Recently dined here with some colleagues visiting from abroad. The highlights include good dessert, nice olive oil at the table, and the octopus. Sadly, however, the service was heartbreaking, particularly since our guests were extremely excited about an authentic Italian experience. Plates were being pulled off the table while folks still had forks in their mouths. The service felt condescending, impatient, and rushed. For the money we paid, we would have expected a bit more kindness. Will not return. read more

I had the lamb chops there and I would say they are the best food I have had in Chicago in the last 3 weeks. And we have gone to a ton of good restaurants during that time. They tasted amazing. My wife had some pasta dish and she loved hers too. Great food all around. Their beer selection sucks (i.e. they did not have anything I like). read more

This restaurant was fantastic. The food was awesome and the service outstanding. This will be my go to spot in Chicago

Last night we celebrated our anniversary at Sofi and it was wonderful. Printer's Row is such a cute area with little shops and lights this time of year. We had a reservation, which was definitely a good call for a Friday night at 7 pm as every table was full during peak hours! The ambiance was cozy and romantic. The service was excellent! Our waiter, Massimo, was attentive and welcoming. The food was delicious. Ordered the mussels which were cooked perfectly with flavorful broth. Also ordered the trofie genovese and rigatoni "sofi" which were done perfectly. Will recommend to friends and come back again! read more

So delicious. My friend, Heidi, and I have sworn never to go back to boxed pasta after our experience here. We had just flown in to Chicago and wanted something truly satisfying....Sofi did not disappoint. Our waiter, forgive me for forgetting his name, was genuine, friendly, helpful, and entertaining. He not only represented the restaurant in A+ fashion, but all of Chicago, seeing as though he was our first real interaction in the city. The free bread included white slices and focaccia accompanied by olive oil for dipping. She had the daily special--risotto, lobster, cherry tomatoes. I had a smoked salmon homemade pasta dish. EVERYTHING WAS SO GOOD. I use to make fun of lobster...calling it "just a fat crab". I use to hate focaccia....calling it "cottonmouth with herbs." I promise I will never say such horrible things about the two ever again. read more

Sofi Restaurant - Tagliolini salmone and daily risotto special - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We had a very nice date night here, and the service was exceptional. The focaccia was some of the best I've ever had, and the waiter mentioned they make it in house every day. Naturally we asked for a second basket, and I downed it. For our mains, I got the caccio e pepe, and he got the seafood linguine. We were both happy with the serving size and quality. Needless to say, we were stuffed when we left. There is a nice drink menu by the way, and we split an endive salad for our app. Overall, I can't emphasize the service enough. The waitstaff was tremendous and took great pride in their work which always makes a dining experience special. read more

Sofi Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This is my first time coming to Sofi and I must say I really have enjoyed my visit! The atmosphere, while not too fancy, was just right. It was intimate but kept a nice casual feel which was perfect for a meal before going to see Jersey Boys. I must also say our server Christian was very kind and told us some very interesting history of the restaurant. Not only was he attentive but he was helpful in picking out the right meal on their menu with so many delicious sounding dishes. The wine list had a great selection and we had the Barbera San Silvestro. I started out by having the Tropicale salad which had some wonderful radicchio in it. Since it wasn't in season I wasn't sure if it would have good flavor but it certainly was. It also had fresh Parmesan on top which added the perfect amount of saltiness to the salad. For my entree I went with one of the specials of the day, the Gnocchi Porcini e Gorgonzola. It was delicious!! Now, to say I am not a fan of mushroom is an understatement but I love Gorgonzola so I decided to try it. Boy was I in love with this dish. The gnocchi was perfectly cooked and the mushrooms with the Gorgonzola went together so well. I finished off the evening with a light, fluffy, and airy tiramisu and it was great. What an awesome dinner and I would certainly recommend this restaurant! I will be coming back again. read more

Sofi Restaurant - Enjoying some great bread and wine with my family a Sofi! - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

5 stars hands down!!! The food is consistently amazing at Sofi! I especially love the burrata dish, veal ravioli, and orecchiette. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. The servers are knowledgeable and give great wine recommendations. I love sitting both inside and outside. It's great for a date night and for groups. It can be casual or a fancier night out. You truly can't go wrong here! It's a MUST try no matter where you live. read more

Stopped by here for an event with the Italian American Chamber of Commerce last night and as usual, they are at the top of their game. I'd eaten here before but usually don't write a review until I've visited a few times. I can wait no longer; last night was so lovely, so romantic, and so authentic that I am compelled to break with protocol. I think interior design is important and it's a delight at Sofi, with lovely saffron walls and classic animal prints, sturdy wood tables and chairs appropriately weathered from the use of many patrons, linen drapery beautiful in its simplicity, romantic understated lighting. There is outdoor seating as well, very festive and lively and a must on a warm night. I'm a wine person and the wines offered here are from small family vineyard cooperatives in Italy; you won't find these selections just anywhere. I tried three different selections, all novel in their own way. They have a bread basket with a WONDERFUL olive oil. Show some restraint or you will ruin your appetite right there!!! Appetizers included rice balls (the best I've ever had, frankly), and a salad, with the most lovely little red tomatoes! Pasta was done perfectly, veal was beautiful too, sea bass was exquisite. I'll post pictures for you to enjoy. Music volume appropriately LOW so that I could talk to my date, waiters attentive. I'll be back soon. read more

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Very good northern Italian food in Printer's Row. We had the oriechette and a NY strip as well a delicious asparagus soup and arancini. All were very good. The service was impeccable. Our waiter asked all the right questions and made recommendations to ensure we enjoyed our meal. The atmosphere was welcoming and warm. Loved it! read more

My boyfriend knows he will never live down the fact that he picked Sofi Restaurant as the last place we would eat dinner on our trip to Chicago. To be fair, it seemed upscale, the menu sounded great, and the reviews were positive. OMG... there was no leeway in my decision that this was the worst place we ate in our entire Chicago adventure. The food, at least. The service was decent. We started out with calamari, which was disappointing. The batter was soggy, unflavored, and not fried long enough. I felt like I was chewing tasteless gum. Disgusting. We like to order calamari wherever we eat, and this was probably one of the worst we've ever had. The bread also tasted stale. For the entree, I ordered seafood spaghetti, which came with the same dreaded squid, accompanied by its similarly tasteless friends. There was literally no taste to this dish. Not even dousing it with salt and pepper could save it. Again, I will say that the service was good. Our waiter suggested a great wine to pair with my meal, and that was probably the best part of my experience here. The atmosphere is cute, and I love the setup. It's just the food that was horrendous, and I'm sad that our trip had to end this way, but our lesson was learned. Do a little more research before picking a random Italian restaurant to dine at! read more

Sofi Restaurant - Fried Calamari - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The hidden gem of the south loop! Unlike many of the high-end Italian restaurants in the city, they are very generous with the serving portions! They are kind of in between fancy and rustic restaurants. My favorite is their Lobster Bisque and Risotto. Highly recommended!!! read more

A great spot for delicious italian food! Almost everything about my experience was great. The waiter was attentive without hovering, and we had a couple cocktails from the bar in hand within a few minutes of being seated. The food was amazing, fresh pasta and flavorful sauces. I would highly recommend the rigatoni focaccia, it was so well balanced with the cream and bacon. I could have eaten an entire second bowl. Also, our waiter mentioned that you can replace any of the pasta shapes in any of the dishes. While I didn't take them up on the offer this time, I love having the option. I didn't love the complimentary bread on the table, it was a little mealy, but it wasn't bad and hey, you can't really complain about free bread :) It's worth noting that while you can BYOB, they have a $20 corkage fee (which is pretty steep IMO). But they have a full bar and I really enjoyed the cocktails we got so you can always go that route as well. read more

I would say this was a subpar spot. The calamari wasn't great (lightly battered, shrimp wasn't deveined), my gnocchi with pesto was alright, nothing special. My partner ordered the lobster ravioli and it tasted very salty. Service was alright, nothing exceptional or bad to note. I don't like leaving these types of reviews but felt like it was necessary to since both the yelp and open table ratings were high. read more

Ordered the gnocchi fontina to go- I loved loved loved it! Amazing pasta and sauce and they even gave me bread and cheese to go (which I thought was a nice complimentary thing). The pasta was cooked perfectly and the sauce complimented it well. The portion size was also decent which was a plus! I would definetly recommend this to anyone who loves some good authentic Italian fo read more

Sofi Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Amazing evening. Outside dining was perfect. Food was spectacular. Highly recommended. read more

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(English) My friends and I were in the mood for an authentic and appetizing Italian recommended by yelp we went to Sofi Restaurant. I was really impressed with this place. It has a nice atmosphere, the service was very friendly and the food was delicious. We ordered Gnocchi Bava with fontina cheese sauce and chives really delicious and tender in each bite, and the Trofie al Pesto Genovese with classic Ligurian spiral pasta with pesto sauce. Both really delicious that I recommend in getting. For dessert we ordered the chocolate soufflé that we had to wait 18 minutes to get it, the taste was fine but the sizing was ridiculously small.  This place has so many appetizing dishes that I am excited to go back and try more! (Español) Mis amigas y yo estábamos de humor de un auténtico y apetitoso restaurante italiano recomendado por yelp fuimos a Sofi Restaurant. Estaba realmente impresionada de este lugar. Tiene un ambiente agradable, el servicio fue muy amable y la comida estaba deliciosa. Pedimos Gnocchi Bava con salsa de queso fontina y cebollino realmente delicioso y tierno en cada bocado, y el Trofie al Pesto Genovese con pasta de espiral clásica de Liguria con salsa de pesto. Ambos realmente deliciosos que recomiendo. Para el postre pedimos el suflé de chocolate que tuvimos que esperar 18 minutos para llegar, el sabor estaba bien, pero el tamaño era ridículamente pequeño. Este lugar tiene tantos platos apetitosos que estoy emocionada de volver y probar más! read more

Sofi Restaurant - Trofie al Pesto Genovese with classic Ligurian spiral pasta with pesto sauce. - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The food was amazing and we were treated similar to eating in Europe in terms of pace of meal. We had a very good experience across the board and Jasper was great and very knowledgeable with the menu and wine cocktail pairings. The saltimbocca and gnocchi with braised short rib were fantastic while the ricotta cheesecake and tiramisu was a nice ending. The restaurant was very accommodating as we needed to move tables due to a "colorful heated discussion" at a table nearby. The hostess and server were more than helpful in assisting. read more

I deleted my original review because I was harassed by the head chef of the restaurant on both yelp and open table, however this is unacceptable behavior and I know my opinion should be shared ESPECIALLY after these two incidents. My boyfriend and I attended for Valentine's Day where I booked a reservation a month in advance. We were seated 30 minutes late along with many other couples alongside us. No apologies from anyone. The food was cold, tasteless, and extremely unimpressive. I forgot to mention in the first review that there was red lipstick all over my wine glass when I received. Like kind and nice patrons, we still tipped and thanked our waiter, although I was disappointed that they didn't take anything off our bill for making us wait 30 minutes for our reserved table. I have been shocked at the responses from the head chef on my posts and find this behavior to be extremely inappropriate. Aside from the bad experience and food, this alone should make it evident not to attend. read more

Best gnocchi dinner next to my Nana's. They were perfectly cooked. We opted for the tomato and basil sauce. It was so damn good, very simple and authentic. I always appreciate a pasta dish not drenched in cheese. I want to taste the noodles and fresh sauce, so my dinner was perfect. We also had spinach / ricotta ravioli plus potato and leek soup. Both were outstanding and flavorful. My next compliment is for our lovely waiter. He was excellent and on top of it!! He made suggestions and happily helped us pick our dinner and dessert. We even got the customary Buon Appetit! Finally, dessert. We shared the ricotta cheese cake. It was served warm and boy was it delicious and platted so nicely! I loved my dining experience here! read more

We ate there during restaurant week and had the prix fixe meal. There was a nice range of selections and we felt it was a great value for the quality of food. The crab cake in lobster bisque was delicious as were the lamb chops. Our waiter was attentive and helpful. All in all a delightful dining experience. read more

I came here for dinner on a Saturday evening (~8pm). The restaurant wasn't too packed so we were seated immediately (note: I did make reservations as well). Atmosphere: nice and cozy place, good for dates (maybe dessert only?-at least desserts looked tasty). Food - NOT impressed at all! Appetizers Tegamino Polpettine ($10) - veal meatballs in a zesty tomato sauce. The meatballs tasted ok, but nothing amazing. I have tried better from potlucks that I have attended. Trofie Genovese ($16)- fresh pasta with pesto and diced potatoes. The entree was very flavorless so if you like bland food go for it. It tasted likecooked pasta mixed with watered down pesto sauce..not impressed nor will i pay $16 for pasta like this again.. :/ Aragosta Porcini Risotti ($24) - lobster chucks and mushrooms in light fish broth. I would stay away from ordering this unless you really like the smell of raw fish or something very stinky!! I felt like I was going to gag from the smell and after trying it....ek...I couldn't taste the lobster because something in this entree really smelled horrible!! I am pretty sure that 99% of the people I know will NOT enjoy this.. so this is just a warning...definitely not worth $24!! Ravioli Vitello Pasticciati ($18) - cream sauce and bolognese ragout (this is like meat sauce). I would say this was the better tasting items of the night...how can you go wrong with meat sauce and ravioli? It wasn't anything to die for though. The price was a little overpriced here as well. Customer service - it was ok, we did end up waiting awhile to order and then waiting awhile to get our checks. The waiter was friendly though. Parking - street parking right across the street (pay at meter), or better idea is the red line (Harrison stop) I don't think I'll be back here... unless maybe it was for dessert or the lobster bisque that I have yet to try.. read more

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We made reservations a month in advance and they couldn't seat us for an additional 20 minutes. Once we were seated it was extremely crowded and we were on top of another table. Our waiter did not ask us if we wanted drinks or anything to start. The menus were placed in front of us when we sat down and then the waiter came by a few minutes later and said "are you ready to order." The whole experience with our waiter was awful, we also heard other tables being told the specials (these tables had a different waiter than us). The only thing that is saving this review was my food, it was very tasty. However, if one of my friends who I was with were writing this review, it would have 1 star because their pasta was under cooked. read more

Bonus points to Sofi for providing an individual pod for us to enjoy outdoor dining while maintaining social distance from other patrons. We each ordered the 3-course meal (~$30 each) and it was very satisfying. read more

Every time I am in Chicago I try to eat at a different Italian restaurant. So this time I chose Sofi since it was walking distance from my hotel and the reviews were pretty solid. Wasn't disappointed. I made a 6:45pm reservation on a Friday night, but probably didn't need to. By the time I left, though, around 8pm, things were picking up. Plan accordingly. Started with a glass of red wine and the soup of the day, leek and potato soup topped with porcini mushrooms. I'm a sucker for both leeks and mushrooms and it was great to have hot soup on a cold night. The portion was surprisingly large: I could only eat half the entree after finishing the soup! The entree was housemade orecchiette pasta with rapini and sausage, one of my favs. A really nice, balanced dish, and, again, quite a large portion. Service is attentive without being obnoxious. Looked like a lot of locals were there, which is always a good sign. $45 for two dishes and a glass of wine: not bad! Not cheap, either, but a quality experience for an evening out. read more

Sofi Restaurant - Orecchiette pugliesi with rapini, sausage, and white wine. - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We were staying at the Blackstone Hotel, and their restaurant is closed on Mondays and we asked for a front desk recommendation. Wow - this hit it out of the ballpark. We walked over and were promptly seated, outside, with a nice breeze and leafy canopy overhead. Ice water and warm bread, with perfect olive oil. A glass of Prosecca started the evening. I ordered the special which was a really nice angel hair style pasta with truffle shavings and some nice additions that made it really flavorful. My wife had Orecchietti Pudliesi which was garlic, rapini, sausage, with orecchiette pasta and cheeses. She went wild for it. We finished with Affogato with expresso over it. The service was exceptional, the food was top notch, the setting was superb and made for an excellent night. We highly recommend this restaurant. read more

I'll admit we came here on a typo when we meant Soif in Logan Square but ended up here. And this was a happy little accident because this place was WONDERFUL. Old school style little restaurant with tons of Italian charm. Our waiter was so friendly as was the rest of the staff. Food was EXCELLENT. I'd highly recommend this place to anyone. They also have an adorable outdoor patio that reminds me of Europe. It's a trek to a small little quiet neighborhood in Printers Row, but I'm so happy I ended up here. 10/10. Great experience! read more

Reminds of all my great meals in Italy. The decor, the high quality service, the laid back atmosphere. I've never had a pasta dish here that I didn't adore. And the wine list is fantastic. Don't sleep on the protein dishes either. This place is the hidden gem of Printers Row. read more

Love this restaurant and am so glad to see they're remaining open despite the closing of indoor dining. They had tents set up outside with heaters inside them. The apps and entrees were amazing and don't forget to ask for recommendations for which wines would pair well with your meal! Servers were very accommodating, would definitely come back even in the dead of winter. read more

Sofi Restaurant - Ricotta and spinach ravioli - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My family and I dined here after my fiancé's graduation. It's a super cozy place with great food, great hosts, and a great wait staff. We had a large party and they were very accommodating. Every dish we ordered was spectacular. The dishes I had the chance to try were: calamari topped with fire shrimp 9/10!!!, the filet with artichokes 10/10, an awesome fish dish w a white cream sauce(??) and asparagus 9/10, mussels in a tomato sauce 9/10. I apologize that I don't remember the actual names but they were all in Italian and it's definitely not my speciality. All in all the food was wonderful! Everyone talked about how much they enjoyed their meal and how great our waiter was. I will be back! Oh and the dessert! The dessert was great! I tried the Pana cotta and it was . Everyone at the table enjoyed their dessert! read more

Sofi Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Romantic ambiance, but had to wait 40 minutes for our reserved table. Friendly service. The mussel and meatball appetizers were not up to expectations read more

We knew we were in trouble when the bread arrived. oh my goodness. It was like grocery store "Italian" bread. Not crusty, it was soft and had no texture. The appetizer was tasty (scamorza), but the ravioli with veal and the risotto were too salty and mediocre at best. Way overpriced for what it was. The ambience is nice. If you know real Italian food, you will be disappointed in this basic fare. I will say the owner was nice and the service was fine but very, very disappointing meal. read more

Wow! Terrible across the board. Server was rude and didn't offer specials or even ask how our food was. Octopus was served over basically hash browns. Meatballs definitely frozen and very disappointing. Parpadelle was like dog food poured on top. There was a table next to us with dirty plates and glassware the entire time. Only got to order one drink because that's how often the server came up to us. I can't believe this place has 4 stars. Seriously a joke! read more

I've been eating here on every visit to Chicago and it's always been one of the best Italian restaurants I've been in. They have an interesting menu and don't overcook their seafood or mussels. The atmosphere is pleasant, civilized, with a collection of bird prints on the walls. However on a July 2021 trip, my mussels were in a very strongly flavored and highly over salted sauce which rather badly affected my system for a couple of days. My companion also said her veal was overly salted. I hope the owners become aware of this since you can always add a bit of salt but you can't take it out once the chef has committed this severe faux pas. read more

We had such a wonderful time. The service was excellent and we found the people there lovely. The food was particularly tasty because they enhanced the flavors of the central ingredient rather than smothering it with too many others. We really enjoyed the Tropicale salad, grilled veggies with balsamic glaze, and cod with a wonderful tomato sauce and polenta. We will go back. read more

Ordered new years eve. Meatballs are good! But the pastas have no taste. If youre gonna charge more than $15 a plate at least USE SOME SALT IN YOUR FOOD. SALT THE PASTA WATER. SALT THE BOLOGNESE. SALT THE VONGOLE SAUCE. Literally a tasteless experience. read more

Classic Italian dishes, prepared to perfection. Nice homey atmosphere. Not a big place so I would recommend reservations.

Worst risotto I've ever had. Horrible. It honestly felt like a plate of undercooked white rice with no flavor at all. Gross.

We love it here! Authentic Italian food just like my Nona made. We've been back several times.

My friend and I enjoyed a most delicious meal here, all thanks to the recommendation of a local Chicagoan runner! Great intimate family restaurant away from the hustle of Michigan Avenue. My friend greatly enjoyed her Fish Stew and I enjoyed the whole Branzino and side of spicy penne. Excellent service, superb food. Definitely plan to return here next time in the Windy City! read more

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