This place is not cheap! But you get what you pay for. What you get at Luce is a great place to spend dinner with friends. Sat us exactly on time for our must have 7pm reservations. Wait staff incredibly attentive. Not hovering ,just knowing when to show up when needed. Drinks were a generous pour. Wine list extensive. Excellent reds. Three pasta meals were excellent. The duck done two ways was again, plain excellent. No desserts. Parking is plentiful both on the street and in a side lot. Middletown rocks. read more

We went to Luce spur of the moment on Saturday night and decided to sit at the bar. From the moment we sat down to the moment we left everything was great. The staff was friendly and responsive. The infused olive oil they serve with the bread is great. We had the Diver Scallops served with Risotto and the 18oz Ribeye. Both dishes were spot on. We ended our meal with Creme Brulee. Will definitely return to try some other dishes. read more

Luce knows how to make an event special. I've dined here a few times over the past few years and it's always a great experience with delicious food & a nice ambiance. We had an event with 7, so I called ahead to make a reservation, I had a cake I wanted at the event and they let me bring that at no charge. The food was fantastic, the service was incredible! The meal was timed well with the appetizers coming out before dinner. Our only complaint is we were in front of the door where some people go in & out to the patio, the table shouldn't have been right there in the doorway. This restaurant is always spot on, and I'm a food snob! read more

Love this place. Great food and very professional staff. The espresso martinis are delicious and he specials are always new and worth asking about. read more

Delicious and leisurely meal with my parents. We all enjoyed what we had...onion soup, salad, seared scallops, lamp chop, wild salmon. Yum! read more

Went to Luce for the first time recently. We were meeting friends as a surprise, but even though we all checked in under the same name, we and our friends were seated in different rooms of the restaurant. It took about 10 minutes for the staff to realize that we were meant to sit together. OK... an odd start. Our waitress was new and did a nice job, though she only took half our drink orders before the meals came. There were lots of waitstaff milling about all throughout the meal. Someone looking like the owner spent a good amount of time pacing around the parking lot all evening. It was... odd. Our food was quite good, though I will admit I'm a bit of an Italian food purist and it was not the best I've ever had. I'd give it four stars. The wine was good as well. All in all, Luce was a nice experience, though I found it very expensive and the management overreaching given the realities of the atmosphere, staff, and food. read more

It was our first visit to Luce in Middletown, CT and we will be back! Our reservation was for 6:30 (early since we were trying to juggle dinner and a movie which isn't always easy to do). We were greeted warmly at the reservation desk and by the manager. Our table was ready and we were immediately escorted to it. ( I don't like when your table is ready and you are asked to wait at the bar). The atmosphere is cozy and warm with a beautiful stone fireplace in the middle of the dining room. The menu had many yummy choices and there were some interesting specials as well. The wine list is extensive. Out table shared the fried calamari which came with a marina sauce and a tartar sauce. The calamari was OK, nothing to write home about and a little salty but tender. I had a mesclun salad with shaved fennel which was delightful. For the main course I selected the Mahi Mahi special which was grilled and over broccoli table and a dried cranberry risotto. All was delicious! My husband opted for the pork chop special and it was stuffed with spinach and fontina cheese over mashed potatoes. It too was delicious. Our dining companions selected the sweet sausage rigatoni and the Mahi Mahi special. Both were very pleased. For dessert we opted for the in-house tiramisu which was creamy and outstanding and the coconut sorbet which was refreshing but not made on the premises. The dinner was well paced, water was filled without asking and the food was served at a good temperature. With one bottle of wine the bill for the four of us came to $195 pre-tip--not cheap but we felt like it was worth it since the food, the service and the atmosphere were all very good! We will definitely return! read more

The food at Luce was absolutely amazing. My boyfriend and I had zero complaints regarding the food. I ordered the duck, and it was cooked perfectly - it was one of the best meals I have ever eaten. The reason I did not give this review 5 stars is because the service wasn't completely up to par. Our waitress wasn't bad, but she wasn't very friendly either. My other gripe was that it was very loud in there. Despite that, we do plan on returning. read more

Absolutely amazing! Loved it! This was our first time here and couldn't say better things. Such a great place for lunch!! Their martinis were excellent, we had the espresso and the tiramisu. The appetizer scallops were excellent and very tender. If you want an amazing soup!! Please get their seafood one! Absolutely incredible and so warm and delicious. Can't wait to come back!! I already miss the soup. read more

My wife and I just went tonight for our 20th anniversary dinner and let me just say, the experience was the best dining experienece we have ever had. The food was exquisite, and our server Alex and the rest of the staff were amazing. They made us feel welcome and comfy. I recommend the beef carpaccio for an appetizer, as well as the cheese platter. I had the seared diver scallops and my wife the chicken medallions and both were heavenly. The risotto sides were delectible and we had panna cotta and creme brulee for our desserts which were sinfully sublime. Luce is top notch and I recommend you eat here and enjoy! read more

The Thanksgiving dinner was a big disappointment. Service was very good but the food was not as expected. Turkey was dry, side dishes had no flavor to them - very bland meal! I think this was the worst Thanksgiving dinner I have ever had at a restaurant. read more

I like this place but only for the steaks. One of the best NY strips around. Always tender, flavorful and cooked perfectly. All of the other meals are just OK. read more

Went here tonight for my mom's birthday and it was fabulous! The food, atmosphere and our waiter were all excellent. I had brought a cake to the restaurant and asked the host if they could bring the cake out after we ate...not only did they bring it out for us with candles and singing happy birthday, but they went the extra mile and cut the cake for us and served it to us with whipped cream, a strawberry garnish and sprinkled powdered sugar on each of our plates. they went above and beyond and were so friendly! we will definitely be back :) read more

I celebrated my birthday here with my family. We had a wonderful time. Excellent service and delicious meals. I came for the spinach gnocchi and was not disappointed. Two of my party had the rabbit which was excellent as far as they were concerned. Everyone else, tho I forget what they had, were pleased with their meals. The cocktails were super also as was the wine. Loved it all. And a bonus is their private parking lot. If you dine often in Middletown then you know what I mean. read more

Very nice place -- Expert and friendly service. Porcini mushroom ravioli is good (not great, but good - sauce is a little runny, but the ravioli are nicely assembled and properly cooked), but the soup de poisson (a French title in an Italian restaurant?) ... I don't care what they call it, it is extraordinary in any language. Delicious, rich seafood broth (and not overly salty, which is a stumble of many places) -- this broth has obviously been created by someone who knows how, and cares to do it well. And it is filled with bite-sized morsels of a delicious variety of seafood. (I believe I even saw lobster roe?) I could easily make a dinner of this and some of the nice crusty bread they bring to the table and maybe a small salad, and I'd be the happiest guy in town. read more

Love this place, but it is expensive (but worth it) the soup is so good I would travel an hours drive to have it. Its so great that if you have it once you will remember it forever and if you think about it you will start drooling. I'm not making that up, being very honest. Best fish soup I ever had in my life and I have eaten at thousands of restaurants in my life. The bread and flavored olive oil is a nice touch. Can't really say what the place is like on the inside! Sorry I always eat at the outdoor patio. Very worth your time. read more

Excellent dinner. Convenient location when traveling through the area. Very fine waitstaff.

Went in for a birthday dinner with friends for the first time. Did not know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. We sat outside with great ambience and the wait staff was extremely friendly. Appetizers were delicious... shrimp chowder followed by clams on the half shell and a dinner with a roasted beet ravioli with walnuts. Cheese cake desert had a candle in it and everything was delicious. The wait staff was so very attentive and every need was met! Amira was fantastic. We will definitely be back. read more

Just had dinner here. Everyone's dinner was perfectly cooked and delicious. Service was great. Would definitely come back!

This place is the best. I just held my sisters bridal shower and it couldn't be any perfect. The staff was great and personable. They made sure our guest were happy and the bride to be got what she needed. They also helped me set up. I reccomend this place to anyone who wants to have and event there or just to eat. The food is great even my niece like the food and she is eight and pickey. THAK YOU SO MUCH LUCE read more

Found Luce to be extremely over priced. Food was ok and the service was not great. Restaurant was clean. When we arrived the waiters were vacuuming and when we left they were sitting at a table on their phones. Not the atmosphere I would expect for the money we paid for ok food. Will not return. read more

Went for a birthday dinner. We weren't allowed to sit in the atrium room. The chicken in my dinner had a very tough piece. When I told the maitre d he said 'oh next time....blah blah...' Undetectable words & he walked away. Man at table nearby told him there was a hair in his food. We could hear it. We could see he wasn't believing him & talking about it instead of just taking it away & making customer happy. Not the way you treat people especially for the prices we paid. Won't be a next time for us. read more

Having worked in the industry for many years of my life, I expect a lot from a restaurant. The experience has to be pretty top notch to get 5 stars from me, especially from a full service restaurant where I have to include service in the mix. From start to finish, the meal my daughter and I had last night met all of my expectations. We started out with a shared appetizer from the specials menu of caprese salad made with fresh mozzarella. Incredible! My daughter had the porcini mushroom ravioli in a truffle cream sauce and I had the 10oz Filet Mignon. The steak was cooked perfectly and was a perfect piece of meat. I have had a lot of steak in my many years, but this one was exceptional. I also had a taste of my daughter's ravioli which were to die for! I will definitely order that next time if in the mood for a rich delicious pasta dish. We split dessert which was the ricotta cheesecake. Fantastic! Is it a bit expensive? Yes, but worth it. Our check was 135.00 before tip (we each had a nice glass of wine and an after dinner coffee for me as well as a second glass of wine for my daughter) and it was worth every dime. Actually if you saw/tasted the steak, you would think it was a bargain! A lovely celebration dinner for my birthday. Highly recommend this lovely bistro! read more

First time here and I doubt I'd return. I expect that when a table orders a $135 bottle of wine, the waiter would be at the table making sure everything was perfect, yet the only thing he did was pour our wine. I started with the onion soup, very salty, so much so that I didn't even eat it. When the waiter came to take the full dish of soup, I asked him if he would put it in a container and that my dining partner would take it and he never asked me if there was something wrong with it. A full bowl of soup should have sparked a little suspicion for a good waiter. Dinner was the seared scallops, which I requested to be cooked well done but were raw in the center and heavily salted. Again our waiter was no where to be seen during the main course so I had to suck it up and eat them. 4 people, a check that came to $460 before gratuity, and we never got a "thank you for coming". So they have lost all future business from me. read more

3 year back for Easter dinner. This year was not as good as the past 2. We had 11 people with reservations well in advance but the table was very tight and jammed against the wall. Most dinners were good . I was disappointed that they served my son and I a loin veal chop (29.95) instead of a Rib chop that was served the previous two years. If your not familiar with the difference a Rib Chop is $17 per Lb a lion $9. There's a world of difference. This change should be stated on the menu. I mentioned it to the waiter he said he'll ask about it and never said another word about it. I feel I've been fooled or they don't think I know the difference. I'm not sure which is worse. We'll have to rethink going back. If you start cutting corners in one place you'll do it elsewhere. Filet, Strip, Pastas were good . My daughter's Tenderloin Tips were ok. I a straight forward person and don't like to be taken advantage of. read more

A friend and I who had previously enjoyed many satisfying dinners at Luce decided to treat ourselves once again, hoping for yet another special dining experience. Unfortunately, that was not to be. My friend ordered the Tenderloin Tips and my choice was the Long Island Duckling. There was a longer than usual wait for the entrees, which did not seem like a problem to us at the time, but when we started our meals, we both realized that the food was cold. Our waiter was apologetic and gracious when we told him of the problem, and took our plates back to the kitchen to be corrected, only to return with 2 plates of equally cold food. Once again we let our waiter know, but were frankly so hungry at this point that we decided to consume the food as it was. Again, the waiter apologized, and another wait staff did as well, offering the regrets of the chef and saying they'd been surprised that night by the arrival of 25 unexpected guests. Yet another staff showed up at our table as we finished, and without explanation brought us a piece of cheesecake to share, in an apparent attempt to rectify our unhappiness. I'm sorry to say that we are in no hurry to give Luce another chance. read more

for the money i spent here, i could go to JGilberts in Glastonbury or Max Downtown for a muchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh better meal.. my brother in law loves this place.. then again, he loves cracker barrel... go figure! read more

always consistent....great menu with interesting specials..i usually have the sirloin which is always cooked perfectly and delicious..well trained polite staff with a very casual but classy atmosphere....great cocktails as well....a definite winner in my book! read more

My family and I love Luce's. We eat here probably about 5 times a year and it's always been consistent, beautifully prepared food. Specials are awesome. They don't have a high turnover rate for the staff which I think is great. I have actually gotten to know quite a few servers and they are all wonderful. Although this restaurant is a little more fancy than most restaurants we go to, I have been bringing my daughter with me since she was a little baby and now she is almost five and they couldn't be more accommodating. As a mom, it's a terrible feeling when you walk into a restaurant with a child and you get the "look" from the staff...moms, you know what I'm talking about. There was only one night in 8 years that the food was off. It was only my dish, my beef was overlooked pretty severely. We were a party of 10 with family visiting from Vegas, Florida and NY, we were having a great time so I didn't even bother saying anything. I could tell the staff was distracted that night, and most likely the kitchen, and while it was unfortunate for me (not my guests) Luce's still deserves 5 stars. Everyone has a crappy night. Oh and the Cosmo's are FABULOUS.... read more

lambchops were delicious!! caesar salad was fresh and tasty!! loved the bread and the service was perfect.