My husband and I dined here for the first time today, and we were greeted so warmly by Susanna. The…read moreambience was so beautiful, and since we both sat in the outside dining area, we had nice music as well! The food was also so delicious, we got the Zuchinni blossoms, branzino limon, and taglatelle agrodolce. Please give this place a chance! Family-owned as well.

It's a little cute restaurant nestled along New Wilke Road. We saw on the menu that it offers…read moreGluten Free on the menu so thought to give it a try. It was on a Thursday night, the restaurant was quite busy. We were greeted by a friendly hostess. She was able to show us to table since there were only two of us. There's a decent selection of wines. The menu has a nice collection of classics. We ordered Gnocchi Norcina - first time trying this version of gnocchi, it was soft and pillowy! The sauce paired very well, and protein was chicken. For the GF, we ordered scalloppine (veal) - the meat was thinly pounded and served with creamy sauce. The portion was very generous! We have left over for lunch next day.

Meal was complimentary (Media Lunch) THE COMPLIMENTARY STATE OF THE FOOD DOES NOT CHANGE THE…read moreREVIEW. prices here are competitive with other upper end bistros. Drinks are nice and they provide very good water quality The hibiscus pineapple spritz was tasty with a light flavor. Dominated by mint and pine apple the hibiscus was a dim note. The Bloody Mary was delicately made with lovely easily readable notes of lemon and lime. The pepperoni olives add a delightfully erotic combination. I have no way to describe this Bloody Mary other than erotic. There's an anchovy chunk hidden in the olive muted by a creamy sauce. It gives a lovely salty kick to an otherwise calm Bloody Mary. Honestly I like a calm Bloody Mary that has a lot of defined flavors rather than a shelf made clusterbomb of chemicals. This tastes like home made pours. The calamari appetizer is soft and almost reminds me of the yesteryears of long John silvers fish sticks. But more refined with octopus for the core flavor. What a delightful recipe. Mushroom blue crab. Very soft and enjoyable. A lovely lightly salty earthy treat with a rich crab slice covered in batter. Lightly spicy in the aftertaste. A great minimalistic mid meal palate cleanser. Their lemon braised chicken I was only able to get a tiny taste by the time the press plate made way to me. The skin is actually IMPRESSIVE. I can only imagine the meat inside but the other press member who ordered that dish had a lovely time with it and said it was fresh and made him happy to eat. The Margherita pizza was flavorful despite missing a lot of visible basil. I would appreciate more leaves next time but this isn't a demerit as much as it's a presentational desire to have. This whole restaurant carries a delighting spirit. It's very easy with the music here the good food and good people to slide upward on the mood scale. This isn't a bistro. This isn't your stuffy formal place. This is a place to flash your fashion in a daytime club atmosphere. This is a place for a business luncheon where high level service needs exist. This place is EXPERTS at serving The Media and in today's Media Lunch they PROVED themselves worthy of an award. Hereby issuing the 2026 Independent Italian American Fusion Bistro Award to Passero ARLINGTON HTS

Flavors were good and the service was average…read more We ordered their "Our Chicken Parm" although the flavors were good, the plate did not have good temperature, there were parts of the chicken that were cold. It seemed like they had it made due to beating their top selling plate. The chicken had a rubbery feeling, for sure did not meet the hype. We ordered it and it was served very fast. In the other hand, their "Pesto Cavatappi" was served warmed and you could tell it was just made. The chicken on this dish tasted very good and the texture was very different from the Chicken Parm. I would recommend this dish instead of their number one as it was told to us by the server. We ordered two cappuccinos and their Flourless Chocolate Cake. Both cappuccinos were very milky and not warm enough. The dessert was really good but it also took a while to get it. We were half way done with our cappuccinos. Price - I feel they are priced too high for a chicken dish and pasta. Although it is a good portion it is still chicken and pasta. It was $31 for the chicken parm and $26 for the Cavatappi. The dessert was $12 It was a busy day but they should still keep their standards and serve food with the right temperature. I will give it another change for sure.

My family reserved their private room for a big birthday celebration, and it was perfect for our…read moregroup of about 20. We had family style with the best dishes on the menu! Drinks were flowing as well - all the wines and cocktails were delicious. Service was great too. Appetizers: the sausage and peppers, bruschetta, salad were all so delicious Entrees: the prime rib and seafood pasta (spicy with a nice kick!) were crowd favorites as well Dessert: we had the profiteroles which were light but so tasty to end the meal We love the Francesca's restaurants and this location is a good one!

Delicious and wow what a treasure to find an Italian restaurant this delicious for a business lunch…read morein AH Don't miss Francessca's Tavola next time you are in NW Burbs and need some fresh Pesto..!

The food here is always good and the owner is a wonderful person and always has good conversaationread more

This is definitely a hidden gem in a small strip mall…read more Service was excellent and food was delicious and reasonably priced. The chef who I think is the owner comes by to say hello. My friend and I started out with an appetizer, grilled octopus, calamari, and shrimp. We could've made a meal out of that. I ordered mini braciole but they were definitely not mini. I could only eat one and brought the rest home. The dinner came with soup or salad, pasta, and fresh green beans. I had the minestrone and it was very good. For dessert, I had a decaf cappuccino which came piping hot which is how I like it and delicious homemade tiramisu. I had a 5 o'clock reservation and by 6:30. The restaurant was completely full. Will definitely be returning.

Their pizza is easily the best in town, their salads are incredibly tasty, seasonal dishes are…read morefantastic, apps are nearly a meal in and of themselves, and the pasta is expertly crafted. Waited tables is a dying art but this establishment gives me hope for the culture of elevated dining. Staff knows the menus, are courteous, and are one of the defining marks of the restaurant ambiance. The sportsball TVs can be a bit annoying at time, especially when trying to have a pleasant evening with the kiddos (there is no winning their attention vs the screens) and do more to break the "dressed down" atmosphere by inserting a bit more "sports bar" than needed. At least they keep it at the bar most nights. One of our favorite date night spots in Arlington Heights!

The evening began with the sort of optimism that has historically led men into bankruptcy, war, and…read moresecond marriages. The hostess appeared wearing a blue-and-white striped sweater hanging off one shoulder like she'd stepped out of an Italian perfume commercial. Around her neck was one of those little cornicello pepper necklaces, dangling just enough to suggest fate had finally decided to throw me a bone. Blue eyes. Not "blue." The kind of blue sailors used to abandon families over. She laughed at one of my jokes. That was all the encouragement my diseased brain required. I immediately conducted a full tactical assessment of the restaurant. The P.O.A. Index... ...was approaching DEFCON 1. Every direction I looked was another devastatingly attractive waitress carrying Aperol Spritzes with effortless confidence. It was like wandering into a government-funded supermodel relocation program. Then... A shadow fell across the table. A man. Our waiter was a man. Christ Almighty. The emotional whiplash nearly snapped my neck. It's like going to the zoo hoping to see lions and discovering the enclosure has been replaced with an accountant named Kevin. There are beautiful women everywhere, and somehow I'm discussing pasta recommendations with a guy who probably knows three different olive oils by taste. Cruel. Absolutely cruel. To his credit, the b@5tard was outstanding. Friendly. Fast. Knew the menu inside and out. Kept the drinks full. Never interrupted. The s.o.b. gave me absolutely nothing to complain about, which only deepened my resentment. The food, meanwhile, was infuriatingly good. The pizzas arrived looking like they'd been blessed by an Italian grandmother carrying unresolved anger from 1947. Thin crust. Fresh mozzarella. Just enough char to remind you that ovens are supposed to flirt with fire, not electricity. The pasta had that unmistakable handmade texture that makes Olive Garden feel like a felony. The cocktails disappeared with alarming speed. By my third Negroni, I was convinced I could hear Dean Martin narrating my life. Walking out, I glanced back toward the hostess one last time. She smiled. For approximately three seconds I considered abandoning my entire life to become a part-time sommelier with absolutely no qualifications. Then reality returned. The male waiter handed me the check. Four stars. The food was phenomenal. The cocktails were dangerous. The hostess should be classified as an Italian national treasure. And our waiter deserves a raise... despite committing the unforgivable crime of existing between me and the waitresses.

Food is amazing. Staff is so friendly. My husband and I walked in right when they opened, no…read morereservation and were seated immediately. Dinner was delicious, staff always goes out of thier way to make you feel welcomed. Already looking forward to the next meal there

We've always wanted to go there. So we finally made it and what a disappointment it was!! Food was…read moreok nothing special. The service was really really bad!! We waited forever for drinks .....then appetizers and finally semi warm food! We will not be back.

Amazing, authentic Italian food. Small and cozy, great for…read moredate night or girls' night. Staff is friendly and attentive. Owner is always there. My daughter and I love this restaurant. The Cosmo's are killer.

Trying to find authentic Italian food since coming back from Italy. Found this one located in a…read morestrip mall, so plenty of parking. Very cute restaurant!! Reminded me of Italy with it's decor and pizza oven. We were one of the two customers seated in the restaurant. The waitress seemed frazzled but she seated us right away and took our orders. The Trulli Salad was delicious!! Loved it!! The Bucatini Carbonara was slightly on the salty side and the peas tasted like it was frozen. My husband ordered the Burrata Pizza, and to our surprise, it was really more like a Bologna and Mortadella sandwich on a pizza bread. Disappointing!! It was cold and dry. Not good at all. The Caramel Panna Cotta was very creamy in texture. I really liked.

I traveled a long way from California once a year to eat at this restaurant the food,wine , and…read moreservers are awesome !! Thank you all for filling my belly with some of the best Italian food I have eaten. Hats off to the mangers, who actually come to your table and share in your experiences ! This place is above the rest ! Delicious 1/2 chicken and lemon sauce with salad and bruschetta Wine and desserts were awesome

If there is one place on EARTH that I could eat at all the time it would be this place! I requested…read moreMickey she is one of the very best servers anywhere and I've been to 11 countries ! Frank the owner even remembered I have Severe Genetic Food Allergies and omitted what I cannot eat, without me mentioning it ! All the staff are WARM , Friendly , and Fast ! Even the Busboy is very Professional ! This place is Cozy and Romantic . The Food is made to order and fresh , just like my Body Desires . Thank you Frank for giving our Community Superb Meals that even someone like me can truly appreciate repeatedly. Most places I stick to what I know will not give me a Histamine Reaction, but I took a chance with the Lasagna and was very Glad . It was perfectly seasoned and a huge portion . Leave room for Dessert it's worth it !

Amazing place! Food and atmosphere was extremely inviting. Wait staff was pleasant and not a lot of…read morewaiting around as we did not have reservations and we were given a table on a Friday evening. Ample parking and a good local Italian place. The menu was updated with no prices- (not shocking) but still a bit jarring to have no prices on menu as this is a local restaurant and not a super fancy place. Overall, a bit pricey but enjoyed the food, and service.

Well we had reservations at this restaurant but arrived and it was closed due electrical issues. No…read moreone called us to notify us that the restaurant was closed.

La Zingara is a FABULOUS restaurant with the owner, Jesus, greeting everyone and taking time to…read moretalk with you. The drinks are delicious and reasonably priced, and people sitting around the bar quickly become friends! Try the specials, which change weekly, or order off the menu. Everything is delicious, and reasonably priced. If you to individualize your order, just ask! La Zingara is our #1 choice for food quality and its friendly atmosphere. It is our HOME AWAY FROM HOME!

Came back for my Birthday and had a great time. Jonathan our server was amazing for his second…read moreday there. Very polite. Great food and great customer service service