Decent food. Specials are repetitive. Service is good as is the ambiance. They charge $4 for a soda and $4 for refills. I went to dinner with my kids and had $20 of soda charges. Kind of ridiculous- haven't seen that since the 80's. Probably won't return and I would go at least 1 x per month. read more

Mixed experience here. We had decent appetizers served fairly quickly. We got a 1/2 dozen oysters and Caprese salad to start. Solid but nothing amazing. Then we waited over 45 minutes for our entrees. It was verging on absurd. When the food came though, it was hot. The rigatoni with Italian sausage was amazing - tasty tomato sauce, generous on the sausage, nicely cooked pasta. The salmon was pretty good - but the bed of veggies it sat on were slightly greasy. Our waiter was very nice but wished she had come over before 40 minutes to give an update. Not sure how typical this was but it has been a long time since I've waited that long for food! Left without dessert. read more

Went here for lunch and had a wonderful time. Waiter was knowledgeable with the menu and helped when ordering. Server was also very attentive throughout our lunch even when it was getting busy. Drinks were very well made and the food was excellent. Definitely try the tiramisu. Luce is very warm and relaxing, great for get togethers and date night. I'm going to bring my husband here for our next night out! read more

My first time and it was fantastic. Really nice inside and the outside romantic if you want to be on a date. Our appetizers were amazing. For dinner my husband was in the mood for a seafood pasta it wasn't on the menu, but our waiter was kind enough and make it happen. The portions were really good size. I had the wild mushrooms ravioli so delicious. The dessert omg outstanding especially the chess cake. read more

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We visited Luce one other time, and I remember thinking we should visit more frequently. We aren't normally on this area but when friends asked us to meet up for dinner we were thrilled to realize it was the same restaurant we visited years ago! We all enjoyed our meals tonight and thank you for another great experience! read more

Luce - Italian Sweet Sausage Rigatoni 14 Oz. New York Strip Pan Seared Sea Scallops - New American Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

I was very impressed with Luce. My first visit but won't be my last. we did the pre fix menu. the pane cotto was a little dry and spicy but ok. The chicken sorrentino was delicious and great portions sizes for both. My friend got the caprese which was delicious and chicken siena was great for the price. They would have received 5 stars if they didn't rush us out. We were there for lunch and it was getting busy and they wanted the table. read more

The service here is a 5. The wine list here is a 5. The effort put into the preparation of the food is a 5. Quality of ingredients 5. For me the flavor of the food is a 3.5. For our mains we ordered the scallops and salmon. The proteins were cooked perfectly however the starch, veg and sauces had too much going on with too many ingredients. Said differently, the mains were a bit over-cheffed. Otherwise it was an enjoyable experience and would return next time I'm in the area. read more

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This was my first time in Middletown in years. Amazing how revitalized this area is. We sat at one of the outdoor sidewalk tables because it was a beautiful sunny day and late afternoon. You could feel the amazing energy. There was also outdoor seating available under an outdoor tent. The ambiance was elegant . The service was amazing. The waitress was knowledgeable, friendly and attentive. The food was delicious. I had tenderloin tips with portobello mushrooms & caramelized onions & served with garlic mashed potatoes . My friend raved about her French onion soup and her salmon dish with broccoli and garlic mashed potatoes. I will definitely return to this restaurant in addition to traveling to this area to try other local restaurants. read more

I've been coming here for happy hour about once a month for the last year or so. The service has always been good, food has been good. I always get an espresso martini, best one I've ever had. The place is a little more upscale and pricy but I think it's well worth it. read more

Great. food service was very good , nice atmosphere , we really loved it Sheila & Craig read more

Food and Service has always been top notch and we've been there numerous times. We chose to arrive early for a table by the window to view the world as it goes by. read more

Bread and spicy olive oil is very good. The chicken tarragon is chicken piccata in disguise. Was in a lemon sauce with caper berries on top. No tarragon so we mentioned that chicken tarragon isn't in a lemon sauce and there was no tarragon he brought us some DRIED tarragon to add to the dish. read more

Yes Yes Yes! This was one of the best meals I've had in a long time!! It was a birthday dinner for my girlfriend and I and I would absolutely recommend Luce as a special occasion restaurant. The service gets an absolute A+. The wines by the bottle list is extensive and great for every price point: The pepper crusted beef carpaccio and caprese salad were a wonderful start to the meal. The real winner of the night was the steak entree. We both got the 14 oz New York strip .. aged 21 days and char grilled. I am a steak connoisseur and this steak was the VERY BEST I have had in a long time. Amazing crust with juicy tender meat and the roasted potato and broccoli sides were also perfect. I will be back again and again and again for that steak! read more

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The clams casino was gross and mushy. The French onion soup was not hot and seemed like the cheese was placed on top and microwaved. Didn't finish either dish and decided to leave. The server was great and the martinis were strong, but expensive at $16.50 each. Would not recommend. read more

Server Alex was great, fast funny and reliable. Owner always very nice . Food was great ,I had halibut with risotto and vegetables always taste Delicious ,my husband always gets steak he always say its consistent great . We go there couple times a month my favorite place I recommend them They also made the best apple martini around read more

Luce - Steak and halibut - New American Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

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Had dinner with my daughter tonight after a day walking the Wesleyan University campus and downtown. We shared a salad of mixed greens, shaved fennel, tomatoes, almonds slivers with a white vinaigrette dressing. Salad was awesome. Servers were excellent. Kept on filling our basket with bread and glasses with water. I ordered the seafood festival Diavolo special and my daughter ordered the pasta bolanaise dinner. Both were delicious and cooked to perfection. Ended the meal with the chocolate Molton Lava Cake with vanilla ice cream and a cup of brewed coffee. Great memories made today. A bonus was the table in the back singing Christmas songs. On a side note--my daughter was accepted ED1 to Wesleyan University class of 2023 and will be playing for the Woman's basketball team. Go WES. Go Cardinals. read more

Luce - Seafood over Linguine with a mild Fra Diavolo marinara - New American Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

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Another great meal at Luce! I ordered the steak tip tenderloin with garlic mashed potatoes. Yum! The tips come served in a sauce but it isn't over powering and the tips were very tender ( cooked medium). Presentation was great. Tiramisu for dessert was heaven! Definitely pricey but if you are looking for finer dining, with a nice atmosphere,Luce is definitely a great choice! read more

Haven't been there in years but decided to try it again. What a nice place! Run by a father daughter and son team. The ravioli special in cream sauce was amazing. The ambiance under the tent with linen table clothes was perfect with the exception of emergency sirens blasting from the next door fire department! Not their fault! Try it, you'll like it. read more

Luce has a large seating area, but on a Friday night, sat dinner patrons all together in about one quarter of the space on a step-up section where the waiters were all bumping into each other due to narrow aisles between tables. One member of our party found a plop of some sort of creamy stuff on the shoulder of jacket draped over back of his chair due to proximity of dishes being carried from tables. You'd think wait staff would be wearing masks with everyone so squished together. But no masks. The menu was high end expensive for entrees with no salads or sides included. I ordered the sausage & pasta. Sauce was delicious but the sausage was crumbled and one larger hunk tasted supiciously like left-over meatball. Will not make an effort turn included read more

Luce is now open for outdoor dining. The food is delicious and they are being very careful during the reopening read more

Luce - New American Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

Bad to worse. Luce used to be good. No more. We should have known when the bread, cheap white, was stale. Appetizers were straight out of the freezer. Main course, pasta, was undercooked cold noodles smothered in a cheap tomato sauce full of fillers. Prices were high for mediocre fare. Avoid at all costs. read more

I went here for a funeral collation. It was a small family funeral and we were seated in a private room. The food was exquisite and the service was excellent. We were served bread with oil that was fresh and seasoned perfectly. Then we were served family style salad. There were 2 different salads on the platter and you could choose one or both. There was pasta with pink vodka sauce that was very good. There was also fish which I couldn't identify and was a little strong for my taste but was still good and served with vegetables. And there was chicken marsala which was excellent. For dessert they put a plate of mini canolli on the table and they were wonderful. It is a lovely restaurant in a very nice Main Street area. I was happy to be able to try this restaurant read more

Luce - Nice selection of salads - New American Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

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Met up with some girlfriends and sat outside. Live music by woman who sang beautifully. I got the scallop appetizer as my meal since I wasn't that hungry. Was delicious but had only 2 scallops and and mound of raisin jam which I felt didn't go along with the carrot and corn purée. It was also $18.00. Everyone else got swordfish special and loved it. I would go back to try something else but just be prepared to open up that wallet wide! read more

In a nutshell, the food was average at best. The French onion soup lacked flavor, had the bare minimum of cheese on it and was unremarkable. I found the menu to be very limited and I settled on Rigatoni with Sweet Sausage. The dish arrived with piles of pasta slathered in a rich thick tomato sauce. The portion was just too big and I left 75% on the plate. All three of the entrees were disappointing and even the chocolate lava cake had a gelatinous texture with no structure (but a delicious ganache inside). Three people ate for $213 which was high. Service was very good though. I think the kitchen needs to start using tasting spoons so the cooks can taste before they plate up the bland food. I wouldn't come back and left feeling unfulfilled. I'm sorry but I wanted to be more complimentary but "it is what it is". read more

Before I get into the review, I'd like to disclose that this was my first time going to this restaurant and my review is based on my sole experience. I understand some nights are better or worse than others and I'd like to highlight the goods and bads of my dinner. I'd like to first point out that I thought the staff wasn't super friendly and they seemed short staffed and disorganized. There was a kid who first approached our table and asked if we wanted "tap or sparkling water" I thought it was weird that he didn't introduce himself or greet us as our server. It wasn't until a few minutes later that I realized he wasn't our server and it made the previous exchange more understandable. The kid continued to help our server and my table throughout the dinner. But he tried taking my dinner away as I was still eating, and tried taking the check away while we still had the receipt in our hand, which we thought was a little rude. Our server, who's name I do not remember, was quiet, but did a good job. We ordered Espresso Martini's and they were very good and made to perfection. They were probably the best part of the whole experience. My girlfriend ordered the Chicken Medallion and it looked great and I even had some of hers.. But that is because my own chicken dish was not very good. I ordered the baby chicken fradiavlo, which I didn't realize was bone in before I ordered. But that's really not a big deal. Bone-in is bone-in. Yes, it requires a little more work, but if the chicken is good than I'm ok with that. That was not my problem with it. My problem is that the ratio of chicken that was actually edible compared to the amount of bone, cartilage, and other chicken carcass was not proportionate. I will attach photos to show how much chicken excess I was not actually able to eat. I was very disappointed with this dish and was actually disgusted with the plate just being in front of me at a certain point. I can't imagine that every order of this dish is as boney as mine, but just a heads up. Overall, I can see why people come here and will continue to come here. The decor and ambiance is comfortable and intimate. The drinks and wine list are great, and I'm sure the food is usually pretty good. I am just upset that after spending $130 for dinner, our expectations were not met. Would probably not go back. read more

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Meah....We went because we had a gift card and most likely won't be back. Very close seatting, the staff just couldnt squeek out a smile, and the food was ok.... I ordered the marinated steak tips and received some very tough and expensive stew beef. My husband ordered a steak and loved every last bite. The creme brule was GREAT but the canollis were flavorless. read more

Luce - New American Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

My friends and I really enjoyed our time at this restaurant! The food was great. I loved the desserts and they let us all just sit for hours and enjoy ourselves. The tent outside was nice too. I recommend. read more

Outdoor dining venue 5 stars. Food mediocre at 2 stars. The chicken had no seasoning whatsoever and was very dry. The ciabatta was soggy on the bottom however. Server, I will be kind here, never smiled. The saving thing here at 5 stars was the pana cotta I got to go. It was infused with fresh vanilla bean and topped with dried fruit. Excellent. read more

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It's been a while since I dined at Luce and things haven't changed much. Pretty good middle of the road Italian food, an uninspired and un inspiring menu and a good and reasonable wine list. Service was professional. The outdoor dining was surprisingly pleasant, considering it's at the busiest intersection in Middletown. I've eaten here before. I'll probably eat here in the future but I probably not go out of my way to get here. read more

Recently ate @ Luce Hamden, it never disappoints when it comes to food. The service is great too.

This place is so good! I love that they can modify any menu item to be gluten free. I can't eat gluten and they modified my entire order. I got the duck and it was so delicious, I vacuumed it entirely. My husband got the squid ink ravioli special. He loved it and the sauce, he dipped his bread in it. The service is great and I'll definitely be returning as they are extremely accommodating to my food sensitivity! read more

Upon arrival I would like to take my purse off shoulder before you ask me what I want to drink. I would like the bread to come when our entire party is there. You told us the special ravioli was ink squid. The order came and it was regular ravioli with seafood. We asked the waitress. Where is the ink squid? She came back and said our shipment didn't come in. A. You tell us he didn't come in and give us the choice if we want to order something else. B, you walk away and you keep it on the bill. Two people at our party wanted to take our leftovers home, but the bus boys who is literally down our backs, trying to get us out of the table, put both of our dishes on top of one another and never asked if we wanted to take our leftovers home. Great food service sucks. read more

I had the pleasure to have lunch at Luce today - a Wednesday at noon in early May. The place was almost empty at first, but by 1:00 there were many patrons enjoying lunch. The atmosphere is lovely - you can choose from dining in dark areas, light and cheerful sections or outside on the patio. The décor is classy and rich, even into the women's restroom! The ambient music consisted of Tony Bennett, Michael Buble, Frank Sinatra and Glenn Miller, to name a few artists. The wait staff was very friendly, attentive and abundant throughout my dining experience - there were at least three people constantly monitoring my status (not intrusive but in a good way!). Right away I received a basket of bread slices that were soft in the center and pleasantly crispy around the outside. The bread was accompanied by a bottle of garlic/herb-infused olive oil for dipping. For my lunch I started with the Soup de Poisson which consisted of a very large bowl of scallops, salmon, mussels and shrimp swimming in an extremely flavorful tomato stock. The seafood pieces were abundant, and every bite contained a large amount of flavor and seafood chunks - I ate almost every drop, and if I were not in public, I probably would have licked the bowl! For my second and last course, I chose one of the daily specials which was a steak salad. It consisted of six, large slices of perfectly-cooked grilled steak on top of a variety of greens topped with a pomegranate vinaigrette. The salad also had strawberries, poached pear slices, orange segments and pomegranate seeds. The smell was amazing due to the grilled steak and vinaigrette! This place is amazing in so many ways. I can't wait to return! read more

Luce - Soup Poisson - New American Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

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I heard from many people, Luce is one of the best restaurant in Middletown. Decide to check it out one day. I went for a late lunch while in town, visiting. The restaurant is noticeable with a big sign, you can easily find the place, even if you're lost driving to get there. I love places that has free and easy parking. The parking lot has lots of luxury car, so I feel safe parking here. I ate at the bar, the staff was nice and a tending. I ordered "10oz 21-day aged New York Strip" it came with potatoes and broccoli. It was delicious! I mean, I ATE THE WHOLE THING! It was so tender and juicy. It was worth it and I am glad to order it. The steak doesn't taste like any regular NY steak, I guess the aging made is so super soft and taste different. I know the fresh, never aged steaks from my past experience, its more chewy. I mean those wasn't bad, just saying aged steak is BETTER! The sides vegetable were good. Potatoes has flavor of garlic and onion, yummy. Broccoli was good too. Had dessert which is Tiramisu. It was happiness on a plate. If you love good food stop by to Luce. Also this is a great place if you want to impressed someone, like a date or work-meeting. I would stop by again and try other plate on the menu but I am loving the one I'd had. read more

Luce - Tiramisu - New American Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

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First, let me start with the positives. The convenient private parking lot is really nice to have for a restaurant located in the heart of downtown Middletown. The interior of Luce's is very beautifully decorated and designed as well. Unfortunately, that's where the positives ended for us last night. As soon as we walked in, the male host seemed annoyed to even greet us. There were two young women standing next to him who exchanged an odd look to each other before one of them grabbed menus for us to bring us to our table. It felt like we were inconveniencing all of them. When we sat down, a waiter greeted us and thankfully he was friendlier. However we only saw him twice more the whole night. The bread for the table was cold and the crust was extremely hard, almost inedible. My boyfriend and I decided to both order the Oven Roasted King Salmon. When we were served our salmon, the first thing we noticed is the salmon was over cooked and dry. There was also absolutely no flavor to the salmon itself, nor the undercooked vegetables that it was served on. We were wondering if we happened to just order the worst thing on the menu, because we were shocked at how flavorless and poorly prepared it was for being a $25 piece of salmon. Luce's is where we had our second date and got the delicious calamari, so we had fond memories there. This time was seriously a disappointment, and frankly an unpleasant experience. read more

Luce - Oven Roasted King Salmon - New American Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

Went a for A Valentine's Day dinner to this place and the food was amazing. The surf and turf was amazing. I would highly recommend this place for a romantic atmosphere. The staff was wonderful and took care of us. read more

Luce provided the perfect setting for me and my boyfriend to celebrate our 7-year anniversary. It was romantic, we enjoyed a good amount of privacy at our table with enough still going on around us, there was a great wine and beer selection, and the food was fantastic. We started with the Luce cheese selection, which included 7 kinds of cheese ranging from a very strong blue cheese, to a delicious triple cream, to cheeses made from sheep's and goat's milk. We got a few chunks of each kind, so my boyfriend and I were able to try a little of every kind, and then we let each other have extra of our favorites. The cheeses were accompanied by an assortment of olives and crunchy garlic croutons. For dinner, I ordered the pan diver scallops, which were served with a wild mushroom risotto, watercress, and a pomegranate gastrique. My boyfriend went with the tenderloin tips, which were served over garlic mashed potatoes and topped with onion rings and a carrot-mustard emulsion. Both dishes were excellent. My scallops were perfectly cooked - seared just enough on the outside and absolutely succulent on the inside. The risotto had great texture and flavor, and it all came together with the watercress on top. The pomegranate reduction was a little sweet, but it went well with everything else and was only at the bottom. My boyfriend's tenderloin tips were nice and tender, and the mashed potatoes were great. Prices were reasonable - entrees were in the $20-30 range and worth it. Service was friendly and well paced. We read about Luce's monkfish and venison specials, and while they weren't available when we went there, our waiter said they're available regularly, and we can call to check. We will be calling, and we will definitely be back. read more

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I didn't know such a restaurant was housed in Middletown. I'm not too familiar with the Middletown area but after my experience at Luce I'm willing to explore. I'm still wondering to myself why I haven't explored Middletown. Food: The Duck Two Ways was simply amazing. I haven't had duck that good in a long time. The plum wine reduction is something you can brag about once mastered. All the flavors complimented each other. I'm not a diehard duck fan but after that meal I am addicted. Another item that you have to try is the Luce Signature salad with fresh mozzarella cheese. My dining companion was beyond happy the flash from my camera didn't bother him at all. Our oysters were fresh and I wish I had some right now. Price: Not priced for everyday meals but the prices are far more reasonable than anything in West Hartford Center. Luce was charming and the entrees exceeded my expectations. I would pay their asking price in a heartbeat knowing the ingredients used to prepare my dishes were simply fresh and top quality. Service: Was I queen for the evening? Amazing service, staff was friendly and attentive. Parking: Adjacent to the restaurant no issues here. read more

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Living in Middletown, one would think that I would've been to Luce before. Over the last 12 or so years, there have been many restaurants to come and go. I think that I knew that this one would stick around, so there had never been a rush to get there. During the summer, Luce has a patio with beautiful tables, surrounded by beautiful flowers with beautiful patrons and beautiful servers. Maybe it all just seemed a little too beautiful? Might be that I'm partial to "Mom & Pop" places. The weekend after Christmas, my husband's family came up for a visit. My father in law made reservations for us, after reading the reviews on Yelp. We originally had reservations for 7, but at the suggestion of my FIL, we decided to move it to 6. Anyone with a kid under 2, will understand why. The restaurant was very accommodating, and switched the time for us. We were a large party that night, 7 adults and the half pint. I would have to say that my only complaint of the night would have to be, that they had set the table for 6, not including space for a highchair. They quickly brought another chair, and after a few minutes we had the settings figured out. Good thing we get along so well, other families might not have been able to sit so close. Our servers were very attentive (and beautiful). The restaurant was very warm and inviting. Being so close to the holidays, the decorations were still hung, adding to the overall ambience. The roaring fire in the fireplace didn't hurt either (kept us really toasty). After searching the menu, I chose the Porcini Ravioli. Others dined on the Pan Seared Sea Scallops, Chicken, Steak, Salmon & Pasta. Did I forget to mention that there were also Oysters on a half shell, Pepper Crusted Beef Carpaccio, salad & bread before the meals were served? I think that we might've tried everything on the menu. Everyone was pleasantly surprised by their meals. My ravioli had the perfect ratio of filling to pasta. The Black Truffle sauce is the only sauce that should ever be served with these wonderful little pillows. It was so creamy and exotic. The desserts were just as wonderful. My sister in law had the peach sorbet in a frozen peach shell. I opted for the Tiramisu (light and flavorful). Honestly, I couldn't tell you what the others had...I was too into my foamy Cappuccino at this point. All in all, it was a very wonderful experience. I will definitely be visiting this restaurant again. Oh, one word of caution...Be sure to ask your server what the market price is, of their Dover Sole. Not everyone can afford the surprise at the end of their meal. read more

I came here for dinner on a Sunday. I was seated in the dining area, but was moved to the bar so I could order off the bar menu instead. I ordered the grilled chicken panini with sweet potato fries. The serving size was huge, I only managed half of the panini and enjoyed it with a nice glass of wine. The service was great and the wait time for the food was not long. I'll have to come back to try the dinner menu :) read more

Luce - Grilled Chicken Panini with Sweet Potato Fries - New American Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut