City: Albuquerque, NM

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: 125 2nd Street NW(505) 242-909

Description: Located in Hotel Andaluz and serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Lucia retains the Moroccan and Spanish colonial style influences of this chic boutique hotel opened in fall 2009. The spacious dining room with its open kitchen is soothingly sleek, and the menu offers an innovative take on Mediterranean classics such as Mezze Platter, baked flatbread pizzas, roasted Greek chicken with falafel cake, and an absolutely knockout Catalonian herb crusted rack of lamb with oil poached tomato, chickpea compote, and roasted garlic asparagus. The price code reflects the majority of dinner entrees. The lunch menu is modestly priced at around half the dinner rate for downtown business folk looking to catch a bite of something a little different in elegant surroundings. Breakfast might include lemon ricotta pancakes or steak and eggs with rosemary skillet potatoes. Lucia’s wine menu is well-chosen and reasonably priced for the fine-dining atmosphere, although there are several splurge bottles on the list, too, and there are plenty of interesting options for wine by the glass. Friendly service and the beautifully designed Hotel Andaluz lobby bar (or the seasonal second-floor rooftop lounge bar) for pre- or post-dinner drinks top off the experience. Open daily.