Not that much to say here. The space was beautiful and from what I can remember the service was great, but the food was not at all memorable. I ordered a pumpkin soup that was really just okay, and we ordered the cacao e pepe and that was good but nothing really stood out about it. Overall for the price there are far better options with similar vibes and better food especially in West Loop/Fulton Market area.
Parielle Davis
ONCE in a lifetime. Great service.
Don Sarno
Terrific Italian food with amazing service and a quiet, comfortable atmosphere. They have amazing homemade pasta dishes. They also offer many of their pastas as gluten free. Overall a terrific place for an intimate night out, casual dinner or business.
Nicky Wagman
The food seems well done and authentic, but the clarity of the menu leaves a lot to be desired. Several members of our party were unpleasantly surprised when their food arrived: what had seemed to be a vegetarian dish with mushroom sauce was actually made with hamburger; one of the dishes turned out to be quite spicy despite having no such indication that it would be; and what we had expected to be a cream sauce (for someone with acid reflux issues) was in fact a red sauce.
Those of our party who lucked-out with their orders were very pleased with them, saying everything was absolutely delicious—but it was all down to luck, as the menu was all but useless.
The staff were nice, and were obliging enough about whipping-up a dish of plain pasta and sauce for our vegetarian, but a little accuracy and information on the menu would have avoided that and all the other issues in the first place.
They were also extremely understaffed, with what seemed to be only two people managing everything, despite reservations for big parties, so service was very slow. Very nice and friendly, to be sure! Just be prepared for a slow evening...and a lot of surprises when your order arrives, and you discover what it actually is you're going to be eating. Hope you get luckier than we did!
Mariah Kaiser
The food was good, I had a reservation at 8 called ahead and made sure it was okay if I was running late they said I could arrive at 9pm, we waited 45 min to order a drink, they missed a drink, then waited another 30 min to order meal, nobody checked on us through the whole meal, finally got the bill, it was wrong , there’s only one lady working the floor who I’m pretty sure owns the place. Service sucked we were there for a total of 2 hours. My group is 22-25 year olds I felt very ageism. I’m never coming back here there’s food everywhere this place is mid . Not worth the price .
Elayssandria Lacy
Gaioa is a beautiful Italian spot in Chicago that strikes the perfect balance between upscale and inviting. You’ll want to dress up, but you’ll feel just as welcome coming casual. The ambience is cozy and elegant, with lovely light filtering through the windows and intimate seating nooks.
We started with the Fritto—perfectly crisp calamari and shrimp with aioli—so good. Two of my daughters ordered their favorite, Cacio e Pepe, and it did not disappoint. Another daughter tried the Casoncelli Alla Bergamasca, which was rich and hearty, though not a favorite for our table.
But the star of the night was the Grilled Butterflied Mediterranean Sea Bass with oregano and lemon oil—incredible. Perfectly cooked, bright, and flavorful. You’ll want more after the first bite. Highly recommend!
Special thanks to Luana, the manager, for her warm and attentive service. Gaioa delivers on food, service, and vibe—definitely worth a visit.
logan harris
Really bad experience, bad food, my order was wrong every course. Way overpriced for bad service and bad food. Do not recommend!
Ning Tong
Our reservation was at 5 PM when the restaurant opened. We wanted to order mussels as an appetizer from the menu but were told only mussel pasta was available. However, as we were leaving, we saw another table being served what looked like mussels. When we asked the staff, they said it was clams, though we’re confident we can tell the difference. Not sure why we were given conflicting information and I was disappointed. Other than that, the food we ordered was great.
Anthony Riha
Authentic and brilliant...
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Gioia Nei Paccheri
XXVIII OTTOBRE
Went for Thanksgiving dinner. Little expensive, but the food was good and the portions were serious. Excellent waiters!
Always enjoy dining here. The food is amazing. I try something different each time I go and have not been disappointed.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Focaccia, Calamari, Branzino Alla Griglia
Sankalp Damani
Great atmosphere, and the food is also really nice - especially the table side dishes.
While the waitress was really nice and funny, she was really slow. We came hungry so that made it a bit worse of an experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Gioia Nei Paccheri
Manushi Raval
Food and taste was decent. Nothing out of ordinary.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Tiramisu
Kyle Wilke
Great Italian Food I love to
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Barbara Heffner
A beautiful restaurant. Terrific food, stunning decor, great service. Hubby started with the polpette (aka meatballs) and the cacio & pepe. He said both were delicious. (They'll do the cacio & pepe tableside if you wish.) I started with the caesar salad. I'd suggest lightening up the dressing. A bit heavy for me. The pumpkin soup was one of the apps of the day. It was lovely and light.
Not that much to say here. The space was beautiful and from what I can remember the service was great, but the food was not at all memorable. I ordered a pumpkin soup that was really just okay, and we ordered the cacao e pepe and that was good but nothing really stood out about it. Overall for the price there are far better options with similar vibes and better food especially in West Loop/Fulton Market area.
ONCE in a lifetime. Great service.
Terrific Italian food with amazing service and a quiet, comfortable atmosphere. They have amazing homemade pasta dishes. They also offer many of their pastas as gluten free. Overall a terrific place for an intimate night out, casual dinner or business.
The food seems well done and authentic, but the clarity of the menu leaves a lot to be desired. Several members of our party were unpleasantly surprised when their food arrived: what had seemed to be a vegetarian dish with mushroom sauce was actually made with hamburger; one of the dishes turned out to be quite spicy despite having no such indication that it would be; and what we had expected to be a cream sauce (for someone with acid reflux issues) was in fact a red sauce.
Those of our party who lucked-out with their orders were very pleased with them, saying everything was absolutely delicious—but it was all down to luck, as the menu was all but useless.
The staff were nice, and were obliging enough about whipping-up a dish of plain pasta and sauce for our vegetarian, but a little accuracy and information on the menu would have avoided that and all the other issues in the first place.
They were also extremely understaffed, with what seemed to be only two people managing everything, despite reservations for big parties, so service was very slow. Very nice and friendly, to be sure! Just be prepared for a slow evening...and a lot of surprises when your order arrives, and you discover what it actually is you're going to be eating. Hope you get luckier than we did!
The food was good, I had a reservation at 8 called ahead and made sure it was okay if I was running late they said I could arrive at 9pm, we waited 45 min to order a drink, they missed a drink, then waited another 30 min to order meal, nobody checked on us through the whole meal, finally got the bill, it was wrong , there’s only one lady working the floor who I’m pretty sure owns the place. Service sucked we were there for a total of 2 hours. My group is 22-25 year olds I felt very ageism. I’m never coming back here there’s food everywhere this place is mid . Not worth the price .
Gaioa is a beautiful Italian spot in Chicago that strikes the perfect balance between upscale and inviting. You’ll want to dress up, but you’ll feel just as welcome coming casual. The ambience is cozy and elegant, with lovely light filtering through the windows and intimate seating nooks.
We started with the Fritto—perfectly crisp calamari and shrimp with aioli—so good. Two of my daughters ordered their favorite, Cacio e Pepe, and it did not disappoint. Another daughter tried the Casoncelli Alla Bergamasca, which was rich and hearty, though not a favorite for our table.
But the star of the night was the Grilled Butterflied Mediterranean Sea Bass with oregano and lemon oil—incredible. Perfectly cooked, bright, and flavorful. You’ll want more after the first bite. Highly recommend!
Special thanks to Luana, the manager, for her warm and attentive service. Gaioa delivers on food, service, and vibe—definitely worth a visit.
Really bad experience, bad food, my order was wrong every course. Way overpriced for bad service and bad food. Do not recommend!
Our reservation was at 5 PM when the restaurant opened. We wanted to order mussels as an appetizer from the menu but were told only mussel pasta was available. However, as we were leaving, we saw another table being served what looked like mussels. When we asked the staff, they said it was clams, though we’re confident we can tell the difference. Not sure why we were given conflicting information and I was disappointed. Other than that, the food we ordered was great.
Authentic and brilliant...
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Gioia Nei Paccheri
Went for Thanksgiving dinner. Little expensive, but the food was good and the portions were serious. Excellent waiters!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tiramisu
Restaurantji Recommends
Always enjoy dining here. The food is amazing. I try something different each time I go and have not been disappointed.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Focaccia, Calamari, Branzino Alla Griglia
Great atmosphere, and the food is also really nice - especially the table side dishes.
While the waitress was really nice and funny, she was really slow. We came hungry so that made it a bit worse of an experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Gioia Nei Paccheri
Food and taste was decent. Nothing out of ordinary.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Tiramisu
Great Italian Food I love to
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A beautiful restaurant. Terrific food, stunning decor, great service. Hubby started with the polpette (aka meatballs) and the cacio & pepe. He said both were delicious. (They'll do the cacio & pepe tableside if you wish.) I started with the caesar salad. I'd suggest lightening up the dressing. A bit heavy for me. The pumpkin soup was one of the apps of the day. It was lovely and light.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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