Luce

Had a great dinner here! The Luce Spritz was refreshing and delicious. The pasta is made fresh daily, and the seafood tasted like it came straight off the boat. Our waiter was incredibly attentive and informative, making the experience even better. The restaurant is on the smaller side, with limited tables and plenty of bar seating that takes up most of the space — but even the bar is often full and usually requires a reservation or joining the waitlist. Given its popularity, planning ahead is a must.

Everything was so impressive— food, drinks, service, atmosphere. Tracey was our server and she was a doll, so super sweet and she gave great recommendations. The wild boar ragu is definitely worth getting! The octopus was the best we’ve ever had as well as the veal! We were so pleased with our meal. We’ll be back!!

Great Italian food in downtown Norfolk, VA. Visited on a busy weekday night. The seafood pasta was fresh, perfectly seasoned, and cooked just right. Limited seating, but we snagged spots at the bar without a reservation. Service was quick and friendly. Free parking during dinner otherwise its metered but you can pay via credit card.

Awesome spot! Great atmosphere, delicious entrees, fun, helpful and friendly staff! We’ve been here twice and definitely going back!

On a recent business trip, my wife joined me and we ventured out for dinner in the city. This restaurant is small and cozy - and I mean *really* small. We called ahead to check for availability and were told we could grab seats at the bar. Perfect! We walked right in with no wait and settled in immediately. The bartender was sweet and friendly, but something was off with the service. She didn't seem overworked (the place wasn't that busy) and she didn't appear inefficient either, but the service just... wasn't great. She seemed like a lovely person who probably isn't cut out for the service industry - nothing wrong with that, just not her strong suit. Right off the bat, we hit a snag when my wife asked about swapping the tuna for shrimp on one of the dishes. Nope, absolutely not possible. It seemed like such a simple substitution, but they were completely inflexible about it. Not a great start. We started with bruschetta, which had great flavor, but it was billed as having a ricotta with it, and if there was any ricotta on there, it was microscopic however, there was about seven tomatoes worth on there... A little imbalanced and needs some improvement. I ordered a chicken dish that was quite tasty and came in a generous portion, but here's where things went downhill fast - two pieces of chicken were loaded with gristle. I'm talking completely inedible, unappetizing gristle. When you're dropping $100+ on a meal at a place like this, serving gristly chicken is just unacceptable. My wife's gnocchi with lobster was pretty good, no major complaints there. But here's the plot twist - the best thing we ate all night was a simple side of fresh pasta with basic seasoning! Seriously, it was fantastic. Maybe they should focus on nailing the basics like that incredible pasta instead of being so rigid about substitutions or serving subpar chicken. We wrapped up with a hazelnut torte that was just okay - nothing to write home about. Despite the hiccups, we actually had a fun time together, and honestly? We'd probably come back just to order that amazing plain pasta with a simple protein on the side. Sometimes the simplest things are the best! To those about to nosh, we salute you!

The fresh pasta is amazing. We had the lobster gnocchi, cannolis and profiteroles. All the dishes tasted great. Make sure to make a reservation since they are a small restaurant. Also bring jacket since it’s so small if you get sat by the door it can get cold depending on the weather.

Delicious, comforting Italian—just elevated. The wine selection is fantastic, and the seafood and pasta are both outstanding. I had one of the best scallop dishes I’ve ever tasted here. Everything feels thoughtfully prepared and deeply satisfying. You really can’t miss with Luce.

A great little find that doesn't disappoint. The fried calamari is done with precision. The Wild Boar Ragu is tender and flavorful. The Lobster Gnocchi is loaded with sumptuous pieces of lobster. The pistachio cheesecake is light, fluffy, and delightful. The bartender can pare your meal with an exquisite bottle of wine as well.