Dinotto
215 W North Ave
(between Wells St & Wieland St)
Chicago, IL 60610 (312) 202-0302
- Nearest Transit:
Sedgwick (Purple Express, Brown)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 12:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 12:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.
Sun 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Valet
- Attire: Dressy
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
14 reviews
Neighborhood: The Loop
"Atmosphere: Theatrical Price: Lunch expensive Bathrooms: Very Clean Food: Excellent We went here for lunch after a meeting in the area! No…" read more »
35 Reviews for Dinotto
This is a charming little spot with great food at a good price. We came with a bucnch of girls and while the staff was very accomodating, the restaurant is better suited for smaller groups as the setting is so intimate. I wasn't feeling like wine so I branched out and had a cosmo which was yummy and only eight dollars! We ordered calamari as an appetizer which did not disappoint. For my entree I chose salmon served over pasta. It was pretty good. While this isn't the best italian I've had in Chicago, I really liked this place and would definitley go back.
This restaurant is really charming, perfect for an intimate dinner with friends or a date. The food is solid and service good. It's a safe bet in that you know it will always be decent. It didn't rock my world, but it was very good.
Maybe I'm bias because this restaurant is where my dude and I had our first date, but I still love the romantic Italian charm this restaurant boasts. They have a beautiful patio area, which serves pretty much as another room when weather permits. The area is secluded from busy North Avenue, by a long iron clad fence, covered with ivy and flowers.
When dining inside in the front room there is a large picture window, which gives you a great view of what is going on outside. You can also see into the patio area. The wood floors are deep in color and so is the drapery, which is a dark velvety red.
On Wednesdays they offer 1/2 off bottled wines (yum!). I have enjoyed the following items from their menu: Antipasto Caprese, Carciofi e Cuore di Palm (SUCH a delicious salad!), Rotolo al'Aurora (pasta with spinach and ricotta), and Scallopine Milanese (breaded veal and salad). Their coffee and desserts are also to die to for!
Needless to say this is another restaurant where you leave feeling stuffed.
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this is a great place. i was there last weekend the food was really good and service was good. the prices are about 15 buck a meal a great price for what you get. if you are in old town for dinner i would check it out
Dinotto's is a wonderful discovery restaurant. The food and service are excellent, and the ambiance superb, especially the music and lighting. It is very well priced, offering especially good value at lunch. Dinotto's is celebrating its 17th anniversary with half price wine promotion.
In summer, the outdoor patio is a big attraction.
The outdoor patio was very romantic and beautiful in the evening. We were seated closest to the sidewalk however the patio was segregated from the hustle and bustle by a wall of ivy and other aesthetically appealing foliage. It was a bit chilly so the hostess asked us if we wanted to sit underneath a heating lamp.
We started with a portobello appetizer dish which was good but nothing special. I ordered the Ravioli con Formaggio di Capra, which I will put in layman's terms for those as unrefined as me...goat cheese ravioli, with spinach & tomatoes in a pesto sauce. It was full of flavor and tasted so good, however I was running on an empty stomach and could have been content with Cheez -its. I did wish that the Ravioli was a bit more full and pillowy with the goat cheese and the ingredients of the dish were lost in the sauce. My date ordered some kind of veal dish which came with mashed potatoes. I tasted it but I'm not a veal fan so I wasn't too fond of it. He liked it though. Their wine list was of decent size however if you just wanted to order by glass it cut the selection down quite a bit. So I guess we were forced to get drunk on a white chardonnay.
For desert we ordered a caramelized custard. MMMMmm!
The waitstaff were all very kind and prompt. Upon our departure I think each and every employee that we passed thanked us and told us to have a nice evening. All-in-all a pleasant dining experience.
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If this was entirely based on attractiveness of the waiters, this would get 5 stars! Very charming, attentive waiters took good care of my friend and I on a recent visit. Great neighborhood spot, and a very cozy atmosphere. Love the outdoor patio!
The menu is good; has great options for pasta and other entrees. I think we were there on an off night for the kitchen. The food was good, but not as exciting as we expected based on the descriptions, and based on said friend's previous experiences here. The food just needed a little more seasoning or something the brighten/enhance flavors. As one that enjoys to cook, particularly Italian cuisine, I prefer having to deconstruct what hers/spices chefs may have used... rather than what they should have used. Granted, that didn't stop us from nearly cleaning our plates.
I should have stuck with my initial reaction and selected the new addition to the menu - a papardelle with prosciutto, lemon, and other tempting flavors. I asked the waiter's advice and wound up with his favorite - a chicken, sundried tomato pasta dish. Hard to say if the dish is just not that interesting, or it wasn't as good as usual. Or, if he is cuter than his taste buds are refined. My friend had the risotto cake/shrimp entree; not as good as she's had in the past, but something she'll try again. I was very tempted by some of their salads -- one with crispy prosciutto and one with crispy arugula. Crispy.... yum... fried... avoided fried salad dishes and went with the safer and tasty bruschetta.
They certainly do have a decent wine list from which we found a pleasant pinot grigio and a flavorful chianti.
All that being said, we did have a great experience. (See above - cutie waiters!)
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Had dinner with my sweetie and loved the Calamari, Caprese Salad and Chicken Rosemary and Potatoes! The vino was great too! Pinot Grigio. Nice staff and nice atmosphere! can't wait to try eating outside in the garden/patio area. Check this place out. Prices are reasonable : )
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Great service, great food! This restaurant is so far the best Italian atmosphere in Chicago area!
Neat little Italian place. I like the place, got good service and good food, but nothing really 'stands out' to me, so I'll go with 4 stars. Prices were fair and the food was quite good.
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Great food and atmposphere. Perfect outdoor patio! We had the tri-color pasta and it was to die for.
Definitely a pleasant surpise in the heard of Old town!
As others have said, this place is well priced, has fantastic service, and has a great cozy atmosphere to boot. I've never disliked anything I've tried there including many desserts and wines. Highly recommended by me as a great family owned restaurant with a menu that has traditional italian food but without any sort of snobbery or high price as many other places in the area. Worth every single penny! Casual to elegant attire, no dress code or anything of that sort so if you go to the movies across the street, stop in and grab some dinner as well! :) Oh and can't forget - as others have said, the patio is great during the summer!
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Went here for the first time over the weekend with a group of 6.
Atmosphere: White tablecloths and napkins, but not too upscale - jeans would be fine, a baseball hat would not. The decor is simple but pleasant but they pack in as many tables as physically possible - I felt sorry for the staff trying to squeeze between the chairs.
Drinks: Order taken and served promptly once we were seated. OK selection of Italian wines and beers - we ordered a wine that was described as having a medium body that we all felt was rather light. I also had a Moretti's Red Ale which was quite good. After dinner, the coffee was disappointing. Sent it back the first time because it was only slightly warmer than room temperature.
Food: The pesto butter for the rolls was terrific - balanced very nicely. Entrees generally priced in the teens. I ordered the goat cheese ravioli, but my experience was very different from Karen L's - there was hardly any goat cheese in it. The ravioli were almost flat. The rest of the dish (the pesto sauce and tomatoes) was delicious, although the consistency was too liquid. Someone else ordered a shrimp dish and loved everything - except the shrimp (!) which were rubbery and tasted a bit "off". Overall, it seems that the dishes have the potential to be excellent, but the execution is hit-or-miss.
Did I have a pleasant evening? Absolutely. Would I go back? Probably not, there are too many other good options in the area.
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Went to Dinotto last night with a group of 6. When we walked in the hostess gave a little attitude when I said that we had a reservation, but the table was ready and we were seated immediately. We ordered two bottles of wine...one red, one white. We waited probably 5 minutes until the waiter brought out the red and told us that the white would be out in a minute...they were having a hard time finding it in the cooler. 5 minutes after that we were told that they had found the wine but that it wasn't properly chilled, but that the manager said any wine of comparable price would be brought to us for the price of the bottle we ordered.
I didn't mind so much about the wine not being available, I cared more about the fact that we hadn't received any additional service...it was like our server couldn't move on from the fact that we hadn't gotten the wine. We didn't order anything until we had received the slightly-chilled wine.
All the food was decent...it wasn't exceptional, but it was good. The portions left a little to be desired. My friend had ordered the ravioli, which she thought were good, but was disappointed that there were only three raviolis. I had chicken with kalamata olives, artichokes, and onions. It was good. The calamari was perfectly cooked and the marinara it was served with wasn't bad, either.
In the end, they comped dessert for the whole table because of the wine incident, which I thought was completely gracious and completely unnecessary. Overall, good experience, not necessarily a place I need to return.
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This is a nice little Italian restaurant for that casual evening when you want a simple meal. Nothing too fancy, and its atmosphere is very laid back. I really like the patio in the summer for dining with friends. The service is very friendly, and there are usually a few family parties there with their children. Not too pricey, and that is reflecting in the fairly simple Italian fare. If you are taking out guests, there are a few good Italian spots on Wells I would recommend instead.
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I've been living down the street from Dinotto for 4 years, but just tried it tonight for the first time. I'm a huge fan of Topo Gigio so I always go there, but Dinotto was pretty good. It's a lot smaller inside than I expected to be, but we were seated promptly without a wait (& I didn't even make reservations). However, I'm sure you need reservations during the weekend. Service was fine- not excellent, pretty much the same level as Topo. I had the veal cutlet and it was very good. My brother tried a pasta dish, which he seemed to enjoy as well. I think I still prefer Topo, but would definitely go back to Dinotto.
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Also not as good as Topo Gigo, but I really like their patio area in the summer. The veal is awesome, as well as most of the pasta dishes. It doesn't seem to be as crowded as the other Italian restaurants in this area so you can usually get a table here last minute.
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What a great place. The first time I went to Dinotto's I was taken there on a date. It's a fantastic first date place. Since then I've taken several friends there and it was where my boyfriend and I went on our first date. I continue to get the same thing, I'm not big on trying new things. :) But it's excellent every time I go. At least the people I go with try different things and I haven't heard one complaint. The service is good and the wine isn't bad either.
I can't wait to go back. It's such a cute place. It's perfect for dates or would be an excellent spot for a girls night out dinner.
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I pretty much agree with Andrea W's review since we dined at Dinotto together. As she said I had a pasta dish. It was good, but I've had better Italian and there seem to be so many great Italian restaurants in Chicago. I would go back here if I was in the area, but wouldn't make an effort to eat here.
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I probably would have enjoyed this place a bit more if it weren't for waiter that over did it. I ordered the spicy penne special but I didn't want onions in it so I ordered it without but the order got screwed up and there was no spicy. It was pretty bland so I pointed this out, the waiters response "well when you drastically altered a special so mistakes can be made" he offered no resolution other than to place blame on me.
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The antiqued look of this Italian restaurant makes for a cozy, intimate dining experience. This is a great date restaurant and in the summer the outdoor patio is perfect. The pastas are amazing and my favorites include the pumpkin ravioli and the bowtie pasta with grilled chicken and sundried tomatoes. Desserts are amazing and I highly recommend this restaurant for a nice dinner out.
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I haven't dined at Dinotto for quite some time, but I've been longing to go back. I took my family here, and every single one of us enjoyed it, including my picky brother.
My chicken pasta had just the right amount of seasoning, and the vegetables were grilled to perfection. Unlike other Italian restaurants, Dinotto's food has more zing than blah.
It gets quite busy on the weekends, so I'd recommend a reservation. The outside patio looks inviting as well (I'm a big fan of dining alfresco, but it was too cold when I went).
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We went here for dinner on a Friday night, and it was the perfect place for a "date night". The food was wonderful - I had the clam linguine and the arugula salad with baked prosciutto. I also couldn't resist the tartuffo for dessert. The ambiance in the restaurant is cozy - and not too loud, which was very nice. We did have a reservation, but we made it same day for 7PM, and didn't have a problem. I definitely recommend Dinotto.
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I went here with my brother & sister last week for dinner and we had a really good meal. I wasn't in a pasta mood so I ordered the veal and it was the best veal I"ve had in a long time. I was really impressed with the service as well...they were very attentive even though the restaurant was very busy.
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Dinotto is one of my favorite Italian restaurants, especially when the patio is open during nice days in the summer (like tonight). I dined here this evening and had a great pasta dish with shrimp in a white wine sauce. It was so good that I ate the entire thing. I'm always impressed with the service as well. They do get very busy during the weekends, which is why I try to come during the quieter week nights.
I ate at Dinotto for the first time last week and thought it was mediocre as far as Italian restuarants go. My chicken dish was pretty good, but I'm just such a huge fan of Mia Francesca and Rosebud that this couldn't really compare.
I really enjoyed my dinner here. We sat outside and had pasta, wine and an all around great time! The food is in the middle price range and they have some great choices. I got a bow tie pasta in a garlic cream sauce which was great. Before dinner we had the calamari which was awesome. The wine list is pretty good as well -which consisted of great Italian wines. This place would be great to go on a date or catch up w/ an old friend.
I didn't like the goat cheese thing I ordered. It was described well but it didn't aste well. The place is small with a really comfortable environment.
This is an okay Italian restauarant. It is definitely very cute and has a very nice outdoor patio, however it is very cramped and crowded in there. I also don't think that the food is the best I have ever had. It is your typical italian food, seems like a basic menu from Macaroni Grill.
A great place for a date. It is romantic, and the tables are very cosy and close together. The food is exquisite, and definitely great wine choices. The only downside is if there are kids dining next to you, you can't help but hear them.
This place is great folks. I've been here multiple times, on the order of say 6-8 times. Group sizes have varied and we managed get a about 10 people into the back room one time. It's best as a couples trip though since most of the tables are intimate.
As for the food, I've never been disappointed. Of course, I generally stick to my two favorites, depending on if I want a little kick that evening or not. As described on their online menu; Penne al Brivido con Gamberetti (rock shrimp, garlic, spicy marinara, & penne) and the
Gamberi con Risotto (tiger shrimp, tomatoes, onions, pesto, over crispy risotto cake).
I'd say for the virgins of this place, order up the risotto. It's unique in that it's baked, giving it a slightly crunchy texture.
If you live in the area, make sure you check out the mailbox fliers for buy one get one coupons. For the longest time they included one almost on a regular basis so that made for great Monday through Thursday dining options.
I prefer this place to Topo Gigio certainly so opt for this place in Old Town.
I have walked by this restaurant hundreds of times yet have never tried it until now. The place is smaller than I expected, but they do have a nice outdoor patio on the side with the wonderful North Ave. sidewalk view. Dinotto is cozy and cute, which is nice for the location. For the appetizer I tried the grilled calamari which was wonderful! It was grilled perfectly and was topped by tomatoes, basil and olive oil. I would highly recommend it! Unfortunately I made a poor choice in the entree selection: I ordered the goat cheese ravioli in a pesto sauce. First, the goat cheese was way too strong--normally i can handle subtle amounts but I guess you have to be a goat cheese lover to appreciate this dish. Second, the pesto made the whole entree really salty and oily. Fortunately, my dining companion ordered a tasty dish, the shrimp crispy risotto, so I kept on eating off his plate. For dessert I ordered the tartufo. Now, every time I go to an Italian restaurant that has tartufo I have to try it! This, by far, is the best one I have ordered in Chicago so far...(note: nothing can compare with what drew me to tartufo in the first place: Figlio's in Minneapolis' tartufo, pre-2000; of course, they had to change it and now it will never be the same!) I would definitely give Dinotto one more try...choose a different entree, and of course, get the tartufo again!
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this is a really good italian restaurant. they've got a wide variety of pasta and chicken. their tiramisu is excellent as well
Sorry, got the name of this place wrong. It's actually Ristorante Dinotto. Solid italian restaurant across the street from Pipers Alley. Good service, for the most part, nice wine list, affordable. Tables are very close together, in true trattoria style. Portobello mushroom appeteaser is good but tends to be drowned in too much balsamic. Great grilled calamari, and the house specialty is crispy risotto...the risotto is made into a puck shaped cake and pan fried so the outside crisps up. Interesting. Great salmon in spicy tomato cream sauce, too. Only drawback was the fact that a woman in my party put one of the roses from the table in her hair and the server , rather snottily, informed us there was a five dollar charge per flower if we wished to take one. Pretty tactless, considering we HAD tipped him over 30 percent. (We quickly rectifed THAT by asking for our change). Not that five bucks is THAT outrageous, but we WERE among the last tables of the night, and he COULD have been at least nice about it. So, the flowers cost five bucks, but the attitude cost $21. I won't go back, but hey, if you're looking for tasty Italian, have at it. Just keep your hands off the flowers.
Very nice place. I'm not the dress shirt wearing type. Some people may say I'm a thug but anyway I took my girl here, and the food was tight. It was expensive or anything. She's South American and West Indian and loved everything. She likes to eat and did she rack up the bill...walk with cash and your credit card because it seems like you can't get enough of the food here.
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