The ambiance was very good. I also really liked the service. The servings are large. However, the sausage was not great.

I did not have the same outstanding experience at Campagnola as what the other reviewers had. I picked and called for a reservation at this place for a Friday night dinner, because of the almost 5-star rating it has. There are metered parking spots along Chicago Ave and the place inside is nice, with neat interiors and dimly lit, which gives the place a more formal vibe. My friend and I arrived on time and were seated right away at a corner table, near the end of the bar area. We were not too happy about our table but we were thinking that maybe all the other tables are already reserved. Anyway, our server was prompt, efficient, friendly and knowledgeable of their wine list. We ordered the following: ROASTED BEET SALAD- delicious and refreshing OCTOPUS- it was average SCALLOPS- too small to appreciate (they just appear big in the pictures) SHORT RIB- the meat was very tender but once it's not warm anymore, it gets very dry since the polenta underneath absorbs all the juiciness of the meat and the sauce TOFFEE PUDDING- satisfying and definitely good for sharing None of the dishes stood out and guess what the saddest part of my experience here was. FRUIT FLIES. They were at, on, and around our table! I covered my wine glass with a napkin to make sure that a fly does not get in. I asked our server about it, he just said "Oh yeah, they are everywhere." Then he walked away. Oh great(?)!, yippee(?)! No other guests sat at the unoccupied tables until we left the restaurant and I am guessing that our table was the only one getting visited by the flies since it is the closest to the bar. It really made the whole experience a disappointment, besides the average food. Now I have Campagnola crossed out of my "To Try" list. It is now on my "Not Again" list. read more

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This place was so good my daughter and I ate here twice. Excellent service from phone reservation, and greeting, to the goodbye. Prompt water refills. Excellent wine list (Sangiovese by the glass was very smooth.) Transplant this place to L.A. and they'd be packed every night. Complimentary fresh bread and tasty butter. Apps we had were: octopus with gigante beans, grilled (crispy but still tender), Caesar salad with white anchovies, kale salad with ricotta salata, preserved lemon and toasted hazelnuts, Diver scallops (cooked perfectly and served with a pea puree so good I could drink it.) Entrees were: short ribs with mashed potatoes and rapini, roast duck with a cherry mostarda and polenta, papperdelle in a veal and pork ragú, and linguini with grilled shrimp and asparagus. So so good. Friendly, cozy place with excellent service. Coming here with the whole fam in September when my daughter starts at Northwestern. This has got to be the best place in town. read more

Campagnola is pretty good, especially for Evanston! The space is a bit old/stuffy, but the food is pretty good. The scallops were really well cooked, and so was the Milanese (picture not included). Staff was nice and worth the meal if you're nearby! (From @tastessky on Instagram) read more

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Great food! Delicious pasta!!! Really love the taste!!! The bread is also great!! Love the design style read more

Campagnola - Pappaedelle Bolognese - Italian Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Come earlier if you have don't have a reservation and don't want to wait for a table. Lovely atmosphere and setting is romantic but not stuffy. You start with free bread and butter. For a party of four we got 1. Two appetizers: the ricotta gnocchi and the wood-fired radicchio. Both were relatively small plates but they were hearty. The radicchio seemed unique and was very flavorful from the bacon. The ricotta gnocchi was more mild, but the soft texture was out of this world 2. Everyone ordered their own entree. For dinner I got the trout and it was cooked perfectly. Not a single bone and skin was crisp. The dish comes with some greens, but that's all. 3. To finish we shared two desserts -- chocolate panna cotta and the cake they had on the menu at the time. Both were delicious and good sizes for sharing as we all got to have a couple bites of both. Overall, good food and good service. We left feeling stuffed. read more

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I have been to this restaurant probably 4 different times and I have had the best experience every time. This is my favorite Italian restaurant in Evanston and it may be my favorite of all time. The service is incredible but that's not even the best part. The bread is airy and delicious and I always have to control myself from eating too much. The pasta is phenomenal, you won't be disappointed with anything on the menu. My favorite is the Pappaedelle Bolognese. It's a big portion of pasta but it's one of those dishes that you can't stop eating it because it's so good and then it's all gone. The restaurant itself has a perfect ambience but it is an older crowd. I've never felt unwelcome at this restaurant and have always left more than satisfied. Such a good spot! read more

Campagnola - Pappaedelle Bolognese - Italian Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Delicious and interesting food in a cozy environment. Only issue for us is that they were obviously short staffed.

Great food and drink options. The atmosphere is usually a little loud and busy, but it will not take away from your dining experience. You won'tgo wrog wirh your meal choice. The chef does an excellent job with meat and fish. I look forward to my next dining opportunity at Campagnola. read more

Consistently fantastic food and service. My favorite restaurant in Evanston. A classic.

This is a very friendly and comfortable neighborhood Italian restaurant. Menu offers a wide range of apps, dinner, and desserts. Cooking is outstanding! Prices are low for the quality. read more

Campagnola is our go to place in Evanston. These lovely people saved our lives during COVID. Dependable, exceptionally well made, delicious offerings, served with grace and charm or to go. This bistro keeps us centered and sated. Thank you for always being excellent. read more

I went here because of the building. Architecturally a beautiful building. I think that's why I added the 4th star. It's good. Decent food, very good service. Just an ok experience overall. We'll return though. read more

We had one of the best Italian food we ever had. Campagnola is excellent! Everything we ate was really amazing, full of textures and flavors. Our server was very knowledgeable and polite. Can't believe we found this place such a wonderful little Italian restaurant, not much to look at outside but the food is delicious. The short ribs were tender and the polenta was soft and tasty. Good food and pro service. I would recommend this place and eat here again. read more

A great restaurant in Evanston. When the place puts as much effort into making a perfect Caesar salad and then continues to impress through dessert, and provides great service throughout the meal, the only thing you can conclude is that you need to go back. Just excellent. read more

Excellent place. We celebrated my father's 90th birthday dinner and they made the setting very memorable and pleasant. Even the other restaurant guests were very kind. My dad left feeling like a king. Just a great place for those special moments in life. Oh, the food was top notch too! read more

Great service. Loved my appetizer and entree. Lovely setting. Wine list is extensive. We'll be back.

Lived here for 26 years and had never been - first visit and was wondering why I hadn't! Small menu, everything we had was done to perfection, from short rib to sticky toffee date cake. Staff was super friendly and a perfect spot for Friday night dinner. read more

Excellent food and pleasant ambiance. If covered patio is open in the back, take advantage. It's delightful. read more

food was delicious, service was fast and efficient, very nice and organized ambiance.

Great Authentic Italian Food. Better have a reservation this place is not that big, but big on flavor. We started of with the octopus which was perfectly prepared and tender ...Delicious. For entrees we had the short ribs and pappardelle ..Delicious Bravissimo read more

I went here for my birthday dinner a couple weeks ago and had a pretty good time! It is very cozy in there and definitely feels like a local hangout. The food was really good, I had the cavatappi pasta and my husband had the duck. I had made a note on the reservation that it was my birthday and the host wished me a happy birthday but the waitress either didn't know or didn't acknowledge it. It's definitely not an expectation that restaurants acknowledge special occasions as I know that can can be a lot to juggle, but I appreciate when ones do because it feels like they are going above and beyond. read more

Campagnola - Italian Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Best food. Unreal bolognese. Date cake - dessert - to die for! Special (halibut) was exceptional but obviously as a special not always around. GREAT atmosphere. read more

Best restaurant in town. Never disappoints. Not sure why they even care about reviews since they've been around for so long and people keep going back. Only wish I lived closer so I could waddle my way over a few times a week. read more

Always great food. Quality ingredients well prepared. Friendly and attentive staff. Concise but pleasant wine list. Cozy room/atmosphere. read more

Warm and professional staff even on an evening when the temperature hit record low in Chicago and as one of the last tables. I got the class pappaedelle bolognese. The sauce was thick, flavorful, and properly cooked into the pasta. My only suggestion was that I wished the pasta was more al dente as it was slightly overcooked. I also tried the seafood linguine and salmon that my friends ordered and really liked both. The ingredients were clearly very fresh and the chefs knew how to highlight them. This was definitely the case with the seafood linguine where the flavor was more complex yet well balanced at the same time. Great Italian affair and I would love to return to try more dishes! read more

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Fine dining done well. You get what you pay for here: great service, atmosphere, dishes. No notes.

Came here on a weekday date night and was pleasantly surprised! I know it's a popular place amongst locals but to find it full-house on a Thursday night gave me hope for local restaurants. I will say that at 30, I felt like one of the younger guests of the night, but no matter. We ordered the scallops, pappardelle and short rib, and asked if that would be enough for the 2 of us. To our server's immense credit, he said it was! That's honestly a first - none of the upselling nonsense I always succumb to. The scallops were Delish - seared to perfection, cooked just the right amount. The pappardelle was a large, substantial portion that I couldn't finish. It was less intensely flavored than I thought it would be, but reminded me (in a good way) of how an Italian grandmother would cook pasta for her family. The short rib tasted as yummy as it looked. I recommend coming here for dates and in groups! Service was conscientious, especially from the server who refilled our water glasses every 10 mins. My only disappointment was not having them recognize my husband's birthday in any way, even though I called ahead. read more

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They hit it out of the park for Mother's Day. I had an arugula salad with shaved artichoke that was excellent. My wife had asparagus soup and my son had the octopus appetizer, and they were both very happy. My entree was the halibut special with fried quinoa and roasted peppers. Fresh, flaky fish and delicious all around. The other two both had the trout and loved it. Bread pudding dessert had a delicious caramel sauce that was not heavy. The mango sorbet was smooth with fresh fruit shining through. Service was excellent. One of the best restaurant meals we've ever had. read more

Excellent food, service and ambiance. Had dinner with the family. The pasta and pork chops were delicious. Everyone loved the food and service was amazing. Prices were very reasonable. read more

This place is wonderful. The service was attentive to our table 10- which I'm sure wasn't easy. The food is the star. My favorite is the grilled octopus appetizer. The scallop appetizer is amazing also. Of course all of their mains, from pasta to seafood to steaks are delicious. The desserts are also to die for. You do need to make a reservation as this place is very popular. read more

An intimate upscale Italian restaurant with good food and great ambiance. I tried three three tasty dishes: The diver scallops appetizer was a bit heavy, almost floating in butter, but tasty. Caesar salad was traditional and tasty, but served in "kit" form requiring a lot of cutting up to assemble it. The barramundi special was a tasty piece of fish enhanced by the horseradish creme fraiche, but the beets and kale didn't add much. Very reasonable wine prices, and attentive, cordial service. I loved the intimate atmosphere, subdued lighting, and low noise level. read more

Campagnola - Diver scallops - Italian Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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We sometimes forget about this place because they aren't on the reservation apps. But every time we do eat here we end up raving about the food. This time we took friends who raved about it too. Great pasta, great salads, great seafood dishes. We had a wonderful time. read more

Loved it! Enjoyed everything about this little gem, will return and bring friends! The food was DELICIOUS and what was really special was the service, stood out because it was very old school, attentive, not intrusive, timely, perfect, have been missing that a lot these days. read more

Food: 4 Decor: 4 Service: 3 I came here with my gf for dinner Sunday around 7:30pm. Tip: there's metered street parking outside, and call at least a few days in advance to get reservations 1. Diver Scallop, 12 http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/0jdYhWHCMsrWxxVoylfyBw?select=WQNCCEgJQ4Zexbwkf6f18Q cauliflower puree, pine nut, and caper relish ~Yummy, although there was a speck of sand that I crunched on. Nice of them to split the appetizer even though I didn't request it. 2. Short rib, 23 http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/0jdYhWHCMsrWxxVoylfyBw?select=p99QEmj4TgvwtjkM-8xPLA balsamic glaze and caramelized root vegetables ~Pretty good. Meat was juicy and tender. 3. Bacon-wrapped pheasant breast, 25 http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/0jdYhWHCMsrWxxVoylfyBw?select=dq5rF6EWvXpMm2KyvQ6AmA butternut agrodolce, Brussels sproutes and apple ~Yummy. Everything was cooked nicely, and the citrusy sauce complemented well. Service was a bit slow (delays in getting our order at the beginning and our check at the end), so dinner took an hour and a half. read more

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We were recently at Campagnola, in Evanston, Illinois, with friends for dinner. Evanston is a large and diverse suburb of Chicago, directly north of the actual city. Everything about this small-ish restaurant was big! The service was professional and friendly. The wine (we had a couple of bottles of Chianti Classico Reserva) was big & delicious. Our food was absolutely big in flavor & portions. Food included perfectly seared scallops, pasta Bolognese, which was perfect & came hot! One friend ordered the pork chop and declared it yummy. But, I must say the special that two of us ordered really stole the show; halibut on wild rice & spinach with pomegranate seeds. Spectacular!! We will return soon. read more

Love this restaurant... It is one of the only nice dinner restaurants in Evanston. I always order the duck. It is my favorite thing on the menu. Have also tried the trout (delish, light, but definitely recommend ordering a side to fill you up), the octopus, gnocchi (tried the one with meat sauce and NEED to try the new one with asparagus), and the brussel sprouts. This is a must try in Evanston. read more

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We took my BIL here for his bday. It was his pick. We hadn't been here in 8 years. We had to call for a reservation. No online method. (Grumble) But that was not an indication of our meal. We were seated in a nice corner. Hubby, BIL and I had martinis. We all remarked how they were well made. I had the octopus appetizer. It was cooked properly, and I was happy with my choice. The Caesar salad was also very good. For entrees, I got the duck, sis got the salmon, BIL got the trout, and hubby got tagliatelle. Everyone was pleased with their meals. The duck comes with this dark sauce on it which was very good. Not sweet. They brought a bday dessert of bread pudding. It was a perfect evening. Low key in a nice neighborhood place. read more

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5 out of 5. We now have a new local favorite place in Evanston! We came around Sunday dinner time. Be sure to make a reservation beforehand. Or come really early. This place fills reaaaaaaaally fast! The scallop dish was Amazing. It was perfectly cooked and seasoned. The chef was so good at using different texture. The "fatty" and delicate scallops were served on a bed of soft and creamy cauliflower purée. And there were golden raisins and toasted pine nuts on top. The contrast of texture brought the dish to another level. I personally am a huge fan of octopus. Whenever it is on the menu, I'll order it. And oh my, I was certainly NOT disappointed by the octopus dish here. The octopus was crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside. I'm normally not a bean personal. But I found the braised beans to be a perfect addition to the dish. And the roasted duck was for sure the highlight tonight. The flavor profile was exactly on point. I was a bit nervous to see a sweet sauce paired with the duck. But it had a slight sour aftertaste. And it worked perfectly to counteract the "greasiness" from the duck. The duck was cooked to perfection as well. Even the breast was moist. And there was no dry pieces at all. I was extremely fond of the crispy skin on the outside. Everything just... like a magic lol. Would definitely be back. Just loved loved loved it! read more

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Never disappoints in service, ambience and cuisine. I usually dine here with out of town visitors and friends. Great place to celebrate a solecism occasion. I had my cancer survivorship at Campagnola to celebrate my living legacy. read more