Gioia Ristorante e Pastificio

Review summary

1. J

   Jeremy

   Portland1 review

   2.0

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 2

   We found this place very last minute so did not do our research ahead of time. They were accommodation and sat us right away. I had a pasta prepared at the table. It was fresh and ok tasting. The proportions were a bit odd as it was a few noodles pretty much sitting in a soup of sauce. I would have been ok if this was just it for us but my wife got the eggplant parmesan, which was just hard to eat. It was a bowl of mush. There isnt really any other way to put it. We make a lot of eggplant parm at home and its one of our favs. So we were very excited to try it out and about. As mentioned before, there was no crunch or variety in textures, just a big bowl of mushy stuff with very little flavor. My wife actually took some pasta sauce from my dish just to add some flavor to hers. After attempting to at least make a dent in the plate we had to just give up on the dish entirely. Very unfortunate for the price. Would not recommend.
   

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2. OT

   OpenTable Diner VIP

   Chicago1 review

   5.0

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Best kept secret in Chicago. Food exceptional as was service. Thank you!
   

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3. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Chicago9 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   As soon as we walked in the door, we were treated like family. The dishes were cooked and seasoned to perfection. Each course was best is could possibly be! I highly recommend Gioia! Bravo!
   

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4. s

   stephanie VIP

   Chicago91 reviews

   3.0

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 3

   Was excited to try this spot, after hearing the chef was from Coco Pazzo! Celebrating friend's birthday, with large party on a Sunday night. Nice decor, comfortable seating in large booth, and welcoming ambiance. Sadly the highlight of the night was the outstanding gelato and sorbet. There was some language barriers w/ servers, and confusion over menu gf options, despite calling ahead about allergies. Wish every restaurant had a clearly marked menu with all allergens they could give us to review. Appetizers were fine, but I've had better. Cacio de pepe, my favorite, was done tableside for 4, but 2 of us got the GF option with scant sauce and scant pepper? The gf pasta was nice, but the sauce on bottom of plate was lacking and not mixed in. We had to ask for extra sauce! And still, it was not peppery as one would expect. Served entirely plain without even a hint of basil. It was a one-note dish, and again I've had better. Service was OK, but not great, we had to ask for more bread, and some issue around splitting the bill. I've had better service and all in all better experience at other spots.
   

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5. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Dublin1 review

   1.0

   Dined on March 6, 2025

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 1

   Very poor. Fabric on booths was dirty and had crumbs on it when we sat down. Table cloth was dirty. Food was low quality and taste for the price. Service was slow.
   

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6. G

   Gloria

   Chicago9 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on March 2, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We went on a quick visit before and had table service of "GIOIA NEI PACCHERI Tableside" which is a lesson is something that almost no ingredients but is stellar. It was just terrific. This time, we had the veal/beef polpette for an appetizer. Its' just so light and delicious. Don't eat all your bread they bring you if you order this because you'll want to combine their great olive oil and bread with this sauce. The veal chop was so good, an unexpected delight but I won't describe it for the risotto. If you have watched any food show that talks about how the rice should be al dente and individual and tried to replicate it, you'll want to eat theirs. And if you want to find out what truffles are like, if the seasonal risotto the truffle risotto, there are shavings of truffles EVERYWHERE on this. It's the ultimate in truffles. Anyway, as a person who enjoys risotto, both eating in restaurants and making it at home, this was just such a divine treat that I cannot forget it. Of course, if you happen to dislike truffles, wait for this to have other seasonal ingredients because it is very much truffled. Overall, loved the service, ambiance, and menu choices. By the way, I love to finish with coffee and dessert but the risotto was such a treat that I skipped it all to leave with that risotto and truffle memory as my last bit.
   

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7. CN

   ColleenN

   San Francisco3 reviews

   3.0

   Dined on March 1, 2025

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 3

   Bartender was great- made a nice recommendation for wine and made a great manhattan. Our waiter was nit knowledgeable about the food- seemed rushed bit it was early and the dinner rush hadnt started.
   

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8. T

   Tashula VIP

   Chicago4 reviews

   2.0

   Dined on February 28, 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Unfortunately the food was a miss. We ordered the very over priced specials (risotto and NY strip steak). We had to send back the way undercooked risotto. The 2nd version was worse. The steak was rubbery and overcooked. We were surprised no accommodation was not made for the poorly prepared food. The bright side was the service! The staff was lovely.
   

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9. S

   Shivani VIP

   Chicago11 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on February 26, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Great service at a beautiful restaurant with delicious food!
   

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10. K

    Kelly

    Chicago6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 23, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5

    The food was delicious and the place was crowded. The appetizer meatballs we had were great. The homemade pasta and bolognese was very good. The flourless chocolate cake was warm and fudge filled. We will return again in the summer when all the doors are wide open.
    

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