About Luci
Celebrating Melbourne’s history of Italian immigrants and its evolution into a cosmopolitan culinary city, Luci is a contemporary Australian restaurant housed within the grand hall of the historic Equity Chambers Building.
Architecture
Luci means ‘lights’ in Italian, which befits the natural light-filled space of this airy heritage-listed dining room occupies. Therefore, Luci is pronounced as ‘Loo-CHEE’. The sound is always soft and more palatal where the letter ‘c’ is followed by an ‘i’.
Local
Adding light to Melbourne’s proud, Italian-influenced dining heritage, Luci’s philosophy focuses as much on its modern Australian, produce-driven repasts as it does on the people who walk through its heritage façade on Bourke Street.
Who is Luci?
The locale’s namesake, Roman leader Lucias Lucullus – affectionately nicknamed ‘Luci’ – became so well recognised throughout Italy for his love of lavish banquets that the term ‘Lucullan’ is today used to describe experiences that are languid, luxurious or gourmet.
Design
The light filled dining room boasts triple height ceilings and walls of windows, one of which opens to a charming internal courtyard with art-work by Melbourne artist David Lee Pereira. Stunning interiors by Bates Smart showcase the building’s proud 1930’s architectural heritage Romanesque architecture with a contemporary edge through polished marbles in the bespoke tables and beautiful flooring.
