Luce

Top notched, highly recommended for sure. For starters, the service was wonderful from the time my friends and I came without reservation. The hostess asked the bartender if something could be done to accommodate us; and he did! The bar staff was hands down personable and friendly, the Australian accent definitely brought the added charm! Even Sheila was happy regarding the service. Ambiance was casual trendy with seemingly faithful patrons whose name the bar staff remembers. Small place but packed with lively spirit, and not just those along the bar shelves. Speaking of drinks, one friend of mine enjoyed her red wine from Spain, well it’s St. Patrick’s day so wine tasting was in the offing. My other friend wanted some refreshing cocktail. The bartender prepared a vodka and lime mix with orange twist. She absolutely loved it. The food was absolutely second to none, well maybe only to Luce Secondo, its sister restaurant. I ordered the Tonno and Tomatoes which was wonderfully mouth-pleasing dish with perfectly seared ahi tuna on Parmesan infused polenta accented by sweet and tart ripe cherry tomatoes in a wonderful sauce. Ordered the hazelnut cake with espresso ice cream for dessert. It was the best of 3 desserts we ordered, the other 2 being the limoncello mascarpone cake and the rum infused puff pastry. Was a more than satisfying dinner, will definitely come back to try other dishes (my friends ordered the cioppino and clams and pulpo (grilled octopus) appetizer. They lived their food but I won’t pirate their turn to write their own reviews!

A small but amazing restaurant. The servers (Peter and Chris) were amazing. Reservation are recommended

The food is always delicious. We enjoyed a wonderful bottle of wine and our server was delightful! Love to dine here-especially before a show!

Absolutely wonderful experience all around! We didn’t have a reservation and were able to grab 2 stools at the bar. The service was wonderful and the FOOD!! It was so yummm. We had the green salad w goat cheese and it was just the right start! A nice light citrus dressing. I had the fish of the day which was halibut. It was cooked perfectly, has a fresh tomato sauce w it and served over the most amazing fresh spinach fettuccine. The pasta was so light!! My boyfriend had the spaghetti w sausage and it was so flavorful!! Lots of fresh herbs, tomatoes and you could taste the sausage was fresh!

This is a great spot for date night or a special occasion. The food is top notch, the drinks are great, and the atmosphere is an overall vibe. Make reservations, though. The book up pretty fast.

Every dish/drink here is picturesque, but most importantly: it’s delicious! My favorite red sangria can be found at luce. The pastas here are the best I’ve had since moving to Norfolk and overall: this is hands down my favorite restaurant to visit. The staff are friendly, the atmosphere is vibrant, and everything I have ordered from their menu I would order again.

This is my first time visiting this restaurant. I had a good time with my husband. The food was great! I’ll definitely be back again.

Great food and service. We ate at the bar before going to see a show at Wells theater.

Came here for a celebratory dinner, Luce is known as one of the finer dining experiences in downtown Norfolk, be prepared to spend some $$$. The restaurant was a lot smaller than I expected, there were only a handful of tables and the rest of the seating is at the bar. It was fully packed that evening with around 25-30 people. The food was delicious and portions were filling. Ordered the Burrata as an appetizer, Filetto di Luce, and Midsummer night's dream for dessert. Overall, it was a pretty special and intimate dining experience.