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Gioia Ristorante e Pastificio

3.7 (158 reviews)
Closed • 5:00 pm - 9:30 PM
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GIOIA RISTORANTE E PASTIFICIO ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Classy
Outdoor seating
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - Gioia Ristorante e Pastificio

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Shreena P.

The restaurant had a fun, slightly upscale vibe. Plenty of street parking outside and they also valet for 15 bucks. They have the doors open in the summer for that great indoor/outdoor feel. Our waiter was friendly. But, another guy came by our table to ask if we were done when it was clear we were still working on our dinner (one of my biggest pet peeves). He also tried to box our food up when we were still eating. We ordered the burrata for the appetizer. Honestly,I felt like the burrata was just average. It came on a bed of arugula but nothing amazing about it. We did have to ask for bread to eat with the burrata - they gave us a couple of pieces of complimentary bread and olive oil after we asked. I ordered the table side cacio e pepe and it was delicious - definitely the star dish. They come by to the table with a 22-month aged parmigiano reggiano and the heated cheese. It created this creamy sauce and it was melt in your mouth delicious with the perfect amount of pepper. My friend ordered the pasta with meat ragu and said it was decent but nothing too exciting. We ended our meal with the tiramisu and it was a good way to end the meal.

Rigatoni
Vita P.

Pleasantly surprised with my visit at Gioia! Had dinner with a group of friends on a Thursday, plenty of parking on Randolph (lucky) but they do have $15 valet. We started the evening with a couple of drinks at the bar, nice selection and full bar service with some elegant cocktails. We started with the Burrata and Polpette which were good. The Burrata wasn't anything out of this world, but a nice starter. The polpette were very good. I enjoyed my dish which was the linguine allo scoglio and my husband had the Rigatoni. Both dishes were excellent! I was discouraged to read reviews about poor service prior to coming, but have to admit, our service was excellent. I'm picky on Italian food! But was surprised to enjoy Gioia and would recommend coming. Anytime you hear people speaking Italian tells you the Italians only flock to real places - which was definitely happening here.

Meatball
Laurina Y.

Came here for dinner with friends and shared some pastas! I really enjoyed the linguine with tomato sauce and seafood, it had a little kick to it which was really nice! The location is a little bit out of west loop so the restaurant wasn't super crowded but the environment was really nice!

Rachelle L.

Sorely disappointed by the experience here at Gioia. Came here with a large group of gals to celebrate a friends birthday, and the service was actually some of the worst I have ever experienced. It's hard to really encapsulate how disrespected we felt- it was everything from how the waitstaff spoke to us in a commanding and condescending tone to how all the other tables around us received bread service but we were left ignored and waiting for them to take our order for I kid you not, about an hour. Even when we tried to politely get their attention, we were rudely dismissed. Yet, after the food arrived, the staff was rushing us and trying to take our plates alway before we could finish eating. The only reason they're getting 2 stars instead of 1 is because the ambience of the restaurant is nice and the food was fine- but I would highly recommend taking your business elsewhere at any of the other great establishments in West Loop. Will never be back here again. Food: 3.5/5 Service: 0/5 Price: 3/5 Ambience: 4/5

Bucatini cacio e pepe, gnocchi, carciofi
Clara K.

It's really tough to stand out as an Italian restaurant in west loop with all the competition; however, I did enjoy my dinner here with no real complaints. The restaurant has a simple classic, elegant ambiance and filled up by the time we were done with dinner on this Saturday night. Complementary bread was a plus, and service was good. My Chianti went well with our meal - we started off with the side of potatoes, which turned out to be chips. It was a surprise to us, and the chips were rich and salty. We also had the carciofi salad, which was excellent and light. The gnocchi was nothing special, but the bucatini cacio e Pepe was delicious. Overall it was a good experience, but it's tough for this restaurant to stand out amongst so many great restaurants in the area.

Arancina
Mike B.

Excellent Italian food at this upscale spot on Randolph Street's Restaurant Row. It's a square room, bar to the left, tables to the right as well as sidewalk seating when weather permits. Decor is sleek and modern, sound nicely muted for easy conversation. We were seated quickly, our reservation honored to the minute. Our server, Brandi, did a great job. Explained the menu, encouraged a couple of suggestions, and kept the meal moving at just the right pace. Thank you! Fresh bread and olive oil for dipping is served immediately while waiting for wine to be poured. Started with Arancina. A delicious baseball-sized ball of saffron rice, laced with taleggio is deep fried to golden brown. It's served atop a pool of pea-based sauce swirled with apple saba and garnished with pea shoots. The saffron makes it unique. The caramelized tart of the saba mixed with the sweetness of the peas are the perfect foil for the rice. An excellent start! On to the main course - Pici Toscana. Pici is best described as fat spaghetti. It's thick, hand-rolled and made without eggs which creates a unique taste and texture. It's served under a ladleful of outstanding ragu. As much meat as sauce, this is hearty and rich, earthy from a splash of chianti and delicious. I totally asked for an extra slice of bread to make sure I scooped up every last bit. Delicious! Shout out to the Branzino alla griglia. The branzino is served as a fillet, seared perfectly on the grill. Light, flaky, flavorful and perfectly seasoned. Another winner. Dinner for 4 was $209, including wine. Considering the quality of the food, service and atmosphere, very reasonable. Recommended!

Carciofi
Steve B.

My girlfriend and I decided to give Gioia Chicago a try and I will say it was really good! We tried then: Carciofi, Linguine, and the La Parmigiana. Every dish was amazing! I would say my Personal favorite was the Linguine as you could have the sauce at the bottom of the plate with some bread and it kept making you want more!

Erica M.

Oh. My. God. This place is amaze-balls. I learned to cook from Grandma Fabiano and I am picky about my Italian food. Gioia does not disappoint in any way, shape or form. The real standout was the Cacio e Pepe with truffles, probably the best pasta I've ever eaten. But, the saffron risotto with grilled octopus was also delicious, and the tiramisu, infused (somehow??) with air took a somewhat tired dessert and made it fresh, new, and delicious. Everything was amazing here.

Tiramisu and crème brûlée
Sarah J.

This review is for my two trips here -- My mother in law was visiting 2 months ago, and we were wanting to try an upscale Italian. So we came over here and enjoyed the experience. The wine selections were great and at the time, we had both table side pastas for mains and had the burrata, fried calamari, and meat balls as appetizers. We were in a food coma by the end of our meal. Since we had such a great first experience, when some friends wanted to try a place in the west loop, we suggested to go here for dinner! I didn't get pictures of the appetizer but we ordered the cheese and meat board, as we figured it would be good for sharing. It was fine, but since I have had the other appetizers, I would have enjoyed other choices more. For mains my husband and I got the cacio e Pepe tableside and the casoncelli. This time I think the cacio e Pepe should have had more cheese so when I return I might make that little request but the brown butter sauce of the casoncelli had a lot of flavor. If you like the richness of the sauce, it's great. My husband is a tomato sauce fan so he would have preferred if we chose the linguini - I guess we will do this next time. The desserts were heaven just like the first time. The place is gorgeous - super modern, comfy and seductive all rolled into one ambiance. The staff were a pleasure - they knew when to chime in with recommendations without being pushy. Great experiences both times, will return.

Rigatoni and Filetto
Victoria H.

The restaurant itself is beautiful on the inside. Very sleek and ambient. We sat in a cozy corner in a booth/couch. The food was also really good as was the black salt grapefruit cocktail. I'm only docking a star because the situation with the Gioia Nei Paccheri was weird. It's listed as $26, but if you want to order it you have to get two orders and they prepare it table side? So why not list it for $52. It was very delicious and I'm glad we got it, but preparing it table side is not special and there's no reason to do it. I would rather be able to have one order and no table side. The vodka pasta was good, but nothing to call home about. It needed some spice or something. The Filetto was very good and the rosemary gravy sauce that came with it was so good. I also loved the mashed potatoes (not pictured)

Branzino alla Griglia
Andre W.

I love this place! Gioia means Italian joy and its become my go to for great Italian and it helps that its in walking distance of my residence. I have been here a few times...at the bar as well as seated at a table for dinner. There is a guy that works here named Edgar and he is always helpful and knowledgeable about whats good on the menu, so if you get him as a server, consider yourself lucky. He has great recommendations! The vibe here is cool as its a classic looking joint. Outdoor seating is available for the warmer temps as well. They have a nice selection of wine and their bartenders can always make you a very delicious drink such as a negroni, old fashioned, manhattan, etc.. Appetizers here are great! I highly recommend the Polipo: Roasted octopus, olive oil, potato puree, grape tomotoes, escarole and red wine sauce. The grilled calamari is very good as well. When it comes to the entree, I definitely love the Bucatini Cacio e pepe. The simplest dish, but very good! The Risotto is very good as well. The champion dish (shareable for 2) is the Gioia Nei Paccheri which comes with fresh tomato sauce and 22 month aged parmigiano. They make this amazing dish for you right by your table...you will love it! Desserts look pretty goo don the menu, but I've only tried the Millefoglie which is a puff pastry napoleon with vanilla cream mousse, strawberry tartar, pistachio gelato...its very good! As mentioned earlier, I love this place and will go at any time for any occasion. I've been solo at the bar, dining with a friend/s and gone on dates here.

Cacio e Pepe
Cat H.

Gioia is one of my favorite places to dine in the West Loop! The food is absolutely amazing, and the cocktails are some of the best in the neighborhood! The atmosphere is intimate and friendly, and the staff makes every dining experience so enjoyable!

Interior
Susan K.

Our waiter, Edger, was exceptional! The food was amazing. The ambiance was great but did not say Italian at all. The Fritto was amazing; an awesome lightly breaded combo of calamari & shrimp. My old fashioned was excellent w/ real maraschino cherries. The Nebbiolo was perfect & we asked for a 1/2 glass & they happily obliged. The panna cotta was amazing w/ caramel drizzle & fresh blueberries & strawberries!

Casoncelli Alla Bergamasca

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Food was interesting and tasty. Service excellent! It was a tad noisy though. We got excellent referrals from our server.

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Gioia Ristorante e Pastificio Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Gioia Ristorante e Pastificio

Is there a happy hour?

We do not have a happy hour at this time, we open daily at 5pm! We do have weekly specials that we share on social media though @gioiachicago

What's the parking situation here? Is there complimentary valet?

Valet is $15. You can get lucky on Randolph with metered parking.

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Geja's Cafe

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3.9(1.7k reviews)
2.5 mi•Lincoln Park
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Step off the streets of Chicago into a beautifully dimly lit fondue experience is so cozy inside…read morewith the music of a live Spanish guitar that really create a private magical experience. All the premier dinners come with salad, cheese, fondue, and the chocolate fondue - You are just choosing what protein you would like. The Prince Geja combination has a little bit of everything. However, we most liked the seafood which includes lobster and the scallops were to die for! Also the beef also cooks well. Favorite dipping sauce included the pimento mayo, chimichurri, and garlic butter. The cheese fondue is quite rich and the bread is quite filling so maybe get as much cheese as you can on each piece of bread. The chocolate fondue, I think is actually the best course as the Belgium chocolate melts so well and has a decadent but not overly sweet flavor. It pairs well with all that is provided for dipping, which includes poundcake, rice Krispies, strawberries. They also have some liquor that they light on fire at first so you can roast the marshmallows. It is such a well thought out experience. Service flows very well from two waiters who take your order set up your fondue pots for each course, but be prepared to spend at least 2 hours on this experience. Check out the Groupon but also I read a review that they just tack on the extra $50 so it's not really too much of a savings. Not sure if this is true.

Had a fantastic evening at this classic spot!…read more Food was super tasty and fresh! The seafood was probably my favorite! The full dinner with chocolate and cheese was perfect! Also appreciated that they were accommodating for the vegetarian in our party. Everything except the cheese course can be made vegan friendly as well. The service was top notch! Appreciated that they called me ahead of time to confirm our reservation and ask about food allergies. All the staff was incredibly helpful and attentive. They were quick to refill items and answer any questions we had. The location is classic fondue restaurant, cozy and romantic. However, also perfect for catching up with a friend. I love the history in this place and really enjoyed the mood lighting. Pricing was fantastic for the quality of service, food, and drinks! Look forward to many happy returns!

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Geja's Cafe
Geja's Cafe
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Gemini

4.0(775 reviews)
2.6 mi•Lincoln Park
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Back Again - Gemini Pt 2, but this time for brunch!…read more I enjoyed my first dinner experience here so much last week that we had to come right back to try their weekend brunch. From the start, the hostesses were inviting and lovely. The restaurant is very pretty, warmly blending a modern style with a touch of classic French bistro elegance. I'm mostly so impressed with how versatile the restaurant actually can be, shifting seamlessly from an elegant, upscale dinner setting with its beautiful U-shaped marble bar to a bright, whimsical, and enchantingly airy brunch setting. The fully opened bifold windows are adjacent to the pergola-topped patio, letting a glorious, cascading breeze drift through the space to create a wonderful indoor-outdoor flow and a lively weekend energy. Once again, we thoroughly enjoyed everything we ordered: Super Green Vegetable Salad: The kale, broccoli, avocado, asparagus, and peas were crisp and fresh. We loved this so much during our first dinner visit last week that we had to order it again for brunch! Spectacular! Nova Lox Platter: The wild salmon topped with diced red onion, capers, and hard-boiled egg crumble, served with an everything bagel and a side of chive cream cheese, was excellent. French Onion Frittata: The rich gruyère and caramelized onions were wonderful. If you're a French onion soup lover like me, this is a can't-miss!! Definitely will be reordered and often. Fantastic! Daily Omelette: Ordered from the special menu, featuring black truffle salsa, mascarpone, and Calabrian chile honey. It was absolutely phenomenal, perfectly cooked, and the flavor combination was incredible. Our server, Sarah, was excellent and made the experience even better - we even share the same name! The management team was also incredibly warm and attentive, stopping by our table to welcome us back. Returning twice in one week says it all. This restaurant has made it into my regular rotation and is hands down one of my new favorites!

Over all this place was okay, and when I say okay it was mediocre…read more How ever I would like to point out that the staff and I repeat the staff was very friendly not to mention very welcoming. I came here with three others and we all ordered different things from the brunch menu along with a few drinks. The atmosphere here is open, modern, and pretty eye catching, we all heard a few negative comments about brunch here and rather than just taking words of advice we came anyways. To be honest we should've went elsewhere, the only thing about the food that actually seemed to have any flavor was the fries and even they were a little salty like my wallet when we left LOL The Jumbo (not so much) Lump Crab Benedict at $25 was honestly boring lacking any flavor also it didn't even come with potatoes I ended up sharing my Lincoln Park Turkey Club that was good but even it was pretty basic at $21, the Burger at $21 literally looked like something off the kids menu the bun was bigger than the patty LOL and the Blackened Chicken Caesar at $19 was more like an appetizer size and the chicken at least it was juicy not dry. Other reviews about brunch here seem to be about the same and honestly I think it's funny they don't even try to elevate their food when so many say about the same things. I think the only reason why people come to this place is 1. It's located in Lincoln Park and 2. that makes it a trendy spot to eat. So why bother fixing anything when it's just trendy and flavorless Their brunch is mediocre but apparently dinner is where it's at. However after the experience with brunch I'm not even sure I would even go back. Come here for the staff eat at your own expense maybe your food will have flavor or not but honestly do what you want and keep it trendy

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Gemini - Yesterday's specials board at Gemini.

Yesterday's specials board at Gemini.

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Sparrow

4.3(349 reviews)
1.9 mi•Near North Side
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Right before starting writing this one, I wrote a review for Kibbitznest, another phenomenal…read moreChicago bar with a totally different theme and vibe. That is to say: I am not throwing words of praise like "one of a kind" and "phenomenal" around lightly. Both are different and still amazing. Sparrow has a vibe straight out of the 1920s. The decor, signage, use of color, and absence of screens or TV's all contribute to the theme. The music is also appropriate and plays at the perfect volume to be pleasant without forcing one to raise their voice. I tried the Green Daisy and a House Old Fashioned. The Green Daisy was boozy and had some herbaceous notes. A little tartness and a little sweetness helped balance the drink out and make for a phenomenal sipper. I loved the creativity with this one! The House Old Fashioned was also well done, assembled with quality ingredients in balance with one another. Nothing wrong with a well-executed classic. The prices are more or less reasonable considering the location and overall market, with bevies costing around $16. The bar staff is excellent! Very friendly and welcoming! Final verdict: A spot where I can say come for the drinks and stay for the vibe. It's the kind of place where walking in you are transported a century into the past. Everything about the experience, including the atmosphere, drinks, service, and prices, is calling me to return and bring some people with me.

This might be my favorite rum bar in the country. If you want intimate spaces, moody lighting,…read moreextensive rum selections, and drink specials come here. Monday nights are my favorite because they offer a different specialty rum in special. It's a great way to try different kinds. They also serve beer, wine, and every other spirit you can imagine. Cocktails are on point. Seating options are varied: bar seats, small tables in back, bench seating with tiny tables up front. Quiet and comfortable.

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Sparrow - Entry

Entry

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Gioia Ristorante e Pastificio - italian - Updated October 2026

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