So thankful to finally make it to Luce and try their amazing pasta. We had been waiting to give them a try but it can be a bit challenging as they don't accept reservations. Came closer to opening around 5pm and we were able to snag a table with only a little bit of waiting. Food wise we split a few pastas, the lamb, and some small bites. The setup for the menu is fun and allows for a lot of trying with the half plates. The quiche dish starter was really good as well as the small toasts. The pastas also were quite tasty and were fresh and homemade. We had a pesto and the ragu and they all had unique pasta shapes and flavors. The only part of the meal I was a bit dissapointed about was the focaccia starter which tasted a bit like a saltine cracker. Just didn't have that nice fluffy texture that I was hoping for. Great spot for a date night or a small group. The space is elegant and feels like a small New York cafe. read more

This place is so good. We tried a ton of dishes. Salads and entrees. Don't be fooled by the unassuming presence. Modest location, screen shot pic of menu on website. Food is unbelievable. read more

Came here on a Wednesday night with friends so we got to try a little bit of everything! What stood out: - The cabbage was heavenly. I had no intention of ordering it but the server highly recommended it - I get why he did!! Such rich flavor and the char was perfect. - crostini with rabbit liver mousse. I would order this every time - staff was so friendly, kind, and empathetic for the long wait - half portion option! I really wish more places did this What wasn't as ideal: - the rabbit parpadelle pasta was fine. Not bad by any means but not amazing. Flavor was almost bland and the pasta itself was a bit mushy - portion sizes (hangar steak and crostini) are tiny for the price, we left hungry - hazelnut cake and focaccia was underwhelming All in all - a good dinner out, just expect a very long 1 hour wait (even on a weekday night). read more

Luce - Hanger Steak with Garlic & Rosemary 1/2 Pappardelle with Rabbit Cabbage with Garlic Oil - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Luce has been on the "to visit" list for quite some time. Glad that I finally had the chance to experience this great spot! It is a cute corner restaurant on Burnside. We lucked out with timing and didn't have to wait for a table. Because of its popularity and limited seating, you can expect to wait for a bit. Highly recommend going right next door for a pre-dinner drink while you wait. We were warmly greeted by Monica then served by Andrew. Everyone was very kind and welcoming. Andrew made great food and drink recommendations! We tried a bit of everything. Had the mushrooms, salad, tagliatelle, and fettuccine. The fettuccine was one of the best pastas I've ever had. So light / delicate. The sauce was amazing! We then enjoyed a few different desserts. The pana cotta was incredible one of the best I've ever had! We will absolutely be back. Highly recommend! read more

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This is an extremely solid Italian place with quick service, fresh pasta, incredible trout, and the best warm octopus salad I've had in Portland so far. I don't think they take reservations, but walking in on a Sunday afternoon at 4ish, we were seated immediately. Portioning was perfect. The quality for this price point was what makes me give this 4.7 stars. I would love to come back to try the olive oil cake! read more

Luce - Trout and pesto - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Some of the coziest and cutest restaurant I've been to in a minute. The inside is so welcoming with light colors and open kitchen. The wooden chairs and small tables added to the charm as well. We went right when they open to avoid the long line and it's totally the move. Staffs were very friendly and attentive. Their menu is large and diverse for a small spot with many options for Antipasta, Salads, and Pastas. The best part is that you can get half portion for most things to try more! Game changing move. The two of us split the Octopus Salad with Potatoes and Olives to start. Love how succulent yet well-charred the octopus pieces were. The potatoes and olives worked surprisingly well with the seafood. For pastas we got the Walnut Pesto and Lamb Saffron. Both were delicious with the Walnut Pesto being the most unique one out of the two. Crunchy walnut bits complement the rich sauce well. The lamb pieces were tasty and tender in the other one though. Can't go wrong with either or any of their options honestly. We also got a side of the Cauliflower with Raisins ans Pine Nuts. Loved this dish. Great texture and flavors. Wish we had room for dessert. Next time! Really can't ding anything. Great quality, price, and portion. We're stuffed on just a couple half portions. This is an excellent Italian spot that won't break your bank. read more

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THE BIG: Nice, small, and quaint Italian pasta shop in the Laurelhurst neighborhood of Portland. Very small interior but the tables are turned pretty quickly. Street parking available. THE BLACK AND WHITE: My wife and two friends came here on a Saturday night without a reservation. We put our name down and had to wait 2 hours to get a table. Fortunately there was a wine bar next door that we took time to catch up. We ordered the Spaghetti, radiatrottii, paperdelle, crozotti, tagliatelle, carrots, arugula, and fennel. My favorite was the paperdelle. Something about big flat pastas always gets me. It does get hot inside because of the amount of people they fit. Hopefully they'll get AC soon. THE FINAL BAMBOO: So so good, we spent around $110 for all the dishes. Granted, they were small plates but they packed great flavors. read more

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The pasta here is so good! I had been here once over a decade ago and remembering the food being really good. I'm astonished that I hadn't been back because I've been missing out. We came in on a Saturday around 5pm and were quoted about an hour wait for 5 people, so we went next door to their wine bar for some snacks. By the time it was dinner, we skipped right to the pastas. We got the clam linguini, fettuccini, and a stuff pasta in red sauce. We also got the trout, baked butternut squash, octopus olive potato salad, and the pickled carrots and beets. Wow. The octopus dish was phenomenal. Everybody loved it. The fettuccini was the favorite of the pastas but everything was perfectly cooked al dente. The restaurant itself is tiny, so come early if you do want to eat here. The tables are close together and it can also be cold in the winter with the huge windows - so take note to dress warm if you get cold! read more

Luce - Octopus & Potato with Olives - must get if you like octopus - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Don't bother coming here. Service was TERRIBLE. food was worst. Waited 1.5 HOURS for the pasta; with no apology whatsoever from the waitress. Sat down at 7.30pm, food was served at 9pm. Portion was extremely stingy. Waitress had the audacity to still ask whether the pasta was good. Don't be deceived by the pasta photos. read more

Really bad and disappointing experience. Definitely DO NOT recommend. The food was served after 1.5 hour, server was really rude and didnt even mention about food coming late and when we asked how much longer would it take, the respond was just "soon". No smile, no apologies. They could at least served the simplest fennel salad but nothing was served except for a piece of breas we ordered for an hour and pasta was served after 1.5 hr. The food itself was also not meeting the expectation at all. Pasta was very salty and there is no special taste. Grilled sole was served as three small pieces, don't order. Really bad experience both for the food, service. I guess people only go there for the vibe, but in our case, was also ruined by the rude server. read more

Excellent small Italian restaurant. Cozy, warm, excellent choices in pasta with "secondi" like hangar steak and lamb shanks. We had the polpette and crostini with smoked trout. Then, Cavatelli with arugula and pine nuts- sublime. Also spaghetti with clams - spicy and great texture on the homemade pasta. Combined with a beautiful Chianti. Well done. No reservations, so arrive early! read more

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Just went there tonight and don't think I will go back. Everything, pasta, polpette, focaccia, dessert was simply ok. I don't like going to a place and spending $75 on a meal that is simply ok. read more

Wait is looong but the pasta is well worth it . We came at 7pm on a Saturday night and didn't get seated until about 9p. We spent time at the bar next door while we waiting. If it's hot outside, it's very hot inside the restaurant with only a few seats and tables. Everything is hand made and fresh. For 4 people we ordered 2 half salads, an app, and about 5 half entrees. I would have ordered more of it want so late. The pasta was SO delicious. My favorites were the ratitorie with lamb and the spaghetti with garlic. Overall highly recommend, but expect a long wait. read more

Luce - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Food was really underwhelming, zero flavor and the portions were a joke per the price Service was beyond mediocre and it felt like the server had never seen an Italian menu before Ive never felt more relived under eating as if I got the full size portion Id be irritated I paid 40 dollars for flavorless pasta read more

$25 corkage was fine and they offered a decanter which was nice. Everything else just fell short for us. The service was spotty and inconsistent, the golden beet appetizer was odd and we thought maybe it just wasn't our thing but then the mains came and neither hit. The gnocchi was ok but small portion and pretty bland. Had to ask for salt and pepper for both dishes. My rabbit pappardelle was also bland and the flavor so light the asparagus totally overpowered everything else on the dish. I ate all the asparagus first just to get it out of the way. The crème fraiche that was supposed to come with my dish was delivered about two bites before I was done by a young guy that said "check this out, it goes well with the dish" well yeah, it was listed as part of the dish and it did give it some much needed grounding and depth it was desperately lacking. The focaccia was great and was the star of the night. The $5 bread should not be the star of a $130 meal. This was a solid 2.5 star experience but rounded up to 3 stars because nothing was bad but we were very disappointed. The portions were weak, the service was apathetic and the food was uninspiring. Maybe it's not our thing but there is better Italian in PDX. Maybe this used to be better. Note that we did not try the pizza. read more

I'd been wanting to try Luce for a bit, had heard good things from friends about the pasta. Popped in during the week & ordered a bit of everything based on staff recommendations. Salt focaccia & olives to start, the arugula & Parm salad, a half order of the rabbit Pappardelle, the seasonal stuffed trout & a side of the roasted squash. The highlight for me was the trout, it was light & flaky, well seasoned & cooked perfectly. Would definitely order it again! The Pappardelle was just ok, not as flavorful as I'd hoped and very little sauce/rabbit. The pros of the dining room setup are that it provides a small & intimate feel, tables are spaced out just enough that you don't feel on top of anyone else. Cute decor & very cozy feel. The only con to note, no AC (?)...it was 89 degrees out this particular evening & it was very warm inside. For me, a warm environment is just tough. Windows on both sides of the space make for great people-watching, but don't do much for keeping things cool. My table was located next to a small fridge or cooler which also seemed to be giving off a fair amount of heat. I'm curious about the other pasta dishes, the snap pea pesto dish sounded delicious...will have to try it next time. read more

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I had the BEST MEAL EVER here when we visited Portland over Labor Day weekend, and am embarrassed that I'm just now sharing! The food is simple, elegant and absolutely delicious. (I had the stuffed trout. Amazing.) The staff is friendly and makes time feel spacious. The wine bar where you wait next door makes everything easy and their unusual wine collection is fun to explore. Worth the trip just to dine at Luce. read more

Luce - Discovered this delicious red among their creative, unusual wine collection - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I came here a while ago, but totally forgot to write a review about how great this spot was! I came in during dinner with a girl friend and the place was packed. I highly recommend booking a reservation if you can. We ended up waiting for a while, and eventually got sat outside (there's covers and a heater). Service was friendly and attentive, despite us being outside. Something that I really appreciated about the menu here is that all of the salads and pastas come in both half and whole portions. As someone with a smaller appetite as times (and someone who likes to try many things on the menu), I really appreciated the option for a smaller size. My friend and I got the octopus with potatoes and olives to start, which was delicious. And for mains, we got the Tagliatelle w/ Beef and Ragu as well as the Linguini with shrimp--and later the hanger steak as we also really wanted to try that. Everything was phenomenal. I would love to come in again and dine inside, as it seemed so cozy! read more

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great experience at Luce. Everything we ordered was delicious. we ordered four different pasta dishes and would order all again they were so flavorful. Our server was outstanding, very helpful with suggestions for amount to order and wine selection. Had a short wait for a table and enjoyed a glass of wine next door. Would I eat there again? Yes!!!!! read more

Maybe I'm not 'high brow' enough to eat at a place like this but it was overpriced and you're basically bumping elbows with people next to you. read more

So so so good. I was craving Italian and Luce hit all the spots. Thank you to Zach for his recommendations and requested surprise perfect wine pairings. We sat outside on a beautiful night. Next to us was a darling dog and a regular with panache who's affect suggested a story. A story that peppered our conversation and connection with our server/culinary guide for the evening. I suggest the farro pie, with pickled carrots (Zach's, idea, obv), the red lettuce, anchovies and breadcrumb salad. Followed by a couple of pastas-the rabbit and pappardelle (our choice) and something perfect with pesto (again. Zach for the win). He surprised us with a sticker, of our neighbor with his dog upon his departure and it was then we knew, we had fallen in love, if only for an evening. Mussels? Muscles? Who knows after that, it was all a blur of pleasure and some 1994 Marsala. We've run away to Tuscany. I don't know what happened. But I'm happy. And Luce helped. Go. Change your life. Get a sticker. Eat some good food. Life is short. Live it up read more

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Have I been hiding under a rock?!? Finally I made it out to Luce The only downside for me is you can't make reservations! Which makes it driving far and kids an absolute nightmare but who cares I would do it again. Exquisite, not one complaint, start to finish. I would say this is by far the best is not the best Italian restaurant around here. What didn't we order? I would pass on the bread, too salty for me but my friends loved it Octopus and potatoes Fennel salad Green salad Wine list amazing My favorite dish, the broth omg 10000 It was so delicious I ordered two to go The mushroom, carrot marinated were not my jam The eggplant balls were interesting but I preferred all the salads and olives! The steak was amazing and perfectly cooked I ordered the shrimp linguine and oh boy it was def tasting like the sea, Everyone loved what they ordered for entrees We ordered all the desserts but our favorite was the orange cake. Wooooozier. This place is amazing, chefs kiss Service was outstanding Can't wait to come again read more

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Had a great dinner there last night with friends who are moving away. We had about a 15 minute wait for a table, which wasn't bad given the weather was nice. Since they don't take reservations I'd suggest show up early or go for a late seating. The space is small but not cramped. Cozy and intimate. The service was excellent. Our server oriented us to the menu well and gave us clear, confident, and generally unerring advice. The wine list is excellent and though we did 'by the glass' to suit the varied taste at our table, the t looked like there were plenty of options for a nice bottle that wouldn't break the bank. We started with several antipasto: mushrooms, faro & parmesan pie, rabbit liver crostini, and eggplant polpette. All were good but the pie and crostini were our favorites. We then had the fennel celery dill salad. Amazing! Fireworks of flavor. We ordered half portions of the Corzetti, Rigatoni, and Pappardelle, and a full portion of the Radiatore. All were excellent Flourless Chocolate cake and blood orange cake ended the evening. The blood orange was fantastic. Luce deserves all the rave reviews they've had over the years. Wonderful intimate space, hand made pastas, friendly staff, executed to a high level but without pretension. Highly recommended read more

One of the best Italian restaurants in Portland. The space is small but intimate. There were no tables larger than four tops. I recommend getting there early, but they have a good waitlist system if you need to wait. The menu is extensive with a wide variety of pastas and antipasti. Many of the dishes can be ordered as half sizes in case you want to try more dishes. Some standouts included the crostini with rabbit liver mousse and the gnocchi. The staff were helpful and polite. We had a great experience. read more

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We got the cheese board, garlic scapes, and snap peas to share. There was a gorgonzola and a goat cheese, which paired together was amazing. This was the half portion of the radiatore pasta and it was a lot of food. I think the pasta shape was really good for soaking up the sauce and was cooked al dente. I think personally I might have picked the wrong pasta because I tasted a little too much fennel but overall it was good. All of the food was very reasonably priced. The restaurant itself was really cute and there was outdoor seating, which would be really pleasant during nice weather. read more

Luce - Radiatore with lamb, saffron, and fennel seed - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

delicious food. incredible ambiance. a place that makes you feel like you're having dinner in new york city. amazing service as well. i felt very taken care of by our server. read more

I don't want to hang too much on a tiny place like Luce, but in its nearly 15 years here, it's come to represent everything that is both great and mind-numbingly frustrating about both the Italian and Italian-American dining experiences here. We've seen this place make a lot of necessary adaptations since the pandemic: Wedging in more seats, adding outdoor seating, minimizing the shop and provisions, but focusing on the menu. That said, they've accomplished it all with grace and navigated the costs of the business that have killed lesser establishments. But let's start with the space: Yes, it is small, but this is why it pays to do some minimal research. There are no reservations (which is more often the case than not in Portland even after the pandemic), so if time is of the essence, you're likely going to be better served by a place like Montelupo that can set aside a table or bar seats in advance. Let's talk about the portions: I'm going to break this to Portland's Olive Gardenazzi as gently as I can--a portion of pasta is generally a cup or somewhere between 120 and 150 grams. It isn't the box of Ronzoni that the Old Spaghetti Warehouse empties into your troth just before you twirl it around your fork. Considering that this is what Luce serves as its single portion, and that all of the pasta it serves is handmade (as are the sauces), what it is charging is not only eminently reasonable, but a steal in this area. Now let's discuss the experience: Luce built its room, its menu, and its pricing around the basic concept of a small Italian restaurant or cafe. It may not be the spot with 20 tables on the Piazza Del Repubblica, but it's the little door with two tables on the side street a few blocks down. It isn't there to consume ink or data with fawning reviews: It's there to make you comfortable and get you to stay. John Taboada loves importing this idea to Portland, and this corner of it in particular. Navarre is, culturally, the closest thing Portland has to a true Spanish cafe that values your time there over what and how much you consume. At Luce, you can pick at $2 antipast and $4 salt focaccia while sipping $5 Menabrea (will just say it... better than 25% of "craft" beer available in this market) and Amaro club or $8 house pours. The pasta prices for a "half" (again, a full portion), typically range between $15 and $16, but there's always one $10 item on the list. The specials (including hangar steak and lamb) clock in at $20 to $25. This is a time-worn formula that allows the patron to order as much or as little as they wish over the span of time they choose. Want to drop in for 10 minutes for a drink and a nosh? Can do. Want to be there for an hour and a half talking with old friends. Can do that, too. Want to plan for an hour on a date night, but have options that let you pull the rip cord halfway through? Luce has got you. Also, I'm hearing a ton of griping from the peanut gallery about wait times as if nobody's figured out that Luce owns a whole-ass bar--Bar Martina--right next door that you can wait in until something opens up. I've mentioned in other reviews that I've complained my way to 28th Street basically becoming a Portland Little Italy, and I'm extremely grateful that Luce hung around long enough to be part of that transformation. I can't help but see some of the notes that places like Montelupo and Grana took from Taboada's enterprise, but the neighborhood is still rife with places that would rather turn a table than create repeat business and customers who wish every Italian eatery was like the Grassa that ChefsTable exported to their suburb. One of the either great or disappointing moments in each Italian-American's life is realizing that their culinary traditions and those of the various regions of Italy are more disparate than they could imagine. But if you can develop an appreciation of each, and recognize the effort and culture behind a place like Luce, what it's offering seems more like a gift than an unintended slight. read more

Cozy corner dinner off of Burnside, arguable the tightest tables around. Definitely not a group venue but perfect for two. Every table was seated which made a very lively room. The menu ~ small bites, nothing served in large quantity. Everything was seasoned well, tasty & satisfying if tasting multiple plates is your thing. Gotta sip on Italian beer to complete the ambience! Our waiter was perfetto ~ soft smile & inviting tone to his voice & posture. Attentive throughout the dinner. Showed true professionalism. Made the $$$ dinner. The restaurant could use an overall deep clean. The antiqued decor is cute, but too much grime all around and the walk to and in the bathroom is not pleasing. read more

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Anything you may spend is worth it. This is how Italian food is supposed to be done. This is an unpretentious and unrelenting YES. I have traveled far and wide thru Italy, lived in NYC for well over a decade and dined at some great spots and this one rivals most of the Italian spots which top my list. Also, great vibes/evening ambiance. A+ and thank you. read more

My partner and I look forward to date night here every few months. Simple and excellently executed menu. The waits can be long but we plan an evening around it and have drinks nearby. Service is always excellent and friendly. The food is just really...really good. Do yourself a favor and eat here. read more

The food portions were small. The staff was friendly. The restaurant was small. The food was good, but because of the portion sizes and the cost of the food for us was not a good match. read more

Amazing little spot and I see myself coming here again and again . From the food to the wine selection to the ambiance-everything was just perfect. We were immediately seated and attended to despite there being a line. The interiors are cozy and the dimly lit environment makes it a perfect date night spot. The menu is made of big and small portions and as a result you get to try a variety. We ordered a bottle of Le Vigne di Faraone Montepulciano to share amongst the three of us . The wine selection is extensive and focuses on bold Italian reds. One thing that I didn't really like was their choice of glassware for wine ,I believe what they used were Sospiros . The volume of the big glass allows ample headspace to collect aromas and with the glasses they provided It kind of brought down the experience a notch . I do understand that they are trying to make an authentic Italian experience but I also think it should depend on the type of wine being served . Not trying to be picky but just a suggestion for the restaurant . The wine was fantastic- light and dry and had a little earthy tones .For food we ordered - Focaccia Crostini with Rabbit Mousse Linguini with shrimp Spaghetti with Garlic & Hot Pepper Pappardelle with Rabbit Whole Flourless Chocolate Cake Food was superb and portion sizes just right . Service is alright , I wouldn't say they were bending over backwards to be friendly but answered all our questions . The staff was to the point and seemed to be in a hurry but that did translate into our food coming out fast as well. Pricing seemed fair for the quality and taste . read more

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One of the best Italian restaurants in the greater PDX area, but Luce's efforts to raise prices while shrinking plates is quite obvious. Moreso, the more expensive ingredients in your favorite dish may have been replaced by cheaper components. Past dishes are served in smaller bowls to hide the fact that you're getting less for a larger bill. The octopus in the appetizer? What octopus? It's now mostly potato and olive. The focaccia? Dry, hard, served a day too late. The desserts? Lacking in flavor...just generic, bland sweetness. I hope Luce can turn things around and get back to their historic excellence. At the moment, I'm happy to wait it out a bit until I hear through the grapevine that they've returned to the days of old. Always great service, personable staff, but Luce receives a 'HOLD' for now.... read more

Excellent! Food was delicious. Wait time in the bar next door was a great experience. Everything was wonderful

Horribly overpriced for what you get. While having the options for half plates is very nice. Nothing really came out as something you couldn't make at home. For $40 a plate, this is a ridiculously overpriced experience for what you get. Service was fine. read more

Excellent menu navigation from our fabulous waiter Andrew. His suggestions were right on! Delicious appetizer of smoke trout crusting and a farow and Parmesan tart. Loved every bite and not overwhelming sizes. Incredibly large wine list which Andrew offered tasting from until we decided on a few glasses of Chianti. My friend enjoyed the pork chop which was not only tender and quite savory but also looked like it came out of a Martha Steward cookbook. Fabulous flavors on my fusilli and pesto with mushrooms: I ordered half an entree which turned out to be the perfect proportions. Accompanying our dinner was an heirloom tomato salad dusted with fresh sprigs of mint. Bursted with flavor! Highly recommend this lovely neighborhood spot. Outside has the best table as inside is quite loud. read more

a cozy intimate space with incredible Italian food, simple and done well. staff were so kind and let my dad nerd out over wine which made him very happy. we did a walk in and was able to get a seat somewhat fast which is incredible for such a small restaurant. it was rainy day so this made for the perfect cozy dinner and we left very full and happy, definitely will be coming back! read more

Luce - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Adored this spot! Felt super euro chic. Pasta dish was good and clams were fresh. Good quality ingredients and very friendly staff. Great ambiance and lighting, would be a great date night spot! read more

Luce - Spaghetti w Clams - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Food was pretty good, small portions/ pricey but worth it if you're into trying different dishes the pasta with rabbit was notable

Ambiance is alright. Almost made to look like Europe but not quite I didn't get the concept of that. Some of the food items on the menu were not Italian. For the price their food is not what I want to spend for. Service on the other hand was absolute brilliant. They have a wonderful staff. read more