Convito Cafe & Market — Restaurant in New Trier Township

I want to start this review off by saying that I never usually write reviews on restaurants, but I could not pass up the opportunity to write about this one. We stopped in Convitos as a last resort, as other restaurants around the area were jam packed. We called ahead and made sure my party of three would have a decent table. When we got there we were immediately greeted by crying babies and the small cramped placement of the tables. We immediately got to our reserved table and waited 15 minutes to get water. So we had a lot of time to look around, the place was nicely decorated with italian artwork and gave a cozy vibe to the restaurant. However, we immediately noticed that the table was very flimsy. The table top was literally a piece of cork that was unsupported on a stand...Needless to say the table wobbled all around. The menus were another disappointment, I was very surprised by the quality of them. They were printed on a plain piece of paper, and was not in any type of holding. Which was very surprising because the price of the food did not match the quality of the restaurant.

Now onto service, it took 15 minutes to get water and another 10 to get our ordered down. We told him our order and also a request for butter and cheese for our bread which took an unreasonable amount of time to get there. We noticed how packed the place was and saw our waiter run to table to table, when we tried to wave him down he blatantly looked at us then went onto another table. It was obvious that he payed more attention to the tables that were buying wine and had larger tickets then us. When it finally came down to getting our food, (45 minutes later) I took a few bites of the multi-grain penne pasta and did not liked it. I had to flag down our waiter a few times after being ignored to take it back. He asked me if there was anything wrong with it, and I simply told him I didn't like it and that I would like another dish instead. He seemed like he understood and took the dish away. Then the manager came to our table and started integrating me about the dish, I told her that there was nothing wrong with it I just didn't like it. Then she confusingly explained her policy which meant that if you sent a dish back, you wouldn't get reimburse for it. I was not clear on that as she kept telling me I could take the dish home. I relentlessly said yes, because she kept asking me. I was not aware that I would have to pay for that dish along with the dish I requested.

After we finished our meal and payed the check, which was one hundred and five dollars with tip for three people (no drinks, no dessert, no appetizer and one glass of wine). The manager came up to our table and asked us if everything was ok, my mother then expressed how dissatisfied she was with the restaurant, the service, and most of all the policy. Most places take food back if you don't like it, Convitos isn't a fancy italian restaurant...They don't even have real tables and menus. The manager then started arguing with my mother and after my mother said her peace the manager offered to discount the bill. Which was pretty much a slap in the face, because she offered it after my mother paid for the bill. She only offered it to end the conversation. My mother refused it and said that she was going to leave, the manager at that time did not back down. She kept telling her the policy over and over again and would not listen to what she had to say.

Overall this was not a good experience, I would not recommend the food for the price or the portion. You get a bigger portion at Olive garden for HALF the price...And better...

This place is just terrible. Every time I tried to buy something at the bakery I had to wait forever and ever for no reason there's no one there and no one knows the prices of any of the items. The last couple of times I waited so long I had to give up. The service is slow at the table as well, and the servers are entitled. The food is very small portioned and very blunt. One must be very unexposed to think this is a good Italian restaurant. Do yourself a favor and drive somewhere else with real options. THIS IS NOT a good Italian restaurant. This last part is added in response to the owner's post: I see from your response that you care about your business.ypi should know that my review is based on several visits over the last few years. Each time I thought I'd give it another chance and another chance and each time it disappointed. People who work at the bakery/market counters should know the prices or should be able to get an answer. I was left standing there for very long time until I gave up in the last two visits. No restaurant or market or any business should be confusing for its own personnel to the point that an answer can't be obtained. I understand that people that work for you have been with you for a very long time and I appreciate you valuing them but there is need for adjustment to the new times. This is not old Europe it's new world that evolves each day to better customer service and a model that works not confuses anyone. I hope you take the time I spent and the input as value to your need for...

Nice place in a pleasant setting. We've been going there for decades and always enjoy our time there. The choice to be able to browse the market is nice, particularly if you need to wait for a table, and even more particularly if you enjoy the process of picking a wine to go with your food. Extensive wine lists (to be fair, theirs is somewhat limited but acceptable) are all well and good, but being able to look at the actual bottles is more fun. We chose a red, but they offer to chill as needed. The food on offer is unapologetically focused on pasta variations, but there is a wide enough range of choices to support multiple visits. I would call the price range medium-high, though given the location that is to be expected. But also given the location, parking is free and easily accessible, which is a definite plus. What cost them a star from me is the service. If you are going to charge for it like they do the service should be seamless. Everyone was nice, but one gets the feeling that they are still coming out from a quarantine mindset there are definitely a few gaps in the process. We chose to eat inside, but the outside was more crowded and, understandably, better staffed. The folks tending to us were distracted and somewhat inattentive. This is not exactly a "destination" place, but if you are looking for something in the area they are definitely worth trying. We...