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DeNuccis

4.3 (273 reviews)
Closed • 4:30 pm - 9:30 PM
Updated 3 months ago

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DENUCCIS ATMOSPHERE

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Mirella K.

Screaming crying throwing up. This place is AMAZING. I've heard great things before trying out DeNucci's so I already had high hopes, and they still delivered. From the ambiance to the service to the food, eveything was a 10/10. We had the chicken piccata, vodka pasta, and bruschetta. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and quality. The portions were great - not small at all and not huge. With these 3 dishes split amongst 2 people, we were full after dinner. I recommend this place for birthdays too - they had Happy Birthday printed on the menu with the birthday boy's name. We also got mini glasses of wine and a birthday scoop of delicious pistachio ice cream with a candle at the end. So sweet!!! Our server was attentive and kind as well. Highlyyyyyy recommend this place!

Amaretto Tiramisu
Kenna G.

Really amazing first time at DeNuccis! Made a reservation 3 weeks in advance and they were still pretty booked for a Friday night. Great ambiance, good date night spot. Garlic knots: 4/5 Vodka pasta: 4.3/5 Bolognese: 4.5/5 Tiramisu: 5/5 (MUST TRY, probably the best I've ever had) Attentive, kind server! Only complaint is they try to clear your plates too fast here! Like yes, there are only two bites left, but I will be finishing it!

Bar
Brie G.

I liked this place as soon as I walked in! The ambience is great! We sat at the bar and had lovely service and our server was so kind to help answer a few questions from us first timers. We settled on a wine we wanted to enjoy (and did), loved the little gem Caesar salad, and ate every bit of our pasta. I will say, I want to go back and try more pastas. The ones that felt familiar to us have a twist and I'm not sure in a way that I loved. They're well made and I'm sure are other people's favorite dishes. But you know when you go somewhere and you end up finding something you love but would never normally order? I think that's the case for me here. I'm excited to come back and explore more of their offerings...including dessert.

Eggplant Parmesan
Jill R.

In searching for a restaurant to go to prior to seeing a play at Steppenwolf, I was lucky enough to stumble upon Denucci's. Located in the space that was formally Four Farthings, this cozy neighborhood Italian restaurant was such a great find and we were lucky enough to find parking in this busy Lincoln Park neighborhood. The interior of Denucci's consists of tables, cozy booths, and a beautiful bar. I was obviously late to the game in finding this restaurant because it was bustling with what looked like locals with a mixture of young and old patrons. We had incredible service between the waiter and the supplementary wait staff. Our waiter was very knowledgeable and gave great recommendations. One of which was he had worked at many restaurants, but had never been at one like Denucci's where they used a piccata sauce on the Bronzino. Two people in our party had it and said it was delightful. With the appetizers, the bruschetta had a nice twist with pesto spread as well as the standard bruschetta topping. My friend got the house salad that was meant for one, but definitely could've served two. All the food was timed perfectly, giving us plenty of time to enjoy our food and get out in time to attend our play. For our main course, I shared eggplant Parmesan, and a special of the day: Robiola Agnolotti al Tartufo a stuffed pasta with truffle butter, parmigiano reggiano and autumn black truffle. I really loved the eggplant which is my go to it most Italian restaurants and the pasta truffle was absolutely delicious especially if you're a truffle fan. We ended with delicious desserts and we thought the price of the gelato was very reasonable. I had affogato and our friends absolutely adored the amaretto tiramisu. I would say that yes the prices were expensive, but probably no more expensive than other restaurants these days and it was just a delightful meal in every way. Great atmosphere, excellent food service, neighborhood appeal and ambience. Definitely a place I'll return to.

Vibe
Ria P.

It's giving the Jon and Vinny's of Chicago vibe wise with better portion sizes and about similar prices. I still have never tried pizza at either place though. Anyways, I did like it and would go back and try more if I had to eat out at an Italian place since I avoid them. All of the food was genuinely solid though and I have no complaints. I personally really liked my kale salad with chicken and their homemade gelatos are served in frozen cups, which is not pictured, but nice!

Spicy crab campanelle
George E.

Exploring Chicago on a culinary food weekend. DeNucci's is an neighborhood Italian dining destination, reservations are a must. The place is hopping with a great wait staff and scrumptious entrees passing by our table. We ordered the garlic knots, a pepperoni pizza appetizer, spicy crab campanelle and tagliatelle bolognese. The vibe here is high energy and very lively. The garlic knots were inhaled with a light, buttery, garlickly and delicious gravy. Our pepperoni pizza was piping hot, savory and quickly consumed. The crab pasta was light, flavorful and a delicious combination. The bolognese was stacked with meat, great homemade pasta and a good flavor. Denucci's was a nice, high energy and relaxing experience. The food was good, service was spot-on and packed with locals, all enjoying a fine meal. For a nice evening out, lively environment and good food, get over to DeNucci's.

Sicilian Artichoke
Robin B.

Service was wonderful, nice clean restaurant. We had appetizers and the octopus (grilled) was outstanding, garlic knots we delicious, artichokes were also a must order (tender) and arancini was delightful. My husband did order the special that night which was tonnarelli all'amatriciana which was very salty and we left 3/4 of it. Over all it was a lovely restaurant and evening. Yes I would return.

pistachio blondie sundae
Stella R.

First restaurant I've been to in Chicago and it didn't disappoint. Our server, Nick, was so kind, gave great recommendations, and was attentive to us. We started with the caesar salad and garlic rolls, which were great. Split the bolognese tagliatelle and the frutti di mare (their Friday special). Some of the best pasta I've ever had!! The seafood pasta was so perfect, the sauce was velvety, perfectly salted and had the right amount of acid. The scallops were so buttery and cooked perfectly. The desserts were great too, my especially the pistachio blondie sundae. Ambience, music, and small details of the restaurant were amazing . Would honestly eat here every night of our trip.

Menu
Tabitha W.

I feel like it's been a challenge to find Italian restaurants open for lunch on the weekends, so I was happy to realize that Denucci's was. I ordered the Spaghetti Limone ($21). It was good. My husband had the Mushroom White Pizza ($28). They also charge a 3% surcharge. Solid Italian restaurant I would return to.

Lumache Arrabbiata
Olivia J.

Stopped into DeNuccis after a long walk around the Lincoln Park area to get a late lunch. It was a beautiful day so we took a seat on their patio, which was super cute. We started off with their spritz pitcher, which was delicious. Then opted for a Caesar salad before diving into our pastas, which was a fresh way to start our meal. We tried the Lumache Arrabbiata, their take on a Spicy vodka pasta. I really enjoyed this and it is quite a large portion. We also got the spaghetti limone, tastes almost like buttered noodles with lemon - yum! Everything was delicious. Paired with great service, we would definitely return again.

Meatballs w/ Red Sauce
Connie L.

DeNuccis may be the best Italian Restaurant in Chicago. Not only is the service great, but their food hits the mark every single time. We tried their Lobster Angolotti this time, and it was so delicious! The lobster cream sauce is to die for, and the pasta was a perfect al dente. They don't skimp on the lobster meat. I also loved their Amaretto Tiramisu. It was creamy, soft, and balanced. Overall, highly recommend DeNuccis and will definitely be coming back every Chicago visit.

Menu
Breanna K.

We had such a great experience here! The cocktails were excellent--creative, balanced, and just what you want to kick off a night out. For food, we tried the white mushroom pizza, tonarelli with gold pomodoro and a Caesar salad, and everything was absolutely delicious. Fresh ingredients, great flavor, and generous portions. We were able to share these between 3 people and we had leftovers. We sat outside and loved the atmosphere--cozy with heat lamps that kept it comfortable, even when it got chilly. The staff couldn't have been friendlier or more attentive, which made the night even better. We peeked inside too, and the interior looked really cool--definitely a spot I'd come back to for both the vibe and the food. Highly recommend if you're looking for Italian in Chicago with great food, drinks, and ambiance!

Gluten Free Pesto Pomodorini Pizza with Pepperoni
Ellison N.

This is a great neighborhood spot for a celebration or simple dinner out. The food is good with options for everyone and the restaurant itself is welcoming. We tried both the grilled and fried calamari, mozzarella sticks, chopped salad, margarita pizza, gluten free pesto pomodorini pizza, and tonnarelli with tomato pomodoro sauce. They were very accommodating towards my gluten allergy. The gluten free pizza crust is very fluffy and soft. Almost more of a focaccia than a pizza crust, but delicious nonetheless. They also offer gluten free spaghetti and penne if you want a pasta dish. I loved the chopped salad! Simple but with a very flavorful dressing and chunks of provolone cheese. My family loved all of the appetizers but did mention that they thought the grilled calamari had much more flavor than the fried version. They did regret not ordering the truffle mushroom arancini. Our server was lovely and very helpful in both answering all our questions and providing recommendations. It did seem like the bar was a bit backed up as our drinks took longer than one would expect for a Wednesday evening, but not terribly offensive. Overall, I will definitely be back and look forward to trying some of the other menu items!

4-Finger Cavatelli al Ragu

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Ciccio Mio - Black Truffle Bucatini

Ciccio Mio

4.7(652 reviews)
2.1 mi•River North, Near North Side
•$$$

One of my favorite Italian restaurants in Chicago! The food is always so consistent, and the…read moreatmosphere is perfect for a cozy date night with dim lighting and a great ambiance. The burrata is an absolute must order. It's flown in fresh from Italy a few times a week, and you can definitely taste the quality. The Rigatoni Vodka is another favorite of mine. It's rich, creamy, and always delicious. We also loved the Ricotta Gnocchi, Bucatini Amatriciana, and finished with the Toasted Almond Cookie Soft Serve, which was the perfect dessert. The service was friendly and attentive, and every visit has been a great experience. Definitely worth the reservation!

Italian food isn't my first choice with dining, neither is Hogsalt. That being said, Ciccio Mio…read morequite literally translates to 'My darling' in Italian and it is undeniably the darling of the Hogsalt restaurant group. A ~very romantic~ touch is that they give you a red rose for your birthday. What we ordered: Bucatini Amatriciana: Guanciale, Calabrian chili, pecorino romano Burrata: Saved with fougasse bread, olive oil, and other accoutrements. Forget the lasagna rotolo, this is Ciccio Mio's pièce de résistance Truffle Mafaldine: truffle cream sauce, parmesan. I think mafaldine is my favorite pasta shape. It's just such a whimsical noodle to eat lol Fried Artichoke: Artichoke hearts, caesar aioli.

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Ciccio Mio - Espresso machine

Espresso machine

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Il Porcellino - Lasagna and chicken piccata

Il Porcellino

4.4(1.8k reviews)
2.1 mi•Near North Side
•$$

Came here for my sister's birthday! We made a reservation for Saturday dinner and got seated right…read moreaway in a booth. The ambiance is nice with the restaurant not too dark but still has moody lighting. The entire time we sat down there was a huge group of people waiting for a table, so definitely make a reservation! For apps we got garlic bread and Caesar salad. The garlic bread was a rec from our server, which did not disappoint. They brought out melted butter to pour over the bread. Caesar salad was interesting, it has chopped celery inside which I didn't realize until I started eating. I don't like celery but my sis does and she liked it in the salad. Pappardelle alla porcellino and chicken vesuvio were AMAZING. Pasta was fresh and the chicken was so decadent. Both mocktails I were delish. The tiramisu was SO GOOD. I will definitely be back the next time I'm in Chicago!

Wow. My go to for Italian in Chicago has been volare everytime I visit but I'm going to need to…read morestart working in il porcellino to my lineup. I came here for a business dinner with about 6 others. The only frustrating part of our experience was we made a reservation online weeks in advance and when we arrived we were told that they basically overbooked every night and when you reserve a seat you're just saying you're coming. So we showed up and were told we were going to wait an hour. It sounds like they are super busy, but there are better ways to ensure the restaurant is selling every available seat rather than offering basically fake reservations that don't mean anything when you get there. Someone in our group complained enough about it that they sat us and did honor the reservation which we appreciated - given that it was a business dinner though, I think it was awkward we had to do that. It just was a LOT of work to organize multiple out of towners getting together and to show up and potentially wait an hour would have been so inconvenient. They really should fix this problem. The reservation issue aside the experience was great. The service is just sort of meh I didn't feel like they were above or beyond and didn't note anything exceptional there. But the food..... the food is the main event for sure. Everything I tried I loved. I had just had Italian the day before so I didn't want anything that felt "too Italian" (lasagna, pasta, pizza, etc) so I got the braised short rib over polenta which was a nice change of pace. It was amazing. Some of the best polenta I've ever had. I am already looking forward to the next time I can go back! The food here is outstanding. If you are able to go, I would highly recommend it.

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Il Porcellino - Dining room/Bar

Dining room/Bar

Il Porcellino - Grilled Calamari

Grilled Calamari

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Gilt Bar - Chicken parmigiana

Gilt Bar

4.3(2.4k reviews)
2.1 mi•River North, Near North Side
•$$$

We thoroughly enjoyed Gilt Bar! It was super busy when we arrived, but they moved people through…read morethe restaurant so efficiently that we were seated surprisingly quickly. We absolutely loved the aesthetic and vibe throughout the restaurant as well. For dinner, we had the vodka pasta with meatballs, and it was the perfect creamy consistency with incredible flavor. We also ordered the hamachi crudo, which was super fresh and definitely something we'd order again. Not pictured: we wrapped up the meal with the skillet cookie, and oh my gosh... I can't recommend it enough.

I've been back a few times now and do find myself liking it more over time…read more They have one of my all time favorite cocktails - the 100 year-old cigar. It's smoky, rich, boozy but not overpoweringly so, really well balanced sweetness from the rum. Love it. My wife and I got the ricotta gnocchi which was great, very cheesy. Surprising how much cheese they got in there. The steak tartare was also great. Super flavor, though probably didn't need the sriracha sauce. The wagyu burger was great but not worth the $30 price. That's a lot and not as good as other Chicago great burgers. The skillet cookie was a great way to wrap up the meal. Fantastic flavor from the brown sugar cookie and tons of chocolate. Definitely save room for dessert.

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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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La Scarola - Rigatoni Mandera

La Scarola

4.2(1.7k reviews)
2.0 mi•River West, West Loop, Near West Side, West Town
•$$

I was in Chicago for work and stumbled into La Scarola looking for an old school Italian meal. It…read moredidn't fail. The grilled octopus was the best I've ever had. Perfect char, tender, and full of flavor. The sausage and peppers were fantastic. As someone who makes homemade sausage, that's not a compliment I give lightly. They made me a linguini and calamari fra diavolo style that wasn't even on the menu. It was outstanding. The wine was great, the service was warm, and the atmosphere was, well, just go. I sat down alone and within an hour was talking to people around the restaurant. Felt like the kind of restaurant that's been part of people's lives for years. Food 9/10 Atmosphere 9/10 Experience 10/10 I'll be back every time I'm in Chicago.

I was really looking forward to trying La Scarola after hearing so much hype, but unfortunately it…read morejust didn't live up to the expectations. I can appreciate the old-school Italian atmosphere and the walls covered with photos--it definitely has character and history. But beyond that, I just don't understand what all the excitement is about. The bread was so hard that I genuinely had trouble biting through it. The bruschetta was probably the best thing we had. It tasted fresh, although it could have used a little salt to bring the flavors together. For my entrée, I ordered the chicken parmesan. I'd give it about a 6/10. It wasn't terrible, but there also wasn't anything memorable about it. The marinara sauce was the best part of the dish, while the chicken and everything else felt pretty average. The biggest issue, though, was the noise level. It was unbelievably loud. My husband and I barely spoke throughout dinner because we literally couldn't hear each other across the table. Even our waiter struggled to hear us when we ordered. It honestly felt like being in a nightclub without the music--just a room full of people shouting over one another. Had there been a bass track playing, it would've been hard to tell the difference. To make matters worse, our food took about 45 minutes to arrive. Normally I don't mind waiting if the meal is worth it, but sitting in that level of noise for nearly an hour made the experience feel exhausting instead of enjoyable. I wanted to love this place because of its reputation, but I left disappointed. Maybe it's an iconic neighborhood institution for longtime regulars, but based on my experience, I don't think it lived up to the hype.

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La Scarola - Other side of the interior

Other side of the interior

La Scarola - Penne Alla Vodka

Penne Alla Vodka

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Alla Vita - Inside

Alla Vita

4.4(843 reviews)
2.4 mi•West Loop, Near West Side
•$$$

Alla Vita was great! Glad we went with 4 people because we got to try more dishes. They also have…read morean extensive wine selection. We started with three apps. The octopus surprised me because octopus can be hit or miss for me, but they did it really well! The table bread was also pretty good and cheesy. The Caesar was just fine. Nothing special but not bad (which is good coming from me since I'm not usually big on kale). Of course all of the pastas were yummy. The fusilloni was definitely my favorite from the noodle shape to the sausage and cheese. The ricotta dumplings were suuuuuper cheesy which I really liked (though I could see why others wouldn't) and had a melt in your mouth softness. The rigatoni was tasty, but kinda just tasted like a normal red sauce so would probably try something more interesting next time. We really enjoyed the chicken parm, too. Not as good as the pastas, but definitely tasty and the basil was a good touch. We finished with the guava cheesecake sundae. I really liked the little bits of cake, but the ice cream itself was a little lacking for me. Still a nice sweet treat to finish the meal!! We had the perfect amount of food overall for 4 people!

Wanted to love this place soooo badly but we were a little disappointed. Ambiance and decor are…read moreamazing, it's so beautiful and lively inside but there was no AC and we were burningggg up. Had to use the menu to fan ourselves, other patrons were doing it as well. The fritto misto was ok, the breading tasted like it was old or had been sitting out. Not as crispy as we'd hope. To be honest felt like frozen calamari quality. The Alla Vita chopped was pretty standard, kinda reminded me of Olive Garden salad lol. The stars of the meal were the tagliatelle and cappelletti pasta. Both were super flavorful and pasta cooked well. The bone-in ribeye was a little on the sweeter side, definitely lacked a crust and salt. I'd pass on the steak IMO. Our biggest qualm was the timing of the dishes coming out. The pasta came out 30-35 minutes after the appetizer and salad which is fine, but the steak coming out 15 minutes after the pasta kinda ruined it. We'd love to eat the entrees (steak and pasta) together, and not finish our pasta first or let it go cold then eat steak alone.. ya know? We had ordered crispy potatoes but cancelled due to the wait. Ended the night with mango passion fruit sorbet with a prosecco float. Big mistake on the prosecco float haha it was so tarte and bitter, would def recommend trying the sorbet alone! Overall, glad we finally got to try this place. Focus more on the pastas and skip the steak. Very beautiful inside.

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Alla Vita - Kale Caesar

Kale Caesar

Alla Vita - APEROL SPRITZ

APEROL SPRITZ

Alla Vita - The strawberry gelato was delicious!!

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The strawberry gelato was delicious!!

DeNuccis - newamerican - Updated July 2026

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