Viaggio At the Park

Best Italian meal around! Everything on the menu is delicious, especially the lasagna! Service is great too! We love bringing my parents to Viaggio because of it’s great food, amazing staff, and pleasant atmosphere. We’ll be back again and again!

Nice little Italian place. I started off with an Argentinian Malbec and a wedge salad. Wine was great, wedge salad was ok, onions were very strong and it had a lot of tomatoes. Good for some, not me. The lasagna was delicious, it had a very creamy flavor that I liked. Overall top shelf!

Good food. Good atmosphere. I picked this place because of the rave reviews. My mom asked to go to a good Italian restaurant for her birthday, so I decided on this place. Service was a little slow, but it was very relaxed and gave us time to chat. I was comfortable in a t-​shirt with a hoodie and jeans, which is something I look for because I like great food without having to get dressed up.
Only four stars though because even though I called in advance, and was reassured they would bring out a surprise dessert for my mother’s birthday, it didn’t happen. After I mentioned it though, they took her dessert, that she ordered, off the bill. My dad had specifically asked that I call ahead and set up something to surprise my mom, and I felt I let him, along with my mom, down. When we got back to my place, I got a small scoop of ice cream, covered it with whipped cream, and stuck candles in it so she could at least blow them out.
My dad was very pleased with his veal, and my mom got a Marsala dish that she said was amazing. The Caesar salad actually had an anchovie in it, so it appears they at least make things from scratch there. Props for that.
Overall, a good experience. I would go back. It’s a solid place. I’m not sure what all the one and two star people are whining about.

What a perfect restaurant Viaggio’s is .
This time my table had a real bacchanal. Perfectly prepared fried calamari-​huge order, enough for the whole table. Other apps were the legendary Meatball Salad and the Pesto Infused Burrata Cheese served with crusty toast and perfectly roasted cherry tomatoes– this was a real winner
I had a glass of the Montepulciano which was extraordinary for a house wine.
Our main dishes were Sausage and peppers-​as good as always, Lasagna with bolognese-​extremely rich and satisfying and Veal Piccata-​perfectly prepared and very high quality-​crisp on the outside, moist and tender veal on the inside. Smothered in a lemon sauce with Pine Nuts-​a nice touch.
I wanted to order the Spumoni Bomb for dessert, but there was simply no room.
Another great meal had by all.
The professional service was equal to restaurants that cost twice as much as Viaggio’s
i will go to Viaggio’s whenever I am in the Lincoln Park area.

This is our first time here. And the experience is horrible. There were fruit flies flying on the table. And that’s gross! The waiters are rude. It took them a good 10 minutes to acknowledge our presence after we were seated. I ordered the brick chicken recommended by our server. The chicken was dry, overly salted and partly burnt. When I told the server that the food was salty. He «reluctantly» asked if I wanted to change it. I courteously said no and he was like «okay»!! My husband ordered a preparation with Perch and there were several bones in the fish! Bones in fish and that too in a restaurant like this!!! Overall extremely disappointed with service and the food!
The only good thing about the place is their rosemary garlic infused olive oil!

Amazing. I had the Eggplant Parmesan & it came with a side of tortellini. Food was great & the portions for my dish were very generous. The moscato d’asti was great too. The restaurant is a short walk through the park to the beach front as well :)

This one is kind of hard to review; came here over the weekend (Saturday) for our anniversary dinner. The food was great! Fresh pasta and great lamb chops were on point… but the service was real slow… Not sure if they were short staffed for the night?
Either way, we agreed the food outweighed the service. So we’d probably go back for the food and hope for a better waiter. Would also love to take advantage of their out door seating.

While the food here is good, I felt like I was in an older restaurant, for older people. While that wasnt the case, there were some younger people there, don’t think of it as hip and chic. This is a solid restaurant to bring mum to, and have a lunch/​dinner with family.
We had the meatball salad– it was good and a solid option. Then we had the trio special– pork, NY strip and something else which escapes me. Again, good solid food, well cooked. Ask the waiter for a wine recommendation and they usually give you a good one.

This place is great! The complimentary olive-​oil infused peppers before the meal are fantastic. The entrees are all great especially the Branzino, Brick Chicken, and Veal Marsala. Service is always great and the owner walks around to check on everything.
Recently, they have added a great pianist who really adds to the pleasant atmosphere. Also, if you want to sit at the bar — Kristin the bartender is second to none.
You will not get a better Italian restaurant experience anywhere!

This is probably the 2^nd best Italian place I’ve eaten at. Everything was great! 100% customer Service! Great Food! The owner/​manager and waiter were gentlemen and if I lived in Chicago I would be there all the time, that is for sure!
There drinks were very tastey and not over-​priced. The salad was nothing special, but nothing to bat an eye at. I had the Branzino which was very nicely prepared! The best thing was the Sicilian Postacio Ice Cream for Dessert! It was incredible!
Overall it was a great experience! I would recommend this place to anybody who lives in Chi-​town or visitors. This place is definitely a winner!

So I lived right next to this restaurant. I don’t know how I managed to walk by twice a day without ever trying it. A friend’s birthday was the perfect opportunity to end that nonsense and ever since, I have been wanting to go back.
The ambiance is lovely. Unpretentious Italian with class. I feel bad for the people that got seated at the table right by the entrance though. That’s some not so smart floor plan.
Can I just say those sauteed peppers are heavenly? They are the best things ever. I am pretty sure I ate them all so before apps and entrees were served, I was half full already. They are drenched in EVOO (Rachel Ray copyrighted) and so flavorful that I will be willing to pay for them. They really should sell them in jars.
For appetizer, we got the salmon on bruschetta. Salmon is slightly smoked and in good portions. The crostini has the right amount of crisp. Too many herbs for my taste but I think they help balance out the fishiness.
Entrees are of humongous portions for a rather affordable price at Lincoln Park. The special seafood (lobster tail, scallops, shrimp I think) risotto I got is insanely rich and overly moist. Coupled with the fact that I ate all the sauteed peppers and bread, I could not eat more than a few spoonfuls of this. It still tasted really good the next day after 10 minutes in the oven. My friends got the simple pasta with red sauce — very very nicely done, perfectly cooked and sauce very flavorful and complex — and the veal — very tender juicy and well seasoned.
In the middle of the meal, all of a sudden we heard opera singing. We thought it was coming from the central sound system but then it just started getting louder and louder. Turns out it was a real person singing! It added so much unexpected but much appreciated fun to our dining experience.
At the end of the meal we also got a complimentary tiramisu for our friend’s birthday. There isn’t a dessert menu so you’d better listen up when your waiter recites the dessert items for you.
Outdoor seating is limited and awkwardly situated between two apartment buildings so be prepared to be stared at by hungry people coming home from work while you devour those yummy meatballs.

I made reservations for an early evening Saturday dinner for my boyfriends birthday. When talking to the host, I mentioned it was my boyfriends birthday and he told me they give a piece of tiramisu out for birthdays. The host was great and reassured me on my reservation.
We arrive, ordered the stacked eggplant as an app. I honestly didn’t think it was anything special. My boyfriend ordered the New York Italiano and I had the veal oscar. Both were WONDERFUL.
The food was above average but our waiter wasn’t really enthusiastic and I honestly believe it’s because my boyfriend and I are in our early twenties he perhaps thought we wouldn’t tip well regardless of the service. He also didn’t bring out the tiramisu which got me irritated. I told my boyfriend about it and considered saying something because we already got the check until the manager brought it out to us and saved the day. The server saw us with the dessert and definitely looked confused as to why we had it. Kind of ruined the surprise.
Good food but not good enough to get me to go back.

The husband and I came here the other night after a taking a class on Italian style wines made in California. It only seemed appropriate to have Italian food after that. This place was close by and had great reviews so we decided to give it a try.
It was pretty early on a Saturday night (about 5:30) and we had no reservation but we were able to be seated right away. The place was fairly empty when we arrived, except for a large table with a family celebrating Grandma’s birthday. The place was full by the time we departed.
We began our meal by sharing an order of the stacked eggplant. It was excellent and I would come here again just have it. The portion was large and certainly needed to be shared, two huge stacks of eggplant, tomato, mozzarella and arugula. With the waiters recommendation I had the chicken Marsala. This was also excellent and I would highly recommend it.
Here is the reason for four stars though instead of five — the pasta. The husband ordered the spaghetti bolognese and it was mediocre. Not really sure how everything else was so great and the pasta was not. The pasta was a bit over cooked and limp and the sauce not particularly flavorful. Certainly a disappointment. In the end I would return and just stay clear of the pasta.

I cannot rave enough about Viaggio’s at the Park. The food is excellent and portions generous. I encourage you to go for the specials, because they are always top notch. Pastas are delicious and made in house. My fiancé and I shared the Chicken Sinatra for Two platter on our first visit, which is basically a giant platter of chicken vesuvio, sausage, potatoes and veggies… basically half the menu. All was great, could def feed 3 – 4 with an appetizer and salads! Even better – the stuffed veal special over fettuccine with cacciatore sauce last night!
Atmosphere is great at Viaggio’s, perfect for date night or an intimate gathering with friends. The place is well decorated (the ceiling may be my favorite feature). Service is another plus… very attentive, which is difficult to find in Chicago! They even remembered my fiancé and I from 2 ½ months prior when we walked in for our second visit.
Bonus: There is a tenor who sings during prime times on the weekend and definitely adds to the ambiance and experience.

Four and a half.
This place was invented for having the «perfect date» so take your girlfriend and I promise she will love it.
The space and food are excellent, the service is great and the tenor who sings for a few minutes at 8PM and 9 PM (on the weekends) is a nice little touch too.
We ordered the following:
Eggplant Stack (Unreal)
Meatball Salad (great)
Linguini With Clams (fantastic and amazing as a left-​over on the stove top the next day)
Eight-​Finger Cavatelli with added sausage (perfect sauce but next time i’ll switch the pasta to penne because the portions on everything are massive and the Cavatelli is super heavy)
The Tiramisu (wow just wow) and one cannoli (best filling i’ve ever had in one).
I also got to speak with the owner for a few minutes while we waited for the valet to pull up our car and he was super friendly.
I would highly recommend Viaggo’s for you next date night.

Not as awesome as I expected.
I live across the street from this place. Literally at the building on the other side of Fullerton. I noticed that it opened, but never felt inclined to stop in. Then one day I was on Unilocal looking for something near by and noticed all the stars next to this listing. So I tried it out.
I had the acclaimed meatball salad and Penne at the Park. The meatball was really good. The penne was good. I just don’t feel like it’s 5 stars OMG type of food. However the parmesan that they provide with the bread and olive oil was really good. Good enough that it stands out in my mind and I felt the need to tell you about it.
We came on a Wednesday night so all wines were half off. My friend and I chose a bottle of the moscato. It was the best Moscato I’ve ever had and a great deal for half off. Not sure I’d pay $ 40 for it on a regular night though.
The main reason that I’m giving this 3 starts and not 4 was the service. The Maitre D’ was a super sweet older gentleman who was welcoming and kind. The people who brought our food and refilled our water were very pleasant. Our server ruined everything. He was just dismissive and sarcastic. I asked him if he had a favorite pasta dish and he said «well everyone’s palate is different.» I’m not dumb. I know this. I asked him to tell me what he likes and this is how he responds? I realize it may be a redundant question but it’s part of his job to make recommendations or at least give me additional information about the food. This is just how I feel. He just generally rubbed me the wrong way. I will return to give them another try. But I’ll definitely not sit in that guy’s section.

4.75 for Italian comfort food.
Not a 5 only bc they don’t have a cocktail menu and weren’t able to do any non alcoholic concoctions.
Superb service.
Mushroom and scampi apps were very good!
Entrees are large. Good leftovers!
We had and loved:
Branzino (special) — creamy decadent deliciousness.
Eggplant parm w side of tortellini in a cream sauce — so so wow
Ravioli special — delish
Side of meatballs –omg
Tiramisu was extra creamy and perfect.
Highly recommended! This location and the west loop live up to the reviews. Food was a 5!

Anthony Bourdain said, «Context and memory play powerful roles in all the truly great meals in one’s life.» There is quite a bit of explanation after that opening sentence but he basically mused that if your company or atmosphere is particularly amazing, food tastes «a hell of a lot better» than it really is.
Well, I completely agree. That being said, even if I had dined with my arch nemesis, I would still have been in love with those meatballs, the pasta, the meatballs, the seafood, the meatballs, the waiter, the meatballs, the owner, the meatballs, and the general attitude and atmosphere of the place. Oh yeah, and the meatballs.
For starters, (I assume it was) the owner was every fantasy I’ve had about an Italian lover realized — that hair, his dress, his speech… I could go on and on — and he was probably in his 50s… what can I say, I appreciate older men, especially one with an accent. And watching him interact with the patrons sitting at the bar made me feel privy to something special… like I was living in a film set.
And our waiter was such a doll. I kept thinking the whole night, «Is his accent real?,» «Do people really talk like this in Chicago?,» «How does his hair look that good?,» «I should move to the north if this is how guys talk… it’s so cute!» …I’m from the south — I only hear southern drawl and twang. In all seriousness though, he tops the better waiters in recent memory, particularly with his recommendations and engaging personality.
To top it all off, since I am in no way slighting my company despite that intro, I was even luckier that evening because the hilarious conversation with my dining partner equally matched the greatness of this restaurant. Win — win!

If it was cloudy with a chance of these meatballs I’d want it to rain every single day! The rave reviews of these puppies don’t even do them justice. They’re like a Kuma’s burger and a Gibson’s steak made a baby and that baby was beat with a delicious stick it’s whole childhood then grew up to be served next to perfectly cooked pasta. Order them with the vodka sauce and it will ruin almost all other Italian places around town for you.
Other highlights are the complimentary sauteed peppers they serve as an appetizer and the spicy seafood pasta that’s littered with shrimp, mussels, and calamari. This place really is as good as it’s reviews suggest and I’ve only explored a small portion of the menu.
Service is stellar and all the staff has that old school Italian attitude that ensures authenticity and a great night out. If you’ve never been to either Viaggio than you’re taste buds should be mad at you.

Wow!
I came here for a celebratory dinner and I had no idea I’d be celebrating the meal.
When I was there, the special was basically chicken parmigiana, but made with filet mignon instead of chicken. Oh, damn, that was good! I don’t see it on their normal menu, so maybe it’s not a regular thing.
Chicago has no shortage of great Italian restaurants, but I believe this should be counted among them.
Update: I returned and the food was just as good as I remembered. Upon Joelle P’s recommendation, I tried the meatballs. You *must* get the meatballs. They come as a side to your pasta, and there are two, about the size of your fist. So… freaking… good. I actually preferred them to my penne with bolognese. Next time, I’m just ordering meatballs.
I also loved the eight finger cavatelli. It’s a really soft, long noodle pasta. Think jumbo-​fat spaghetti.
I’m also not a huge fan of the layout of the place. I prefer a darker, cozier environment. This is a little more… I dunno… upscale. Better for a small group of friends than a pair of lovers.
Also, they often have an opera singer stroll out and start singing at the top of her lungs. I suppose they think it adds «class,» but it grinds all conversation to a dead halt and it’s a miracle all the wine glasses don’t shatter. I wish they’d 86 her.
Still, this place is quickly rising among my ranks of favorite Chicago restaurants!