La Cantina

This is a great place to take out of towners or just for your family. It is just down fthe street from Millieum Park and the other " must see" sights of Chicago. The food is great- the wine list comprehensive and service efficient. We have been going there for twenty years and it is always a great experience. Pros: Ambience-food and wine Cons: None that I can think of. more

This is a great place to take out of towners or just for your family. It is just down fthe street from Millieum Park and the other "" must see"" sights of Chicago. The food is great- the wine list comprehensive and service efficient. We have been going there for twenty years and it is always a great experience. Pros: Ambience-food and wine Cons: None that I can think of. more

Joe made a fortune December 30th. While waiting over one hour to be seated i stood by the door and watched bill after bill going into his pockets so that the ""influential"" with no reservations could be seated before us peons awaiting a chance to dine. I will never go back. more

Joe made a fortune December 30th. While waiting over one hour to be seated i stood by the door and watched bill after bill going into his pockets so that the "influential" with no reservations could be seated before us peons awaiting a chance to dine. I will never go back. more

This seemed like the kind of place that would be a nightmare to work in (especially for a woman). The man who seated us was spouting gibberish (what he thought was witty repartee I guess) in a thick accent and made us very uncomfortable. As for the food, the sauces on both of our overcooked entrees had WAY too much sodium. The bread we were given was almost as old as our server, who had to be over 70 and seemed like the kind of employee who'd been mistreated for years. On our way out we witnessed the manager verbally angrily harassing the cashier. When we related our experience to a local the next day, he said "If I'd known you were thinking of going there, I'd have warned you." I think that says it all! more

This seemed like the kind of place that would be a nightmare to work in (especially for a woman). The man who seated us was spouting gibberish (what he thought was witty repartee I guess) in a thick accent and made us very uncomfortable. As for the food, the sauces on both of our overcooked entrees had WAY too much sodium. The bread we were given was almost as old as our server, who had to be over 70 and seemed like the kind of employee who'd been mistreated for years. On our way out we witnessed the manager verbally angrily harassing the cashier. When we related our experience to a local the next day, he said ""If I'd known you were thinking of going there, I'd have warned you."" I think that says it all! more

My girlfriend and I were excited to try an Italian Village restaurant, so we decided to go with La Cantina. (The restaurant downstairs.) Besides the fact they seat you in the hallway, (if you go you will see what I mean) the food quality and taste is much below average. The pasta was wet and cold, and the tomato sauce had no flavor. The chicken tasted like it came off of a dirty charcoal grill. I consider myself a food enthusiast having a pretty diverse palate. La Cantina is hard on both the wallet (for the quality you receive) and the stomach. Consider dining at one of the other two restaurants in this building. Hopefully, the food comes from a different kitchen. Pros: Good wine. Cons: Food taste and quality is lacking. more

italian village gets props for being open on christmas eve (albeit only till 8:30 pm). outside of that, i probably would not go back. this place is not really equipped for groups larger than 4. there were 5 of us and we were very crowded. the calamari was hot, tender, lightly salted and battered. i enjoyed this one. the minestrone soup was not thick enough. my pork chop vesuvio was garlicky (a good thing) but overcooked (a bad thing). the linguine con frutta di mare was bland. well, the pasta was soggy and bland. the seafood was acceptable. our server seemed out of it. could be the holiday distractions or what not. but either way, we did not receive the service i expect from a decent restaurant. he came by to ask for drink orders. i ordered. then he left.... and did not ask everyone else on the table for their drink orders. i asked for olive oil and balsamic vinegar, he came back with the olive oil. the vinegar did not arrive until 15 minutes after the olive oil. 2 people ordered pork chops, only one got a decent knife. i am sure there are other better restaurants to go to. this place might be a landmark, but a restaurant should be enjoyed for its food/drinks, not its longevity. more

italian village gets props for being open on christmas eve (albeit only till 8:30 pm). outside of that, i probably would not go back. more

What can I say? It's the ""veelajay"" as my Uncle Louie called it. He was a fixture on there staff for eons and my family has so many memories here. This is the place for heavy duty family gatherings as well as romantic date spot. It's near the beautiful Chicago Lyric Opera House & is thee place for post operatic drinks and eats. If someone is not familiar with it, it is a compilation of separate dining rooms each with their own decor and ambience. From casual to sophisticated, whatever your mood. It makes up the ""village"". Pros: World class fare in the heart of the loop. more

What can I say? It's the "veelajay" as my Uncle Louie called it. He was a fixture on there staff for eons and my family has so many memories here. This is the place for heavy duty family gatherings as well as romantic date spot. It's near the beautiful Chicago Lyric Opera House & is thee place for post operatic drinks and eats. If someone is not familiar with it, it is a compilation of separate dining rooms each with their own decor and ambience. From casual to sophisticated, whatever your mood. It makes up the "village". The Capitanini family have been running this for generations and they are pure class. The food is incredible and you will find offerings not available anywhere else. As everyone knows, I'm choosy about my Italian restaurants and this one is a gem with a dear place in my heart. They have award winning cuisine and one of the largest restaurant wine cellars in the country. If you are a visitor to Chicago do yourself a favor and visit the village because it is more than just food, it is an experience. Pros: World class fare in the heart of the loop. Cons: none more

This was the best food and service I have had. The range of prices on the menu fits everyones needs. We were seated promptly on a busy night without reservations. We were treated great and even had the staff sang Happy Birthday to my friend. The atmosphere is fun and casual. The bar is awesome all lit up with twinkling stars. The Management at the front was awesome and recognized us as soon as we walked in with a warm welcome. The food was tasty and authentic Italian style. What a great experience !! Thank you. Pros: Food, location and personal guest service at a casual style more

This was the best food and service I have had. The range of prices on the menu fits everyones needs. We were seated promptly on a busy night without reservations. We were treated great and even had the staff sang Happy Birthday to my friend. The atmosphere is fun and casual. The bar is awesome all lit up with twinkling stars. The Management at the front was awesome and recognized us as soon as we walked in with a warm welcome. The food was tasty and authentic Italian style. What a great experience !! Thank you. Pros: Food, location and personal guest service at a casual style more

The prices for this restaurant are unbelievable. The food and value was exceptional, not to mention the great service by our experienced waiter and the Captain that took care of our table. I felt like a V.I.P. The wine director also helped us choose a wine off the award winning list of about 1500 wines, by the way, not overpriced like I am use to seeing. You can't go wrong in this landmark restaurant that is truly a gem. Pros: Prices, service and original Italian cuisine more

The prices for this restaurant are unbelievable. The food and value was exceptional, not to mention the great service by our experienced waiter and the Captain that took care of our table. I felt like a V.I.P. The wine director also helped us choose a wine off the award winning list of about 1500 wines, by the way, not overpriced like I am use to seeing. You can't go wrong in this landmark restaurant that is truly a gem. Pros: Prices, service and original Italian cuisine more

A friend and I traveled to Chicago for a semi vacation, but I also had a gift certificate to The Village, the upstairs restaurant of the Italian Village. We were there in the evening and with it being a week night there was no wait. The atmosphere was nice, but the service was great. I presented my gift certificate as soon as I sat down and I wondered if the service would get sloppy since I "wasn't paying", but it didn't. The staff there is great. We ordered wine, pinot noir and riesling. Both were fantastic. For an appetizer we got the Shrimp and Mussels. Both great. The main dishes were Tortelli and the seafood combination for my friend. This is where it gets fuzzy. The main dishes? not so great. Not bad, but not great. Nothing to put my finger on; they just didn't "wow" us. Then for dessert we ordered the cannoli and the tiramisu. Again, both great. It was worth the time and trip since it only cost me $20 (tip). I would go back because of the service and just order a different main course. Pros: Super great service and pretty good food. Awesome wine! more

A friend and I traveled to Chicago for a semi vacation, but I also had a gift certificate to The Village, the upstairs restaurant of the Italian Village. We were there in the evening and with it being a week night there was no wait. The atmosphere was nice, but the service was great. I presented my gift certificate as soon as I sat down and I wondered if the service would get sloppy since I ""wasn't paying"", but it didn't. The staff there is great. We ordered wine, pinot noir and riesling. Both were fantastic. For an appetizer we got the Shrimp and Mussels. Both great. The main dishes were Tortelli and the seafood combination for my friend. This is where it gets fuzzy. The main dishes? not so great. Not bad, but not great. Nothing to put my finger on; they just didn't ""wow"" us. Then for dessert we ordered the cannoli and the tiramisu. Again, both great. It was worth the time and trip since it only cost me $20 (tip). I would go back because of the service and just order a different main course. Pros: Super great service and pretty good food. Awesome wine! more

This restaurant is a gem. The Village upstairs has a great, romantic atmosphere. The kitchen is hidden away, and seating is intimate and cosy. Food is very good. We both had pasta dishes. Portions are large so be prepared to take food home, or better yet, order one entree and split it with an appetizer or two. Service is excellent; water glasses are always filled; wait staff is fast but don't get in your way. Meals are a terrific value for the Loop. Make reservations for weekend nights. Pros: Excellent ambiance, service, and food. Cons: Not a great place for large groups or business; suitable for a group of 4. more

This restaurant is a gem. The Village upstairs has a great, romantic atmosphere. The kitchen is hidden away, and seating is intimate and cosy. Food is very good. We both had pasta dishes. Portions are large so be prepared to take food home, or better yet, order one entree and split it with an appetizer or two. Service is excellent; water glasses are always filled; wait staff is fast but don't get in your way. Meals are a terrific value for the Loop. Make reservations for weekend nights. Pros: Excellent ambiance, service, and food. Cons: Not a great place for large groups or business; suitable for a group of 4. more

So my friends had little time to eat before we went to the Bulls game. When you walk into the Italian Village you have three restaurants to choose from. Thank goodness we chose the right one! The space was small but the food was delicious! I had the Chicken Pasta and it was incredible! And our service was even better. We had a waitress named Anetta and she was so down to earth and incredible friendly. A cameron diaz look-alike! Pros: food, service, location Cons: small space but bearable more