My wife gave me a 70th surprise birthday at this restaurant. My daughter is getting married in April and we will have her rehearsal dinner there in April. I don't need to say anymore. They were excellent. The food and service was excellent .My son also had his rehearsal dinner at this restaurant. I need to say nothing else. read more

Came here for a quick lunch break and I ended up having had so much fun with the bartender Marcy and the food was rly delicious. I'd like to come back for a late night vibe. read more

We hosted a work celebration event for 18 and it was perfect! They recommended a buffet style meal which had a little something for everyone (salad, vegetarian options, seafood, pasta etc) and our team raved about the food. The buffet format was a great way to feed 18 people efficiently. We were set up on the other side of the bar so it was nice to have our own space. Our server was very friendly and attentive and the manager also stopped by a few times to check in and thank us for coming in. I would definitely recommend this restaurant as the food and service was excellent. read more

First time here. Immediately greeted with a warm welcome, everyone was so nice. The food was amazing, and the place was packed! With how busy it was, it really made me think this was the place to be. I was able to snag a bar seat and enjoy the bears game. Food took some time, but that was obvious with the number of people there. Didn't bother me much as the bartender gave such good service and kept the drinks flowing. When my dinner came out, it was unreal. I will definitely be returning! read more

Decided to check out Cafe Bionda after reading reviews and so glad we did. Friendly staff, and you're greeted with the most intoxicating smells wafting from the kitchen. Ordered the grilled calamari which was seared perfectly and seasoned just right. I ordered the Lobster Fettuccine and my friend ordered the Chicken Parmesan. Fresh pasta, fresh ingredients and cooked perfectly, the portions are huge and you will not be disappointed! read more

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Not the same Cafe Bionda. Food is not good! Calamari is rubbery and chewy now, chicken vesuvio was horrible . So sad was neighborhood staple, not anymore! read more

If I could give this place a Michelin Star, I would. I think their food is amazing every time I dine here - which is often. They never miss! The service is always top notch, I feel like family when I come in. I love how many different spaces there are, from more upscale dining seats, to a large island bar, casual high tops, and even a secret dining room. This location is a staple in the neighborhood and I am so happy that they have reopened! read more

Service here is excellent and the have free parking, although limited. Food is generally good to outstanding. I dined here quite a few times before the closed for the pandemic and always thought it was top notch. Why only 4 stars? They charged us $2 to add ice to a drink. That's just annoying. Is there an ice shortage in Chicago? I must have missed that newsflash. Add $2 to the drink price and call it a day. It seems like both the food and drink menus were somewhat smaller than I remember but there are ample choices and a selection of specials. I had a Carbonara pasta dish that was excellent. Homemade noodles, bacon and a soft boiled egg. Very nice presentation, perfectly cooked and very tasty. The other diners seemed happy with their pasta selections as well but less happy than I was. We also had a fried calamari appetizer which was fine but unremarkable. I seem to remember it being served with a pepper, banana or cherry maybe and missed that. Lastly, we had a window seat which worked great since we had a pair of 7 year old boys with us. The window amused them and the table spacing and general din of the restaurant drowned them out enough to avoid annoying other diners but was still quiet enough for adult conversation. The boys both had the children's chicken tender dinner. They enjoyed it and the portion was huge, they could have easily shared it. read more

I would get 4 orders of the mushrooms all to myself if I could. So good!! The pasta dishes were also fantastic with large portion sizes. Service was A+ too! Would definitely return! read more

Cafe Bionda - Mushrooms - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Bionda re-opened in mid September 2022. There are some new menu items and some old ones. I think the quality has SIGNIFICANTLY improved since their brief 2020 reopening. We had the stuffed mushrooms, riggatoni al vodka, and egg plant parm. The mushrooms were incredible. Super rich without being greasy. The vodka sauce was perfect. If I had to find a problem I would say that they should re-add bread and bruschetta as an appetizer. read more

After the most delicious Brick Chicken I've EVER had.I insisted that I was so pleased with my dish,I had to meet the CHEF.It's amazing.CHEF WAS PLEASED to hear the only other restaurant that offers this dish.There is no comparison. Chicken cooked to perfection. Chef made this beautiful dessert plater after our conversation of my complete admiration.Cafe Bionda is now my favorite Italian Café to go and get my brick chicken.Bartender was very pleasant/knowledgeable. All around, I give this Café Bionda 5 Stars. read more

I waited at least 30min for a kale salad. I was told it was " an issue in the kitchen". I had to literally run the waitress down to pay the check. I will not be returining. read more

We are locals and ventured back to Bionda for the first time after they reopened with new owners. The ambiance is the same as it was with the previous owners. We ordered a Margherita pizza and gnocchi to go. We were told the pizza oven was having issues and we should order it early. Once we got home, we discovered the pizza was your basic cheap cheese pizza WITHOUT any basil or mozzarella/scamorza cheese on it. We've had better frozen pizzas from Mariano's. Definitely not worth the $20 they charge for it. Completely disappointed. The gnocchi, however, was delicious. Bionda is not the same as it was. There are plenty of other great restaurants in the area. read more

great service for a large group and very nice private room However the spaghetti sauce was very bland

This was my 4th dinner restaurant stop as one of our colleagues was staying at the Hyatt connected to the McCormick. This place was in relatively close walking distance so we gave it a shot!....I loved it! It was pretty packed for a Monday evening and the sound level wasn't too bad. I loved the bread they first brought with the marinara dipping sauce. I got a nice glass of Montepulciano with my meal - yum! I had to get the baby clams with linguine as this is my go-to dish if I see it on the menu, and I wanted to compare it to others I've had. YUM! Baby clams were piled high and the pasta was cooked perfect al dente - love the garlic, mmm mmm! I had a lot leftover so I took it back to my hotel, and had it for breakfast the next morning - unusual, I know, but I loved it! And the garlic flavor is even better overnight! Service was so friendly and attentive, and since we were visiting, the hostess gave us a list of her favorite Chicago spots to visit. Sweet! Grazie, Cafe Bionda, I will be back! read more

Cafe Bionda - Linguini Vongole (baby clams) - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food is great. The service can be iffy sometimes but the manager is always nice. Its not to loud which is nice. Good drink options.

What a nice lunch place not too far from McCormick. 15-20 minute walk. I had the orecchiette pasta which was nice and light with some spicy undertones. Before, I opted for the mushroom soup (no creme, really nice and light). This was a very good summer work lunch. read more

CURRENTLY CLOSED. Direct appeal to Owners: PLEASE RE OPEN!!!!!! YOU HAVE BEEN SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE SOUTH LOOP FOR SO MANY YEARS! Hello Owners of Bionda: You haven't liquidated your furniture or equipment, the space is still set up; heck: during a Thunderstorm last summer your POS terminals came to life along with your blinking taxi call light. A glimmer of life; Mother Nature herself wants you to return to our neighborhood. We miss you. We miss the martinis. The beers. The SuperTuscans in big glasses, the delicate crisp white wines, the "I can make you that cocktail," the Ports after dinner. We miss grilled sausages with beans and escarole. Grilled calamari. Arugula salad. Nana's Gravy. Oriechette. The pork chops. The bricked chicken. Lasagna special. The Pizza not on the menu! The bread with marinara and parm. Too many wonderful staff to name, but Guy, and Lisa, Diana, and Jackie spring to mind immediately ( we know these are old names) We miss the chattering laughing tables and the wafting smells from that open kitchen and the vibe of a fantastic restaurant in high gear any night of the week. Please accept this humble love letter from Johnnie and Lovie. We weren't your most regular customers; in fact we moved away for a few rough years and now we are blessed to be back. We pledge to be regular enough. We hope you find it in your business plan to reopen this amazing South Loop institution or god willing hand it off to someone who can bring back the Bionda magic. Thanks for listening. We love you Bionda and we love you South Loop. read more

my friend is OBSESSED with this place so i decided to give it a shot. He got the filet while i got the gnocchi. The gnocchi was good but that filet was absolutely to die for. it was so tender and juicy. definitely recommend! service was good and fast, thoroughly enjoyed the experience. read more

Cafe Bionda - gnocchi add brocolli - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Cafe Bionda is the epitome of old school Italian from the room, cocktails, food and service! A big beautiful vintage car is parked out front calling you back in time. As you walk into the dark room of varnished wood and classic music you know an authentic experience awaits. The host welcomes you with a warm smile and the bartender who can see the front door waits to create the perfect beverage. I chose a martini and it was shaken perfectly. At the table, the server Diego approaches and tells me to relax and enjoy. The rich red sauce and warm bread for dipping, arrives and our meal begins. The Bionda Salad with the homemade vinaigrette is bright and delicious. I ordered fresh fish with a lemon sauce and my son ordered gnocchi with marinara. Our entrees were piping hot and oh so tasty. The fish was tender and fresh. The potato dumplings were soft and light. The tiramisu was not too sweet and paired perfectly with fresh coffee. A fine way to finish a classic dinner! This restaurant offers value and service, coupled with hospitality with a capital H!! read more

Cafe Bionda - Perfect Lemon Drop martini - no sugar! - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I am starting with why I just fell in love with this place then why I will have a hard time going back ... at least during lunch hour. In LOVE with the food, from the bread and sauce served fresh and hot at the table. Pasta is perfect and the marinara and the vodka sauce are so tasty and perfect. We also ordered a side of grilled asparagus and vesuvio potatoes again perfect. The restaurant is very quaint clean and location is hidden but what a gem inside. Ok ... my not so happy points but I think this could very easily be remedied Lack of servers. It's lunchtime where people need to be in and out in a very reasonably short period of time. The food did come out hot but our server spilled quite a few of time almost onto my guest clothing. The wait time to get attention was quite long and a follow up for any additional items we need would have been great. Maybe consider a lunch menu with specials as prices were near what someone would pay for dinner. Again LOVE the food but lack of good service and high price. Don't really think I will go for lunch again. Though I would LOVE this to be my go to lunch spot and I am sure many other would join me read more

Cafe Bionda - Rigatoni with ala vodka sauce - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Where do I start? My daughter and I walked in to half empty restaurant only to be seated for an hour and ten minutes without so much as an explanation as to why we had been waiting that long and we absolutely were more than understanding about waiting, our waitress was so uninterested and hardly checked in with us. She walked past our table multiple times without so much as a simple "I'm sorry for the wait" it wasn't until our food was just about coming to the table that she "apologized" for the wait. My daughter and then asked to speak to the manager and we waited for 10 minutes just for the manager to never come and speak with us. My daughter and I sent the food back and left the restaurant. We were severely dissatisfied with the service that we received. The only good part of the service was the bus-boy. He was so sweet and attentive and though he was the only one working, he still managed to give us great service. I would never recommend this place. Service was HORRIBLE! read more

I'm so happy this place will finally open after covid ! They always had the most friendly staff. I remember my favorite server Guy, he was so attentive and funny . He made me feel at home . Five stars read more

The carrot cake was phenomenal, my waitress Andrea was incredible. I just dropped in for desert, however I will definitely return for dinner. read more

Cafe Bionda - The Carrot cake was phenomenal. My waitress Andrea was incredible... - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ate there last week was expecting so much and instead I was absolutely appalled as I was walking to the bathroom I saw roaches on the floor!! My husband and I didn't even stay I immediately notified the server who shrugged it off and walked away! read more

AOK + !! I think yelp has this right with 3.5 stars. The pasta was a little undercooked but did taste pretty fresh. The sauce and bread they start you out with is pretty good. Oh man oh man is their garlic tasty. They have a full bar with plenty of tasty wines to coincide with your meal. I had dinner here with a great group of people. It made for a great night. read more

I was super pumped to try Cafe Bionda, as it came recommended by a friend. Man, was I disappointed. My friends and I came here pre-marathon for some major carb loading... but just left stuffed without a great taste in my mouth. First, I thought the server was a little rough on the edges. He was slightly rude and made fun of our large appetites. Two of us ordered the Nanna's Gravy which is Slow roasted pot roast, rigatoni gigante, homemade tomato sauce. It taste fairly well but just didn't do it for me... I should have went with more of a traditional Italian dish. My boyfriend ordered the Veal Braciole Platter which is Meatball, sausage, veal braciole, all simmered in homemade marinara. He was also disappointed, and both of these dishes were top recommendations by our server... another disappointment. We also ordered the Zucchini & Calamari Combo - 1/2 zucchini, 1/2 calamari, which is pretty hard to mess up. It was decent. The bread and red sauce is great here but when we asked for another basket the server kind of gave us a weird look like we were obese people eating too much. For dessert, we ordered the chocolate cake with really good banana fudge gelato. Afer we demolished this dish, the server ask if we would like some bread to soak up the rest of the dish. WTF!? If he was trying to be funny, he wasn't... in fact it was just rude and annoying. I will not be back. read more

Sooooo after a visit to the CPD, one of the very nice cops working there recommended this "gentleman's establishment". Me and the boyfriend took him up on it. First thing, love the music. Loved that they had football on, loved the dim lights, loved the cute hostesses there. I'm pretty pregnant right now so normally i wouldn't order pasta but I needed it in my life that night... Three nights ago. I went with lobster fettuccine... Best choice I've ever made! Simply dang delish. I will visit again and try more off their menu and specials. Thanks for a lovely nice romantic night. read more

We stumbled upon this place on a warm Saturday afternoon and stopped in for a drink and a snack. The staff was inviting, the interior is cozy and nice, and the appetizers we ordered were very good. Kayla at the bar was friendly, attentive and speedy with her service. We ordered the antipasto plate, which had some tasty and fresh meats (but could've used a little more cheese.) The bruschetta was excellent--some of the best I've had. The ingredients were fresh and the oil had a pleasing bite to it. My friend is a very picky eater who is never impressed with anything, and he enjoyed the bruschetta so much he wanted to order a second order. We didn't have a meal here, but the place was such a pleasant experience for an afternoon drink and bite that we'd like to come back and try it for dinner. read more

Ciao amici! A great Italian find, if I do say so. Cafe Bionda pulled it all off beautifully the other night when we stopped in before the U2 concert at Soldier Field. And that was no easy feat given how busy this place was. We chose to sit inside but there are several small tables out front on the sidewalk as well lending to the tratorria feel. Our server was great- chatting about the food like she loved it all and clearly articulating the specials of the day and letting us know that the portion sizes were large so we could share if we wanted. She quickly got out cocktail order and then steered us to some very tasty appetizers; grilled calamari (VERY good and a huge portion), caprese salad (fresh summery tomatoes) antipasti plate with meats and cheeses, and an arugula salad. All were tasty and when sampled with the Italian bread and tomato and cheese sauce- our night was off to a great start. For entrees- I went with the fish special of the night which was Grouper Vesuivio style. Loved every bite. My dining companion went with the Sunday Platter which had the biggest piece of Italian sausage I have seen in awhile along with Braciole all in a red sauce. The only criticism of the night was that the red sauce lacked a depth of flavor that one would expect. The couple with us also had two of the other specials of the day. The pounded pork tenderloin with peas in a cream sauce was obviously delicious as it was gone in a flash and the shrimp special was equally good. Hard to believe that there was room for dessert after all of that but we had to share the molten chocolate cake for dessert. Firm on the outside with a melted chocolate center and lots of cream topping- it was a good thing we had to stroll a ways to get to the stadium to walk off some of the indulgences! The wine list was also good- allowing us to pick a nice Pinot Noir that went perfectly with all our food. And our water glasses were never empty nor was our server ever very far away. All in all a great night out- that started at a little Cafe on the south side. Cafe Bionda è molto buona. Fino al nuovo . . . . . . Ciao! read more

Man! Milwaukee Avenue is just busting at the seams with personal favorites! I stopped here for a bite and seat outside where it was nice and sunny while waiting for my loves to arrive. I mean, to not sit outside after that long winter would be a little humbuggy! First I ordered an Absolut ice pick because I've never heard of it and my server explained that it was vodka and iced tea so I went for that and placed my order for the Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail and Eggplant Rotolo. While waiting for my order, I and sipped on my Absolut and finished a whole mini loaf of bread with marinara sauce dip (I didn't notice because I was people watching!). The 4 piece shrimp cocktail really was jumbo because I had to slice each one into four pieces! Devoured that... then got halfway through the Eggplant Rotolo... Basically, by the time my husband and son got to the table, I was so stuffed like Jabba the Hut that I couldn't sit comfortably! Ha! I could just hear my mom saying, "gluttony is a sin." read more

Not my first choice, my first choice in the area is no longer open for lunch. I was warned that my new neighborhood will fall short in the restaurant department, I can live with that. Of course now I have to find some other options. Not listening I insisted on trying Cafe Bionda. My impression isn't positive, the food is average and for lunch the portions abysmal. Simple rigatoni close to 20 same for the lasagna, one salad and a couple drinks, one ice tea, one coke. With tax and tip the tab exceeded 60. I thought Chicago was supposed to be reasonable. Final report, skip. read more

After living in the neighborhood a year, I finally tried this place. My lasagna was thick and hot and tasty with a bit of zest to it. Not much more to report. read more

I literally can't believe how expensive this place is for what they give you. For example, $3 for a coke. Not a fountain coke with free refills. A bottle of coke. Not even the big Mexican coke, a normal tiny coke. They have a build your own pasta for "lunch" starting at $15, like literally $15 for some angel hair and marinara. They charge extra for vodka sauce ($4!!!!), extra for fettuccine pasta, extra for gnocchi. If you build literally some rigatoni and vodka sauce it would cost more than the actual rigatoni and vodka sauce on the menu. Then the extras are ridiculously overpriced, $8 for two meatballs. I just can't. The food tastes fine, but for the prices there is much much better in Chicago. I won't go here again. Over it. read more

With a special work project in the South Loop this past weekend, I thought it was an opportunity to meet with my handsome son (who works at a River North supper club) for dinner before both of us had to go to work. On a tip from a friend and some Yelp research, we decided to have dinner at Cafe Bionda since it was close to the hotel where I was staying. We arrived for our early reservation and we were promptly seated. There was what seemed to be a very crowded baby shower going on in the large back room, so that gave me some misgivings that we'd both be waiting for service and hopefully on time for work. Those misgivings were quickly laid to rest as our server greeted us and took our drink orders while a basket of warm bread and marinara was placed on our table. A Negroni for me and a Templeton's Rye Old Fashioned for my son, both delivered after a very short wait and both spot on. We started with the grilled calamari with red wine vinaigrette, three nice sacs and three nice tentacles in a really tasty sauce. The warm bread was put to good use to sop up the remaining vinaigrette. For mains, my son had the lobster fettuccine with asparagus special, and I opted for the first thing that really caught my eye, the veal braciole platter. Both dishes were excellent, and my veal was accompanied by some spaghetti in what appeared to be a vodka cream sauce. Again, the bread was put to good use to take care of the sauce that remained. To close, my son had one more Old Fashioned and I asked for a glass of limoncello. When I asked our server if it was house made, she replied, tongue-in-cheek, that she was sure it was made in a house somewhere, just not this one! Great! Heading off to work, both of us satisfied, we'd surely visit Cafe Bionda again. read more

Cafe Bionda - Veal braciole platter. Molto saporito! - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We had early dinner. Service was excellent. Pasta dishes good size. Took home. Appetizers good and desserts very good. We sat near bar area. Surprised to see a lot of people for early evening. We parked on street. They have Valet service. Will be back again soon. read more

First of all our bar tender was amazing! I don't remember her name, but she was super attentive and kept checking on us and was just all around amazing. The food was good too. We shared the burrata and parmesan chicken and tiramisu. My problem with this place and why I likely won't go back is the rudeness of the manager? I think that is who he was? I am a local and specifically came here because I had never been and wanted to check it out. It was a low key Saturday, so I hit up my friend in the south loop and was like, lets check it out. So the issue I have is, for choosing where I spend my money, I want to go to establishments welcome everyone, not just their friends. The manager? I assume that is who he is, youngish guy early 30s with a beard and wearing a sweater tonight, was consumed with talking to his friends, to the point, that even though there was much open space at the bar, he stood right in front of me and my friend, and never once acknowledged us. He was directly in front of me chatting with his friends for about an hour. It was really rude. And if that is the manager, ( he was definitely someone in charge) it just sends a message. The food was good, the bartender was amazing, but the management of this spot was super clicky and we were there on a Saturday night! Overall, because of that, I would spend my money some where else. If management doesn't care enough to say hello, when they are right in front of you at the bar, it doesn't make sense to spend my money there. read more

Amazing atmosphere, service and food! This has become one of my favorite restaurants. If you love Italian food, you need to go here. We had the chicken parm and the filet mignon, both cooked to perfection! The chicken parm was the full size of a huge plate and one of the best I have had, their home made sauce is unmatched. Great wine selection too and we finished off with a shot of limoncello, also homemade. Will definitely be coming back here! read more

Really disappointed in yesterday's experience at Cafe Bionda. Appetizers were cold and the service was terrible. We waited 20 minutes or more for a drink more than once. At one point my boyfriend got up to get us a cocktail at the bar. Waitress was practically invisible. Table behind us left without their food. They said they were going to the theater and were waiting over an hour for their food and had to leave. Yes, it was crowded, but come on that's Crazy! If you need more waitstaff and bartenders then get them!!!! Entrees were Decent, but pretty sad experience left a Bad Taste in my mouth! Pun totally intended! read more

This place is old school Italian and that is a good thing. We really appreciated the sauce they serve with the bread when you arrive. The sauce is perfectly seasoned. We went with the eggplant parmesan and the spaghetti. Both were large servings, perfectly cooked pasta, fresh and well seasoned. Save room for desert because their cannoli and tiramisu is not to be missed, especially the cannoli. It was fresh, crisp, sweet but not too sweet. The tiramisu was excellent as well. Great service read more