Tortello

When two friends who don't know each other recommend a restaurant to me, I know I have to go! I loved my experience at Tortello. The contrast of no-reservations with high quality food is refreshing. The staff are top notch. They enthusiastically discussed their recommendations with me, and you can tell they are like family to each other. The food itself lived up to the praise. I ordered the Focaccia with Ricotta and Honey - wow! I'm glad I was dining solo, and didn't have to share any of it! For my pasta, I had the Tortelli, and it delighted my cheese-loving heart. I wanted to eat slowly to prolong the experience.I'll definitely be back to try more of the pastas! Also the outdoor patio looked lovely.

Service was ok. Ragu 9/10 cacio e pepe was very bad 3/10 entrance was delicious and fresh 10/10 overall a good experience. Not remarkable.Fair price for a dinner for two. Not really a place for a date.. The place has too many tables. Good wine.

Tortello in Chicago truly lives up to its tagline, "homemade with love." From the moment you step in, the aroma of freshly made pasta envelopes you, promising a delightful culinary experience. The handmade pasta is nothing short of perfection--each bite is a testament to the skill and dedication that goes into crafting every dish. Whether you choose the rich and creamy carbonara or the vibrant and flavorful pesto, you're in for a treat that will transport your taste buds straight to Italy.And then there's the tiramisu. Tortello's tiramisu is a dreamy, creamy masterpiece that perfectly balances sweetness and coffee flavor, leaving you craving more with each spoonful. It's the ideal ending to a perfect meal.One of the great features of Tortello is their pasta-to-go option, allowing you to bring a piece of this homemade magic back to your own kitchen. The counter service and first-come, first-serve seating might be off-putting to some, but Tortello has mastered this style. The efficiency and warmth of the staff make the experience smooth and enjoyable, ensuring you get your delicious meal without a hitch.Tortello's dedication to quality and their passion for food shine through in every aspect, making it a must-visit spot for pasta lovers. This place is a gem in Chicago's culinary scene, and once you try it, you'll understand why it's so beloved.

Small shop that's full of activity, with fresh pasta being rolled by the window, kitchen right by the indoor dining. Decent sidewalk patio seating available. No reservations, order at the counter then grab a seat. Initial delivery of food was quick, but the service after that was a little slow in clearing out finished dishes.Everything came out hot and fresh. Olives were juicy and flavorful. The focaccia was okay but definitely needed the ricotta with honey. Tagliatelle with each was the star with flavors that reminded of a nice home cooked meal. Cavatelli al pesto and cacio e pepe were both delicious in their own right, but just felt like they were missing a little something to be perfect.

Cute casual eatery- you order at the counter and find a seat anywhere. They also have an outdoor patio available. The focaccia ricotta & honey is a must- the bread is light and fluffy inside with a nice crisp on the outside. We got the Busiate Alla Puttanesca, Cavatelli Al Pesto, and Cacio E Pepe pastas- all of which were fresh and flavorful, just nothing crazy out of this world.

What an experience! We came by for dinner on a Sunday afternoon. Parking is street parking and boy was it difficult to find something, there was a local festival going on nearby so it took us about 30 minutes to find parking, but needless to say it was so worth it. Once we came in we walked up to the counter to see their menus. Once ordered we picked our table and the food was brought out to us. We started with the focaccia and ricotta and honey. The bread came out warmed and the honey and the whipped ricotta spread beautifully on the bread and was a great start. We also got the burrata pomodoro which we were told that it just came back on the menu because it's finally tomato season. Let me tell you, I am obsessed with burrata and tomato. And this knocked my socks off. I was excited to eat every bites we even used the extra bread to spread it on to make a bruschetta type of bite and highly recommend to. The pasta dishes we got to try were the Tortelli, Squid Ink Bucatini, and their weekend special strozzapreti ricotta basilico e peperoncino. The tortelli was certainly worth the hype. The fresh pasta and the cheese on top and filling makes every bite magical. A must try dish. The squid ink pasta dish was beautiful, I'm not usually a fan of squid ink pasta but this plate was great and the prawns were super flavorful. The special pasta had a bit of a kick but the cream sauce and the noodles were worth the experience. We wrapped up our meal with the tiramisu. Probably one of my favorites I've had. The atmosphere was so fun, being able to watch them make pasta during our meal, see folks come in and buy fresh pasta to take home, and the bathrooms- it's like an Italian class!If you're local and haven't experience it, I highly recommend! We'll definitely be back.

Finally made it tortello - it has been on my list for so long! I absolutely love the concept. Ordering at the counter fits the casual, authentic atmosphere but I appreciate the gestures of the food and water being brought to you and still getting a full restaurant experience. I was expecting it to be more full/ crowded when we arrived on a Thursday at 7 but there were plenty of tables. The outdoor seating looked super nice if the weather is good!My 4/5 stars is mainly because of the prices. Yes, it's authentic and super fresh, but the prices are pretty steep for the portion sizes and "casual" atmosphere. The food though was sooo good! We got the focaccia which tasted fresh and homemade and paired so nicely with the ricotta & honey. I definitely recommend getting this! I got the Busiate a La puttanesca which was a cool unique noodle shape (main reason I ordered it) in a red sauce with chili oil and olives, so it had a nice kick to it. The noodles tasted super fresh and the sauce was quite flavorful. I easily finished the portion along with a slice of bread. I think I would try something else next time with a simpler sauce here to really taste the freshness of the pasta itself. This dish was very sauce-forward which I usually like, but I trust that tortello could make the simple dishes taste phenomenal. My friends ordered the aglio el olio and it looked silky and perfect! Voting for tortello to add a carbonara to their official menu pls I would definitely go out of my way to come here again! The food and experience is super unique from other pasta / Italian restaurants which I really appreciated.

I placed an online order for pickup here. The food was ready before the promised pickup time and the staff was great. I would say this place is more of casual Italian dining restaurant, rather than a fine dining place. The decor is simple and basic, and the dining room is very well lit. I wouldn't come here for a romantic dinner. None of that is bad in anyway. It's actually quite nice to be able to walk in to a casual place, enjoy some Italian food without a white cloth dinner and candles. The unfortunate part is, you will still be paying fine dining prices here. You won't be getting the "casual" discount here. The pasta here is priced high for the portions you get. But the quality is definitely there. They make their pasta in house. When I walked in to pick up my order, I could see them making the pasta at the front window. Which is always nice to see. We ordered their Cacio e Pepe and their Aglio e Olio. Both pasta dishes were good, but the Aglio e Olio was the best out of the two. The Cacio e Pepe came with the traditional ingredients, black pepper and aged pecorino with bucatini. The Aglio e Olio came with spaghetti, full garlic cloves, chili, parsley and olive oil. This one came with a little heat. Something I usually don't seek in Italian dining, but it's nice to have every once in a while. I eat way too much spicy food, so I try to avoid spicy dishes in certain cuisines. Italian is one of them, the other is South and central American. They don't like spicy foods down there. Overall I was really satisfied with the quality and flavors that we got out of these two dishes. I probably would do takeout again from here, but I can definitely see myself returning to dine in. Yes it's a bit pricey, but the quality is definitely there.

Fresh pasta is real time, reality TV for me. I saw this place as we were biking and had high hopes for Tortello.It's a mix of a causal sit down, gourmet grocer and gourmet restaurant, everything is ordered by counter. Any place that takes the time to hand make pasta gets noticed, so we came here for dinner. I got the Duck Paparadelle, mostly a hearty tomato based pasta with chunks of shredded duck. The only striking impression was that it was hot off the oven and the cheese has caramelized on to the plate. For $29, it was perhaps the going rate for Italian, but I thought it was ok. The tortelli made for a nice shareable for the table. It's like a big Italian dumpling with cheese coated with sage infused olive oil, hazelnuts and balsamic vinegar. Simple, but delicious, probably the most beautiful and complicated of the handcraft pastas on the menu. You can get take home pasta to go, as well as other Italian products. It is pricier than at a normal store, Nutella for $28, despite being a large jar, seems high. Tortello has both indoor and covered sidewalk patio seating. The space is warm, quaint and charming, and if you want to have a mini-vacation to pseudo-Italy and experience fresh pasta, get an espresso and spritz, this place hits the check boxes.

I do not normally leave reviews but this place is a gem to say the least. A friend recommended it to me and we just had to try while visiting Chicago. The place is a well oiled machine. You are greeted at the door and we were given a wait time to order. Once inside it is so cute with people making pasta right in the front window! The owner was working to front and taking everyone's orders. He made some great recommendations and we ordered them all! It was the best pasta I have ever had and continue to think about! I highly recommend the signature Tortellini do burrata. It is not only beautifully made but melted in my mouth! I also enjoyed the roasted eggplant salad and their housemade tiramisu. I cannot wait to return to Chicago to eat here again! Dario Monni (owner) continued to check in our table to make sure we were having a great experience!