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    Ciao! Cafe & Wine Lounge

    4.0 (175 reviews)
    ModerateItalian, Wine Bars
    Closed Closed

    Ciao! Cafe & Wine Lounge Photos

    Business Info

    CIAO! CAFE & WINE LOUNGE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Intimate
    Romantic
    Live music
    Quiet

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    Reviews With Photos

    Rigatoni Alla Rigo

    This cafe is amazing!! The vibes are outrageous. Service was great, food was delicious. The rigatoni was soooo good and the band brought a fun atmosphere. 10/10 would go again!

    a woman taking a picture of her meal

    The food was amazing!!! I got the alla angle hair pasta thing with meatballs and it was one of the best pastas i've ever had in my life. I will think about this pasta for a while .The service was very welcoming. I loved the ambiance, it was super cute and the place had much character to it. I date with a partner or a friend is a must!

    That is more than 20% gratuity!!
    Elnaz A.

    Here is the reason why I gave them only 2 stars. The server was not at all friendly, he had an attitude and was obviously not happy to work there. Most of the time he was at his cellphone. At the end he put a gratuity (20.5 %) on our bill for 2 people. It is noted on their menu that for groups of 6 or more people, they will put a gratuity on the bill. When we asked why he added a gratuity of 20.5% on our tab, he merely replied that this is what they do recently. I don't think it is ok to add an automatic gratuity of over 20% for a tab of two! So, no we were not happy. However, the appetizer was delicious and the food was just ok. Nevertheless, you can get that food anywhere else in the West Loop for a similar price. I definitely cannot recommend this place!

    Bacon Wrapped Dates
    Ian J.

    Cafe Ciao is a gem among Chicago's concrete jungle. It's small, intimate setting paired with the cordial ambiance and the decor makes it a great place for a nice date night. They also had a table for board games for you to enjoy with a group while you enjoy your wine. Speaking of the wine, the list was expansive and held great variety. I was told that the wine selection rotates throughout the season and each wine has a glass or bottle option unlike some other places that require you to purchase the whole bottle. I started with the bacon wrapped dates and enjoyed the sweet and salty flavors. The dates were not oversized which was nice since I had a good date to bacon ratio. Then I ordered the rigatoni alla rigo which was their house special. I enjoyed the balance of the spicy Italian sausage that complimented the the tomato cream sauce. The entrée paired with my petite Syrah that had fruit and smoky tones complimented the sausage well. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente. The staff was extremely friendly and the service was awesome. I enjoyed talking with them about the various wines on their list and about Chicago since I'm an out of towner. All in all, Cafe Ciao is perfect for any date night, girls night, game night and all the other nights. I can't wait to visit again the next time I'm in Chicago. Ciao :)

    Cafe Ciao
    Ben B.

    We stopped in for an afternoon lunch today. The staff was attentive and friendly, although we were alone in the cafe given an odd lunchtime, which allows for more attention. A fun but classy cartoon, something about Bellville, was playing on their flatscreen. My wife and I shared the bacon-wrapped date and spicy tomato chevre appetizers, as well as the prosciutto and fig flatbread and tiramisu. It was the perfect amount of food for us. The tomato sauce with the chevre was surprisingly spicy. The flatbread is about the right size for a single lunch without an appetizer. The figs are more intact than at most other places and it was plated with grapes, a nice touch. We'll be back.

    Bread Pudding made with King's Hawaiian Sweet Bread (famous in Hawaii).
    Carol M.

    Came here with a group of friends for desserts & scarfed away the fabulous tiramisu and bread pudding. Both were very generous portions. The tiramisu was so light and flavorful. The bread pudding was made of famous King's Sweetbread (very famous in Hawaii) and perhaps flown in from Hawaii. What a treat. We were with a big group and had gone to another Italian restaurant down the street but wished we came here instead. The quality and the portions at Cafe Ciao are top notch. The ambiance is also charming, warm and cozy and just a perfect neighborhood restaurant.

    Baked Mac and cheese
    Vrati D.

    Great food, great wine, great ambiance! I can't believe we waited so long to come to this West Loop gem! We tried the Aquinas red after reading some reviews as well as the Fire Road white and both were delicious! All the plates are fairly small, perfect for a date night to share! We ordered the baked white cheddar Mac n cheese small plate, which was by far one of the best we've had! The top thin layer of breading was light and added a great crunchy texture. We also ordered the spinach empanadas (not my fave but my husband liked it and the chutney... Typical Indian) and the spicy chèvre (goat cheese and tomato with bread) which was soooo good. The angel hair pasta had a great balance if garlic and basil! And they even have board games and karaoke for private events!

    middle of the seating area

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    1 year ago

    great selection of wine. I would recommend the pasta selection as that was divine to indulge in.

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    Love, love, love the atmosphere here! Super cozy and the food is lovely too! So happy they're still part of the neighborhood.

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    Gilt Bar - Chicken parmigiana

    Gilt Bar

    4.3(2.4k reviews)
    1.0 miRiver North, Near North Side
    $$$

    exactly as I expected, gilt bar was phenomenal - the beef…read moretartare was the best I've ever had, it was so filled with flavor, every bite tasted like a beef salad. the egg was jammy and delicious adding a new layer of richness to the meal. the bread it came with was FRESH, hard crispy crust surrounding thick cuts of spongey bread - the truffle malfadine was perfectly cooked long chewy noodles with the perfect amount of a truffle pepper sauce over them. certain bites had full peppercorns, breaking through the slight creaminess. - I had high hopes for the burger and was picturing a bougie restaurant thick cut juicy burger. it was fascinating because it had the same juicy soft flavor, but it was more of a Smashburger style so you had a little bit of crisp on the outside and instead of a thick singular patty, it was two on top of each other. the fries were solid (not very salty which was divisive) but the aioli elevated the fries and burger to a new level, huge points - Guinness here is so cheap. my dirty martini was dirty as all hell and delicious. the service was so kind and attentive and brought out extra ice cream with hot fudge for my birthday. the carrot cake was incredibly moist and tasted like real carrots, nuts, and spices, not enough frosting for me tho hehe - this is literally such a stunning restaurant with a photo booth and a downstairs sultry bar, and an open standing space around the bar upstairs. I get why it is always booked. If I was to come back, I would do it all again except ...maybe instead of the burger... try something else hmm

    Dinner at Gilt Bar felt like stepping into one of Gatsby's favorite haunts. The interior is…read morestunning , moody, golden, and effortlessly glamorous. The cocktails were beautifully crafted and worth the visit alone. The food was good, but not necessarily the star of the night. What really stood out was the atmosphere and the service, both absolutely incredible. One of those places you go for the vibe as much as the meal.

    Photos
    Gilt Bar - Photo Booth

    Photo Booth

    Gilt Bar - Honey Peppered King Salmon

    Honey Peppered King Salmon

    Gilt Bar - Stairs going down to bathrooms

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    Stairs going down to bathrooms

    GoodFunk - Behind the bar

    GoodFunk

    3.8(40 reviews)
    0.8 miThe Loop

    We tried pre opera drinks and bites at Good Funk on Wacker and overall it was a blah experience…read more The wine selection was interesting, the food was average, at best. We didn't especially enjoy the atmosphere (sadly we were seated at the bar next to some douche dude bros) or the service. I doubt we will return.

    My friend rented this out a few weeks ago to celebrate her 45th. It was the perfect spot for about…read more30 women to mingle, drink cocktails and eat delicious food (compliments of Beaknik). I helped her choose the menu using both Yelp and some help from my bestie chatgpt and came up with the following: 7 Passed Apps: * Mini Truffle Beef Wellington (black truffle aioli) * Short Rib & Brie Slider (Aleppo BBQ, arugula, tomato jam) * Chicken Kebab (harissa-marinated chicken, tahini labneh) * Salmon Taco (avocado, mojo rojo, cilantro) * Mushroom Croquette (black truffle aioli) * Halloumi Skewer (tomato & quince jam, za'atar) * Mini Crab Cake (lemon aioli, herb salad) 1 Stationary Grazing Item: * Mezze Trio (tahini hummus, beet tahini w/ goat cheese, tzatziki, grilled pita & crudité) ---- It ended up being the perfect amount of food- heavy enough to fill us for dinner, but also light enough that we didn't get too full and could stay out late and dance (at the request of the bday gal). They passed the appetizers, but once they passed them around a few times they put them on the bar which became one big grazing station. The drinks were great as well and they even did a signature cocktail in honor of my friend, which was quite strong (hello tequila). The bartender and other staff were super friendly and knew many of us by name after a few hours. It was the perfect cozy spot for this amount of people and I'd love to look into using it again for a similar type of party...or just stopping in for a cocktail!

    Photos
    GoodFunk - Behind the bar

    Behind the bar

    GoodFunk
    GoodFunk - Great selection of wines

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    Great selection of wines

    Arbella - Whipped feta was sooooo good!

    Arbella

    4.4(695 reviews)
    1.2 miRiver North, Near North Side
    $$

    We love Arbella!! Atmosphere inside was great, really large space! We sat at the bar, the…read morebartenders were super friendly and attentive easy to talk to and order from. LOVE the $6 cocktail of the day happy hour (M-F 4-6pm) . Our cocktail of the day was a watermelon lemon drop which was delicious!! Will be coming back next time in Chicago! My local friends new favorite staple bar.

    Months after visiting, Arbella still ranks among the best cocktail bars in the city for me!…read more One thing that really makes Arbella unique is their globally inspired old fashioned menu- whether you're an old-fashioned fan or not, these are a must! They've upped their happy hour game by including a rotating global cocktail with previous menu drinks and a daily kitchen special. This time, I ordered the oldest old fashioned and the Oaxaca old fashioned to drink. I thought the first was the best old fashioned I had ever had, but the second was even better! I loved the subtle yet not overpowering smokiness of the mezcal in the Oaxaca. Neither were too sweet and you could really taste the high quality bourbon. We ordered the Korean fried chicken and coconut shrimp to eat from the happy hour menu. The shrimp was super crispy with a delicious ginger-orange compote and rice vinegar pickled onions. Highly recommend! I did think the chicken was a bit tough, but the flavor was good. Another great experience of many to come! If you haven't stopped by Arbella yet, add this to your bucket list asap!

    Photos
    Arbella - DJ Adam Pecho bringing down the house

    DJ Adam Pecho bringing down the house

    Arbella - Crab rangoon

    Crab rangoon

    Arbella - Vietnam Old Fashioned

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    Vietnam Old Fashioned

    Chicago Winery - Enjoy a wine & cheese plate in our restaurant, LIVA

    Chicago Winery

    4.3(65 reviews)
    1.4 miNear North Side

    I stopped by Chicago Winery on a Wednesday early evening solo and was able to sit at the bar…read morewithout reservation. I was blown away by the ambiance and decor. Chicago Winery prioritizes upscale and intimacy but their service is personable and friendly allowing you to feel right at home. On Wednesday they offer a Happy Hour special, $5 off a tasting and $10 wine by the glass. The server as extremely kind, and was able to offer me some suggestions based on my personal palate and wine interests. I landed on the Winemaker's Tasting, which included 4, one ounce pours, including Blancs de Blancs, Albarino, Barbera and Merlot. I paired the tasting with the a BYOB board. From their menu I picked the olives, Afterglow, and the Tempesta Guanciale. The server was educated on the wines was able to walk me through the tasting and pairings but gave me independence and autonomy to enjoy at my own leisure and pace. I highly enjoyed my visit and absolutely will be returning to dine in, as well as to get a winery tour!

    Was gifted the wine tasting and tour for my birthday which was a very fun experience. Great deal to…read morebuy wine after. I preferred the whites and was disappointed by the reds. We had the date package and ate at the restaurant after. I recommend the pork schnitzel and pierogis. We ordered four shareables but weren't blown away by the butternut squash fondue and gougeres. Loved our hostess for the wine tasting, but wish there was more guidance on tasting notes and wine terminology. I'd recommend though to any wine lovers, I still learned a lot!

    Photos
    Chicago Winery - LIVA Private Dining Room

    LIVA Private Dining Room

    Chicago Winery - Dinner Reception

    Dinner Reception

    Chicago Winery - Enjoy a seasonal American menu in our restaurant

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    Enjoy a seasonal American menu in our restaurant

    Ciao! Cafe & Wine Lounge - italian - Updated May 2026

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