When we first took a bite of their rigatoni, we were ~ amazed ~ !! It was one of those moments when you have no expectations, and the dish just exceeds everything! Besides the pasta, everything else was great. This restaurant is perfect for a get together with friends. What we ordered: - Chopped salad: So tangy, so good! I loved how everything was so crunchy, and the finely chopped bacon was amazing. Mixing everything together was fun, and I kept going back for seconds. - Rigatoni alla vodka: As mentioned, SO GOOD. - Fries: A must have with the salad - Scallops: These were good, but everything else stood out a bit more. - Meatballs: Also tasty! At this point, we realized we might have over-ordered a bit 10/10 experience read more

See all

Such a cute neighborhood spot with dishes big enough to share! For 4, we got the Cesar salad, eggplant agrodolce, and 2 vodka rigatonis (obviously). Wish the Cesar had slightly less dressing + more croutons but was delicious! The eggplant agrodolce was so light even though it was fried and the sauce was so good, definitely don't overlook it! And last but not least the vodka rigatoni was some of the best I've had in Chicago, piping hot when it came out, so creamy, and love the little bit of texture from the breadcrumbs (it's not actually spicy!) Will definitely be coming back to this neighborhood joint! read more

See all

Coming from NYC it's hard to impress me with Italian but Elina's sure did. Came here on a reco from a friend and loved everything about the service, vibes and food. Definitely snag the meatballs if any are available (they make a limited batch each day!) and the rigatoni, bolognese and Caesar are all fantastic. I'd skip the broccoli next time though. That wasn't for me. read more

See all

Ok, as they say in London, "I'm getting my Arse kicked and I'm exhausted writing 5 Star reviews. It seems like everywhere I go in Chicago, I'm getting inundated by magnificent and delicious food. It is unrelenting but amazing at the same time; and here I go again: Elina's Restaurant is about as good as anyplace I've been to in years. Being an impossible reservation to get, you have to bite the bullet and walk in as a single at 5:45 p.m., grab a bar stool so you can at least see what all of the ear splitting fuss is about; and I did! This place is small but comfortable. The bar is center stage for this restaurant with several tables against a wall and a couple of tables mid-floor. The menu reads (almost) Italian, but there was a lot of eclectic dishes that were not. Spoiler alert: If two of you go here, order one starter and one entree. If four go just double that. The portions are HUGE. So huge, that I could only eat half of my two dishes, and will have the second half of last nights dinner - tonight! My bartender / waiter was very, nice, very well versed in spirits and the food being offered. He walked me through the menu and I confidently ordered my dinner: Their Caesar salad which could have fed four people was absolutely amazing. It came with a terrific bread basket, some salami on the side and some marinated eggplant. That could have been my dinner and I would have been happy going home. But, what I ordered next was my culinary coup de grâce (crusher - in a very good way) - The Cherry Pepper Ribs! Now I've eaten almost every iteration of what a pork rib can be, Ala: Vietnamese Caramelized Ribs, Habanero Ribs, Sticky Asian Ribs, Memphis Ribs, Kansas City Ribs, Sweet Tea Ribs (and this list goes on and on), but never heard of or had Cherry Pepper Ribs; and man were they good. So good, that I would come back here just for these. Elina's is "The Mirror Image" of just how good the Chicago culinary scene has become. I feel lucky and proud to be living here! read more

See all

It took me a some time to finally get over and try this trendy and popular Italian restaurant. There are a number of great Italian restaurants in this area of West Town, but this spot stands out as modern and upscale. First the food was excellent, for the most part. I was part of a part of four person group and we ordered Caeser salad, chicken parmesan, penne bolognese, penne alla vodka and fritto misto (fried calamari). Dished are smaller and meant to be shared. The restaurant also provided table bread consisting of focaccia bread and garlic bread. Both breads were great, but the focaccia really stood out. The dressing on the Caesar salad was the perfect balance of creaminess and anchovy taste, and I'm stating this as a person who hates anchovies. Both pasta dishes were great, but the rigatoni Alla vodka really stood out. The chicken parmesan had a good flavor from the sauce, but it I was disappointed by the thinness and dryness of the chicken. Second, the atmosphere was great. It's a small restaurant with a low key vibe. Third, the service was impressive. Our waiter was very nice, had good recommendations and was personable. Fourth, and one disappointing, aspect was the inability to get a good reservation time. Given the schedules of the people in our group, we had to go on the night that did, but the only reservations available were 5:30 pm and 9:30 pm. 5:30 pm didn't work for anyone so had to take the super late reservation. Overall, this is a must visit Chicago Italian restaurant. I just hope you can get a better time for your reservation. read more

See all

Such a vibey spot - even the branding is nice! The rigatoni alla vodka and fusilli alla norma were both good - definitely recommend. Even the croutons in the Caesar salad were on point. Inside is dark and intimate, but I honestly loved hanging out on the patio. Chill vibes and tasty pasta. read more

See all

First time at Elina's, and I loved it!!!! The ambiance was cozy and intimate. I was initially worried about how close the two-tops were to each other, but it didn't seem to take away from the experience. The food portions are large - so plan to share!! Our server was exceptionally friendly and helped us navigate the menu to create the perfect dinner for 2! I highly recommend the rigatoni alla vodka and the meatballs! I luckily got to enjoy the leftovers the next day. Can't wait to come back! read more

See all

Holy cow. This place is worth it. Worth it all. I feel often times I walk away feeling underwhelmed. I literally cannot express how delicious this meal was. We started with the baked clams which I will say weren't the star but were great. You get all complimentary bread with your meal which is great. We were served a very shareable portion of the shrimp scampi and the rigatoni. And we almost couldn't finish. Oh I almost forgot we got the italian mojito and it was perfect. The ambiance is awesome so cute and cozy. The service was fine. Not show stopping by any means but definitely nothing to complain about. Parking was fairly easy as well. I will be trying to convince my fiancé to take me here weekly 10 out of 5 stars read more

See all

I thought Elina's was overall good, but I don't think it's very special. I do appreciate the free bread which seems like something that is rare to come by these days. Although the bread is basically gooey white bread that you could buy at Jewel. On top of that, we ordered the typical order the caesar salad, rigatoni, and the chicken parmesan. I wasn't crazy about the dressing of the caesar itself, but I loved that it the lettuce was drenched in dressing. The chicken Parmesan looked better than it tasted. I did like the crispy ends, but I think it could have been a hotter (in temp) and the sauce was too sweet for my liking. The rigatoni was the star of the show, but it isn't enough to get me to return to Elinas. Lastly -- I just want to give Elinas a shoutout for their tableware. I love the mismatch plates. read more

We ordered: Rigatoni Alla Vodka - Calabrian Bread Crumbs Dover Sole Piccata Broccoli Carbonizado Caesar Salad I've never seen a garlic and pizza bread basket so that was a fun start. The flavor and portions of everything we ordered was top notch in my opinion. Dove sole was lean yet so tender. Rigatoni was made fresh. Broccoli was crispy and well spiced. Service was good. Not a fan of the dim lighting and loud music. read more

See all

This was a treat. Small, cozy, neighborhood restaurant that hit every wonderful note. Shrimp cocktail, amazing. We shared two pasta dishes: the fusilli with black truffle and the rigatoni with vodka sauce, and we would go back just for those two. Fantastic! Portions were sizable and shareable. Our server Nick was friendly, attentive, and offered great suggestions. Absolutely worth putting on your list. We will definitely be back. read more

So yum!!! Now my favorite vodka pasta in the city! Came to this super cute restaurant for dinner and the service and environment were all great. Got the vodka pasta, baked clams and chicken parm and lovedddd the vodka pasta! Chicken parm was a bit tough though , might try another dish next time. read more

See all

My friends took me here for a special occasion and we sat on the back patio. The staff were attentive and helpful with food and wine recommendations. Delicious food and generous portions. Loved the tiramisu, it was probably the best I've ever had. read more

See all

First time coming here and honestly the place is pretty overhyped. They have to move tables around to be able to fit people in between them to be seated. Not the best having people's butts on your table when they squeeze in between them. We also we came at night and it did get pretty dark in there and you cant even really fully see what you're eating. The complimentary bread and salami is good but the pickled eggplant was disgusting. We got the chopped salad which was a huge portion and delicious. For entrees we got the chicken parm and the vodka rigatoni. Both were good but nothing special. The vodka rigatoni did come out a little cold. read more

Elina's - Chopped salad - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Visited Elian's for the first time for a Saturday night dinner. My party of 3 booked a reservation ahead of time for 8 pm. Upon entrance, the venue is really classy and dimly lit. There's good music that's not too loud, and it's great ambiance for a nice date. Our table wasn't ready until 8:15 pm and the staff were very nice and gave us a round of sparkling wine on the house (so nice!). The food overall was really solid. We started with the Caesar salad which was so good. It came with house-made croutons that were delicious and was paired with fresh bread. We got the red table wine which paired nicely with our chicken parm, vodka pasta, and their meatball special. All 3 entrees were really delicious, especially the vodka pasta! We ended the night with their tiramisu which was fantastic (very strong espresso & great depth of flavor). Would recommend, had a wonderful time! read more

Elina's - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've heard great things about Elina's so we wanted to give it a try. The restaurant itself is super dark and compact. I understand there is a desire to fit more tables so more people can dine at a time however it was super annoying having to always scoot in or get up for people to walk in between tables. The tables are also so close to eachother it feels like you're eating with the people beside you. Anyways! On to the fun part.. The complimentary pizza bread with salami and pickled eggplant was the top of the entire meal. The flavors of the pickled eggplant with the cheesy bread.. phenomenally paired. For appetizer, we shared the breaded bacon clams which was so tasty. The clams didn't give a fishy flavor and tasted fresh. Definitely could have eaten 2 orders of that myself! Between two, for entrees, we shared the chicken parm and rigatoni. I've actually never had chicken parm but chicken, cheese, basil.. what's there not to like. The chicken though was extremely dry and hard to chew. The texture of the chicken was not good at all. We ended up only eating the cheesy parts and the burnt ends. It was tough trying to chew it. The rigatoni was very rich and good in flavor but it came out not too hot so it didn't take long for it to get sickening and cold. Overall, glad to have tried Elina's but the food was underwhelming or the entrees were. The appetizers were top notch. We did also enjoy the whiskey sour! Totally wasn't expecting it to be a slushy. Was so fun! read more

See all

I really enjoyed my dinner at Elina's. It was pretty obvious as soon as we walked in why it's a little tougher to get a reservation, and that's because it is tiny on the inside! The tables are very close together so we almost felt like we were having dinner with the strangers next to us. The menu is small and concise but everything we had was very delicious! The angel hair scampi was my most surprising love of the night! The rigatoni vodka is a must have as well. The bread and amuse-bouche included were really lovely. The eggplant was probably my favorite. The only thing I didn't love so much was the broccoli and that's only because it was spicer than I typically prefer my veggies to be. Overall, a really great meal! I would definitely return. read more

See all

Honestly normally I'm an Italian cuisine hater but this was good and would return! Pasta was so good and chicken parm!! read more

See all

GOOD food and service. We were cramped in on Wednesday night with last reservation. Although, we were seated at the bar with uncomfortable seats. Therefore, I rushed my dinner. Facing the bar you feel like your in grandmas kitchen in Italy. We enjoyed the chopped salad which was accompanied by complimentary bread(I wish it was warm) and beets. The salad was dressed perfectly not drenched. Then immediately came out our rigatoni and chicken parm. The rigatoni was not saucy more on the thick side which is good for me. The chicken parm was not saucy and had a good crunch around the edges. -sorry for the poor photo quality. read more

Elina's - Chopped salad w/ beets and salami on the side - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Love at first bite This little romantic Italian spot on Grand is everything I want in an Italian restaurant. Reservations are a must unless you try to get a bar seat right when they open. The Cesar salad, rigatoni vodka, and sirloin steak limone were absolutely divine. Can't wait to go back and try others. read more

The restaurant is very cute and cozy. Great for a date night or an intimate meal. My partner and I did not get a reservation but we arrived once it was open and sat at the bar. The service was still attentive and pleasing. The food was delicious! I would go back and reorder the vodka pasta with chicken Parmesan. The food was enough for my partner and I. The Aperol spritz was made perfectly! Definitely recommend this restaurant. read more

See all

Vodka pasta was to die for, but pretty let down by all other options. We ordered 3 entrees. The chicken parm was very dry and sub par. The sweet sausage dish could've been made at home. Vibes are good not great. Overall not great bang for your buck. Would only go back for the vodka rigatoni. read more

Elina's - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Old-school Italian, but small and candlelit--not your red sauce factory vibe. The rigatoni vodka? Best I've had in the city. Period. It's creamy, spicy, and somehow still light. The veal parm comes out looking unassuming but melts in your mouth--crispy, cheesy, not overloaded. They start you with garlic bread and crudités, and I weirdly loved both. Pro tip: you can BYOB. Bring a bottle of Barolo and thank me later. The space is tiny, so definitely reserve. Service was also really good which was amazing and the waiter was super quick read more

Went here to celebrate my 4 year anniversary. I saw this online and heard this was the "Chicago Carbone" and we really like the Carbone in Vegas so we thought to give it a try. The Ambiance was nice, it is pretty dark in there though as the restaurant has dim lighting for a more intimate or romantic vibe. But I would say the restaurant is super small, so reservations add up quick, so i recommend trying to get one in advance and not a day or 2 before just so you get a spot at your preferred time. We were seated a little late about 10-15 minutes. But for drinks, my fiancé got the Italian Mojito which she loved and finished. I on the other hand went with the Rosita(tequila,Campan,Vermouth,Orange), it was very strong...which is good for some people and depending on the night you're having. But it wasn't my favorite drink, and drank half, but everyone's drink preferences may be different. Our Appetizers, we got the Caesar salad with the garlic bread croutons. I thought it was good but not amazing, I still think Carbones is way better...I think it needed more cheese. The croutons weren't the crunchiest which we were both expecting , overall decent salad if you like Caesar it's good. Entrees we got the Chicken Parm 7.5/10 Cherry pepper ribs 8.5/10 honestly one of the best ribs I've had in a while, they were fall off the bone, the flavor was good. That was my favorite thing we ate. And of course we got the Rigatoni Alla Vodka. I would give it a 8/10 it was really good, the pasta was cooked perfectly, I just wish the sauce had more of a spicy ness to it. Service was decent, and pretty attentive, our food came out pretty quick. Restrooms...there's only one restroom I believe for both genders so you do have to wait if someone is in there...kinda a funny looking bathrooms it's really long to get the the toilet from the sink lol. Overall we had a great dinner , a unique restaurant and I heard it's only about 3-4 years old. I've been seeing more off this place on social media. Glad we gave it a try! read more

Rigatoni alla vodka? Stellar! Bread? Amazing. Service? Brutal. To sum it up: we were given "five minutes to order." Yes , this is quoted. Verbatim. That's when we unknowingly clocked in for our timed dining experience. Our server ran the table like a drill sergeant, right down to instructing me where to place the menu on their tiny table. And when I say tiny, I mean cozy in the "you'll be sharing body heat with strangers" kind of way. The booth situation requires the table to be fully evacuated just to let someone slide in. Sure, it's a cute space, but be prepared to sit directly on top of your neighbors and absolutely do NOT plan on enjoying a bottle of wine... or honestly even a glass. TJ will either have you chug it or kindly (not kindly) escort you out once your time is up. "The next reservation for this table is already here." Yes. Kicked out. Literally. Such a shame. read more

Everything is amazing!! My wife and I love this place so much! When ever we have a celebration or even a night out this is our go to spot!

Italian restaurant in Chicago tan by Carbone alums. Classics executed perfectly in a quaint, elegant space. I dined in with another girlfriend and we were warmly met with the free starters -- bread, salami, etc. All the free goodies were so good. Can't go wrong with grandma style and cheesy garlic bread. Our waitress did a great job recommending to us how many dishes to order & her suggestions. We ordered the chopped salad, rigatoni alla vodka, and chicken parmesan. The chopped salad was acidic and spicy with the pickled peppers and salty with the crisped salami. Rigatoni was perfectly al dente, delicious creamy sauce. Chicken parm was breaded well and smothered with cheese. Generous portions of home cooking style Italian! I loved it & can't wait to come back again on my visits to Chicago. Only downside is that the space is a bit cramped between tables. I felt like the next 2 seater could hear my entire convo. read more

Elina's - Chicken Parmesan, Rigatoni Alla Vodka - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

I was able to get a reservation at 5:30pm on my husbands bday (a Wednesday) online about a month or so in advance. It's always tough to get in here! I was a little disappointed that despite making a res so early, we were seated at the bar. It's a very quaint place without much seating so I see why it's hard to get in. The service was good at the bar I will say. Things came out quickly and hot. We started with the broccolini and meatballs. We were able to order just two for $12. The meatballs were solid but nothing magical. The broccolini had a very tasty sauce. Then for entrees we split the vodka pasta and the crab linguine. The linguine was very flavorful and tasty. Highly recommend! The vodka fell short for me... I was especially disappointed given how much hype it gets and the fact that it's my fav pasta. Just lacked flavor... I would say Alla Vita is the best I've had in Chicago and Tripoli Tavern was better as well. Overall, I would still recommend trying it out but I can't say I give the vodka pasta the glowing review I have seen others give. read more

See all

Garlic bread and focaccia bread were a 4/5. The star of the show was the rigatoni alla vodka 5/5 which had the absolute perfect sauce just heavy enough with the perfect amount of spice. The angel hair scampi was delicious with a perfect balance of lemon and crab 4/5. The eggplant parmesan was also excellent 4/5. Will be returning and definitely on our top 10 in Chicago Italian restaurants. Service was great and awesome old school vibe read more

Elina's - Garlic and focaccia - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Maybe unpopular opinion but my expectations for this restaurant may have been a little too high. The space is small, so I was excited to finally get a chance to have a reservation on a busy Saturday night. Upon entering, we were just told to go to a table by the window and not walked over. I was seated in an unfortunate spot as I kept getting bumped into by the servers. Service was otherwise fine. It's on the louder side and dark in this more modern Italian restaurant. The bread was tasty and comes with salami and pickled beets. We ordered the Caesar salad to start, and this was delicious. Almost comparable to carbone's. The rigatoni alla vodka however was not as good as carbone's- not spicy at all and more on the sweeter side. The pasta was good but not as mind blowing as I was expecting after hearing all the rave about it. We also got the chicken Parmesan, which was a thinner but wide cutlet. Nothing special either and didn't come with any pasta. The table red wine with the meal was tasty. I would say the restaurant is fairly good Italian but not the best in Chicago. It's also pricier but at least portions are good. read more

See all

Celebrated my friend's birthday here on a Wednesday night. We had 5:30pm reservations and the place was definitely packed. Service is great but I will say this is a very small restaurant. The tables are almost on top of each other which is uncomfortable and makes it a bit difficult to enjoy the restaurant. Food wise I have no complaints. I had their spritz which was tasty and refreshing. We shared the complimentary breads, a Caesar salad (their croutons are the best I've ever had), rigatoni alla vodka, and scallops. It's family style and for 2 people they recommend 3-5 dishes. We were definitely full with what we ordered. We ended the night with espresso martinis. Overall a nice meal, just wish there was more space. read more

See all

Good food BUT prepare to feel uncomfortably hurried. Our second time eating at Elina's and this experience mirrored our first, the food was good but you feel like they're trying to get you in and out at record speed. Great caesar salad (awesome croutons) and wonderful clams casino, to start along with the very nice bread basket. As soon as we put our forks down out came our pasta (rigatoni with vodka sauce), and the dover sole with eggplant. No breaks between courses at Elina's! Previously we ate at the bar and it was even worse, multiple courses arriving before we had even finished the previous ones. Highly recommended for the food but "service" isn't very friendly and is definitely too rushed. Go here for a meal with someone you'd rather not spend time with ! read more

Was so excited about the "sister to carbone" to open up in west town!! We scored a reservation, which I'm so glad we did because I didn't realize how small the restaurant was. It's so quaint and cute I see how the spots fill up so fast, however, I did notice spots at the bar open so I highly recommend trying to snag a seat there if you can't nail down a reservation. The rigatoni alla vodka was definitely the star of the show but ! I would probably skip out on the fusilli next time. All of the waiters seemed super knowledgeable and attentive! read more

Elina's - Rigatoni alla vodka, chicken Parmesan, and fusilli alla Norma - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

From the presentation to the ambiance to the actual taste of the food... everything was lovely! The indoor of the restaurant looked like a speakeasy and was smaller than I expected. Order the vodka rigatoni, that was a favorite! We ordered a bunch of dishes and everything was yummy! The Spritz drink was great too! read more

Elina's - Chicken park and Penne and Rigatoni - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

We visited Elina's for my birthday dinner. Service was fast, friendly, and attentive. The food came out FAST. I was surprised when it came out 5-10 minutes after we ordered. Awesome. They start you with some complimentary hors d'oeuvres of two different kinds of bread (cheese and tomato), some cured meat (I think salami or prosciutto), and pickled eggplant. Really delicious spread and nice to be on the house! We ordered a few drinks - can't remember the names but I got the one with mezcal and grapefruit, which paired very nicely. Then the food - we ordered the following: - Meatballs (ridiculously good, I wish they served with a side of pasta as I could eat this as a main. Yes I also know spaghetti and meatballs is not really Italian) - Rigatoni alla vodka - great sauce, Al dente noodles, really decadent and creamy. - Chicken Parmesan - classic dish done perfectly. Plenty of cheese and a nice addition of a basil leaf on top. This is a huge piece and could serve 2-3 easily. - Tiramisu - really decadent and delicious. You can tell the attention taken, as the ladyfingers were actually soaked in espresso to the point where the plate was a bit wet. One of the best versions of this dessert I've had. Overall very satisfied with the serving sizes for the price. Definitely a good spot to order 2-4 dishes and share amongst friends. read more

See all

Elina's has been on my list to try for so long and I was so happy to have finally tried them. It was delicious. The pasta was so fresh and their signature Rigatoni allá vodka was phenomenal. I was so impressed by their basket of bread that included pizza bread and pickled eggplant. Service was great and attentive and the ambiance is small, loud, but cozy (like a NYC vibe). I can't wait to return and try more dishes! read more

See all

It still shocks me that so many people don't know about/haven't been to Elina's. Every time we go, we're more and more impressed. This time was no exception. It's a small, intimate space but every seat is always filled. Their complimentary bread service is superb & not to state the obvious, but do not skip their pasta dishes! read more

See all

LOVE it here I wish I lived closer because I would be at the bar having the vodka rigatoni nightly it's insane. Nothing isn't excellent here, the rigatoni, the crab pasta, the chicken parm, the clams casino, the wine (we had the orange), the table bread.... It's all so good and not heavy at all I could go course after course here. Set era are super helpful with wine suggestions and also pacing courses. The place is romantic and candle lit and feels like you're in a library just without all the books. Resys are tough to come by on the fly but if you intentionally plan when you wanna go just snag it when they're released and you'll be fine. Or go right at 5:30 and the bar will be a breeze. read more

Elina's is by far one of my favorite Italian spots! I would highly recommend getting a table outside when it's warm out but sitting inside is nice too! The waitresses were all very friendly and the service was fast. If you get one thing, let it be the vodka pasta. It was the best vodka pasta I've had in my entire life and I've tried a lot. read more

This place has been on my list for a while and it did not disappoint! Came for dinner last night with two friends right around opening time. For drinks, I got the Strawbobby Baccalaquiri which was okay. My friend for the Nuovo Vesuvio which I preferred more. Also got some Aperol Spritzes which were great too. Appreciated the house bread they gave, with the salami and pickled eggplant - so yummy. Ordered the Caesar Salad, Rigatoni Alla Vodka, and the Chicken Parmesan to share and it ended up being enough for the three of us. The table favorite was definitely the Rigatoni - it wasn't too saucy and didn't taste dry, so flavorful. We also enjoyed the Chicken Parm but thought it could use a bit more sauce. It didn't have a super oily or fried taste which was appreciated. As for the Caesar Salad, it wasn't bad but we thought it had too much dressing - should have requested the dressing on the side. We also shared the Tiramisu which had an awesome coffee flavor with good hints of chocolate. Not overly sweet and a nice way to end the meal. Overall, it was a lovely dinner spot. The ambiance is great and the service was good too. Would come back to try other pastas! read more

See all