Bucca Lopa

Fireworks on the Promenade was not the only fun activity of my night on New Years Eve. After deciding that clubs in Manhattan might be a bit too much, Matt and I headed down Henry Street to Bucca Lopa, an Italian tapas restaurant that gets rave reviews. You can add this review to the list.

The restaurant doesn’t accept reservations but we arrived around 8pm and got a table right away. There is no sign in front, but the balloons filling the restaurant and inviting lighting gave clues that this was the place to be.

I started out with a blackberry cosmo with a squirt of lime. Devine! Next up was bruschetta. Mine was with cannellini bean puree and black olive tapenade. Matt had one with Gorgonzola, tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. Mine was so tasty, I ordered a second! Next up, on the meat side, were baby lamb chops and veal meatballs. Captain Carnivore liked both and I’ll admit that I tried the tomato sauce and bread that came with the meatballs and it was a phenomenal flavor. I got Baked Maccherone Tre Formaggi...Italian mac & cheese. It was so wonderfully rich I took half of it home.

The restaurant was a bit loud, but manageable. I’m sure this would be a cozy and more quiet neighborhood spot on a normal weeknight. I'm sure I'll be back.