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Luce

4.5 (587 reviews)
PriceyItalian, Wine Bars
Closed • Closed
Updated over 3 months ago

Luce Photos

Business Info

LUCE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating
Happy hour specials

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Recommended Reviews - Luce

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Reviews With Photos

Wild Boar rigatoni
Dale C.

So my wife chose this place and I am glad she did. Everything is made in house fresh. Very small and very cool. We will be back to this place. Our server was awesome she was as happy with our choices as we were. We chose the octopus appetizer. Oh man was it amazing. Usually the octopus is small and overly charred this one was cooked perfectly and a nice sized piece very flavorful treatment a little fragrant glaze with a little bite of balsamic The pasta Antonio was loaded with fresh ahi. So very good we enjoyed all of it. Lemony goodness and bright not overtly sauced which is perfect. The wild boar rigatoni was hearty and full of flavor. Ironically my wife ordered this and she loved it. Lots of boar and very flavorful sauce. Fantastic dish. Tiramisu was perfect very good. So many people over do the espresso flavor but this was just the right amount. Cold and full of flavor. Great place great food great service.

Pravash M.

Another solid 4 star bar counter seating experience. Wife enjoyed the Persephone cocktail (mad tad sweeter on request). House red was high value ($6 happy hour). Toasted goat cheese and pesto app was top notch ($14, 5/5 stars); warm, creamy, savory app on fresh bread with garlic and veggies. Gamberi e crema al limon ($29, 3.5/5 stars) had big, tender shrimp over pasta. Pollo a la Vodka special ($29, 3.5/5 stars) was a ton of chicken in thin pink sauce; side of fresh bread would have helped. I could have asked for some but wanted to save room for dessert. Pistachio cheesecake was DYNAMITE ($14, 6/5 stars). Bar tender described it perfectly - "sweet but not too sweet, big enough to share about 3 bites each, light/airy and not overly filling but big on pistachio flavor."

Bone in veal chop Milanese
Brandy W.

I had the pleasure of revisiting Luce after a couple of years and the food is just as flavorful as I remembered! I recommend making reservations a couple weeks out or if you have time to spare to wait, they do offer walk-ins. Also for parking, it's a bit tricky to find street parking downtown Norfolk, but the parking garages offer a free 2 hour pass, so that would be the best move. We ordered the bone-in veal chop Milanese made with the perfect panko crust and lemon caper sauce that was to die for. For the pasta, we order the special which was fennel sausage and a cream sauce with rigatoni pasta cooked just al dente creating the perfect texture. Service was impeccable and the restaurant is a bit smaller, so the noise level can be loud. Can't wait to go back!

Pasta with shrimp and a Limone sauce. So delicious.
Melissa M.

Second time here and it was a wait to get it but worth it. The food here is as close to Italy as you're going to get. I had a glass of Moscato to go with my dinner and it was all perfect.

Marylee B.

Was in Norfolk for business and decided to stop here for dinner. It did not disappoint! Val was our server and she was attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. She answered our questions and helped us pick our choices for the evening. I chose the Gamberi e Crema al Limone and it was rich and full of flavor. The shrimp were massive and the noodles were absolute perfection. The asparagus pieces were also the perfect texture, they weren't soggy but they weren't too crunchy either. My friend chose the Lobster and Prosecco Gnocchi, it was delicious and we were pleasantly surprised by the lobster portion. They certainly didn't skimp. We finished the evening with mini cannolis and tiramisu. Both were rich and the perfect ending to a wonderful dinner. 10/10 recommend. Small venue so I would encourage you to make a reservation.

Clam Brodo
Fina K.

One of my fav place! Even though it's small, It's worth trying it! I mostly eat at the bar area, cause you get a better feel of the restaurant plus you get to meet interesting people. And by the way it's simple decore, but the food makes up for it by far. You can actually see the kitchen in the back, and mesmerized how the chef conjure these wonderful dishes. The service was perfect! I ordered "Cesar Salad" it was nice they grill the lettuce just a touch to bring out the flavor and the dressing was so good! Next I ordered the "Clams Brodo" and Wow! I sipped up all the juices. Lol And finally my dessert was "Fresh Fruit Puff Pastry" It was so fresh and flaky that it completed a perfect meal for me for sure! All and I mean all of my plates where squeaky clean. Lol Definitely will come back! If you are in the area you definitely have to try.

Muscles with tasty chunks embedded in the sauce, perfectly paired with bread
Latonya S.

Luce is recommended by all the locals and it is definitely worth your time. The dessert was served warm - one of my favorites because it was a brownie covered with nuts and a caramel drizzle. The service was outstanding. This is a small location. Please make reservations in advance. If not, you may get lucky and have a seat at the bar - which I did after happy hour crowd was left. Prepare to be amazed by the risotto and scallops which happened to be today's feature muscles was the star of the entire experience.

The bruschetta had copious amounts of tomato which were flavorful, but not enough of the ricotta. Imbalanced.
Team KP S.

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

Singi D.

While I was on work travel I went here twice. The cutest little bar with very few seats and it's definitely worth the wait. I had the Halibut (with a spicy crust in a chutney) one day and another day the wild boar ragu with the glass of their happy hour wine. It was amazing. The bartenders were very interesting and attentive and had a fun and upbeat perspective. I really enjoyed sitting at the bar. However the ladies who work there, the hostess, was not as friendly. But the bartender made up for it. Highly recommend.

VEAL SALTIMBOCCA Hand pounded veal, Prosciutto di Parma, white wine, fresh sage, butter.
Christina T.

The restaurant is small yet comfortable. The food is delicious and our waiter was very attentive and made excellent recommendations. Highly recommend.

Esprssso martini
Maddy E.

SOOOoooOoOooO good! We walked in on a Saturday night and were told a 20 minute wait for bar seating, which was fine for us. It's a tiny little place. We were seated right around 20 min later. The service at the bar was good and attentive. I got the rig and goose (rigatoni alla vodka) and my husband got a seafood dish. Both amazing! Lots of fresh pasta options!

Scallops and risotto.
Jessie S.

I haven't been in awhile so I suggested my date for us to go here. I remember the ambiance was nice and the food being delicious. We had early reservations and were greeted by the hostess and sat us down. Very friendly. We ordered cocktails and I ordered the Ransom Note. Very delicious. I even ordered it again. Our food came before the bread so I'm not sure if they meant to do that. I ordered the scallops. Sadly the risotto was not cooked well. It needed to be cooked a little longer. We ended up sharing the cannoli dessert. Very delicious as well. It came in two so we each had one. Overall nice place but I was disappointed for the food.

Bruschetta

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The food was absolutely amazing and the service was top tier ! We were sat immediately with no reservations on a busy night .

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3 months ago

Great menu. Great drinks. Wife variety of wines offered. I sat at the bar for my meal. Small place but overall great atmosphere.

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Luce Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Luce

I see you can offer gluten-free and dairy-free dishes... do you have vegan options as well?

Yes

Do you accept carryout/take-away orders, and how do we place them?

Sorry for late response, yes we do. 757-502-7260

Hello, do you guys have a diary free meal or anything diary free?

Yes we sure can make many dishes dairy free.

How do we get a reservation?

Just call and leave a message with your telephone number and they will call you back. I have never had any problems doing that, they always call back. Cheers!

Do you offer gift certificates to purchase?

No we do not. Sorry. Thanks for considering us

Any gluten free pasta or breads here?

Yes

What's the best parking recommendation or suggestion? Is valet offered or an option? Thanks in advance!

Hello, there is street parking only. And unfortunately no valet.

Are kids welcome?

Tony and Angel would make you feel welcomed if you have to bring kids. But it is really a great place for a real Italian meal, wine and great conversation. Not engineered to keep young people happy. Now when your kids get to be old like mine it is… Read more

What does the happy hour entail?

Discounted wine, beer and well drinks.

Are you doing anything special for Valentine's Day?

We have beautiful specials . Also recommend reservations

View All 12 Questions

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Press 626 wine bar

(535 reviews)

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FANTASTIC! Vibes? Yes!…read moreFood? Yes! Wine? Yes! Thank you to John who welcomed us and recommended good wine for our food We came here with our son, who recently moved to Norfolk. He came here for his first meal in town and John treated him to a glass of wine with his gourmet grilled cheese He brought us to the experience : Brussels sprouts -- delicious with sweet and spicy and hazelnut Goat cheese and beet salad: good dressing, nice mix, exactly what I wanted for dinner Truffle tots: yeah, tots are good, but with truffle and Parmesan? Wow!! The vibes here are great. There's music on but you can still talk to people. Seating at the bar or tables or, if the weather is nice, on the front porch. It has an elegant but relaxed feel that would make this place great for a date or friends ( or family!) We will be back And yep, we are back for tapas Tuesday where all small plates are $2 off Hummus -- ok Duck egg rolls good Lamb meatballs : GREAT flavor!! Roasted Carrot beet with labneh and dukkah : delicious Dumplings-- good but spicy for me Miso butter gnocchi with mushrooms-- delicious Roasted salmon-- folks were split on this between "solid" and good Salad of farro and spinach with beets and goat cheese and pear -- this was amazing. The dressing had awesome spices in it that made the whole thing complex. 3 new wonderful wines ! Thanks to all at this restaurant for another amazing meal. You are our favorite Norfolk spot!!

From the moment we walked in, the ambience was warm and inviting. The service was truly…read moreexceptional--every team member was incredibly friendly, attentive, and genuinely seemed to care about making our visit perfect. The food was fantastic across the board, and the presentations were exceptionally creative, making each dish feel special. Everything came out beautifully prepared and absolutely delicious. A wonderful dining experience from start to finish. Highly recommended!

Varia - Fresh bread with olive oil and butter

Varia

(319 reviews)

$$

We had tickets to a show nearby and we were a little pressed for time but the staff was able to…read moreaccommodate us very well. We started out with the Cesar Salad and an order of the Meatballs as an appetizer. They were kind enough to split the salad for us and without having to ask, always a nice touch. The Cesar Salad was delicious, the ingredients were fresh and the croutons were clearly made in house. The meatballs were flavorful and tender. They were served with a dollop of whipped Ricotta and a generous amount of marinara, the basil sprig was also a welcome addition. Everything worked well together and we enjoyed the dish. We also split the Rigatoni Bolognese and again they split the order for us. It was served piped hot and it was delicious. The service was excellent and we were able to get in and most importantly, out in plenty of time to catch our show...

We came in for dinner one weeknight and the hotel was really busy, as there was a conference being…read morehosted, but this restaurant was steady, but not busy. The décor is really interesting, as it has a secret dining room behind a bookcase and all of it is beautifully assembled. Menu is decent, with many typical Italian favorites. Starting with their arancini, it was decent. The temperature was warm, but not as hot as it should've been considering we expected it to be freshly fried, plated, and served. The jam under it was a little too sweet as well, but the texture and flavors were decent. Next up was their Cesar salad. This was my starter salad and it was quite substantial. The lettuce was great - very fresh and crunchy! The dressing was excellent, clearly made in-house and it was so very tasty. The combo of both was excellent! Lastly, I chose their chicken marsala for my entrée. It was plated quite nicely, looking very tasty. The chicken was breaded and appeared lightly fried, as the batter flaked off. The sauce was a little too sweet compared to my liking... I realized that marsala wine is sweet, but this might have been reduced or sweetened a little too much. The greens were inedible - they were way too vinegary. I took one bite and choked trying to swallow it down. Their crispy smashed potatoes were very nicely done. Overall, this entrée was just 'ok' but nothing special, which I found disappointing, as I could have ordered a pasta instead. Service for our dinner was nice and friendly. Prices are on the high end for the quality of the food preparation, which is also disappointing. So, over the past couple of months I've been to Norfolk twice and last time ate at Saltine downstairs in this Hilton and this time ate upstairs at Varia and both menus are amazing, service was adequate, and execution was lackluster - This tells me their food program is poorly managed. I left out the review of my dinner guest's pizzas... They eat got a pizza and each was completely over-cooked!!! I like char'd crust on brickoven pizza, what I saw (and what they explained) wasn't a simple char, it consisted of hard, over-cooked cheese and toppings and frankly if I got either of those pizzas, I would've sent it back. Given the absolute beauty of these eateries and amazing menus, they need to work on the management component and they'll have truly amazing joints, but not until then.

Brothers - Shrimp marinara

Brothers

(152 reviews)

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My family and I were visiting Norfolk looking for a steakhouse and found this place. Overall it is…read moredefinitely worth trying if you are looking for a more upscale and slightly pricey night out. The food tasted amazing and came out quick. The crab cakes were cooked perfectly had a lot of crab meat. Most of the tables got steak and they were all cooked to each persons desired level. The salmon was also very flavorful an and cooked well. Both the sides of Mac and cheese and the seafood Mac were amazing. Definitely our favorite sides. Broccolini was good but a very small amount. Service was amazing our server was very sweet and accommodating. The restaurant was not too crowded on Saturday night. The restaurant is connected to the mall but there is no entrance through the mall. You have to walk outside. They say where to park on their website but I think you're better off parking in the street.

Well we finally made it to Brothers, on the cusp of what is the beginning of the closing to the…read morerestaurant. This evening my party of 6 arrived at 5pm for our reservation. Our extremely gracious waitress Roshaunda was really a darling young lady and why I added a star to total 3. Only for the service, Since the restaurant is closing they are no longer stocking basic things even like tarter sauce. Cocktail sauce , ginger ale. We were dining before a 8pm show at Chrysler Hall so did not have options and make our play on time. The food did come out hot and delicious. Lambchops had way too much glaze,almost to hide something.... Brothers announced the closure sometime about 2 weeks ago which makes me wonder if it is a long time coming.

Luce - italian - Updated May 2026

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