Cafe Bionda

Lovvvvved the customer service; from door staff to our waitress, to the Chef! It was a lovely experience to meet the Chef and have him asking questions about our experience and favorite items on the menu. So let's get to it! I was looking forward to trying the short rib ravioli and it was delicious! I'll be back Wednesday for that ravioli! I also enjoyed the chicken parmigiana, rigatoni vodka and mini Italian subs. I was pleasantly surprised to learn about this south loop gem! The food was fresh and flavorful. The ambiance and overall experience gave comfortable and homelike. It's spacious and beautifully decorated.Last but surely not least, that Italian 75 was crispy and boozy!

It had been about ten years since I had visited this restaurant, and boy had I missed out. I came here for a Yelp event and the chef and staff really showed up and out. First, the dining room was perfectly lit, not too light and not too dark, just right for dinner time. The good choices were just divine. The rigatoni a la vodka was probably my favorite. I would order that again and again. Surprisingly, the mini Italian sub sandwich was probably my second choice. It was both creamy and tangy. I said I'd order a pan of them for any party. They were just delicious. I mean, the short rib ravioli, the calamari, the meatballs, the arancini (chef's kiss) were all just delicious. I'm so happy to have re-experienced this restaurant. It is a must try! Also, the serving staff was so accommodating and kind. The chef himself came out and spoke to us, who was also so personable and informative. 10/10 experience.

Honestly their happy hour can't be beat. $7 Prosecco and $10 fried calamari (full serving!). The bartender was fantastic. I highly recommend! Five stars.

Got carryout from here for the first time and I can say I wasn't diassapointed. I came in from the back and was a bit confused but there were employees nice enough to tell me how to get to the front to pick up my order. Customer service was good. The ambience was nice and romantic with lighting dimly light. There is plenty searing and a nice bar area. I ordered the rigatoni and it was pretty tasty and very fresh. I look forward to going back to dine in soon.

Came here for a late night dinner and I'd have to say it was average. When you walk in you're automatically greeted by the host. We went around 9pm so it wasn't busy - it was the right amount of noise of background music and good conversations. The staff was very friendly! He sat us down and we were given water and bread. The bread according to my boyfriend had a good hint of garlic to it. We ordered calamari for apps and they were good. My boyfriend mentioned them being small than what we're used too - think of bite size. Nonetheless very tasty. Now, the reason for me taking away 2 stars was the pasta.. what a disappointment! I spent 1/2 of my time adding salt, pepper, and Parmesan to my pasta as it had no seasoning which was so unfortunate. It was sooo creamy which some places lack so I was excited at first glance, but man did it surprise me. My boyfriend had the tortellini carbonara and also had to add seasoning but got it to a point where he was enjoying it. I will say he didn't finish his food and he ALWAYS finishes his food hahaNot sure if I'd really give them another shot nor recommend cause I've had so much better around town for same pricing.

Delicious dishes. See pictures! Parking is free in the back lot. There's a back entrance as well. Very convenient. Otherwise, there is metered street parking too.

We hadn't been back since the new owners took over, but finally made our way there on a Friday night.We really like that they have a parking lot in back and plenty of seating. Service was so warm and super friendly. Our water glasses stayed full and food came out quickly. I added a star for the hospitality.The food itself was fine. We didn't love anything we had, but it was all plentiful and cooked well. The side pastas are only available with plain sauce, but the portion is very big and a nice option if you want a bit of this and that.We saw a lot of folks that maybe were at McCormick for a convention so hope they will keep the business going. We will pop in from time to time for easy food, but it won't be on our must have list.

The food was safe but some were misses like the lamb; it was a bit too gamy and tough. The dessert was a bit odd textured. But overall, still 4 stars. Tables were nice and large and I also appreciated the free parking in the rear.

My roommate told me that cafe bionda was mentioned on block club chicago as recently re-opened so we decided to go to celebrate finishing finals! First of all, love the decor and movie posters, and setting, we sat right under a marlin, very old-man-and-the-sea of us!Honestly I was pleasantly surprised by the portion size bc I feel like Italian food can be very expensive for a small portion of food sometimes but this portion was very hearty! I don't usually struggle to finish my food, but I felt very full after this meal!My roommate got the braciole which is like this stuffed flank steak over pasta in a red sauce, it was yummy and the meat was very tender.I got the orecchiette and the rapini in it was SO GOOD. The flavor is very sausage heavy if that's your thing! The dish well-salted which is I think a good thing!The space is intimate and charming. I do agree with the other reviews that the lights could be turned up in the entire restaurant so if you're cafe bionda and reading this review I would HIGHLY CONSIDER this suggestion

Excellent service by a lovely Irish Colleen in a lovely setting.We did a family style and shared our entrees. The brick chicken was the best we ever had and not to mention the short rib ravioli was exceptional. Restaurant is reasonably priced with free parking in the back. Give it a try.