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Topo Gigio Ristorante
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
1516 N Wells St(between Burton Pl & North Ave)
Chicago, IL 60610
Neighborhoods: Old Town, Near North Side
(312) 266-9355
- Nearest Transit:
-
Sedgwick (Brown Line, Purple Line)
Clark/division (Red Line)
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11:30 am - 10:30 pm
Sun 4 pm - 9:30 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Valet
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Classy, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Jonathan T. said: "I still haven't been here for dinner, but it's my favorite brunch in the city. The food is great and for $20 you get an entree with bottomless mimosas, bellinis and kir royales. The service is excellent and they never rush you out of…" read more »
293 reviews for Topo Gigio Ristorante
Review Highlights
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"The Conchiglie alla Sarda is also top notch." In 11 reviews -
"...Pasta in A Tomato-Cream Sauce with Ground Sausage, Peas and..." In 3 reviews -
"DH had the seashell pasta." In 11 reviews
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293 reviews in English
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Review from Pat H.
Chicago, IL
4/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
This was on the verge of being 5 stars for me. I've heard some mixed reviews about this place and finally got the chance to try it. I had one of the best past dishes i've had in a long time ... it was the special - linguine with shrimp, scallops, clams, with a spicy diabolo sauce and it was out of this world. The only thing bringing the rating down was the appetizer I had which was the Antipasto which wasn't worth trying to explain or remember.
Overall - good ambiance, lively scene, good staff, enjoyable experience. If you're a fan of Italian you'll be a fan of Topo -
Review from Amy S.
Chicago, IL
4/11/2012
NOPE! After almost 10 years of patronage they lost my friends, myself and any referrals from us.
While dining there in Feb, someone calling himself the owner approached our table of four women with drink in hand and asked if he could "buy us a drink". We thanked him but said we were fine with the second bottle of wine we had ordered and just wanted to order another entree. He told us the kitchen had been closed 'awhile" even though a table had just been seated about 10 minutes prior. When we mentioned that we were surprise our waiter hadn't given us the head's up to put in the last of our order he did a complete about face and became argumentative and nasty.
Here's the thing, if the kitchen is closed, fine. To argue that we "should have known" and become a verbal snake, not even close to fine. He left the table with these fine words "you'll all die old and alone" Awesome representation of your place buddy. And while Frank Sr. was sweet enough on the phone when I called to let him know, little else was done to remedy the situation. He said to "look for him" next time we're in but you know, just don't want to walk into the place again. There are hundreds of places in Chicago with top notch Italian where my friends and I haven't been verbally harassed by the "owner".
Arrivederci Topo. -
Review from Anne C.
4/6/2012
We stopped in for dinner with friends on a weeknight and the place was surprisingly crowded-- always a good sign! The waitstaff was attentive, though I have to say that the food was decent but nothing to write home about. I actually had to look at their menu online to remember what I ate and as a food lover (specifically Italian) that's not good! I ordered a linguine with peppers, pesto, and shrimp and while it was good (albeit really oily) there was still something missing. My husband's spicy pasta dish was also good, but not superb. One thing that I can say was excellent was the antipasti. I love when an antipasti platter comes with an abundance of nicely grilled vegetables and they did not disappoint there. I could have ordered it as my meal!
If you're looking for Italian in Old Town this is probably your best bet. If you're willing to venture outside of the neighborhood, there are a few other Italian spots that I would recommend first. -
Review from Julia L.
Chicago, IL
5/11/2012
Therese is the rudest reservationist ever. She told me that my reservation was "THE choice reservation - take it or leave it". I will never dine here or refer anyone else to. One day this restaurant will be on one of those reality TV shows about failing restaurants with the stance that they just don't understand what happende....
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Review from Helmut B.
4/4/2012
Okay, hold on they have a mouse character mascot that is based on a children's puppet show...they also sell t-shirts featuring said mouse. I was thinking how great that would go with my French Laundry running shorts. But let's not discuss my fashion proclivities.
Topo Gigio is one of my favorite restaurants when I am in town...in fairness...it is usually an expense account visit...but I figure that frees me up to focus on the food and service. I have found the food to be very good - my favorites include the Carpaccio and the saltimbocca with Parma. With larger groups the wait staff has suggested a mixed appetizer presentation for the table - that has been uniformly well received. I have had the waiter suggest some wines that I was unfamiliar with and they turned out to be great. Service is mostly above average though have on occasion had to speak to the waiter about the importance of the dinner event.
Overall I would say this is a great place to entertain and create a friendly environment conducive to bonding or team building. Looking forward to my next visit. -
Review from Thomas W.
4/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
Hoyas in Chicago! This is what an Italian restaurant should be--a mix of the old country with the new modern twist. I had the scampi appetizer with mushrooms shrimp, and scallops--truly a wonderful appetizer. I had the fettucini fra diavolo with the perfect mix of red pepper and spice. This is one of the best Italian restaurants I have been to anywhere in some time. It helped that I was with my Italian Hoya Hoop Club friends! Hoya Saxa--Our first dinner at Georgetown John Carroll Chicago 2012! We are Georgetown!
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Review from Alex H.
3/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
I'd go 2.5 stars if I could. The reason I'm going with two is that I was genuinely let down after hearing so many good things for so long about Topo Gigio. Made the mistake of coming in on a Saturday night without reservations and was told it would be a minimum 1 hour wait. Apparently others had the same idea as there wasn't even standing room available in the bar full of well-off 30-somethings. Made a reservation for the next night and left the chaotic-but-inviting scene.
Came back the next night full of anticipation. The food probably would earn 3 stars. The bread was good, though it's hard to not taste good dunked in olive oil and grated parm. Shared the grilled calamari to start which tasted just about on par with any other grilled calamari I've had anywhere else. For entrees, I had the spiedini adriatica, 3-4 medium-sized grilled shrimp & 3-4 smallish scallops served over a huge bed of boiled spinach. Just ok and not a ton of defining flavor besides very subtle hints of wine, lemon, and garlic. My wife had the veal Parmesan. Decent flavor on what basically amounts to tomato sauce and mozarella cheese, but nothing to write home about. Given some of the other glowing reviews, I'm not sure if we just ordered poorly, but overall I've had better Italian at Carrabbas (a mid-priced Italian chain in the Outback Steakhouse family, for the uninitiated).
The real letdown was the service. We were seated promptly with our reservation and then spent much of the rest of the night waiting. For water. For the main waiter to appear and offer a wine list. For him to come back and take the wine order. To bring the wine. To come back and take our food order. You get the idea. Not that I was in a hurry, but there's no reason 2 entrees and an appetizer needs to take 2 hours.
I'd need a very compelling excuse to go back. -
Review from Shawn K.
5/6/2012
Went here while we waited to go into Second City down the street. Great Italian comfort food with excellent service. The bread and olive oil + parmesan to start with was a nice touch. We had the grilled calamari to start (CALAMARI alla GRIGLIA) and it was levels above the fried calamari that is often found at restaurants. For entree, we had the chicken stuffed with fontina and prosciutto (PETTI di POLLO alla VALDOSTANA) and chicken with pancetta and baked mozzarella (PETTI di POLLO alla FIORENTINA) and they both tasted great and the portions were more than satisfying. Finish the night off with some tiramisu and then head to second city for some laughs. Sounds like a great night to me.
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Review from Matt M.
Chicago, IL
3/14/2012
Would have been a 5 but we were seated close to the bar and didn't love the tv screens there. Not a big deal to me but my friend didn't love it.
As for food, we had entrees and mine was absolutely outstanding. I had quarter chicken and Italian sausage with vegetables.
A few more vegetarian options would be good! -
Review from Andrew M.
Chicago, IL
5/16/2012
Hands down, the WORST wine list in the city!
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Review from Layla L.
Chicago, IL
4/28/2012
I loved this restaurant. I am a little skeptical about soup in US because I am use to more substantial soups, but they got me here. Delicious Tortelline zuppe! I loved as well the Pomodori con Cipolla Rossa, and the Valdostanna chicken. Everything looks really good the service was excellent, beautiful place besides to redirect me into my precious days when I watched this cute carton( Topo Gigio) every morning. ^^ This was on a Sunday and they place wasn't crowed. Going back for sure.
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Review from C. K.
Chicago, IL
3/13/2012
This is probably one of the best Italian restaurants I've been to here in the US. Coming from someone who grew up in Europe, this says a lot. I have eaten here twice and love their dishes. Definitely not your typical Americanized and bland food. Their wine selection is great, as well.
I love the atmosphere but it gets super crowded, they really try to squeeze in as many people as possible and it can get somewhat "tight."
Service is average. Also, even though I made a reservation a MONTH in advance, they did not have my name on the list. The hostess said that she would "give me the benefit of the doubt" and tried to seat us right away, which she actually did (Another group was late, so we got their spot) I was a little put off by her comment since I DID make the reservation and they were the ones who messed up. But my wrath was tamed when they accommodated us so quickly. Throughout our dining experiences, it was somewhat hard to get wait staff's attention.
Bottom line, I like this place a lot and will make it my go-to spot and highly recommend it unless you suffer from claustrophobia. -
Review from Jessie S.
1/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
Full disclosure, this is more of a review of their Frutti de Mare than the restaurant as a whole - In a nutshell, Topo Gigio is an old town staple, the patio is just lurvely in the summertime, service is solid and the ambiance inside is old school chicago italian. Blah la la, it's quite nice really.
BUT - last month they had an arrabiata seafood dish on special - it changed my life. The perfect blend of spicy and seafood. Every bite was heaven. So ofcourse, I couldn't stop thinking about it. Alas, it was a special, and on my next trip - it was long gone.
What to do, what to do?
So, I consulted with my waiter (he was very helpful) and we came up with a solution, frutti de mare - with arrabiata sauce, extra spice and sub fettucine noodles. Problem solved! This place is delicious... Just writing this review has got me considering a walk over to Wells... -
Review from Elyse M.
Madison, WI
4/14/2012
Great spot for dinner! We enjoyed excellent prosecco and pasta before catching a show at The Second City Mainstage, just down the street. The place was bustling, so we were glad we had made a reservation, but we received great service and enjoyed socializing with the other patrons - the tables are quite close together!
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Review from Danielle S.
Chicago, IL
2/22/2012
Outstanding Italian! This was my second time to Topo Gigio and I am so pleased.
Each time we ordered the CALAMARI FRITTI - Golden Fried Calamari served with Lemon Wedges & Marinara Sauce. The Calamari is amazing, wonderful taste. There have been many times I have ordered Calamari at other restaurants and been very disappointed. I will order it here every time!
I had the GARGANELLI con le LUGANIGHE - Hand Rolled Garganelli Pasta, Porcini Mushrooms and Sausage Ragu', Parmigiano Reggiano. Absolutely amazing. The sauce is great and not sweet like some Italian sauces make the mistake of doing. Sausage had a tiny kick to it and the pasta was cooked just right.
My father had the PETTI di POLLO alla FIORENTINA - Breast of Chicken Sautéed with Pancetta, Spinach and Baked with Fresh Mozzarella. Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus. I tried this and it too was great. The chicken was very juicy and the asparagus was flavorful as well.
I also ordered a side of meatballs to share... I make my family recipe from the motherland and their meatballs were very much cooked like my family. (We just add a TON of garlic, theirs had a hint of garlic. Nothing too powerful.)
You must visit Topo Gigio! -
Review from Jon S.
Chippewa Lake, OH
2/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
I met three Chicago friends there. Even though some were a bit late, they held a table and even partially seated us. The food was amazing! I had the clams "Vic Damone" and it was excellent. Lots of baby clams and perfectly balanced white wine sauce with tiny tomatoes.
Our server was excellent and they keep everything moving without a sense of being rushed. -
Review from Greg R.
1/30/2012
Topo has moved up my list to my favorite Italian restaurant in the city and close to my absolute favorite. Great staff, great food and a great local neighborhood vibe.
get reservations....there's a reason is is packed all the time. -
Review from Adam B.
Chicago, IL
4/11/2012
Great place for business lunch, you can still find street Meter parking. Not so crowded that you can;t hear yourself talk, and a good selection of salads and pasta dishes, service was very good.
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Review from PingPing N.
Houston, TX
1/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
Discovered this place walking by seeing how jammed packed it was.
Jammed pack must mean something right? We wanted to get in some of this.....
1 hr wait? OK!
We decided to wait at the bar and upon arrival to the "outside" room..... just our luck, 2 seats opened up so we were immediately invited to sit by the bartender, Luca.
Quickly after greeting us, he had the place set up all nice, lined the counter with cloth napkin and made it NICE for us to dine at the bar.
Tried their Malbec and it didnt suit well so we got a bottle of Reisling. ~$28
Carpaccio alla Piemontese $9.95- Paper thin was described right...never had filet mignon this thin in my life.
The sweet gentleman next to me rec' the eggplant parmasean $13.95, saying it's so good he has to have it every 2 weeks or so.....so the Mr. had that.
I had the bartender's recommendation, the Conchiglie alla Sarda, $13.95. Only thing I would have changed is to sub it with longer noodle. Im not enthusiastic over short pasta and almost always want longer pastas.
I had a great meal with great company with great service at the Bar. This, I would have to say, is the best (meal) experience I had in Chicago.Listed in: Chicago
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Review from Quinn B.
Fox River Grove, IL
2/19/2012
So, I look really stupid with this one....
When my Mom and I get seated the waiter comes up with a nice thick accent and gets our drink order. "Wow", I said, "He's right off the boat". Noticing the decor, we see "DeCecco" pasta boxes, which happens to be my Mom's maiden name.
With great anticipation, we ask our Italian waiter how to pronounce it correctly in Italian. Ready for eloquence in the romantic Italian tongue he responds, "I don't know, I'm Greek."
Well, ok then.....I said "off the boat', but never said which one.
The food and atmosphere were great. Service splendid. Nice al dente pasta with big chunks of mozzarella cheese. Pasta was perfectly sauced, which is a plus. So in the end, I definitely recommend this great Italian restaurant, that's now, not all Greek to me. -
Review from Jennie C.
3/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place makes me wanna move to Old Town! The first time I went it was after dinner so I only took a bite of the seafood spaghetti, which certainly left an impression because I've dying to go back ever since. Finally made it and got an entire plate of the seafood spaghetti to myself. Love the flavor of the sauce and the al dente pasta, only complaint was that the mussels weren't too fresh, but there was a generous amount of other seafood items (big scallops, clams, calamari). Friends got the squid ink pasta with shrimp, which was to-die-for because of the handmade pasta. The sauce was a tomato cream based sauce, so it got a bit too rich after a while. Felt like eating at your Italian friend's house, everyone there seemed to be having a great time. Prices were also very reasonable. Love it!
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Review from Eryka W.
Livermore, CA
3/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
Honestly one of the best meals I've ever had. My husband had the special which was a pasta del mar with a creamy red sauce.... Divine! I had the CAMPANELLE alla NORMA - Campanelle Pasta in Arrabiata Sauce with Sautéed Eggplant and Aged Ricotta Cheese.AMAZING!!! And my sis had the cinque terre. Also delicious! The best part was that everything stayed piping hot!!! So amazing! Can't wait to go back!
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Review from W b K.
Baton Rouge, LA
4/29/2012
Topo was recommended by the concierge at Hotel James - turned out to be just what we were looking for. Soup of the day was chicken and rice - outstanding. Eggplant alla Parmigianan was excellent as was Campanelle alla Norma. The waitstaff was extremely attentive. We will come back here the next time we visit Chicago.
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Review from Susie H.
Chicago, IL
1/24/2012
Delicious, very friendly service, not too loud.
Perfect for both a date or a group. -
Review from Greer C.
Chicago, IL
Updated - 3/13/2012
The food is AMAZING!
The staff is wonderful! -
Review from Emily B.
10/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Definitely a pleasant surprise - let me start off with that.
I mean, typically, I don't like to eat at places that are named after rodents, but having to carbo-load on the night before the marathon in the city left few options.
Our server was a little frazzled, the Diet Coke tasted funky, but other than that, I actually found the food to be delicious. Fusilli Topo Gigio was the big hit, but everyone seemed to enjoy their meals.
I can definitely see how when the weather is nice, their outdoor patio/bar area would definitely be an area hot-spot.
Anyhow, wish we could get this Old Town goodie in the Gold Coast :-( -
Review from Hoang T.
Los Angeles, CA
12/5/2011
Thank you yelpers for yelping this place, cuz if you didn't I would probably still be starving or drinking more ETOH.
It was Saturday evening and I was really craving some Italian food. I am from Californ-IA represent Los Angles. So I have a had my share of Italian food and a couple visits to Italy. I was so excited to get down with shy town. Unfortunately, I was let down. MAYBE it was me but my spaghetti/meatballs was no good. WHY? 1st of all the pasta was came from a BOX. Even the decor when you look at the walls you saw tons of boxes on the wall, maybe at that point I should of settled for some giovanni's pizza. The meatballs were bland as water, but the brightside the meat sauce was decent - the savior of the dish I would say. My buddy got CONCHIGLIE alla SARDA which they recommended as one of their signature dish- that was OK.
**There minestrone soup was bomb FYI
Recommendations: AmbianceDecor - great, service- super, price range $10-30. FOOD - try there pumpkin raviolli - thats what all the yelpers recommend- Should of listen to them -
Review from Brittany C.
Atlanta, GA
11/6/2011
Of all the places I visited on my Chicago trip, this is the one that will be my biggest reason for returning. Being a Southern gal, I haven't had much legit Italian food. What I had at Topo Gigio was a delicious new experience.
We arrrived on a Friday ~9 PM before our 11 PM show at Second City. It was definitely crowded, but I managed to find a spot at the bar while my boyfriend stood. The bartender was busy yet attentive. We were seated after waiting about 15 mins.
The ambiance is crowded and hectic but somehow romantic and cozy. Our server was quick to refill wine glasses and also gave us space and time to enjoy our meal. We both had the specials of the day. I had the seafood in cream sauce with black linguine and my bf had the pumpkin/squash ravioli. Both were absolutely delightful and perfecting for sharing so you get to sample two dinners instead of one.
The only disappointment, and I use that term lightly, was the bread. It came out a cold loaf, and I would have preferred something that seemed as if it came right out the oven.
I recommend this place for romantic evening or a nice couples night out. It is a perfect pre or post Second City outing given its location. -
Review from Sheena M.
Chicago, IL
10/8/2011
My husband and I came here randomly to load up on carbs the night before a race and we LOVED everything about this restaurant! The service was the best, given that the place was packed and the food was sooo good. When they are busy, it does get pretty packed, but I think they try to make up with the service.
Every time we are in Old Town, we have to stop in and get some good Italian!
I ordered one of the specials my last visit, the black ink linguine with a red sauce, and I was very impressed. We love this place and love coming back! -
Review from Marjorie F.
Chicago, IL
11/6/2011
This place has been in my neighborhood for a long time. The last time I dined here, I was MUCH younger and on a bad blind date. Luckily, this time around, I can associate a more positive experience - dinner with a good friend.
We picked a Wednesday evening to dine here. With no reservation, the hostess managed to squeeze us in. I thought that was strange, since it was a weeknight, but it quickly filled in as the night went on.
The ambiance was cozy, perfect for a crisp fall day.
To start, my friend ordered a bottle of Malbec. I wish I could remember the name because it was delicious. Bread, olive oil, and parmesan were plentiful. For the main entrees, I ordered the special: pumpkin ravioli in a white cream sauce. My friend ordered the Pollo Arrosto al Rosmarino - chicken in wine and lemon sauce with rosemary potatoes. Everything was DELICIOUS!
Service was wonderful. I think our waiter was trying to get us drunk, because he kept filling up our wine glasses after a couple of sips. Oh my!
This place definitely warrants more frequent visits. I'm sure there's another bottle of wine I need to try and more items on the menu to enjoy! -
Review from Michelle C.
Ann Arbor, MI
10/28/2011
I went to this restaurant on a weeknight.. on a whim, really.. I LOVED it. The ambiance inside is very calm, romantic, and old Italian.
The service is excellent here- I got a great recommendation on a bottle of wine, which I enjoyed to the very last drop.
I started out with the antipasto appetizer- mix of cured meats, cheeses, and vegetables. Along with their amazing bread, it was very filling! I had their special- fettuccine in spicy red sauce with mix of scallops, mussels, shrimp, and calamari. I can get pretty picky with dishes such as this, but there is NOTHING I would change about it.
Just try this place. You'll fall in love with it. -
Review from Shenelle B.
Chicago, IL
9/29/2011
Ok, now I really don't like giving low reviews and I always try to look at the best things about a restaurant, but when I feel the the customer service is bad then I must speak up.
I went here one evening to order some(what I thought would be) amazing pasta, but turned out to be very disappointing.
I was a little indecisive on what I wanted to order,so I decided to rely on the waiter to help me out. I politely asked the waiter what he would recommend and he gave me an attitude like I was getting on his nerves. He suggested the TORTELLINI alla PANNA which I was not a fan of and he took forever to give us water.
When the food finally came, he slammed the plate down on the table...wow someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.
After dinner I still gave a tip of 15% which I feel was still too generous. I normally give 20% if the service is good, but bottom line... I will not be going back. -
Review from Erika C.
Boston, MA
2/25/2012
i was torn between giving this place two or three stars.
i'm gonna have to go with two since i was really expecting this place to be outstanding after reading so many high rating reviews on here.
i honestly was not impressed at all.
maybe it was the dish i chose for dinner or the overall atmosphere of the place.
i ordered the rigatoni and something with it just didn't taste right, yet my boyfriend got the tortellini and he loved it. (until he started to feel sick shortly after eating it) :-/
pros :
the service was really good, and the bread served at the beginning of the meal with the classic olive oil and cheese was delicious. our water glasses were never empty and prices are good for italian food in this area.
cons:
my boyfriend and i felt like they really over packed this place with tables, we understand a restaurants gotta do what a restaurants gotta do to pack the people in, yet we felt like we were in a maze trying to get out of this place! really overwhelming and uncomfortable atmosphere.
the food wasn't as special as we hoped it would be.
and, the icing on the cake was we both felt extremely sick after eating our meals. :/
maybe we just hit this place on an off night?
yet, we both agree we have experienced better italian in the city of Chicago. -
Review from Joshua R.
1/19/2012
Just arrived in Chicago for a few nights -- tired but wanted to eat out near the hotel.
In London there used to be a great/horrid restaurant called Topo Gigio in soho which was sort of mine and my fiancees spot. Looking for somewhere in Chicago near our hotel came up with TG Chicago with pretty good reviews on yelp.
Had a great meal -- the place was very similar to it's London non-counterpart, although much less of a dump. I loved my spaghetti and meatballs -- the sauce was a very light bolognase with 3 big meatballs.
Service was great -
Review from Thomas R.
Chicago, IL
3/9/2012
My wife and I found Topo Gigio a couple of years ago by accident while wandering through Old Town. It has now easily become one of our favorite restaurants in Chicago. I have not had a bad meal there and I have not had better Italian food anywhere.
The place is lively and can be boisterous but the waiters and staff have always been the same group and now recognize us and always greet us warmly. More often than not we get an after-drink as well. Love this place! -
Review from That G.
Chicago, IL
2/10/2012
Went to meet a friend for drinks and was surprised with wonderful service and atmosphere,.. Sat at the bar and ordered a glass of wine (yummy) and decided to try a nice pasta dish. The servings were huge and so goooooooood! I even brought some home and ate it in the middle of the night, The Bartender was so nice a Italian gentleman who has worked here 16 years. Fun, fair priced and good... Looking forward to coming back for more :) Thanks!
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Review from Chuck D.
9/24/2011
This place has a beautiful outdoors area - even in the winter. The fiance and I went here last winter and really enjoyed that you could be seated outside and it was heated. I loved being able to feel like I was on a lit-up outdoor porch in the winter time! So refreshing.
The service was great and the food was very good. Wine selection was decent, but nothing to rave about. I love it when a restaurant takes the time to bring you warm bread instead of a cold hunk that has been sitting back in the kitchen since earlier that morning (or the morning before). It always sets the mood for the rest of the meal, so this left me ready for the main course! All of the food was cooked by a chef who clearly knew his way around Italian food - it left me very full and wanting to return to try everything on the menu.
We didn't get any apps or dessert as we were (as always) running late for a show. The waitress was very nice about it. When we sat down, I let her know that we were on a slightly tight schedule, but still wanted to enjoy our meal. She handled it perfectly - clearing our plates right we were clearly finished and bringing our check immediately out.
I will hopefully make it back here. Maybe in the summer or fall so I can *actually* sit outside instead of "outside" this time. -
Review from Lori Taylor R.
Chicago, IL
6/29/2011
Total embarrassment. My husband and I had company in town from DC. It was their first visit to Chicago. One of the request they had made was to have dinner at a delicious Italian spot. This could be a slightly overwhelming task given that Chicago has many Italian restaurants to choose from. I figured I couldn't go wrong if I narrowed down the options to places I had tried before. Unfortunately, that couldn't be further from the truth.
We arrived about 5 minutes early for our 6PM reservation. There was a woman sitting at the bar outside with another gentleman. I didn't think much of her as I walked past and made my way to the front door of the restaurant. She then spoke out loudly and said, "Can I help you! Unless, you want to sit inside." I thought this was an odd greeting - not the friendliest way to be approached. I then told her we had a 6 o'clock reservation for 4, but I wasn't sure if my husband was already there. She then said, "Well you can go in and check."
The three of us went in and spoke to the hostess working inside. I told her we were looking to see if my husband had arrived and mentioned our reservation. She said that he hadn't arrived and then asked if we'd like to sit inside or out. I looked at my guests and they suggested outside. This hostess was very friendly. She collected four menus and began to walk us to a table out on the sidewalk. As she passed the bar the woman with dark brown hair that had yelled out to us before entering, popped up from her bar stool, at the bar and grabbed the menus from the hostess hand. She said I've spoken to them once, but they wanted inside. I can seat them! Why is this woman being so blatantly rude to us. We never specified to her if we wanted inside or outside we were looking for my husband!
She slaps down the four menus and storms off. Back to her bar stool no doubt! The waiter immediately comes over and says, "What would you like to drink?" I appreciate his promptness, but I tell him that we've just been seated and haven't looked over the wine list - I order four waters for the table. My guests were still in shock over our welcoming to the restaurant. My husband arrives not even a minute later. He sits down his bag and asks if we've been waiting long and here the waiter is again. It's be less than a minute total. He asks his same question, "What would you like to drink?"
My husband then states that he just sat down. He'd like to look at the wine list - could we have a minute. The waiter breathes heavily and then walks away. Our guests are now just looking at us with raised eyebrows. I am sure they were thinking - Seriously, is this the best Italian place Chicago has to offer. At this point the staff (other than the brief encounter with the inside hostess) has been very irritated with us as patrons and it's been far more than obvious. The restaurant was not crowded. It was early. We had a reservation and there were plenty of open tables - so why the rush from the waiter.
Well, apparently the waiter thought he would do the exact opposite this time and not come back by our table at all! He literally had to walk past our table 6 times to serve other tables sitting close to ours, but never checked back once. By this point, we had made our drink selections, our appetizer and our dinner choices and still he refused to come back by our table. I was so embarrassed! Really, was this the place that I had selected. Is this the impression that will stick with our friends when they think of Italian in Chicago. What a let down! Finally, it got to the point where one of our guest apologized to us, but she was going to flag him down.
She raised her hand in the air and nodded her head. He came to the table and said, "You don't have to flag me! I've been ready, you were the ones that were not ready." WHAT! Is he serious? I felt like getting up and walking out. There are tons of restaurants in this city - we don't have to be eating here. We chose to come here. We can just as easily choose to leave. This is absurd. I just stared at him. I was totally blown away. We ordered our wine and our appetizers. He came back with appetizer plates. He quickly and sloppily placed them on the table almost knocking over my water and basically stacking the new plate on my already dirty bread plate.
Unfortunately, his behavior and that of the hostess (if that's what you even want to call her) began to dominate our total experience. We couldn't even enjoy being out with our friends who we see maybe once or twice a year. I was just really sorry I ever selected Topo Gigio in the first place. This was not at all like our first experience. The food was good, nothing that I couldn't find elsewhere. And certainly nothing so amazing that I would ever subject myself or my guest to such ridiculous and harsh treatment for. Never again! -
Review from Sam N.
Chicago, IL
10/14/2011
This is an awesome place...a breath of fresh air from a more crowded place that is a few feet from this place....let's keep it at that.
The bartender is very attentive and a nice guy on top of that. I did not drink much save for a diet coke since i had to be in the office 8 hours later. It's a friendly crowd some of who know each other and some who do not. I will be back. -
Review from Corey H.
1/13/2012
Very nice little restaurant. The inside was decorated really nicely. They have a pretty solid wine lists with plenty of really reasonably priced bottles of wine. The service was really friendly. The food for the most part was really good. I had a special with fillet medallions which came out medium rare as I ordered but it was supposed to have a pepper crust but it just tasted charred and burnt. The meat inside was great though. My guest had a spicy pasta dish that was awesome. Id go back but id stick to a pasta dish rather than ordering beef.
