Luce’s is incredible. The food tastes like pure joy and the kind of love you thought only existed in movies. But Tanner — my server — is on another level. He refilled my water before I even noticed it was low and made me feel like the most important person in the room. I would fight a bear for Tanner. I would walk into the ocean if Tanner asked. I would die for Tanner. Go to Luce’s. Pray for Tanner.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
John Depalma
Reservations require a credit card with a company that doesn't indicate how they protect your card though I think they are owned by American Express. I attempted calling multiple times but never got ahold of anyone nor did anyone return my call (left voicemail). Inside the restaurant is very nice, but very loud: not conducive to conversation due to loud music (at one point with loud vibrating bass) and people having to speak louder to hear each other.
The food is of great quality. Clearly well sourced ingredients and smartly made recipes. Aesthetically pleasing. Unfortunately, each plate we had was overly salted. Beneath the salt we could tell the dishes could be great!
Also unfortunately, the only available beverages are tap water, a selection of fine mineral waters and alcohol. Slow service, but I expected that given the way they prep the food so I wouldn't hold that against them.
Overall an ok experience but I do find myself wishing we went elsewhere for our birthday.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
Philip Ahye
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ From start to finish, dining at Luce Secondo was an incredible experience. The atmosphere is elegant yet welcoming, the service attentive without being intrusive, and the food… absolutely outstanding.
We started with the mushroom toast perfectly toasted bread piled high with savory, buttery mushrooms and the mussels, which were fresh, tender, and bathed in a rich tomato broth perfect for dipping the grilled bread.
For mains, we enjoyed the gemelli pasta with fresh vegetables in a silky, flavorful sauce, the pappardelle bolognese with melt-in-your-mouth slow-cooked meat and ribbons of pasta, and each bite was a reminder of why fresh, handmade pasta is unmatched. The flavors were vibrant, balanced, and deeply satisfying.
Paired with a crisp white wine, every course felt like it was made with care and passion. Luce Secondo isn’t just a restaurant it’s a place where you savor every bite. Highly recommended for anyone who appreciates authentic, elevated Italian cuisine.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Barrett Barrett
TRASH. TERRIBLE. CUSTOMER SERVICE. THE MANAGER,JOHN NEED TONGRT A NEW JOB.
Ray Hunt
Walked into Luce at 6:50pm. We were sat at 7pm on the patio. Our waiter was very kind and helpful. About 7:15. We put our whole order in all at once per the restaurant request. About 20 mins later our apps came out. 7:45pm. We waited for our entrées and I realized it was 8:50pm and still no food. I asked the waiter how much longer. He’s like it’s very busy. It should be coming out shortly. @ 9:11pm Our food was delivered by the manager. His name is John. There was no apology just a food drive-by and tried to walk away. I asked why it took so long to bring our food out and he said it was very busy. That’s not a good excuse because there was three tables that sat after us who got their food and ate and left before we even received our food. He was making excuses after excuse. We are spending over $200 at a restaurant and you have a manager who has the customer service of a three-year-old. You probably should not have him running your customer service. What is sad is that this was supposed to be a really good Italian place in Chesapeake, but they will never get one more penny out of me TERRIBLE
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
Donald White
Luke was an amazing server. We frequent the original Luce in norfolk. This was our first time at this location. Luke was very knowledgeable of the menu and everything he brought us was exactly how he described it. He personable but not overbearing. I really enjoyed him and he made the dining experience.
That being said, as always the food and drinks were amazing. We felt like we were eating at a Michelin rated restaurant
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Jonathan Hinshaw
My wife and I decided at the last minute to dine out. We have wanted to try this restaurant for quite some time. Since the stars aligned and we were hoping, since it was a Wednesday evening they wouldn’t be too busy…it all worked out. No reservations and we were seated in less than five minutes. The menu items descriptions are mouth watering and from what we had, deservedly so! The details in everything were just great. If you don’t know, Luce in Italian means “light” and there is plenty of it in the restaurant but not blindingly so. More of a comforting ambience if you will. My steak knife was another small detail, it was a beautiful Damascus steel steak knife. I know I am bouncing around on this review, my apologies. Let’s talk food; I had the dry aged bone-in ribeye with roasted garlic and white truffle mash. My wife chose the wild boar ragu with house made pasta and also ordered scallops as an add on. We also had calamari as an appetizer. Hands down, one of the best meals/experience we have had in the area. My Ribeye was cooked to perfection and had just the right amount of salt that is needed for a dry aged steak! Their Demi-glacé was perfect and an amazing sauce for under the ribeye for presentation. It didn’t drown out the flavor of the steak but really enhanced it! My wife that doesn’t care for mashed potatoes, kept sneaking bites of mine. The combination of roasted garlic, white truffles and a dairy is not an easy balance…and yet they did so with flying colors. My wife’s wild boar pasta made me reminisce of our times in Italy with all the fresh ingredients and pasta. All the flavors are prominent with the boar still being the star. The scallops were a perfect sear on each side! Our only gripe, and this is nitpicking, was that there was no lemon wedge served with the calamari as is customary in Southern Italian cuisine calamari. Oh, and an espresso or limoncello after service…but hey, I have to remind myself we aren’t in Italy. Our waiter Tanner was amazing and attentive without being pushy on menu items. He was ready to answer any questions and made honest and great recommendations. He paired a couple of nice wines to go with my items and my wife’s water never went empty. He was polite and courteous as well as knowledgeable about the menu items. Bottom line, we decided after our appetizer that we would be coming back. We really enjoyed the ambience, food and staff. Our experience with Luce Secondo was top notch. The quality of the ingredients was exceptional. We weren’t annoyed by the staff hovering over us constantly, but they were ready to assist if needed. Obviously, I highly recommend this wonderful restaurant that has more officially became our Italian “spot”!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nafeesa Williams
First time going this place and it was lovely. Has a solid dress code… definitely a casual night no sweatpants or sneakers energy here.. food was delish and when you want quality service definitely ask for Wes super knowledgeable on wine and his etiquette was amazing. Definitely going back for another visit. Food is a little pricey so don’t be cheap when going here. But still reasonable. Make reservations to make the experience better. Would not take kids here they maybe allowed but definitely didn’t see anything which was nice.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
michael palmer
Tanner has very great service, we were very pleased with his performance and his sense of humor, we left out very happy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kaleena Weeks
Overall, we had a mixed experience.
There was quite a bit of good. Everyone was great from who seated us, to our server, to the sommelier. We enjoyed their wine list and found one we had been wanting to try for a while. The mushroom toast and eggplant parmesan were both very good. Their ciabatta / brioche bread was also very good.
For the not as good, we had two dishes that were extremely over salted. We let the server know, and while we didn't expect anything, he just said he'd let the kitchen know.
Overall, we're on the fence if we want to return based on two dishes being so salty. One was inedible, so we aren't sure if we want to take that risk again.
Recommended dishes: Wild Boar Ragu, Torta Di Mele, Gnocchi, Branzino
Yvonne Hobbs
I can't wait to go back !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Stephanie G
My boyfriend and I dined here for my 50th birthday, it was nice, I loved the jazz band, although a bit loud, I couldn’t hear my date talk. The service we received was less than stellar, we didn’t even get the wine menu until he arrived to order the drinks, I didn’t even see it. We ordered bruschetta as an appetizer, it was okay, a bit dry, I wouldn’t order it again. Our main dishes were good, however my boyfriend’s dish was Luke warm. Our server didn’t really mention anything about it being a birthday celebration until asking for the check. My bf made reservations and noted we were there for a special celebration ( he had to reserve with a credit card too). The server in all made the experience not that enjoyable.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Ahmed AlNajjar
I took my girlfriend to a date at this restaurant. We had a tuna pasta and duck pasta duck pasta was a letdown. The taste was finicky. The red sauce has no flavor. I was disappointed not to mention. I am very fair guy. I don’t complain a lot and it takes a lot of efforts for me to Say something negative. The pistachio cheesecake is definitely amazing
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Kevin Kennedy
First time diners and we thoroughly enjoyed our meals from start to finish with one exception regarding atmosphere … the band. We were seated right next to them and we found ourselves in constant competition with them to have a conversation. Although a seemingly considerate addition, the music continuously interfered with our conversation. That aspect really took away from making this a 100% enjoyable experience. There’s no doubt we will go back, but I’ll either ask for seating away from the band or ask that it be turned down if the same condition exists. Piped in music would be completely acceptable. The pork ribeye with homemade gnocchi was fantastic as was the veal; both were incredibly tender and full of flavor. Desserts were on point as well. Great job Chef!
Luce’s is incredible. The food tastes like pure joy and the kind of love you thought only existed in movies. But Tanner — my server — is on another level. He refilled my water before I even noticed it was low and made me feel like the most important person in the room. I would fight a bear for Tanner. I would walk into the ocean if Tanner asked. I would die for Tanner. Go to Luce’s. Pray for Tanner.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Reservations require a credit card with a company that doesn't indicate how they protect your card though I think they are owned by American Express. I attempted calling multiple times but never got ahold of anyone nor did anyone return my call (left voicemail). Inside the restaurant is very nice, but very loud: not conducive to conversation due to loud music (at one point with loud vibrating bass) and people having to speak louder to hear each other.
The food is of great quality. Clearly well sourced ingredients and smartly made recipes. Aesthetically pleasing. Unfortunately, each plate we had was overly salted. Beneath the salt we could tell the dishes could be great!
Also unfortunately, the only available beverages are tap water, a selection of fine mineral waters and alcohol. Slow service, but I expected that given the way they prep the food so I wouldn't hold that against them.
Overall an ok experience but I do find myself wishing we went elsewhere for our birthday.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
From start to finish, dining at Luce Secondo was an incredible experience. The atmosphere is elegant yet welcoming, the service attentive without being intrusive, and the food… absolutely outstanding.
We started with the mushroom toast perfectly toasted bread piled high with savory, buttery mushrooms and the mussels, which were fresh, tender, and bathed in a rich tomato broth perfect for dipping the grilled bread.
For mains, we enjoyed the gemelli pasta with fresh vegetables in a silky, flavorful sauce, the pappardelle bolognese with melt-in-your-mouth slow-cooked meat and ribbons of pasta, and each bite was a reminder of why fresh, handmade pasta is unmatched. The flavors were vibrant, balanced, and deeply satisfying.
Paired with a crisp white wine, every course felt like it was made with care and passion. Luce Secondo isn’t just a restaurant it’s a place where you savor every bite. Highly recommended for anyone who appreciates authentic, elevated Italian cuisine.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
TRASH. TERRIBLE. CUSTOMER SERVICE. THE MANAGER,JOHN NEED TONGRT A NEW JOB.
Walked into Luce at 6:50pm. We were sat at 7pm on the patio. Our waiter was very kind and helpful. About 7:15. We put our whole order in all at once per the restaurant request. About 20 mins later our apps came out. 7:45pm. We waited for our entrées and I realized it was 8:50pm and still no food. I asked the waiter how much longer. He’s like it’s very busy. It should be coming out shortly. @ 9:11pm Our food was delivered by the manager. His name is John.
There was no apology just a food drive-by and tried to walk away. I asked why it took so long to bring our food out and he said it was very busy. That’s not a good excuse because there was three tables that sat after us who got their food and ate and left before we even received our food. He was making excuses after excuse. We are spending over $200 at a restaurant and you have a manager who has the customer service of a three-year-old. You probably should not have him running your customer service. What is sad is that this was supposed to be a really good Italian place in Chesapeake, but they will never get one more penny out of me TERRIBLE
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
Luke was an amazing server. We frequent the original Luce in norfolk. This was our first time at this location. Luke was very knowledgeable of the menu and everything he brought us was exactly how he described it. He personable but not overbearing. I really enjoyed him and he made the dining experience.
That being said, as always the food and drinks were amazing. We felt like we were eating at a Michelin rated restaurant
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
My wife and I decided at the last minute to dine out. We have wanted to try this restaurant for quite some time. Since the stars aligned and we were hoping, since it was a Wednesday evening they wouldn’t be too busy…it all worked out. No reservations and we were seated in less than five minutes.
The menu items descriptions are mouth watering and from what we had, deservedly so! The details in everything were just great. If you don’t know, Luce in Italian means “light” and there is plenty of it in the restaurant but not blindingly so. More of a comforting ambience if you will. My steak knife was another small detail, it was a beautiful Damascus steel steak knife. I know I am bouncing around on this review, my apologies.
Let’s talk food; I had the dry aged bone-in ribeye with roasted garlic and white truffle mash. My wife chose the wild boar ragu with house made pasta and also ordered scallops as an add on. We also had calamari as an appetizer. Hands down, one of the best meals/experience we have had in the area. My Ribeye was cooked to perfection and had just the right amount of salt that is needed for a dry aged steak! Their Demi-glacé was perfect and an amazing sauce for under the ribeye for presentation. It didn’t drown out the flavor of the steak but really enhanced it! My wife that doesn’t care for mashed potatoes, kept sneaking bites of mine. The combination of roasted garlic, white truffles and a dairy is not an easy balance…and yet they did so with flying colors. My wife’s wild boar pasta made me reminisce of our times in Italy with all the fresh ingredients and pasta. All the flavors are prominent with the boar still being the star. The scallops were a perfect sear on each side! Our only gripe, and this is nitpicking, was that there was no lemon wedge served with the calamari as is customary in Southern Italian cuisine calamari. Oh, and an espresso or limoncello after service…but hey, I have to remind myself we aren’t in Italy.
Our waiter Tanner was amazing and attentive without being pushy on menu items. He was ready to answer any questions and made honest and great recommendations. He paired a couple of nice wines to go with my items and my wife’s water never went empty. He was polite and courteous as well as knowledgeable about the menu items.
Bottom line, we decided after our appetizer that we would be coming back. We really enjoyed the ambience, food and staff. Our experience with Luce Secondo was top notch. The quality of the ingredients was exceptional. We weren’t annoyed by the staff hovering over us constantly, but they were ready to assist if needed. Obviously, I highly recommend this wonderful restaurant that has more officially became our Italian “spot”!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
First time going this place and it was lovely. Has a solid dress code… definitely a casual night no sweatpants or sneakers energy here.. food was delish and when you want quality service definitely ask for Wes super knowledgeable on wine and his etiquette was amazing. Definitely going back for another visit. Food is a little pricey so don’t be cheap when going here. But still reasonable. Make reservations to make the experience better. Would not take kids here they maybe allowed but definitely didn’t see anything which was nice.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tanner has very great service, we were very pleased with his performance and his sense of humor, we left out very happy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Overall, we had a mixed experience.
There was quite a bit of good. Everyone was great from who seated us, to our server, to the sommelier. We enjoyed their wine list and found one we had been wanting to try for a while. The mushroom toast and eggplant parmesan were both very good. Their ciabatta / brioche bread was also very good.
For the not as good, we had two dishes that were extremely over salted. We let the server know, and while we didn't expect anything, he just said he'd let the kitchen know.
Overall, we're on the fence if we want to return based on two dishes being so salty. One was inedible, so we aren't sure if we want to take that risk again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Amazing food and extraordinary service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Wild Boar Ragu, Torta Di Mele, Gnocchi, Branzino
I can't wait to go back !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My boyfriend and I dined here for my 50th birthday, it was nice, I loved the jazz band, although a bit loud, I couldn’t hear my date talk. The service we received was less than stellar, we didn’t even get the wine menu until he arrived to order the drinks, I didn’t even see it. We ordered bruschetta as an appetizer, it was okay, a bit dry, I wouldn’t order it again. Our main dishes were good, however my boyfriend’s dish was Luke warm. Our server didn’t really mention anything about it being a birthday celebration until asking for the check. My bf made reservations and noted we were there for a special celebration ( he had to reserve with a credit card too). The server in all made the experience not that enjoyable.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
I took my girlfriend to a date at this restaurant. We had a tuna pasta and duck pasta duck pasta was a letdown. The taste was finicky. The red sauce has no flavor. I was disappointed not to mention. I am very fair guy. I don’t complain a lot and it takes a lot of efforts for me to Say something negative. The pistachio cheesecake is definitely amazing
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
First time diners and we thoroughly enjoyed our meals from start to finish with one exception regarding atmosphere … the band. We were seated right next to them and we found ourselves in constant competition with them to have a conversation. Although a seemingly considerate addition, the music continuously interfered with our conversation. That aspect really took away from making this a 100% enjoyable experience. There’s no doubt we will go back, but I’ll either ask for seating away from the band or ask that it be turned down if the same condition exists. Piped in music would be completely acceptable. The pork ribeye with homemade gnocchi was fantastic as was the veal; both were incredibly tender and full of flavor. Desserts were on point as well. Great job Chef!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
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