La Luce
1393 W Lake St
(between Ada St & Loomis St)
Chicago, IL 60607 (312) 850-1900
- Nearest Transit:
Ashland (Pink, Green Lake)
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Dressy
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: Yes
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
13 reviews
Neighborhood: The Loop
"Atmosphere: Theatrical Price: Lunch expensive Bathrooms: Very Clean Food: Excellent We went here for lunch after a meeting in the area! No…" read more »
39 Reviews for La Luce
Nice little restaurant for a date. The dim lighting, cozy atmosphere and semi-dressy attire work well to make any time there feel romantic without being too stuffy. At least on the lower level. The food is delicious and comes in huge portions; enough to share between two people. One of my favorites.
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The television hanging above the bar ruins it all for me. I hate television. Here you have a charming little italian restaurant with exposed brick walls, tin ceiling, and decent food, but you hang a freaking television in the dining room! (The bar doesn't function as one- it's just a space for drinks to be poured but dining tables abut it.)
I'd say the pasta is way overpriced, the portions are unnecessarily large, and the service is turtle slow. And there's a television on in the dining room.
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Funny. When I looked and saw I hadn't already reviewed La Luce I was surprised. After all- this is one of the first places I tried when I moved to Chicago- oh so many years ago.
La Luce serves up northern Italian cuisine in an old Victorian building dating back to 1892. I love that they have kept so much of the building's charm intact with copper accents, tin ceilings and an old cooler behind the bar. With it's close proximity to the United Center (5 blocks) it's a reliable choice to get some good Italian food before a show or event. Or for just a cozy dinner if you live in the neighborhood.
We ordered the beef carpaccio and the caprese salad. Both were good although I felt that the carpaccio was a little skimpy compared to other restaurants.
For our entrees- I usually order a pasta dish which can always be counted on to be delicious (and huge!). They have a daily pasta special which makes ordering easy for me. That and a salad and I am a happy camper!
But last night- I chose to go with the Veal Marsala and my friend went with the Veal Luce. Trust me. His was the better of the two. His veal was covered in prosciutto and melted cheese and tasted wonderful. I always kick my self cuz I know he is a better "orderer" than me but I want to be able to share a couple of different entrees which you can't do if we both have the same thing.
My veal, on the other hand, had such a heavy Marsala taste that I didn't finish it. And trust me- there was not alot of sharing because after one taste of mine- the sharing stopped!
The owner and his brother stopped by to talk with us and tell us about some of the plans they have for the place. I always like that- because it makes me feel like I am "family". And I know the next time I stop in- they will greet me like a regular.
Reasonable prices. Nice atmosphere. Good food. Next time you are looking for a little northern Italian in a comfortable, family place check out La Luce.
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Great cozy date atmosphere minus the stupid television! WHY do so many restaurants ruin a romantic vibe with a tv? And of course it has to have sports on it. I hate sports and my eye unfortunately kept gravitating toward it... it's just natural I guess but my brain kept saying WHY????!
Another ATROCIOUS and OVERPRICED wine list. Ravenswood Vintner's Blend for 36.00? I won't pay 9.99 at the grocery store COME ON.
The salads that came with the meal were well portioned but I couldn't really get anything on the fork because it was all in tiny shreds of well, slimy scraps.
We never had one server, instead it was about 5 different people coming by when they could. I felt the service was flat and rather unattentive.
The main courses were fine and as others have said huge, however, rather pricey for the quality. My husband and I both thought our dishes were ok but certainly nothing that we couldn't get frozen at Trader Joe's and make better with a few fresh herbs and cheeses.
Oh and I cannot forget the soggy ass tiramisu. Nasty nasty nasty!
Ok so it looks like what I'm saying here is that with so many great Italian places in the city, I think it's safe to say this one can be scratched off the list.
Well, I went there with a friend. I never read any reviews, I only saw it on the way to work everyday. It looked quiet, and quaint. So we went on a Sunday evening. There was no one in the restaurant on the bottom floor--but they asked if we had a reservation. We did not, so they told us to "hang on". We were finally escorted upstairs, again to an empty area. They were unsure if they could seat us?? since we did not have a reservation. This was a huge turn off.
It took forever for our waiter to come take a drink order. We asked for a table by the window and they were put out--as if we were messing up their plan.
Our "new" waitress had red stained eyes-as if she had been crying.
She looked on the verge of tears. We asked what was wrong and she said she didn't feel good but they made her come in anyway.
We ordered an appetizer. No good. Tomatoes with spinach leaves on top?? maybe some cheese. yuk
I ordered some pasta dish--it was $12?! and a side salad. The pasta was horrible. I could of and should of made better at home. It was the tube pasta with marinara sauce. There was barely any sauce. It was dry, no favor.
The bill was $90!!! for 2 people. Not worth it AT ALL.
I do not recommend this place to anybody. They were not accommodating, pleasant, or attentive. I think the people behind the bar were watching TV b/c they were so bored.
"All right. Mike: you go to the restaurant, you eat, you talk for a while, you relax.
You make them relax. Then you get up and you go take a leak. No -- better still -- you ask for permission to go.
Then when you come back, you come out blastin', and don't take any chances -- two shots in the head apiece"
Yep, this is that place, except in Chicago. Good food.
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Yummy yummy HUGE CHEAP salads. You can get a great salad to go for $8.50. I order ahead of time so its ready when I pick up. I dont mind it for "dining in" but the service is a tad slow. They are overall nice, its clean and if I didnt work blocks from it and be able to walk, I would be thrilled to use their free parking lot!
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La Luce is one of those places you drive by often but because it's sort of by nothing, you don't think to stop for dinner. Well, after driving past the place several times, I finally did stop there for dinner. We went early in the evening so there wasn't a wait. Word has it they become rather crowded later in the evening. All the entrees come with either soup or salad (soup is to die for). The entrees are huge so I do suggest sharing or being prepared for leftover lunches for work the next day. Overall, the place is good but a little pricier than I'm used to for Italian - but the portion sizes do make up for that. There's also a convenient (but small) parking lot located just across the way.
Great service, amazing food that will last all week, quiet atmosphere and beautiful place, what more could you want?
I have been here a dozen times in the past for work-related interview functions, and have always been pleased with the service and the quality of the food. I haven't been here on my own so I can't speak for anything outside the group service (which we always had in the upstairs room with a bar). A little isolated but has its own parking lot, and its close to the medical district for convenience of hospital folk.
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After a good workout at West Loop Athletic Club close by, we opt in for a guiltless big o dinner at La Luce. We really liked the building and the antique feel of the place. Food was really good!! We had the fried gnocchi to start. All entrees include soup/salad. I had the chicken tortellini soup, and hubby had salad. Mind you that we just came back from Italy, so we were disappointed that the salad dressing wasn't real balsamic vinegar, rather it was balsamic vinaigrette.
I have to rave about the sea bass special I ordered. Okay, they probably melted a stick of butter into the sauce, but both the fish and the sauce was to die for!! It was flaky, light and mighty tasty. Veal Luce was good too. To finish off, we shared an order of Tartufo (homemade gelato rolled in powder cocoa) recommended by our waiter. Not that it wasn't good, but of course pale by comparison to the gelato in Florence. :-)
My biggest complain about this restaurant is that they don't have much Italian wine on their wine list and even fewer that offers by the glass.
This place feels like a little secret. Exceptional Italian food, especially the spicy basil marinara. I love that its tucked away under the El, and if you make your way tot he 3rd floor (reserved for parties), you get a nice view of the city.
The spot is best for a romantic dinner with wine...not so much a big family affair--in which case I'd recommend Tufanos.
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A great, unassuming spot for classic Northern Italian food. Nothing too crazy on the menu here, but they do it all extremely well - we loved the pasta, entrees and the bruschetta.
The building is amazing and really gives it a cool, unique vibe. Service is friendly and professional. The prices are a little on the higher side (for Italian) but they make up for it with ENORMOUS portions.
Definitely a nice place, and a good excuse to get out of the downtown area and see a new part of the city.
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I came here early on a Friday night and the place was full but not crowded. We got a table right away. The warm bread was so good we asked for another. I had the Lasagna and it was pretty good. The sauce wasn't to spicy and it was a large portion. My friend had the Chicken Vesuvio and that had really good roasted potatos. It was a little messy to eat, but it was worth it. No dessert because we were stuffed. We got rock star parking under the L. It has a nice atmosphere and does not get as noisy from the train as I would have though. So you can relax and enjoy your food and conversation. I would go back as I am a champion for the independents.
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I'll give this a 3.5. My companion and I stopped in after a lengthy debate over where to finally feed our growling tummies. The atmosphere was nice but not stuffy or overcrowded and the service was friendly, but not over attentive. They were also incredibly fast. The bread was nice and crusty and I really enjoyed the chicken tortellini soup. I got the spaghetti (I know I'm a boring ass loser) and meatballs which seemed a little pricey at first, but then when I realized it was big enough to last me three meals, I changed my mind. My companion enjoyed his lasagna even more. I would return, though I still feel like I might be cheating on Bacchanalia and Oggi, my two Italian lovers.
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I stopped in here for a drink with my friend the other day, in-between recruiting softball teams to sponsor.
Truth be told, I kind of felt like an asshole for camping out at the bar and drinking my beer while everyone else had their really really tasty-looking pastas and salads other such entrees in this obscenely cute little restaurant.
Regardless, the all-male waitstaff was friendly and courteous and invited us back to actually sit and have dinner one day. So I'm saving my final star for the day that I go back and do just that.
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I have to La Luce on a couple of occasions both times with a group of friends. The place is kinda on the small side but we have always managed to get a table Right away. I really like the sausage and peppers appetizer. Both times I have been here I have had a chicken dish. Nothing special but good. Service was fast and courteous.
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This last time I went, I noticed the restaurant is in a very cool Chicago walk up building, inside there's a wood burning stove and copper tiled ceiling. Outside it's next to the El. I decided to take out of town friends there form now on and show them a bit of Chicago.
Anyway, we had grilled calamari as app, tortellini, a side of grilled sausage and chicken Marsala as our main dishes. All were very good! There were 6 whole calamari grilled in its original juice with a splash of lemon and it was tasty. Tortellini was house made, and the chicken Marsala was one of the tastiest I have had in Chicago.
In the past for lunch, I have ordered grilled vegetables, capresi salad, pasta with vodka, baked ziti. All were delicious and was big enough for two meals.
This is also a cozy, dimly lit, quiet atmosphere, as opposed the happened Rosebud kind of Italian restaurant. I would definitely go back. The only complaint I have is the wine selection is not great.
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If you are looking for quality italian here in Chicago...this is a good option. The menu is fairly standard but the brown butter ravioli is very good. They have both a downstairs and upstairs area for seating, both have a bar. I would recommend this place for before a bulls or hawks game, but make sure you have a reservation because that is when it gets most crowded.
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I guess one person's 'unimaginative' is another person's 'classic.'
So maybe it's not super fancy, ultra-creative. It's true that the food wasn't artistically arranged in tiny stacks, nothing was 'deconstructed,' there were no tasting menus. Oh, and I wasn't at Alinea. I was at La Luce- a gem of an Italian restaurant in the middle of an industrial wasteland between West Town and the West Loop.
Last night was my third trip to La Luce, and each visit has been, well, super-duper. The menu has a good selection of pasta dishes, as well as meat/chicken/seafood offerings. I haven't had any of the appetizers, though the fried gnocchi has tempted me each time. Most (if not all) of the pastas are homemade, the sauces are flavorful without being overwhelming. I was delighted to discover that the lasagna is meatless- just pasta, cheese, and spinach- and it's fabulous. The gnocchi is perfect- only slightly less orgasmic than A Tavola- and while the asiago cream sauce is a bit too rich for me, it's the perfect dish to share. I will admit, the chicken parm is nothing special, but it's still tasty.
The prices are really good considering one meal is easily enough to feed 2 people, or to spread out over 2 meals. The aforementioned chicken parm came with 3 chicken breasts and a giant mound of pasta. I never eat the pasta that comes with it, but it makes a great dinner later in the week. I wouldn't call it 'dressy' at all- I mean, I wouldn't go in sweats, but last night the boyfriend's dad was wearing shorts and no one stared or kicked him out.
Basically, this La Luce is a great place for classic, family-style Italian food that is a bit more gourmet than your Oggi Trattoria or Bucca di Beppo. Go there. Don't be a hater.
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Love this place. Quaint setting, good food and great, friendly waiters. The chicken marsala is great, as is the pasta with vodka sauce. And you can't leave without trying the Bananas Luce dessert. (It's so good, you may not want to share it with your date!)
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our project team had such a great holiday party that we decided to throw ourselves another holiday party in january. nothing like fending off the winter blues with lots and lots of carbs. and wine. and raffle prizes! we rented the place and they promised to keep the holiday white lights up for us, it was lovely (see photos). i started drinking immediately so my recollection of the interior is foggy. but it was nice, lots of dark wood and a hungry exposed furnace attached to the wall at the entry vestibule. if i was six, it would have been scooby-doo. careful, it could singe your scarf! no coat check.
my only compaint was that they served everything at once. appetizers and dinner. in the midwest, grazing is the preferred method of injestion. once the food showed up, an uninhibited stampede of buzzed corporate employees charged the banquet style table without abandon. i might have tripped the old receptionist in front of me, but she had it coming ...and was about to nab the last of the calamari.
So the set up was all wrong, sloppy people were passing porcelain plates back to the appetizers and things were dropped. but there were only three waitstaffers and sixty of us so you had to feel for them. amazing how red wines blurs all those awkward moments. and who would complain with a three hour open bar?!?
all in all, a great night. can't wait for the dodgy monday-after office avoidance dance.
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La Luce is a great Italian restaurant with lots of character. It's a romantic restaurant and they really make you feel welcome. But, most importantly, the italian food is excellent. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. I would definitely try the lasagna, which is some of the best in the city.
I had a business lunch here over last winter. The calamari salad was a dream. It so delicious and I hate I haven't gotten back try some other things.
Oh i love me some La Luce! They have the best eggplant parm i have ever tasted. It is light with a touch of lemon and not super heavy like eggplant parm can typically be. I always eat half and have half the next day for lunch. It is even good cold. I absolutely recommend this place. It is one of my favorites in Chicago!
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extremely nice building!!! it has a lot of character, as it's a vintage building. Kind of a 'hidden' gem since it's not in the best of locations.
Classic italian food w/ attentive servers!!
Haven't been in a while, however, I plan on going back sometime soon!!!
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Great food and a quaint, romantic setting. My v-day date did such a good job this year!
I would definitely recommend the spinach ravioli with sage sauce (which I credit the waitress for recommending to me.). The tiramisu was also the best I've had in a very long time.
An extra bonus: fireplaces in both the upstairs and downstairs dining rooms. I'm such a sucker for stuff like that.
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My buddy Nathan and I went here tonight on a "date". It was perfect! We loved the low light and the romantic atmosphere. The place was small and intimate, but you didn't feel like everyone in the restaurant could hear what you were talking about.
I ordered the Cavatelli with vodka cream sauce. This was a different Cavatelli than I'm used to, but I love, love, loved it. The sauce was perfect and the pasta was obviously fresh. Nathan got the lobster and crab ravioli with lemon cream sauce. It was amazing. We each had a glass of wine and our total came to about $55.00. I was totally, totally comfortable here and had a great experience.
** The only weird thing was how close we sat to where the waiters like to hang out. Try not to be right next to the register.
I came here for lunch yesterday. The restaurant had a nice little patio to sit in outside, and the weather was beautiful! Anyway, I would come back here to eat the warm bread and oil that they give you prior to the meal! YUMMY!! As an entree I ordered the Chicken Pesto sandwich which is accompanied by their pasta salad, which rocked! My friend ordered the Caprese Sandwich which was also accompanied by the pasta salad. Overall, the price was right, and the food was great!
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Unimaginative Italian fare in a cool old building. If you're going to go, try to go on the night they offer a prix fixe for @ $20.
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I've driven by here many times and last night we decided to stop in. There's a nice parking lot across from the restaurant and if there wasn't there's plenty of street parking available. The inside of La Luce is a cozy, warmly lit, warmly heated, warm reception type of place. There's no host stand, so you are greeted when you walk in by your waiter. The place was not busy when we arrived but gradually filled - almost full on a Monday night. We were served with no delay with drinks and bread (warm fresh yum). The menu was a good choice of appetizers, salads, and pastas/meats - but since the entrees come with a salad or soup we skipped the apps. I had the cappelini with just shrimp, he had the chicken limon. I'm having the rest for lunch today because it was quality and worth saving. This is the perfect place for a first date, a double date, any kind of date, a family meal, and a client meeting. They had a wine list - but I don't drink wine. Behind the bar looked a little dusty and unused- like it could use a little love and pledge. Other than that, clean bathrooms, antique decorations, history and charm everywhere. I'd like to throw a dinner in their upstairs private room.
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OMG! Love the food here! Great italian and love the decor~
Make sure you get the appetizers and a lovely entree! Of course, my fav, calamari and either chicken limone and pasta dish or spaghetti & meatballs! Yumm
Okay, so I've reviewed 2 Italian restaurants...so what! When I moved to Chicago 9 years ago, this was the first place my new co-workers brought me. What a place - a converted 100 year-old home right on Lake and Ogden with the charm and warmth of Italy. The staff is always friendly, can recommend a decent and affordable bottle of wine and will leave you alone while you eat. The prices are all so reasonable and the servings guarantee a to-go bag. My wife and I go at last once a year and can't say enough about the quality and freshness.
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I thought this place was fantastic. After wanting to eat here for quite a few years I finally got the opportunity. I came for a dinner party me and a few of my friends decided to have. I'll say the place is kinda small, but everything I received from the service to the food was great. We arrived exactly at our reservation time of 7:30 and were seated immediately. The table was being reset, but were offered to sit down anyway... which was not a problem because the waiter must've been straight out of the matrix, setting our table with the same bullet dodging ease neo displayed. The bread was set right away, with a warmth I usually expect from d'amatos bakery. I love it when I can dip bread into a dish of olive oil and parmesian cheese. Everyones meal arrived hot & delicious. I don't always find a tortellini dish on italian restuarant menus so I'll usually try it when offered. They were cheese filled with a delicious creme sauce layered over the pasta. I had a try of the bowtie pasta with mushrooms and sundried tomatoes, it was so good, you could taste the mushrooms throughout the dish...mmmmmm. My friends chicken parmesian looked great, served with two huge portions of chicken breast. The Pinot we ordered with the dishes was definitely a nice accompaniment to all the pasta and white meat at the table. Aside from the slight draft I could feel floating through the place and the small fit of the downstairs room dinner was just about perfect. The bulls game was on a t.v. tucked away in a corner (offering a nice peek for those of us trying to sneak one in), the bathrooms were clean, and my water glass was always kept filled. Overall I had a truly fantastic time and the company was great. I would recommend this place with the knowledge that you most likely will be leaving with leftovers.
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Really cute Italian restaurant with good, fresh food. I would recommend going there on a date or with a couple of friends since it is a smaller, cozy restaurant.
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This place is located near the United Center, so it makes it easy to stop in here and have something to eat before you go to the show. I came here before the Madonna concert. It was a great way to set the tone for the rest of the night. First we sat and ate outside until it started raining. So, the experience was nice inside just as it was outside. The food was excellent here at La Luce. Everyone has something positive to say about the dish they were having. I had the grouper special, and even the potatoes on the side were very good. One of my friends that came for the first time also sounded disappointed that her fiance never took her there before even though he'd been there plenty of times. He himself is Sicilian and cooks really well, and he thinks that the food there is worthy of praise. She absolutely loved her spinach and cheese filled ravioli with meat sauce, and she finished hers and munched on her fiance's as well. She kept saying things like yummy. She was eyeing all our potatoes, and a couple of us gave her some of ours. Portions are great and prices are reasonable. The only disappointing thing was that they don't have nutella.
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I went here for a company party (located on the upper floor) and I thought it was terrible. The food actually made me physically sick and I thought the restaurant seemed really dingy. I will never go here again! There is way better Italian food in my opinion for the same price in Chicago.
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This place kinda stands out on a stretch of Lake Street which otherwise seems pretty drab & barren. They have a smallish main dining room that has a cozy, vintage feel to it, and an upstairs room which I guess can be rented for private functions. Free parking is available in a small lot just west of the restaurant. Every dish I've sampled has been very good, and not too pricey, as Italian fare goes. My last meal there was definitely a 5-star experience in terms of service - I was treating a friend for their birthday & was surprised when the server came out with the dessert that she had intended to order, all decked out with a birthday candle. I hadn't mentioned a thing to the staff (nor had we yet even ordered the dessert!), I'm guessing that the server overheard our conversation about the birthday & dessert & decided to surprise both of us. Someone got a pretty good tip that evening.
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Great place for dinner with the girlfriends--not too $$$ and something for everyone on the menu.
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