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    Alla Vita

    4.4 (823 reviews)
    PriceyItalian
    Closed 11:00 am - 2:00 pm, 4:30 PM - 10:00 PM

    Order Alla Vita Takeout or Delivery

    Alla Vita Photos

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    ALLA VITA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Intimate
    Romantic

    Recommended Reviews - Alla Vita

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    Chris D.

    Perfect lunch. We sat at the bar and were served by a lovely, attentive bartender. The pasta and pizza crust were fantastic. The salad was an interesting mix of flavors and textures.

    Custom event menu
    Mary M.

    Excellent meal at Alla Vita with service for 11. Pre set menu was delicious and accommodating for various allergies and dietary preferences. The house curated cocktails were fun and well received across the board. The pizza and arancini were the stand out dishes for me. Our server was delightful and very kind.

    Whipped Ricotta
    Niranjana S.

    Huge Fan of Alla Vita!! The ambiance was so elegant and I enjoyed the food thoroughly. Service was quick and efficient! Will definitely go back again!

    Inside
    Brenda S.

    Alla Vita was amazing. The space is bright, colorful, and lively. Service was super friendly and quick. The food leans classic Italian but done really well--the pastas are fresh, flavorful, and clearly the highlight. We also loved the meatballs and the cocktails were solid too. I ordered the Rigatoni, Tagliatelle, Meatballs, and got the Funfetti for our anniversary celebration!

    Holly M.

    Oh my god. A friend suggested this, and I trekked all the way from Edgewater for this experience and boy am I glad I did. Idk how I missed this, and I'm sure it's on everyone's radar. But if not, MAKE IT. First off, the place is gorgeous. Beautiful bar area, lovely restaurant, perfect for a date night or special occasion. We ordered the mushroom pizza, and then the ricotta dumplings? I believe that's what they were called. And oh my Goodness. Both items were two of the best things I've eat in a while. I LOVE pizza, and this one was FABULOUS. Full of flavor, crispy crust, just excellent. And a great size too!! Perfect to share (or not, it's that good :) Those dumplings were little puffs of happiness and the sauce was just DIVINE. (Dip your pizza crust in it after:) Service was excellent, our server was extremely polite, and took care of us without being overbearing or disappearing. Really lovely time and HIGHLY RECCOMENDED

    Shradha A.

    Visited recently for our wedding anniversary. We had to wait about 20-25 minutes despite having a reservation. The ambiance was quite festive. Our server (Mauricio?) was excellent - friendly, helpful, attentive. We started with the arancini - it was such an exquisite indulgence. And then ordered two pastas to share - the vegetarian lasagna and the paccheri. Both were delicious and rich. We barely had room left for dessert so will have to return to try more items. All their dishes are made fresh in-house using Italian '00' flour (for those who are sensitive to gluten in U.S. flour).

    Kari O.

    (Kari's Rating 9.5/10) Came here for a girlfriend's birthday and had eight people, we ordered two breads for the table that was very crispy, soft, well seasoned, and a little sweet from the honey drizzle. Six of us ordered the tagliatelle and the meat literally melted in your mouth. The cheese was very emulsified into the sauce, and the broccolini was crispy with a hint of lemon. Service was very quick. The ambience is quite relaxing. The bottles of wine kept pouring- overall a very good vibe. Would also come here for a date night. The ricotta dumplings were very soft almost like a light cacio r Pepe and very pillowy. First was relatively fair for two bottles of wine and two appetizers and an entrée. 9/10 over all.

    Tagliatelle
    Savannah H.

    Alla Vita delivered a really lovely overall experience, especially when it came to service. Our server Stephanie was fantastic, and the support staff was attentive, professional, and kept the meal running smoothly from start to finish. That level of hospitality stood out and made the evening feel special. The food was good overall, though a few dishes did not quite live up to the high expectations we had by the restaurant's reputation. The whipped ricotta was a highlight and absolutely delicious. The fritto misto was also enjoyable and well seasoned. The pasta dishes we tried, the tagliatelle and rigatoni, were a bit saltier than expected, and the table bread did not stand out as much as we had hoped. Even so, the quality and care are clearly there, and the excellent service goes a long way. I am glad we went and would be open to returning to try other dishes in the future.

    Yining D.

    Really cute spot for a hang out in the city! All the apps and main dishes were delicious and service was prompt and attentive. My friends and I shared the arancini and the burrata. The bread that came with the burrata had a nice chew and there were fruits and olives paired with the burrata that was refreshing and light. I got the tagliatelle which was chewy and the pieces of meat were flavorful and tender. Food came out surprisingly fast and overall, it was about $70 for one cocktail, sharing 2 apps, and one pasta dish. Restaurant itself was really beautiful and colorful. I would recommend getting a reservation as the restaurant does get packed and it's popular for dinner. We came on a Thursday at 4:30 pm and there was a line waiting for the restaurant to open.

    Deepti A.

    Came to Alla Vita on a weekday to try their lunch service. The restaurant gets really busy so definitely recommend making a reservation ahead of time. The restaurant is very cozy and tastefully decorated. We tried their pre-fixe lunch menu which is an excellent deal- a salad/starter, lunch size entree, and dessert for $25. I tried the apple and squash salad which was very fresh and refreshing. The rigatoni is the best i've had in Chicago, very authentic Italian!! The tiramisu was equally fresh and tasty, just the right amount of sweet and moist!!! My friend loved their cinnamon apple gelato as well. Despite the restaurant being packed, the service was fast. Definitely coming back to try their other pastas and drinks.

    Tim R.

    This was great. Full stop. I have lived in Italy. I am impressed. So, let's dive into what makes Alla Vita a ristorante experience to remember. First, the ambience. It's gorgeously appointed with a top-tier Vegas level attention to detail. The service was also premium. That matters a lot to me. It never supersedes the food, but with poor service, the buzz fades quickly. Now, onto the starring role. The food is delicious. Every bite, every item is unique, packed with flavor, and nothing is pedestrian. Even the $14 bread service brought out the best loaf of homemade bread I've had outside of Europe. I had the signature rigatoni alla vodka with Calabrian chili. Bam. Perfect. We also had the ricotta gnocchi with caciao e pepe. Each bite was a revelation. The dessert was a panna cotta limoncello that blew our minds. This was a five-star meal if I've ever had one. Oh yeah, the arancini was also outstanding. Go.

    ARANCINI
    Anthony D.

    Fantastic ambiance, amazing service, and good food. We chose Alla Vita to celebrate a birthday, they give you a special menu with"Happy Birthday" on it and a Funfetti gelato which was cute. I will highlight that a lot of the dishes were a tad too salty. We had: - Arancini - Wood Fired Meatballs - Wood Fired Table Bread - Fusolloni - Chicken Parmigiana - Broccolini - Tiramisu - Pistachio Gelato - Funfetti Celebration Gelato - Prickly in Pink (drink) I think my favorite was taking the bread and dipping it in the sauce from the meatballs. You get a well balanced rounded flavor of the salty/sweet from the bread and sweet/savory from the meatball. The standout desert was the pistachio gelato, highly recommend. Again, it felt like they seasoned everything, but didn't always connect that the two parts of the dish were to be eaten together so when you took a whole bite it was too salty.

    Ashley H.

    If you are in Chicago for absolutely any reason - EAT here! From service to food to ambience there is literally no place comparable. Let's start with service because this can make or break a place. The hostess's are helpful and attentive. We were coming from the norther suburbs and hit traffic. They were kind to help us with reservations and helped alleviate the stress. Now let's talk about Joe. Joe we love You! We've never in our life received service like we did with Joe. Backstory: We were driving over a bridge when it sounded like it was going crash and it caused panic. I'm terrified of bridges. Anyways, when we arrived to the restaurant I was feeling anxious but once Joe found out she said her best cure was ice water. Let me tell you - it worked. It knocked the panic out of me. But it was the thought, care and attentiveness that made it feel like we were dining in our family members house. The only negative was trying to compare dinner the next night to our experience at Alla Vita with Joe - UNCOMPARIBLE! Now onto the food, let my rave continue ! We started with the Kale Ceasar which was so delicious - salty, crunchy and refreshing. Then we got an order of butter noodles with marinara on the side which turned into the best meal of the night. Let's just say we drenched the noodles in the marinara because the sauce was so perfect. Honestly, we loved our daughter's butter noodles that we ordered a second to share lol. And the I got the squash special which was so yummy and so filing. My husband got it yesterday chicken Parmesan which was so big he needed to share but he was stuck with a table of vegetarians. Honestly, we're already planning a trip back to the city just to eat here. Okay let's ends with ambiance - if you want to have a cozy, festive and warm dinner go here. They definitely understand how to decorate in a way that you feel like you're at home. Everything felt so cozy. They have like 7-10 trees. So whatever you are doing stop looking anywhere else and go HERE. The best staff, food and ambiance you will find in the city. And this comes from precious city dwellers.

    Farm Apple and Squash Salad &ARANCINI

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    Alla Vita Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Alla Vita

    What time is the $25 lunchtime deal valid until?

    11 AM - 2 PM Monday through Friday!

    Any vegan options?

    Yes they have vegan options.

    Is it loud or quiet?

    It is on the quiet side but not so quiet that every can hear you. You can definitely talk regularly across the table.

    Do you have valet?

    When I went a month ago they didn't but street parking was pretty easy.

    Do they offer gluten-free pasta?

    We do have gluten free pasta, and can make our salads gluten and dairy free. Thank you!

    Do you take walk-ins?

    Yes, we do take walk-ins at the bar nightly. Thank you!

    Gluten free options?

    yes

    Is this still open? Is the online reservations and phone system down?

    Hello Diana, We are open from 5pm-10pm seven days a week. We have seen incredible support from the… Read more

    Are there any vegan options?

    Hello Anna, We do have quite a few vegan options! Please feel free to reach out to me directly if… Read more

    Is there an outside dining space?

    Yes.

    View All 12 Questions

    Peanut Park Trattoria - Sausage and Peppers

    Peanut Park Trattoria

    4.1(161 reviews)
    1.5 miUniversity Village

    Food was fantastic. The special burrata with the prosciutto and apple is a must order. The main…read morecourse of pastas was fantastic. Though fresh parmigiana and red pepper was offered my orrichetta (sp?) and my friends bolognese were both soot in Drinks- wine and mixed drinks were generous and delicious. As good as all that was--. It eas the service that stuck out. Maggie was fantastic. Attentive, pleasant, and consistent in her attention. An incredible dining experience. Ill be back.

    Although I am a new customer, I've been loyal to Peanut Park for the past six months and have…read morerecommended it to many friends and family. Up until tonight, my experiences had always been positive and the food was fantastic. Unfortunately, this visit was more than disappointing. I ordered a salad I've had at least a dozen times before, accept I added grilled chicken on top. I live for this salad and was just there maybe three weeks ago. Unaware that they have changed their menu, I ordered as usual. The name of the salad has not changed on the menu, but apparently the ingredients had been completely altered. When the dish arrived, to my surprise, it was drastically different and not something I enjoyed at all. I politely informed our server, who was kind and accommodating, and offered to replace the dish. However, it was now 6 p.m. we had tickets to see The Wiz at 7 p.m. and didn't have time to wait for another order, which I also informed her. I asked if the salad could be removed from the bill since it was essentially untouched. The server checked with the owner, who refused to remove the $30 salad or offer any kind of discount. When a restaurant changes a dish but keeps the same name, it creates a reasonable expectation for returning customers. When that expectation isn't met, basic customer service should step in. What makes this even more frustrating is that the restaurant was willing to prepare an entirely new dish, but not willing to remove the uneaten one from the bill. That simply isn't logical. If you're prepared to replace an item, it clearly acknowledges there was an issue, so refusing to comp or adjust the original charge is unreasonable. That decision was extremely disappointing. I, in-turn made the decision to eat only the additional grilled chicken on top, leaving the rest of the salad, paying the full bill and promptly getting out of there so we could be on time for our show. The only positive part of the experience was our server, who handled the situation with professionalism and kindness. Sadly, the new menu leaves much to be desired and this experience has cost Peanut Park my business and my referrals going forward.

    Photos
    Peanut Park Trattoria
    Peanut Park Trattoria - Tender piping-hot light crispy calamari fritti, with deep lightly-spiced tomato pomodoro and bright golden Calabrian aioli

    Tender piping-hot light crispy calamari fritti, with deep lightly-spiced tomato pomodoro and bright golden Calabrian aioli

    Peanut Park Trattoria - Outside

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    Outside

    Ciccio Mio - Black Truffle Bucatini

    Ciccio Mio

    4.7(634 reviews)
    0.5 miRiver North, Near North Side
    $$$

    Truly one of the most enjoyable Italian food experiences in Chicago. It's worth the effort to plan…read moreahead and make a reservation. Reservations are released 21 days ahead of time, which I personally find impossible to make. Every time I've checked over the last several years there have been no availability. Yesterday I decided to pop on their website again and was delighted to find that they had released same day dinner reservations for patio only dining. The weather was perfect for outdoor dining so I went ahead and booked a table for Friday night. I felt like I won the dinner lottery. Service was wonderful and I didn't mind sitting outside at all next to the road with cars. I actually never stepped foot in the restaurant so cannot comment on what it's like inside. But do not give up that patio dining reservation if it's available. All of our dishes were delicious. I was really impressed by the meatball appetizers, chicken vesuvio (the potatoes are a must get as a side if you skip this dish), and branzino. The meats and sauces were wonderfully balanced and tender. Nothing tasted overly salted. Ironically, the pasta felt less of a star compared to the other dishes. And of course I had to get the gelato, which was so aesthetically presented and the taste just reminded me of an Italian summer vacation.

    They stick people on their front coffee table as their dining location and act like it is normal…read more There needs to be a discount to eat at this table. Removed the "restaurant surcharge" after I asked.

    Photos
    Ciccio Mio - Espresso machine

    Espresso machine

    Ciccio Mio - Lasagna Bolognese

    Lasagna Bolognese

    Ciccio Mio - Toasted Almond Gelato

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    Toasted Almond Gelato

    Tuscany - Taylor - Raviolacci Toscani

    Tuscany - Taylor

    4.0(528 reviews)
    1.2 miUniversity Village
    $$

    We dined here on a Sunday before a hockey game and all four of us really enjoyed it. The ambiance…read morewas nice, a great casual vibe, but the service was superior, elevated beyond casual. The server was attentive and in tune with our table. The courses were properly paced and the food was delicious. We ordered the chicken parm, short rib ravioli, oreccheite salsiccia and salmon, with a starter of Caesar salad and meatballs. Everything was perfect. I know many places offer Caesar salads but this one was superb, perfectly dressed with light croutons and tasty dressing. We will definitely go back!

    Such an amazing restaurant, I can't recommend enough. We came for dinner so the place was packed…read morewith people. The inside of the restaurant felt like a classic Italian restaurant you might find in Italy. Our waiter was super nice and gave some great wine recommendations. First, they bring you some bread and give you a small platter mixed with olive oil, fresh garlic, and Parmesan. This is the first time I've seen it done this way but it was delicious. The calamari was delicious, not too fried and oily but still had so much flavor to it. We also decided to order the peperoni pizza, which is just a magnificent pizza. It was just cooked perfectly with just the right amount of flavor and spice. I ordered the raviolacci toscani, which took a bit of time to come out (but understandable given the amount of people). It was just delicious. The meat filling had such a deep flavor and the sauce wasn't so heavy that I didn't want to finish it. I would recommend this to anyone that wants a good Italian meal with great portions. Reservations might be hard to get so plan ahead.

    Photos
    Tuscany - Taylor - Dining Room

    Dining Room

    Tuscany - Taylor - Insalata Pera

    Insalata Pera

    Tuscany - Taylor - Sausage Potato and Vegetable Soup

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    Sausage Potato and Vegetable Soup

    La Scarola - Rigatoni Mandera

    La Scarola

    4.2(1.7k reviews)
    0.5 miRiver West, West Loop, Near West Side, West Town
    $$

    Great food, good vibes, and quick service. They only take reservations via phone and you'll want…read moreone as it is packed. We tried: - Calamari - Chicken Vesuvio - Pasta Mandera - Tiramisu - Canoli I will definitely be back!

    Finally made it to La Scarola after having it on my list forever. It's one of those old-school…read moreItalian spots everyone talks about, and it definitely delivers on that classic vibe. Reservations are a bit unconventional. We showed up right when they opened, put our name in, and came back around 8pm and they had a table for us. It's very casual and informal, so you could probably put your name in and go do something nearby, or just try your luck walking in. They don't take online reservations, and I did notice a few open tables while we were there, so walking in is definitely possible. The space itself is pretty tight and can feel cramped and loud. Personally, I didn't mind it, it reminded me of old-school Italian spots back home in Jersey but it's worth noting that this probably isn't the best place for a quiet date or if you're trying to have long conversations. Service was solid and quick. I started with a dirty martini, which was very good. We shared the calamari to start, and honestly, it was some of the best calamari we've ever had. Perfectly fried, not too heavy, and ideal for sharing. For my entrée, I got the rigatoni chiaverni, and for $24, it might be the largest plate of pasta I've ever been served. I came in starving and still only managed to eat half -- finished the rest the next day. The portion size combined with the quality makes the value here absolutely insane. Overall, La Scarola definitely lives up to the hype. Incredible value, great food, and that classic old-school Italian atmosphere, just be prepared for it to be loud and a little crammed.

    Photos
    La Scarola - Other side of the interior

    Other side of the interior

    La Scarola - Penne Alla Vodka

    Penne Alla Vodka

    La Scarola

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    Alla Vita - italian - Updated May 2026

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