Café Luce was wonderful! It's a cozy, beautiful, sunlit spot with a lot of charm and good food. My friend and I went for a late lunch and getting a table was a breeze -- I was honestly a little surprised at how few people were there on a Saturday afternoon. We ordered several things: fried burrata as an appetizer, for entrées the mushroom alfredo orecchiette with fried chicken cutlet and the fettucine limoncello with spinach and mushrooms, and then pistachio ricotta layer cake for dessert. The fried burrata left a lot to be desired; the burrata wasn't as creamy as I would have expected (it was a bit rubbery, actually) and it being fried didn't actually help all that much. Luckily the entrées were way better: I quite enjoyed my mushroom alfredo and my friend loved her limoncello pasta. The mushroom alfredo was quite rich, but tasty no doubt, especially with the addition of the fried chicken cutlet (which was excellent). The limoncello was incredibly lemon-y, but in a surprisingly good way -- it was flavorful and refreshing. And the ricotta layer cake was a great way to end the meal (what a fun combo of ingredients!). The only thing we could have asked for was moooooar pistachios. Also, the service was so lovely! Celina was our waitress and was an absolute delight: warm, genuine, and attentive. Definitely glad to have eaten here. P.S. I loved that you could choose from a variety of pasta types for whatever menu item (aka sauce type) you settled on. Wish more restaurants did this. read more

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We did not have a reservation, but they found us a small table for two near the window. We ordered the spinach salad with grilled chicken and the Cacio E Pepe. The salad was fresh and delicious and the homemade pasta & sauce was amazing. The portions are large, service fantastic. 5/5 all around rating. Will definitely visit again. read more

Cafe Luce - Spinach salad, Cacio E Pepe. - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

We had a really enjoyable experience at this small but cute Italian restaurant. As you can see from our photos, we ordered some of their special recommendations. Would we recommend it? Yes, absolutely!! read more

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Nice little restaurant great food and service. Good selection of food and drinks. Pasta is amazing. read more

A smaller space great for takeout or walk-ins, Cafe Luce was a fun find for my friends and me. The service was quick and our server had excellent recommendations which helped our indecisive minds. The pasta is good but not phenomenal, but I enjoyed the variety of the menu and being able to choose a sauce and pasta shape. I got a limoncello pasta and the sauce was too thick for my liking, and there was way too much sauce for the pasta provided. That being said, the pasta itself was fresh, cooked perfectly, and held the sauce well. Definitely check this place out! read more

Highly recommend making a reservation even though we just walked in. Cozy, beautiful and intimate place. Service was great and food was excellent. Started with bruschetta pomodoro. This is a must! Then I had the meatballs with fresh made spaghetti and the freshest tomato sauce ever made. You have to try it for yourself. Wish I had discovered them at the beginning of my trip so I could go back and try different things. The meatballs were tender and juicy. This is a MUST! read more

Cafe Luce - Meatballs with spaghetti. - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

This is a small cozy spot for 2 people. The pastas are excellent and definitely homemade. The pesto stood out from what we ordered, it had substantial basil flavor and was perfectly seasoned to showcase the flavor of both the pine nuts and fresh basil. The limoncello was unique and had quite a bit of lemon, almost too much so in my opinion. The arrabiata was flavorful, not a huge fan of the spaghetti in it, the linguine in the pesto had more texture overall. I'll go back again to try a few other pastas when I'm in the area next. read more

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We were craving pasta so we came here due to the reviews and were not disappointed. I had a reservation I made just prior to coming in, but did not need it. That said, it wasn't empty and was energetic. This is a small neighborhood place where they don't mind if you linger, a great place for conversation. The vibe is cozy and the plates are colorful. Our server was with us quickly and got our drink orders. From there, we ordered our entrees and they came out within 15 minutes. Note, the bread is not complimentary. I like that you get to choose your pasta and protein, so it is very customizable. I got the Alla Caprese linguine and it was great! The pasta tasted homemade and the ingredients fresh. The portion size was decent and I definitely had leftovers. It was a simple, but good meal. read more

While the pasta is fine & service is solid, the seating is so close together that it's truly claustrophobic. A couple sat down next to us, & it was if we were all sharing a table--really uncomfortable. Also, the close proximity made it impossible to hold a conversation. It's akin to being in the middle seat on a plane--only at a restaurant. For that reason, I would neither return or recommend this. read more

This is a nice local Italian restaurant that makes their own pasta. Started off with a Burrata salad. Light and tasty . Next I ordered the limoncello pasta. It had fresh lemons, egg yolks and Parmesan cheese. It was creamy and full of lemon flavor. Also ordered meatballs with Marinara sauce, meatballs were soft and delicious. Place was small and cozy, great service and fairly priced. read more

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One of our most favorite restaurants in NYC. Perfectly cooked pasta (nice texture ans freshness) that absorbs all the goodness flavor of creamy from mozzarella balanced with the sourness of tomato. Simple delicious ##nycfoodie#nyc#nycwheretoear#nycpasta#pasta#octopus#bread#cozyrestaurant#nyc2023 read more

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Such an adorable Italian cafe! The service was amazing and the atmosphere was so comfortable! My husband and I both had the pollo capricciosa and it was delicious- we will definitely be back again! read more

Cafe Luce - Pollo Capricciosa - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

Came here with a reservation on a Friday night at 5:30 and wouldn't have needed one. Place was empty but filled up before we left around 7:30. Unassuming from the outside but cozy on the inside. Maybe 10 tables set up in a small area but didn't feel overly crowded to the next table. Very warm and inviting. Nice attentive server who helped with wine and food choices. Started with the tri-colored salad and ciabatta bread. Both were great but the salad was large and delicious and the star of the two. Next we ordered the Limoncello pasta and pasta with vodka sauce. Again both great but if I went back (and I will next time I'm in town) I'm ordering the Limoncello pasta. In our opinion was the star of the whole meal. Lemon, browned butter, cream and Parmesan were all noted. Highly recommend it. Next it was the chocolate mousse cake and a cappuccino. Great way to finish off a wonderful meal. Go try it out, you won't be disappointed. read more

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I can't believe this is inside an HEB... it was an amazing latte! And croissant and chai latte, and I can't wait to try more things! Way to go HEB, great move. read more

Cafe Luce - Inside dining area - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

Easy to make a reservation. The pasta was okay (linguini bolognese). The shrimp and fried burratta were good. Focaccia too. That was a little spicy. The bench seating is uncomfortable to me and the place feels cramped. It's a small restaurant though. I also think they keep it a bit too warm inside, at least in the colder months. The ambiance is nice. Not very loud so it's easy to converse. Service is attentive but not overly so which is appreciated. read more

Cafe Luce - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

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I ate here with my husband and 3 year old over the weekend and what an awesome experience. Great service, great food, fresh pasta, and very quiet and cosy place with great ambiance. It was even great for our quiet 3 year old. I got the lemon pasta (forget what it was called) and my husband got the garlic and olive oil pasta. We also ordered the bruschetta and focaccia and both were excellent. Overall, this was an excellent meal with great service and great food, highly recommended! read more

Cute Italian restaurant that's somewhat easy to miss on 53rd. The interior is classy and cozy, but a little narrow to the point where every time I turned around or moved between tables, I came within inches of knocking over wine glasses everywhere. As for the food, pasta seems to be the speciality here. I like that you can pick the type of pasta in your dish. My friend ordered the penne alla vodka (seems to be their most popular dish) and loved it, while I got the fettuccine with alfredo mushroom sauce. It had a nice flavor, but was soooo heavy and buttery that I could only eat half and wasn't feeling too hot afterwards. The pastas were overpriced for what you get - $20-26 for just the pasta and sauce (protein is extra), which in my opinion were satisfying but not mindblowing. The best part of the meal for me was the burrata and arugala salad which was super fresh and flavorful. Service was very good for most of our meal, and when we were done someone quickly offered to box up my food to-go which was appreciated -- afterwards though, we sat there for about 20 minutes in an almost empty restaurant waiting for the check before flagging someone down. Overall, I'm not sure I'd come back unless for its extremely convenient location to me -- there are too many other pricey Italian places in NYC where the food IS mindblowing to justify it otherwise. read more

Cafe Luce - Alfredo Mushroom, Penne Alla Vodka - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

Cozy and authentic feel, but I might just not be enough of a pasta aficionado to detect what's special about the pasta

Came here for a late light dinner on a Friday night without reservations and we were seated instantly. We ordered their spinach salad with a side of chicken. The salad was great, the walnut inside the salad was glazed. The amount of dressing with perfect but the grilled chicken came out to be dry. Their meatballs was ok but nothing that special. We also ordered their Nutella tiramisu which I found to be too sweet, it didn't feel taste much like a tiramisu to me. Their Panna cotta was good covered with berries and strawberries syrup. Overall I would rate this place 3.5 stars read more

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The restaurant ambiance is very chic and different. The service was excellent. The octopus appetizer was outstanding. The chicken spinach salad was ok. I should have ordered the pasta. Will be back. read more

Cafe Luce - Chicken spinach salad. - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

Adorable Italian restaurant with AMAZING food - everyone was friendly and service was fantastic. They start by bringing focaccia with yummy olive oil and herbs - sooooo good. We all got different things - see the pic - the 4 cheese dish was sublime. The vodka sauce was creamy and delicious- took some home and later ate it cold - almost liked it as much. read more

Cafe Luce - Yum! - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

Came here for brunch and it was lovely. I got the shakshuka and a cappuccino. The cappuccino is huge and the shakshuka was delicious. It came in a small skillet that was very hot to the touch and taste. Took a while to cool down and came with 2 pieces of bread, which were great to eat with the shakshuka, they also serve pasta at 11 AM which is great if you want lunch. I got an 11:30 AM reservation the day before which was pretty easy and when I got there, it was fairly empty but slowly started to fill up around 1230pm. There was jazz being sung at the front of the restaurant. Luckily I was towards the back middle area so it wasn't too loud. if you have a group of six, it seems like they can accommodate a group that large. The service was great and I would definitely recommend them for dinner. The brunch prices were pretty reasonable for shashuka. read more

Cafe Luce - Menu - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

Delicious food, giant portion. Only thing is I didn't know the bread wasn't free, waitress asked if we wanted bread and I said sure which a little off putting. Also didn't know it would cost extra to get a different sauce, wish I was told that ahead of time. read more

Cafe Luce - Chicken Capricciosa - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

Had dinner here the first night in NYC. Such gigantic portions, we were eating leftovers for days! Loved the cozy, family-run feel.

My husband and I only had one night to spend in the city and wanted some yummy Italian food. Cafe Luce did not disappoint! The location is small, but food and service were mighty! We ordered a bottle of red and the bruschetta Pomodoro to start. The bread was cooked to perfection. I had the penne alla vodka. The sauce was INCREDIBLE and a very generous portion. My husband had the cacio y pepe and he said it tasted like it did when we were in Italy. Our server was super attentive and kind. Definitely check this place out. read more

Cute little hole in the wall fresh pasta spot in Midtown East! The pasta is made fresh to order and there are so many choices. You choose from one of their many different sauces, choose your pasta of choice, and they make it for you! We got the limoncello and cacio e Pepe sauces on spaghetti. The limoncello pasta was a bit too eggy for my taste but I enjoyed the tanginess of the pasta. The cacio e Pepe was pretty standard but really really good. Both pastas were also perfectly Al dente and fresh. Overall, I would definitely recommend if you're in the midtown East area and want some high quality authentic Italian food! read more

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It was my Birthday, I really struggled to pick a special Italian restaurant for dinner. Chose this one. It was beyond expensive and had a limited menu. I wanted the calico de peppi but they were unable to make the dish. It's black pepper, butter and cheese??? Chose the vodka sauce and spaghetti with a side of meatballs and gnocchi. It was delicious. It would have been amazing with a salad. The waitress was wonderful read more

Cafe Luce - spaghetti and vodka sauce - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

Ate here for dinner on a Friday night, the weather was gross so not sure if that impacted that there was no wait but it looks like they save some tables for people without reservations. I shared the cheese charcuterie board, the burrata and lasagne and they were all delish. For two ladies it was just the right amount of food. read more

Cafe Luce - Lasagna - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

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Delicious and fresh pasta! The sizes of the plates are big so you can definitely share a pasta between two. The service is great and the inside of the restaurant is so cozy! It was packed so make sure you reserve beforehand! We had the rigatoni carbonara, gnocchi pesto, and Milanese with salad and a side of spaghetti. The prices are also great and the quality of food is good too. They have an extensive wine list which was nice. Definitely recommend! I'll be coming back for sure. They also had great music playing, very quaint and cozy spot in midtown East. read more

I rarely write reviews, but I felt compelled to write one about Café Luce. I was visiting friends in Manhattan when we decided to order Italian food for dinner. Given the online reviews, we chose to order from Café Luce. That turned out to be a HUGE MISTAKE. The homemade pasta was overdone. (I make homemade pasta, so I know what the proper consistency is.) The pasta sauce tasted like jar sauce. The vodka sauce was equally bad. We added butter to make the pasta dishes somewhat edible. The only part of lasagna that tasted somewhat decent was the beef. I strongly advise not going to Café Luce as it doesn't represent the quality food that is found in NYC. read more

Quaint little restorante with authentic Italian food. We got the Quattro Formaggi and Carbonara. The formaggi was excellent, but the carbonara was much too salty. The homemade pasta was perfect. read more

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We came here for an intimate dinner and an intimate dinner we got! I made reservations through Yelp and was able to sit in the cozy back corner. We skipped straight to the entree and I ordered the Quattro formaggi topped with some ricotta paired with a glass of the pinot. As a cheese lover, the menu was right, I loved this dish and the wine was a nice pairing. Service was excellent and fast as well. Overall, I highly recommend this place! read more

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Nice, tight setting and easy mid-block walk up. Cozy, cute, little space to speak of. Service was fine, but we were initially brought the wrong orders. Oopsies-lolzsies! The pasta was mediocre. The wine, fine. While the staff was nice enough, focus was lacking and given the choices for Italian fare in the city, this would not be a first or second choice going forward. If two or more people could convincingly make the argument of a full reboot I might try it for mid-week lunch if on an empty stomach because I've missed breakfast. They're in Midtown and should have their act together better. Sadly, this was a two star outcome. read more

I've wanted to come here for so long because the pictures on their website look amazinggg but sadly I was disappointed. I got the pesto with fusilli which was so underwhelming. The pesto itself was so bland I had to go back home and add seasoning. The only thing I did like here was the Oreo tiramisu. The normal tiramisu wasn't even good, only the Oreo one had some redeeming qualities. read more

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Their fresh homemade pasta is pretty good! Highly recommend their pesto. However, their tables and seating is too small and they don't have other places to keep your belongings, which made my dining experience uncomfortable. That's why overall I gave them only 3 out of 5 even though the food is not bad. read more

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i just had the cacio e pepe pasta and some of the bread. first off, i didn't know they charge you for bread. they should make that known. I NEVER PAID FOR BREAD. so i didn't know ppl did this. the pasta was very good otherwise. creamy and peppery just the way i like it. i loved the old photos on the wall too. very retro. the staff was very friendly as well. the bathrooms are pretty clean too. read more

Perfect for personal get togethers or a group of friends that love enjoying good wine and scrumptious bites that tease your taste buds for more! The staff have a wonderful balance of service of making sure your wine glass is not empty for long! I see many photo shoots in this amazing window! Come create your experience in this family own paradise! read more

Cafe Luce - The perfect photo window from inside or out - Italian Near Me - Manhattan, New York

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Really impressive menu, great flavors , intimate old school NYC restaurant- meaning small and loud ! But worth it ! Service was attentive , nice wine selection , very flavorful house salad and we shared the creamy mushroom sauce with shrimp over spaghetti read more

Cafe Luce serves up solid pastas, and offers various types of pastas and sauces for each plate. Service is solid, space is cozy, and definitely fulfills Italian cravings. read more

They advertised live jazz and didn't have it also food was midtown prices overpriced and mediocre