il Carciofo
Chicago
Bewertungen
It’s nice that this place has a vegan menu, but the flavors were lacking. I tried the carciofo alla guida and the mezze rigatoni amatriciana and was underwhelmed. Nothing special there. The coconut gelato was amazing however - definitely worth a try. Also tried one of the cocktails and split a special bottle of lambrusco that was delicious. I’d only come back for drinks and dessert. Maybe the food is better if you eat dairy and meat.
Had the best time at il carciofo celebrating a friend’s birthday! From food, to service, and atmosphere I will definitely be making my way back. We got the fritto misto calamari as an appetizer and they fry their lemons (a personal favorite)! For mains we got the carbonara, amatriciana, and manzo aprugineo. Everything came out in a timely manner and was flavorful! The carbonara in particular was my star of the night and I will be coming back for it specifically. Since we were celebrating a birthday we got a spread of their gelatos (strawberry and pistachio were my top two, but everyone in the group had a favorite). Drinks were all delicious as well! A huge shoutout to our serve Alejandro who kept the vibes high and was extremely attentive. Overall, I definitely recommend this for anyone looking for a celebratory dinner/fun date spot!
Manuel our server is very knowledgeable and very kind, he made the entire experience flawless. With a bigger group of 7 it felt like no wait and just as intimate as a 2 top. We started with the prosciutto di Parma. And that was just a treat to start the night perfectly made inhouse bread and delicious 30 month cured prosciutto. Moved on to some ravioli that was a cheesy and perfect. Now the main the veal porterhouse, stole the show the flavors were crazy topped with prosciutto on a perfectly cooked veal porterhouse, Others not featured are the carbonara, artichoke, lamb chops, and scallops We ate them to fast to take photos but they were all just to good. The artichoke tasted like a lemon funnel cake and somehow was the best app! I highly recommend this place and I'm happy it was recommended to me. Please come experience this fine dining!
Two years in a row I've gone to Il Carciofo while in Chicago for the LMT Lab Day. They have gone above and beyond every visit! Angela was so kind to show my father and I a wonderful tour through the menu, and this year showed my lady and I a whole other side of the menu, that did not disappoint. Roman style aged bone in steak with the glaze and. Some wonderful pizza! 🤤 and they even spoiled us with compliments from the kitchen! A Gelato plate with a birthday candle to make her day extra special(shes still thinking about all those flavors, the vanilla bean and pistachio are simply unmatched in our opinions). Also they treated us to a squash dish that was out of this world, and had a picky eater super satisfied! The star i think has got to be the artichoke app. Its to die for. Thank you il Carciofo for a grand experience anytime in town. Ask for Angela and be amazed!
I had been meaning to try this restaurant, I drive by it so often, and something about the patio and signage reminded me of Italy, which is where I spent part of my summer in 2025. I took one of my friends to celebrate her new chapter in business (she launched a new company) for dinner and cocktails. Admittedly, we did walk in with a "we want to have a good night" attitude, and that always makes the difference in any dining experience. il Carciofo did not disappoint me. The vibe inside is festive, fast and totally fun. There was not an empty seat in the entire place, and we were there on a Saturday afternoon, right before dinnertime. We had reservations (a must) and were seated right away. Privacy: The tables provide just enough distance from each other, you don't feel crammed like other restaurants do. Noise: The noise level is such, that you can't really hear anyone else talking, which is great. But it is moderate to loud. Cleanliness: The restaurant is very clean, the bathrooms when we were there were immaculate. And thankfully, they use low scent soap, which is perfect so your hands don't reek of perfume before you eat. We didn't know that you have to order all items at once, and that most items are designed to be shared. I suppose that they have to time the kitchen, which makes sense, the place is literally packed. We were only supposed to be there for a maximum of two hours. But we ordered to much food and wine, and we had lots of catching up to do, so our 2 hours went over, and we were eventually asked to give up our table. Service: Our server was confident making wine recommendations, my guest drinks red, I only drink white. We loved his final recommendation. He was able to explain the menu rather well, but he missed on the vegetable which I believe was delicata squash. I was not a fan of this vegetable pairing with our other selections. Location: Away from the hustle of Randolph street, so it feels much classier and sophisticated. I wonder what it's like during the summer months, it's probably bananas. Cost: Extremely expensive. I am still on the fence about if the cost is commensurate to the service, vibe and quality of food. I've eaten at restaurants before at this price point, and they were a little bit more upscale or were in NYC. Food: I enjoyed my meal and my company. I may have enjoyed the food of many other Italian restaurants in Chicago a bit more. But I will say, the flavors are unique to me at il Carciofo, and I haven't had those flavors before. So in a way, it was an adventure that I wanted and I was happy to have taken the chance. My guest and I shared the gnocchi, the steak, and the kale salad. We had desert that reminded me of a profiterol. Overall, plenty of food for two. Cocktails: We ordered traditional gin gimlets with Plymouth Gin. Gin gimlets are a classic cocktail, and difficult to make well and balance, especially if you request an alteration, which I did. I asked for a little less sweet. The bartender was obviously trained well, and their was some passion in that mix, the cocktail was fresh, crips and perfect. We followed up with a bottle of a splendid white pinot noir. Because of the cost, I would place this restaurant in the special occasion category.
