IF you are looking for a good pasta spot, this is the place to go! Hidden in a small window on the side of the street is Luce! Through the window you can order with the cooks and your order will come out super fast. The workers were honestly so friendly and they made sure to carefully stuff all of the food into the box. As for the food itself, I got a Bolo and honestly it had my jaw on the floor! It was one of the best Pasta place i've ever been to and I honestly would come again! read more

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This tiny kitchen is serving happiness in the form of comfort food! My husband and I were looking for a place to order takeout and Luce blew us away. The housemade noodles and sauces are incredible. We ordered the bolognese, the alfredo with meatballs, a kale caesar with confit tomatoes and a slice of almond cheesecake. Everything was so good and we had enough pasta to re-heat the next day - it tasted just as delicious. The space is too small to accomodate dining in but, take it from me, you do not want to pass them by! read more

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Amazing, fresh pasta. Service is so fast! Be sure to check their Instagram or ask for specials that aren't on the menu. Their steak stroganoff was so rich, creamy, and fragrant! Their cacio e Pepe is also excellent. Pasta is always cooked perfectly to not be soggy after ~20 minute drive home. So worth finding parking by the downtown mall to pick it up! This is my go-to for Italian in Cville. read more

Luce - Steak Stroganoff - Italian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Delicious hole in the wall, fresh Italian pasta takeout window. I have tried the ravioli, pesto pasta, pizza, and kale salad. I loved it all. It tasted fresh and delicious. I'll definitely be back! read more

This was probably the worst Italian food I have ever had. I have had crispier pizza from a microwave. The dough was under cooked and sopping wet. The entire meal was completely devoid of anything resembling flavor. The pasta was watery and tasted of nothing. I was so excited to try this place, but honestly it was incredibly bad. I have had jars pasta sauces with more flavor. Completely not worth it an was severely disappointed. read more

Luce - Cacio e Pepe - Italian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Cute hole in the wall (literally) made to order pasta spot. Noodles were so bouncing and tasty even though we ate them 30 mins after getting them. Cooking time was so quick we barely waited 10 mins. Overall would def come again! read more

Luce - Fettuccine and meatball Cacio e Pepe - Italian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Luce never misses! Possibly my favorite place to eat in all of Charlottesville. Easy to-go pasta made fresh and fast in a literal hole in the wall. They only have a few items on their rotating menu but they really shine on each of them -- pastas, pizzas, salads, desserts. I especially enjoy The Bolo pasta (pappardelle, ragu, topped with parmesan and bread crumbs). Simply the best! read more

Luce - Exterior - Italian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Luce is an unassuming, tiny, yellow end cap with a service window. Not somewhere you would expect to be pumping out home made pastas considering the minuscule size of the building. However, the Cacio E Pepe and the Pink Vodka with meatballs were both delicious! A place to sit and eat would have been a huge plus, but the way it's served, walking around and eating out of your cup is an acceptable alternative. All in all, not the best Italian I've ever had, but it's pretty damn good and definitely unique. read more

Your local pasta closet. What?! You heard me! Luce is amazing. It's a tiny little kitchen on the corner of the downtown mall where your pasta dreams come true. Order ahead or at the window, and take your pizza and pasta wherever you please! They have amazing family style options (or ya know, two people who want a lot of leftovers), and frequently have tasty specials if you're looking to veer from their tried and true. Don't sleep on the meatballs. Get extra... you won't regret it. If you're looking to eat in, hit up Crush Pad for some beverages, grab a table and order your Luce from there! read more

Great pasta place. I walked up, ordered and got my food to go. No fuss, no muss. Pasta and sauce came in a 16oz cup. I opened it up, and it smelled amazing, and tasted better - as did every bite til the last! There wasn't a line but a consistent line of customers walked up after ordering online and quickly picked up their goods to take and enjoy. Quick and friendly service. They helped me order, and they didn't go wrong. I will prob be back one more time before I leave C'Ville at the end of the week to try out something different. Recommend. read more

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The food is great! I ordered the fettuccine and really liked it, but I was disappointed when I saw there were only two meatballs. It's also a bit pricey for the amount of food you get. I'm glad I tried it though bc it was delish! The service was quick, which is great since the location feels a little sketchy. For those that don't know, Luce is just a window that you order at, so all meals are to-go. read more

Luce - Fettuccine - Italian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

I love how your dish is freshly made specifically when you order it. I got the bolo and it was warm and fresh I loved the noodles made and you can see it being made right in front of you. The noodles used were amazing and the Caesar salad was one of my favorite Caesar salads ever. read more

Such a cute find! A tiny store front ordering window with to-go only pasta. Their menu is nice and short, we chose from 4 different pastas. They also have a salad option, a family option, and a dessert! We tried the caccio e pepe, fettuccine with vodka sauce and meatballs, and a bolognese. All pastas were good but the bolognese was easily the best. All noodles were cooked perfectly al dente and it was perfect as a pre-flight meal before heading out of the city! read more

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Pasta is very bland , lacking seasoning , garlic bread was pretty good , but overall expensive for underwhelming pasta

Came here spontaneously looking for somewhere to eat after leaving Carter Mountain Orchard with my friend. Found this spot on Yelp that I also remembered seeing a video for. Luce is a charming little window that serves fresh homemade pasta. As we scanned the menu, people who walked by expressed how good it was. I ordered the Fett which has fettuccine in a vodka sauce with pork meatballs. I asked for another recommendation from the woman who took my order, and she said I should get the Bolo which has a pork ragu over pappardelle. This pasta was a pleasant surprise. It was fresh, savory, and full of flavor. We also ordered a spicy pepperoni pizza which was super tasty as well. A month later I decided to go on another trip to Charlottesville, this time just myself. I had to make sure I made another stop here and had to order pasta to bring back for my friend who came with me the first time as well as some to share with my family. Just like the last time the staff were super friendly and worked quickly. I ordered 6 pastas, and all were done in 10 minutes. In addition to the Fett and the Bolo, I tried the Cacio and the Pistou which had zucchini, and pesto. Both were yummy but the Fett and Bolo are still my favorites. Overall, I highly recommend giving this window a visit and ordering what compels you. read more

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My kids really enjoyed the garlic parmesan sticks, served piping hot and full of flavor. They were able to make us pappardelle with just marinara sauce for the kids. The pasta was fine, I'm sure great if ordered as is off the menu. read more

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If you want the short - learn from my mistake: don't believe the hype - just take a pass on this place. If you must eat there - get the Pistou, skip the pricey kale caesar salad. If you want the long... After reading the rave reviews for this place I was so excited to try the pasta and the kale caesar salad. I love the concept - teeny tiny oh-so-adorable storefront with a separate kitchen (presumably off site but within walking distance) that makes their own pasta and only does takeout. Everything comes in compostable cups - so green, so cute! I'm only in Charlottesville for the week and Luce was the first place on my list to try, assuring my hungry family that it's gonna be amazing! I generally trust a highly rated place on Yelp but, sadly, I've learned my lesson on that one. I'll also note that this is just as much of a negative review for Yelp itself and for my own trusting-to-a-fault nature as it is for the actual restaurant. That being said, proceed at your own risk. Three of us were ordering so we decided to get three different pastas with three kale salads, an order of meatballs and a piece of cheesecake. I had the Cacio, my sister had the Bolo and my mom had the Pistou. We all started with our salads and all agreed - fresh, decent...but definitely not worth the $10 price tag. I actually told my mom that I owe her $30 as I was the one that suggested we each get our own. If I were local, I'd order the salad again only if they cut the price in half or more. My mom said the kale salad kit she brought from home would've been better - and would've fed all of us twice over for well under $10. My mom liked the Pistou and meatballs but said "it's nothing to write home about." My sister and I concurred. Unfortunately that was the best part of the meal. My sister enjoyed her Bolo and cheesecake but, as the only local, stated she'd never order from them again. I didn't try the cheesecake but my Mom did not like it at all. My Cacio was the most disappointing. It was undercooked, all stuck together and extremely bland - reminded me of the buttered noodles from Noodles & Company that I used to love as a child with no sense of taste - what a complete bummer. I couldn't even finish half of the serving - not only was it not nearly worth the calories, it was just sad. I lost my appetite. I feel like I let my girls down :( I would like to add, however, that the women at the counter/inside were so very sweet and attentive and hardworking and I really appreciated that. They saved this from being a one star review. All in all, never again. And y'all raving about this place really need to try some good pasta! Cristina's in Wheaton, MD comes to mind if you're in the DMV. There's also the entire country of Italy if you're on the European continent - a snarky remark of course but worth mentioning since I've had the great privilege of traveling there/eating copious amounts of actual Italian food so my pasta standards are very high. Ok then, farewell Yelp. read more

Small hole in the wall place next to a parking lot but offers an upscale pasta and pizza menu. They were really accommodating to children who came with us and wanted a more simple pasta than what was offered. Could use some seating however- even if only a small table out front or a bench. read more

Luce - Bread sticks - Italian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Such a fun spot in downtown Charlottesville! Delicious pasta with kind service! I got the Cacio Pepe and it was the perfect warm, comfy meal on a cold night with friends!! read more

Luce is a cute little walk-up restaurant where you order takeout from the window. They're located at the Downtown Mall on one of the side streets that crosses through the promenade. They specialize in pasta and pizza but have a few other menu items such as salad, bread sticks, and cheesecake. I ordered the fettuccine which contained pork and beef meatballs along with fettuccine noodles tossed in a red vodka sauce and topped with toasted breadcrumbs and parmesan. The pasta was fresh and the sauce smooth. I felt it could've used some salt and red pepper flakes, but I devoured the whole thing as it was because there was something intriguing about the simplicity of the flavors. The meatballs, however, did contain more spices and herbs than the sauce. I definitely enjoyed them but they weren't anything to rave about. I also ordered the kale caesar salad which included tomatoes and was also topped with toasted breadcrumbs and parmesan. The salad could've used more herbs in the dressing which was bland, but it gave you and opportunity to appreciate the freshness of the ingredients. There are a few patio tables on the side of the building, but they don't seem to be wiped down very often or they perhaps get a lot of traffic, but one table had bird droppings on it, so this would be a good spot to grab takeout on the way home. read more

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Cutest to go pasta place! Adorable outside, amazingly fresh pasta, and the cheesecake is to die for. Highly recommend

I ordered some food for pickup which was perfect, as you don't have to wait near the window after ordering. I got a Cacio e Pepe pizza, Bolo pasta, and Pistachio cheesecake. First, if you're like me and not sure how filling pasta in a cup can be -- it's extremely Filling. The cup may look regular size but it's packed to the brim! The bolo was really good. And the pizza, chefs kiss. And thought I'm not a huge fan of pistachio, the cheesecake was delicious as well! Of course, with everything I ordered I had leftovers for a few days (which was partially my intention). read more

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The food from this place was delicious. I got the cacio e pepe and fettuccine pastas. Additionally, we got the the breadsticks. Luce is a small to-go restaurant at the corner of the block with a couple of very friendly workers. I'm only rating this place as 4 stars because I thought the price was slightly too much for how much we were getting. Cacio e Pepe: Very buttery and flavorful. The cheese was nicely incorporated and the peppery flavor definitely stood out. Fettuccine & Meatballs: When I got it, I got it without cheese and meatballs on the side. The sauce was very creamy and flavorful. The meatballs were tender and soaked in a lot of the sauce. Recommend this pasta. Breadsticks w/ Marinara and Ranch: The breadstick had melted garlic parmesan cheese on top and it was delicious. The sauces were very good and nicely complemented the breadsticks. read more

Luce - Italian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

This place was such a nice hidden gem in CVille! I ordered their Fettucine and Ciao. I preferred the Fettucine, the meatballs were amazing and the cup was heavy with noddles. The sauce was some of the best I have tasted in a while. I liked the simple style of serving everything in a cup. read more

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What. The. Heck. The world needs more pasta on the go type places for city dwelling. I'm so impressed with the flavor that came out of the cup. What a cute location too! read more

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Yum x 1,000,000!!!!! Such amazing pasta. Warm, fresh, with so many good ingredients. I cannot begin to tell you how much I enjoyed the food. The bread sticks were awesome too. Service is very friendly at the pickup window on the side of the building. Can't speak for the atmosphere too much but the cook was jamming, dishing up some amazing meals. This will always be a top 10 for me. read more

Luce - Pistou - Italian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Wasn't sure whether to leave this review at Crush Pad or Luce so I left it for both - keep reading to see why: I normally would never leave a 1 star review anywhere but I found the one reason that I would. A friend and I went to Crush Pad recently and after 4pm we learned that you can order Luce which seemed like an amazing idea. We each had a glass of wine and shared a cheese board then ordered our own dish from Luce. I ordered my go to, the Bolo, and my friend ordered the margherita pizza, as she is vegetarian. The food tasted great, however towards the end of the meal I started to feel unwell and ended up having food poisoning for the next 3 days. I'm sure it was from the Bolo as this is the only item we did not share. I don't know if the meat was bad, if the prep was unsanitary or what but I won't be back to Crush Pad or Luce probably ever read more

Melt in your mouth pasta Savory pizza with a crispy on the outside, soft on the inside crust Friendly staff read more

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This home made, hole in the wall, pasta/pizza shop is a great grab and go while you're walking in downtown Charlottesville. I've only tried the pastas but they also have pizzas and salads available. The ragu to me personally taste better than the Alfredo. The noodles taste fresh and it will fill you up in that little paper container. I feel like the sauce could use more flavor Overall, it taste good and it's quick. read more

Luce - Outside - only outdoor benches for seating - Italian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Our C'ville family member called this shop "the pasta window", and that seems apt. Designed for takeout, we found that the pasta takeout container size was deceptive- initially we thought "geez, that's not much pasta", but once we started spooning it out, we easily fed three adults. The "Bolo" (short for bolognese) was great -meaty, flavorful, and the pappardelle was cooked perfectly. We added a pizza just in case, and again, with three of us sharing, it was just right. The spicy pepperoni was good, but I think we had our local hot honey and pepperoni as our mental model/frame of reference, so it wasn't as spicy as we had hoped. read more

We didn't go to the actual Luce, but when you have drinks at Crush Pad Wines, you can order off the Luce menu and someone will hand deliver (?!!) your food on a plate from Luce! What a wonderful concept!! We ordered pasta - Cacio, Bolo (papperdelle and pork ragu), and Pistou ( spaghetti with shaved zucchini and tomato, in a pesto sauce). All 3 pastas had great flavor and I loved the texture of the noodles!! Very good! read more

Food was amazing! Such a cute little spot and I loved everything we got. Everything is handmade and you definitely can tell. Would definitely return. read more

Yummmm! It was so hard to decide what to get as everything sounded delicious. The homemade fettuccini noodles were cut thick and came smothered in vodka sauce. The sauce was warm and creamy and the meatballs paired well with it. I usually opt for spicier food, but this hit the spot none the less. My pasta was ready in less than 5 minutes and the employees were friendly. I'm only in Charlottesville for the weekend, but I'm highly debating coming back a second time so that I can try out the pizza or another pasta dish. read more

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Came here to pick up dinner with friends after catching a movie downtown. The pasta was good but not amazing. We tried the Cacio, Bolo, and the Fettuccine. I liked that the pasta was fresh and hand-cut. The sauces in each order were also good. The meat sauce in the Bolo was hearty. The Cacio was buttery and tasty. And the vodka sauce in the Fettucine was yummy with the parmesan and meatballs-- it was my favorite. However, the pasta in each of the orders was a little overcooked. It often broke apart when trying to pick it up with a fork.   Luce is a cute spot for a casual bite; however, the lack of outdoor seating is inconvenient in the cold weather, and the location in the downtown mall isn't ideal for ordering takeout. In addition, I think that they increased their prices based on what other reviewers mentioned. I was charged 13 dollars for the Bolo and paid 15 dollars with tax and tip which I found a little high in my opinion for a take-out pasta place. read more

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I'm sure I'm not the first person to remark on how it's a literal hole in the wall, so I'll skip that. There's some seating nearby. Pasta is rich and filling with luscious sauces. They're generous with the meat, and I'm always full when I eat here even though the boxes might look a little small at first. They open at 4:00 and close when they run out of food. Good news is everything is super fresh, but something to be aware if it's at the tail end of their posted hours. read more

If you love Pasta... You MUST make your way to try Luce's... It's literally a small corner kitchen but what is produced is a beautiful cup of pasta absolutely worth waiting for! You can't go wrong with any of their pastas and they are all freshly made pasta from scratch with the perfect combination of flavors! I loved the simple buttery flavors of the Cacio! I would get a group of friends together... Purchase each pasta and their divide up the pasta so that you can taste all of them first before you make a decision about this place. Don't wait... Make your way there if you are a pasta lover! read more

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WEAR GLOVES OR USE TONGS, SIR!! I understand there are probably worse things that happen in a kitchen/ restaurant; but when you can see the person whose taking your money and everyone's else put his bare hands in the parmesan cheese, tomatoes and other toppings without proper sanitation after just taking and touching money, cards, pens is wild to me...the food is great, definitely 10/10. read more

Ate here with my wife, we both got the fettuccini with meatballs and were very pleased with it. There were three big meatballs in it and the pasta was flavorful and seasoned well. My one qualm is the way they take orders and say when the food is ready is not efficient and takes a long time. read more

Luce - Fettuccini with meatballs - Italian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Such a gem. The Cacio e Pepe hits different here. It's also quite fun to grab from the little window after browsing downtown.

I was visiting Charlottesville for the week and was told by multiple people to try Luce, and it certainly did not disappoint!! We originally ordered for pick up, but as soon as we saw the outdoor seating we decided to stay. You order online and they'll bring your order out either to the pick up table or straight to your table. We got the Cacio, Bolo, and kale salad. At first I thought the portion sizes were a bit small, but it was surprisingly filling. However, if you do have a big appetite, just one pasta will probably not do it for you. I really liked the Cacio while my boyfriend enjoyed the bolo (but both were solid choices). Everything was so delicious and fresh. The cheesecake was also pretty good, I really liked the crust. If I lived in the area I can definitely see myself frequenting this shop! read more

Luce - Italian Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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