Atmosphere and service are good. It looks cool inside and people are friendly, we were seated on time and the place is very busy. But not sure what the hype is about because the food is not special at all. The salad was the best part. We got rigatoni (noodles and sauce for $20) and chicken Parmesan (2 pieces of dry chicken for $34). Oh and they change you $12 if you want bread on the side. Never heard of that. Hate to be negative but honestly the food is sort of bland. There’s way better options for Italian food close by for half the price. We only had 1 glass of wine each and the bill was still nearly $200 for 2 people. Won’t go back, I don’t recommend it.

Ate here Jan 30, 2022 and my review reflects our meal experience at that time. TL:DR, worth going the one time, don't think we will return. Walking in feels extremely elevated without being stuffy, something I definitely appreciated. BOKA group restaurants tend to nail this right on the head, and this was no exception. I also noticed our service the entire time was fantastic from check in process to the changing of utensils and plates. Special shout out to our server, Joel, who was cordial, friendly, and professional. We never felt rushed through our meal even though reservations currently are time-boxed. The food came out promptly and definitely was fresh, and presented well. And now, here come the big letdown (IMO). Everything up to the first bite of food was fantastic, and got me very excited for the quality of the food. We ordered the bread service, roasted octopus, fritto misto, ricotta dumplings, as well as the tiramisu and apple ricotta cake. The cake and the roasted octopus were our favorites, and done extremely, extremely well. Complex flavor profiles, not overbearing, and very fresh. Bread service and fritto misto ranked next. I enjoyed the takes that the restaurant did on them, but your opinion will definitely fall on either the positive or negative as these dishes are a little more polarizing. The fritto misto are healthy servings of calamari and shrimp, lightly breaded that allows the seafood flavors to break through with a aioli that I thoroughly enjoyed. However, if you are someone that enjoys a heavier breading, this might not be for you. Also, with an Italian restaurant at this price, it feels like there should be bread served w/o ordering or extra cost. Finally, the ricotta dumplings. I will say, that they were executed well for what the restaurant was trying to do. That being said, the ricotta was extremely overbearing and overwhelming. I am a cheese fan, and even I felt this was too much, notwithstanding the fact that it was served cacio e pepe style. This dish feels as though it would be better executed if the dumplings were an accent over a polenta or with a more savory complement. Overall, we enjoyed our meal, the atmosphere, and service. The food feels a little on the pricey side for what you are getting, even factoring in what Chicagoans call the "west loop tax". If everything was $3-$5 cheaper, this would be a no brainer. I can understand why this place is busy every night, but after the first time I think there are better Italian restaurants to return to for a special occasion or meal.

I love Italian food and Alla Vita truly set the bar for an amazing Italian dinner in Chicago! Beautiful ambience and decor, accommodating and welcoming service, and absolutely delicious food. The bread literally melts in your mouth. Sooo yummy. I was in heaven! Dinner was wonderful. My friend and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We had: Wood Fired Table Bread, Ricotta Dumplings, Chicken Parmigiana, Apple Ricotta Cake, and the Flower Crown cocktail. I’ll be honest and say that we did not like the Apple Ricotta Cake at all, there was something weird about the texture and taste. But that doesn’t take away from the overall experience. Highly recommend, can’t wait to return!

I recently had the unfortunate experience of dining at Alla Vita, and to put it simply, it was a major disappointment. From the moment we walked in, it was evident that the hosts and other restaurant staff were extremely lookist and racist. Upon entering the restaurant with my party of five, I couldn't help but notice one of the hosts, easily identifiable by her blue blouse, skirt, and black Mary Jane shoes, eyeing us suspiciously. She whispered to her colleagues, and a few seconds later, she led us to our table (isolated from the main dining room) cramped between the bar and kitchen. The table was painted yellow with blue flowers. It was clearly very different from the rest of the restaurant. Initially, I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt, thinking that perhaps it was due to our odd group number or a packed main dining room. However, I remembered that our reservation was for 8 pm, and as we looked around there were clearly a few open tables available (later that night, we witnessed another party of five, who were white, being seated in the main dining room). When someone in my party politely asked if we could be seated at a different table, the host responded with a smug look and a simple "No." It was at that moment that I felt the weight of racial discrimination against myself and my party. The host's decision to place us at the worst table in the restaurant, despite the availability of other tables that were given to white patrons, made us feel unwelcome and marginalized. As an Asian American, it is disheartening to still encounter such blatant acts of discrimination. I had been eagerly looking forward to trying Alla Vita and enjoying the aesthetic ambiance it promised (twinkling lights and elegant wooden garden arches), but the entire experience was overshadowed by the racial discrimination we faced. It is truly disappointing that in this day and age, these kinds of incidents still occur.

Coming into this restaurant you'll be taken away by their Mediterranean decor! It's absolutely beautiful! I really love the aesthetic of this restaurant. Aside from that, their food is absolutely delicious!! Tonight we had the whipped ricotta, the octopus, tagliatelle and the ribeye (medium rare). The tagliatelle wasn't our absolute favorite, but it was still delicious. If you're looking for flavor, this is definitely your place! Don't forget to eat the roasted garlic that comes with the ribeye!

This restaurant hit on all cylinders! Our server Brandon is a professional. Spacing of tables was very far apart. Restrooms were clean. Food is served family style. Portions are large but not huge. To start we shared the grilled octopus. Fantastic! Next we share a kale salad for two. The order of kale was enough for the four of us. Really good! What I appreciated was that Brandon told us that the order for two was more then enough so we wouldn’t over order. I found that commendable. Next we had a Brussel Spout pizza. Again amazing. The best dish of the night was ravioli ricotta. I cannot tell you how tasty it was. The bar selection is very good. The room is loud and nicely decorated. Street parking is easily found. While we didn’t have desert, that menu was very tempting. All in all an easy five star restaurant!

Food. Atmosphere. Libations. Service. These are the four tenants to an amazing restaurants. A La Vida nails the atmosphere and the service was sufficient, but the pasta was incredibly salty. My girlfriend is a salt freak. She barely cares about sweets, but the pasta was so salty we couldn't bear it. We sent it back for a less salty version only to be presented with the exact same dish. Disappointed.

I don’t know where to begin… the rigatoni and dumpling dishes are absolutely insane. All the hype around those two dishes are incredibly deserved. They recognized our celebration and brought us custom congratulation menus and ice cream post meal. They brought fresh silverware every course and were very attentive of our whole dining experience.

Rigatoni vodka and mushroom pizza were amazing Kale salad, octopus and the ricotta dessert were all very good and would order again but the service was 11/10. They dropped a dish near us which wasn’t a big deal and didn’t spill on us but then pretended like they heard it was one our our birthdays to give us a free dessert. Then my wife forgot her phone and one of the waiters literally ran down the block to catch us. Can’t wait to go back

I love Italian food and Alla Vita was on my list to try for a while now and finally made it! Loved the dining experience with great food, vibe, and service. The restaurant is beautiful, the ceiling sculpture is gorgeous and the greenery inside the restaurant adds to the decor and grandness of the place. The food was phenomenal. My favorites were the ricotta dumplings, arancini, rigatoni, and tagliatelle. The sauces on each of the dishes were amazing and so different from the other. The service was exceptional. Alla Vita knows how to take care of its guests. If you are looking for a fine dining Italian experience , Alla Vita is the place to be. Great for date nights, girls night or family night. Highly Recommend !

The food was fresh & good, the waitstaff was phenomenal and attentive… however, because we celebrated our anniversary and told them, they sent us out a dessert we didn’t get to choose (birthday cake gelato), or like, or finish, and then charged us for it. I’m disappointed. The waiter told us it’s his favorite and I was too polite to say anything and then we got the bill. Usually from our experience, those celebration benefits at other restaurants have been free of charge, but Alla Vita charges you. We probably won’t return because of that up charge for something we didn’t ask for or get to choose. I included pictures of our food (we ordered most of the appetizers. I say, if you’re going on a normal occasion, don’t pass this place up because the food was delicious and the waitstaff was amazing. I wish our anniversary wasn’t soured by the gelato experience.

The design of this restaurant is wonderful, and it really makes you want to dine in there. Service is also very friendly and helpful, as well as polite and smiling all the time. However, I was a little disappointed with the food. It is not bad, don’t get me wrong, but I expected more. The freshly baked bread is a little too sweet, the ricotta dumplings are good but a little too creamy. The lasagna was spectacular! If they gave you the option to substitute the mushrooms for meat, I’m sure it would be even better! Tiramisu is a very important point for me in an Italian place, and this one is closer to a chocolate cake, so I don’t recommend it. I will probably be back so I try more dishes, but it is a little overpriced for the quality of the food you get. You also pay for the experience and the environment, so I do recommend that!

Went in for lunch but didn’t get the 25 dollar lunch because it requires the whole table to participate and didn’t have the ricotta dumplings. There also isn’t the special bread for lunch, but you can add some normal bread with butter for two dollars. I liked the ricotta dumplings more than the rigatoni alla vodka. The vodka sauce tasted more like tomato sauce. There’s better pasta in the city but this place has a really nice vibe. Mainly because the interior was nature-y without the bugs so it felt serene even though the people there talk as loud as monkeys. The service was great though. I never had to ask for a water refill and getting the bill paid was quick.

Lovely experience dining at Alla Vita. The table bread is phenomenal. The rigatoni is perfect and the mushroom pizza is scrumptious! Definitely Instagram worthy and sexy! Really enjoyed dining here on my visit to Chicago

Fantastic pasta! You can tell that it is fresh made, and the sauces were so delicious. Also very affordable for what you are getting - the food, the atmosphere, and even the staff were so wonderful and attentive. We ordered the roasted octopus, rigatoni alla vodka, and the tagliatelle. All dishes were made very well and at very generous portions. Everything was so solid it’s hard to say more! Would love to come again and try the other dishes some day!

Had such a great date night here; the team went above and beyond knowing we were celebrating a recent engagement. The ricotta dumplings are a must; so soft and so light. The rigatoni, chicken, and tiramisu were all great too!

We tried this place for the first time tonight, on NYE. Reservation: Open Table only showed pre-fixe dinner around 17:00 available; so, I emailed to see if there was a table at a later time. I received a response from Emery, the GM, explaining that they had bar and high tops available and the items on the pre-fixe menu could be purchased a la carte in those areas. This actually worked out perfectly for us. Parking: We found hourly street parking out front. Ambiance: This place is beautiful! I love the wood paneling, the hanging greenery, and the fabric design on the ceiling; it is all lovely. Staff: Emery was very on top of emailing and answering any question I had. The host answered the phone quickly. The bus boys were polite and efficient. Emmanuel was friendly and had great recommendations. Food: We ordered a la carte from the NYE Pre-Fixe menu; so, I’m not certain which items will also be on their main menu, but I hope they all are because they were fantastic! ~ Mora mora (non alcoholic/mocktail) $13 ***3.5/5 : Lyre’s white cane, seedlip grove, blackberry, mint, soda The description is fruity, bright, and refreshing. I would agree. It was both sweet and sour. I believe it had some kind of citrus which helps round out the flavor profile. The mint was on top as a garnish, but I broke it apart and added it to the drink; I wanted it to be a stronger flavor in the drink. ~ Bluefin tuna crudo $23 ***** 5/5 : Winter citrus, castlevetrano olive, bottarga This was excellent. I wish it came with more because I could eat a platter of it. It came with 4 sashimi size slices, topped with a vinegary/creamy sauce, olive, basil, bottarga, and something that tasted like orange and looked like a small candied orange slice. It was citrusy, salty, and creamy. I wanted to lick up the sauce. ~ Arancini $15 ***** 5/5 : Scamorza cheese, ‘njuda aoli, fennel pollen This came with 4 arancini and a ramekin in the dipping sauce. The Arancini were cooked perfectly. The outside was crispy and had the wonderful fennel, while the inside was cheesy and gooey. The sauce was creamy mayo with a hint of spice (from the njuda). ~Tagliatelle $23 ***** 5/5 : Beef shank ragu, pecorino, Sicilian oregano I am a huge fan of pasta, and this did not disappoint. I asked Emmanuel which he would select between this, the vodka, or the ricotta dumplings, and he said although the latter two are house favs, he orders the ragu about twice a week. So, we went with that and it was delicious. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente and the ragu was super flavorful. The only thing i think they might have made a mistake on is the name of the pasta. I’m pretty sure they served us pappardelle, rather than tagliatelle. The pasta was very wide. I actually love pappardelle and think it works wonderful with a ragu; so, I am definitely NOT complaining. ~ Seared Scallops $40 **** 4.5/5 : Puntarelle, hazelnut, blood orange, agrodolce This came with 4 scallops, perfectly seared. This was popping with flavor. I have never had agrodolce before, but it kind of reminds me of cranberries; it has a sweet and sour flavor combination. I’ve also never had puntarelle before; it has a slightly bitter fennel taste, but prepared as it was it also seemed slightly sweet. The hazelnut added a nice nuttiness and crunch. The blood orange added the right amount of acidity… again both sweet and sour, which I love… which balanced the dish. ~ Chicken Parmigiana $34 : Fire roasted tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, basil This was my boyfriend’s entree, so I can’t rate it out of 5 for him, but he did say he liked it and he is a harsh critique of food. He actually liked everything we had here, which is rare! ~ Tiramisu $16 ***** 5/5 : Amaro vecchio del capo, malted marscapone,coffee The bottom layer was crisp; it reminds me of a ferrero roche. The layers were wonderful. The mascarpone and the whipped cream on top were lighter than any I’ve had before. And the chocolate shavings tasted of high quality.

The staff is amazing, the food delectable, and the vibes one of a kind. We came for a romantic dinner that delivered passion and pasta in the best sauce i've ever had. If you're questioning whether or not to dine here, decide on yes. You won't regret it.

Not only is the food DELICIOUS - all caps. But their staff treats you like royalty. I made this reservation for an anniversary celebration and the personal touches they put towards making our night special was above and beyond - with "Happy Anniversary" printed on our menus, a complimentary desert, a great table by the window. If you want a really special experience this play serves that on a gold platter. The food was also excellent - we ordered the signature dishes: ricotta pillows, rigatoni all vodka, meatballs, broccolini, fresh bread, and the apple desert. This is now a spot I recommend to friends and family.

I’ve been to Italy and this rigatoni was incredible. It was the star of our dinner! We ordered the ricotta dumplings and pizza as well and those were okay. Pasta was cooked perfectly and was so flavorful. Celebrated a friend’s birthday and the service was charismatic and attentive! The atmosphere is cool sexy fun. Highly recommend for the rigatoni alone!

Our server, Jo, was absolutely amazing!! Excellent service, beautiful ambiance, and the food was beyond next level! Everything we had to eat & drink was top-notch! Can't wait to come back 🙌🏽

Alla Vita was an exceptional culinary experience. The Roasted Octopus appetizer, accompanied by crispy potatoes, garlic aioli, salsa verde, and Castelvetrano olives, was an incredible start to the meal. The flavors melded together perfectly, leaving me craving for more. The Ricotta Dumplings in cacio e pepe sauce were a true delight. The creamy, cheesy sauce enveloped the dumplings, making every bite a burst of deliciousness. The Whole Sea Bream, served with Castelvetrano olives, salsa verde, and golden raisins, was a remarkable combination of flavors that danced on my palate. It was a symphony of taste that I won't soon forget. For dessert, I indulged in the Warm Torta di Cioccolato with almond tuile, olive oil vanilla gelato, and amarena Fudee. The Ricotta Mousse with olive oil cake, blueberries, and lemon streusel was heavenly dessert. Each component harmonized beautifully to create a dessert that was both visually stunning and incredibly delicious. The attentive and helpful service added to the overall pleasant dining experience. The ambiance at Alla Vita is nothing short of beautiful, with carefully selected furniture and design that makes it worthy of any Instagram feed. It's not your typical Italian restaurant; it's a place that combines exquisite decor with mouthwatering food. Alla Vita is a must-visit for anyone seeking a memorable dining experience.

We had to make a reservation a week in advance - this place is busy and very popular for a reason!!! Bread with baked cheese and honey on top - out of this world! Main dish - pasta with shrimp and squid - full of flavor, very fresh! Olive oil vanilla ice-cream is a very interesting combination to top it off.

I had a lovely experience for my birthday! They are known for their vodka pasta and it definitely is their best item on the menu. My family ordered their other pastas that contained meat and they didn’t enjoy it as much compared to my vodka pasta. My aunt even switched her order because she didn’t like hers, which they did with no hesitation! Overall the service was lovely and I had a great birthday experience at alla vita!

Great place to get together for all types of celebrations, or just a regular date night . I’ve been here on multiple occasions and the staff are usually very attentive. I love the tagliatelle (my fave dish from them) and the margherita pizza! Don’t sleep on the wood fire bread too, it’s sweet & savory,and it can be shared amongst 4 people. Will be back soon.

This might be the most beautiful restaurant I’ve ever been in. The food was incredible. My friend and I got the rigatoni alla vodka and the wood fired bread. The bread looks like it may or may not be good - it isn’t just good. It is GREAT. Order it! I really appreciated that before we started ordering, our server asked if anyone had any food allergies. As someone who has food allergies, I really appreciated that the server asked from the get-go.

The food in this place was amazing. I can't describe the pizza dough, it's insane. The ricotta dumplings (gnocchi) were delicious. There were nothing that was bad. The place is really beautiful and the service was great. I'm coming back soon!

An exceptional and different Italian experience. At the same time bringing the best of traditional Italian with the best of modernism in both cooking and design. Great food, service, atmosphere, design and music. A wonderful experience, even if a bit pricey, would definitely return.

The food are good especially their pasta dishes but it took forever for our food to be ready. The tiramisu cake didn't taste like an autentic tiramisu. It taste different. I love tiramisu and I can tell if it's a good one or a bad one. The pricing is affordable.

Environment and Ambiance: 5/5 The vibe of the place is really classy without being stuffy, and the decor is unique. Nice spot for a date or celebration. Service: 5/5 Our server was friendly and did her best to get us anything we needed. I appreciated her efforts and had similar positive experiences with the rest of the staff. Food: 4/5 We ordered the truffle pizza, burrata appetizer, and ricotta dumplings. Out of these, the burrata and the ricotta dumplings were the best. The combination of beets and burrata with olive oil made for an amazing dish, and the ricotta dumplings melted in your mouth. The truffle pizza was tasty but not as good as it could’ve been, although I did enjoy the crust. Value: 3/5 The portion sizes for the price, especially the ricotta dumplings, left something to be desired. I think the pizza was a reasonable size and the burrata wasn’t too bad, however I would’ve preferred larger portions of pasta for the price. Overall, the dining experience was enjoyable and I would certainly recommend trying it out!

This place was almost indescribable. Everything struck a perfect chord -- ambiance, cocktails, all food items (you seriously can't go wrong with anything), dessert, and service. If you can find a table (good luck ;)) you will absolutely enjoy this place. Kudos! PS: Do you need to get an espresso martini from here? Yes, yes you do.

Delicious food and great service! FOOD: We got the Roasted Octopus, Chicken Parmigiana, Rigatoni, Ricotta Dumplings, Broccoli, and Tiramisu. My favorites were the Rigatoni and Ricotta Dumplings. SERVICE: The waiter had great recommendations. They refilled our waters quickly.

It's quite interesting how a place is reviewed and compared to your experience. Myself and a friend went to Alla Vita before the opera on 3/29/2022 and I have to say, it was truly sublime! We had quite a few things to eat and two cocktails each. 1) The Chopped Salad & Wood Fired Bread - This salad was so flavorful and balanced. A taste of everything in every bite. We kept going back to the menu to see what was all in it based on what we were tasting. It was truly lovely. The bread came warm, bouncy, cheesy and just, again, lovely! 2) The Wood Fired Meatballs & Ricotta Dumplings with cacio e pepe. Honestly, I love a great meatball, the texture of these were perfect, soft without being mushy and just held together with the perfect release when placing a fork on the side to slice it open. These dumplings left me speechless. 3) Whole Sea Bream and crispy potatoes - JUST STOP. I don't know if I've ever had sea bream, but would have it again! The potatoes were also perfectly crispy and creamy! 4) Tiramisu - I don't even care for chocolate, this was so wonderfully balanced. Not your traditional tiramisu and absent of soggy lady-fingers. Our waiter Diego made the evening quite enjoyable and the space is absolutely beautiful. It reminds me of the natural look Pacific Standard Time emulated (RIP). I hate everyone isn't having the same experience as we did, but I would 100% go back and grab a seat at the bar and enjoy another thing on this wonderful menu!