How is Luce restaurant rated?

Luce

4.4

790 Reviews

$30 and under

Italian

1 Shepard St, Cambridge, MA 02138

About this restaurant

Innovative
Romantic
Neighborhood gem

LUCE is a family-owned neighborhood restaurant offering timeless, regional Italian dishes in a cozy, comfortable dining room and bar. Our kitchen turns out an array of starters, pizzas, and handmade pastas that emphasize seasonal and local vegetables. There are always a few dishes that showcase New England meats and seafood.

Owner Rene Becker curates a list of Italian and other European wines that compliment the regional and seasonal food. All wines on the regular list are available by the half bottle and in many cases by the quartino, or quarter bottle. The wine list also includes well-aged bottles of Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello, and Burgundy. The Luce bartenders make consistently delicious, classic cocktails and manage a great list of amari and grappa.

LUCE is named for René and Cynthia Becker's daughter, Lucie, who is nicknamed Luce (pronounced loose). Luce in Italian (pronounced loo-chay) means "light". We like both pronunciations. Join us at Luce Tuesday thru Saturday.

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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Italian, Contemporary American
Hours of operation
Tue–Sat 5:30 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
(617) 714-5295
Website
http://www.lucecambridge.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Kunal Datta
Private party facilities
Contact events@lucecambridge.com for more information.

Location
1 Shepard St, Cambridge, MA 02138
Neighborhood
Cambridge
Cross street
Massachusetts Avenue
Parking details
Street Parking
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Fava Bean Puree$11.00
spicy greens, olive oil, Hi-Rise rye bread
Antipasti Misti$14.00
marinated olives, salami, prosciutto, arugula + parmigiano
Luce Artichokes$12.00
fried baby, grilled globes, lemon aioli, herbs
Celery + Tuna Conserva$15.00
cannellini beans, shaved fennel, lemon vinaigrette
Chicory Salad$14.00
apples, candied walnuts, gorgonzola dolce, balsamico
Chilled Lobster Salad$18.00
preserved lemon salmoriglio, beet+watercress, HR cracker

Pizza

Mushroom$18.00
taleggio, oregano, thyme, tomato sauce
Fried Calamari$18.00
pickled peppers, watercress, tomato sauce
Pancetta$18.00
marinated artichokes, rosemary, ricotta, tomato sauce

Pasta

Orecchiette$18.00
cacio e pepe, broccoli rabe, pecorino
Lemon Linguine$19.00
littleneck clams, roasted fennel, calabrian chili
Tagliatelle$19.00
duck bolognese, parmigiano
Ricotta Gnocchi$21.00
braised lamb, tomato+onion sugo, anchovy crumb
Spelt Farfalle$21.00
italian sausage, braised apple, rosemary+sage
Risotto$19.00
leeks + pancetta, mushroom stock, aged balsamico

Cena Per Tutti

Cena Per Tutti
A multi-course family-style meal of our current favorites. For the whole table only
- per person$65.00
- Wine Pairing$35.00

For the Table

Grilled Head-On Shrimp
Cabrian chili aioli
- 5ea For$17.00
Oven-Roasted Meatballs Siciliano$18.00
pine nuts + golden raisins, marinara sauce, Hi-Rise semolina bread
Whole Grilled Sea Bass$32.00
yellow-eyed beans, basil salsa verde, cipollini onions
Grilled Prime NY Strip
grilled little gem lettuce, fried artichokes, anchovy dressing, parm
- 6oz For$29.00
- 12oz For$45.00
Roasted Cauliflower$9.00
yogurt sauce, parsley
Brussel Sprouts$10.00
almond pesto, bread crumbs

What 790 people are saying

Luce reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

4.4

4.4 based on all time ratings

4.4Food
4.4Service
4.2Ambience
3.9Value

Noise • Moderate

790 Reviews

KC
KathleenC VIP
Greater Boston71 reviews
3.0
Dined on August 8, 2019
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
pizza was terribly soggy. heavy with cheese and sauce.
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JD
JoanneD VIP
Greater Boston6 reviews
5.0
Dined on August 6, 2019
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Amazing - it’s so unusual that every single item that every person at the table orders is absolutely delicious!
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j
jeffh
Greater Boston46 reviews
5.0
Dined on August 3, 2019
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Service was very good. Menu is inspired. Love the champagne and fries. This is one of the better places in Cambridge, underappreciated.
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DJ
DJones VIP
Portland22 reviews
5.0
Dined on August 1, 2019
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Perfect experience. Very low key environment w incredible food that you can get in half portions. Great European vibe.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Greater Boston2 reviews
5.0
Dined on July 26, 2019
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Excellent food and drinks!
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AM
AnnieM
Greater Boston13 reviews
4.0
Dined on July 24, 2019
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
The food and menu selection were good. They were a little heavy on the sauces for my taste. Dressing /sauce on burrata salad and artichoke appetizer overwhelmed the delicate deliciousness of the main ingredients. Overall service and atmosphere is nice. Wish the windows onto Shepherd Street opened. Sitting at the bar was pleasant- more sense of a place/ personality than the dining room.
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I
Ishanya
Greater Boston5 reviews
5.0
Dined on July 20, 2019
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Wonderful menu! We love this Shepherd replacement. All dishes were very good to excellent with the exception of the ricotta gnocchi with lamb- too oily for me. I have to remember that lamb can be greasy. Wine is a bit pricey. Otherwise, we loved the menu, food, service- GREAT!!
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LL
LaurenceL
Greater Boston9 reviews
5.0
Dined on July 20, 2019
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food is imaginative and of high quality. Refreshing! I hope that there will be shifts of the menu from time to time, because it is not a long list and I would like to dine regularly there with some variety.
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H
Hulk
Greater Boston3 reviews
5.0
Dined on July 13, 2019
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great vibe, yummy fun food!
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CA
CA222 VIP
San Francisco4 reviews
5.0
Dined on July 12, 2019
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
Starters and drinks were excellent. I thought my pasta was only okay, but there were lots of things that sounded good so I will definitely be going back!
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FAQs

Luce is rated 4.4 stars by 790 OpenTable diners.

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable booking network. To check availability, please contact them directly.

Is this your restaurant?

Claim this listing

1 Shepard St, Cambridge, MA 02138

Additional information

Cross street
Massachusetts Avenue
Neighborhood
Cambridge
Hours of operation
Tue–Sat 5:30 pm–10:00 pm
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Italian, Contemporary American
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Street Parking
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Kunal Datta
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.lucecambridge.com/
Phone number
(617) 714-5295
Private party facilities
Contact events@lucecambridge.com for more information.

Luce

About this restaurant

Not available on OpenTable

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Additional information

No1

Fava Bean Puree$11.00

Antipasti Misti$14.00

Luce Artichokes$12.00

Celery + Tuna Conserva$15.00

Chicory Salad$14.00

Chilled Lobster Salad$18.00

Pizza

Mushroom$18.00

Fried Calamari$18.00

Pancetta$18.00

Pasta

Orecchiette$18.00

Lemon Linguine$19.00

Tagliatelle$19.00

Ricotta Gnocchi$21.00

Spelt Farfalle$21.00

Risotto$19.00

Cena Per Tutti

Cena Per Tutti

For the Table

Grilled Head-On Shrimp

Oven-Roasted Meatballs Siciliano$18.00

Whole Grilled Sea Bass$32.00

Grilled Prime NY Strip

Roasted Cauliflower$9.00

Brussel Sprouts$10.00

Overall ratings and reviews

FAQs

How is Luce restaurant rated?

Not available on OpenTable

Additional information