Vivere

Summary
What was good:
Solid food, pleasant service, helpful sommelier.

What might hold it back:
Interesting-bordering-on-odd decor, perhaps a bit pricey for what you get.

Also, understand the dining dynamics, apparently driven by people's theater plans, may work differently here than other restaurants. Getting a 7:30 Saturday night reservation just a couple hours beforehand wasn't a problem, but getting something earlier would have been very unlikely. If you're eating a bit 'later' like we were, you may wish to sit in the 'hallway' zone [see below for fully review] rather than the main dining room, which could be nearly empty at that time.

Full review

Decor
Interesting. Felt like a cross between Cheesecake Factory and a Cirque du Soleil show. Depending upon your tolerance level, this feel could be a style that has just about expired or something that you consider well past its prime [if it had one]. Either way, it is kind of in a weird middle ground: neither especially evocative of old-world Italian ambiance, nor quite in step with contemporary urban sensibilities [European or US].

Space
Vivere occupies the main floor of the 3-floor, 3-restaurant arrangement [The Village upstairs, La Cantina Enoteca downstairs]. While not a huge place --- believe the fire marshal's capacity sign indicated it could hold 91 people -- its layout is interesting, with distinct vibe variations by section.
1. The 'hallway' of sorts, linking the entryway to the back dining room. Lined with 2-person booths on each side. Enough space where you do not feel on top of your neighbors and you are not getting bumped by waiters, hosts, etc. making their rounds.
2. The bar/lounge area, separated by a wall from the 'hallway' area. Same color scheme and vibe, but also has something of a subterranean feel.
3. The main dining room in the back. This area is more open, but still not a very large space by any means. Looked comfortable and well spaced.

Service
Overall it was fairly strong, but for some reason we were initially greeted by one waiter, then transitioned to another, which resulted in a bit more time than we needed going by before we placed our orders. The kitchen, though, made up for this time by getting our food out very quickly.
One of Vivere's claims to fame is their incredibly vast wine list. [For perspective, it starts with a table of contents letting you know where within its 60+ pages you can find their offerings from a particular region across the globe.] I am no wine expert, but it was pretty clear their emphasis was European wines, and those of Italy and France in particular. The Spanish and South American selections by comparison were very limited. Ron the sommelier was pleasant and helpful. We gave him a sense of what we liked, what entrees we planned to order and our price range. He then quickly recommended three non-obvious bottles that all sounded good. He also was able to educate us on a lesser known grape I had read something about recently [the Lagrein variety, from the Trentino Alto-Adige region], ultimately recommending a nice bottle which we really enjoyed.

Food / Value
We enjoyed everything, but would have to say that the value equation could certainly be construed as a smidge steep. We had received a gift certificate, which offset a nice chunk of the tab. Had we been paying the whole thing ourselves, I'd have felt that the overall experience wasn't quite equivalent with what we laid out.

Starters
The insalata di mozzarella di bufala used sun-dried tomatoes, which is different than what we usually see, but worked well.

Entrees
For the main course, my wife ordered the scallops. The presentation was more modern and minimalist than we anticipated, with three large scallops on a sleek, rectangular black plate, placed in a pea-and-something puree, which my wife deemed 'amazing.'
I went with the beef filet, plated with potatoes, dried figs and mushrooms. It was solid. Prepared well and tasty. Not a dish I'll rave about until I'm old and gray[er], but solid.

Dessert
Enjoying the wine and celebrating a semi-special occasion, we were gluttons at dessert time, ordering [and pretty much wiping out] their tasting platter. Hazelnut gelato, almond torte, dense chocolate cake, creme brulee were all quite good. The mango mascarpone, not so much --- not to our taste anyway, but then, we aren't big mango or mascarpone enthusiasts. If you are with a group, or just a hungry and shameless couple like we were, the tasting plate will do you right.

I loved Vivere before but after having dinner here and a very miserable night last night, I'm avoiding it. Food poisoning via their calamari dish, I think. My date and I shared the calamari and after about two hours we were both regretting it. Our entrees were different from one another so we're thinking it was our appetizer. Not fun.

The Italian Village on Monroe in the heart of downtown Chicago is really three restaurants - The Village (upstairs ... Northern Italian casual dining), La Cantina (in the basement like a wine cellar ... serving the classics and steaks), and Vivere (the more formal dining experience on the main floor) ... this review is for Vivere.

We happened to be downtown and without reservations got shut out of a number of restaurants so we walked over to Italian Village. Since the price point in Vivere is higher than the other two (assume about $50 per without drinks), this one usually fills up last. We got lucky and snagged a table.

For appetizers we shared the Mozzarella di Pomodoro (4+ stars and exceptional imported Buffalo mozzarella with heirloom tomatoes). For our entrees one of us had the grilled Veal chop (4 star nice and something you cannot get everywhere), the other two in our party each had the ravioli (4 stars cheese ravioli in a cream sauce with mushrooms and Prosciutto). For dessert we had the tiramisu (3 stars ok) and the Cioccolata (2 stars for this essentially Italian-style hot chocolate which needed extra sugar since it was not sweet).

In the Loop, this restaurant is upscale with a stylish interior. The restaurant has intimate and romantic dining opportunities. The theater special for $39 included a three-course prix fixe dinner option. The squash soup was creamy and delicious. The creme brule was ample and tasty. I would recommend the chamomile tea.

This restaurant was excellent. Not sure how or why others would have said otherwise. My husband & I were looking to try a restaurant we hadn't been to before and we're in the mood for good wine. Vivere delivers in spades! I had originally reserved a booth seat but my husband's knee was bothering him and he needed to stretch it out. They immediately found us a new table.

Our waiter checked in to see what drinks we wanted & we told him we wanted a bottle of wine. We were given a veritable book to order from. It was a bit overwhelming so the Wine Master listened to what we were in the mood for and gave a suggestion. When he came back & told us his recommendation was sold out, he upgraded our wine to a similar one at no charge. This was all before the food!!

The food itself was amazing! My husband had the scallops and I had the veal medallions with collared greens and apples. I have never had either veal or collared greens so I have no point of reference... but this dish was amazing. The mix of flavors was superb. After dinner was dessert of course. I love chocolate so had the flourless chocolate cake with mousse. My husband had creme brûlée. Though my dessert was delicious, I actually regret not getting the creme brûlée after I stole a taste of my husband's. All in all. We WILL be back. It is now on our favorite restaurants list. It has great service, food, and ambience... what more could you want?

When you walk into Vivere you forget you're walking off the bustling streets of Chicago and you're taken in a trance by the dim lighting, quiet but comforting Italian classical music, and classy ambience that comes from the clinking of glass and soft talk from the tables for 2.

This place engulfs you into a romance and it made for a perfect date night before going to see a show. My boyfriend started off with The Hamilton, which was a perfect match for our show later in the evening. If you love Whiskey/bourbon then I would recommend this drink. I started with my favorite European drink, an aperol spritzer. It comes in different flavors but I would recommend just the classic way.

The menu items are extremely unique and this is is what makes this restaurant a must try Italian spot in Chicago. If you walk in expecting Olive Garden, well then Id recommend going there instead because you have set yourself up for disappointment. We began with the lobster gnocchi appetizer, which tasted fresh and I all but licked the plate of the sauce it was tossed in.

My main dish was a spicy seafood mixture in a red sauce with spaghetti noodles and I was in love. It was a Calabrese dish that made Calabria the next stop in my international travels. My boyfriend ordered the pasta with duck and fig. This has to be the most unique pasta Ive ever tried and every bite is different but full of flavors. I paired my meal with their Michigan originated Riesling and it was perfect.

We somehow made room for dessert and split the carmel cheesecake. It was absolutely rich and creamy.

The service was incredible and we were checked on my management mid our meal. This place is perfect for a romantic date night and we saw several business men enjoying a meal before heading home. Vivere has become our new spot to enjoy whenever we make our way downtown for an outing.

This place has THREE Italian restaurants in 1 spot! How fun. I was unable yo eat due to surgery but went for a celebration with friends. They raved about the food and it looked and smelled great! My daughter (4) enjoyed the fun atmosphere of the upstairs restaurant. It looks like an outdoor Tuscan restaurant, at night. I loved the ducked away seating for intimate settings. I can't wait to be able to eat again and I'm coming back HAHA

I would have given five stars but it was pretty obvious our server forgot to fire our entrees. Wine list is extravagant and their wine manager helped us pick an amazing chianti!! He was so nice and personable. We loved our dinner but were kind on a time crunch to get to Hamilton by 8:00 pm. I even told her this as she took our dinner orders. We had a 6:00 pm reservation and were instantly seated. Just waited a really long time in between salads and entrees to be served our entrees. Guests around us were seated after us and served before us. But the ambiance, food and wine was delicious!!

Walked in on a Tues, no res: no problem and no attitude. Hamilton tix holders, take note and get all the food here. Start the night with the Hamilton sezerack. Gives all the warm and fuzzies.

Dean, our server, knew the food, the area, the beverages, the city. As a decade long fine dining server, this guy put me to shame. Steered me to the pheasant filled pasta- sublime. Wife: butternut squash ravs. Also sublime. Managed a 9 table section and managed to make us feel welcome. Wow.

Great cocktails, attentive service, great price for the Loop.

This place is now added to our ever expanding must-return list.

The place was fine, clean, service was good.
The meal was extremely disappointing.
I was recommended the duck special on a Saturday evening and it was probably the worst duck I've ever had. My date had the cod which was cooked properly but basically tasted like green olives. Way too salty. For $140 go somewhere else. Not worth the money.

This is a beautiful restaurant that is party of Italian Village. The menu items are made with high end ingredients, and it is meant to be a long, course- driven meal. We enjoyed the Fungi Ripieni, a stuffed Portobello mushroom as an appetizer, then each had a pasta entree. My husband had Fettuccini con Anatre e Fungi, fresh made fettuccini with pulled duck, morel mushrooms and other deliciousness. It was rich and deep flavored. I had Tagliatelle alla Bolognese, and it was a dish that is simple, but because of the fresh pasta and wonderful veal, pork and beef mixture in the sauce, I thought is was the best Bolognese I'd ever had.

The sommelier was very friendly and knowledgable and the wine offerings were lovely.

For dessert we went simple with some tiramisu, and it was wonderful. Very balanced flavors without one ingredient overpowering the others. Delightful with a cappuccino.

If you're looking for an Olive Garden experience, or a place to "carb load", this isn't your place. If you're looking for quality Italian food with an experience you can really enjoy for a romantic evening or with a group of friends, then go here. Get a bottle of wine, order something from every course, and savor every minute of this elegant place.