This was a great experience from the staff to the food The owner is amazing and looks after EVERYONE they serve read more

I've been to Torchio multiple times for their pasta and love it here! All pasta is fresh and made in house. While the prices are a little on the expensive side, the quality of the food and quantity makes it worth it! The inside isn't very big so it's best for parties of 2 or 4. If you have a larger group or want to eat during peak times, I'd highly recommend making a reservation! That being said, my husband and I have walked in at open and are usually able to be seated right away. The servers are kind and attentive. Make sure you note the table time limits. I believe for 2 people the table time limit is 1 hour and 30 minutes. In terms of food, I've loved everything I've tried here. One of our staples is getting the Braised Short Rib & Pappardelle. The depth of the sauce flavor is delicious and the pasta always has the right amount of bite. Overall I'm a big fan of Torchio and will keep coming back!! Highly recommend trying it if you've never been :) read more

Torchio Pasta Bar - Braised Short Rib & Pappardelle - delicious!! - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We started happy hour off at Torchio Pasta Bar with their massive, crispy Saffron Arancini--just look at that perfect crunch and gooey center swimming in rich marinara. Next, we paired their fresh Tomato Tartare with Creamy Burrata Crostinis with a couple of perfectly shaken, ice-cold Martinis. To keep the vibes going, we ordered a round of rich espresso martinis and dove straight into their fusili with alfredo happy hour Pasta. The texture on this house-made pasta is unreal, making it the absolute perfect spot for your next date night out in Chicago. Come back to find the best exclusive River North happy hour spots! read more

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This place is so amazing. It is a dark, intimate setting and we felt welcome as soon as we walked in. We sat at the bar and had a great time speaking with the bartender. I ordered the truffle fettuccini with fried burrata and it was to die for! I will be returning the next time I'm back in Chicago. read more

Torchio Pasta Bar - Fettuccine - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food here is absolutely amazing. My entire table had no complaints. I got the Seafood Fra Diavolo Pasta, which came with generous amounts of seafood and flavorful sauce. However, the host was extremely rude and condescending to my group. We had a reservation, as we knew 8 people would be difficult to accommodate. The guests at our table took much longer than expected to leave. The host refused to seat us at an open table of 8 that we could see from the window because another party, who had yet to arrive, had a reservation (just as we did). We were forced to wait outside in the cold, and anytime we checked in for a time estimate, we were ignored or spoken to with hostility. On the bright side, our waiter and the cleaning staff were incredibly nice and helpful. read more

Loved our dinner at Torchio. The interior is cozy and intimate, and the setting feels perfect for a date. We arrived earlier on a weekday evening and the restaurant was already lively. By the time we left around 7pm it was very busy and extremely loud. There was a lot of availability online for reservations but I would recommend still a reservation over walk in. Their pasta menu is insanely extensive, and we were blown away by the amount of options. Everything was delicious but we loved the lasagna and the pasta alla zozzona. Portion sizes are large and perfect for sharing. Service didn't seem too organized which is why I'm taking down a Star. We had 2-3 separate people asking us the same things constantly like if we had ordered and if we had finished and wanted boxes which got a bit overbearing. Our waiter forgot to give us bread as well, we didn't realize the restaurant offered it until we saw neighboring tables with bread. Great neighborhood Italian vibe. read more

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The ambiance was very moody and darkly lit which was nice. Our waiter was super nice and attentive. Also the owner, Bill stopped by our table which also was very fun. The pastas we got were the lemon and pecorino risotto and the chicken pesto pasta. The pesto pasta lacked seasoning and I didn't taste the basil or the pine nuts but at least there was a lot of pieces of chicken. The risotto was very good. It was cheesy, creamy, and flavorful. I would go back to try some other pastas. read more

Torchio Pasta Bar - Pecorino Lemon Risotto - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Torchio was delicious! It is tiny inside so if you're seated at a high top, you're likely to be seated close to other people but that didn't bother us. Our waiter was super nice. The meatballs were just okay in my opinion. The saffron aranchini with bolognese inside were super good. The rigatoni with chicken and pesto cream pasta was good but the star was the pasta alla zozzona. It was unlike other pastas I've had before. Super tasty and I'd come back just for that dish. We'll definitely be back! read more

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Another great restaurant we all enjoyed for our farewell dinner! Everything was outstanding! This bar/ restaurant was a tad louder than most, but our experience was outstanding! read more

After strolling around River North, my girlfriend and I tried our luck at walking in and attaining a table. We were told that a reservation was late and if they didn't arrive in five minutes, we could be seated. We got the table! We ordered bread service, which was a slightly regrettable decision. I believe Torchio tries to stick to the authenticity of bread offered in Italian restaurants - bland and dry. It was just that. We ordered the lemon and pecorino risotto and the midnight pasta. The risotto was delicious and dense. The midnight pasta was light and a tad too oily, but very good. These two dishes weren't complex but the ingredients were fresh and of great quality. Torchio is a nice, date-night spot and would recommend if you're in the area. read more

Torchio Pasta Bar - Risotto - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Sooo good. Nice little spot with great service and great pasta. The burrata was good with the tomato tartare. The braised short rib pasta was phenomenal - a must try! Love cannolis too so had to get some - love how small and easy to eat they were, as well as yummy!! read more

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Torchio offers an extensive Italian menu with all types of pastas. It was very loud the night we went most likely because we were seated next to a large party of wedding goers who were catching up and rightfully celebrating. We had the fried artichoke salad which was perfectly fried on a bed of arugula. We split the Sunday meat sauce pasta which was red sauce with all types of meat and the midnight pasta with shrimp. Both were very good! I thought the pasta was not as al dente as I would've preferred. The shrimp pasta would've been a million times better if they used the jumbo shrimp. I would've preferred fewer shrimp but bigger size for the extra crunch/taste. We finished our meal with the very moist olive cake. We recommend this place if you're a huge pasta eater as this place truly does have a lot of different options. read more

Torchio Pasta Bar - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Super solid service and very easy to get a table! They also split the pasta between two plates for us. They gave plenty of food. It was really busy and a bit loud inside however read more

Torchio Pasta Bar - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Used to love this place but my last couple visits (in particular the most recent one) have forced me to to take this off my list of go-tos. Regarding my last dinner: Orecchiette, Spicy Sausage, & Broccoli Rabe - Pasta was cooked correctly but everything else was off. Sausage and Sauce were flavorless, found myself adding salt and red pepper flakes to no avail. And the Broccoli Rabe was rancid, after getting a big Rabe piece about 1/3 of the way through my meal I had to stop. Braised Short Rib & Pappardelle - Pasta was overcooked, ratio of meat to pasta was off (not enough meat), and most importantly the sauce was soupy and too wine-y. My girlfriend ordered this and stopped 1/3 of the way through her meal. She also ended up having stomach issues later that night. 2 stars because I've had great dinners here in the past (with these exact pastas) and the service is great. I don't know if the chefs have changed or if we went on an off night. I hope Torchio gets back on track. read more

Speaking as someone who has been to Italy, Torchio has some of the best pasta I've had in the US. Every dish was cooked to perfection, but if you're deciding between the carbonara or another dish I would absolutely pick the carbonara. The waiters were fantastic, refilling our waters before we were even halfway done the glass. It's a pretty casual restaurant as well so no need to dress super nice. Definitely go to torchio if you haven't yet! read more

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This is a very reliable neighborhood Italian restaurant. They serve traditional and classic Italian dishes. Very good for a casual evening or even for an unpretentious date night! read more

Celebrated Valentine's Day here with 5:15pm reservations. It was interesting at first because they sat most of us at the bar and a few at high tops, we asked to be seated at a table and were told no. Not sure what the seating arrangement was, since others before and after were seated at high tops. Service at the bar was quick, just a bit tight. I had a bees knees cocktail which was delicious. We started with arancini to share, they had a little kick to them but delicious. I had the cacio e pepe pasta and my boyfriend had the short rib pasta. Both delicious but we were too full to finish. For dessert we shared the tiramisu and the lemon olive oil cake, yummy, 10/10 recommend. read more

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I was able to make reservations about a week ahead of time on tock with a $10/per person deposit. From a business perspective and a generally punctual perspective, I understand their reasoning behind and actually enjoy it. The place is on the smaller side but it creates a warm atmosphere. We were seated in a booth promptly. They do mention that seating time is limited per group but when we were done with the meal, they didn't kick us out. I don't even know how long we were there for. Service: superb! Our waitress literally ordered everything for us based on what we wanted and we were all happy. I mentioned to her I wanted a cream based sauce. She landed on the risotto - either the leek or pecorino. I chose the leek and it was so delicious. Rich in flavor but not heavy. Lots of garlic hints! The risotto was cooked perfectly to my liking! I tried the short rib pasta which was what she described - typically short rib pastas to me are very heavy. I don't know how they do it but it was surprisingly light but hearty. Would definitely come back. Also was immediately refunded the down deposit - not applied to your bill. And they do charge 3% if you're using card. Not a big issue for me. read more

I had a very mediocre meal that I was very disappointed by. So let's start with the good: the pasta is fresh and that is a focus on the menu which is great. You can taste the difference. We also go the eggplant caprese which was excellent. It had a fried eggplant base and the burrata and tomato was just perfect. The Tiramisu that I ordered was good. I don't think it was anything special, but it was good. The okay: The cacio e Pepe was simple. I would have used a thicker noodle as the angel hair reminded me of top ramen as it continued to sit in the cheese. I think the noodles came out over cooked to let this happened which is easy to do for such a thin noodle. The bad: We order a chicken and rigatoni pesto cream dish. Influencers would say "it lacked flavor" but really the cream muted everything. The pesto and even the sun-dried tomatoes didn't pop due to it being over powered by the cream. On top of that the chicken pieces were dry and the rigatoni was not al dente. I'm always glad when places like this are busy but it's just disappointing when they don't deliver. read more

Food + Service + Ambiance = perfect! The owner came over to our table and noticed my NY hat and turns out he is from New York and moved to Chicago 8 years ago and opened this pasta bar! It felt very welcoming and authentic. The bartenders were a hot commodity with their energy. It gave a cozy and chill vibe, perfect for date night or a pregame meetup spot. The food was superb and the service was really attentive and fun with our waitress. Definitely will come back! read more

Good service. Food was...adequate. Not what I expected for the money. Ice cream desert served 50% melted. More expensive than represented in here. Caesar salad was excellent. read more

I have been looking forward to this meal in this restaurant for months and I was so disappointed. I went here with six other people and over half of us had a horrible stomach issues. The pasta was just extremely mid and I would not go back or recommend it. There is so much great Italian in the city and this place does not hold up at all. read more

Torchio Pasta Bar - Burrata and truffle pasta - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

So happy to have stopped at this romantic little spot. The inside is very cozy and the service was top notch. We had the lemon risotto and truffle fried burrata with gluten free noodles. The gluten free noodles were very tasty and the fried burrata was a nice touch. Would highly recommend making a reservation as there is limited seating but overall this was a delish dinner. read more

Torchio Pasta Bar - Lemon risotto and truffle gluten free pasta with fried burrata - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Wow wow wow !! This place was amazing we did a last minute reservation so we had to sit outside which was nice but it was a little chilly. The service was amazing got a bottle of wine and had the gnocchi for appy. It was good but different from your traditional dish it was like corn meal. The pasta tho wow wow wow. The scallop fettuccine was the perfect balance of light and savory. The scallops were seared perfectly and the sauce was like a light lemon butter garlic I would fly back for this pasta alone right now. For dessert we had the lemon cake and it was delicious! The bar tender was so sweet that he made us a dessert shot! read more

Torchio Pasta Bar - Scallops and Fettuccine Pasta - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Seating is tight!!! Service was very good though. The shrimp with sautéd spinach was light and great if you are going for low carbs. They do offer bread but you have to ask for it. read more

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I've had better frozen dinners. The staff is passive aggressive and completely rude. This place is a travesty to the Italian people. Shameful. read more

Charming and cozy atmosphere, service was phenomenal. Torchio pasta was delicious and definitely need to go back and try all the other pastas. Wine was served extra chilled and burrata was yummy, and they even gave us extra toasts for when we ran out. read more

Torchio Pasta Bar - Torchio Pasta - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Had the pleasure to visit while in Chicago. The food was amazing, and the plates felt homemade and with high quality ingredients. We sat at the bar and Eric was incredibly helpful and friendly, he recommended us the exact things we were looking for, from the perfect wine to the best pasta we've had in a while. The restaurant was very dark and moody, exactly what we wanted for a cold winter evening read more

Torchio Pasta Bar - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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came here at 8pm on a friday night for a date, we were able to snag a reservation just an hour in advance. this place is cute and was pretty packed on a friday evening. the service was great, our waters were refilled multiple times throughout the night and we were treated warmly. the food came out pretty quick too. we also got the shrimp and spinach sautee and that was also pretty good. the truffle and fried burrata fettuccine was kinda salty but other than that it was pretty good. i didn't taste the truffle flavor as strong as i've tasted it in other truffle dishes i've had, but it was still an overall good pasta dish. the very berry spritz was also delicious and refreshing! read more

Torchio Pasta Bar - truffle and fried burrata fettuccine (after we broke the burrata in half) - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Now this place - wow. Everything about this was done right. Sat at the bar and staff was super friendly, helpful and the food. Yall...for real. Amazing. Unfortunately we didn't take any pictures read more

We ordered: Seafood Fra Diavolo - Spaghetti with mussels, shrimp & calamari in a spicy red tomato sauce Giovanna's Bolognese - pappardelle in parmesan basket "Torchio" Pasta - Radiatore pasta with sausage & cremini mushrooms in a brandy-thyme, cream sauce Braised Short Rib Pappardelle Fried Artichoke Hearts w/ arugula salad / Beef & Veal Meatballs Fried Artichoke hearts were an excellent appetizer. Lightly breaded/fried and perfectly cooked. It is a good pairing with the arugula salad. Meatballs were decent. We loved that all the pasta were made fresh in house. Seafood was properly cooked. Braised rib was very tender. Delicious flavors and portions for the price. We weren't clear on how to eat the Parmesan basket and even the waitress wasn't sure. No issues with service. Decent amount of seating to small to medium size groups. Background noise was pretty loud so note that for your type of outing. read more

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Quickly becoming my favorite place in Chicago. Foods incredible, staff is even better. Can't miss

A group of friends and I had a wonderful dinner at Torchio on a busy Friday night. The food was delicious, and the service was some of the best I've ever had. Glasses were always full, dirty plates were cleared quickly, and our server guided us in making our menu decisions. The gnocchi appetizer was strange, but the meatballs and crostinis were delicious. The scallops on the scallop fettucine had the perfect texture and level of saltiness, though the pasta sauce left a bit to be desired. My favorite pasta of the night was the smoked bacon and onion bucatini. We tried one of each of the desserts, and they were simple and tasty. I would recommend Torchio, but make a reservation! read more

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Good but not the best in the world. I got carbonara but I tried my friend vodka pasta and I think that was better. The lemon fettuccine was also good but nothing crazy Lemon olive oil cake was light and yummy read more

What an incredibly amazing neighborhood spot. We came here with no reservation an hour before they closed on Thursday. Even though the place was completely packed, they were able to find seats for us. The menu is big and a little bit intimidating, but our server, Sophia, was so kind and patient. She had this wonderful energy to her, which lit up our evening. We loved that she was fun and energetic, and honestly it made the experience fantastic. Attentive, friendly, competent, fun. We ordered the squid pasta and a spicy arrabbiata. Big portions and very high quality ingredients. Handmade pasta. We also got the fried artichoke and the cannoli. The music was 1980s - Bee Gees, Cher, stuff my parents listened to. Drinks were reasonably priced. We also had the privilege of speaking with the owner, Bill. Was he Italian? No. Irish. Is he a career chef? No. Former public company executive. But he was hilarious and it looked like they were down a bartender, so he was behind the bar doing his thing. Super nice guy. Will be back! read more

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This place is a repeat for me! The food is delicious, the staff is kind, and the ambiance is perfect for a slightly more relaxed dining experience. There are so many good choices but I love the black truffle burrata and seafood fra diavolo. Love that the menu incorporates new dishes based on the season! They have gluten free penne that can be substituted as well. My only note is that it can get loud inside the restaurant. read more

Always a treat to eat at our favorite Italian Pasta Bar! The BEST pasta west of Italy! Not only is the pasta house made along with the sauces, everything is fresh and true to form, Italian! THE BEST! The staff are so friendly and accommodating! RUN don't walk to Torchio read more

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A girlfriend and I got dinner at Torchio on a Saturday night. The menu looked super promising so I was excited. Unfortunately the experience left us getting food at another restaurant, because we left unsatisfied. The whipped ricotta with tomato jam completely lacked any flavor. The bread was not even slightly heated and tasted like a mini loaf you can get at Jewel. Three separate ingredients with no cohesiveness. The bucatini pasta was also incredibly disappointing. There were puddles of oil throughout. Flavors were lacking in the pasta also. I'm not sure if this may have been an off day for them as this pasta bar is otherwise highly commended, but I wouldn't return with all the incredibly flavorful options to choose from elsewhere! read more

Torchio Pasta Bar - BUCATINI ARRABBIATA BURRATA pasta - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Had dinner at Torchio on a recent vacation and it was an excellent meal. Shared the fried artichokes and it was crispy with a light lemon caper sauce. The pasta was freshly made and I ordered it with sausage and broccoli rabe in a light sauce. Portion size was generous! The ambience was very noisy, although to be expected on a weekend evening, and tables were practically on top of each other which made conversation difficult. Would definitely go back-so many other pastas to try!! read more

Torchio Pasta Bar - Orecchiette, Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Pasta - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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What a fantastic experience!!! I came here for a last-minute dinner. From top to bottom, backward and forward, this is one of the best dining experiences I've ever had, and it makes my list of Chi-Town Favorites. One thing that made my night super special was that the owner worked alongside the staff and stopped by to chat throughout the night, which was a wonderful touch. When I walked in, the hostesses warmly welcomed me, took my coat and had it before showing me to my seat at the bar. Once comfortably seated, I was welcomed, and the menus were reviewed. I ordered what is formally known as the humo and fugo (it has an updated name that begins with a B that I cannot remember). It's an elevated take on a spicy mezcal margarita. For starters, I got the Caesar salad, which was delicious. I got the half portion, but I think the entire portion is reasonable for one person, especially if you like Caesar salad. The dressing is excellent and housemade, and the ingredients are super fresh. I got the cacio e pepe pasta for my meal, which was terrific. They use capellini, which makes it super creamy and saucy. The pasta was super fresh, and the dish was perfectly seasoned. I got the olive oil cake for dessert, which didn't disappoint. It had a beautiful, vibrant citrus flavor that wasn't overwhelming. 10/10 experience! I cannot wait to return. read more