Cafe Spiaggia

Amazingly, this outstanding Italian in even better hands with a change in head chef. Flavorful take on modern Italian, with nice structure around a number of dishes on the tasting menu. Outstanding service and welcomed complimentary wines. Generous portions in the set courses.

I must say that my wife and I had possibly the best meal we have ever had tonight. The staff was very knowledgeable and caring. Compliments to everyone. Chef Brian came out and spoke with us a couple times. He really seemed happy to be there and was able to answer any questions we had on the spot. I truly recommend coming here for special occasions. We will return one day!

My husband and I are glad we chose Spiaggia to celebrate our anniversary. We opted for the a la carte menu. We had the Barbatietole (beet dish) and the Tonno Vitellato (tuna) from the appetizers. Both were great. The highlight for me was the Truffle Gnocchi. It was so good that I saved some on my bread plate to eat after my pork entree and finish my meal on that flavor. We had a good laugh about that with our waiter. No wonder it's everyone's favorite. My husband ordered the Bistecca Alla Fiorentina. It's a 28oz 45-day dry aged porterhouse. At $140 it's a bit extravagant but it's expected given the fact that it's huge, dry aged and served at a Michelin star restaurant. Plus it was a special occasion and my husband loved it so it was worth it. They also brought him a complimentary glass of wine paired with his steak. The Maiale (pork) was very good too. The dessert my husband had was the Almond shortcake and he enjoyed it. The view was nice, the service was great and the staff was friendly, personable and professional. To honor our occasion (anniversary) they offered 2 glasses of complimentary sparkling wine and after our meal they brought 2 scoops of rasberry balsamic sorbet and Earl grey ice cream which were both amazing. We'll definitely visit Spiaggia again.

The wife and I were in Chicago this past weekend and of course this place hit the ball out of the stratosphere. I absolutely love this restaurant! Just give me their linguini pasta with shaved truffles dish and all will be right in the world. One of my favorite restaurants in America. Thank you again for a wonderful dining experience.

Everything went well today. I went here today with a friend to eat and I can say I am very satisfied with the service and food. The server (David), was really nice and helpful and whenever I requested something he got it done. He even explained the food, when I asked and it was very helpful because I knew what I was ordering. Also the food was cheaper than expected and was around my budget. They also have a system here where they can put your card on file and, that is very useful because it can be used to get rid of awkward situations of splitting the bill. You just need to call in and ask about it. One thing I would recommend when coming here is to dress up a little, because I felt a little out of place due to the fact that I was wearing casual clothing. While everyone else was wearing a button ups and dresses. BUT, the servers here still treated us equally. I really enjoyed it here and I hope to come back on my next day off, or when I can clear my schedule. Thank you guys for the service and the experience.

My family loved the restaurant week menu. Both selections from first to dessert course were scrumptious. We just had to share to taste everything. My almost teens enjoyed the experience of a fancier restaurant and especially loved the gelato. Cafe Spiaggia is also wonderful for having great espresso, a small bite or dessert.

My motivation to dine at Spiaggia was of course to enjoy a meal at the establishment managed under the most recent top chef, Joe Flamm. The experience far exceeded our expectations. The food was delicious. The hospitality and service extended by the Chefs and service staff was great. The wine selection is extensive. Several options were available for vegetarian diners.

My partner and I were ‘Civilly Partnered’ in the UK in 2009. This year, we converted our Civil Partnership to Marriage earlier this month. Spiaggia was our celebratory meal in Chicago. Upon arrival, we were asked if we were celebrating anything. We mentioned our reason for our meal and the staff were brilliant. Upon sitting down, we were given a complimentary glass of bubbles. The staff regularly congratulated us and were also consistently friendly and informative. We ordered à la carte and we were happy to not receive the typical massive US portions. The food was delicious and a great twist on traditional Italian cuisine. Our server, Holly (as well as everyone else), was generous with time and friendly conversation.

Went for a wine tasting, after all there is real talent here and great food. As a wine tasting it was superb. Surprised it was Spanish, but once I got over it it was outstanding. Sampled 10 wines including after dinner wines and found three I would buy immediately. Good group and lked by Rachael Lowe a terrific host.

Excellent meal. They were backed up for the evening which, ironically, caused them to space out our courses perfectly for us. We got to really take our time and savor each dish. Cafe Spiaggia is a great spot in its own right and isn't only the little sibling to Spiaggia.

Safe bet for high end Italian dining. Have been going here for 20 years and have never been disappointed. The menu is changed regularly and the restaurant has a good selection of wines paired with great food. Expect to pay $100 plus per person for appetizers, food and wine.

This is a wonderful restaurant with great views of Michigan Ave. and even greater food! The gnocchi is wonderful, as is the Tiramisu, one of my favorite desserts. They have tons of wines to choose from, and service is always A+! Prices are on the higher side, but it is a very nice restaurant and worth every cent! Great to take that special someone for a birthday or anniversary.

This review is actually for Spiaggia and not Cafe Spiaggia. For some reason, the actual restaurant is not available on Google, only the cafe. Regardless, we had a great experience. The food was great and the service was top-notch. I was very impressed with all of the precautions they were taking with regards to COVID - there were a lot of small details with regards to our visit that really made a huge difference in our experience. There's a reason this place has been around for 35 years.

This is the BEST Italian restaurant in the City. I've eaten here at least 20 times - always amazing. The pasta is literally perfect. You can order anything here and you'll like it. Do yourself a favor and eat here. PS. I am reviewing the "cafe" Spiaggia. The Cafe menu is the best kept (sort-of) secret in Chicago.

Get ready to loosen your belt, and your purse strings. The food is on a whole other level. So amazing. Our server Emily was charming, helpful, and incredibly generous, offering us an free app because we were celebrating an occasion! Although her jacket needed a dry cleaning and a stitch or two, she was very pleasant.

Probably one of the best experiences we’ve had in Chicago, maybe the states at a restaurant. Staff was accommodating and incredibly nice to us. Only complaint is that they were nicer and gave free ice cream to my 3 year old. To whom they gave a custom pasta dish and crayons. I didn’t get any of those... But I was given a wonderful G&T by the bar staff... so maybe an even trade......

I don't understand the bad reviews at all. Sure it is expensive. Got to think you know that going in. It really is all about the food for me. Simply put, they served us some of the best food I have ever had anywhere at any price. The service was spot on and we had a booth by the window for my Aunt's birthday dinner. Spiaggia is not for the feint of heart or light of wallet. We couldn't eat there every day. On this day for this occasion it was nearly perfect.

Incredible spot! Michelin resto that really deserved their star! The steak dish was unreal- I could have cried it was so good! Wish they had more moderately priced wines but I guess at a place like this you should expect to drop some big bucks. Well worth it though!

I came here for my girlfriends birthday and it definitely did not disappoint! We did the tasting menu with the wine pairings. Every wine was phenomenal and the food was great. They also heard my girlfriend talking about the gnocchi with truffle and ended up bringing us both out plates of it. They made the night very special and everything was honestly so good. Would highly recommend!

We dined here for the very first time on Saturday evening for my birthday and had such a lovely experience. From the time of arrival the staff was so attentive. They made you feel like a guest in their home. They were there when you needed them, but not so much that you couldn't enjoy conversation with your table. The sommelier was happy to come to the table and recommend a phenomenal bottle of wine to enjoy throughout the meal. As for the food, we did the 6 course tasting menu and I would highly recommend that. Every course was delicious and complimented the one prior. Typically my hesitation with tasting menus is still being hungry after, but this was not the case here at all. I left perfectly full and happy. Thank you for a beautiful meal and celebration!

My sister and I dine here every once in a while. The food is magnificent. The service is top notch! We dined late , they were very accommodating. They always have the perfect wine to accompany our meals. And sometimes you just need their quiet atmosphere ....light jazz and very grown up. We needed it! Our thanks to the manager and the entire staff!

My girlfriend and I celebrated the end of the semester by eating here. We had the blue fin tuna for antipasti, the gnocchi and one other pasta dish, and the duck and pork chop. All the dishes were amazing and service was the best I have ever had. Being young a college student I always worry at a nice restaurant the staff would will be condescending, but it was the exact opposite here. It is expensive, but prices make sense when you taste the complexity and freshness of ingredients. Staff all around was amazing definitely plan on returning.

Incredible meal. The gnocchi was really good! If you do not eat boar (I do not), do not fret. The staff is happy to adjust any of the menu items to suit your taste. Great personal attention by the staff. The cafe is not the biggest location, which means that it is not too loud. It is a great place to share a business meal or meet friends. I would absolutely go back for another meal!

One of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had. Gorgeous restaurant decor with views of the lake. The staff was extremely knowledgeable and professional. We were greeted by the Chef, Joe Flamm, who is brilliant at his craft, yet down to earth. Course after course wowed us. I highly recommend Spiaggia for a special occasion or if you are looking to impress!!

This was a spectacular meal and experience. We had the five course tasting menu and at the waiter's suggestion, added a pasta course, which was a good idea. I thought each course was amazing though one companion thought the apple-themed dessert was a little tart (splitting hairs). The service is exceptional befitting the restaurant's Michelin star.

What a fun, unique experience! We came here to celebrate a birthday and it was certainly worth every penny. We made a reservation 3 months in advance, and the lastest time we could get on a Saturday was 6pm. By the time we left around 830pm, the restaurant was packed and some tables had turned over already. You definitely need a reservation, in fact I don't even think they take walk ins. We did the five course tasting menu and added on two orders of gnocchi for good measure. The tasting menu was amazing. Melt in your mouth, perfectly seasoned-- everything was excellent. The gnocchi was brought out in the middle of the tasting menu, which was nice so it didn't feel like an add on, just part of the meal. Service was excellent, exactly what you would expect when you're paying $150+/person. Also very nice that the chef Joe Flamm was out and around, came to our table to shave some truffles on the gnocchi, and said hi and bye when we left. I wouldn't be coming here weekly, or even monthly, but it's a good special occasion experience.

Unreal food - SO good, and fantastic service. My wife and I went on our first date to the cafe attached to the restaurant, and we came back 5 years later to the restaurant itself- which recently collected its first Michelin star. Still salivating over the tortellini in brodo, but the whole experience is fantastic. Highly recommended!

My family went for a "cook's night out" the night before Thanksgiving. The service was wonderful and the staff was so kind. Unfortunately it seemed that the kitchen was having a bad night. My mom's pasta was undercooked (obviously enough to the point where other family members had tried it and agreed). I ordered the carbonara and it was underwhelming. Not a lot of sauce and too toppings we're lackluster. My appetizer was really good though (photo included) so it's hard to stay mad. Also the staff was very cool about the feedback and was very understanding about the dinner. Willing to give it another shot but considering the price and that the cuisine is their specialty that should not happen.

We went to here for our anniversary. The restaurant is beautiful. We started the evening with some delicious drinks from the bar. The menu is simple to navigate and the staff are all around to help with any questions. The food was incredible. We savored every bite because we didn’t want it to go away, and one of the best bread services I’ve ever had in my life. Now the reason I gave it four stars I ordered the tomahawk pork chop (which was unbelievable good) that comes pre-sliced off the bone for your enjoyment. Now, the bone is my favorite part, but I wasn’t about to pick it up and start gnawing at it like I would at a BBQ, so I said “it’ll be my late night snack”. I only got a few bites into the pork before I became too full to continue. I asked for the plate to be wrapped. Later, going for my late night snack, I find no bone, only meat.

Food: Refined, but not overly so to the point of being confusing. You will be able to understand what you’re about to eat by looking at it. Everything will be delicious. The menu changes seasonally, and the food just tastes incredibly fresh, crisp and clean. Atmosphere / Service: I definitely felt a liiiiiiittle judged for not ordering all of the most expensive things. I went with my wife, and we ordered 1 appetizer, 3 pastas, and a half bottle of wine. That’s a really reasonable amount of stuff for a Wednesday night, right? The wine list … I would not describe it as accessible. It is 30 pages long, and there are not a lot of lower cost options. There are a handful of HALF bottles in the $40-$60 range. We ordered a half bottle that was $55 and the Sommalier was fairly cold about it. Our server repeatedly came back asking if he could bring us more food, to the point of it being a little annoying and feeling pressured because we didn’t spend enough. It’s not formal in the way that they expect you to be super dressed up, just in the way that they expect you to be willing to spend all the money.

Great meal and ambiance, especially if you get a window seat viewing the lake. Standout dish was the fried gnocchi starter, very light and airy. Pasta is made fresh and done to perfection. Olive oil served with the bread is flavorful and shows how this place is a cut above most Italian restaurants. Excellent service.

I thought this place was really good and any regular place would have gotten 5 Star but I gave it a 4 for the following reasons. First the price point should match the good quality, creativity and service. Every dish we had was really good the only issue with quality for me was the wine. We bought a bottle and described the wines we liked and got a bottle that I think was bad. I don't like making a fuss so I didn't say anything but I would have thought the sommelier would have said jumped in to inspect quality. This was a white wine that was only 3 years old but looked dark like a wine aged older than that. When I mentioned this she just said that it had some skin contact. I also thought it had a little rotting taste to it. I didn't say anything about it so I know I'm partially to blame but think a restaurant if this caliber should constantly be doing quality control. The food creativity was good too but if I were to compare it to the other restaurants of this caliber it was not as good. Lastly with service, obviously there was the wine issue that should have been addressed but they did do some really great thinks. My wife went to the bathroom and I noticed the server come out with the next dish but saw that one person was missing so he turned around and waited for get return. A fly ended up in one glass of wine and the server promptly removed the glass and the sommelier returned with a glass of a different wine that they serve by the glass, which was tremendously better.

Great food, good wine, bad pairings. We got the tasting menu with the reserve wine pairing. The food itself was fantastic, and the wines by themselves were okay, but two of the wines actively clashed with the dish. As for the service, those that served the food were fantastic. The sommelier though seemed rather cold. She would tell us what the wine was, and then leave. No explanation for why she thought the wines would pair, nor any sort of actual engagement with us. Even after we specifically asked for more details about one of the wines, she went back to just giving us the wine and rushing off for later courses.

There is so very much to love about this classic Italian restaurant overlooking Michigan Avenue. It’s very beautiful, gracious, quiet. The glassware and other table service is gorgeous. The food and drink was delicious but I daresay not so overwhelming to justify the price. We give a yes to their famed gnocchi but a shrug of our shoulders for the squash cipollini. Perhaps most disappointing and the reason I slip this to 4 instead of 5 stars is the service. Though the main waiters are obviously sophisticated, the food runners seemed rushed and presented courses without taking a moment to make any personal connection with us about the food. The overall aloofness of the service and the sterile grey modern coolness of the dining room just didn’t inspire me to add Spiaggia to my “must return” list. We did have an exceptionally memorable service experience with one of the young female wait staff that redeemed the entire evening and for that we are grateful.

Came here for lunch during restaurant week - loved each dish! There were three of us, and we ordered one of everything on the menu. Standouts were the pasta dishes, for sure. Fresh ingredients, excellent service! What a great spot for a fancy lunch. Looking forward to trying the regular menu soon - everything looked and smelled divine.

I was in Chicago to have a reunion with some friends and decided to treat them to a fine dining experience. Since I have not been to many Michelin rated restaurants, I figured I would try to find one. Spiaggia quickly jumped to the top of the list after doing some research on my friends tastes. We were six total and were seated promptly. Then began the service. We were not seen by the waiter for another 10 minutes. Everyone ordered a drink including a coke. I know I know a coke seems out of place here, but let's be real, this should be easily accommodated. Everyone but my coke loving friend received their beverage. He had to wait for another 20 minutes and that included 2 prompts by us to various waiters to get that damn coke. This was a recurring theme throughout the evening. When our meal was done and we ordered dessert. Again we all received our order except one person. We had to prompt them about it and they ended up comping that particular dessert. In the end the food was pretty good but the service was incredibly lacking. Especially for a restaurant with such high credentials.

I had a very strange experience that is not likely to reflect other people's situations when dining at Spiaggia Restaurant. My husband and were visiting Chicago with our baby and were staying downtown. We needed to grab a quick meal close to our hotel before putting our baby down for the night. Unfortunately, we didn't understand that there was a more casual Cafe Spiaggia and accidentally went to the more upscale restaurant. The hostess sat us quickly and did not act rude or put off by the fact that we were under-dressed and with a six month old in a stroller. We ordered a glass of wine and were then given the menu, which only had options for a 3 or 5 course meal. After telling the server that we could not stick around for so long and that we would just pay for our drinks and leave, she immediately offered for us to order off the cafe menu and take our food to go. The food came out quickly and the wait for it was surprisingly not awkward. She made the whole ordeal less uncomfortable and was extremely gracious, despite the fact that our bill was a small fraction of what it would have been if we were real customers. The food was just OK, but I think it's really incredible that all of the restaurant employees that we came in contact with were really nice and the exact opposite of what you would expect in such an upscale restaurant. They never hinted that we were not welcome, despite the fact that we stuck out like a sore thumb. They deserve kudos for that :)

No idea what is the fuss here. 3 stars because Pros: 1. Excellent Ambiance 2. Initial bump but great service 3. Not the food Cons: 1. Food wasn't amazing, the Gnocchi was extremely disappointing 2. Server doesn't seems to know the food well. As a first timer there and for a meal that will be >$100, the server needs to give proper food recommendation

I ate at Spiaggia last week per the recommendation of a downtown hotel I was staying. The menu is limited which is OK. I was looking for a starter and an entree vs. the 3 course dinner they were advocating. Had a squash salad with some arugula on the starter menu and I asked is they could add more arugula and they said it would double the price - $17 to $34. I asked if I could have the risotto on the second course menu as an entree and they said sure. The size of the dish was presented in a second course size vs. as an entree and was quite salty. I felt really gouged. The restaurant is way over-priced.

I don’t remember what the food tasted like, or what dishes were even served, due to the horrendous service I experienced. I was coming out of the restroom, located somewhat outside of the main dining area, past the host stand. As I rounded the corner to return to my table, a waiter smashed directly into me as he balanced 3 cocktails on his tray adjacent to the bar. I reflexively caught 2 of the glasses before they dropped onto the floor (the third just tipped onto the tray itself). In doing so, the drinks COVERED me chest-down. The waiter looked at me with DISGUST, turned to the guests at the bar whose drinks had spilled, and profusely apologized to them with me standing idly by. He took the glasses from me and rushed off, continuously apologizing to the bar guests who only stared at ME as I stood there, soaked. The manager offered to dry clean my jumpsuit and similarly brushed the entire situation off/away. As someone who had paid for the full course tasting menu along with the wine pairing, I was aghast to be treated with such disregard, especially compared to guests who were only enjoying cocktails (if you want to look at this from a cost-profit perspective). Needless to say, I warn all friends, colleagues, and family of this restaurant as their servers are negligent and their managerial staff care even less so. I spent the rest of that evening crying in the restroom from embarrassment and couldn’t help but wonder how racially charged this incident was. Perhaps if I was Caucasian, like the manager was, the waiter was, and the bar patrons were, I would have been treated with an ounce of dignity and respect. Nothing was comped, we paid hundreds for our meals, and I left in tears.