The night started out great with a wonderful attentive server, well crafter cocktails, and the delish appetizers such as the mussels, whipped ricotta, meat balls, and the flavored olive oil with bread. But it sort of went sour when every main dish (Paccheri) came out so salty that even the waiter agreed it was over salted after I asked him to taste the dish to confirm that it's not just my taste buds playing a trick on me. The side dish "giant beans" - same. As if everything was salted twice. While these two dishes were taken off the bill the waiter was very kind and and further offered to remedy the issue (even tough I offered to pay for my pasta) by offering a less salty version of my Paccheti entree in a to-go box. I accepted his generous deal. I am an out of towner, so upon arriving to my parents home the same night, I wanted to share with my parents this Paccheti dish so they could sample this wonderful creation. Except they said it was so damn salty that they didn't want to eat it. I told them that can't be as this is a replacement dish of a salty earlier version but after tasting the contents of the "to-go" box - it was just like the original at the restaurant. Soooo - I don't know if Paccheri is a super salty dish or if the chef on this night was in a mood. Overall - nice vibes and and interior at the venue and it even has an outdoor seating area. I guess as long as you don't order the damn Paccheri you should be fine. read more

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Formento's Happy Hour deals are worth checking out! Their happy hour is from 4:30 til close everyday besides Friday and Saturday. We ordered a few items off the HH menu and had leftovers because the portion sizes were larger than expected. The meatballs, whipped ricotta and crispy potatoes were the standouts. While you are seated at the bar in order to get the HH deals, the service was still pretty good. read more

I mean. No words needed. This will tickle your peach. Came here for a work dinner and the waiter convinced us to buy all of the most expensive plates but hey, when in Rome. read more

Had high expectations and was a little disappointed. It's a nice, big restaurant with a nice outdoor patio as well as ample indoor seating. The service was fine. The issue was the food wasn't that good. Highlights; bruschetta and meatball starters. Just-OK: bucatini carbonara, prosciutto (but pretty hard to screw up). Could-be-better: avocado toast (too thick a layer with too much crab). Plus -- and this is a pet peeve -- I hate restaurants that want to oversize and overprice portions and call it "family style." If I wanted "family style" Italian I'd go to Bucca di Beppo. I was on business dinner and wanted everyone just to be able to order their own thing. read more

Really enjoyed Formento's. It's not easy to eat out these days with covid still a thing and the weather cold. Formento's has a nice tent setup just outside the restaurant with heaters and warm lighting. The food was amazing as always. I had the seafood risotto which was perfect for a cold night in Chicago. My bf had the Amish chicken so delicious melts in your mouth. I really need to know their secret to making chicken that tender. We had a lovely bottle of rose wine and the perfect date night. Support local restaurants, they are really going above and beyond to stay afloat. read more

Food was delicious, there are just other Italian restaurants in the city I prefer like Monteverde, Daises, etc.... but must order pasta dishes are the Bucatini and Cacio e Pepe. They were insanely good. Noodles are amazing here. Service and drinks were great also. read more

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The ambiance was perfect, the staff were warm and friendly, and our server was FANTASTIC! Oh and the FOOD! Every single dish we devoured was tremendously delicious. My personal faves, the ricotta for appetizer, the risotto and the pana cota was to die for. WILL BE COMING BACK :D read more

Visiting Chicago, friends wanted to try this place. Get seated, our server asked for any allergies, I let her know about my peanut allergy. The server then asked "is cross-contamination okay".... What?? What do you mean "Is cross-contamination okay??" Are you not properly sanitizing your utensils and kitchen? Do I have to worry that I'm going to get salmonella poisoning from your chefs having handled raw chicken before making a salad? Ordered the ribeye at the recommendation of the server. Wish I hadn't. I've had better steaks that cost less. read more

Horrible service. Our server was clearly annoyed that we made a reservation later in the evening for drinks and dessert. It was for our friends birthday and we all felt very unwelcomed and as if we were imposing of him. Terrible attitude even though we spent a lot of money. Probably won't be coming back. Too bad because it's a cute place read more

Takeout service was very quick and contactless. It was our first time ordering here and we tried the bucatini and orechietti. The bucatini was delicious and the egg yolk came packaged separately so you can stir it in and coat the pasta yourself. The orecchiette was good but not great (and I'm usually a big squid ink fan) so I was a little let down here. We would definitely try other dishes here but there are other really great Italian options in the area. read more

I came here one summer evening during the week night with my girlfriend for a yummy dinner and overall we had a good time. We got seated outside which if anyone knows, I absolutely love dining al fresco. We then ordered the necessary summer rosé which I must say is a little on the pricey side here if you order by the glass but that's okay. We then ordered their calamari for an appetizer which is my go to try at every Italian place! It was really yummy and not overly fried which is a bonus. We then got the much talked about pasta with the bacon bits and it was very tasty, we definitely got the larger portion to share so we enjoyed that as well! For dessert and anyone who knows me knows that I never pass on dessert we got the chocolate hazelnut pie which i have to say was yummy but did not blow us away, I honestly was hoping for something a little better but to us we felt like it was just okay. Maybe it was just our piece but it was a little on the drier side. Overall the service was good and we had a good time enjoying the nice Chicago summer weather. Can't say this would be my go to place to return but if I was in the area I may give it another try! read more

Formento's - Perfect summer dinner - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great experience but charged $2 for ice (rocks) for my bourbon??? Never had that happen before.

I am upset that I am done eating. The food was absolutely incredible. It was an amazing experience from the fresh tomatoes to the freshly made pasta. This is a MUST come. The wines are so delicious and they have great choices. I highly recommend the Freisa. It is robust and dances in your cheeks. The tomatoes and cheese is so good. Add the cheese to the tomato and let the explosion of simple flavor happen. It is so good. And then the fresh pasta was so good. I added salmon and it wasn't even needed. The pasta was so good and the salmon as simple as it was, just added such a great saltiness to the dish. I got the pasta with black pepper and cheese. I can't recommend this place enough! The service was also great. Make a reservation! This place is always booked. You MUST come! read more

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Went here with some work colleagues on a Monday evening. Place was moderately busy. We had a reservation and were seated promptly. Our server came over quickly and greeted us while talking about the cocktail and wine options. She was very nice and informative and made great suggestions. After drink service she talked the menu with us. We had a person that was vegan and our server was extremely helpful on options and things they could augment to make vegan. There were so many appetizers to choose from it was tough getting them to a few but we settled on the cauliflower, eggplant and whipped ricotta. They were all excellent and the surprise of the trio was the cauliflower. It was nicely seasoned and had a little heat with the peppers that they were served with them. Eggplant with ragu was excellent. What was great about all of the items is that they took the extra time to plate them properly. It's a nice touch that not all places do. For entrees we had the lamb, pacherri pasta and the scallops. All were fantastic and we were extremely happy with our choices. The lamb was cooked perfectly and the mint pesto was a soft subtle condiment that did not over power this great meat. The side of fregola with a lamb ragu was also a perfect side that complemented the overall dish. Our server was great and we will return when we visit Chicago. read more

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Great service and great venue. Has a laid back vibe and food was good. Zero complaints read more

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Food, drinks, service and ambiance was amazing. My favorite were the Brussel Sprouts. read more

Formento's - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Everything was absolutely delicious!! A little on the pricey side! However totally worth it!! read more

Formento's - Salad - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We have enjoyed formentos with friends many times. So when my 15 year old daughter said she wants to take a group of 6 girls there for her birthday dinner I made a reservation. They were accommodating with a slight schedule change and guest count but things went downhill once they sat down. The menu was a tad sophisticated for 2 girls. And 1 actually asked for the kids menu and the wait staff said NO. The other girls ordered chicken Parmesan.... 5 chicken parms.... And they ordered a salads as well. Don't you think the waitress would help out these young girls and maybe suggest they order 3 and split them because the portions are big. I just felt they could have take a lot better care of this table and help them enjoy the experience. They loved the entrees and salad but left with massive Togo boxes and skipped dessert because they felt rushed. They have lost my business forever and get to live with this 1 star review as well. Thanks for nothing.... read more

Came here after work with a party and of 10 people and was impressed with the quality of the food, the friendliness/promptness of the staff, and the atmosphere. I think I tried every type of appetizer and dessert they had with zero complaints, and enjoyed the lamb as my main entree. read more

Formento's is a great Italian spot in the West Loop. It's not as heavy as La Scarola types, but not as light as something like Piccolo Sogno. It's right in the middle. We sat out front during the fall, and it was a decent experience. I thought the service was not great, but the food made up for it. And during COVID, I know restaurants are short staffed so give them a pass. We were with a party of 6, so we were lucky enough to be able to try a bunch of dishes. The one downside is that the Bucatini Carbonara they served was one of the best things I have eaten in a long time, and I didn't get a ton of it. This is a must order in my opinion. We also got the Orecchiete and Canestri. Both were good, but I prefer the Canestri to the Orecchiete. It had a little more flavor. For sides, the brussel sprouts were pretty good. Nothing we ordered was bad, so have at the menu, just make sure you include the Carbonara. read more

A beautiful little restaurant on the west loop Formento's is a cozy little spot to have a decent steak and some of the best Italian food you can get in Chicago The service is very lovely and very polite and they will take good care of you here The food that I had is pretty good from the meatballs to their giant pork chops and some salmon I had and all of it came out pretty nice and it tastes really good. The only problem with the place is the parking is bad. I know that's not their fault but if you have a big van or a truck or something you're gonna have a hard time trying to find a park, and they need to update their sign. It's kind of small and it's kinda hard to see from the road other than that though you get some decent food, quality service and an ambience fit for a date night or anniversary or something to that effect. read more

Very nice Bistro Packed house every night Great wait staff Food very good Highly recommend and I eat out 5 nights a week read more

Staff was nice but I really didn't like the food, especially for the price. The Chicken Parm was $39 (which is the most expensive Chicken Parm I've ever seen) and it was really bad. The chicken just wasn't fresh. It had a very hard texture to it. I also had the ricotta appetizer which was fine but pretty boring and small at $17. Overall, I just didn't see any reason to recommend when there's so many other great restaurants in Chicago. read more

I got the Risotto special made with sustainably-sourced Wild Alaska Pollock surimi and it was mouthwatering. I also tried the Wild Alaska Pollock Cartoccio and it was such an awesome, interactive dish. Hoping these Wild Alaska Pollock dishes stay on the menu because they are delicious and some of my favorite whitefish. read more

Formento's - I got the Risotto special made with sustainably-sourced Wild Alaska Pollock surimi and it was mouthwatering. Sustainably sourced fish - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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CRW review: For $44 I was able to sample everything I would have ordered off their normal menu. You guys...like...the bucatini...words... I came in right around the opening time and just grabbed a seat at the bar and had my tasting menu experience there. Meatballs are always hard to review because no matter how great they truly are, everyone has a Sicilian grandmother who's meatballs are better. The meatballs here were great and a wonderful beginning to a delicious meal. The bucatini is one of the items that I loved from this meal. They make both the pasta and the smoked pancetta in-house of course and you can completely taste the quality. That yolk when you mix it all together couldn't be described any better than heavenly, especially when the sauce gets nestled in the hole-y pasta. Third course was the branzini. The skin on it was still crispy and such a win in my book. Everything about this was just perfect. Finally, a meal wouldn't be complete without their rich, decadent chocolate cake. And while I generally don't always get too excited about sweets, theirs was a perfect ending. I love Restaurant Week because it encourages people to go out and try a restaurant they probably wouldn't have otherwise. I will definitely be back to sample more of their awesome menu. read more

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We come here all the time. The food is always made fresh. The rib eye is from creekstone and we ask them not to put the wine sauce so we enjoy the halal steak. Orrechiette squid ink pasta, calamari with the red peppers, bone in rib eye and the chocolate cake is our go to. Amazing service !! read more

Our waiter and the rest of the Formento's staff took great care of my boyfriend and me as we celebrated three years together over wine and a hearty meal. Arriving in time for happy hour, our waiter was kind enough to let us enjoy the half priced wine at our table (normally only available at the bar), which I daresay worked out well for us considering the $64 total for four glasses of wine before subtracting 50%. At 30+ pages, Formentos' wine menu is swoon-worthy. We went with our waiter's recommendation for a blend of Sangiovese, Merlo, and Cab, and we were not disappointed. As for food, we were equally impressed. We shared the prosciutto appetizer, which was delicious yet absolutely simple: country bread, Parmesan butter, and - you guessed it - prosciutto. Despite our waiter's urging us to shake up our order a bit, we were both completely sold on the Bucatini - not just for the number of images I've seen here from fellow Yelpers, but also for it being another dish defined by its indulgent simplicity. We each ordered the full size, although knowing in advance this would be too much food to eat in one sitting. To stick with the night's theme of carb overload, we also ordered one side of fingerling potatoes; they were delicious, but frankly unnecessary with the amount of other food. Finally, just when we thought we might be done eating, one of the wait staff surprised us with a piece of chocolate cake. It's as if they knew I'd been eying that on the menu! It being light and fluffy, as opposed to dense and overly rich, I managed to find room for it. Thank you, Formento's, for being a special part of our celebration. Before we left, our waiter said "I hope to see you again on the fourth anniversary." Well, sir, I hope to see you much sooner than that! read more

We had dinner here last night. Service was extremely rushed. From the minute we sat down, they immediately pestered us to order and eat and leave. I ordered a prosecco and it came in a wine glass which was weird. Food was just okay. But service is why I am writing the review. The overall experience was completely antithetical to what European dining is meant to be. This place simply wants to hoard as much money as they can as quickly as they can with complete indifference to the dining experience. Not only won't be back but will advise others to find another place. read more

Solid experience. Came here last night with colleagues, party of 6. Early dinner with a bunch of suburbanites so it had to be early. On a Tuesday night at 6pm the place was empty, but that should not be a signal, I looked at the reviews and I knew it was going to be a decent eperience. Six guys in a small booth, we asked to move to the next larger booth, not an issue at all. Service is 5 stars, outstanding and attentive. The food was 4 stars. We shared appetizers, prosciutto and fried calamari. Calamari was standard good - that is good - but the prosciutto was amazing. Melts in your mouth, came with toasted tuscany style bread. Entree was Paccheri with crab. Really really good. Great Chianti wine to wash it all down. Highly reccomend it. read more

Visited during a weekend getaway with the hubs. Definitely need an Uber if you're staying DT Chicago, but that's not a bad thing. Our server was great as were our cocktails. Dinner was delish except that we doubled the size of the pasta appetizer for entrees, and we should have the smaller size for dinner. Neither one of us could finish our food. :( read more

Absolutely delicious cuisine and Edwin curated the culinary experience beautifully. Will definitely return when I'm back in town read more

Formento's - Sign - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Edger and Israel are legit the best at the bar. Do see them! Food was also good. So attentive and excellent service! Highly recommend!

Pretty basic Italian place. Extensive wine list. Nice looking cocktail list but tried both th e Porch-Ade and a Moscow Mule, and there were not good. The wrong balance of ingredients to have much of a flavor other than too sweet. The Burrata tasted store bought, not fresh and whippy like a fresh burrata typically is. The meatballs were good, but the mains we ordered, the Tortelloni and the Orecchiette were just okay. Decent portions but lacked much complexity in the flavor. The pumpkin pie was a joke and again, tasted store bought and not fresh. It's definitely not worth the prices. read more

Personable service at the bar and tables. Had a birthday dinner here and people still rave about it. Must have the tiramisu!

Let's get this out of the way...Service was impeccable, solid drink list, sexy dim lit setting, and experience was memorable. Now to what we've all been waiting for...the infamous beautiful Bucatini dish with a yolk nestled on top of al dente pasta. After seeing so many picturesque photos on IG I finally had a chance to try it. The dish did not disappoint. Flavors were on point and the bits of pancetta just rounded it out. The calamari was also very very good. Fried to perfection and the pepperoncini dipping sauce was excellent. I'm not a big sweets guy but my sister was saving room for the chocolate cake she claims is the best. It looked good and tasted even better. It truly might be one of the best chocolate cakes I've had. Perfect cake to fudge/chocolate ratios. Get yourself over here with a date you're trying to impress! read more

Formento's - Bucatini - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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we had an amazing service and a great server named Edwin, seriously would go there just for him. food and experience was absolutely amazing. EDWIN FOR LIFEE read more

Came here for a work event - a set menu just to keep in mind. Definitely the service and ambiance of Formento's was the highlight. The servers are so attentive and they did accommodate for my food allergy. All the food I tried was great - my favorite being the potatoes with garlic aioli. It does run at a high price point, but I think this place would be lovely for a date night or special celebration. read more

Great service, food and atmosphere Carnivore and vegan friendly 1st time out to dinner here and it was a pleasure read more

Formento's - Yummmmmmmm eatz with Saint Patrick's Day drinkz spectacular - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food here is really good. Highly recommend the Orecchiette though, nothing like I've head before. However, when we went last night we had to wait over 40 minutes for our reservation and then the service was a bit slow (reservation at 8:15, didn't get set till 9, finally ordered apps around 9:30). Would go back or get to go but would have to think about going back in person. read more

Holy shit the food is amazing. I was blown away by the ricotta and the pappardelle. The mango gelato was amazing also. They also kept topping my water off and replacing silverware. read more