Cafe Luce is a cozy little Italian restaurant that is convenient to Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick's Cathedral while being off the beaten path so it's not too crazy. The menu has plenty to choose from. I had the house red wine which was delicious. For my main course, I had the penne alla caprese which consisted of fresh mozzarella, basil, and fresh tomatoes in a garlic and white wine sauce. It was tasty and very light, I was happy to avoid having a red sauce which can stir up my acid reflux. This meal sat perfectly with me. I had the penne but one had a whole choice of pasta to choose from (my friend had the same meal with spaghetti). For dessert, I had panna cotta in a raspberry sauce. This was probably the best panna cotta I have ever had - they did not skimp on the raspberry sauce, there was plenty of it! I also had a tasty latte which was in a nice large cup. My only petty little wish is that I would have loved some bread for the table, but this is only a minor complaint. I loved this restaurant - I shall return! read more

Cafe Luce - Penne alla caprese - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

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Solid Italian spot in midtown. Nice and quiet with huge portions. I highly recommend the Aglio e Olio, meatballs and the homemade focaccia. read more

Cafe Luce - Panna cotta - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

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It is a hidden gem with delicious pasta and exceptional service that makes you feel right at home. The warm and inviting atmosphere sets the stage for a comfortable and enjoyable dining experience. We had the the quattro formaggi and alla caprese. Their pasta dishes are a true delight, filled with incredible flavors and top-notch ingredients that evoke the feeling of home-cooked meals. The staff at Café Luce is friendly and attentive, going above and beyond to meet our needs throughout the meal. Their welcoming demeanor adds an extra layer of charm to the overall experience. With its cozy ambiance, Café Luce is the perfect spot to unwind and savor a scrumptious meal. read more

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My friend and I dropped by on a weekday night. Thankfully, we were able to walk in without a wait. Cafe Luce is a cozy small Italian pasta spot that has a ton of diverse dishes. When we came, they had a live singer which definitely added to the ambiance. The inside decor was very quaint although it did feel a little tight. We ordered gnocchi (one with pesto, another with limoncello). It was my first time having limoncello, and the acidity definitely hit me a lot harder than I was expecting. A nice small spot in Midtown for some pasta - it is a little small, but has quite a variety of pasta for a good nice darkly lit dinner. read more

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Came here for brunch on the weekend and it's definitely super busy and lively. The place has a cute cozy vibe and all the servers were very helpful and friendly. The space is a little bit packed tight when it's full but noise level isn't too loud. We got the below pasta dishes and all of them tasted amazing. The portions were pretty big too considering some Manhattan places skimp out on portions a lot even with a higher price. Definitely recommend making a reservation if you're looking to dine in during brunch or dinner hours. Would definitely visit again if I'm ever in the immediate area. Had a great experience here. read more

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Where to begin! Food - unbelievably good and so fresh, you can definitely tell they make it fresh everyday. I love how you can mix and match pasta and sauces so get your favorite combo. I definitely recommend trying the rigatoni to get the best "fresh" pasta experience. They also have so many sauces to choose from, my favorite is the mushroom ravioli (but I'm always biased towards any mushroom dish), the arrabbiata is very fresh with crushed tomatoes and lots of bold flavor, the limoncello is unique in it's flavor (I've personally never had a lemon pasta dish but I was pleasantly surprised). Service- I've gone 3 times and the waiters have been pleasant and friendly. The only thing is sometimes they forget to give you the focaccia so don't forget to ask in case they forgot! Ambiance- beautiful and decorated with a very light and airy feel. Lots of natural sunlight and greenery in the front half of the restaurant, the back of the restaurant has beautiful flower decorations. I can't rave about this place enough! I always recommend this place to any pasta lover read more

Cafe Luce - Arrabbiata, Limoncello, Mushroom Ravioli - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

Café Luce was wonderful! It's a cozy, beautiful, sunlit spot with a lot of charm and good food. My friend and I went for a late lunch and getting a table was a breeze -- I was honestly a little surprised at how few people were there on a Saturday afternoon. We ordered several things: fried burrata as an appetizer, for entrées the mushroom alfredo orecchiette with fried chicken cutlet and the fettucine limoncello with spinach and mushrooms, and then pistachio ricotta layer cake for dessert. The fried burrata left a lot to be desired; the burrata wasn't as creamy as I would have expected (it was a bit rubbery, actually) and it being fried didn't actually help all that much. Luckily the entrées were way better: I quite enjoyed my mushroom alfredo and my friend loved her limoncello pasta. The mushroom alfredo was quite rich, but tasty no doubt, especially with the addition of the fried chicken cutlet (which was excellent). The limoncello was incredibly lemon-y, but in a surprisingly good way -- it was flavorful and refreshing. And the ricotta layer cake was a great way to end the meal (what a fun combo of ingredients!). The only thing we could have asked for was moooooar pistachios. Also, the service was so lovely! Celina was our waitress and was an absolute delight: warm, genuine, and attentive. Definitely glad to have eaten here. P.S. I loved that you could choose from a variety of pasta types for whatever menu item (aka sauce type) you settled on. Wish more restaurants did this. read more

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A smaller space great for takeout or walk-ins, Cafe Luce was a fun find for my friends and me. The service was quick and our server had excellent recommendations which helped our indecisive minds. The pasta is good but not phenomenal, but I enjoyed the variety of the menu and being able to choose a sauce and pasta shape. I got a limoncello pasta and the sauce was too thick for my liking, and there was way too much sauce for the pasta provided. That being said, the pasta itself was fresh, cooked perfectly, and held the sauce well. Definitely check this place out! read more

Food and wine were delicious, but wasn't entirely impressed with the service. Everyone was super kind and patient, except for the lady hostess that helped us get seated. We had a party of 7 and came with a reservation made a week ago. The place is very small and cozy, and our party of 7 took over 4 of their small tables + booth. They kindly set this up for us, but when we asked to pull up one more chair, the lady gave us attitude and was very passive aggressive about giving us another chair because of the long line outside. For us, we had a reservation and an expected larger party, so we'd think they would prioritize us. And even if that wasn't the case, the way she was communicating with us wasn't the best. Besides that though, everything else was amazing. The food and wine selection is great. We got the Moscato which is the perfect option if you like your wines very sweet. We also got the Pinot Noir and it was a great medium red option, not too dry. Highly recommend the Grilled Octopus, they cook the meat to be sooo tender. All the pastas (we ordered 3 to share for the table) were cooked al dente and the flavors weren't overpowering. Very reminiscent of the type of pastas you'd get in Italy - not too many ingredients and not overly complicated or oily. Definitely would come back for the food and wine! read more

Cafe Luce - Grilled Octopus - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

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Highly recommend making a reservation even though we just walked in. Cozy, beautiful and intimate place. Service was great and food was excellent. Started with bruschetta pomodoro. This is a must! Then I had the meatballs with fresh made spaghetti and the freshest tomato sauce ever made. You have to try it for yourself. Wish I had discovered them at the beginning of my trip so I could go back and try different things. The meatballs were tender and juicy. This is a MUST! read more

Cafe Luce - Meatballs with spaghetti. - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

This is a small cozy spot for 2 people. The pastas are excellent and definitely homemade. The pesto stood out from what we ordered, it had substantial basil flavor and was perfectly seasoned to showcase the flavor of both the pine nuts and fresh basil. The limoncello was unique and had quite a bit of lemon, almost too much so in my opinion. The arrabiata was flavorful, not a huge fan of the spaghetti in it, the linguine in the pesto had more texture overall. I'll go back again to try a few other pastas when I'm in the area next. read more

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A perfect, flawless dinner experience. Wonderful food, friendly personal service, in a small, quiet, calm atmosphere. We were in from out of town, staying nearby, and as the evening progressed more and more parties came in, many I suspect from the neighborhood. I already recommended it to friends, and can't wait to return. A winner. A new go-to when in town. I look forward to returning so I can try more dishes. read more

10/10. Amazing and authentic carbonara - best I have had in the city. Lovely cozy environment and friendly service !

What a gem! Nice intimate ambiance, friendly service and the best lasagna I've ever had. Will be back!!! read more

Cafe Luce - Lasagna - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

We really enjoyed dining at Cafe Luce. Food was delicious and the ambience very warm and inviting. Service was very prompt. Definitely recommend this restaurant. read more

Cafe Luce - Eggplant rotolini and bruschetta Pomona - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

We were craving pasta so we came here due to the reviews and were not disappointed. I had a reservation I made just prior to coming in, but did not need it. That said, it wasn't empty and was energetic. This is a small neighborhood place where they don't mind if you linger, a great place for conversation. The vibe is cozy and the plates are colorful. Our server was with us quickly and got our drink orders. From there, we ordered our entrees and they came out within 15 minutes. Note, the bread is not complimentary. I like that you get to choose your pasta and protein, so it is very customizable. I got the Alla Caprese linguine and it was great! The pasta tasted homemade and the ingredients fresh. The portion size was decent and I definitely had leftovers. It was a simple, but good meal. read more

This is a nice local Italian restaurant that makes their own pasta. Started off with a Burrata salad. Light and tasty . Next I ordered the limoncello pasta. It had fresh lemons, egg yolks and Parmesan cheese. It was creamy and full of lemon flavor. Also ordered meatballs with Marinara sauce, meatballs were soft and delicious. Place was small and cozy, great service and fairly priced. read more

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One of our most favorite restaurants in NYC. Perfectly cooked pasta (nice texture ans freshness) that absorbs all the goodness flavor of creamy from mozzarella balanced with the sourness of tomato. Simple delicious ##nycfoodie#nyc#nycwheretoear#nycpasta#pasta#octopus#bread#cozyrestaurant#nyc2023 read more

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We did not have a reservation, but they found us a small table for two near the window. We ordered the spinach salad with grilled chicken and the Cacio E Pepe. The salad was fresh and delicious and the homemade pasta & sauce was amazing. The portions are large, service fantastic. 5/5 all around rating. Will definitely visit again. read more

Cafe Luce - Spinach salad, Cacio E Pepe. - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

We had a really enjoyable experience at this small but cute Italian restaurant. As you can see from our photos, we ordered some of their special recommendations. Would we recommend it? Yes, absolutely!! read more

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I can't believe this is inside an HEB... it was an amazing latte! And croissant and chai latte, and I can't wait to try more things! Way to go HEB, great move. read more

Cafe Luce - Inside dining area - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

Easy to make a reservation. The pasta was okay (linguini bolognese). The shrimp and fried burratta were good. Focaccia too. That was a little spicy. The bench seating is uncomfortable to me and the place feels cramped. It's a small restaurant though. I also think they keep it a bit too warm inside, at least in the colder months. The ambiance is nice. Not very loud so it's easy to converse. Service is attentive but not overly so which is appreciated. read more

Cafe Luce - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

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Nice little restaurant great food and service. Good selection of food and drinks. Pasta is amazing. read more

I was less excited than I was the first time eating from here but thinking back I still like this place. After trying out the takeout last time I decided to dine in this time. I made a reservation for Sunday evening which I'm not sure if I even needed to (doesn't hurt I guess). Besides a large group of 10(?) people they only had a handful other customers. The left side and right side of the restaurant looks so different. I've only seen the right side in photos and when I picked up takeout. I like how it has a big window and light wood decor on the wall with benches. The left side is darker with a bar table and darker decor. They let us choose and we chose the brighter light wood side. Their tables are kinda small tbh. They started off by giving us bread (and seconds of it). I quite like the vinaigrette situation which encouraged me to eat more bread. Not particularly outstanding but at least it was soft. Salad For an appetizer I was debating between the tricolor salad and spinach salad. I like how spinach has walnuts and raisins but I was also curious about the radicchio and endive that I was unfamiliar with. Adventurous I went. They come in two sizes which is good letting you decide whether to have it as an appetizer or main. Their appetizer size was already plentiful especially at $10. I wasn't particularly fond of this salad and I found it to be under dressed. Not too long after eating this, I found a piece of hair. They were nice and replaced it as well as offered a complimentary dessert. Pasta Orchiette alla vodka $19 The server recommended orchiette instead of letting us go for the standard penne or rigatoni. Cute and I appreciate. Most importantly the orchiette had the chew of fresh pasta. The sauce was plentiful and clung well to the pasta but I found it to be too sweet. Perhaps they added too much cream or not enough salt or I should've added more parm. Linguine alfredo mushroom $19 This was more exciting than the alla vodka. The parm, butter, cream all came together well creating a savory umami filled sauce without feeling too heavy. Near the end of the meal the sauce did dry up a bit but that's not completely their fault. I like how the mushrooms were sauteed before getting combined with everything else. Nutella tiramisu The server recommended this and the pistachio layer cake. I chose this hoping it'd give me an energy boost after a full dinner. Turns out it couldn't. The coffee wasn't strong nor bitter. The cream was too soft for my liking. A third of the cake was nutella added on top. I'm okay with nutella but not at that quantity lol. Overall the dessert felt too heavy especially after the rest of the meal. Their prices are so reasonable for a cutesy sit down place in midtown. It's as casual and budget friendly as some ramen or southeast asian place but has the homey and intimate vibe for dates. I also super appreciate how they're not too dark or too loud. The server was also very friendly and checked in on us very frequently. I can't tell if they're always slow but it took over an hour for my pasta to arrive. I won't deny the possibility that it's due to my slow eating of 1.5 salads. I also like how their tap water doesn't taste hard, quite refreshing. This place isn't perfect but considering the decor, price, service, and actually tasting handmade, I still value them highly. I'm interested in trying other items but also miss the aglio e olio I had the first time. read more

Cafe Luce - Spaghetti aglio e olio - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

I ate here with my husband and 3 year old over the weekend and what an awesome experience. Great service, great food, fresh pasta, and very quiet and cosy place with great ambiance. It was even great for our quiet 3 year old. I got the lemon pasta (forget what it was called) and my husband got the garlic and olive oil pasta. We also ordered the bruschetta and focaccia and both were excellent. Overall, this was an excellent meal with great service and great food, highly recommended! read more

Cute Italian restaurant that's somewhat easy to miss on 53rd. The interior is classy and cozy, but a little narrow to the point where every time I turned around or moved between tables, I came within inches of knocking over wine glasses everywhere. As for the food, pasta seems to be the speciality here. I like that you can pick the type of pasta in your dish. My friend ordered the penne alla vodka (seems to be their most popular dish) and loved it, while I got the fettuccine with alfredo mushroom sauce. It had a nice flavor, but was soooo heavy and buttery that I could only eat half and wasn't feeling too hot afterwards. The pastas were overpriced for what you get - $20-26 for just the pasta and sauce (protein is extra), which in my opinion were satisfying but not mindblowing. The best part of the meal for me was the burrata and arugala salad which was super fresh and flavorful. Service was very good for most of our meal, and when we were done someone quickly offered to box up my food to-go which was appreciated -- afterwards though, we sat there for about 20 minutes in an almost empty restaurant waiting for the check before flagging someone down. Overall, I'm not sure I'd come back unless for its extremely convenient location to me -- there are too many other pricey Italian places in NYC where the food IS mindblowing to justify it otherwise. read more

Cafe Luce - Alfredo Mushroom, Penne Alla Vodka - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

Came here with a reservation on a Friday night at 5:30 and wouldn't have needed one. Place was empty but filled up before we left around 7:30. Unassuming from the outside but cozy on the inside. Maybe 10 tables set up in a small area but didn't feel overly crowded to the next table. Very warm and inviting. Nice attentive server who helped with wine and food choices. Started with the tri-colored salad and ciabatta bread. Both were great but the salad was large and delicious and the star of the two. Next we ordered the Limoncello pasta and pasta with vodka sauce. Again both great but if I went back (and I will next time I'm in town) I'm ordering the Limoncello pasta. In our opinion was the star of the whole meal. Lemon, browned butter, cream and Parmesan were all noted. Highly recommend it. Next it was the chocolate mousse cake and a cappuccino. Great way to finish off a wonderful meal. Go try it out, you won't be disappointed. read more

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Came here for a late light dinner on a Friday night without reservations and we were seated instantly. We ordered their spinach salad with a side of chicken. The salad was great, the walnut inside the salad was glazed. The amount of dressing with perfect but the grilled chicken came out to be dry. Their meatballs was ok but nothing that special. We also ordered their Nutella tiramisu which I found to be too sweet, it didn't feel taste much like a tiramisu to me. Their Panna cotta was good covered with berries and strawberries syrup. Overall I would rate this place 3.5 stars read more

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You are literally on top of the person next to you. I've never seen anything like this and I'm a lifelong New Yorker. It makes the Blue Not seem roomy. read more

Such an adorable Italian cafe! The service was amazing and the atmosphere was so comfortable! My husband and I both had the pollo capricciosa and it was delicious- we will definitely be back again! read more

Cafe Luce - Pollo Capricciosa - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

Adorable Italian restaurant with AMAZING food - everyone was friendly and service was fantastic. They start by bringing focaccia with yummy olive oil and herbs - sooooo good. We all got different things - see the pic - the 4 cheese dish was sublime. The vodka sauce was creamy and delicious- took some home and later ate it cold - almost liked it as much. read more

Cafe Luce - Yum! - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

While the pasta is fine & service is solid, the seating is so close together that it's truly claustrophobic. A couple sat down next to us, & it was if we were all sharing a table--really uncomfortable. Also, the close proximity made it impossible to hold a conversation. It's akin to being in the middle seat on a plane--only at a restaurant. For that reason, I would neither return or recommend this. read more

It was my Birthday, I really struggled to pick a special Italian restaurant for dinner. Chose this one. It was beyond expensive and had a limited menu. I wanted the calico de peppi but they were unable to make the dish. It's black pepper, butter and cheese??? Chose the vodka sauce and spaghetti with a side of meatballs and gnocchi. It was delicious. It would have been amazing with a salad. The waitress was wonderful read more

Cafe Luce - spaghetti and vodka sauce - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

Came here for brunch and it was lovely. I got the shakshuka and a cappuccino. The cappuccino is huge and the shakshuka was delicious. It came in a small skillet that was very hot to the touch and taste. Took a while to cool down and came with 2 pieces of bread, which were great to eat with the shakshuka, they also serve pasta at 11 AM which is great if you want lunch. I got an 11:30 AM reservation the day before which was pretty easy and when I got there, it was fairly empty but slowly started to fill up around 1230pm. There was jazz being sung at the front of the restaurant. Luckily I was towards the back middle area so it wasn't too loud. if you have a group of six, it seems like they can accommodate a group that large. The service was great and I would definitely recommend them for dinner. The brunch prices were pretty reasonable for shashuka. read more

Cafe Luce - Menu - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

The restaurant ambiance is very chic and different. The service was excellent. The octopus appetizer was outstanding. The chicken spinach salad was ok. I should have ordered the pasta. Will be back. read more

Cafe Luce - Chicken spinach salad. - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

Cute little hole in the wall fresh pasta spot in Midtown East! The pasta is made fresh to order and there are so many choices. You choose from one of their many different sauces, choose your pasta of choice, and they make it for you! We got the limoncello and cacio e Pepe sauces on spaghetti. The limoncello pasta was a bit too eggy for my taste but I enjoyed the tanginess of the pasta. The cacio e Pepe was pretty standard but really really good. Both pastas were also perfectly Al dente and fresh. Overall, I would definitely recommend if you're in the midtown East area and want some high quality authentic Italian food! read more

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Cozy and authentic feel, but I might just not be enough of a pasta aficionado to detect what's special about the pasta

Ate here for dinner on a Friday night, the weather was gross so not sure if that impacted that there was no wait but it looks like they save some tables for people without reservations. I shared the cheese charcuterie board, the burrata and lasagne and they were all delish. For two ladies it was just the right amount of food. read more

Cafe Luce - Lasagna - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

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Delicious and fresh pasta! The sizes of the plates are big so you can definitely share a pasta between two. The service is great and the inside of the restaurant is so cozy! It was packed so make sure you reserve beforehand! We had the rigatoni carbonara, gnocchi pesto, and Milanese with salad and a side of spaghetti. The prices are also great and the quality of food is good too. They have an extensive wine list which was nice. Definitely recommend! I'll be coming back for sure. They also had great music playing, very quaint and cozy spot in midtown East. read more

We came here for an intimate dinner and an intimate dinner we got! I made reservations through Yelp and was able to sit in the cozy back corner. We skipped straight to the entree and I ordered the Quattro formaggi topped with some ricotta paired with a glass of the pinot. As a cheese lover, the menu was right, I loved this dish and the wine was a nice pairing. Service was excellent and fast as well. Overall, I highly recommend this place! read more

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