BF and I went here for a celebration. Really great Italian food. I had the most delicious gnocchi. Little cold but otherwise truly lovely.

I would not go back! Went for a friends surprise birthday dinner...the host was on his cell phone as I walked in...the waitress was not pleasant at all. She appeared annoyed the entire time and they would not serve alcohol to the table (of at least 20 people) so people had to go to the bar on the other side of the restaurant. She read through the menu choices fast and was annoyed to have to repeat as requested and rushed food on and off the table. Towards the end several of us had to leave early to get our children and when we inquired about paying on the bill she became very loud, insisting they would no do separate bills (which is not what we asked to do) then runs off to get the manager who took care of us no problem. The food was average...nothing memorable...I won't be back...disappointed! read more

I have mixed feelings about this place. It's really between 3 1/2 stars to 4 stars. A few years back we felt rushed here. Visited again and the food wasn't too great. The very last time I was here the food was spectacular. Of course I will go again, it's really nice place to relax and have a dining experience. read more

We went here last night for my husbands birthday. We went a bit early before the rest of out party so we decided to have a pre diner cocktail. The bar area, is small and cramped. The drinks were fine, and service OK. The atmosphere in the restaurant area was lacking. I felt like we were all stuffed tightly into a large hall. Our server was very nice, but the service was slow. We waited a long time to hear specials, ad then to order. The food was fine, but not anything special. I would rush to go back. It was a disappointing choice for a birthday dinner. Just an average restaurant. read more

Thank you Ristorante Luce for saving my day. I had a long and bad morning was looking for somewhere to park myself and have me a pick me upper and that is exactly what happen. There was a private party going on and I made sure i didnt intrude but I needed a quick drink. I approach the bar and ask if it was Ok to have drink while i wait for some life changing news. The bartender Mia who was so professional and Nice allow me to have a quick drink. We chatted about the derby and the family owned business will Definitely stop in when im in Conn.... read more

I went with my family last week and we were VERY impressed. Service was great (Lisa was our waitress). We started with the pane cotto which was excellent. I had the pork chop Siciliano, which was the best I have ever had-perfectly cooked with a nice char. I can't wait to go back again! By the way I just noticed Yelp wants me to check whether the restaurant has gender neutral bathrooms?! As if that is going to be a remotely important factor for the vast majority of people. Oh, wait, Yelp is based in San Fransisco, the epicenter of political correctness and left wing group think. read more

I have say, the service is terrible. I was seated, waited 10 min fo order. Got my wine. Waited 15 min for app. Not coming back

First, I'll start with the good things. The service was attentive and good. Although the server was very busy and at times, did seem like we were waiting forever, that's a typical Italian style. Don't expect fast service but that's OK. For the most part, the food was really tasty and prepared well. My problem was with the New York strip that I've ordered. First, there were some parts/chunks that were pure fat. Also, part of the strip had very fatty parts in them. Not typical for a New York strip. But the biggest issue was a piece of plastic I found in my steak. Surprisingly, the chef only gave us free deserts ($15) instead of comping the steak ($35) (which I ate about a third of). Needless to say, I WONT BE COMING BACK!! read more

I've been coming to Luce for years. It's a place a couple of my friends and I like to sit at the bar and have drinks and dinner. The customer service at the bar last night was horrible, and it wasn't that busy. It took forever to get a menu, every time I finished my drink, they took the wine glass without asking me if I wanted another. I had to ask for bread and water, another drink---they were not engaged and could care less whether we had a good dining experience--we were basically ignored the whole night. I never post reviews but am doing this because I am still in shock at spending $180 and being treated that way. Luce, you may have a great following in your restaurant but I totally get why no one was at the Bar last night. Pay attention to your bartenders and suggest they act like they care and if they don't want to be there, find a bartender that does! read more

Always delicious. We ordered take out during this virus pandemic and it was so good. The salmon didn't disappoint and my husbands Ahi tuna was scrumptious not to mention his lobster risotto. That's why we keep going back. read more

service is always great but food is inconstant. If something isnt cold, it isn't seasoned properly. Once corrected everything is awesome but would prefer not to have to ask for something to go back or be replaced. read more

Very good Italian food with a lot of great options and a reasonably priced pre-fixe menu if you want to make it a 3 course meal. The price, in general, is a bit higher than other options in the area but the food is well-prepared and consistent. They have an outstanding wine list...one of the best I've seen in the area, so if you're a wine person this may be your spot. It doesn't get super busy and there is a nice seating area in the bar. They have a very safe, large, parking lot. Overall, a solid Italian dining option for Hamden. read more

I have only been here once but I can say that it is very good! My boyfriend and I had gone in for our anniversary. The resturant is very nice, and the staff was very friendly. I had the prix fix and it was great. The portions were big and the food was very good. read more

Pubic hairs and rowdy customers make this place less than we had anticipated from the owners that brought us Rafaello's. We used to eat at Rafaello's all the time and thought we would return for a family evening. Although the food was mediocre, it became inedible when I discovered a pubic hair in my calamari. Not just ON my calamari, but cooked into the batter. After the waiter brought it back to the chef, he claimed it wasn't hair--though he graciously offered to take the item off the bill. We tried to give them the benefit of the doubt, but I found yet another hair in the sauce that came with my filet mignon. If there hadn't been such a raucous Christmas party group near us (which the wait staff never attempted to quiet down, even though we expressly asked if we could be seated elsewhere TWICE and thereby demonstrated our discomfort), I might have been able to enjoy the company of my loved ones and not have noticed the hair. Thank God I noticed it! Don't come here. Overpriced food that you can get somewhere else sans pubic hair. Just take the extra 15 minutes and head to downtown New Haven for Italian food that's 10x better and equally, if not more reasonably priced. Plus, it probably won't be hairy. read more

My boyfriend and I went to Luce last night for the first time and we both agree that it won't be our last! I can't say enough about the 5 star service we received! Our glasses were always filled with water and our dirty dinnerware was removed promptly but not intrusively! I had a difficult time choosing what to get because I wanted to try everything! Then there were the specials! I settled on the sea bass which I dare say was the best I've ever had! The texture of the fish was like velvet! Quite amazing! They were very accommodating to my gluten sensitivity and offered me a different accompaniment to my meal....Yum! Unfortunately, there was no room for dessert! But I cannot wait to go back for another wonderful meal and impeccable service! The ambiance is romantic and rustic! read more

Do not know how good the food is because the service was so horrible that I had to leave. Would never go back to this place based solely on Enzo's attitude and poor management of service. read more

Delicious food! Luce is our favorite restaurant in Hamden. Never a bad meal!! We also enjoy getting take-out from Luce.

Spending New Year's Eve here was wonderful. I can't complain about noise since well.. New Years Eve! The food was outstanding. I dislike seafood greatly but I had the lobster/crab ravioli and almost begged my wife to order another to go. And I can't remember the name of the appetizer we had but had buffalo smoked cheese and was so good. My only complaint is it was a tad pricy but worth every $$. My wife and I have made this a must for our next date night/anniversary. read more

Went there for dinner last night with my wife and we really enjoyed ourselves. We checked in for our reservation and had a glass of wine in the bar while they prepared our table. Everyone was friendly and nice. For dinner my wife had a great mixed seafood dish and I had the lemon chicken over spinach. We both requested that the dish be prepared a little different than listed on the menu, Our waitress and kitchen prepared them perfectly. Our waitress was very nice and always had our water and wine glasses filled. It was Friday night and it was busy... but the service was really good for it being busy. We will be back again. read more

I wish I could give five stars because the food was excellent. we were a group of 7 on a Saturday night and the service was extremely slow. three hours and still waiting for coffee does not a dinner party make! read more

Luce continues to be one of the best values in Ct. The food quality is wonderful and the service always good. Our most recent visit offered one of the best cod dishes my wife has ever had and my veal limone was perfectly prepared without the sogginess this dish often becomes. We had the meatball app which was almost creamy in texture and truly melted in our mouths. The only negative was not the fault of the restaurant at all,we were seated by a bleached blond over tanned hag who had bathed in perfume ( I use perfume very loosely ) and stunk up the whole room. Odiferous patrons aside Luce is a great,reliable,creative venue with consistently great food. read more

Had 7pm reservations on a Saturday night. Hostess informed us it would be 10-15 mins before our table was ready. This was no problem and completely understandable. The problem was 30 minutes later no table and no update from the hostess. When we inquired we were told it would be another 5-10 minutes at most... long story short 8pm rolled around and still no table. We paid our bar tab and after waiting for an hour choose to leave and take our business elsewhere. When he spoke with the manager we were informed that it was not their fault and the they can't control how busy they are on a Saturday night. He also told us the party before us showed up 40 minutes late and they still choose to seat them. The hostess and manager made no attempts to rectify the inconvenience. Will no longer go to this restaurant. read more

Attended for a family anniversary dinner. We had about 15 people in our party and the wait staff was great. Arthur ensured that all of our needs were met. The food was delicious and everyone seemed quite pleased. I'm quite sure it won't be the last. Thanks! read more

We went to this restaurant last Friday May 20th for my stepson graduation from Quinipiac U.The food was excellent. Our waiter John was very prompt serving us. Our water glasses were refilled promptly. He was excellent. The food was excellent. It was so good that I requested my stepson to bring two order of the Meatballs appetizers. There was plenty of parking when we were there. I would recommend this place. read more

The food is amazing!! But the service is terrible. I waited for 10 minutes at an empty hostess stand to then sit down and wait another 20 minutes before even getting water. When I went inside to speak to the hostess/manager to get water she was so rude. That's the reason I didn't give them 5 stars because their service really lacks, especially when the front of the house is rude. read more

Went here with a party of seven people. Everyone was very happy with their meals. I ordered off the price fixed. A great selection of meals. I recommend the steak with the pepper gravy. read more

One of the finest locations for great food in the area. Professional staff has been there for decades. Love the menu, service, and food.

I went with coworkers after we finished work while staying overnight nearby. We heard good reviews about the place so we wanted to go. The menu was small but all the food sounded amazing. I ended up having an appetizer, a salad, and a main seafood meal. It was all delicious. I didn't end up finishing the dinner so I took it back and it kept throughout the night to the next day and still tasted amazing. This place is expensive, but if you are looking for a fancy-ish place with good food, this is the place you want to go. read more

Poor management! We called to make reservations for a party of 18 for a luncheon. They had indicated that for the pre-fixe menu it would not be available to parties of 18 or more. NOWHERE on the website did it indicate that information. They advised after the fact that we can do 3 appetizers family style with a limit of 4 entrees for pre-fixe.Then the manager Paul's excuse was because it would be difficult for the kitchen. My question is if 3 parties of 6 came all at the same time what would the kitchen do then because it is under 18 per party. Do yourself the favor and educate yourself on how to run a business and accommodate your customers. You just lost out on $400.00 and could have been more because we usually order for our families to go. read more

HORRIBLE SERVICE and RUDE STAFF! Usually like the food and the atmosphere but yesterday was totally disappointed and upset after going there for anniversary drinks and dinner. Bartender was rude and cold and totally not interested in being friendly to any of the many ppl sitting at the bar. Had to flag him down anytime we wanted a new drink or had a question abt food or specials. He was cold and abrupt and really seemed like he couldnt be bothered with the guests at all. We were totally turned off and left before even sitting down for dinner, Went across the street to MIKRO and had a fabulous time and great food! read more

Pretty good Italian. I love out of state and find myself missing it at times. Their lobster risotto is a must get.

If I could give this place zero stars, I would. First off, the food is nothing special - very typical Italian fare, which is overpriced for what it is. Secondly, in trying to set up a birthday celebration for a small gathering of 15, they didn't seem willing to work with us. In this economy you'd think a restaurant would bend over backwards for your business. I am more than happy to take my business elsewhere, thank you very much. And just as an aside, a restaurant that has the audacity to charge a cake plating charge for bringing in your own cake is not worth patronizing. It is not commonplace to do that. Yes, some restaurants choose to do so, but those restaurants are missing out on our parties - and we dine out very frequently. read more

Recently we planned to dine out to celebrate a birthday. We had reservations at a popular Cheshire restaurant, but when we arrived we were told that despite the reservation we had at least a 25 minute wait. Unacceptable. We left and drove down to Hamden to Luce. That was an excellent call on our part. Luce is a very comfortable restaurant. The patio dining was full, but the interior dining room is quite nice. Even though it was a Wednesday, they still offered us the fixed price menu which is quite a bargain and contains a majority of the regular menu items. We enjoyed a good cocktail and appetizers. The mussels Posilippo were delicious. They were prepare beautifully. The other appetizer was their pizzetta which is personal sized, thin crust pizza. It was good, but way too big for an appetizer (it was also my lunch the next day). For entrees we had the Veal Valdasta and a tuna special. The veal was excellent. Very thin pieces of veal made it a delightful dish. The tuna crusted in sesame seeds with a lobster risotto was terrific. Our waiter Juan P was very good. Service was timed well and he was not shy when asked for recommendations. read more

I went last night for dinner. There were 8 of us. All nurses there for a relaxing night out. Our reservation was for 530. We were seated in the first room on the right at the big round table. The main dining room had a private birthday party. The waiter Dana, was very attentive. He asked us if we were in a rush and we assured him we were not. The food was very good. The apps came out quickly but the actual dinners took a long time, which is not unusual for this restaurant. We also had coffee and dessert. At 8 pm we had just paid the bill when another waiter came over and told one member of our party that he had people waiting for our table!!! What??? I've never been asked to leave a restaurant before. That was outrageous! There are other Italian restaurants in this area with equally good food that will be my first choice. I went there a few years ago for a Christmas party and the waitress was miserable. We had to go to the bar from the private room because she would not serve us drinks! I will not be returning! read more

In my 74 years of restaurant dining experience I have never encountered treatment as rude, inconsiderate, and unprofessional as that which Lucè demonstrated. I made reservations 2 months in advance of a family birthday celebration for my 2 daughters, and the night prior to our dinner I called to confirm the arrangements. The person I spoke with assured me that there would be a "special" table for 7 in the lower main section ready at 7:00 PM. All 7 of our party were there at 7:03......but there was NO table available, although the host acknowledged the reservations were made. We waited over 30 minutes, were offered outdoor seating (it was NOT an outdoor dining evening), but despite my explanation of the care I had taken to plan this celebration, they had no table for us. The manager later offered us a table in the corner of a back room.....and that was the last insult I would tolerate. Our party left and had dinner at another restaurant 20 miles away, but well worth the drive. Lucè's food may be very good, but it is not an acceptable substitute for absolutely unacceptable customer service! I felt sorry for Bianca, the hostess. As I stood at the hostess desk I observed other guests who were upset with their seating process. Bianca did the best she could with a restaurant policy/characteristic that is obviously NOT customer friendly. If tables are full and $$$$ is going in the till, Lucè is pleased. Never again!!!! read more

We arrived at Luce on a Saturday night, tired, hungry and upset after a day with an ill relative. The kind hostesses at Luce told us there would be a 30 minute wait, and we asked for other restaurant recommendations. Before we could even focus on what they were saying, they seated us and served us a marvelous meal. My veal chop was the best veal I've had in decades, accompanied by a creative and savory onion/pepper mix. Fresh bread on the table. My companion's seafood risotto pleased her as well. I will go back there in a heartbeat. Fine restaurant! read more

This place is blazing. The appetizers are big enough to serve as a meal. The wine list is enormous. The entrees are fantastic. The prices are a bit high but plenty worth it for the amount of food you get and the quality. both times i have gone the waitress that i had was the owner's daughter/neice. She is awesome. This place is fantastic even though the reviews seem to be on and off. I have not had anything i didnt like. I wouled say that dinner will come to about 100 if you both get apps, entrees, and a bottle of cheap wine. It is in no way cheap but it has been super everytime i have been. read more

I don't know why it took me so long to try this place which is very close to home but I'm glad I finally did. It's tucked away nicely with plenty of parking. Called ahead late for a Saturday reservation and was able to secure a table from a very accommodating person. The bar was a nice place to start early and when our time came we were seated promptly and were well attended to all evening. This place seems to have been in business long enough to have the routine down as everything ran like a well-oiled machine - Maybe a little too well oiled, as there was a sense that routine had taken some of the creativity out of the experience. No living on the edge here! But that's OK - there's something to be said for a tried and true menu. We ordered from the Prix Fixe menu which offered some good choices and an excuse to order dessert! The food was cooked right if a little bland. I was surprised that an Italian ristorante served Asian spring rolls with teriyaki and mashed potatoes with the chicken and peppers. I was hoping for a little pasta but the potatoes were so good that I didn't mind! The tiramisu was light and delicious. Did I say I was glad I was forced to order dessert? The were no windows where we sat which was a little claustrophobic and there was a nail above our table where a Caravaggio must have once hung. Small complaints. We had more than enough good food to eat and were served by a battery of attentive staff. Next time we'll bring some friends. read more

Have been here twice. Would really look forward to eating here when it is warm out to enjoy the patio. Nice decor and water filled quickly as well as.bread . The host who seems to be the owner or a family member of the owner isnt very attentive while we have stood around at the door for a few minutes with no one in front of us and we recieved no acknowledgemenet.. seemend to be under staffed during friday nights in regards to wait staff....expect to be there for 2 hrs if you have 3 courses. Food is overrall excellent. Cold plate app great, bread warm and chewey with crunchy crust, oil to dip bread bland ( maybe add some garlic and parmesian?) Worst calamari Ive ever had for an Italian restaurant. Tastes like chewey oversalted fish rings opposed to crunchy lightly salted calamari with bananna peppers that isnt hard to perfect. Rizzoto dish is excellent creamy full of perfect flavor of creme sauce and great seafood. Every chicken dish Ive had as well as friends has been cooked perfectly. Wine list extensive. House wine per glass 8.25 worth buying a bottle if you have a few glasses but great wine Ive had the shiraz and cab savignon. Cheesecake good but next time ill ask to have no strawberry sauce which was very sugary and tart and took away from the flavor. Chocolate lava flourless cake excellent. Expect to spend 25/per person on entree ... 8 on dessert... ranges for app... 8 glass wine .. ~3 glass soda. Ill continue to go to back excellent italian compared to whay is available in.cheshire and hamden. Opportunity ror improvent with food: calamari and bland olive oil with bread. read more

The food was okay, we really had no complaint about that. Just about The "fritti" I believe that was the name of it, it was the fried calamari. It needed to be fried a little longer. We also ordered the Mozza frito which was amazing! Our entrees were a bit longer to receive but were really delicious. Our desserts as well were very yummy! You can definitely tell they were homemade. We made a reservation in advanced because it was Mother's Day and thought they would serve a Mother's Day special AND the regular menu but NO. The menu was very limited. For the pricing I wish they offered more things on the menu. Just one thing that really bothered us was the hostess. I understand it was Mother's Day and people were waiting on tables but she stood in front of our table and was just watching us eat. We felt very rushed to get out of the restaurant and very intimidated. She was yelling out "Edwin Edwin" like 4x to get the back servers attention about something. In my opinion I believe it was very unprofessional. She not only yelled at the back serves but was very pushy about things. Our table was also in the way of everyone else's. We had to keep moving because people kept hitting the back of our heads. Which was very annoying! The food was great just wished the service was also! Wish I can give this restaurant at least 4 stars but I believe 3 is what it really deserves! read more