Alla Vita

Came to Chicago and celebrated my wife's birthday with a dinner here and I must say, it was one of the bast experiences we've had here. Everyone was very friendly and cordial. The ambiance was romantic but also fun. Words wouldn't do justice to the meal, but everything was great. A definite must if you're in town!

Had a wonderful dining experience! Special thanks to Jo, for such a nice care. We had a few dietary restrictions and she was so helpful in accommodating our needs and suggesting the right menu selections for us.

Alla Vita was real class, amazing food and great vibes wrapped up in one. Their meatballs, rigatoni, table bread and ricotta dumplings are worth all the hype and more. 10 out of 10

From the moment we arrived, the service was outstanding. Even though the restaurant only accepted reservations and the next available slot wasn’t until 9:45 p.m., we got there around 7:30 and the host went out of his way to help us. He offered us a table outside, and within 5 minutes we were seated and enjoying the atmosphere. Our server, Marisol, was incredible. She was kind, attentive, and truly focused on making sure we had a great experience. The food was amazing. The pizzas were delicious, the pasta was very, very, very good, and the garlic cheese bread we ordered as a starter was outstanding. The drinks were also fantastic. From the service to the food, it was an unforgettable experience. Highly recommended!

Went here after Lyra, and this place blows it out of the water. Servers were really nice and gave real opinions in their favorite dishes - I always appreciate this. We ordered the mushroom pizza as an appetizer for a group of 6. Extremely good, I also ordered the chicken parm as it's one of their specialities. I really liked it was thin and not too doughy on the outside. Other favorite dishes the table ordered was the salad, and various pastas - everything was great. On top of that the pistachio Gelato was excellent

I got the bread and the meatballs and the rigatoni. All were fabulous. The rigatoni sauce was perfect. The meatballs were extremely filling and that red sauce is to die for. The mvp really was the bread. It has these herbs infused, topped with cheese and the outside has this light sweet honey hint. Oh my goodness, just impeccable

Amazing experience! Our server yesterday was so sweet ( the only guy server working yesterday afternoon, idk his name). The beef tagliatelle was sooooo goood!!! Amaretto sour was good (without the egg white on the rocks) and the pumpkin dessert was good as well!! Love coming to this place!

We came on a Sunday for dinner and loved it! The restaurant is beautiful, the staff is extremely kind and helpful, and the food was absolutely delicious. Everything about the experience was great, we’ll definitely be back!

This was the perfect place for a nice celebratory dinner among friends. Every dish was excellent, the service was very hospitable, and the ambience was outstanding. I particularly enjoyed my squash sacchetti and the truffle mushroom pizza. 🤌

The rigatoni and lasagna Verdi were absolutely divine. The wood fired bread is a delightful starter topped with melted cheese and honey. Nicole was an attentive and knowledgeable server! We would give this restaurant 10 stars if we could!

Great experience as a first timer. There are many dishes to order and great spins on traditional Italian food. The chicken parm is great but I was surprised it didn’t come with pasta or a side. The pasta in the other dishes was great. I had the Seafood Mafaldine and would definitely order it again. Get the ricotta dumplings as well. We ordered them as an appetizer. Enjoyed the set up and general vibe of the restaurant.

Thanks to Nicole for being so flexible and getting us a beautiful table. We had an amazing birthday dinner — everything was delicious, especially the mushroom pizza, which was so good. The service was excellent as well. Thank you, Jo!

Great lunch here again. I really love well balanced dishes and the octopus made the meal. The roasted eggplant dip/sauce was so good I kept the plate and put it on everything including the pizza. I was a bit disappointed in the arancini. It lacked flavor and I was expecting better. The arugula salad and the meatballs were good. The pizza lacked a bit of flavor but I loved the crust. Maybe a poor choice of toppings.

Alla Vita was a great dining experience from start to finish! While waiting for our table, we enjoyed some cocktails at the bar—the perfect start to the evening. For dinner, we ordered the fritto misto, roasted Spanish octopus, mafaldine, and the roasted bone-in ribeye, and every dish was outstanding. The fritto misto was crispy and flavorful, the octopus was tender with a beautiful char, the mafaldine was rich and perfectly balanced, and the ribeye was juicy, tender, and packed with flavor. The atmosphere is stylish yet welcoming, and the service was attentive without being rushed. A fantastic spot for delicious Italian food in Chicago!

Ok. The food definitely lives up to their reputation. Every single bite was rich with flavor and texture. I highly recommend ordering a few options for the table to share so you can truly experience the range in dishes. The ambiance is cozy yet sophisticated. Great for groups of all sizes. The only not-so-great part was the service. And maybe our server was super busy but he didn’t seem overly attentive. But I would certainly go back again in a heartbeat.

Had such a wonderful lunch today! All pastas are made fresh daily, wood fire oven. Fantastic service by our bartender JB! You cannot go wrong with dinning here.

Had an amazing time at the Alla Vita x Chase Sapphire Reserve event. The food was incredible, the drinks were top-tier, and dessert was the perfect finish seriously, everything was spot on. The service was warm and attentive, and the whole experience felt really special. They did a great job making it feel exclusive but still super welcoming. Would absolutely do it again.

had the most wonderful time here for lunch! steph was amazing, and the rest of the staff was just as accommodating! the food was also so filling and delicious. overall, highly recommend :)

We were lucky to get a table for two without a reservation. We came in on Sunday right when they opened. The holiday atmosphere was beautiful, and the food was delicious. My favorites were the cacio e pepe ricotta dumplings and the kale Caesar salad.

Hands down one of the best dining experiences in Chicago. Nearly every dish we ordered stood on its own and made me wish I lived here. Our group of 6 ordered a bunch of dishes family style. Some highlights: Best single bite: cacio e pepe dumplings were pillowy doughs of perfection Best pasta: Paccheri is one of those simple pastas done really well and cooked perfectly Thinking about skipping, but must order: the table bread. Big boule that hits the table is hot and crispy with a touch of sweetness from the honey. Literally one of the best breads I’ve eaten. Honorable mention: Kale Caesar was fresh, bright, and garlicky I’m not normally a big dessert person cause I’m more of a savory girl than a sweet one but this pistachio ricotta cake cannot be missed. It’s topped with some raspberry mouse compote thing. TRUSTTT. If you love olive oil cake and raspberry then you have to get this cake.

Wonderful ambiance and friendly service. Great deal on lunch menu. You can get a refreshing appetizer, pasta for main dish, and delightful dessert. This reminds me of menú del día in Spain where a restaurant has a great deals during the day before dinner. All dishes we had were flavorful and well balanced. I especially enjoyed the cucumber salad with cheese. If you’re a bread lover, get an order of bread and butter. Toasted and warm. You will enjoy it

Started my birthday celebration at this restaurant and was immediately greeted with Happy Birthdays. They even customized the menu to include my birthday. The rigatoni was so so good. Everything was amazing! Thank you guys !

This is simply the best Italian restaurant in Chicago. Every dish was fantastic. I wish I could re live my first bite of the rigatoni again. The kale ceasar was simply amazing. The mushroom pizza was so flavorful. There was not a single dish that did not blow me away. I highly recommend!

Perfect lunch spot! The soup, rigatoni & choco ice cream were divine! The ambiance is gorgeous and Andrew was the best waiter! Super sweet, pleasant and attentive. I will be back.

Absolutely incredible experience as always. The staff is top notch and the service far exceeds most restaurants. Thank you for an amazing time for my anniversary celebration.

Alla Vita has been one of the top spots on my Chicago restaurant list to try and it didn’t disappoint! The service was excellent. Our waiter was accommodating and offered alternatives for dietary restrictions, which was pleasant. The drinks were delicious and high quality. The ambiance is beautiful both during the day and at night, making it a versatile spot for any occasion. Also it wasn’t unnecessarily loud which was a good sign. I definitely recommend this place for dinner, date nights, family gatherings, brunch, or a meal with friends. I’ll absolutely be coming back again!

This was my first time dining here, and everything exceeded my expectations! I don’t usually write reviews, but I was genuinely impressed by the quality and flavor of the food. We had the kale caesar salad, arancini, wood-fired bread, rigatoni (we added shrimp), and the mushroom pizza. The rigatoni is listed as “alla vodka,” though it’s worth noting it’s not actually cooked with vodka. My personal favorite was the mushroom pizza, while my husband really enjoyed the wood-fired bread. We’ll definitely be coming back!

Went here for lunch and the atmosphere was great, they had small high top tables so we were able to get a seat because the place was packed. It waiter was nice and attentive and new a lot about the menu. I plan to go back for dinner soon, highly recommend. They even have a lunch special for only $25 that is 3 courses, the duration tiramisu was delicious.

First visit here and everything was fabulous!!! Everyone in our party of 6, raved about their meals. We all ordered off the prix fixe menu and the options were fantastic. I had a salad, Rigatoni, and the best pistachio gelato I've ever had in my life. The service was wonderful and the restaurant is lovely and lively. We will definitely be going back!!!

I thought the food was good! Nothing rocked my taste buds, but for $25 I thought the prix fixe lunch portions/selections were appropriate. The cucumber gazpacho was my favorite part. So crisp and refreshing and COLD. Perfect for the insane heat we are experiencing right now. The chicken panino was good. I was full from the gazpacho and half the sandwich so I took the rest home for dinner. I had ordered tiramisu but there was no way I was finishing that, I was too full. I opted for the mango passionfruit sorbet which was a GINORMOUS portion. I was shocked when it came out. 9/10 for the whole meal. Overall I enjoyed my experience and recommend! I would return and get that gazpacho again and maybe try some a la carte items. Bonus points for being part of the inKind network. My wonderful server Manny was attentive and accommodating with respect to my allergies. I also saw he was helping several tables next to me, and he was excellent with them as well. PAY MANNY (AND JAL) MORE!!!!! Update: tried the Arancini, BLT, and the peach cobbler gelato (with real peach chunks). Whewwww 😫 bumping to 5 stars ⭐️ delicious.

Amazing experience. The waitstaff were all super friendly and informative on the menu. Our meal was everything we wanted it to be. The table bread is a MUST get every time you go here. Highly recommend stopping by for lunch or dinner.

We enjoyed an anniversary celebration and chose this place after seeing a flood of appraisals. It did not disappoint. The service was friendly and well executed from the first greeting at the door until the last minute. We started with the bread, which is not something that we usually order as we dont want to get filled quickly with carbs but this one was amazing and memorable. The ricotta gnochi appeared to be a popular dish amongst the online reviewers. It was good, but I created higher expectations than it delivered. We shared it, but I think that eating the whole plate would get boring. The fresh pasta was very good. The sauce was classic and confort food, but it lacks a touch of originality.

Good atmosphere and ambiance. Very instagramy. The non alcoholic drinks were ok nothing to write home about there and very prohibitively expensive to be frank. The pastas were overall good. The fritto miso was tasty but lacking in quantity. The ricotta dumpling was by far the best and most unique. The pacherri was also very flavorful punchy. The lasgna was good but heavy and creamy. The rigatoni was lacking in flavor overall. I think its worth a visit for the pacherri and ricotta dumpling and the vibes.

Had the best time in this beautiful restaurant! Tried the rigatoni Alla vodka and the ricotta dumplings along with the crispy potatoes. Rigatoni could have been better, love the ricotta dumplings but definitely needed more sauce on the place, there was barely any! The drink was great ! The tiramisu however, they don’t use lady fingers , they use a layer of cake , not the best tiramisu I had as I didn’t like it as much! Barely tasted any coffee! Crispy potatoes were a waste of money! We sat at one of the high top tables cuz we didn’t have a reservation. Service was fantastic, the atmosphere was lovely, just the right amount of noise! Very busy even on weekdays !

Alla Vita in Chicago has a beautiful atmosphere, and it’s definitely a visually impressive spot. We went for a dinner date and started with the Wood Fired Bread and Whipped Ricotta, which were both very good. For our entrées, we had the Tagliatelle, Rigatoni, and a side of broccolini. The pasta dishes were decent, though not particularly memorable, and the broccolini was a bit firmer than expected — not bad, just different. Overall, it was a pleasant meal, but the experience seemed a little over hyped from what we saw online and in the reviews.

Short ribs were amazing. Pasta was underwhelming, lack of flavor imo, which also makes it overpriced. Lovely team though!

****update: alla vita reached out after an open table review, and has made it right by offering a gift card to use on my next visit. i genuinely appreciate that kind of customer service, and will return next time i’m in chicago. visited for an intimate birthday with a friend. had an espresso martini while we waited for our table to be ready, it was delish. only complaint is that it was $22, so i only got one. our server joe was amazing. all around provided amazing service. i did the restaurant week menu, and unfortunately i have to say that the food was extremely mid for the price. i started with the tuna crudo, which was probably the saltiest thing i have ever had in my life. second, i had the kale caesar, which was pretty delicious, but had entirely too many red onions. then i had the chicken parm, which was literally just chicken with cheese broiled on top, no pasta…flavor was definitely lacking. had olive oil gelato and a birthday dessert, which i did not like the olive oil gelato because the olive oil flavor was way too overpowering, and the ice cream birthday cake was just okay. even with the restaurant week deal, i feel like $91 for that meal, including FIVE DOLLARS for a 12oz can of sprite, is just too much. not sure that i would return.

When we arrived, the restaurant was empty, but my partner and I were seated all the way in the back. Our server, Oscar, was really cool and attentive. When the food came out, I wasn’t sure if it was meant to be served this way, but it wasn’t hot more like room temperature is how the ribs were. The pasta, however, was good. The mango sorbet was really good and definitely the highlight of the meal. Kinda sad that the dessert was the highlight. I picked this placed bc of the way it looked and I got placed at the back end.

I can’t believe I have to say this but do better. We went at night and the place was packed, it’s very pretty inside. Our waiter was nice but he was not attentive and it took forever for him to take our order and give us dessert menu. We were literally sitting bored waiting. But that’s the bad part, the appetizers were delicious but the main entrees were trash. Not one thing was good. We had a pizza, rigatoni and the lasagna. I’m so disappointed, I was looking forward to going here for long. My drinks sucked also, the only good thing was the aranchini.

Today, on August 9th 2025, I ordered the Roasted Bone-In Ribeye from Alla Vita for DoorDash delivery, asking for MEDIUM doneness. What I got was a disgrace – completely undercooked, bloody, and cold in the center. This wasn’t “medium”, this was rare at best, bordering on raw!!! Serving something like this is unacceptable for any restaurant, let alone one charging luxury prices. The photos speak for themselves – this is not a steak you can eat without cooking it again at home. For that amount of money, I expected a perfectly cooked, safe, and enjoyable meal! Instead, I got something that belongs back on the grill, not on a customer’s plate! This was a complete waste of money and trust! I will never order from Alla Vita again, and I strongly warn others – if you care about your food being cooked properly, avoid this place!!! Straight to the garbage!!! I’m shocked!!! This says everything about your chef’s expertise and your restaurant’s customer service – or rather, the lack of it. You clearly don’t care about your customers’ preferences, their taste, or the quality they’re paying for!