Balena Italian - Temporarily Closed

Amazing mileu, elegant drinks, supertasty roman style gnocchi and interesting modern version of classic tiramisu. Highly recommended for dining both romantic and with bigger party!

My favorite date night place. Michelin Bib Gourmand level, and so tasty. Their menu changes seasonally so it is totally worth going multiple times per year.

Spectacular pasta with a smaller option available if you plan on eating not only that. Food: 9 Service : 8 Ambient : 9 Price : 8

Went here for restaurant week. The menu was selected by the head chef and could not have been better. The decor is incredible too. Loved it here!

Great ambience, if a little dim. Attentive wait-staff, great food and menu. Good value as well. Highly recommended! Pizzas are 14" and plenty for two or three even. Smaller tasting portions of pasta are available if you want to have some on the side with your pizza.

Fantastic northern Italian food in an intimate and unique restaurant setting. The interior is much bigger than it looks from the outside, high ceilings, exposed wood beams. It almost reminds me of a lodge. Currently not on the menu, ask for the pasta with cheese, salt, and pepper. Simple and delicious. The lamb meatballs are a great choice for appetizers and the Tiramisu is one of the best I've had in recent memory. Service is attentive and the kitchen is visible to the entire restaurant. Great choice for date night or going out with friends.

Modern Italian food done perfectly. Pasta made from scratch are fantastic. The portions sizes are share-able which makes for a great date night spot. A cocktail list based around bitters is a great way to try something new. Every time I go I am amazed at the level of execution.

My wife and I held our rehearsal dinner at Balena and it was a wonderful experience. We heard nothing but positive feedback from our guests about how fantastic the venue, the drinks, and the food were. Everyone loved the homemade pasta and especially the chicken (heard several compliments about how delicious the chicken was as well as the rest of the food). Additionally, the waiters and staff were extremely friendly and helpful with assisting our guests with their questions and needs, they went the extra mile to make sure everyone enjoyed themselves. The Balena team was very easy to communicate with and made it easy to ask questions to get things organized for the rehearsal dinner. We truly appreciate the hard work the Balena team put into making our rehearsal dinner happen and making it flawless.

I went to Balena with a group, so we were able to try a few different dishes. I would recommend that approach so you can try several dishes. We all really liked it. They also have some great cocktails and a good wine list. I will definitely be back!

Love love LOVE this place!!! Atmosphere is amazing... upscale, but not pretentious, and the casual can feel totally comfortable here as well. The top level of the restaurant is beautiful with large windows to make you feel like you have a "view"... even if its just of the people walking below you. Been here twice, first time, service was amazing... server was friendly and funny. Second waiter was not AS awesome as our first waiter, but still very friendly. Food is awesome.. you can make it an extravagent night out, or just out to grab a bite to eat. Very flexible menu provides a 5 star 4 course menu, or a monday night out to get out of the house.

This is the first restaurant I went to my first time in Chicago and I was in love. The interiors with the high ceilings was impressive. The food was very moderately priced, but amazing! The pasta was great, as was the desserts and drinks. I will go back every time I visit.

I've been here a couple time for different occasions, and each time this place worked great for our group. Whether it's grabbing an off the beaten path cocktail after work, or meeting up with a larger group for dinner, all the pieces fit. The huge space is the perfect backdrop to a unique Italian inspired night.

I went with a group of friends and we split 2 appetizers, 3 pasta dishes, 2 pizzas. Everything was delicious, especially the pizza. If you like bourbon, stay away from the specialty drinks they make, really sweet and not very tasty. I had a Manhattan and it was mediocre. Stick with the beer and wine :)

I took my mom here during restaurant week, but we ended up ordering off the regular menu. First off, I love the decor of this place. We sat upstairs tucked in a back corner and the energy in the place was vibrant! Everyone was having a great time, and I love to be surrounded by that when I dine. I couldn't pick a cocktail from the extensive list, so I told my server I liked whiskey, tequila, and mezcal as my drink-bases. They made me a drink that was outstanding. We had the burrata appetizer which was highly recommended from other reviewers, and it did not disappoint. The portions were very generous and we had plenty left over. We split two pastas: hen egg, sage, and brown butter and the crab, sea urchin, and chili taglioni. Both were outstanding. Would order both again in a heartbeat. The one thing I didn't love was the sea urchin (texture thing), but it was just on top of the pasta and not mixed in. Just my personal taste! We also got dessert, it was some kind of sundae... but I was a little buzzed at this point and don't even recall. That's embarrassing. Anyway, we had an amazing evening and I'm looking forward to returning!

The service and menu are excellent. Try a pizza (my fiancé and I recently had the mushroom) or one of the house made pastas. Awesome spot for dinner. The Sunday brunch is also amazing (try the scrambled egg bruschetta).

You know a restaurant has impeccable service when people who didn't even serve you say goodbye on your way out. Our waiter was wonderful as well telling us what to order. If you go while the brussel sprout & pancetta pizza is still in season you MUST get it. Easily the most interesting but most amazing pizza I've ever had in my life, an dI studied in Italy for five months.

Absolutely delicious pizza. I'd pretty much given up on pizza. Having ordered from several "top" spots, I felt they were becoming bland and lacking. This sentiment has changed, thanks to Balena. To say I throughly enjoyed the pizza, would be inaccurate. I ate it in rapid succession. I ordered the pizza for delivery, but am looking forward to actually dining in. Yes, I'll be eating here again

I am always impressed by the consistent service and food here. There is something for everyone. Wonderful cocktail menu with a nice selection of non-alcoholic drinks but you have to ask for them. Well run operation and on my favorites list!

One of the most beautiful and delicious Italian restaurants in Chicago. The interior looks like a modernized French barn with twinkling lights. Very romantic. Start with a handcrafted cocktail from the bar and then try the Tuscan Kale caesar salad, the Cacio e Pepe, and finish with the Tiramisu. You will not be disappointed.

Located in the old Landmark, Balena is a lot more inviting of a space. The dishes are small, so order a few if you are going with a bunch of people. Our wait staff was awesome, very friendly and polite.

My friend and I ordered the clam with pancetta pizza which tasted really amazing. I've never had clam pizza before but wow was it good. If you like the taste/smell of clams and bacon, then you'll like it. The place is also pricey but I think the portion/taste per price for the pizza was better than that for the pasta. And, really lovely ambiance (would be great for romantic, fancy dates).

Good food, but the service is awkward. Like, the waiters are just awkward. They'd check in at the strangest times and you get your leftovers in the form of a coat check ticket that's not really explained to you. It's kind of strange, but the food is good.

From the team that brought you The Bristol comes this Italian venture. You can go the small plates and pasta route, or just split a pizza or two and a bottle of wine. The bitters-based cocktail menu is worth a sample or two - and is broken down by the level of bitterness. Be sure to save room for one of the ice cream sundaes to finish off your meal.

Went to carb load prior to the Chicago Marathon. Everyone's pasta in the group was fabulous. Lovely evening out in a very inviting space. Too bad it was prior to the marathon... would have loved to try some of the cocktails ;(

Trendy "modern" Italian eatery delivers for theater goers and young professionals crowd. Although I took a star off for it being a bit overpriced (I would think that to price a peace of toast with a table spoon or two of topping at $12 it really needs to deliver a certain level) and somewhat uneven service, all of the dishes we got were quite decent. From 2 restaurants under this ownership I personally prefer Boca.

Excellent flavor and decent service. The room/space is a bit too airy for romantic dining, but great for family and mid-size gatherings.

Great rustic Italian food. It feels like you are in a rustic barn, the menu is on the smaller side but everyhting we had was great.

great time and service was fantastic, even when the restaurant was busy. One of the best pasta dishes I have had in the states. food was all great !

Well made pastas and pizzas. Their mixed drinks are rated on a bitterness scale from 1 - 10. Cool concept and well executed. Best tiramusu I've had in Chicago. Service could be improved as all of our entrees came out right after we got our first drink and before we were able to order a bottle of wine (which we had asked our server about).

Although most of my friends raved about the pasta dishes, I was much more impressed by the pizza at Balena. The decor was great and not crammed like many restaurants in Chicago. The wait staff didn't rush us and we were able to enjoy our meal. The cocktails were great too!

Food was amazing.....our waiter not so much. Had dinner there last Friday, we were a group of 3. Sat down at 8:15, and were greeted by our waitress right away. She asked if we needed to leave by a certain time, we told 10:00. She also asked if anyone at the table had any intolerance, we said yes (one was lactose and the other was gluten). We ordered a bottle of wine. We then didn't see our waitress until around 9:20, when we flagged her down so she could take our order. She then remembered that my friend was gluten intolerant, and went to grab the gluten-free menu. We then didn't see her again until about 9:50, when she finally took our order. We had to ask for the order to be rushed, and to have the check with the food. I would definitely recommend it for the food! And hopefully the service will be better!

A great modern Italian restaurant with a solid cocktail and wine menu. They have amazing squid ink pasta with uni and crab (taglioni nero), which is probably my favorite version in the city. Excellent service and good pizza. I've visited a number of times and have always had a great experience. Great place to catch up with a small group of friends, and decent for a date spot (a bit too bright and loud to be considered romantic).

Went here with a foodie friend and it was a lovely place for dinner. Luckily I was with someone who pushed me outside my comfort zone in terms of dining choices, so we ended up with some delicious and different options. The menu changes often so our choices are no longer available, but we got a pizza, salad and pasta and it was the perfect amount to split (with a bit of leftover pizza to take home). Some of the combinations may sound weird or funky — but give it a whirl and try something new.

My wife and I enjoyed a wonderful experience at Balena a few Saturdays ago. We grabbed a seat at the bar to wait for the rest of our party, and the two bartenders were attentive despite the Saturday crowd, and took the time to recommend a drink based on my usual tastes (the Nedda no5) which was delicious. We started off our meal with the endive salad and grilled salmon collar, both of which were flavorful and tasty, followed by the brussels sprout pizza. The pizza was not my personal favorite but was a big hit with the rest of the group (pro tip: if you don't finish your pizza they will box it up and have it waiting for you by the door when you leave!) For entrees our group enjoyed the tagliolini, the hen egg tajarin, the braised short rib, and the salmon. While the flavors are great, the portions are on the smaller side, so make sure to get a few starters or pizza if you're coming with a big appetite. For dessert we tried the Spiked Affogato (and they mean spiked - the taste of booze was really strong) and the Chocolate and Hazlenut Croccante, a great way to round out the meal. I would recommend Balena - from the service to the food, they deliver a great experience.

This is a great place for groups of four or, even better, six or more since they encourage the sharing of delicious appetizers and entrees. The gnocchi was a particular favorite, but our group liked all the starters including Bruchetta, as well as the fish entrees. Ambiance, in what was once a candle factory, was fun.

Multi-room, multi-tiered hot spot that offers big menu and long wine list; authentic Italian small plates are the feature, but breads, cheeses, and pizza are nice compliments; Tuscan villa decor gives the bar and dining rooms a warm inviting feel; upstairs dining room is a more intimate experience away from the bustling bar and mainfloor dining room - Visited on: October 19, 2012

Came in for dinner on a Monday evening, and it was pretty dead, which surprised me because it was Restaurant Week. There are pretzel sticks waiting on the table for you when you’re seated, which is unique and appreciated as a different take than the usual bread other restaurants serve. We had the mushroom pizza, which was pretty darn good pizza--- a bit burnt on the bottom, but I guess that happens easily to thin crust pizza--- their crust is super thin. I ordered the black pasta, which is when I tried sea urchin for the first time and realized that I DEFINITELY don’t like it. The texture is spongy and not to my taste--- and it was too rich or mushy or something for me. The balance of seafood (sea urchin, crab meat) to the pasta seemed off--- not enough seafood. There are better places to go in Chicago than Balena for squid ink pasta. But the dessert--- the caramel budino here is to die for--- one of the best desserts I’ve had in Chicago. It was rich, creamy, and not too sweet--- a perfect budino for me. Service here is good as well. Ooh and they have magnets in the bathroom that you can take--- yes!!!

Odd. The room is cavernous. The small plates are quite small. The wines are not expensive because they are cheap wines. I don't get it. The pizza was the best thing my group ordered. Parking is seriously challenging and the valet was expensive.

Went to Balena last nite for New Years, not impressed. The atmosphere was bland, and although we liked our waiter, he kept turning the pages of a little notepad to explain the entrees. I had the kale ceasar salad with tuna, but no tuna was in the salad. The hanger steak was good, but portion size was small. Okay restuarant, but nothing memorable to have us return.

The tiramisu is rubbish. I am a tiramisu connoisseur. It's over priced and too sweet. For some reason they threw some type of garbage cookie on top ruining the dish. It does not taste like tiramisu. This is an insult to tiramisu. Do not buy this dessert.