Ciao! Cafe & Wine Lounge — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

Cafe Ciao is a gem among Chicago’s concrete jungle. It’s small, intimate setting paired with the cordial ambiance and the decor makes it a great place for a nice date night. They also had a table for board games for you to enjoy with a group while you enjoy your wine.

Speaking of the wine, the list was expansive and held great variety. I was told that the wine selection rotates throughout the season and each wine has a glass or bottle option unlike some other places that require you to purchase the whole bottle.

I started with the bacon wrapped dates and enjoyed the sweet and salty flavors. The dates were not oversized which was nice since I had a good date to bacon ratio. Then I ordered the rigatoni alla rigo which was their house special. I enjoyed the balance of the spicy Italian sausage that complimented the the tomato cream sauce. The entrée paired with my petite Syrah that had fruit and smoky tones complimented the sausage well. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente.

The staff was extremely friendly and the service was awesome. I enjoyed talking with them about the various wines on their list and about Chicago since I’m an out of towner.

All in all, Cafe Ciao is perfect for any date night, girls night, game night and all the other nights. I can’t wait to visit again the next time I’m in...

We went here because our friend was playing a jazz set and we wanted to see them play. The music started at 9pm so we went to dinner before hand and wanted to get an after dinner coffee & a pastry here. I would expect an italian restaurant with the word "cafe" in it to at least have a coffee/esresso on the menu and not just be a wine bar (especially since the name is "Cafe AND Wine Bar").

When we asked the server for coffee, you could tell they were annoyed by the question and responded with "I guess I could make you coffee. Are you at least going to get some food?" Unfortunately we weren't hungry and declined. The server made us feel guilty for being/staying there. Part of it is our fault for assuming that this place would have coffee, but the server did not make the experience any better with their attitude. Do not go here expecting to drink anything other than wine. The food did...

Here is the reason why I gave them only 2 stars. The server was not at all friendly, he had an attitude and was obviously not happy to work there. Most of the time he was at his cellphone. At the end he put a gratuity (20.5 %) on our bill for 2 people. It is noted on their menu that for groups of 6 or more people, they will put a gratuity on the bill. When we asked why he added a gratuity of 20.5% on our tab, he merely replied that this is what they do recently. I don't think it is ok to add an automatic gratuity of over 20% for a tab of two! So, no we were not happy. However, the appetizer was delicious and the food was just ok. Nevertheless, you can get that food anywhere else in the West Loop for a similar price. I definitely cannot...