wine and amazing strudel!
(5)Amiel B.
Very nice place. Pasta dishes were very good. Nice basic wine selection, but nice. I'm not sure how it stacks up to the other Italian restaurants in Annapolis yet, but seems good.
(4)Daniel M.
Went for my partner's birthday dinner. Everything tasted amazing! We did the living social deal plus it was half price bottle of wine night. Here's what I have to say- GO! Just go! It's yummy, filling, we got great deals, and our server Sarah was very accommodating and friendly. I'm telling everyone.
(5)Jessica P.
Do not choose Luna Blu if you have a large party or are celebrating a special occasion. Our experience was absolutely awful. We were rushed from the beginning- and our reservation was intentionally very early. The waitress was loud, abrasive and seemingly intent on letting us know that we were inconveniencing the restaurant by taking up too much space and not ordering all courses before our whole party arrived (some got lost and were late) - and by requesting separate checks (which Luna Blu says they will not do, but we'd called ahead to try to arrange something due to the size and nature of our party, and been kindly assured that it would be fine). If the person we spoke to in advance was the same person who served us, she did a great job of luring us in and then ruining our experience. She went so far as to inform the guests of honor what time the restaurant was turning our table over, and that we needed to hurry our experience along. She was absolutely horrible and none of our party (or anyone we speak to) will be returning to Luna Blu. Sadly, the food wasn't good enough to make up for the (lack of) service.
(1)Lynn R.
Been there twice. Both times I thought the service was terrific. My husband and I really enjoyed our entrees. The location is very convenient for an evening in Annapolis and they validate parking --which can be tough to find in that area. Five stars with the living social deal. Might be 4 if I paid full price.
(5)Peter C.
Six stars because this is our favorite restaurant and we eat out 5 or 6 nights a week. Erin used to work here and is now one of the owners. The food is very good, nice atmosphere, and reasonable prices. Downside is that the menu hasn't changed much in 3 yrs but I can't recall getting anything I didn't like. You can always go for the specials. Biggest suprise here is that we are almost always able to get in without a reservation even though it's a small place. Get the dessert thing with apples in it...
(5)Stephen L.
We went here by recommendation from a new friend as their "Favorite" spot, so we gave it a try with high hopes. At first glance this place may turn some people away, but it is small and comfortable like your grandmothers house. Some of the lights can be a bit over bearing at the tables and if you're not into paper top tables move along. My wife and I don't care about these things if the food is great and, trust me some of the best food I have ever had have been in the worst looking places you can imagine, Luna is nowhere near a horrible atmosphere, just Grandma-ie. Now to the food. My wife and I opted for the for course meal for 35$ each, it includes and app, house salad, entree and desert. For my starter I got pan seared scallops over polenta and my wife got the mussels and clams in white wine sauce. The first thing that jumped out to me was that the scallops were over cooked, not super bad, but over. After that the polenta had no seasoning reducing it to more of a scallops over bland grits? The mussels and clams where cleaned perfectly! no grit or beards and cooked well, the whit wine sauce was a bit off and again not seasoned well at all. The salad's were your standard house salad nothing exciting here. Main course. I got the Penne Vesuviana with sausage. Here's the thing, it wasn't a bad concept and, I imagine some people would like it but it was just not executed well. The biggest problem was the sausage, it tasted like it was frozen and then microwaved. This can happen with sausage when you freeze it and then throw it in a pan to brown before you plop it in a pasta sauce. It was unfortunate because if executed well I LOVE THIS FLAVOR PROFILE! Side note to the chef maybe try subbing mascarpone in instead of mozzarella. My wife got the lamb lollipop and risotto special. It was horrid. Again this goes back to seasoning in the resotto, It was cooked perfectly, no seasoning so salt and pepper had to be aggressively applied. The lamb was also under seasoned and a bit fatty overall creating a underwhelming dish. Dessert. We both got the Tiramisu, and the marscapone was good but it overall tasted like a cream cake with cocoa on top. Meh. We both had high hopes for this place, but you win some and you lose some. The wine was great and, our waiter was FANTASTIC (John I think). We will for sure give this place a second chance based on the fact that it was a slow night on the coldest day of the year, so maybe the A game wasn't rocking and again our server made this a very good experience! So I will see you next time Luna Blu. Please make me eat all these words!
(2)Kate P.
I love this place! I worked in Annapolis for a bit and this was my go-to lunch place. I have had their salads, pasta, and sandwiches/soups and they are always tasty. My favorite sandwich is the Italian Steak and Cheese and their tortellini soup is yummy. Highly recommend.
(5)Bobbi B.
Purchased a Living Social deal for this restaurant, $35 for an appetizer, two entrees and two glasses of wine. My expectations were far exceeded! We were seated right at our reservation time, 8 p.m. You're allowed to choose from everything on the menu. Considering the deal, I assumed we'd have to choose from a special list so I was pleasantly surprised. Our waitress was super friendly and attentive. Meals didn't take too long. My sea bass with mozzarella, sauteed spinach and tomatoes was AMAZING. The chocolate mousse for dessert was even better. The meals are a bit pricey (for me) but the portions and quality support it. I will definitely be visiting again!
(4)Janie C.
Amazing food and even more amazing service!! Luna Blu offers a pleasant atmosphere and we always feel very welcomed...as if Erin, the Owner, has invited us to her home for dinner. The 4 course meal is a BARGIN!!!! So much food, certainly plenty left to bring home for lunch the next day. (My husband looks forward to the leftovers.....something about how the sauce taste even better the second time around). It's impossible to resist the fresh bread and olive oil dip, which is seasoned perfectly. The bread with a glass of wine is a great start to any dish you select. We live on Kent Island and dinner at Luna Blu is a simple trip, especially with convenient parking behind the restaurant. We never miss dinner there prior to a show at Rams Head. I recommend making a reservation for dinner, we love the table at the front window, it's a great seat for people watching. We haven't made one of the Sunday night Wine Dinners yet, (hate to admit this), but it's on our list to attend. I've been told the dinners are excellent, fun, and always for a cause with a % of sales donated to a charity. Plus, oils and vinegars from Cleo's! Yum!! Compared to other restaurants in Annapolis, (especially other Italian ones), Luna Blu is far better and much more reasonably priced. And the wine list offers a nice range in selection and prices!!
(5)Mary B.
Had Valentines prefix meal here last night. Truly, the food was not good. Not good quality and definitely not prepared well. Fish, that I am sure had been frozen, but worse... was way over cooked and dry on top of the spiciest pasta I have ever tasted and not in a good way. Veal chop was so over cooked that it literally crumbled. It was suppose to have been stuffed with cheese and ham. All of that must have melted and stayed in the pan. Truly a terrible meal from start to finish. We won't be back.
(2)Michelle W.
Cute Italian restaurant in a very cute town. I came here with a large group for dinner. We had reservations at 8, which is on the later size, and we thought that we wouldn't have a problem with getting a table, but when we arrived, we had a wait quite a bit as people were finishing up, and the restaurant could put all the tables together to accommodate our large group. A little bit annoying that we had to wait, even though we had reservations. The 4 course meal is a steal! However, it's A LOT of food. They serve regular portions for this, rather than trimming down portions. It's great, but I was visiting so wasn't exactly able to get a doggie bag. Instead, my friend ordered the 4 course meal and I ate a bit of her appetizer and dessert. The shrimp appetizer was delicious! Maybe it's something about those capers and olives and that savoriness, but this was probably the highlight of the entire meal. I ordered the Seafood Fra Divola for my appetizer. They were certainly generous with the seafood and the spicy marinara had a little bit of kick to it. For dessert, I tried a bit of my friend's dessert, the egg custard. It was rich and creamy. I think I would have been able to enjoy it a bit more if I wasn't completely stuffed from my pasta. Overall, it's say it's 3.5 stars for the food and affordability, but dock half a star as they weren't that organized with their reservations...
(3)Mary Ellen W.
I had the 4 course dinner for $35. It was great. The mozzarella and eggplant stack salad was delicious. The house salad dressing was yummy. For an entree I had piccata, delicious. I loved that you had a choice of having it over pasta, spinach or asparagus. I opted for spinach. The teramisu was a nice ending to a wonderful evening. I can see why most of the dining room was filled with regulars.
(4)Sydney F.
My boyfriend and I celebrated our anniversary at Luna Blu just last night. We arrived for dinner at 5 pm on the dot, so we ran into no complications with seating and reservations. Being that this restaurant is quite small, I could see this being an issue. Erin was our waitress, who to my understanding is also the owner. She was very sweet, attentive, and knowledgeable. All good things. We got an appetizer, took our time with it, and then ordered dinner. Erin was accommodating and didn't make us feel rushed. Our dinner was delicious. Presentation was nice, and the food didn't disappoint. This was such a nice place for a date. We also liked that our appetizer was 1/2 off, being that we were dining on a Tuesday before 6. (I believe the special is 1/2 off apps Monday-Wednesday's from 5-6pm) We will be back in the future.
(5)Jamey C.
Food was great and it's always nice to have the owner taking care of us! Would go back in a heartbeat, the menu is a bit limited of you are looking for meat but if you love pasta this is the place in Annapolis to go. Prices are great!
(4)Janet K.
I think that 2 stars is generous for this place. A caveat is that my review is based on one visit which I usually think is not enough of an overview to judge fairly, but since I am never going back, I thought I'd post a bit of a warning to those looking for good Italian food in this section of town. Our experience started well enough with a friendly hostess/waitress. The decor was nice and since we were using a 50% off coupon, we were in the mood to splurge a bit and see how the kitchen could manage a rather upscale dish. In addition, we ordered a cheese pizza. Also on a plus, warm rolls were delivered rather quickly, but the wait for the entrees was interminable... Now I am more than willing to forgive a long wait if the food is worth it, but alas, this is not the case at Luna Blu. The theme of the dishes here apparantly is BLAND-- to the max. My suspicion is that the kitchen staff are clueless about Italian food. I don't think a clove of garlic passed through any of their sauces. And no salt or pepper either for that matter. The pasta from the create your own selections had the "tooth feel" of a very cheap dried generic brand. The pizza dough had a strange flavor--like chiabatta maybe. There was no saving these dishes with add on spices--I tried there and then later at home. They were hopeless.... Next time I want some good Italian in the area, I will give Carpaccio's a try (a few blocks down towards Taylor Ave circle) I will certainly not buy another coupon for this place--not even if they offer 90%off.
(2)Will S.
Don't eat here; I want my $70 back. Although Luna Blu has a decent wine and dessert list, the food and dining room ambiance are horrible. We started with a bruschetta that was made with bland tomatoes that had clearly been frozen and thawed. We had the chicken piccata and penne alla vodka with chicken for our entrees. The piccata was bland and the chicken was flavorless and gummy. The sauce resembled dishwater with capers floating about. The sauce on the penne was decent but chicken was overcooked and gristly. The dining room is a little cramped and the decor is very dated. Service was prompt and friendly...I wish we had the stomach for dessert. Despite being lifelong Annapolitans, this was our first time in. We won't be back.
(1)s p.
Before going to Osteria 177, I'd say hands down this is my favorite Italian place in Annapolis. It differs from Osteria because I think Luna Blu has a much more authentic and quaint atmosphere. The owners of this place are really nice and I have never had a bad meal here. If you are looking for a quiet Italian Dinner, and you want something that is very hearty, tasty, and made with top ingredients, GO HERE! My friend is an Italian from New York. So as far as a restaurant that isn't in her beloved city- she does give this place her approval, that should mean something right?
(5)Joanne F.
Was underwhelmed. Husband's salad had no dressing on it. When he asked for some the waitress said that they lightly dress their salads. That was interesting because my ceasar salad was swimming in dressing. I ordered the carbonara spaghetti - one of my favorite Italian dishes. It was awful. Too much sauce, and the sauce was quite bland. Presentation was not stunning, either. In all, not what I was hoping for such a highly regarded restaurant.
(2)Drew P.
This place is not good by any stretch of the word. All the food was terrible and when my girlfriend sent back one of the appetizers the waitress seemed appalled that she didn't like it. The sauces were watered down with very little subsistence to the them, do yourself a favor and dine elsewhere.
(1)Leah S.
This place is incredible. Food is amazing, WONDERFUL service, lovely atmosphere. Our new favorite downtown Annapolis restaurant.
(5)Wen-fai F.
I'm really surprised at the mediocre reviews. I really enjoyed my experience at Luna Blu. I am from Boston so Italian food is plentiful but also very expensive. In our "little Italy" district (called the North End), plates half the size of Luna Blu's run for the same price. I ordered the Lobster Ravioli and my friend ordered the pesto dish (it was some sort of pasta, maybe tortellini?). The portions were really large and had I not been from out of town and lacking a fridge, I would have saved it for the next day. But I magically made my stomach expand and ate all the ravioli. Wonderful lobster taste and light on the cheese. The cream sauce was very good and this dish is great if you like mushrooms as there are plenty of them. My friend liked her pesto pasta and it certainly looked delicious. Perhaps you won't get the MOST flavorful dishes here, but the dishes are tasty enough and the quantities are great for the prices (~$15-20). Also, it's still within a 5-minute walk from the ocean so if you're staying by the water, I'd check this out for a nice date-night! The restaurant was quiet when I arrived but started filling up as the night went on.
(4)Zoë M.
We went in and were met by an over-enthusiastic waitress who, we quickly learned, didn't actually care about us! She was clearly over-worked and had far too many tables to tend to. She would smile and then you'd see the smile disappear before she turned around and turned it back on for another customer. We waited ages to get served and the food, whilst massively portioned, was mediocre at best. The pasta was over-cooked and, I would say, cooked in a massive vat and served up on order. We were not made to feel welcome or important and so didn't feel inclined to tip much. The decor of the place is cheap with polystyrene pillars and gaudy paintings which are supposed to depict a holiday atmosphere. The restaurant is tightly packed with tables, making moving around in there quite a challenge.
(2)Myaa V.
Six of my friends and I came to the restaurant for Annapolis Restaurant Week. Unfortunately, we failed to read the reviews before booking our reservation. Our reservation was for 7 pm, and it was not very busy. That being said, we did not leave until 9:30. We ordered from the standard 4-course, $35 meal menu. Which means we ordered everything but dessert at the same time. It took at LEAST 20-35 minutes between each course (including appetizer to salad). The waitress took forever with ANY action. It would take 15 minutes for a glass of wine, she would disappear, she was a mess. The food was less than satisfactory. I ordered the Frittura di Pomodori Verdi (fried green tomatoes) which were pretty good, but I could have made them at home. They were also lukewarm when they came to the table. The house salad was fine, though it's difficult to screw that up. For my entree, I ordered the risotto, which our waitress pushed as the special. The risotto was undercooked, and it was the blandest meal I have ever tasted. Two of us at the table ordered it, and we both sent it back. Everyone at the table tried it, and no one was willing to take it home. The only redeeming quality for this restaurant was the dessert. I ordered the cream with strawberries (cannot remember the name), and it was delicious. Some of my friends ordered the chocolate mousse, and it was quite tasty. I will NEVER go back to this restaurant, and the waitress did not deserve the 20% tip that was automatically added for a table for 5 or more. At least she took the risottos off the bill.
(1)Tim M.
3rd wedding anniversary last night 10.10.12. Spared no expense - took the wife to Luna Blu with a coupon for $25 lol. This is one of the few restaurants in the area I'd not yet been to even though I hang out quite alot directly across the street from it at an irish pub there. The coupon was a good deal and I know my picky wife can usually survive a pasta joint. The Yelp reviews are actually pretty accurate - it isn't horrid - but it isn't great either. I doubt I'd go back to be honest. 90% of all downtown Annapolis restaurants are not very good - they never have been. They cater to a demographic that isn't terribly discriminating and thus ho-hum equals survivability. Luna is very small - just a long hallway really. It's not clear when you walk in where to go to get seated. The tables are covered in white paper instead of linen/cloth - to me this is really tacky and you lose points quick - this isn't a crab house. I was hoping since it was a Wed night we'd have the place to ourselves but there was a huge party I can only assume was an entire office there that took up the majority of the space and the majority of the soundsphere. It was very hard to talk or hear over the group - this is by no means a reflection on Luna of course however. Our waiter was very pleasant and while it did take a few minutes longer than I expected to get greeted at our table the service itself wasn't an issue. Wife ordered the tortellini soup which comes in one size; no cup/bowl selection. The portions are VERY generous and for the prices really should be. I tried the soup - it was a tad watery to me. I ordered an escargot appetizer which was an unusual presentation; snails stuffed in phyllo square covered in mushroom marinara. This is why I ordered it - long strides away from the usual garlic and oil combination or the stuffed puff pastry versions. The problem with this dish is that the marinara overwhelmed the delicate flavor of the snails - they were lost in there. I also got hold of a fairly sizeable piece of shell. I'll stick with more traditional prep with my escargot in the future - this really didn't work. For entrees wife got farfalle w/ pesto cream and I got spaghetti carbonara. Not very adventurous I know - but a fair benchmark for Italian authenticity. Again portion sizes were really huge - we couldn't get through half of ours and unfortunately neither dish travels well - reheated the sauces will break and be pretty gross so it was a waste of food. Knowing the portion sizes would help up front or offering halves - we didn't ask - but that would be nice. The 'proscuitto' in my carbonara was tasteless and really was more like chunks of regular ham as best I could tell. Otherwise it wasn't that bad - but I've had waaay better carbonara. Pasta was cooked properly - a problem many have reported here. Wife's pesto cream was also not horrible but I think the same dish from the freezer at Trader Joes would have tasted the same... We had no room for dessert. I ordered one cocktail (Myers and Coke) and the waitress returned saying they were out of Myers and Mt Gay (i.e. no rum other than _yuk_ Bacardi). I got a Capn Morgan rocks instead. The bar needed stocking - not good. Value = a little pricey but portion sizes are commensurate - problem is they are too big period. Service = not bad at all even with the huge table next to us. Ambience = only if you're alone - otherwise it's very noisy. FOOD = our sampling was a no go. Lastly I peeked into the kitchen and a common situation in Annapolis restaurants - no Italians. It is no treatise on Latin american chefs being unable to cook the cuisines of other countries however if you're going to TOUT your joint as authentic Italian - you should have a couple authentic Italians on site - I didn't see one the entire night... Not remotely humbly submitted this day, D. Food Snob, Ph. D.
(2)Adrienne R.
Maybe I chose poorly. My sauce tasted out of a bottle. I had penne in a marinara sauce with mozzarella. I added chicken. The chicken was small cubes, the same size as the mozzarella and not much of it. My friend had bowtie with pesto and it was really good. An appetizer of fried green tomatoes with cheese on top in a marinara sauce was pretty good too. Service was pretty slow, we were the only table so maybe they were winding down. We were a table of four. They added 20% gratuity to the check, on top of the two taxes that are added. The server was friendly but super slow to check on us and did not warrant a 20% tip. Plus I think I saw on the menu tip is added for parties of 5 or more. I had longer for some delicious pasta, but this was not the place. Other reviews raved about the Greek salad. I found it to be underdressed and did not care for the dominant type of lettuce in it. The rolls they give you were good though. Oh well, won't be back.
(2)Allison L.
I tried the 4 course menu and while the food was decent... I wasn't impressed and probably wouldn't choose to return. I started off with the Baked Brie en Croute... now the description says it is topped with marinated strawberries... this is a bit misleading when it came out with ONE strawberry cut in half on top... It was good, but I probably would opt for a caprese salad if I had to do it over. We also tried the Frittura di Pomodori Verdi which was OK as well but I would have liked more mozzarella. Next, I did the Frittura di Pomodori Verdi with veal. This dish was completely flavorless. I didn't even eat the veal. I did box it up however and give it to my dog when I got home. I reheated the pasta with crab meat the next day but I added my own rose sauce to kick it up a bit. I don't think the sauce or the meat were seasoned at all before it was slopped together. The one thing I did like about the entree ordering is that everything is made to order so you can compile your own dish and do plenty of substitutions as well. My friends ordered the risotto and Farfalle di Cremona. I was told the risotto was good but had a bit of an odd flavor and my friend didn't even touch her Cremona... she ate the seafood and tossed the pasta. For dessert I had the apple tart with caramel... I wasn't impressed and I LOVE apple/caramel dishes... We raved over the tiramisu because it was so light and delicious. The lemon ice was HORRIBLE!!! it was so sour it caught us all of guard and a few even spit it right back out. When you do go you MUST try the Zabaglione. If I were to ever go back it would only be for this reason!! The Service was OK. I could tell she was busy because she was the only server and there was no hostess or other front floor staff. I served for close to 8 years and I can say she wasn't the nicest server I've ever encountered but she wasn't the worst either. We were asking for recommendations and what specific foods tasted like (like the Zabaglione for example) and she couldn't give us much substance other than, "it's all made fresh, it's good". She seemed to be very annoyed, but hey we all have your nights so maybe she was having a rough one!
(3)Tyler P.
I am a fan of Luna Blu. They are friendly and generally fast. They will also make just about anything you want even if it is not on the menu. I get a Risotto made to order (not the daily special) and it is flavorful, hearty, and a great portion. I would also suggest trying out the Tortellini alla Romana- it is really good.
(4)Anne F.
You can go to get respectably good, but thoroughly unadventerous Italian food at Luna Blu. The menu hasn't changed in my 4 years in Annapolis. Many of the appetizers (capresi, insalate, something with "Medusa" in the title -- it's been a while) are usually excellent. The entrees, extremely heavy on shellfish dishes (this is crab country...), are more hit-or-miss. I never got a thoroughly satisfying risoto, but the pasta dishes are very solid. One nice feature, however, is the $35 for 4 courses deal. This is enough food to stuff even my boyfriend, who is only 135 lbs at 6', but can eat more than anyone I've ever met. 1st / 2nd courses always good; 3rd course, hit-or-miss, but with some pretty solid hits; 4th course -- possibly the most disappointing Tiramasu of my life! Other than that, we've only had friendly servers, and the decor is appropriate.
(3)Tony P.
Out to dinner with my wife and another couple. Restaurant is kind of folksy, small, warm and comfortable. Service, stop to start, was not great. The waitress and her "server assistant" were trying hard, they just weren't very good. Two of the four dishes came out cold, they had a few holes in their wine list they didn't know about ... so the server had to come back to the table twice to say that they were out of the bottle we ordered. Food was a mixed bag. We had the 4 course meal, which is an exceptional deal at $35. The appetizers were small, but the mussels and calamari were pretty good. Salad course was ample and fresh. The main courses were: 1. chicken picatta/poor, 2. risotto/quite good; 3. pasta with a red sauce/good, once it was heated; 4. Salmon/fair. The deserts were nice. So, this place isn't terrible. If a couple of things had been a little better, it would be a 3 star rating. The place needs a little more adult leadership, someone to tighten up their business practices.
(2)John G.
My wife and I LOVE Luna Blu!! If you go, you have to do the four-course for $35, its a great deal and you get sooo much food!! The apple turnover ala mode for desert is beyond amazing, and they always have great entree specials and the service has never been short of amazing either! If I have one thing I have to find wrong with the place, its that you cant seperate the check......And really, its not going to stop me from going!
(5)Cheryl S.
We were in town on a busy Saturday night after the Navy-Air Force game and couldn't get reservations at any restaurant in town except this place. We ordered the meat/cheese/veggie antipasto and it was a little disappointing. The meat was more brown than pink, the cheese was dry. It looked like it had been prepared days before it was served and then refrigerated; not very fresh. The fresh ciabatta bread was tasty and they had a pretty good selection of wine. Our entrees were basic at best. I had the chicken marinara penne and my husband had the four cheese penne. The atmosphere is a little lacking as well; this place could use an update in decor.
(2)Bernadette N.
So disappointing. We've been dying to try this place and finally find a decent Italian spot in Annapolis, but the search continues... We started with the Antipasto della Casa (not bad, but the cured meats weren't very impressive, probably could get equal quality at Giant) and the Insalata Greek (fine). If I'm not a little impressed by the appetizer, I'm probably not going to love dinner - and I was right. Hubby ordered the Spaghetti alla Carbonara (TERRIBLE, this was not a carbonara first off. the menu does say "creamy alfredo" which should have been a warning, but it was just a flour-based roux, disgusting). I ordered the ravioli stuffed with lobster and sauteed with crabmeat, peas and mushrooms. I admit it was leagues apart from the carbonara, but my husband pointed out it was probably only good "by comparison". I ended up not feeling well after we walked home, but in full disclosure rich foods on a pregnant belly may not have been the best decision. The servers were also pretty inexperienced and a little disorganized. Our bread was tardy, my hubby never got his second glass of wine, etc. Even though hubby wanted out of this place, I ordered tiramisu. It was actually pretty darn good, and by far the best thing I ate here. Needless to say, we won't be coming back.
(2)Tiffany C.
I just rediscovered this restaurant after a few years of absence. It used to be on my way home from work and i'd either go there for dinner or take out a few times a month. Luna Blu, Im so sorry I've neglected you. Today is my moms birthday and she just wanted a good salad. Just then I saw something on facebook pop up from Luna Blu and remembered their salads were always so fresh, so I ordered their Greek Salad for mom and a Chicken San Elena for me. Mom loved her salad, and i was blown away by the pasta salad and sandwich. The bread is so light and flakey on top and perfeclty fluffy in the middle. I will be back!!! Thanks Erin!!
(4)M D.
My wife, son and I had a nice meal here on a quiet Monday night. We all got a different pasta dish, and they were all pretty good and the portions were very large (Although none re-heated particularly well). The Service was very good as it was a rather slow evening although it seemed to be picking up as we left. Overall we had a nice casual and satisfying meal we'll likely return.
(4)Laura S.
Food and service was okay. I had a Groupon/Living Social coupon so we decided to try it out. Food was just average. Given the number of restaurants in the area, I probably wouldn't go back. If you're feeling like Italian, I would recommend Picolla Roma on Main St. instead.
(2)Matt C.
This place is quite the gem. It is perfect for dates and their food is about as authentic as you can get in Annapolis. Their Gamberi Napoletana is out of this world, I really feel like they need more attention in this town. If you are looking for something out of the ordinary that can really hold its own this is the place. Check it out and support some local flare - encourage this sort of creativity!
(4)Emily M.
Cute little place, and the prix fixe menu is a fabulous deal - we had so much food. My escargot pastry and crab pasta were enjoyable and everyone agreed that the desserts were amazing.
(4)Sarah J.
This was the second time that I visited Luna Blu. The first experience had friendly staff and good ambience but the food was really lacking. The cream sauce was greasy and didn't appear fresh. The stains on the table cloth and menus left me wondering where they spend their money. I was hoping the second experience would be much better but again the food was a real let down. I ordered the spaghetti with meat sauce but it seemed to arrive with little or no meat. I find it really odd that a restaraunt that charges over $20 per plate has paper on the tables. While it is an Italian resteraunt the paper makes you fee like you are at Buddy's Crab Shack. Can't say I'll go back nor would I suggest anyone else go there either.
(1)Silvia C.
LOVED this place. The food selection was amazing...very similar to the Italian restaurants I have been to in Italy. So many things I wanted to try and everything looked so good. My bf and I went there for our anniversary, and couldn't pass up the four course dinner special. For my appetizer, I got the Baked Brie en Croute. YUM!!!! DELICIOUS!!! Just very filling. Thank goodness I had my bf there to split it with, however, he had also gotten his own four course meal, and had ordered the Antipasto della Casa, which has different meats, cheeses. We both shared. Both apps got two thumbs up for sure. Both selections were very good, and not the norm you find in US Italian restaurants. We also got salads, which were fresh and a good size. For my entree, I got my favorite Italian meal, Seafood Fra Diavola, my bf got the Pollo o Vitello all' Annapolis. My meal was to die for. Amazing..! My bf loved his. I thought it was good, but couldn't get over my Seafood Fra Diavola, which I barely dented from all the food I had eaten prior to receiving my dish. I did try my best, though....but alas, my stomach would not allow anymore. Especially since we know that....DESSERT was still on the way...!!! Tiramisu and an amazing chocolate mouse thing was selected, which we both split and enjoyed very much. I'll just have to say, both my bf and I were very impressed by this restaurant. Not just with the food selection and how amazing they all were (I have been to Italy, and my bf had lived there for a while), but the service was amazing as well. Very professional, friendly and catering. He was very knowledgeable on the food, wine selections, etc. Not just that, but the prices were very reasonable, and the portions were huge. We will definitely be going there again. In fact, just writing this review is making me want to go, like, NOW...!!! :)
(5)tracey s.
This is a place you go and order th pasta bolognese or something like that - basic big plate of Italian pasta - not the risotto or anything fancy. I ordered the special, which was risotto - never ad anything more bland in my life...salt & pepper & Parmesan couldn't save that dish... The people who ordered the basics were very happy!
(3)Rich T.
My wife and I went for an early anniversary meal and were disappointed given our previous positive experiences there. The first thing that happened was when I tried to use a Restaurant.com coupon I was told very loudly by our server in front of the whole restaurant that it was not usable on weekends. Our fault but I wish she would have been more discreet. She continued to be too loud throughout the entire evening. The calamari appetizer was good as was my pasta dish but the rockfish my wife ordered smelled really old and from the server's reaction she seemed like she knew it when she served it. I later found out she was a part owner of the restaurant To their credit they replaced the fish with a veal dish but the veal was tasteless and tough. I've loved this place in the past, even having my company's Christmas party there once. I will probably wait a while to go back and use my coupon but if the restaurant doesn't improve, my guess is that I won't go back again. It's a cute little restaurant and that would be a shame.
(2)Amy H.
I love simple Italian food, so I was very excited to try Luna Blu. I went with my father who has eaten there prior and really enjoyed his meal. This was NOT our experience. The decorum is quite charming, however, the door was left open and there were flies everywhere. We sat down and each ordered a glass of wine. I was carded and did not have my ID. I am 25 and was with my father. There were only two other tables in the restaurant as well. The server informed me she was not allowed to serve me without an ID, which I understand as I have worked as both a server and bartender for several years. I asked if I could speak to the manager to see if they would allow me ONE glass of wine. She refused to involve the manager saying they would also decline. Fine. I suppose I understand this... My father and I each ordered a caesar salad. They arrived drenched in cheese and dressing. Neither of us ate even half it was so soggy. For my entree I ordered pasta in a basic cream sauce. When it arrived I was disgusted. It looked like something out of a can. The sauce was more of a soup with piece of pasta floating around. There was no presentation and the sauce tasted like heavy cream. Considering how easy it is to make said sauce, I don't understand why it was so watery and bland. My father order chicken marsala. The chicken was rubbery yet undercooked, and the pasta had visible chunks of unmelted butter on it. We both laughed it off, pushed our food around, went home and called dominos. Overpriced. Bad service. Terrible food.
(2)Heather C.
It seems hard to find a nice, quiet restaurant around this town for a date night where the couple can actually hear each other during dinner out, but it's here at Luna Blu. Food was very appetizing, red sauce a tad "runny" but pleasantly flavored. Bread with the meal is just "eh", not great. Thought we'd be treated to some warm, crusty Italian bread but no. Ceasar salad was yummy; all chopped up w/a very good-tasting Ceasar dressing. Mahi mahi chef special was the highlight, served with angel hair pasta with a bit of mozzarella, tomatoes, and olive oil. Erin was very enjoyable as a server. I'd go again for the $35 4-course meal.
(3)John B.
Went to Luna Blu on New Years Eve and was really expecting something great. First impression: cold inside. Each time the door opened, a rush of cold air filled the restaurant, which is small to begin with. No problem for me and my group, but several patrons asked to be reseated away from the draft. The menu for the night was fixed price, with multiple selections for each part of the meal. For me, the night started off fine with a delicious baked brie pastry. I am sorry to say that it was all downhill from there. My salad was OK, fresh, but not flavorful. Still, I am having a good time. My entree, however, was not so good. A grouper prepared with pasta. The fish was overcooked, and I would dare say, not fresh. It really had the taste and consistency of rubber and was not at all appetizing. The accompanying pasta was good, however. Lastly, the meal was finished with a ho-hum chocolate mouse. Needless to say, I was bummed with the overall experience. I had heard that this was a good place to go, but I will not be going back. FWIW, the service was good, but even good service does not make up for lackluster execution.
(2)Carl A.
Unlike the others, I can't make comparisons to other dining establishments in Annapolis. I don't spend enough time there. That being said, my wife and I had a wonderful meal at Luna Blu. We came here because I was running in a half marathon the next morning and wanted a plateful of pasta for a night before carbo-load. Therefore, this wasn't my normal dinner out where I overstuff myself a little too much and enjoy some wine or beer with the meal. For me this was meant to be a fairly light meal with a bunch of pasta. For my wife, it was a normal dinner out. Luna Blu did not dissapoint us. At first I was very tempted to get their 4 course special, $35 for an appetizer, salad, entrée, and dessert. But I knew I'd leave too overstuffed. We decided to split a salad and each get a pasta dish. The greek salad we split was great. Our server Erin, who is one of the owners, had no problem serving it to us in 2 separate plates at no added charge. I thought the portion would be small for 1/2 a salad, but suprisingly it was a very good sized portion. Fresh greens, tomatoes, mushrooms, feta, olives, it was a very tasty salad. The rolls were nice and warm as well. For our entrees, I got the Spaghetti Puttanesca and my wife got the Penne Vesuviana. The spaghetti came with a marinara sauce mixed with anchovies, capers, and olives. I was afraid it might end up too salty, even for my salty tasted, but it came out tasting great. I asked for an extra roll to sop up the sauce remaining on my plate. My wife's Penne dish had marinara with some fresh mozzarella mixed in. She enjoyed it and I liked the few bites I had. For any pasta dish you can add chicken, shrimp, or sausage for a nominal fee. I would definitely return if we lived in or near Annapolis; but we'll probably only return if we happen to be in the area. If I do return, I would 100% get the 4 course menu.
(4)Jimmy B.
Great location in the heart of West street action. Hadn't been to Annapolis in awhile. West street seems to be the new Main Street of old. We had 9pm reservations and arrived to a packed house. There is no bar area which is a little odd so we waited outside for a table. There was a large group of 20 which in a small dining room was a little overpowering, but the feel of the restaurant changed instantly when the group left and it returned a more intimate dining area as designed. Wait staff was great and very attentive. Timed all the courses great. Food was very good. They have a 4 course price fix menu for $35 which is a deal but alot of food. One of us got the price fix for an appetizer and dessert to share. Would have no problems recommending this to friends. We will be back to West street.
(4)M M.
I was disappointed with Luna Blu. While the appetizers, salad, and dessert were fine, the entrees were simply bad. We had two seafood dishes-- the lobster risotto special and the rockfish. The presentation was poor and the food looked unappetizing. Sadly, it tasted worse then it looked. The risotto was bland and dry-- more reminiscent of chinese take out rice than any risotto I've had. The lobster and rockfish both tasted bland, dry, and definitely not fresh. The pasta was overcooked and lacking the delicate white wine sauce described in the menu. To emphasize just how unenjoyable the experience was, I left thinking that McDonalds would have provided a better meal.
(2)Matthew S.
The restaurant had an odor when you first walked in. Once you get use to that you will make yourself comfortable in some really tight quarters. The servers have way to many tables to be attentive. My wife and I both ordered the $35.00 4 course dinner. Make sure you are aware that you can sub your salad choice for the difference in between the items. The entry was littered with clutter and gave the impression that the restaurant needed a good cleaning. I honestly did not feel as if the food was worth the menu prices. I would suggest that you save your money and head down to Tsunami.
(2)Melissa G.
My husband and I went here while in town and it was awesome. Great service, great food and prices were reasonable.
(4)Jackie H.
A group of us came here for my friends Bachelorette party dinner. We had about 15 people, but we called ahead and they could accommodate us. We got there and our table was ready to go even though we were late. Our waitress started taking our and didn't rush us. We all really enjoyed the food and cocktails. I got the crab ravioli and I ate the entire thing. YUM! The only down side is the place is very small so we did feel a little cramped. But I would love to come again and maybe eat out side with my husband. I will definitely come again.
(4)Jimmy B.
Great location in the heart of West street action. Hadn't been to Annapolis in awhile. West street seems to be the new Main Street of old. We had 9pm reservations and arrived to a packed house. There is no bar area which is a little odd so we waited outside for a table. There was a large group of 20 which in a small dining room was a little overpowering, but the feel of the restaurant changed instantly when the group left and it returned a more intimate dining area as designed. Wait staff was great and very attentive. Timed all the courses great. Food was very good. They have a 4 course price fix menu for $35 which is a deal but alot of food. One of us got the price fix for an appetizer and dessert to share. Would have no problems recommending this to friends. We will be back to West street.
(4)M M.
I was disappointed with Luna Blu. While the appetizers, salad, and dessert were fine, the entrees were simply bad. We had two seafood dishes-- the lobster risotto special and the rockfish. The presentation was poor and the food looked unappetizing. Sadly, it tasted worse then it looked. The risotto was bland and dry-- more reminiscent of chinese take out rice than any risotto I've had. The lobster and rockfish both tasted bland, dry, and definitely not fresh. The pasta was overcooked and lacking the delicate white wine sauce described in the menu. To emphasize just how unenjoyable the experience was, I left thinking that McDonalds would have provided a better meal.
(2)Anne F.
You can go to get respectably good, but thoroughly unadventerous Italian food at Luna Blu. The menu hasn't changed in my 4 years in Annapolis. Many of the appetizers (capresi, insalate, something with "Medusa" in the title -- it's been a while) are usually excellent. The entrees, extremely heavy on shellfish dishes (this is crab country...), are more hit-or-miss. I never got a thoroughly satisfying risoto, but the pasta dishes are very solid. One nice feature, however, is the $35 for 4 courses deal. This is enough food to stuff even my boyfriend, who is only 135 lbs at 6', but can eat more than anyone I've ever met. 1st / 2nd courses always good; 3rd course, hit-or-miss, but with some pretty solid hits; 4th course -- possibly the most disappointing Tiramasu of my life! Other than that, we've only had friendly servers, and the decor is appropriate.
(3)Tony P.
Out to dinner with my wife and another couple. Restaurant is kind of folksy, small, warm and comfortable. Service, stop to start, was not great. The waitress and her "server assistant" were trying hard, they just weren't very good. Two of the four dishes came out cold, they had a few holes in their wine list they didn't know about ... so the server had to come back to the table twice to say that they were out of the bottle we ordered. Food was a mixed bag. We had the 4 course meal, which is an exceptional deal at $35. The appetizers were small, but the mussels and calamari were pretty good. Salad course was ample and fresh. The main courses were: 1. chicken picatta/poor, 2. risotto/quite good; 3. pasta with a red sauce/good, once it was heated; 4. Salmon/fair. The deserts were nice. So, this place isn't terrible. If a couple of things had been a little better, it would be a 3 star rating. The place needs a little more adult leadership, someone to tighten up their business practices.
(2)John G.
My wife and I LOVE Luna Blu!! If you go, you have to do the four-course for $35, its a great deal and you get sooo much food!! The apple turnover ala mode for desert is beyond amazing, and they always have great entree specials and the service has never been short of amazing either! If I have one thing I have to find wrong with the place, its that you cant seperate the check......And really, its not going to stop me from going!
(5)Joanne F.
Was underwhelmed. Husband's salad had no dressing on it. When he asked for some the waitress said that they lightly dress their salads. That was interesting because my ceasar salad was swimming in dressing. I ordered the carbonara spaghetti - one of my favorite Italian dishes. It was awful. Too much sauce, and the sauce was quite bland. Presentation was not stunning, either. In all, not what I was hoping for such a highly regarded restaurant.
(2)M D.
My wife, son and I had a nice meal here on a quiet Monday night. We all got a different pasta dish, and they were all pretty good and the portions were very large (Although none re-heated particularly well). The Service was very good as it was a rather slow evening although it seemed to be picking up as we left. Overall we had a nice casual and satisfying meal we'll likely return.
(4)Laura S.
Food and service was okay. I had a Groupon/Living Social coupon so we decided to try it out. Food was just average. Given the number of restaurants in the area, I probably wouldn't go back. If you're feeling like Italian, I would recommend Picolla Roma on Main St. instead.
(2)Matt C.
This place is quite the gem. It is perfect for dates and their food is about as authentic as you can get in Annapolis. Their Gamberi Napoletana is out of this world, I really feel like they need more attention in this town. If you are looking for something out of the ordinary that can really hold its own this is the place. Check it out and support some local flare - encourage this sort of creativity!
(4)Emily M.
Cute little place, and the prix fixe menu is a fabulous deal - we had so much food. My escargot pastry and crab pasta were enjoyable and everyone agreed that the desserts were amazing.
(4)Sarah J.
This was the second time that I visited Luna Blu. The first experience had friendly staff and good ambience but the food was really lacking. The cream sauce was greasy and didn't appear fresh. The stains on the table cloth and menus left me wondering where they spend their money. I was hoping the second experience would be much better but again the food was a real let down. I ordered the spaghetti with meat sauce but it seemed to arrive with little or no meat. I find it really odd that a restaraunt that charges over $20 per plate has paper on the tables. While it is an Italian resteraunt the paper makes you fee like you are at Buddy's Crab Shack. Can't say I'll go back nor would I suggest anyone else go there either.
(1)Silvia C.
LOVED this place. The food selection was amazing...very similar to the Italian restaurants I have been to in Italy. So many things I wanted to try and everything looked so good. My bf and I went there for our anniversary, and couldn't pass up the four course dinner special. For my appetizer, I got the Baked Brie en Croute. YUM!!!! DELICIOUS!!! Just very filling. Thank goodness I had my bf there to split it with, however, he had also gotten his own four course meal, and had ordered the Antipasto della Casa, which has different meats, cheeses. We both shared. Both apps got two thumbs up for sure. Both selections were very good, and not the norm you find in US Italian restaurants. We also got salads, which were fresh and a good size. For my entree, I got my favorite Italian meal, Seafood Fra Diavola, my bf got the Pollo o Vitello all' Annapolis. My meal was to die for. Amazing..! My bf loved his. I thought it was good, but couldn't get over my Seafood Fra Diavola, which I barely dented from all the food I had eaten prior to receiving my dish. I did try my best, though....but alas, my stomach would not allow anymore. Especially since we know that....DESSERT was still on the way...!!! Tiramisu and an amazing chocolate mouse thing was selected, which we both split and enjoyed very much. I'll just have to say, both my bf and I were very impressed by this restaurant. Not just with the food selection and how amazing they all were (I have been to Italy, and my bf had lived there for a while), but the service was amazing as well. Very professional, friendly and catering. He was very knowledgeable on the food, wine selections, etc. Not just that, but the prices were very reasonable, and the portions were huge. We will definitely be going there again. In fact, just writing this review is making me want to go, like, NOW...!!! :)
(5)tracey s.
This is a place you go and order th pasta bolognese or something like that - basic big plate of Italian pasta - not the risotto or anything fancy. I ordered the special, which was risotto - never ad anything more bland in my life...salt & pepper & Parmesan couldn't save that dish... The people who ordered the basics were very happy!
(3)Cheryl S.
We were in town on a busy Saturday night after the Navy-Air Force game and couldn't get reservations at any restaurant in town except this place. We ordered the meat/cheese/veggie antipasto and it was a little disappointing. The meat was more brown than pink, the cheese was dry. It looked like it had been prepared days before it was served and then refrigerated; not very fresh. The fresh ciabatta bread was tasty and they had a pretty good selection of wine. Our entrees were basic at best. I had the chicken marinara penne and my husband had the four cheese penne. The atmosphere is a little lacking as well; this place could use an update in decor.
(2)s p.
Before going to Osteria 177, I'd say hands down this is my favorite Italian place in Annapolis. It differs from Osteria because I think Luna Blu has a much more authentic and quaint atmosphere. The owners of this place are really nice and I have never had a bad meal here. If you are looking for a quiet Italian Dinner, and you want something that is very hearty, tasty, and made with top ingredients, GO HERE! My friend is an Italian from New York. So as far as a restaurant that isn't in her beloved city- she does give this place her approval, that should mean something right?
(5)Rich T.
My wife and I went for an early anniversary meal and were disappointed given our previous positive experiences there. The first thing that happened was when I tried to use a Restaurant.com coupon I was told very loudly by our server in front of the whole restaurant that it was not usable on weekends. Our fault but I wish she would have been more discreet. She continued to be too loud throughout the entire evening. The calamari appetizer was good as was my pasta dish but the rockfish my wife ordered smelled really old and from the server's reaction she seemed like she knew it when she served it. I later found out she was a part owner of the restaurant To their credit they replaced the fish with a veal dish but the veal was tasteless and tough. I've loved this place in the past, even having my company's Christmas party there once. I will probably wait a while to go back and use my coupon but if the restaurant doesn't improve, my guess is that I won't go back again. It's a cute little restaurant and that would be a shame.
(2)Amy H.
I love simple Italian food, so I was very excited to try Luna Blu. I went with my father who has eaten there prior and really enjoyed his meal. This was NOT our experience. The decorum is quite charming, however, the door was left open and there were flies everywhere. We sat down and each ordered a glass of wine. I was carded and did not have my ID. I am 25 and was with my father. There were only two other tables in the restaurant as well. The server informed me she was not allowed to serve me without an ID, which I understand as I have worked as both a server and bartender for several years. I asked if I could speak to the manager to see if they would allow me ONE glass of wine. She refused to involve the manager saying they would also decline. Fine. I suppose I understand this... My father and I each ordered a caesar salad. They arrived drenched in cheese and dressing. Neither of us ate even half it was so soggy. For my entree I ordered pasta in a basic cream sauce. When it arrived I was disgusted. It looked like something out of a can. The sauce was more of a soup with piece of pasta floating around. There was no presentation and the sauce tasted like heavy cream. Considering how easy it is to make said sauce, I don't understand why it was so watery and bland. My father order chicken marsala. The chicken was rubbery yet undercooked, and the pasta had visible chunks of unmelted butter on it. We both laughed it off, pushed our food around, went home and called dominos. Overpriced. Bad service. Terrible food.
(2)Heather C.
It seems hard to find a nice, quiet restaurant around this town for a date night where the couple can actually hear each other during dinner out, but it's here at Luna Blu. Food was very appetizing, red sauce a tad "runny" but pleasantly flavored. Bread with the meal is just "eh", not great. Thought we'd be treated to some warm, crusty Italian bread but no. Ceasar salad was yummy; all chopped up w/a very good-tasting Ceasar dressing. Mahi mahi chef special was the highlight, served with angel hair pasta with a bit of mozzarella, tomatoes, and olive oil. Erin was very enjoyable as a server. I'd go again for the $35 4-course meal.
(3)John B.
Went to Luna Blu on New Years Eve and was really expecting something great. First impression: cold inside. Each time the door opened, a rush of cold air filled the restaurant, which is small to begin with. No problem for me and my group, but several patrons asked to be reseated away from the draft. The menu for the night was fixed price, with multiple selections for each part of the meal. For me, the night started off fine with a delicious baked brie pastry. I am sorry to say that it was all downhill from there. My salad was OK, fresh, but not flavorful. Still, I am having a good time. My entree, however, was not so good. A grouper prepared with pasta. The fish was overcooked, and I would dare say, not fresh. It really had the taste and consistency of rubber and was not at all appetizing. The accompanying pasta was good, however. Lastly, the meal was finished with a ho-hum chocolate mouse. Needless to say, I was bummed with the overall experience. I had heard that this was a good place to go, but I will not be going back. FWIW, the service was good, but even good service does not make up for lackluster execution.
(2)Carl A.
Unlike the others, I can't make comparisons to other dining establishments in Annapolis. I don't spend enough time there. That being said, my wife and I had a wonderful meal at Luna Blu. We came here because I was running in a half marathon the next morning and wanted a plateful of pasta for a night before carbo-load. Therefore, this wasn't my normal dinner out where I overstuff myself a little too much and enjoy some wine or beer with the meal. For me this was meant to be a fairly light meal with a bunch of pasta. For my wife, it was a normal dinner out. Luna Blu did not dissapoint us. At first I was very tempted to get their 4 course special, $35 for an appetizer, salad, entrée, and dessert. But I knew I'd leave too overstuffed. We decided to split a salad and each get a pasta dish. The greek salad we split was great. Our server Erin, who is one of the owners, had no problem serving it to us in 2 separate plates at no added charge. I thought the portion would be small for 1/2 a salad, but suprisingly it was a very good sized portion. Fresh greens, tomatoes, mushrooms, feta, olives, it was a very tasty salad. The rolls were nice and warm as well. For our entrees, I got the Spaghetti Puttanesca and my wife got the Penne Vesuviana. The spaghetti came with a marinara sauce mixed with anchovies, capers, and olives. I was afraid it might end up too salty, even for my salty tasted, but it came out tasting great. I asked for an extra roll to sop up the sauce remaining on my plate. My wife's Penne dish had marinara with some fresh mozzarella mixed in. She enjoyed it and I liked the few bites I had. For any pasta dish you can add chicken, shrimp, or sausage for a nominal fee. I would definitely return if we lived in or near Annapolis; but we'll probably only return if we happen to be in the area. If I do return, I would 100% get the 4 course menu.
(4)Tim M.
3rd wedding anniversary last night 10.10.12. Spared no expense - took the wife to Luna Blu with a coupon for $25 lol. This is one of the few restaurants in the area I'd not yet been to even though I hang out quite alot directly across the street from it at an irish pub there. The coupon was a good deal and I know my picky wife can usually survive a pasta joint. The Yelp reviews are actually pretty accurate - it isn't horrid - but it isn't great either. I doubt I'd go back to be honest. 90% of all downtown Annapolis restaurants are not very good - they never have been. They cater to a demographic that isn't terribly discriminating and thus ho-hum equals survivability. Luna is very small - just a long hallway really. It's not clear when you walk in where to go to get seated. The tables are covered in white paper instead of linen/cloth - to me this is really tacky and you lose points quick - this isn't a crab house. I was hoping since it was a Wed night we'd have the place to ourselves but there was a huge party I can only assume was an entire office there that took up the majority of the space and the majority of the soundsphere. It was very hard to talk or hear over the group - this is by no means a reflection on Luna of course however. Our waiter was very pleasant and while it did take a few minutes longer than I expected to get greeted at our table the service itself wasn't an issue. Wife ordered the tortellini soup which comes in one size; no cup/bowl selection. The portions are VERY generous and for the prices really should be. I tried the soup - it was a tad watery to me. I ordered an escargot appetizer which was an unusual presentation; snails stuffed in phyllo square covered in mushroom marinara. This is why I ordered it - long strides away from the usual garlic and oil combination or the stuffed puff pastry versions. The problem with this dish is that the marinara overwhelmed the delicate flavor of the snails - they were lost in there. I also got hold of a fairly sizeable piece of shell. I'll stick with more traditional prep with my escargot in the future - this really didn't work. For entrees wife got farfalle w/ pesto cream and I got spaghetti carbonara. Not very adventurous I know - but a fair benchmark for Italian authenticity. Again portion sizes were really huge - we couldn't get through half of ours and unfortunately neither dish travels well - reheated the sauces will break and be pretty gross so it was a waste of food. Knowing the portion sizes would help up front or offering halves - we didn't ask - but that would be nice. The 'proscuitto' in my carbonara was tasteless and really was more like chunks of regular ham as best I could tell. Otherwise it wasn't that bad - but I've had waaay better carbonara. Pasta was cooked properly - a problem many have reported here. Wife's pesto cream was also not horrible but I think the same dish from the freezer at Trader Joes would have tasted the same... We had no room for dessert. I ordered one cocktail (Myers and Coke) and the waitress returned saying they were out of Myers and Mt Gay (i.e. no rum other than _yuk_ Bacardi). I got a Capn Morgan rocks instead. The bar needed stocking - not good. Value = a little pricey but portion sizes are commensurate - problem is they are too big period. Service = not bad at all even with the huge table next to us. Ambience = only if you're alone - otherwise it's very noisy. FOOD = our sampling was a no go. Lastly I peeked into the kitchen and a common situation in Annapolis restaurants - no Italians. It is no treatise on Latin american chefs being unable to cook the cuisines of other countries however if you're going to TOUT your joint as authentic Italian - you should have a couple authentic Italians on site - I didn't see one the entire night... Not remotely humbly submitted this day, D. Food Snob, Ph. D.
(2)Allison L.
I tried the 4 course menu and while the food was decent... I wasn't impressed and probably wouldn't choose to return. I started off with the Baked Brie en Croute... now the description says it is topped with marinated strawberries... this is a bit misleading when it came out with ONE strawberry cut in half on top... It was good, but I probably would opt for a caprese salad if I had to do it over. We also tried the Frittura di Pomodori Verdi which was OK as well but I would have liked more mozzarella. Next, I did the Frittura di Pomodori Verdi with veal. This dish was completely flavorless. I didn't even eat the veal. I did box it up however and give it to my dog when I got home. I reheated the pasta with crab meat the next day but I added my own rose sauce to kick it up a bit. I don't think the sauce or the meat were seasoned at all before it was slopped together. The one thing I did like about the entree ordering is that everything is made to order so you can compile your own dish and do plenty of substitutions as well. My friends ordered the risotto and Farfalle di Cremona. I was told the risotto was good but had a bit of an odd flavor and my friend didn't even touch her Cremona... she ate the seafood and tossed the pasta. For dessert I had the apple tart with caramel... I wasn't impressed and I LOVE apple/caramel dishes... We raved over the tiramisu because it was so light and delicious. The lemon ice was HORRIBLE!!! it was so sour it caught us all of guard and a few even spit it right back out. When you do go you MUST try the Zabaglione. If I were to ever go back it would only be for this reason!! The Service was OK. I could tell she was busy because she was the only server and there was no hostess or other front floor staff. I served for close to 8 years and I can say she wasn't the nicest server I've ever encountered but she wasn't the worst either. We were asking for recommendations and what specific foods tasted like (like the Zabaglione for example) and she couldn't give us much substance other than, "it's all made fresh, it's good". She seemed to be very annoyed, but hey we all have your nights so maybe she was having a rough one!
(3)Tyler P.
I am a fan of Luna Blu. They are friendly and generally fast. They will also make just about anything you want even if it is not on the menu. I get a Risotto made to order (not the daily special) and it is flavorful, hearty, and a great portion. I would also suggest trying out the Tortellini alla Romana- it is really good.
(4)Drew P.
This place is not good by any stretch of the word. All the food was terrible and when my girlfriend sent back one of the appetizers the waitress seemed appalled that she didn't like it. The sauces were watered down with very little subsistence to the them, do yourself a favor and dine elsewhere.
(1)Leah S.
This place is incredible. Food is amazing, WONDERFUL service, lovely atmosphere. Our new favorite downtown Annapolis restaurant.
(5)Janet K.
I think that 2 stars is generous for this place. A caveat is that my review is based on one visit which I usually think is not enough of an overview to judge fairly, but since I am never going back, I thought I'd post a bit of a warning to those looking for good Italian food in this section of town. Our experience started well enough with a friendly hostess/waitress. The decor was nice and since we were using a 50% off coupon, we were in the mood to splurge a bit and see how the kitchen could manage a rather upscale dish. In addition, we ordered a cheese pizza. Also on a plus, warm rolls were delivered rather quickly, but the wait for the entrees was interminable... Now I am more than willing to forgive a long wait if the food is worth it, but alas, this is not the case at Luna Blu. The theme of the dishes here apparantly is BLAND-- to the max. My suspicion is that the kitchen staff are clueless about Italian food. I don't think a clove of garlic passed through any of their sauces. And no salt or pepper either for that matter. The pasta from the create your own selections had the "tooth feel" of a very cheap dried generic brand. The pizza dough had a strange flavor--like chiabatta maybe. There was no saving these dishes with add on spices--I tried there and then later at home. They were hopeless.... Next time I want some good Italian in the area, I will give Carpaccio's a try (a few blocks down towards Taylor Ave circle) I will certainly not buy another coupon for this place--not even if they offer 90%off.
(2)Will S.
Don't eat here; I want my $70 back. Although Luna Blu has a decent wine and dessert list, the food and dining room ambiance are horrible. We started with a bruschetta that was made with bland tomatoes that had clearly been frozen and thawed. We had the chicken piccata and penne alla vodka with chicken for our entrees. The piccata was bland and the chicken was flavorless and gummy. The sauce resembled dishwater with capers floating about. The sauce on the penne was decent but chicken was overcooked and gristly. The dining room is a little cramped and the decor is very dated. Service was prompt and friendly...I wish we had the stomach for dessert. Despite being lifelong Annapolitans, this was our first time in. We won't be back.
(1)Myaa V.
Six of my friends and I came to the restaurant for Annapolis Restaurant Week. Unfortunately, we failed to read the reviews before booking our reservation. Our reservation was for 7 pm, and it was not very busy. That being said, we did not leave until 9:30. We ordered from the standard 4-course, $35 meal menu. Which means we ordered everything but dessert at the same time. It took at LEAST 20-35 minutes between each course (including appetizer to salad). The waitress took forever with ANY action. It would take 15 minutes for a glass of wine, she would disappear, she was a mess. The food was less than satisfactory. I ordered the Frittura di Pomodori Verdi (fried green tomatoes) which were pretty good, but I could have made them at home. They were also lukewarm when they came to the table. The house salad was fine, though it's difficult to screw that up. For my entree, I ordered the risotto, which our waitress pushed as the special. The risotto was undercooked, and it was the blandest meal I have ever tasted. Two of us at the table ordered it, and we both sent it back. Everyone at the table tried it, and no one was willing to take it home. The only redeeming quality for this restaurant was the dessert. I ordered the cream with strawberries (cannot remember the name), and it was delicious. Some of my friends ordered the chocolate mousse, and it was quite tasty. I will NEVER go back to this restaurant, and the waitress did not deserve the 20% tip that was automatically added for a table for 5 or more. At least she took the risottos off the bill.
(1)Peter C.
Six stars because this is our favorite restaurant and we eat out 5 or 6 nights a week. Erin used to work here and is now one of the owners. The food is very good, nice atmosphere, and reasonable prices. Downside is that the menu hasn't changed much in 3 yrs but I can't recall getting anything I didn't like. You can always go for the specials. Biggest suprise here is that we are almost always able to get in without a reservation even though it's a small place. Get the dessert thing with apples in it...
(5)Mary B.
Had Valentines prefix meal here last night. Truly, the food was not good. Not good quality and definitely not prepared well. Fish, that I am sure had been frozen, but worse... was way over cooked and dry on top of the spiciest pasta I have ever tasted and not in a good way. Veal chop was so over cooked that it literally crumbled. It was suppose to have been stuffed with cheese and ham. All of that must have melted and stayed in the pan. Truly a terrible meal from start to finish. We won't be back.
(2)Adrienne R.
Maybe I chose poorly. My sauce tasted out of a bottle. I had penne in a marinara sauce with mozzarella. I added chicken. The chicken was small cubes, the same size as the mozzarella and not much of it. My friend had bowtie with pesto and it was really good. An appetizer of fried green tomatoes with cheese on top in a marinara sauce was pretty good too. Service was pretty slow, we were the only table so maybe they were winding down. We were a table of four. They added 20% gratuity to the check, on top of the two taxes that are added. The server was friendly but super slow to check on us and did not warrant a 20% tip. Plus I think I saw on the menu tip is added for parties of 5 or more. I had longer for some delicious pasta, but this was not the place. Other reviews raved about the Greek salad. I found it to be underdressed and did not care for the dominant type of lettuce in it. The rolls they give you were good though. Oh well, won't be back.
(2)Janie C.
Amazing food and even more amazing service!! Luna Blu offers a pleasant atmosphere and we always feel very welcomed...as if Erin, the Owner, has invited us to her home for dinner. The 4 course meal is a BARGIN!!!! So much food, certainly plenty left to bring home for lunch the next day. (My husband looks forward to the leftovers.....something about how the sauce taste even better the second time around). It's impossible to resist the fresh bread and olive oil dip, which is seasoned perfectly. The bread with a glass of wine is a great start to any dish you select. We live on Kent Island and dinner at Luna Blu is a simple trip, especially with convenient parking behind the restaurant. We never miss dinner there prior to a show at Rams Head. I recommend making a reservation for dinner, we love the table at the front window, it's a great seat for people watching. We haven't made one of the Sunday night Wine Dinners yet, (hate to admit this), but it's on our list to attend. I've been told the dinners are excellent, fun, and always for a cause with a % of sales donated to a charity. Plus, oils and vinegars from Cleo's! Yum!! Compared to other restaurants in Annapolis, (especially other Italian ones), Luna Blu is far better and much more reasonably priced. And the wine list offers a nice range in selection and prices!!
(5)Melissa G.
My husband and I went here while in town and it was awesome. Great service, great food and prices were reasonable.
(4)Jackie H.
A group of us came here for my friends Bachelorette party dinner. We had about 15 people, but we called ahead and they could accommodate us. We got there and our table was ready to go even though we were late. Our waitress started taking our and didn't rush us. We all really enjoyed the food and cocktails. I got the crab ravioli and I ate the entire thing. YUM! The only down side is the place is very small so we did feel a little cramped. But I would love to come again and maybe eat out side with my husband. I will definitely come again.
(4)KM S.
3.5 We have gone here twice--and our second experience was much better than our first due to some Yelp research. We enjoy the setting both times--it is quaint and comfortable. The first time, we ordered calamari, a veal dish and the penne vodka--from what it seems veal is not their specialty. The penne vodka and calamari were okay, but nothing to rave about. During our second visit, we ordered the Baked Brie en Croute for an appetizer. This was a tasty and unique dish that we would order again. K ordered the Tortellini alla Romana--tortellini and sausage in a creamy parmigiano sauce. The tortellini were cooked well and the sausage was a nice accent to the meal. It is definitely cheesy and tasty. M ordered the Seafood Fra Diavola. It has a nice spicy sauce and a lot of seafood. Overall, it was a good well-balanced mix. We also had 2 glasses of their Sangiovese which was very tasty. We will definitely look to return.
(4)Doug R.
Did the LivingSocial deal as Bobbi H. mentioned below and expectaions were also exceeded. Lots of freedom on the entree selection--no special list. Our waitress was Caitlyn (sp)? and her service was excellent. Friendly, competent, and efficient without being interruptive. Not often easy to do. Food was very good--I had the Ravioli Con Astice, wife had one of the penne dishes w/ Italian sausage. Appetizer was Antipasto della Casa--really good. Small and quiet (it was a Monday night). Seated right as we walked in for our 645 reservation. Parking easy in the nearby in Gott's garage.
(5)Brian P.
This place is great! Fast accommodations and superb food and wine! The ambiance is good, all is well put together. I highly recommend
(4)Rene R.
NYE - 4 course meal $40 each. We had a reservation and were seated promptly upon arrival! The young lady greeting us was really sweet. Our server was Erin and she was great. We ordered the lamb for apps and they were delicious! Served on a bed of polenta which I had never had before but am now going to try at home. They were perfect sized for appetizers. Those plates were cleared and our salads came out. Fresh greens on cold plates. Delicious dressing choices. For my entree I had the beef medallions with crispy potatoes on a bed of spinach with a wonderful mushroom sauce. I loved it. The meat was well cooked, the potatoes were crispy and great with the sauce and I just loved the spinach. The hubs had the lobster risotto - he also enjoyed his meal. We each had the chocolate ravioli for dessert - divine! The service was great, the food was wonderful and we will be back on a normal night. It was a small place maybe 15 tables. Lovely holiday decorations but not over the top. And the ladies room was very nice and clean. Since it is a smaller place, i'd recommend reservations on a weekend night and especially on a holiday!
(4)J B.
The service was very pleasant and the tomato, mozzarella, and eggplant appetizer was good. Other than that...the food was not very good.
(2)Michelle W.
Cute Italian restaurant in a very cute town. I came here with a large group for dinner. We had reservations at 8, which is on the later size, and we thought that we wouldn't have a problem with getting a table, but when we arrived, we had a wait quite a bit as people were finishing up, and the restaurant could put all the tables together to accommodate our large group. A little bit annoying that we had to wait, even though we had reservations. The 4 course meal is a steal! However, it's A LOT of food. They serve regular portions for this, rather than trimming down portions. It's great, but I was visiting so wasn't exactly able to get a doggie bag. Instead, my friend ordered the 4 course meal and I ate a bit of her appetizer and dessert. The shrimp appetizer was delicious! Maybe it's something about those capers and olives and that savoriness, but this was probably the highlight of the entire meal. I ordered the Seafood Fra Divola for my appetizer. They were certainly generous with the seafood and the spicy marinara had a little bit of kick to it. For dessert, I tried a bit of my friend's dessert, the egg custard. It was rich and creamy. I think I would have been able to enjoy it a bit more if I wasn't completely stuffed from my pasta. Overall, it's say it's 3.5 stars for the food and affordability, but dock half a star as they weren't that organized with their reservations...
(3)Mary Ellen W.
I had the 4 course dinner for $35. It was great. The mozzarella and eggplant stack salad was delicious. The house salad dressing was yummy. For an entree I had piccata, delicious. I loved that you had a choice of having it over pasta, spinach or asparagus. I opted for spinach. The teramisu was a nice ending to a wonderful evening. I can see why most of the dining room was filled with regulars.
(4)Rob B.
Not many places in this town where owner and chef will also wait on you and make you feel special. Very smalll so make a reservation. Erin is a total host. Let her walk you through the menu. The $35 Four Course is a wonderful deal. We felt like we dined at a friends house and loved every moment.
(5)Sydney F.
My boyfriend and I celebrated our anniversary at Luna Blu just last night. We arrived for dinner at 5 pm on the dot, so we ran into no complications with seating and reservations. Being that this restaurant is quite small, I could see this being an issue. Erin was our waitress, who to my understanding is also the owner. She was very sweet, attentive, and knowledgeable. All good things. We got an appetizer, took our time with it, and then ordered dinner. Erin was accommodating and didn't make us feel rushed. Our dinner was delicious. Presentation was nice, and the food didn't disappoint. This was such a nice place for a date. We also liked that our appetizer was 1/2 off, being that we were dining on a Tuesday before 6. (I believe the special is 1/2 off apps Monday-Wednesday's from 5-6pm) We will be back in the future.
(5)Matthew S.
The restaurant had an odor when you first walked in. Once you get use to that you will make yourself comfortable in some really tight quarters. The servers have way to many tables to be attentive. My wife and I both ordered the $35.00 4 course dinner. Make sure you are aware that you can sub your salad choice for the difference in between the items. The entry was littered with clutter and gave the impression that the restaurant needed a good cleaning. I honestly did not feel as if the food was worth the menu prices. I would suggest that you save your money and head down to Tsunami.
(2)Stephen L.
We went here by recommendation from a new friend as their "Favorite" spot, so we gave it a try with high hopes. At first glance this place may turn some people away, but it is small and comfortable like your grandmothers house. Some of the lights can be a bit over bearing at the tables and if you're not into paper top tables move along. My wife and I don't care about these things if the food is great and, trust me some of the best food I have ever had have been in the worst looking places you can imagine, Luna is nowhere near a horrible atmosphere, just Grandma-ie. Now to the food. My wife and I opted for the for course meal for 35$ each, it includes and app, house salad, entree and desert. For my starter I got pan seared scallops over polenta and my wife got the mussels and clams in white wine sauce. The first thing that jumped out to me was that the scallops were over cooked, not super bad, but over. After that the polenta had no seasoning reducing it to more of a scallops over bland grits? The mussels and clams where cleaned perfectly! no grit or beards and cooked well, the whit wine sauce was a bit off and again not seasoned well at all. The salad's were your standard house salad nothing exciting here. Main course. I got the Penne Vesuviana with sausage. Here's the thing, it wasn't a bad concept and, I imagine some people would like it but it was just not executed well. The biggest problem was the sausage, it tasted like it was frozen and then microwaved. This can happen with sausage when you freeze it and then throw it in a pan to brown before you plop it in a pasta sauce. It was unfortunate because if executed well I LOVE THIS FLAVOR PROFILE! Side note to the chef maybe try subbing mascarpone in instead of mozzarella. My wife got the lamb lollipop and risotto special. It was horrid. Again this goes back to seasoning in the resotto, It was cooked perfectly, no seasoning so salt and pepper had to be aggressively applied. The lamb was also under seasoned and a bit fatty overall creating a underwhelming dish. Dessert. We both got the Tiramisu, and the marscapone was good but it overall tasted like a cream cake with cocoa on top. Meh. We both had high hopes for this place, but you win some and you lose some. The wine was great and, our waiter was FANTASTIC (John I think). We will for sure give this place a second chance based on the fact that it was a slow night on the coldest day of the year, so maybe the A game wasn't rocking and again our server made this a very good experience! So I will see you next time Luna Blu. Please make me eat all these words!
(2)Kate P.
I love this place! I worked in Annapolis for a bit and this was my go-to lunch place. I have had their salads, pasta, and sandwiches/soups and they are always tasty. My favorite sandwich is the Italian Steak and Cheese and their tortellini soup is yummy. Highly recommend.
(5)Bobbi B.
Purchased a Living Social deal for this restaurant, $35 for an appetizer, two entrees and two glasses of wine. My expectations were far exceeded! We were seated right at our reservation time, 8 p.m. You're allowed to choose from everything on the menu. Considering the deal, I assumed we'd have to choose from a special list so I was pleasantly surprised. Our waitress was super friendly and attentive. Meals didn't take too long. My sea bass with mozzarella, sauteed spinach and tomatoes was AMAZING. The chocolate mousse for dessert was even better. The meals are a bit pricey (for me) but the portions and quality support it. I will definitely be visiting again!
(4)Leigh W.
We had a reservation through Yelp for 7.30 and we did arrive about 10 minutes late and so weren't seated until just after 8. Not sure how we would have been seated at 7.30 as they were full anyway! Menu looked great, and a very good deal for the 4 courses for $35. Service was prompt and friendly from the table waiter. My husband ordered the pasta with shrimp, scallop and crabmeat and I ordered the pasta arrabiata which was okay although very spicy, even though I can eat quite spicy food, this was hot hot!! Immediately my husband ate a shrimp he said it was not right. It had an ammonia taste to it akin to seafood not being fresh. We eat out at least 3-4 times a week and have very close friends in the seafood export business so know what seafood should taste like! Immediately we drew the waitress' attention to this and sent half the scampi back to the chef. No feedback. We summonsed the waitress and asked what the chef had said. Not being her fault, she tried desperately to explain it was the difference between sautéing shrimp and grilling and we were welcome to have some additional scampi grilled. She also pointed out no one else had a problem! Not the point. These were not good and potentially off. Please tell the chef. Still nothing from the chef, the matre'd or the waitress. Long story short .... the flavours in the seafood dish were good, it was just the specific scampi were not good. The only way we felt to deal with this fundamental lack of customer service was to leave without leaving any tip. We won't be back and very disappointed in the experience.
(1)Poppy H.
Erin is always so accommodating! Set my husband and I up at the front window table for our anniversary and just made our night so special. Get the lobster ravioli - the BEST! And the fried green tomatoes for an appetizer.
(5)Geoff Z.
We were walk-ins with no expectations, and came out fans. It is very small but cozy and wonderfully set. The service was perfect. The food was fabulous. We had the special that was $35 for appetizer, main course and desert. Salad was included. I would go back in a minute. If you're in the area, try it. You'll love it.
(5)Vanisha O.
I love the fact that a percentage of her lunch time sales went to the CASA organization today, which is why I ate from this restaurant today. I think that for the amount of food I received, the price was very reasonable. The lady behind the counter, who I think was the owner was super nice and very quick with my carry out order. The food was presented very well but it was super bland. Also, I ordered an Italian steak and cheese - now excuse my ignorance of Italian culture, but when I think of steak and cheese, I'm thinking chopped steak, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, etc. Well to see what I got, check the photos. She did an amazing job on the tiramisu though. .. I'm eating that as I write this review.....yummm! Oh, and I asked for seasoned potatoes with my sandwich, and got pasta with pesto sauce.
(3)Jamey C.
Food was great and it's always nice to have the owner taking care of us! Would go back in a heartbeat, the menu is a bit limited of you are looking for meat but if you love pasta this is the place in Annapolis to go. Prices are great!
(4)Lisa L.
So what is the point of a reservation? To know that my table will be available when I get there. That apparently was not the case last night. I had an 8:30PM reservation with my best friends and their hubbies. My friend got there at 8:20, and somehow they still manage to give our table away to another party. We waited almost an hour for our table. When we addressed a waitress about it, her reply was not very nice. She apologized with an attitude. That doesn't fly in my book. . But in the end, they covered our dessert. At this point, I'm over it. After waiting an hour to get our table, we made our round of orders. I got the Cesar salad as an appetizer and the lobster ravioli has my entree. The salad was average but I loved the lobster ravioli. Delicious. Sauce as on point, crab meat, peas and mushrooms everywhere. All my favorite food in one dish. Next comes our dessert. I ordered a dessert that started with a "Z" that consisted of a yellow egg custard served in a glass topped with strawberries. Was not a big fan. It really did taste like egg. I was expecting a creme brulee type of taste but it just tasted like straight up egg. My boyfriend's tiramisu was delicious though. I guess I just ordered the wrong dessert. It's all good. I didn't have to pay for it. Our waitress, whom was not the blonde lady that we dealt with earlier that evening, was very sweet and attentive. Would I come back? Maybe on a night when I have time to waste. I'm pretty sure it was an isolated incident, which I understand but I thought it could have been handled better. The food was good but I wouldn't make the 1 hours drive (I'm live in Arlington, VA) for it unless I have other things to do in Annapolis.
(3)Ben F.
Extensive gluten free menu including gluten free pizza. Small cozy ambiance. The gluten free pizza that my wife tried was not that great. Suffers from the soft pizza dough center that most GF pizzas have. Interestingly, Dominos and CPK do a great job in cooking the pizza evenly. I had the carbonara. It was drenched with alfredo sauce. I should have read the menu more carefully. If you're expecting 'real' carbonara, you'll be greatly disappointed. I was hungry and I still couldn't finish it because it was that bad. Taste, consistency, both awful. There were other items that I may try and will likely give them another shot, but not anytime soon since there are other restaurants I'd like to try.
(2)Eduardo F.
Great atmosphere, awesome service! The food it's amazing and very flavorful. I recommend this place for sure!!
(5)Brooklyn D.
So I went to Luna Blu went I came to visit my hometown, and friends and their spouses decided dinner would be great. We wanted to do Saturday night at 8:30, for six people. What do I do to make that happen? Make a reservation. We called at 2 pm and successfully made an 8:30 reservation for 6 people. What was unsuccessful was getting a damn table. I got there at least ten minutes early, and was told out table was currently paying and we would be sat shortly. I waited for over an hour. We saw them give our table away. No one could give us an answer about when we would be sat. Then to appease us offered us free dessert. At that point the waitresses were rude, and I was told AGAIN, that a table was paying and was about to leave. When I mentioned that I've heard that before, she was so rude. No manager in site and I couldn't leave because at this time everywhere is packed. Dinner was okay, and the waitress was inattentive, I had to flag her down twice. Would not go back.
(2)Pamela R.
This was my second time at Luna Blu. It is such an amazing place. One of the best restaurants in the area. I did the 4 course $35 dinner which is a great deal! You pick any App. get the house salad. Any Entree and any dessert. Sounds kinda iffy right? Well its not. Our server who I believe is also the owner Erin was very nice and such a charm. I highly recommend the Fried green tomatoes, Crab Bruschetta, The salmon with the crab, cream sauce, spinach, and Scallops. For dessert the Tiramissu was divine along with the apple pastry and egg custard w/ strawberries. The last time I had the chocolate mousse and it was absolutely amazzziiiingg! I highly recommend this place to anyone who wants to enjoy some good food and great drinks. Also the best Amaretto Sour ever!
(5)Alexus V.
So this place isnt much to look at on the inside or outside which I am sure can be discouraging to a naptown resident but honestly, their food is pretty good. The service was good and the portions were perfectly sized. The pricing was actually really good for this pricey area which made me more than happy! I had the italian chicken and cheese with a half greek and I was very satisfied.
(4)Richard g.
My lady and I sat down and immediately ordered our glasses of wine. When the waitress, Erin, returned with our drinks, she asked for our orders. I asked for a few minutes to look at the menu, I asked about specials. Before I could finish my sentence Erin informed us that the restaurant was overbooked - our table had to "turnover in 45 minutes" - and we needed to order immediately. NEVER in decades of dining out have I been so rudely. I appreciate the hard work and long hours waiters and waitresses put in. However, Erin, there is no excuse for rudeness. And only when Erin is no longer employed at Luna Blu will I return.
(2)Louisa E.
Went early on Christmas Eve for first time and were surprised to learn that they don't have fresh made pasta. Wasn't too busy but one of the waitresses was so loud when she talked to her tables the whole restaurant could hear. It was really weird and distracting from the conversation. We literally had to stop talking when she was at the tables around us. Half price bottle of wine night is great though. The calamari in red sauce app was delicious and some of the best sauce I've had out. Had the pesto pasta, clams and linguini and a seafood pasta. All three dishes had over cooked pasta- couldn't believe it! The pesto pasta was good but too greasy and the other two dishes were very bland. Very disappointing. The limoncello granita was great for dessert though but id probably serve a smaller portion because it all melts before you can get to the end and turns a little syrupy. Half the meal was disappointing and half good. I won't try it again.
(3)Sierra S.
Well, what to say about Luna Blu? Although the reservation was for 7pm, my party wasn't seated until closer to 8pm so apparently, having a reservation makes no difference. The restaurant is quite small but the tables were spaced out comfortably enough. Service was downright risible even though majority of my party ordered dinner salads and I think one person ordered a pasta dish. Don't see myself being a repeat customer here.
(2)Daniel R.
Pretty standard good Italian restaurant. They don't try to add any new twists to the classics. Sometimes that's refreshing. I opted for the $35 four course dinner. It's quite a deal. The offer includes almost all offerings on the menu and it will satisfy even the largest appetite. The fried green tomato dish was nicely done. Tomatoes were fried to perfection and the buffalo mozzarella was suburb. It's was served over marinara. The house salad was probably better skipped. Greens were fine, but the shaved carrots and gloppy Italian dressing would be more at home in a cafeteria. For the entree I had the fettuccine scampi - a white wine sauce with lobster, shrimp, and scallops. The pasta was excellent. The lobster does not disappoint. So often lobster in a discharge is overlooked and tasteless. They got this right. The shrimp and scallops were not the stars of the dish. Overall it was a tasty dish. I'm not sure I would have wanted to pay the $24 or so listed as the menu price. But it was good. Desserts are classic Italian and about why you would expect. I ordered the tiramisu and would review it but I decided to take it to go. The ambiance is that of a small bustling bistro. It a feel I like in a restaurant. The wait staff was attentive. Nothing pretentious here. There is something good about a busy place with the kitchen pushing out plates of Italian classics to satisfied diners. If you plan to go on the weekend make a reservation. Luna Blu is a classic Italian joint that will not disappoint.
(4)Joya L.
My husband and I stopped at Luna Blu on a Sunday afternoon while out on a motorcycle ride. Needless to say, we looked like a couple of people right off a motorcycle. Beside that, I'm Italian, so I almost never go to an Italian restaurant -- it's pretty hard to live up to my expectations. But we really enjoyed this restaurant! It's very quaint -- much like small, family-owned restaurants in Italy -- and I was pleasantly surprised that the greatest hits of one of my own favorite Italian artists were playing in the background -- not too loud, but just enough to add to the lovely ambiance. When we walked in, we were greeted by Erin. She was so nice! I just realized from the website that she is the owner. She's doing a great job! She told us about the specials and really made us feel welcome. It was mid-afternoon, so we ordered the create-your-own lunch. Nothing fancy, but all very well prepared. My husband had the soup of the day, which was a creamy corn chowder made with locally grown corn. He loved it. I managed to talk him into giving me a spoonful. Fabulous! He also had the Chicken Sant'Elena sandwich, which he said was also very good. I ordered the arugula salad and half Caprese sandwich. They were both done exactly the way they would have been if I ordered the meal in Italy. Just delicious! Nothing fancy, but that's how real Italian food is - tasty, fresh, and satisfying, made with love. We didn't have a dessert, but I have no doubt that it would have been just as good as anything else we had. Even the light lunchtime portions filled us up! But we did have an espresso, which was a nice touch before we hit the road. Luna Blu is a hidden gem -- away from the more touristy spots in Annapolis. It's definitely a place that we will visit again, even though that it's more than an hour drive for us. We will certainly make this a Sunday afternoon destination when we're out for a ride again!! Grazie mille, Erin, for making our lunchtime experience in Annapolis such an enjoyable one!
(4)Dawn R.
I came here last night with my boyfriend, as I had a Restaurant.com $25 certificate that I'd been holding onto and decided to give it a try. Neither of us had been here before, so we went in with high expectations. While he seemed to think everything was OK, I guess I'm a little harder to please. First of all, on restaurant.com , it says that reservations are recommended. So, being the pre-planner that I am, I made us a reservation for 6:30. When we arrived, it was clear that reservations were NOT needed, as there was only one other occupied table in the place. What I found even more interesting is that the server made the announcement to the diners at her ONE table that she apologized for the delay in getting their appetizers, but that the dinner rush was beginning. Dinner rush? Does a second table constitute a rush? Hmmm.... She was pretty quick to get us our drinks and some bread, and the appetizer didn't take too long. We ordered the crab bruschetta, which was actually pretty tasty, but not really what I'd consider bruschetta. More like some triangles of puff pastry with shredded crab cake on top, but still good. When our entrees came out, I was at first impressed with the size of the portions, but they quickly lost their luster when I took the first bite. I had the chicken piccata, and the lemon was SO strong it was simply overpowering. I only ate about half of the food before I gave up. My boyfriend got spaghetti a la ragu (I REALLY hope it doesn't mean they just opened a jar of Ragu, but at this point I figured anything was possible), which he said was really good. I'll have to take his word for it, since I didn't try it. We decided to skip dessert and just have coffee. Their prices are a little steep, especially considering the poor quality of the food. For two entrees, two glasses of wine, one appetizer, and two cups of coffee it came to $85. Granted, that was inclusive of the tip, but still seemed a little high in my opinion. I wouldn't have minded if the food had tasted better, but this simply left me underwhelmed.
(2)J P.
Beautifully apportioned with a cool and collected atmosphere. Superb Italian cuisine and an excellent staff. The homemade bread divine, but there is no private parking. Only a few tables are in this ravishing, and quaint locale.
(4)Bob W.
The ambiance was a 3/5 stars, cozy but a little dated. The food was 2/5 stars. My penne was over cooked and mushy and the meal tasted under seasoned. The service was the real down point at 1/5 stars. The owner was present and only had one server working the dining room. The server took the orders of two parties ahead of our order that were seated after us. Our server was cordial but lacked polish. The place came off as more of a carry-out than a restaurant.
(2)Monique B.
Food was amazing and Caitlyn was an excellent server, very attentive but not annoying! Will definitely visit again! Great food, nice wine and amazing strudel!
(5)Amiel B.
Very nice place. Pasta dishes were very good. Nice basic wine selection, but nice. I'm not sure how it stacks up to the other Italian restaurants in Annapolis yet, but seems good.
(4)Laura G.
We don't get to downtown Annapolis very much, but when a groupon popped up for this place we took the deal in hopes it would motivate us to try something new. My husband and I stopped in for lunch. Basically, the experience can be summed up as decent food, tired restaurant. The "host" (man that appeared from the kitchen) was wearing jeans and a tshirt. Did I not read in more than one place (their website, for starters) that attire is business casual to formal? He sure did not set the tone. The table cloth and menu were stained in more than one place and I suspect the paper covering the table top is only to hide more. My direct view was of flowers that had seen better days and were hanging out in some appetizing brown water. Like I said, tired. Our waitress, bless her heart, was running for her life. She was the only server working the lunch hour. She did the best she could but there is just no way to provide exceptional service when you have 8 tables, one of which is a big party of about 10. I ordered the vodka penne and my husband customized his own pasta dish, bowties with marinara, italian sausage and onions. Both were fresh and tasty. Be warned, diced onions apparently means thick long strips. While we enjoyed our meals, it wasn't enough to say I'll ever crave it again in the future or pursue returning.
(3)Daniel M.
Went for my partner's birthday dinner. Everything tasted amazing! We did the living social deal plus it was half price bottle of wine night. Here's what I have to say- GO! Just go! It's yummy, filling, we got great deals, and our server Sarah was very accommodating and friendly. I'm telling everyone.
(5)Jessica P.
Do not choose Luna Blu if you have a large party or are celebrating a special occasion. Our experience was absolutely awful. We were rushed from the beginning- and our reservation was intentionally very early. The waitress was loud, abrasive and seemingly intent on letting us know that we were inconveniencing the restaurant by taking up too much space and not ordering all courses before our whole party arrived (some got lost and were late) - and by requesting separate checks (which Luna Blu says they will not do, but we'd called ahead to try to arrange something due to the size and nature of our party, and been kindly assured that it would be fine). If the person we spoke to in advance was the same person who served us, she did a great job of luring us in and then ruining our experience. She went so far as to inform the guests of honor what time the restaurant was turning our table over, and that we needed to hurry our experience along. She was absolutely horrible and none of our party (or anyone we speak to) will be returning to Luna Blu. Sadly, the food wasn't good enough to make up for the (lack of) service.
(1)Lynn R.
Been there twice. Both times I thought the service was terrific. My husband and I really enjoyed our entrees. The location is very convenient for an evening in Annapolis and they validate parking --which can be tough to find in that area. Five stars with the living social deal. Might be 4 if I paid full price.
(5)Wen-fai F.
I'm really surprised at the mediocre reviews. I really enjoyed my experience at Luna Blu. I am from Boston so Italian food is plentiful but also very expensive. In our "little Italy" district (called the North End), plates half the size of Luna Blu's run for the same price. I ordered the Lobster Ravioli and my friend ordered the pesto dish (it was some sort of pasta, maybe tortellini?). The portions were really large and had I not been from out of town and lacking a fridge, I would have saved it for the next day. But I magically made my stomach expand and ate all the ravioli. Wonderful lobster taste and light on the cheese. The cream sauce was very good and this dish is great if you like mushrooms as there are plenty of them. My friend liked her pesto pasta and it certainly looked delicious. Perhaps you won't get the MOST flavorful dishes here, but the dishes are tasty enough and the quantities are great for the prices (~$15-20). Also, it's still within a 5-minute walk from the ocean so if you're staying by the water, I'd check this out for a nice date-night! The restaurant was quiet when I arrived but started filling up as the night went on.
(4)Zoë M.
We went in and were met by an over-enthusiastic waitress who, we quickly learned, didn't actually care about us! She was clearly over-worked and had far too many tables to tend to. She would smile and then you'd see the smile disappear before she turned around and turned it back on for another customer. We waited ages to get served and the food, whilst massively portioned, was mediocre at best. The pasta was over-cooked and, I would say, cooked in a massive vat and served up on order. We were not made to feel welcome or important and so didn't feel inclined to tip much. The decor of the place is cheap with polystyrene pillars and gaudy paintings which are supposed to depict a holiday atmosphere. The restaurant is tightly packed with tables, making moving around in there quite a challenge.
(2)Bernadette N.
So disappointing. We've been dying to try this place and finally find a decent Italian spot in Annapolis, but the search continues... We started with the Antipasto della Casa (not bad, but the cured meats weren't very impressive, probably could get equal quality at Giant) and the Insalata Greek (fine). If I'm not a little impressed by the appetizer, I'm probably not going to love dinner - and I was right. Hubby ordered the Spaghetti alla Carbonara (TERRIBLE, this was not a carbonara first off. the menu does say "creamy alfredo" which should have been a warning, but it was just a flour-based roux, disgusting). I ordered the ravioli stuffed with lobster and sauteed with crabmeat, peas and mushrooms. I admit it was leagues apart from the carbonara, but my husband pointed out it was probably only good "by comparison". I ended up not feeling well after we walked home, but in full disclosure rich foods on a pregnant belly may not have been the best decision. The servers were also pretty inexperienced and a little disorganized. Our bread was tardy, my hubby never got his second glass of wine, etc. Even though hubby wanted out of this place, I ordered tiramisu. It was actually pretty darn good, and by far the best thing I ate here. Needless to say, we won't be coming back.
(2)Tiffany C.
I just rediscovered this restaurant after a few years of absence. It used to be on my way home from work and i'd either go there for dinner or take out a few times a month. Luna Blu, Im so sorry I've neglected you. Today is my moms birthday and she just wanted a good salad. Just then I saw something on facebook pop up from Luna Blu and remembered their salads were always so fresh, so I ordered their Greek Salad for mom and a Chicken San Elena for me. Mom loved her salad, and i was blown away by the pasta salad and sandwich. The bread is so light and flakey on top and perfeclty fluffy in the middle. I will be back!!! Thanks Erin!!
(4)