Ah-mazing Italian restaurant in downtown Algonquin!! This cozy resturant with rustic decor makes it a perfect place to go for with friends and/or family! This place makes you feel like you're eating homemade Italian food!! Our server, Lisa took great care of our needs, made sure to answer all our questions and made good recommendations!! I loved their food and will surely be going back! As you take your table, you're served warm bread with olive oil & parmesan. For entree, you can either check on their risotto of the day (which is served with a choice of salad or soup) or you can make your own pasta!! They also sell their own ready-made pasta sauces for about $4-$5/jar!! I ordered their risotto of the day which was phenomenal! It came in a huge portion which not only sufficed the two of us but I also took some to go! They also have good Martinis!! Oh and be sure to take a look at their dessert menu which I must admit I had a tough time choosing what I want! I ended up ordering my fav- tiramisu and it was excellent!! :) read more

See all

First time eating there. I ordered spaghetti last Sunday and I'm not exaggerating when I say it was so bad that I didn't eat any of it. I think I took two small bites because I was hungry, but I couldn't go any further. It was just so gross. The sauce was terrible. The pasta wasn't cooked properly. The meatballs were weird, pinkish and tasted funky. The waitress saw my completely uneaten massive bowl of food and wasn't even the slightest bit curious. I paid my bill for me and my family and went across the street for ice cream. At least that was good. I'm not a food snob. Heck I think Olive Garden is good. I felt dumb that I was fooled by the Italian name and Italian menu. My takeaway is it's a bar in a good location with a cool name and building. $75 lesson learned. Ice cream across the street was awesome though! read more

There was a Groupon for this place, so my girlfriend and I decided to check it out. I got the zuppa di mare and she made her own pasta, rigatoni with vodka sauce and chicken. The zuppa di mare is a very large portion that could be shared between two or even three people. Never the less it was amazing and the reason I'm even writing this review right now. I've tried zupa di mare at other restaurants like Maggiano's and have even tried pasta from all over Italy but none of those experiences made me feel the way I do like this dish did last night. Also, an extra perk is on Thursdays they have half off wine bottles too, we got the Prosecco, it was amazing. Ciao! read more

Cucina Bella - Custom pasta - Italian Near Me - Algonquin, Illinois

See all

Best Italian food I've ever had! Like homemade and the portions are super generous. Great service and atmosphere, a hidden gem in downtown Algonquin! read more

Cucina Bella, a delightful small business, located in an older, Victorian era building in downtown Algonquin, offers consistently good Italian fare. Set in the scenic riverside community, kitty corner from a delicious ice cream shop no less, Cucina Bella is well placed for success! Cucina Bella has the distinction of being a well run business in an area that has been characteristically spotty at best in this regard. The food is always quality, the wait staff is usually quite good (particularly the veteran servers and bartenders), and the location is quite convenient for those who live on the river and in the nearby Weck's and Edgewood subdivisions. I haven't had any particular remarkable experiences at Cucina Bella, and that is quite the relaxing change of pace with regard to my own experiences at businesses in this area. I adore the ice cream/coffee shop across the way, and it's always nice to be able to hit up the two most popular businesses in the downtown area in one fell swoop! Some of my favorite menu items to order at Cucina Bella are the eggplant parmesan, the goat cheese and fresh tomato sauce appetizer, the gorgonzola salad, and the tiramisu! If you're in the area, Cucina Bella is well worth a visit! read more

Sad was not as good as I had hoped. I love Italian food, but this was bland with no distinct flavor. They sent my salad with no dressing even though I asked for oil and vinegar. read more

Thank you to everyone who allowed us to stay an extra hour after closing time to enjoy our first date together. The ambiance made for a great night. March 8, 2023 read more

Outstanding Italian food. We had a party of 8 to celebrate a birthday. Service was excellent and the food to die for. I had the Zuppa di Mare, see photo. read more

Cucina Bella - Clams, Mussels, calamari, Scallops and shrimp in a red sauce. - Italian Near Me - Algonquin, Illinois

Wow. Brought my wife for birthday dinner and the food was amazing. Forget that you cannot finish your entree because the portions are outstanding, the flavors are amazing! The chef nails authentic Italian cuisine....it was like eating on a side street in Rome. Rachel, our server, took special care of us, not because of the birthday we were celebrating, but that's how the staff rolls here naturally. The ambience is soothing and very comfortable. The tiramisu was like luxurious sweetness melting in my mouth. We'll be back! read more

Just found this place, and so glad we did! Nice double-storefront wide white tablecloth Italian restaurant. Great veal parmesan and veal francese!! Pasta cooked perfectly, huge portions of meat and pasta! Pasta fagiole very hearty and tasty - full of veggies and pasta. Veal not quite as thin as my NY roots prefer - but still thinner than most in the Midwest - and delicious! read more

Cucina Bella - Veal Francese - Italian Near Me - Algonquin, Illinois

Very pleasant eatery. Friendly staff that will help you choose the best items on the list given your likes. Perfect for celebrations or just a nice evening away from home. read more

The food is just ok... my chicken had to be sent back. ( under cooked ) the service wasn't bad but a little over priced for what we got

Cucina Bella has always had yummy pasta sauce and delicious lasagne. Not today. Marinara sauce on spaghetti and lasagne was extremely bland. Lasagne was filled mostly with Ricotta and was not up to standard. Food quality could not compete with Olive Garden. Service however, was excellent. Many thanks to Rachel! read more

Nice cozy and warm place in downtown Algonquin. Inside it has rustic decor. Well greater and quickly seated. Has a good selection on the Menu. I tried Salmon ( catch of the day) with angel hair pasta and lemony cream dressing. Totally loved it! For appetizers included Bruschetta and stuffed Mushrooms both were good. I like the bread here- fresh, fluffy and full of flavor. Minestrone soup was good but a little too watery for my texture buds. We finished it with carrot cake quarter pounder huge! Can feed 10 people! Third time here and more to go! read more

See all

It's right in the heart of Algonquin downtown. Not my first time here. The place is under expansion and renovation. The service is little slow , the servers are very gracious and polite,the food is good and the serving are very generous. The appetizers are good specially the stuffed mushrooms. The mains were good as well. I was disappointed to know they took off the creme brûlée's from the menu. The tiramisu cake was to die for. It's place where you don't mind to go to again if in the area or otherwise. read more

See all

Exceptional food, ambiance and service. Many drink and food options and specials! Portions are HUGE! Good news you have leftovers! And you want more! MANGIA! read more

The food is worse than subpar. Service is not great either. Their COVID precautions are about the best thing they have. Masks are required and if you for some reason do not have one, they have their own that they had made to give out to those who do not have one. The food is basically over priced Olive Garden. I absolutely dislike Olive Garden, so I was not a fan of anything we ordered. I went here with my younger sister's family so we ordered a spread of food to all just kind of share. We ordered the bruschetta- which had no flavor. I ordered chicken parm, I ate two bites and could not force myself to eat anymore. It lacked flavor. Not to mention, when the server was taking away our dishes, she got sauce on my shirt..I was appalled. She was acting as if she was in some kind of rush to take care of other tables or something, but they were not even busy. Service was horrible and I would not recommend this place at all. I wish I had taken photos to include, but the food was so poor tasting that I did not even bother with photos. read more

We have been here twice and actually heading there again tonight. We have had many of the dishes and the next is always better then the last. Nice wine selection and they make good mixed drinks as well, the service is always fast and friendly. Save room for dessert, you will want to sample them, we are working our way through the menu that's for sure. read more

See all

Food is actually not bad for Algonquin, but the waitstaff is unbelievable. Last time I checked, you are slinging plates of cheese and grease in Algonquin, not $300 plates at Gordon Ramsey at the London. Rude, inattentive and hired for their ability to wonder around in aimless circles and NOT tend to tables. If you're not totally offended by the waitstaff, try your luck at the bar. Am I ordering a drink at a mediocre Algonquin restaurant or picking out a two carat pink diamond? PLEASE. I have had better service at Buffalo Wild Wings. read more

Ok, so this is my third try at this restaurant since it opened. Still same BS. Got seated (not near kitchen, so that's a step in the right direction!). Took 26 minutes to get first cocktail. Another 35 minutes for second. Salads showed up at minute 48. I thought it was my meal, I had forgotten about the salad course. I am so ready to go, tired of such bad service. How does this place stay open?? Or does this just happen to me every time I come here? Done. Not coming back. read more

Cucina Bella - Ran out of bread 30 minutes ago and no one seems concerned - Italian Near Me - Algonquin, Illinois

We've eaten here twice. The first time, we went with friends who dine here often. The second time, we went by ourselves (just our family of 5) for my husbands birthday. Our visit was spectacular. The food was awesome and the service was stellar. The only bad point in our visit was close to the end of our night when a large group walked in for what looked like a joint bachelor/bachelorette party. We weren't thrown off by the large party but instead by the large blow-up doll one of the patrons was carrying, We tried our best to make the little kids at our table look away, but we were not quick enough and had to endure several awkward questions about blow-up dolls and why they exist. However, the food was worth the few awkward moments of conversation. Our second visit was less than stellar. It was a Wednesday night, around 6:00... there were not many people in the restaurant so we were seated quickly. That's where the good stuff ended. The only person at our entire table who had a good meal was our 5 year old daughter... she had the kids pasta alfredo. Our service was really, really slow, which was crazy since there were only 2 other tables full. Not sure if we will be back any time soon. too hit and miss for us when there are so many other wonderful restaurants around. read more

This is my second visit. I researched a decent Italian restaurant in the area, and this is really the ONLY true option for Italian food. BUT, even this proved disappointing. The first visit, the service was average at best, but the food was above average to excellent. We had Veal Piccata which was prepared well. The drinks were weak, the noise level excessive for the price point, and the salad was average. This visit was outright disastrous! I had to tell our hostess we had yet to be approached by a waiter even though the tables next to us were visited at least once and this was after 8 minutes (yes, I was counting!). The fried calamari was outright burnt to a crisp and it looked it! One would think the waiter would have noticed first! Despite the excellent choices on the menu, we did a "build your own pasta". Why would a restaurant offer that? Don't they have confidence in their chef? The pasta was overcooked, the spinach was bleh! The scallops were of course tiny and we made a game of finding them! The Caesar salad didn't have true mayfair dressing, not enough anchovy came through...hey buddy, like it or not, mayfair dressing has anchovy in it...but in good measure. To their credit the croutons were home made and the dressing was the perfect amount. The bread served was average at best, it just didn't coincide with the menu...it was an afterthought. All in all, this place has amazing potential, and if you "Yelp!" Italian restaurants in the Algonquin area, there really is no alternative...this place is a diamond in the rough. It'd be nice if the owner were just a bit more thorough....he'd have people from the city coming to dine here. read more

Tuesday night is our date night. We chose this place because we had been here a long time ago and couldn't remember if we liked the food or not! We did remember that the service was slow and inattentive...but thankfully, not this time! Our service this time was actually engaging and personal, partly because we were one of four tables at 8pm on a Tuesday. The food was excellent, and I think one of the best grilled calamari I have ever eaten (in the US). The eggplant parmesan was lightly breaded and seasoned perfectly and the linguine con cozze was savory and huge! I also had to take advantage of the Tuesday $2 bottle of wine, which tasted like a $2 bottle of wine, but it was worth every last cent! The ambience is dark and romantic, but able to accommodate large groups as well. We'll be back soon, and I will be sure to order the linguine again, so I can try it with the red sauce! read more

This place was AMAZING! The food is phenomenal. We went for my husband's birthday, and it couldn't have been better. We were seated immediately, and our waitress Melinda came to our table right away. She was patient with our three-year-old and had no problem letting him tell her what he wanted. She even suggested an alternative to the Mac and cheese that he wanted since it wasn't on the menu. The gnocchi pasta with their special sauce was good. Honestly, everything was great. They brought a tiramisu to the table for my husband at no charge for his birthday. My only negative is that the tables are a bit crowded, and I felt bad as my two children were a bit rambunctious, but the staff handled everything perfectly. We will definitely be going back!! Ask for Melinda! read more

Stopped in here to have some dinner while I was killing some time and I'm so glad I did! I was alone so I sat at the bar. The bartender Bradley was very friendly and welcoming, he showed me the menu right away and I got to looking at their drink list. I ended up ordering the Italian Nights Martini I think it was called? Very well made! Bradley offered me the bread with cheese and olive oil which is my favorite thing about real Italian restaurants so obviously I said yes and I ended up getting the Gnocchi dish and I added ricotta and sausage to it with no issues and that comes w soup or salad. The atmosphere in here was so cute and romantic. There's construction outside so from the street you don't know what you're getting into and I was pleasantly surprised. I'll probably dress up a tad more next time because I was coming from work and there were a few sets of ladies dressed up for wine night but I didn't feel uncomfortable. Can't wait to go back and start working through the menu! read more

Cucina Bella - Gnocchi with sausage and ricotta cheese - Italian Near Me - Algonquin, Illinois

I was surprised that I am the Duchess and somehow I forgot the write a review. My bad. Cucina Bella is a cute little Italian restaurant in Downtown Algonquin. My boyfriend and I had been driving past it and commenting on how we wanted to check it out. Then I saw a Groupon which made that comment become a reality. Since then we have been back several times because of the yummy food and awesome service. I am a creature of habit, once I find something I like, I tend to stick with it. We always order the calamari appetizer. I also like the tortellini dish... with a cream sauce and peas... very healthy I know, but awesome. I also like the choice of martinis offered here. Be forewarned the Grape Martini is STRONG! Another reason that I choose to go back is the staff. Everyone is super friendly and the service is great. I have had the same female blonde server multiple times and she is fantastic. The first time I asked her if she was a part owner... she has been working at Cucina Bella for a while and really knows the menu. The actual owner, an older male is also super friendly and often checks in with the guests. That goes a long way in my book! read more

Great food. Great service. Great atmosphere. This was just what we were looking for. Parking downtown isn't great though.

Excellent baked clams and wonderful homemade italian salad dressing. The salad was very fresh. The pasta servings are gigantic, the tortellini was enough to feed a family of 4. We tried the carrot cake on the advice of other yelpers, it was great and also a gigantic 4 layer cake that was enough for sharing. Everything was really delicious and my whole table enjoyed their food. The service was great too. Went with a group of 10. You need a reservation for a Saturday night. This restaurant was packed with at least 16 people waiting for seats at any given time. Lastly this is a WiFi deadzone, so could not check in here. read more

Was only at Cucina Bella for my first visit on Monday, December 12th, for a funeral luncheon, but it was obvious that this is a top-notch Italian restaurant. First, the ownership/management was kind enough to open early on a Monday afternoon - the luncheon was at 1pm while the restaurant usually opens at 4pm. The luncheon was for the mother of my dear friend of 40 years; the family had previously hosted her father's funeral luncheon. Both mother & father had loved this restaurant years earlier. The attitude of the servers was fantastic throughout the event. First course (everything served family-style) was a wonderful sausage meatball with peppers in a light tomato sauce. The salad course was fresh and flavorful & included olives and pepperoncini. A basic yet tasty bowl of mostaccioli followed. Final course was a perfect Chicken Vesuvio - extremely tender breaded chicken filets with excellent potato wedges & peas in a light garlic/oil sauce. Desert was a nice white cake with a raspberry jelly filling - a homage to their mother's love of raspberries! This is definitely on my list of restaurants to hit again. read more

Took my money and gave me food poisoning. Didn't even eat the food and refused to do anything about it then laughed at us. Very poor management and unprofessional. I will never eat here again and I am BEYOND upset. Thanks for ruining my weekend and taking my money when all I wanted was a nice meal. Now I'm out money with no meal. read more

I don't think they need another 5-star review but they deserve it!! The food is superb - just delicious!! The atmosphere is rustic Italian. My only concern is that it gets really loud and it's hard to have a conversation at the table. Don't let that turn you away... it's 100% worth going!! The mushrooms on the app menu are AMAZING!!! read more

Had an amazing experience! Service was great...Lindsey was awesome. Got chicken parmigiana and lasagna...both were hot, fresh, and delicious. Table bread was cold but not terrible at all. Got a complimentary tiramisu courtesy of the patriarch of the restaurant...vert nice touch! Will absolutely be back. read more

I've been eating here for the past 13 years, but the last 2 times I've been there in the past year is making me think there is a different owner. The food isn't as good as it used to be, the waitstaff is rude, prices seem to be going up, but the quality of food is going down. This most recent time I was there I ordered calamari in pasta. I literally got 7 pieces of calamari in my dish for a price of $25 a plate. What?! Bread was stale. The only thing still good was their carrot cake. The place is always crowded & the bartenders who have to get the takeout orders always seem annoyed. Not sure if I will be back again after these last 2 disappointments. read more

Love love love this place. We never get out and even more rarely get Italian. When we do get the chance you better believe we go here ! Everything we have and is great. Only complaint is service is slow and not very attentive and that's every time we have been there . I remember sitting there after a long meal almost falling asleep because we had to wait no joke 40 mins for our bill Besides that good is great ! read more

An absolutely terrible experience. The food took a long time to come out but that was no big deal but my picatta was barely warm. The sauce had even hardened somewhat so you could tell it had been sitting under the heat lamp. My wife got the shrimp which were like rubber and she probably finished only about 10% of her entire meal. The biggest fail was the service. She was a nice women but forgot drinks, never really even checked on us, brought us cold food and just said "well we're short staffed because the other server didn't show." I guess she didn't realize that there was only one other table occupied for the majority of the time that we were there. Don't waste your money! read more

We were there as a party of four. All of us had been there before. Did not disappoint in any way. Service was outstanding (props to Rachael) and food was to die for. I has veal saltimbocca which was the best ever. My only negative is that they should broaden their offerings of salad dressings. Outstanding! read more

Sadly one of my least favorite experiences at Cucina Bella. My table had wanted to order a pitcher of sangria (like we do every time we dine here) and was told by our server that they haven't offered that in over two years, even though I had ordered it this past November. My pasta tonight was very bland and I asked for another side of sauce, which I was charged for without my knowledge. When we got the bill there was also an additional drink charged on our bill that we had to request to be removed. Sadly this was one of my families top places to go for birthdays/anniversaries but after tonight I think we will have to change it up. read more

There is absolutely nothing that you can say wrong about this Italian restaurant it is absolutely the best in our surrounding area wine selection food everything is professionally done when I leave I can't wait till we come back read more

We attended the Mothers Day Brunch. I of course had high expectations with a $42/adult price tag, I was disappointed, much better brunch's in the area for half the price. The breakfast food was not good at all, the pastas were good, but I would hope so from an Italian restaurant, they had a very blah desert table, the fruit selection left a lot to be desired, and the seating was cramped. Lots of room for Improvement, but for starters, lower the price by 50%. read more

I came across the Marina sauce at Woodman's and decided to buy it. It was amazing. When I found out they had a restaurant I had to try it. I was not disappointed. This place is awesome. The staff was super friendly, food came out quickly, and I've never had Italian as good as my Nonna used to make until now. Will definitely be back because I want to try EVERYTHING. Thank you Cucina Bella!! read more