Even though I'm Greek, my absolute favorite food in the world comes from across the Ionian sea. Chicago has some fantastic Italian restaurants and even its own Italian neighborhood, Little Italy.
Whatever your budget or location, there should be something on this list for you. It comes from years of experience of eating way too much pasta.
This list only really spans from Lakeview to Little Italy. Please add a comment if you think I've left something out. Planning to update this post periodically.
1. Prosecco (River North) - Prosecco is a beautiful upscale Italian restaurant in River North. They don't miss a single detail. The host takes your coat when you walk in, they treat you with a glass of bubbly prosecco when you sit down, and they always have delicious seasonal specials. Perfect spot for a date or to celebrate your parent's anniversary. There is a cozy room downstairs you can rent for parties and a small curtained area upstairs for intimate private dinners. My favorite starters are the burrata with prosciutto, the snails, and beef carpaccio. I always order the scallops but the lamb and veal are also delicious. Don't skip out on the tiramasu.
2. Topo Gigio (Old Town) - Good classic Italian in Old Town. Perfect dinner before a Second City improv or Zanie's standup show. It's always packed so make a reservation in advance. They also have a room for private parties. I usually start with the prosciutto de parma and fried calamari or you can visit their antipasto table for an assortment of meats, cheeses, & grilled vegetables. Love the tortellini soup on a cold night. If you're watching your waistline, Topo Gigio has a few nice salads with seafood. #1 item on the menu - tortellini alla panna (cream sauce, mushrooms, peas, pancetta). It's super rich so consider sharing or taking some leftovers home.
3. Coco Pazzo (River North) - I've never heard a bad thing about this place! Great food & service. Beautiful decor, antique bar, great for a date or a group of friends.
4. Carmine's (Gold Coast) - If you want to see or be seen, this is the place. Located in the heart of the gold coast, Carmine's is in the viagra triangle (don't be surprised if the man next to you is accompanied by a girl young enough to be his daughter, maybe even two girls). It's my favorite of the Rosebud restaurants. They have beautiful lunch & dinner menus and the BEST rigatoni alla vodka in the entire world (ok probably better in Italy, but definitely the best in Chicago).
5. Francesca's (Little Italy) - Francesca's owns quite a few restaurants that are all great but the one on Taylor Street is my favorite. The inside is cozy and welcoming with a nice bar to grab a drink before dinner. It's very affordable with large portions that consistently taste great. Little Italy is close to the United Center, so expect to see people in Blackhawks or Bulls jerseys if there is a game going on.
6. Davanti Enotecca (Little Italy) - This is like the sex and the city of Italian restaurants. It's right by Francesca's, but a totally different vibe. You feel like you're in San Fran or New York. Trendy, limited seating, shareable plates. I love going here with my girlfriends or taking my hubby for a fun date night. Make sure you get the ricotta with roasted honeycomb. They serve it in adorable jars with tuscan toast and it is just divine. The pizzas are wonderful.They have an amazing Sunday brunch and plenty of options for vegetarians.
7. Piccolo Sogno (River West) - Piccolo Sogno is a really beautiful restaurant with something for everyone. The prices are pretty reasonable and they have an outside patio, which I just love in the summer. Great for business affairs, family dinners, or a romantic date.
8. La Scarola (River West) - You might run into Tony Soprano here. It's great for dinner parties and can get pretty loud. The food is fantastic. Nothing fancy, but comforting and delicious. You almost feel like you're eating at your Italian Nona's house.
9. Osteria Via Stato (River North) - Seasonal and rustic. I'd recommend the family style dinner if your table is up for it. Great for gatherings with friends & family.
10. Merlo (Lincoln Park & Downtown) - Gourmet Northern Italian. Great wines. Seasonal menu. The ossobuco is the best in the city - they slow cook it everyday for 8 hours. Locations in Lincoln Park & Downtown. You can definitely impress your date here.
11. Balena (Lincoln Park) - Balena opened earlier this year and was started by the owners of The Bristol & The Boka Group (G.T. Fish & Oyster, Girl & the Goat, etc.). They really did an incredible job revamping the old Landmark space - it is beautiful inside. It is "Italian Inspired" and the menu is very creative and always changing. The bar is pretty gorgeous and they serve really fun & unique cocktails. Super knowledgeable sommelier and upbeat atmosphere.
12. Lucia's (Bucktown) - What's better than Italian food and BYOB? Nothing! It's super cute inside and the owners are extremely warm & inviting.
13. Spiaggia (Gold Coast) - Looking to impress someone? Take them to Spiaggia. Located in the trendy Gold Coast, Spiaggia has a gorgeous view of Lake Michigan and was even nominated for a James Beard award. You might remember the executive chef, Sarah Grueneberg, from Top Chef last season. I'm not putting dollar signs on any of these, but I'm going to give Spiaggia a $$$$$.
14. Quartino (River North) - Quartino is really fun, very loud, perfect for big groups, and very reasonable. You can get some great cheap wines and lots of small affordable plates to share. This is the perfect spot for girl's night out or large couple's dinners. The food was definitely better when it opened, but I've heard they're making a comeback.
I live in Lincoln Park, so these are a few of my neighborhood go-to spots.
15. Via Carducci (they also have a location in Bucktown) - Classic Italian. All of your favorites. Good food, friendly staff, large portions.
16. Sappori Trattoria - The chef is always running coupons & deals, so you can probably find one online. They send me a card every year on my birthday with a $12 gift card. It's really charming and clean, and they have a small outside seating area in the summer.
17. Rose Angeli's - Really cute place. Feels like you're in someone's home and they have two gated patios for the summer. The duck tortellini is my favorite and the specials are usually pretty good.
18. Soprano's - The food here is ok (very standard, nothing exceptional but nothing terrible) but the atmosphere is fun. It's really casual and they have live music on the weekends. Easy for big groups. My husband and I love going here on weeknights and sharing a bottle of wine and some pasta.
Whatever your budget or location, there should be something on this list for you. It comes from years of experience of eating way too much pasta.
This list only really spans from Lakeview to Little Italy. Please add a comment if you think I've left something out. Planning to update this post periodically.
1. Prosecco (River North) - Prosecco is a beautiful upscale Italian restaurant in River North. They don't miss a single detail. The host takes your coat when you walk in, they treat you with a glass of bubbly prosecco when you sit down, and they always have delicious seasonal specials. Perfect spot for a date or to celebrate your parent's anniversary. There is a cozy room downstairs you can rent for parties and a small curtained area upstairs for intimate private dinners. My favorite starters are the burrata with prosciutto, the snails, and beef carpaccio. I always order the scallops but the lamb and veal are also delicious. Don't skip out on the tiramasu.
2. Topo Gigio (Old Town) - Good classic Italian in Old Town. Perfect dinner before a Second City improv or Zanie's standup show. It's always packed so make a reservation in advance. They also have a room for private parties. I usually start with the prosciutto de parma and fried calamari or you can visit their antipasto table for an assortment of meats, cheeses, & grilled vegetables. Love the tortellini soup on a cold night. If you're watching your waistline, Topo Gigio has a few nice salads with seafood. #1 item on the menu - tortellini alla panna (cream sauce, mushrooms, peas, pancetta). It's super rich so consider sharing or taking some leftovers home.
3. Coco Pazzo (River North) - I've never heard a bad thing about this place! Great food & service. Beautiful decor, antique bar, great for a date or a group of friends.
4. Carmine's (Gold Coast) - If you want to see or be seen, this is the place. Located in the heart of the gold coast, Carmine's is in the viagra triangle (don't be surprised if the man next to you is accompanied by a girl young enough to be his daughter, maybe even two girls). It's my favorite of the Rosebud restaurants. They have beautiful lunch & dinner menus and the BEST rigatoni alla vodka in the entire world (ok probably better in Italy, but definitely the best in Chicago).
5. Francesca's (Little Italy) - Francesca's owns quite a few restaurants that are all great but the one on Taylor Street is my favorite. The inside is cozy and welcoming with a nice bar to grab a drink before dinner. It's very affordable with large portions that consistently taste great. Little Italy is close to the United Center, so expect to see people in Blackhawks or Bulls jerseys if there is a game going on.
6. Davanti Enotecca (Little Italy) - This is like the sex and the city of Italian restaurants. It's right by Francesca's, but a totally different vibe. You feel like you're in San Fran or New York. Trendy, limited seating, shareable plates. I love going here with my girlfriends or taking my hubby for a fun date night. Make sure you get the ricotta with roasted honeycomb. They serve it in adorable jars with tuscan toast and it is just divine. The pizzas are wonderful.They have an amazing Sunday brunch and plenty of options for vegetarians.
7. Piccolo Sogno (River West) - Piccolo Sogno is a really beautiful restaurant with something for everyone. The prices are pretty reasonable and they have an outside patio, which I just love in the summer. Great for business affairs, family dinners, or a romantic date.
8. La Scarola (River West) - You might run into Tony Soprano here. It's great for dinner parties and can get pretty loud. The food is fantastic. Nothing fancy, but comforting and delicious. You almost feel like you're eating at your Italian Nona's house.
9. Osteria Via Stato (River North) - Seasonal and rustic. I'd recommend the family style dinner if your table is up for it. Great for gatherings with friends & family.
10. Merlo (Lincoln Park & Downtown) - Gourmet Northern Italian. Great wines. Seasonal menu. The ossobuco is the best in the city - they slow cook it everyday for 8 hours. Locations in Lincoln Park & Downtown. You can definitely impress your date here.
11. Balena (Lincoln Park) - Balena opened earlier this year and was started by the owners of The Bristol & The Boka Group (G.T. Fish & Oyster, Girl & the Goat, etc.). They really did an incredible job revamping the old Landmark space - it is beautiful inside. It is "Italian Inspired" and the menu is very creative and always changing. The bar is pretty gorgeous and they serve really fun & unique cocktails. Super knowledgeable sommelier and upbeat atmosphere.
12. Lucia's (Bucktown) - What's better than Italian food and BYOB? Nothing! It's super cute inside and the owners are extremely warm & inviting.
13. Spiaggia (Gold Coast) - Looking to impress someone? Take them to Spiaggia. Located in the trendy Gold Coast, Spiaggia has a gorgeous view of Lake Michigan and was even nominated for a James Beard award. You might remember the executive chef, Sarah Grueneberg, from Top Chef last season. I'm not putting dollar signs on any of these, but I'm going to give Spiaggia a $$$$$.
14. Quartino (River North) - Quartino is really fun, very loud, perfect for big groups, and very reasonable. You can get some great cheap wines and lots of small affordable plates to share. This is the perfect spot for girl's night out or large couple's dinners. The food was definitely better when it opened, but I've heard they're making a comeback.
I live in Lincoln Park, so these are a few of my neighborhood go-to spots.
15. Via Carducci (they also have a location in Bucktown) - Classic Italian. All of your favorites. Good food, friendly staff, large portions.
16. Sappori Trattoria - The chef is always running coupons & deals, so you can probably find one online. They send me a card every year on my birthday with a $12 gift card. It's really charming and clean, and they have a small outside seating area in the summer.
17. Rose Angeli's - Really cute place. Feels like you're in someone's home and they have two gated patios for the summer. The duck tortellini is my favorite and the specials are usually pretty good.
18. Soprano's - The food here is ok (very standard, nothing exceptional but nothing terrible) but the atmosphere is fun. It's really casual and they have live music on the weekends. Easy for big groups. My husband and I love going here on weeknights and sharing a bottle of wine and some pasta.
