Bacon wrapped dates, just GET THEM! Been there just once and definitely plan to go back. Especially when the outdoor seating is setup. Very nice selection of menu items, and while it is billed as italian it's not the basic pasta and marinara kind of italian. Think more italian bistro. Great small plates, delicious salads, pastas, fish, and of course pizza. The thin crust (possibly wood fire oven) pizza was EXCELLENT. They had some basic pizza options but also had some lovely gourmet ones too. Did I mention the bacon wrapped dates? Good prices, not too expensive but not cheap. You COULD get out of there for under $20 a person but it would be hard given how many things you will want to try :) Well worth it. I was happy with the wine flight selection too. Just a few to choose from but all good ones and again very reasonably priced. Service was fast without being rushed. You could easily dress up to go here but we walked in with jeans and nicer tops and were fine. A bit loud, but I think once the place opens up for warmer weather it will be perfect. If you want 5 pages of menu items and a wide array of beer go to Chili's or Applebees, this place is NOT FOR YOU. I rather appreciate a place having fewer menu items that are well-prepared and carefully chosen to complimentart wines and cocktails available. More is NOT always better, some of the best restaurants have only a handful of items. read more

Cucina Paradiso - Caprese salad and a pear martini - Italian Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

I went to dinner with four other ladies and had a great experience. The service is a little slow but if that's the time that it takes to create a delicious Lake Trout, Pumkin Ravioli, and Rigatoni Bolognese.. I'll wait it out! Their Bacon wrapped dates were different from what I've had but still amazing and their sweet potato appetizer was an all around hit! The Bread Pudding was by far the BEST i have ever had (bold statement I know) and I would abdolutely recommend this to a friend. If you are in a hurry you may want to go elsewhere, but for a nice two hour dinner with conversation and time to relax, it's perfect! read more

Always incredible !! Whether orders to go, or recent dine in, great food, great service, always !! Joe G read more

Awesome food. Great new interior. Now if they can work on the hostess. Good lord.. this girl looks like she's going to jump off a bridge. Smile for crying out loud. If you own this place... i strongly recommend you remove her from being the first person you see at your establishment. Ouch read more

First time here, and I gotta say - just delish! Our server, Dennis was attentive and friendly and made great recommendations on the food. We had the baked goat cheese starter GET THIS, rustic salad YUM and rigatoni arrabiata that was spicy with rich and creamy goat cheese YES. The drinks were superb, I had a specialty cocktail with mint and blood orange that was so.dang.good and the fella got "the best old fashioned I have ever had" so whomever is back there shaking things up is a pro. We will be back! I was sleeping on this hit. read more

Festive, warm and welcoming environment with an attentive staff and creative menu. We've consistently enjoyed excellent meals here for nearly a decade. read more

This has been my go to place for Italian food for a long time. Whether we pick up or dine in, the food and service are always consistent.

Delish. Had the pistachio crusted chicken with polenta. Large portion, so doggie-bag it is! Everyone in my party loved their meals including my nephew who rarely eats anything. Nice cocktails and great service too! read more

This is some of the best Italian food I've had in Chicagoland. The service was amazing and they were extremely clean and followed covid guidelines. Even with the 90 minute table limit we never felt rushed by our server. The baked goat cheese was the best I've ever had...I've tried this dish at many places. But this was my favorite. The Rigatoni Bolognes is one of their popular dishes that I recommend. The ambience is a small modern style restaurant. I will definitely be back! read more

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One word... impressive! From the minute we walked in, we were treated with excellent service. Our waiter Fabio was very friendly and did a great job. We were brought fresh bread and olive oil after being seated, and we then ordered the fried calamari appetizer, a prosciutto and arugula pizza, and the fresh Brussels sprouts. The food was delicious and everything came out quickly! The excellent food and service accompany a quaint charming atmosphere located in a lively neighborhood near lots of cute local shops and restaurants. Five stars to everything about this this place! read more

Cucina Paradiso - Prosciutto and arugula pizza with olive oil and fresh Parmesan! Light and delicious! - Italian Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

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Our fav Italian place in OP. take advantage of free bacon wrapped dates checkin offer.

This is our go to carry out pasta place. The baked rigatoni is incredible. My wife gets the crab cakes and brussel sprouts a lot. Everything we have ordered from here has been fantastic. We will continue to support this great place. read more

This is the place you want to host your next family dinner. We hosted our rehearsal dinner here and everything was wonderful. The team took great care of us, the food was spectacular! We had a very large group and the value of cost against the quality of the food is simply unbeatable. This is a gem in the heart of Oak Park. read more

After all these years, Cucina continues to impress with solid food and service. It had been awhile since our last visit, but am happy to report they are still outperforming their peers in the OP/FP area. read more

My friends and I decide to try thIs restaurant and it was amazing. For appetizers we ordered the bacon dates that were delicious. For my main entree I ordered the pistachio chicken and it was so delicious. Our server was even kind enough to recommend getting the sauce on the side which I am so glad he did. We ordered a few different desserts as well and were very tasty. I will definitely be coming back. Delicious food and great service! read more

I have been to Cucina Paradiso a total of three times and have been consistently pleased. This is significant because Italian food seldom impresses me (I can have pasta and sauce at home - why should I pay for it when I go out?). My brother and girlfriend and I went there last night and were all happy with the ambiance, service, food, and drinks. Cucina Paradiso claims to be casual Italian, but I swear that is a misnomer considering their modern decor and the tendency for guests to wear business casual clothing. All of the men wore collared shirts, with most of them being button-ups. Jennifer was our server and has been my server in the past. She was really outstanding. She knew the dinner specials with details and prices and she said them slowly enough for us to understand her. Jennifer was attentive, but not a disturbance. When we didn't like one of our cocktails, she took it back and did not charge us for it. For starters, we got bacon wrapped dates and warm goat cheese. What crowd pleasers! My girlfriend commented that the toasted bread that came with the goat cheese was deliciously unusual - a crispy exterior and with soft insides, brushed with green pesto. My brother ordered the mahi mahi special (he insisted that it was wonderful, but I didn't taste it) and my girlfriend and I both ordered the steak medallion special (we both agreed that they were cooked the way we wanted but the sauce was too salty). Throughout our meal, we had scotch (McCallan 12), bourbon (I don't remember which one), a refreshing Hendricks Gin cocktail, and a good wine. We had the Old Fashioned returned. read more

What is it with Italian restaurants and beer? The beverage of choice across this country is hardly found on a menu along side pasta. It's as though they forgot about beer when creating their menu and in the last seconds decide to begrudgingly offer up some of 'America's finest' lagers. But shouldn't a review really be about the food? I completely agree... In standard fashion for an Italian restaurant, Cucina Paradiso provides warm bread to each table. And in standard fashion, it was completely inedible. Has D'amato's bakery in Chicago ruined my expectations for bread? Perhaps. But good bread is easy to make in the right hands. It's disappointing that tasty bread is as hard to find as the stray french fry underneath a car seat. Strike one. We ordered the margherita pizza as an appetizer which didn't seem to work as anticipated. I didn't really care for the slices of tomato used and should have gone with a salad. Strike two. My dinner on the other hand was delicious. The rigatoni spinaci was bursting with flavor leaving my friend wishing she ordered the same. For dessert, the chocolate lava cake was more like cake and less like lava. Gooeyness aside, the flavor simply wasn't there. It's such an easy dessert to make and I was really disappointed with what we received. Strike three. Cucina Paradiso is one of those dime a dozen Italian restaurants. You won't find anything out of the ordinary and it won't be prepared in a way you haven't seen before. It's cheap and some things will satisfy your cravings. But ultimately you will realize you can do much better going elsewhere. read more

This is my all-time favorite restaurant! I lived in River Forest for many years and I frequented Cucina Paradiso on a regular basis. The food is delicious, ambiance is superb, drinks are incredible and the service is top-notch! I moved to Los Angeles (California) in February 2013, and every time I get back to Chicago, I always make time for a pilgrimage to Cucina Paradiso. I was back in Chicago on business and met friends for drinks and dinner at Cucina Paradiso on Friday night, March 24, 2017. It had been almost a year since I was there last and it was great to see that everything I have come to love about Cucina Paradiso is still very much there! Bravo to the team at Cucina Paradiso for always delighting your customers! And to Cate (the World's Best Mixologist) it was awesome to still see you behind the bar mixing some extraordinary cocktails! By the way Cate, your Blood Orange Martini is simply the BEST, BEST, BEST!! read more

Terrific, small plates italian. If nothing else, try the pizza with pears, red onion, gorgonzola and balsamic vinegar. I loved everything I tried and the service was really low-key and friendly. They have some nice wine flights, which is my favorite way to drink - I don't really drink, I'm more of a taster. This place is a little dressy, a teeny bit romantic, and just very comfortable. Love it. read more

Delicious dinner date spot on a quiet Autumn evening. Seated immediately Bottle of Sauvignon Blanc Table in the window Bacon wrapped dates Attentive (but not overbearing) service Haricot verts with bacon and goat cheese and almonds 2 entrees (1) chicken parmesan (1) shells with mushrooms and crumbled italian sausage Reasonable prices! I plan to return to try one of the pizzas. * $3 appetizers at the bar on Wednesdays! ** Charming new outdoor patio! read more

If I had to pick a favorite restaurant in Oak Park, this would be it. The food, the atmosphere, the service and the prices consitently meet expectations. As you can infer from the name, it is Italian, but it's interesting Italian. Let me tell you about my favorite dish -- a square, thin crust pizza topped with mild cheese, thinly-sliced pears, carmelized onions, and a really good balsamic vinegar. Pair it with the Rustic Salad (greens, sliced strawberries, candied nuts and crumbled Gorgonzola) and a nice glass of white wine and I am one happy girl. There is also a good selection of pasta and meat entrees for those with heartier appetites. I never have room for dessert, but I'll bet those are good too. read more

We went to our first ever parent/ teacher conference tonight...it only lasted 20 minutes. Seeing that we had to get a babysitter, we decided to make it an impromptu date night. I browsed Lisa B's list of favorite OP restaurants and found that this was still her favorite restaurant in the area. Neither of us were that hungry so we decided to spilt appetizers, salad and an entree. We chose the Calamari Ambruzzi, Eggplant Rolls, Cesar Salad, and the special, Sole Puttanesca. Their appetizers are absolutely to die for. Their Cesar? Perfection! I love the fact that they make real Cesar dressing in house and shave their parmesan cheese. Another bonus? The server rocked! He served our salad and entree on separate plates for us. Our bill was only about $55 with tax and tip. Score! read more

Honestly, I could think of more things that I didn't like about my meal than I did (like). 1. we ordered a rustic salad and eggplant for appetizer. The eggplant was absolutely flavorless. It was bland and left a lot more to desire. The salad was good, definitely not enough to have as a meal. It was tasty and probably my most favorite dish during the entire meal. 2. I ordered a pizza margherita. The description said that it comes with fresh mozzarella and, unlucky me, I assumed that it was super fresh/uncooked mozzarella. The sauce was watery and the crust wasn't as thin or crispy as I imagined. 3. We ordered bread pudding for desert. It's a huge portion, definitely enough for 2 to share. If there's bread pudding on the menu, I have to order it. Unfortunately for me, it was much (much much much) too sweet for my taste. It came with gelato and whipped cream. 4. The atmosphere isn't as romantic as some say. It was crowded and loud. 5. Honestly, there are other Italian restaurants I'd try before ever coming back here. The meal wasn't horrible, it was just way below my expectations, especially after reading the Yelp reviews. read more

We originally tried to go to La Bella, but there was an event there so the maitre d' suggested us go down the tracks to Cucina Paradiso. We said why not and went. This place concentrated more on the business than the food. It was very high-throughput and more organized than it needed to be. Quite loud, and not relaxing: It seems like someone was always around asking us something in a voice loud enough to carry over the din and shatter our own talk. The food was not great. It was not as bad as Olive Garden, but i was constantly reminded of that place while I ate. Though the prices would lead one to think otherwise. In a city teeming with Italian places, don't bother. There are many more within a block that are far better. And for cheaper. read more

I wasn't overly excited about this place. The food gets 4 stars but the service knocks it down to 3. I debated on 2. I had reservations with friends here for dinner, unknowingly during Oak Park's version of Restaurant Week. I was the first to arrive, my friends about 5 minutes behind me. They told me I could sit at the bar. I asked if I could just sit at the table (I was right on time, not early), since the bar was wall to wall standing only. I got a blank stare and was seated soon after. I'm not snooty and I don't expect to be treated like a queen when I go out to eat, but I don't appreciate being made to feel like I'm asking for some over the top request when I'm not. They did seat me, without so much as another word. Let's just say I wasn't exactly feeling warm and welcome. I'm not sure if they're usually that busy, but there was really one table too many in the place. Not because the service was slow (it was), but because it was really cramped. I had at least 4 waiters/busboys kick/bump into my chair as they ran past ( hard enough to make me have to stop mid sentence to readjust my seat). Not one slowed down to apologize. Walking out of the restroom I was nearly run over by another employee, who also didn't slow down. I felt like I was at Chuck E Cheese surrounded by children high on artificial sugars and the promise of games and prizes. We all agreed the food was good. Nothing to go out of my way for, but well prepared and tasty. I had a martini which was very good. You could tell the bartender knew what they were doing. I had a couple small plates and my friends took advantage of the special deal they had going for the restaurant week which included a few courses. This isn't a restaurant I would return to. I'd rather give my business to places that don't run over their customers and treat them like it's an in and out fast food place. Maybe if the prices were the same... but I dropped over $50 for one person. I'll try another place next time. read more

Cucina is a the best and been the best for many years! The ambiance is perfect. The food divine. It's been quite a while since I've been here and it both unchanged and updated to exceed my expectations. Great service. And the energy you want when you go out for dinner. read more

I don't know why this place is popular. I love pastas and Italian food very much but this one doesn't impress me and my husband at all. The bread, it's hard and cheap; like the quality you can get in Jewel. I should have realized it is not a good start. They have a wide selection of beer and wine and we order one beer. According to the waitress, it's a bottle of beer, but what we got is a can which costs $5. An IPA beer. The bacon dates are great but you definitely can get it in other restaurants; the worse part is the pastas. It has small and full size and only like $3 difference. You can get enough portion if you order small size but I am kinda greedy that maybe it can be tomorrow's lunch so I ordered a full size of Shell and my hubby ordered Penne Arrosto. First bit can actually tell you everything and we all got surprised it's pizza tasted pasta! They used basically same ingredients and sauces to make the pastas; just switch dough to pasta. It's salty, salty and salty. The Shell pasta has ground sausages that should appear on the top of pizza, frozen peas, and canned mushrooms. It's cheap and that's why it only costs $12 for small and $15 for full size. After eating half portion of my dish, my tongue got numb. But I still decided to bring the leftover home cuz I don't want to waste food. Overall, I can't see the value to visit again and wondering if this is the oak park taste?!! read more

Wow!! I can't tell you WHY it took us so long to eat dinner at this place, but am I ever glad it is as close to our house as it is!! There's really something to say about gtreat service, as simple or as extravagant the restaurant may be. Our experience began with WARM bread and delicious olive oil for dipping. Nice touch for our grumbling stomachs after a long day at work. We ordered a few small plates (the night we went small plates were half off...awesome!) The grilled calamari was light, but just enough flavor from the cooking method and lemon for a great app. The meatball were good...maybe a bit on the cold side, but that could have been because I was devouring the decadent brussel sprouts first...so yum! We continued with the pear, goat cheese and balsamic glaze pizza. My husband and I could only eat a slice each because we were so full from the bread and apps, but boy did it make a great lunch the next day! Will 110% be back to this place and I cannot wait to check out everything else on the menu. Oh, don't want to forget the cute bar area as well. Will definitely be there for drinks/happy hour soon. read more

Meh. This was my 2nd time there. Service is ok. Food is ok. For the price, it's really not worth it. Made reservations for a birthday and even indicated so, and at the end I'm being asked about getting desert not even offering a small comp cake for my moms birthday. Wasn't even asked if today was a special occasion. I would not recommend. read more

We've lived in Oak Park for 3 years and had not been here. MISTAKE! We finally gave it a try on a Friday night and were not disappointed. We began with a special orange Caprese salad. I was skeptical to say the least: Orange salad in March? I'm not so sure. But wherever this orange was from, it grew nicely! It was simply delicious with the caprese ingredients! Yum, yum, yum! Then we ordered a special mushroom tortelloni in a cheesy, cream sauce. Decadent and delish for a cold March night. My husband ordered the shells dish and was very pleased. Our waiter was very friendly and prompt. Food was yummy and that outdoor patio I'm sure it a hometown favorite in summer. We will be back (especially with some warmer weather around the corner)! read more

Best Food ever with some of the best company ever. Friendly staff. Great place for lovers and a first date. read more

Cucina Paradiso - Diona!!!!!!! - Italian Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

Love, love, love Cucina! They always deliver an innovative product, wonderful service, amid a cool, hip ambience. And their prices are very reasonable for the quality you receive! On a recent visit, I enjoyed an array of small plates - baked mozzarella with a panko breading, grilled polenta with wild mushrooms, and a roasted beet salad. All were absolutely delicious. Great place! read more

Seeing as I've been to Cucina Paradiso two Wednesdays in a row, I figured I should let the good people of yelp know how much I like it. First of all, they have great specials. This girl on a budget loves $6 martini nights on Wednesday. The martini's are delicious. My favorites are the pear and the mango - both use real puree. They also have 1/2 price wine bottles with the purchase of 2 entrees on Mondays and $3 appetizers at the bar on Tuesdays. I've only really been here for drinks and appetizers and have always had an enjoyable time. The grilled calamari, bacon wrapped dates, and pork ragu are my go to little plates. The bar staff is great and the atmosphere is welcoming. Also, Cucina Paradiso is conveniently located two blocks away from the Oak Park Metra station and a block away from the green line stop for you city folk. It's a perfect location to meet up with friends! Looking for a fun place with good drinks, good food, and a neighborhood atmosphere in the burbs? Cucina Paradiso it is! read more

I just love this place! I've been here four or five times and each time has been an above par dining experience. I discovered this place last fall and I have to say for ambiance, quality of food and service, great selection of eats, and fair price this place can NOT be beat. The menu changes regularly and every time I go I find a new delicious treat. Whenever friends come to stay with us in Oak Park we take them here. It's a showstopper! On our last visit we took friends and the four of us had linguini tomato cream pasta, the salmon , the pork tenderloin special, and pistacchio chicken with polenta and they were ALL exceptional. The house wines are delicious and fairly priced. I really love this place! Decent selection of parking next to the restaurant, located right next to the green line, oak park stop. Edited to add in 2010: I've been here literally dozens of times now and I still think it can't be beat--great prices, great food, great service. Consistently. I even sent a dish back once (it was a new recipe using similar ingredients as the previous year's seasonal special) and the waiter came back with the special from last year after telling the chef I liked last year's dish better. Now THAT is service. read more

I have to give 5 stars for two reasons: 1) Corina (I hope I spelled her name correctly) makes the best martinis in the world. I've never had a bad drink at the bar. 2) This is one of the very few places from where I will order and enjoy a pizza and that's saying a lot from a person who is basically pizza averse. The staff here is always cordial and pleasant, the food is authentic and good and the atmosphere is relaxing. Definitely on my list of regular places to meet with friends. read more

I have been here two times with one of my friends (and she used to work there) and it is truly fantastic!!! I also love the fact that she used to work there and she is still welcomed with open arms when she returns as a customer. The food is very tasty and satisfying. They have great customer service and dessert is great too!!! The ambiance of the restaurant is very calming. They also have a great wine menu! Just go - you won't be disappointed! :) read more

First let's start with the food. The food was pretty good for the price. The portions were really big. One pizza was enough to feed my whole family, One pasta dish easily could feed two people. Now the service, our waiter was very inattentive. He only had two other tables but still, he mostly just sat by the bar with MANY other waiters hanging out and it looked like they were drinking. The bus boy was AMAZING. He kept checking in on us and got us more drinks whenever we needed them. Needless to say he got a bigger tip than the waiter himself. read more

How could I have not gone to Cucina Paradiso before? A friend of mine had been recommending I try CP for awhile now so I'm really glad I finally got a chance to dine there. This restaurant has everything going for it - Great food, good service, nice decor and a really nice atmosphere. I will definitely be back again! read more

I really, really loved this place! The corpses reviver drink is amazing if you're a gin fan! It's strong as they come. We didn't really sample a lot of the food, but the bacon wrapped dates were delicious, as was the beet and goat cheese salad! We ordered a pizza, but we're talking so much, I don't even remember trying it.. But that could have been from the corpse reviver. Definitely a place to go in oak park! read more

Cucina Paradiso, otherwise known as Twomaytoz catering when they're wearing that hat, provided the food and bar for our wedding. They gave us great service from the start; Tricia is a consummate professional, and she walked us through everything we needed to take care of. It was definitely a low stress process, which I appreciated! We had a few guests with dietary restrictions, and they did a great job accommodating them with special dishes. The food was very good; we've been getting compliments on it from many of the guests. The chicken in particular was moist and delicious, which is not always the case with catered food. We had a late night snack during the reception at about 10:30, and I highly recommend doing that. It provided a much-needed energy boost to keep us on the dance floor! In summary, everything was delicious, it all went off without a hitch, and I couldn't have asked for a better experience. read more