It's Valentine's Day, I look up this restaurant because I heard it's good. I look up online, it says "we do not take reservations" multiple different times. I show up the the restaurant expecting a wait, I see on the door "sorry were only taking reservations". I don't know if they have an Instagram page that they communicated the change for the change. very frustrating experience, would have loved to taste the food. read more

They refused to serve 7 person and baby Since the start We requested to have 2 seprate tables and they still refused The curly afro lady made it clear she did not want us dining at the restaurant Loss of 190$ we had best pizza blocks down read more

No resys, just walk ins and it's busy but going earlier is always best or be prepared to wait a bit. It's more than worth it, the food is fire and with the portions it still feels like a lot but it's nice to try a little of everything. My favorite is the pesto and oyster mushroom pasta dish and the radiatore with lamb! Great wine selection as well. Quaint small and nice spot. read more

What a quaint little gem! We got here 20 minutes after opening and they were already fully seated. This place is busy. Come early or be prepared to wait. Love the antipasti options and being able to pick half of whole portions of pasta. Very extensive wine list. The must tries are the chicken liver mousse crostinis, butter lettuce salad, fettuccine. The place is super cute and homey good vibes. Can't wait to try more things. read more

See all

Back in the day there was a spot on the Lower East Side that was phenomenal, Il Bagatto was the name and simple delicious Italian food was their game. It was also a very cool place. I loved that joint. Last night we popped into Luce, a candlelit 15 table box with floor to celing windows, a homey vibe and very functional menu. We had a 18 minute wait tops, went to a great dive across the way for a quick pop. Regarding the food my suggestion to you is don't get clever. No confusion here, just start at the top and finish at the bottom. Our order was perfectamundo. Marinated mushrooms polpette Spicy marinated mussels all fit on a small saucer, excellent way to get started. 2 bucks each. I could have ate 500 mussels and mushrooms The polpette was meh, there are other little apps that sounded great, including a salumi board and a cheese board. The Octopus and potato salad, lemony olive oiled deliciousness. Sizable chunks of tender octopus 1/2 order tagliatelle bolognese was incredibly reminiscent of Bagatto's sublime pasta magnificence. hangar steak, marinated and salted and grilled to perfection, with some Swiss Chard blanched then sautéed with garlic lemon and oil. Glass of pink and glass of red sparkling wine Delicious pannacotta. Service was great for a change, none of the moronic stupidity we seem to reward in LA. These ladies are pros, not dipshit ignorant wannabe actors that suck at their actual jobs. 78.00 before tip, i tipped 14 bucks. 92 bucks. We had a tremendous dinner. read more

Luce - Panna cotta, sublime. - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Lamb and fennel sausage pasta was terrific. Enjoyed the fennel salad. Excellent service. Pasta with rabbit ragu was good, but I preferred the other pasta dish. read more

Very yummy food and they have our favorite red wines. Staff has always been friendly. Small cozy atmosphere.

Consistently great food and service in a sweet, nice restaruant and store. This is our go to favorite place for a special birthday or anniversary as so personal and quaint and always good food for good price. read more

Great food, nice portions, excellent service and low key environment. We will visit again.

We had a series of lovely dishes at this intimate storefront restaurant. Well-constructed, beautifully plated, wonderful service. Celery-Fennel Salad, Pasta with Pork Ragu, Lamb with marjoram & olives, Roasted cauliflower. The only negatives were the loud acoustics, requiring ear plugs and lip-reading, and egregious over-salting of the celery-fennel salad. If they can dial back the salt, all would be improved. Charming place, enjoyable evening! Forgot the photos! read more

Everything on the menu is good but the pasta limoneis one the best things I have ever eaten.

I took my parents here a few months ago to celebrate graduation and the food was really good, my dad said the wine was great, and the service was also good. The ONLY reason this is being given three stars is because of the portion sizes. I love food and I happen to live in Portland --the land of breweries and food carts (hallelujah!). I can go most anywhere and get a good portion of fantastic food for pretty darn cheap. This place was not cheap, and even though the food was good, I went home in need of a second dinner not but a short while later. My parents and I each ordered our own dishes, and I got the largest portion, and we did get two different kinds of bread beforehand. read more

Luce staff was so rude. My boyfriend and I took an Uber to the restaurant on a Monday night, arriving around 7p. I am Italian and my boyfriend is Hispanic. We walk up and wait for about 5 minutes while the staff delivers food and drinks - totally normal and no big deal. We are greeted and asked how many in our party and after we say 2, she eyes us up and down almost rolling her eyes and says it'll be an hour maybe hour-fifteen and if we want to put our name down. We say sure and my boyfriend gives her name - a very common simple Hispanic name, that she then makes him SPELL out and then says "she'll give us a call". Anyways we went down to fire on the mountain and the food was great. Go there instead if you don't want racist rude staff. read more

This is my favorite Italian place in PDX. I have only tried their vegetarian options, so I can't review their meat, but for the most part their pasta, sauce, and focaccia amazes me. Their service has always been top notch, and their space is intimate and perfect for date night. Unfortunately, last time we went their cucumber salad was just awful. The cucumbers were just exceptionally bitter and completely inedible. We rarely send food back but it was just terrible, and we thought their cucumbers may be all like that and wanted to let them know. So I have to knock a star and say everything but those cucumbers is perfect! read more

I e been eating there since they opened. My daughter and I would go and now she's 19 and it's still her number one favorite. Only bummer is we used to just walk in now there's usually a wait. But they are good folk so I'm happy for them. Great atmosphere if you like European style little restaurants. I do! read more

Luce wraps around you like a warm bowl of pasta. A lot has been said about the quaint vibe, tiny yet charming space, and yes, it's all that. It really feels like an Italian family restaurant, even though there's no particular sign that this is a family-run business. But it's approachable and welcoming in that way. Service was great from the start, with our male server who was friendly and helpful since it was our first time. All the dishes are made to be shared, from the small appetizer options to the pasta dishes that can be ordered as half plates. Pretty much everything we tried were fresh and well cooked, from the octopus starter to the three different pastas we had. For the appetizers, they're pretty simple, but there are some unique items like the farro and parmesan pie, which was almost a cross between a quiche and cheesecake, so light and airy. I admit I dined super early because I'm one of those early birds, so can't say what it's like during peaks when it can be crowded, given they don't take reservations. Our dining experience was relaxing and tasty. Can't wait to go back! read more

Well I'd heard and read good things about Luce and I was not disappointed. I didn't try any of the appetizers but they were only $2 each! I had the summer squash, half order of shrimp linguine and panne catta for dessert. Each dish was wonderful and so reasonably priced plus wine by the glass was only $8! The wine bottle selection is huge if you're dining with friends. Service was good but not great, it's a really small space but they have outdoor dining too and they could use another server. read more

We travel to the PNW often and have our usual spots to dine. Luce has definitely made the list, every time we visit Portland, we will make the trip to eat again. Great place, great service, amazing food. read more

My first time here could've been better. It was fairly empty when I arrived, my friend was already there with bread on the table. The waiter took quite some time to get our orders. During our time waiting, we saw numerous people coming in that were greeted with familiarity and walked straight to the back, maybe they were having a work event? Nonetheless, it is no excuse to neglect customers. When we finally got our order taken, we chose the cheese plate, octopus salad and half order of two pastas (forgot the names). When the cheese plate arrived, I asked what kinds of cheese were being served, the waitress was clueless and had to go back to get answers. The cheese was good but it would be nice if they were more knowledgeable, especially since there were only four types of cheese on the plate. Unsure if the octopus was supposed to be as charred as it was but I did not like the burnt taste. We waited quite some time for our pastas, unsure if it's because they were waiting for us to finish our appetizers but it was long enough for us to notice. Half orders of pasta were perfect, considering we also ordered appetizers. My friend was stuffed. We got the remaining cheese to-go. When we left the restaurant was full so we missed the rush. Not a establishment I would choose to go to, but would not decline if someone else wanted to. read more

Excellent food, one of my favorite Italian spots in town. All the pastas and salads are delicious, all the flavors all well balanced. Flavorful, but doesn't sit heavy. Ambiance is classy, the candles make the place feel warm and inviting. Service is great, got to have a friendly server. Will definitely return again. read more

See all

Luce is the best! Every time. Phenomenal food. Great service. Will come back as often as we can!

Again this is one of my favorite spots in the city. The food is rustic Italian with a simple approach to the menu. Everything on the menu is beautifully prepared and served by a friendly staff. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming. It's a great spot for amazing food and wonderful experience! Oh and the olive oil cake is tops! Latest visit- 7/26/2019 read more

I forgot to write a review of this place. Why??!! I shall rectify this in the near term. Short term - this is a favorite of our family that lives in the area and it was a supremely fond memory from our visit over two years earlier. That is right - it has been over TWO YEARS since that particular visit to Portland and I absolutely recall with fondness the intimacy of the dining space, the friendliness of the service, and the quality of the food. Even now (despite just finishing dinner), my mouth is completely watering thinking back on the delicious selection of pickled vegetables. The crispness of the acid played so well against the unctuous slow-cooked red sauce that accompanied our pasta. That is it...I simply must return before the end of this trip, if at all possible. read more

Mama Mia! The pasta is so good, and the service was great. Is Luce authentic italiono? I'm not sure. There was a family eating and speaking Italian the whole time, and the pasta was fresh and blew my mind with the first bite. Luce is an great example of Portland's legendary food scene. Oh and did I mention how comfortable and well designed the restaurant is. read more

My husband and I came here for dinner and enjoyed our experience at Luce. The service was top notch and we never needed to ask for anything. Our food arrived expediently, and it was so aesthetic I had to get some piccies! Everything tasted great and I just loved looking at the interior decorations. It really made you feel like you were at an Italian mums home. So cute! read more

Luce - Steak and cabbage - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

See all

date night yumminess. it was a friend of our's birthday so we went for dinner. everything was excellent, including the service. i love the tiny market feel and walking through the kitchen to use the restroom. we can't wait to go back! read more

Yes, yes, and yes!!!! What an amazing restaurant. And the $2 appetizers are not a typo. Order all of it. If I had a tiny gripe, it would be the wine served in cups. I truly appreciate a nice wine glass, and their wine list is beyond extensive. I loved this place!!! read more

I wish I had better things to say about this place! Me and my friend decided to try eating here for the second time (the wait was too long the first time we tried), and we ended the night with food poisoning. We got a table after about an hour and half of waiting, which makes sense for how small the restaurant is. The staff were all kind and helpful. The Bathroom is in an awkward spot that makes you walk through the open kitchen, which felt strange. As for the food, the focaccia was really soft, and didn't have a great flavor (almost tasted chicken-like?). The arugula was decent, but I don't know how you could mess it up. The pasta portions for the half sizes were small. I got the tagliatelle with ragu, and it was underseasoned, and lukewarm. My friend got a pasta with speck. Chocolate flourless cake for dessert. After about an hour after eating, my stomach started to feel sour. My friend had it much worse, she spent the entire night and next day ill with food poisoning. Would not recommend this place if you want moderately-priced italian. Go to Dolly Olive or Piazza Italia. read more

Phenomenal!!! Wow, this place is amazing. It's first come first serve but there is a cute dive bar across the street to drink at while you wait. The food was impeccable and I LOVED the fact that they serve in half sizes' how fabulous!? I always want to try more than 1 pasta, and ordering two half orders was the best thing! Not to mention their octopus and potato salad was out of this world! My husband and I can't wait to go back. the hosts(her name was tea) was beyond sweet and kind! I hope she's working the next time we go. Thanks for the fabulous meal! read more

Small number of seats create a very intimate environment. Service was excellent. Loved the menu option of half or full portions. Allowed us to try several salads and pasta dishes. Everything was good. Very good Italian wine selection with very knowledgeable server to help with selection. Highly recommend. read more

Used to be a regular at Luce's just had meal there after a couple years' absence. Meal was PERFECT. Made me realize how second rate some restaurants I have been going to really are. Had crostini with salt cod, half order of cavatelli with arugula and pine nuts and the cabbage with garlic oil. I like heat so asked for chili flakes which were promptly provided. Had the house wine which was just fine and very inexpensive. Don't think I will be going back to any other Portland Italian restaurants any time soon. read more

Luce will NOT disappoint. I was blown back by the incredible quality and service here. The food was affordable and offered down to earth flavors that left our chefs' stomachs full of cozy carbohydrates read more

What can I possibly say about Luce that illustrates just how good it is? Impossible to put it into words. I ate there a week ago and I'm still thinking about it. The menu is pure perfection and I can't wait to try everything. The atmosphere is perfect. Elegant and simple and it really makes you feel like you aren't in Portland. The focaccia had the perfect amount of oil, which means it had a lot and it was scrumptious. The octopus and potato salad was to die for. The steak the best I've had in town, just so simple and perfectly cooked. And someone please explain how they get that consistency on that panna cotta! Can't wait to be back! Thank you Luce for such a memorable meal. read more

Luce has again become one of our favorite restaurants, especially during the Covid era. They offer sheltered and heated seating outside, which is indispensable for elders like us. Their food seems to have improved. It was always good. We especially enjoy the creativity and flavors in their pastas. We love their signature dishes, like the braised octopus appetizer, fennel salad and stuffed trout. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and their wine selection by the glass is unsurpassed in any of the local places we visit. It's a treat to select a new dish and ask the server what wines will pair well. Be sure to ask your server to recommend new dishes they like. I've updated this review because in the past I had trouble hearing inside with all of the hard surfaces and had an unsympathetic response to my feedback from a busy server. That happens. I don't see her there anymore, either. read more

This place, though unfortunately not doing indoor seating inside right now, looks cute inside! However, the outdoor seating is not ideal. You are seated right next to Burnside, which doesn't make for the best dinner atmosphere. We ordered two antipasti which were fine, but the pastas were very underwhelming and overpriced. When you pay $30 for a dinner, you hope to leave feeling full and satisfied. We left feeling hungry and disappointed. My shrimp was overcooked and the pasta was bland. Especially with all the incredible restaurants to choose from in Portland, this is not one I'd recommend. read more

Best Italian food in PDX. Sampled most of the pasta dishes, salads and antipastas. Buttermilk panna cotta....yum.

Part of me doesn't want to write a review because I loved this place so much. It feels casual, but also nice- very unpretentious and if you show up dressed up, you'll feel comfy, if you show up dressed casually, same thing. We got 3 antipasti, focaccia, 3 half orders of pasta, 2 glasses of house wine each and dessert and it was perfection- every bit of it. (and affordable?!). Highly recommend for a date night, friend night, whatever night- get some antipasti, get half orders instead of full orders to try more of their pasta, and definitely get dessert! I cant wait to go back to try what we didn't get to try last time! read more

Third time and everything still great. This place works. Please don't change anything.

I should've went with my gut feeling on this after reading reviews on YELP! My husband and I couldn't back out of this since it was a going away dinner for our friends. We discussed the menu and figured out a strategic plan to make this dinner affordable since the prices are higher than usual for pasta dishes. For starters, I ordered a glass of red sparkling wine and hubby ordered a beer. I believe my glass was nothing short of 8 ounces - definitely worth it as the waitress described. We ordered antipasti: cauliflower polpette, spicy mussels, marinated mushrooms, & marinated carrots. The cauliflower was cooked perfectly with a golden brown color. Spicy mussels had the right about of kick and also cooked perfectly. The mushrooms and carrots were a bit tangy for us. You can say it was marinated, you just don't know what it's marinated with until you take your first bite. If I had to guess I would say it was marinated in balsamic. For our entrees, my husband ordered the Sole w/ lemon and I ordered the Tagliatelle w/ beef & pork ragu (whole). The portion for the Sole was impressive but not for the price. I took a bite of the Tagliatelle and consulted with friends if they tasted the same thing. I ended up sending my food back since it was too salty. As I waited for my food, everyone else finished theirs. Once I received my revised dish, it was perfect and devoured in 6 minutes. I most likely won't be back and it's honestly not a threat. Luce is just not for me or my wallet. A few of our friends were still hungry after dinner so they went the fast food route. It's unfortunate since their tab didn't represent the food portions. Pros: Private dining area for large groups Extensive wine list for the wine connoisseur Inexpensive antipasti for the low budget diner Accepts reservations Cons: Wait time for food (1 hour for us) Price gouge for simple dishes Walking through the kitchen to the dining room Warm water Portion sizes Lack of sides on "specials" plate Note: They are only able to split or charge up to 4 checks or cards per table. If you're reading this, good luck! read more

See all

My forever cozy dinner spot that I could even bring my child to. They have a little basket of toys and are happy to indulge a frantic mommy looking for a carb hot. Radiatore is always a favorite but you absolutely cannot go wrong. Love them and their sister restaurant Navarre so much it hurts. read more