I had a really wonderful lunch on the patio of Alla Vita! The food was all delicious, our server was attentive and the manager stopped by as well. The Bluefin Tuna Crudo was incredibly fresh and they don't skimp on the olive oil! The arancini were a little sweeter than others that I've had but I still loved it all the same. The tagliatelle was great as well ( a taddd salty) but I'm a salty girl so it works for me! The all known and popular chicken parm is not available at lunch but you can get the chicken parm sandwich which does not disappoint! Great spot for a great meal! read more

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DoorDashed and got the kale Caesar and rigatoni, and both totally hit the spot. The kale Caesar was divine. Red onions, toasted breadcrumbs, Parmesan all tied together with the lovely dressing. Great textures, flavors, every bite was delish. The rigatoni is good too. The Calabrian chilies give it that subtle kick that makes it. Could've used a touch more flavor overall but that might just be a personal preference thing. Solid delivery experience, would order again. read more

Alla Vita - Rigatoni Kale Caesar - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Alla Vita: A Masterclass in West Loop Elegance If you are looking for a spot that perfectly balances "industrial chic" with "grandma's Sunday kitchen," **Alla Vita** is hitting all the right notes. Located at 564 W Randolph, it's a sprawling, airy space that manages to feel intimate despite its scale. Here is the breakdown of the heavy hitters from the menu: **The Truffle Mushroom Pizza** This isn't your standard wood-fired pie. The crust strikes that elusive balance between a pillowy interior and a crisp, charred exterior. The earthiness of the mushrooms is front and center, but it's the truffle that ties it together without being overpowering. It's rich, aromatic, and deeply savory--the kind of pizza that makes you forget about pepperoni entirely. **The Ricotta Dumplings** These are, quite frankly, little clouds of heaven. While many places struggle with leaden gnocchi, Alla Vita's ricotta dumplings are impossibly light. They have a delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture that acts as a perfect canvas for the sauce. Every bite feels indulgent yet airy; it is easily the "must-order" dish of the night. **The Tiramisu** To close out the meal, the Tiramisu is a sophisticated take on the classic. It isn't overly sweetened, allowing the bold espresso and creamy mascarpone to shine. It's structured but soft, providing a caffeinated, velvety finale that cleanses the palate without weighing you down. **The Verdict:** Alla Vita is more than just a "pretty" restaurant. The service is snappy, the atmosphere is electric, and the food--specifically the pasta program--is top-tier. Whether you're there for a celebratory dinner or a high-energy weeknight meal, it's a West Loop essential. **Pro Tip:** The restaurant fills up fast, so snag a reservation well in advance, especially if you're eyeing a weekend table. read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

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Absolutely will be back. Food was amazing and service was as well. My partner LOVED it for her birthday party and already wants to come back for next years party. We loved the decorations inside to bring movement to the evening, very very cool vibe. Try the kale salad and the vodka sauce and realize why they get perfect marks all the time. read more

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! read more

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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! read more

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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 read more

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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). read more

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(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. read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

Alla Vita - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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. read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

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Wow! Very impressed with my first visit to Alla Vita. One of my favorite restaurant ambiance's, fantastic food, and great service. The $25 lunch is a good deal and all of our dishes were decent portions and extremely tasty. Farm Apple and Squash Salad: 4/5 Arancini: 4.5/5 Paccheri: 4.5/5 Rigatoni: 4.5/5 Pistachio Stracciatella: 5/5 Spiced pear: 5/5 (if something could taste like fall, this is it!!!) read more

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This place was phenomenal! I was lucky enough to snag a table for one on a Friday night and had great service. I ordered based of the suggestions and got the table bread and ricotta dumplings. It was so good, I finished everything myself which is unusual for me. I'll be thinking about this place for a while and will need to visit next time I'm in town. The inside is very trendy and decorated beautifully and they have a variety of seating options. It's also close to a bus stop so I was able to take a bus very easily from Grant Park to the restaurant and back. read more

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The atmosphere is more laid back than your typical italian restaurant in Chicago, and the menu melds traditional with new american cuisine. we set out to try as much as possible, so we started with a round of cocktails and some apps. the frito misto was amazingly light and the calamari and shrimp were excellently cooked - not at all rubbery like you often find with fried seafood. we also tried the alla vita chopped salad - you'd think i'm picking something simple to call one of my favorite items we tried, but this was truly an awesome salad, with the best red wine vinaigrette i have ever had. next, we shared the fennel sausage pizza and rigatoni. every bite of pizza was plentiful with flavor and toppings. don't be scared of the broccolini topping -- it's the perfect compliment to the smokey sausage. the rigatoni is beautifully hand rolled and was soaked in the lightest and most buttery vodka sauce imaginable. allá vita has been around for a couple years now, and it definitely holds up! read more

We celebrated our anniversary and had a fantastic night. Drinks were great and our dinner was awesome. Thanks guys.. read more

First time coming in for restaurant week and it didn't disappoint! The atmosphere was impeccable. We did the restaurant week menu and it encompassed most of the classic dishes. I got the arancini to start and that was well paired with the creamy 'nduja aioli. That was followed up by the pork and beef meatballs which were pretty solid. I had the tagliatelle as my entree and the braised beef was cooked to perfection. The service was excellent and our waiter anticipated all our needs. The chocolate hazelnut gelato was rich and a nice way to cap off the meal. read more

Alla Vita - Tagliatelle - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This place is great! Ambiance inside is awesome. We had a weird table in the corner that faced the kitchen. Overall it was good. Food was great. The calamari was ok. I've never had calamari with more shrimp than squid. I wouldn't say the best Italian in Chicago but up it's up there. We went as a group of 8. Spent quite a bit of money and was a little surprised we didn't get a comp dessert or even a meet from a manager read more

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We had a wonderful meal here and ordered a ton of food. Dined at another Italian restaurant the day after, and that confirmed to us that Alla Vita is a 5 star meal. TDLR: Get the Fusilloni and Squash Sacchetti, those were our favorites. Food (4.5/5) - Whipped Ricotta $12: really good. Comes with a bunch of chip like things that you can spread the ricotta on. - Fritto Misto $25: very good, comes with shrimp in it and lemon-calabrian chili aioli which is perfect to dip in - Tagliatelle $26 - beef shank ragu and tastes different than the fusilloni. It was good. - Fusilloni $26 - best entree we ordered and comes with sausage ragu. Showstopper, everyone at our table agreed. Will get this next time as my main. - Squash Sacchetti $26 - second best entree we ordered, very unique pasta since it's little baggies. Has brown butter, sage, stracchino fonduta, apple saba and hazelnut. Will also get this next time we go. Not a huge portion, so if you are super hungry you may need an app as well. - Ricotta Dumplings $24: cacio e pepe ricotta dumplings. Seemed like many people were ordering this, but this was my least favorite of all. The portion was very small. See pics. - Tiramisu $17 - good, but I thought this was expensive. Wasn't super unique to get me to pay $17 again. Service (5/5) Service was excellent. Our water glasses were never half empty. Appetizers came out fast. We had a bit of a wait in between those and the entrees but we were in no rush. Dessert came out fast. We celebrated a birthday at this dinner and they called us ahead to confirm the name and we were surprised with happy birthday written on the menu of the person whose birthday it was. Ambiance (5/5) Very nice inside. read more

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Second time at Alla vita after 2+ years. Wood fired meat balls haven't changed one bit. Haha I got lucky this time that I found a table inside the restaurant instead of patio (last visit). Loved the ambiance but it was too loud inside not sure whether it's because of the table nearby but the patio experience was little better even with outside noise. :)) We took sometime to place our order but Staffs were great. What I've ordered this time, Fredo Sangiovese (Red wine) Wood fired meatballs (Appetizer) Tagliatelle (pasta) Really loved the red wine I tried, meatballs we ordered for our table was great too. Everyone liked it. Tagliatelle was delicioussssss! My friends loved their Rigatoni pasta and Toretellini too! Looking forward to coming back here again! read more

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This space was packed but was able to grab a seat and the bar, worth it! The bar tender gave us a run down of the drinks and dining options! Super welcoming and got to chat! Its upscale vibe was still cozy and calming thru the chaos! Every bite was packed with texture and flavor, an experience in itself! Not pictured was our drinks and I can definitely saw don't not skip on the drinks, greatly crafted and so unique on how balance the flavors were! read more

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Excellent! You want to come here! Ambience, decor, food-just gone ahead and do it! Whether you want a girls night, or you have date night or a meeting with a client, it's where you want to be. I came here for my 40th and it did not disappoint! You want to get a cocktail. Skip the wine (I didn't find it that impressive especially for the price point). Put some muscle in my drink for the price! I got the mezcal cocktail and it hits every time. And I will say I'm on a bougie kick from being in Italy and enjoying some good wines so I wasn't that impressed with wine list. Ask them to try before you buy. Salad--do not leave unless you get the salad. My partner doesn't eat greens but he tore that salad UP!!!! It's the chop salad for me and it hits errytime. Periodt. Vodka pasta-you must. Hands down the best I've had aside from Trivoli. Do it to it. Absolutely remarkable. Chicken Parm-my partner loved. I wasn't over the moon about it but I would try it again. The whipped feta-alll of that. If you want an appetizer, treat yourself and get it. All in all, it's one of my fav spots in the Chi. read more

Table bread was very good. Otherwise I think the ambiance was better than some of the food. We were seated in the side area which isn't as nice as the main dining area unfortunately. read more

Alla Vita - Wood Fired Table Bread Amazing. Everyone should get this - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Alla Vita is a Chicago icon for a reason! Aside from its gorgeous interior, they're serving up some seriously delicious Italian food. I stopped by with a friend for the $25 three course lunch special, which is truly one of the best deals in town. We started with the spring pea salad and arancini- I would absolutely recommend both! The salad was loaded with a variety of roasted and fresh veggies with the most delicious mint-basil dressing. The arancini was also exceptionally cheesy and crispy. For mains, we ordered the rigatoni alla vodka and the chicken panino. Buttery, perfectly al dente, and rich with a kick, the rigatoni is a must-order. My friend enjoyed his panino as well, though it was not pressed like one would typically expect. The house-made potato chips were extremely crispy and fresh as well. We ended with the pistachio gelato and strawberry basil sorbet. The gelato was bursting with pistachio flavor and you could see the super fine grounds. Truly one of the best I've had. The sorbet was super refreshing with a nice flavor balance. Throughout the meal, the staff were friendly and extremely attentive. A+ meal and experience- will absolutely be back and can't recommend highly enough! read more

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If you're looking for Italian food this is your stop! Beautiful venue that's tastefully decorated. Perfect for an elevated lunch and romantic dinner place. To add to the aesthetics, the food was also excellent. Wish I would have come with a few more folks to try more of their dishes. Here's what I tried for my first visit: 1. Roasted octopus: perfectly cooked octopus slightly crispy on the outside and very chewy on the inside. The octopus was set on a base of eggplant blend seasoned with some sort of citrusy flavor. The dish was then garnished with basil and thyme which gave it a herbal hint. Omg this dish was exquisite. Must try! 2. Rigatoni: hand made tasty rigatoni pasta perfectly smothered with rich vodka cream sauce. I typically don't like my pasta to be too creamy but this one was just perfect. Very good. Highly recommend. Would love to come back and try their eggplant lasagna and pizza the next time. read more

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The interior was so pretty and esthetic however the food had ZERO flavor. I was so sad and disappointed. Maybe I should have ordered something different. Definitely over hyped on social media. Service was great. The only disappointment was the food. read more

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A very long overdue review for sure. Dined here 10+ times within the last two years. Alla Vita is one of my top ten eats in the city. The interior is very inviting and aesthetic with lots of seating. My faves are the ricotta dumplings, vodka rigatoni, branzino, and orange blossom honey bread. There's a reason why everyone always takes about Alla Vita.. everything is always perfect and so delicious. If there's anything you need to get, please get the ricotta dumplings (there's nothing like it anywhere else) and the orange blossom honey bread. Their weekday lunch meal is also super generous and such a good deal! I love love the Nutella hazelnut gelato. The arancini is one of the best and actually the first I've tried. So cheesy and flavorful. The only thing I've noticed over the last few years is that there's less sauce in the vodka rigatoni which makes me sad because that's part of the reason why I love Alla Vita's rigatoni over all the other contesters in the city. Since the rigatoni is handmade, they make it in a special shape so it can pick up the sauce and it just is a flavor bomb. Without the extra sauce, that can't really happen. Alla Vita is without a doubt one of the best restaurants!! I will always be back. read more

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Amazing here. I cannot recommend this place enough. The ambience and food was fantastic. Service was timely and friendly. The fish I got was out of this world. 10/10 honestly. read more

I recently went to Alla Vita on a Wednesday night for a work dinner with a few coworkers, and it completely lived up to the hype. I got there a little early before our 6:00 p.m. reservation and was able to grab a seat at the bar around 5:30. The bar filled up quickly with the after-work crowd, so if you want a bar seat, get there early. Definitely make a reservation if you're planning to eat at a table, walk-ins looked nearly impossible, even on a weeknight. I kicked things off with a dirty gin martini that came with blue cheese-stuffed olives honestly one of the better martinis I've had in a while! Once we sat down, we started with a few apps. The wood-fired meatballs and the table bread were the clear standouts. The bread was absolutely killer, coated in honey and melty cheese, and it disappeared so fast I didn't even get a chance to snap a picture. I'd order that again in a heartbeat (maybe even one order just for myself). For my main, I went with the chicken parm, which sounds basic, but Alla Vita knocked it out of the park. It was one of the biggest portions I've ever seen for a chicken parm, and every bite was perfectly crispy, saucy, and cheesy. I also tried a slice of the fennel sausage pizza from a coworker's plate, really solid, especially if you're craving something carbier or pizza. To finish, we all got our own gelato, and I tried the olive oil gelato out of curiosity. It was surprisingly great smooth, creamy, and slightly savory in a way that worked really well. Service was on point throughout the night, drinks were fantastic, and the vibe was lively without being chaotic. Overall, this was just a great midweek meal, perfect for coworkers, a casual client dinner, or even a date night. Alla Vita is definitely one of my new favorite Italian spots in the city, right on the edge of West Loop. Can't wait to go back, especially for that bread and chicken parm!!!!! read more

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YUMMY with a great pre fixe menu!! Came here for a lunch with a few coworkers and we allllll enjoyed ourselves lol. The aracininwas a solid appetizer option. The vodka pasta was tasty (not the best I've had). But the cinnamon apple streusel gelato was the standout for me... it had bits of apples and streusel through the scoop... so good! Also the atmosphere is verrrrry nice. read more

Alla Vita - Vodka Pasta - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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restaurant week did not showcase... so i'm ok to go back to give it another shot. the kale caesar was perfection but the pasta was not. my fellow diners weren't impressed with their chicken parm or pasta. all of it looked/smelled bland. beautiful dining area and impeccable service. read more

Great meal! Wonderful service! Highly recommend! Our table wasn't the best as it was right next to a service area so it was a little distracting. Overall a great place for dinner. read more

Alla Vita - Tagliatelle and Cacio y Pepe - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Food Rating: 3.8/5. The House Bread appetizer and vodka pasta are delicious. Ambiance Rating: 4.5/5. read more

Alla Vita - Vodka pasta, Alla Vita's Chicken Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Got stranded in Chicago on our way to our honeymoon. I'm honestly so glad we got stranded, the atmosphere, drinks, & the food were absolutely worth it! read more

Incredible dinner spent with good company. We ordered a bunch of dishes but some of my favorites were the 1. Farm apple & squash salad 2. Roasted Spanish Octopus 3. Rigatoni 4. Beef shank ragu. Presentation was perfection. All the food tasted very good. Even amazing for someone who is gluten free, there were plenty options and gluten free pasta. The cocktails were fun and tasty. Interior is gorgeous and service was very attentive. Overall 10/10. read more