Incredible pasta and an amazing wine list. You pair that with the most friendly staff and you have yourself the best evening ever!

Placed a $160+ delivery order three hours in advance for my partners birthday. The delivery time was pushed backed repeatedly, until they digitally cancelled the order at 10pm. I called the restaurant and no one would answer. They didn't even have the courtesy to tell us it needed to be cancelled over the phone. If the restaurant had been too busy and they told us earlier we would have understood. By this point it was too late to order from someplace else and our birthday dinner plans were torpedoed. read more

Such a relaxing atmosphere and the server was beyond kind! He answered all my questions and never left me feeling rushed even during Covid & Restaurant week! I had the short rib with the asparagus and cauliflower. It was so tender and delicious. Also ordered the Patio Season Pt.2 and it was really amazing! Will be back very soon for the rest of the menu :) read more

Overall really great experience. I got the pepperoncini martini and it was perfect with a pepperoncini stuffed gorgonzola garnish. We started with the octopus which we would give a 4/5. Large portion but a tad over done. The whipped ricotta was great for sharing and very flavorful. They have half size portions for sharing or if you arent as hungry which is great. I got the bucatini carbonara which came with an egg yolk on the top, great presentation. We also got the chitarra which was a squid ink pasta with a little spice to it and the strozzapreti which was light and refreshing. Our server was very nice and explained all the dishes perfectly. read more

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Top notch service, yum food, huge wine list and upscale ambience. Perfect place for date nights. We started the night with artichoke and crab dip. The dip was not creamy and sweet but spicy and chunky, very distinct and yummy in its own way. I had the Fusilli Giovanni - basil pesto (nut free) and H drooled over his shrimp scampi. The pasta was fresh and very tasty. Service was perfect, H finished his meal with tiramisu and loved it. Definitely going again! read more

Formento's - Gluten free fusili with basil pesto - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Love the food but $41 for an entre size of Canestri is not worth it. Pasta shouldn't be that much money.

I came here Thursday evening for dinner with no reservation and was seated immediately near the bar. We decided on the meatball appetizer to share, and I got a half order of Buccatini for myself. These were recommended to me by both my waiter and my friend who had gone a few weeks prior. Right off the bat, we were greeted with fresh bread and olive oil. Even this tasted good! The olive oil had a sharp, herby taste and the bread was warm and fresh. The meatball was pretty good- very juicy and tender but nothing too special. What really stood out was the bucatini. If you're reading this, you have to order it! The half order was the perfect amount for one person. The sauce and egg yolk coated the chewy, fresh noodles so well. I'd go back to order the buccatini again. Be on the lookout for coupons too. We used a $15 off $75 coupon so the total bill was pretty reasonable. read more

Mmmmm. Went with a group of 5 and we all fell in love with this place. I have some vegan friends that generally can't eat the pastas because of eggs, but a lot of their pastas were egg-free! Our waitress was super knowledgable and helped us pick out some fabulous dishes. We started with the fried chicken, burrata, cauliflower, and kale salad. The cauliflower and kale salad were AMAZING. Seriously get the cauliflower, its spicy and tangy and YUM. Burrata was average, i didn't like that it was pre-spread for us. And the chicken I could've lived without. The crispy shell was too thick for my liking. For dinner, we shared Caramelle, Spaghetti, Fettuccini, and the Potatoes. The Caramelle and Fettuccini were the winners. The spaghetti felt a little flavorless comparatively, and the potatoes were just massive amount of fried potatoes. For dessert, we got a trio of gelato and chocolate cake. Man, I was skeptical about the cake bc reviews raved a little TOO hard about it, but we all lovvvvved it. It was so freaking good. THE HYPE IS REAL! read more

Excellent experience! Despite the covid time restrictions and our party showing up late on a busy Saturday, our waiter Chris was very patient with us. The food was amazing. I almost didn't try the cauliflower appetizer (because I'm not a big cauliflower gal), but I'm so glad I did because it was AMAZING!! All of the dishes we ordered had great flavor. I look forward to coming back, and have already given the recommendation to friends/family. Thanks again Chris for the amazing service! read more

This was a really nice Italian dinner! We started with the whipped ricotta, and it was so light and creamy! I know other yelpers get other appetizers, but this was so good we'll get it when we go back. We split two entree sized pastas so we could try both. The portions were huge. We eat could have eaten the appetizer size for sure because the bowls are super deep. I got the mushroom fettuccine and he got the bucatini. They were perfect together too! The bucatini is light and buttery with deliciously thick noodles. The fettuccine had a really earthy mushroom flavor without being too rich. We finished off with the chocolate cake and it may be one of the best things we've had anywhere. We were skeptical because it looked so rich, but it was surprisingly light with the wafer in the middle. We will be back! read more

Formento's - Whipped Ricotta - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The pizza was really good and the gnocchi too. The deserts, however, were amazing! Such great taste and the presentation was so cute. Service was quick and answered questions nicely. Only things that weren't so nice was the menu being in Italian, even the ingredients, which was confusing and the price was a little too much for what was being offered. Overall good experience. read more

Formento's - The Tiramisu desert - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Had the chocolate cake before this visit so was excited to try the fresh pasta and other dishes on this trip. Unfortunately, the pasta we ordered -chitarra and the 2 appetizers - calamari and fried chicken weren't bad but weren't great as well. The pasta lacked the seafood flavor I was looking for. read more

Dined there this evening. It was OK, but nothing to make a beeline back to visit. Pluses: 1. Good service. 2. Beautiful space. 3. Moderate pricing. 4. Attentive service. Minuses: 1. 2 of the 3 dishes we had were misses. The Little Gem salads were drenched in dressing--too wet. The turnip side was really bad and uninspired. I could boil turnips and make a similar dish and call it a day. The entrees we had (both of us had the same entree) was excellent. 2. The staff wear earpieces that make them look like K-Mart or Walmart greeters or Secret Service Men. Really annoying and disconcerting. My guests felt the same way. While the food was OK, it was nothing that I would make a return trip for. There are much better Italian restaurants in Chicago and many other better restaurants in the Fulton Market area that deserve attention more than this one. Since I wrote the review, Henry the manager called me to learn of my experience and make my experience right. I will RE-review then. read more

Wow. This place is PHENOMENAL. The food, the service, our waiter...everything was top notch. I felt like a queen! My mother does not drink alcohol, but my sister and I do. Our waiter made sure to make our mom feel special as she celebrated her birthday and brought her a hand crafted, non alcoholic cocktail that she LOVED. She even ordered another one after the first! And not to mention....the meatballs were AMAZING! Get those. Not even joking. I ordered the Chitarra and loved the flavors that the dish provided. Our waiter surprised my mom with a birthday dessert to finish off the most perfect dining evening. CHECK THIS PLACE OUT! I can't stress this enough. You won't be disappointed. read more

Fresh and delicious. First, the server made it very clear to us that the menu wasn't the end of the options. All entrees are made fresh so if you want something spicy, less spicy, more garlic, one sauce switched for another, go for it. We went with the carbonara, meatballs, rigatoni and brick chicken. The meatballs were AMAZING! Both of the pastas were cooked perfectly and delicious. The brick chicken was good but not the stand out of the meal. I would skip it next time. We finished with the chocolate cake which was great. Prices are reasonable and service was great! read more

Saw the owner/chef on Beat Bobby Flay and decided to give this place a try. I'm glad I did. We started off with multiple appetizers and then eventually got a few pastas and entrees. It's not often that everything you eat at a restaurant is amazing, but that was the case here. The calamari was so light & fresh I could have just had that and been happy. The prawns were a nice cross between shrimp/lobster and the scallops were some of the best I've had. The sweet crab meat paired perfectly with the avocado toast and the Parmesan butter served with the prosciutto should be sold in stores. The fried chicken appetizer was also outstanding. I ordered the bucatini entree portion with the egg yolk acting as a sauce over the homemade noodles with crispy pancetta. It was a life changing experience and something I could eat everyday. The bone-in filet was like butter and worth every penny. I finished the night with the chocolate cake & it was a nice sweet finish to the meal. If you're looking for a place with a spin on old school Italian, this is the place to be. I can't wait to go back. read more

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My boyfriend and I recently had a top 5 best ever dinner at Formento's. The service was excellent - they take a team approach, and we were treated like a king and queen by the manager Henry, and Jesus and Margo, as well as by their sommelier Alex who dropped by to make some delicious wine pairing suggestions. The staff was very knowledgable, and we followed their lead. On our way out we even got to meet the chef, and he talked to us about the dishes we'd ordered. This is not just your old school Italian fare (but don't miss their meatball appetizer), so we ended up trying some things we'd never heard of before such as a blowfish tails (?!!) as a starter, and a porkchop special that was described as the pork equivalent of Kobe beef. I would go back for their brussels sprouts alone - addictive. And do save room for the fabulous chocolate cake (thanks, Margo). Formento's is a beautiful restaurant (in both food & attitude), their bar serves top notch cocktails and they also have outdoor seating in the summer, so we will definitely be coming back. Thanks again to Henry and all for such a memorable and enjoyable evening. read more

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Delicious food and even better customer service. We ordered the fettuccine and brick chicken. (They were both so yummy that I forgot to take a picture.) The waiters were extremely welcoming and attentive. We didn't even realize we had waited a bit for the brick chicken (preparation takes some extra time) until a plate of meatballs were sent over compliments of the host. He didn't want to see us wait! Such a sweet surprise. We ended our meal with a scoop each of chocolate and vanilla gelato which the staff also insisted they take care of. In the end, the food was definitely worth the wait. read more

Formento's - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Impressive wine list and solid Italian dishes! Absolutely loved the octopus and calamari with the pepperoncini aioli. The canestri pasta with the meatball and fennel sausage was out of this world delicious. The focaccia with olive oil was also a nice touch as far as bread service. Cannot wait to return to this West Loop gem! read more

Formento's - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We did the togo Christmas package and it was fantastic! Can't wait to try this place when normal dining opens up.

From the moment you walk in, to your very last bite, Formento's provides the guest with celebrity service explaining every little detail on the menu and guiding you through to the right selection. Besides the value of the service, the food is no slacker! I was able to enjoy the calamari for appetizer, and OH BOY, it was good. I highly recommend this location for anyone who is looking for a good environment, good service, and great food!! read more

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A truly perfect dining experience. Our waiter Enriquo was attentive and kind. The food was incredible, the branzino and roasted chicken were highlights. They accommodated an off menu request -- pizza from Nonna's downstairs! -- and we had a lovely conversation with the executive chef David. Our party was large at 10, but the event coordinator was extremely helpful and happy to make sure our experience was ideal, and the service was exceptional. Highly recommend! read more

Made a Rez on open table, had to wait a while because of the heat lacking outside seating requests. The manager came over promptly, was super kind and explained why we had to wait. He put in a super tasty app for us. The food was fire and service is great. Honestly, this place is a super solid choice in the West Loop for some good pasta and atmosphere. read more

Had a reservation, they had it under the wrong name and we still had to wait. Our party was seated early afternoon on a Friday before they were busy. We waited an hour and a half for four pastas meanwhile every table seated after us was being served. Drinks took minimal 20 minutes to the point where once they were served we had to order the next round because they took so long. With every 20 minutes passing and no update on our food we asked multiple times while constantly being assured "it's coming". We had multiple conversations with the manager RICHARD in Which he gave the birthday desert free.. terrible customer service. One and done for our group. read more

My girl friend and I came here impulsively on a Wednesday night. After a long week thus far, we craved some pasta and a glass of wine. I love Italian food and Formentos had been a place that was on my bucket list, so we trotted over. We were seated immediately on the patio. We shared the burrata app, the ravioli, the carbonara, a few glasses of wine and the chocolate cake. It hit the spot: the service, the ambience, the food... we felt so relaxed. The carbonara was my favorite! There were bits and pieces of bacon that were so flavorful and it complemented the pasta and its sauce beautifully. I mean it was so good, we forgot to take a picture. The burrata and ravioli were good as well. Next time, I plan to order the calamari. But, for the Cherry on top... the chocolate cake was the bomb! Now, the staff had recommended it and I'm happy we accepted because it was delicious! It was moist, bold and literally a piece of heaven as it just melted in our mouths. And I must admit with a hint of red wine to complement it was indeed, the perfect night cap. My girl friend and I had a real nice time. Meghan was the waitress and was extremely attentive as well were the busboys and the manager, Henry. We were constantly tended to and I really appreciate that considering that we were just a few outside on the patio and they had bigger parties inside. I will definitely be back! Be sure to sit on the patio on a nice summer night, so cozy and quaint... you won't be disappointed. read more

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Formento's is definitely a stand-out restaurant in the booming West Loop restaurant scene along Randolph Street. Last night was our first visit. We made reservations through OpenTable and they called a day ahead to confirm. We ended up getting there around a half an hour early, checked in with the hostess, headed to the bar. Bartender Charles is a really nice guy and although busy was attentive and pleasant. I had their "Randolph Mule" cocktail while my girlfriend had a glass of wine. The Randolph Mule is an interesting drink but might not appeal to everyone. Even though the headliner ingredient is Old Forrester the bourbon gets a bit lost in a pretty powerful and interesting citrus flavor, which is more tart than you're expecting. I enjoyed it but if you're looking for a true bourbon experience I'd order something else. Right at our appointed time the hostess came to the bar and told us our table was ready, which was really a pleasant surprise. At a lot of restaurants early arrivals get lost in the shuffle, these folks were on their game. Table was a nice corner table towards the back, and although we were right next to the service entrance and had a table next to us the noise level was not bad at all and conversation was easy. We started with the Prosciutto appetizer, which comes with both a mustard and a butter spread, along with meat and bread. The spreads were subtle and not overpowering so you could taste the meat. Much more pleasant than a lot of places which serve sharper sauces that bury the meat flavor. Entrees were divine. I had the Canestri, which is a heavy, meaty, hard core good old fashioned italian pasta dish. Served with the two meatballs on the side so you can deploy as desired. The spicy meat flavors really punched through, and the hand-made pasta was nicely done. My girlfriend had the Bucatini. I had a few bites (all she would give me) and it was similarly excellent. Not the heavy-on meat experience I'd signed up for with the Canestri but really good flavors and my girlfriend really enjoyed it. We ordered two sides. The crispy potatoes were really amazing. Spicy with a nice crust and tender inside...no leftovers there. The only thing I really wasn't impressed with was our second side - the broccolini. It just wasn't particularly interesting and you wouldn't have been faulted for thinking it's asparagus. Out of everything we had this was the one thing I probably wouldn't order again. We went light on dessert because after all of that we were stuffed! We had a vanilla gelato and it was nice. Nothing special but really good. There were numerous other desserts on the menu that looked great. The table next to us had chocolate cake and it looked wonderful. Our server Gabriel did an excellent job. He was attentive but not hovering, and the rest of the support staff kept our drinks filled and table cleaned without being rushed. I was particularly impressed with meal staging. Gabriel suggested we order everything at once and I'm always leery about doing that for fear of the entree either showing up in the middle of the appetizer or being cold because it had been sitting. Neither was the case here. Pasta arrived so hot that I had to let it cool, which is impressive given how busy they were. Total tab for the night ended up being around $150 with tips, definitely worth it for what you get. I'll definitely be back! read more

Service is good, restaurant cozy and clean but food is just average for me. Squid ink pasta (chitarra) didn't have any semblance of squid flavor. Fried chicken appetizer was okay - crunchy but too much breading. Calamari breading was clumpy. Servings are too small for the price - in fact the serving sizes for the entrees are very disproportionate and comes out quite expensive. read more

Formento's - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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First of all, the parking. There is none at night. There is a $14 valet fee. Okay. The valet was quite efficient. I gave him $5. My car was still intact and they had it ready within 5 minutes. Score A It was Mother's Day weekend, Saturday night. We were dining at 7:00 p.m. It was quite loud and busy. We were seated our party of 6 immediately. This was a good thing! Score A We ordered appetizers to share but required 2 of each, for the six of us. We ordered the avocado and buratta toasts and the fried calamari, which was excellent. A little expensive but it was good. Score B My eldest daughter and I ordered the Branzino. THIS was definitely a problem because it was NOT Branzino. It was a filet of red snapper, which was exactly like the red snapper I prepare from Allen Brothers. Red snapper is a less expensive piece of fish, too. Branzino usually has more bones to pick through and is a long fish. This was not. I question the integrity of this fine restaurant to pass Red Snapper as Branzino at $34! Score D My son in law ordered the large rib eye with bone in and it looked amazing. My son ordered the rigatoni Pork Neck Gravy, Fennel Sausage, Meatball and it was also well prepared. Score B The sommelier was not a day older than 28 years old and his recommendation was terrible. Since it was Mother's Day and I am the mom, I grinned, I drank and bared it. Score F I feel there are better Italian Restaurants in the Chicago area to seek out. There is limited outdoor dining, which would have been nicer with less noise. ************************************************************************************************************************ After my review was posted, the General Manager of Formentos, Henry Mizhquiri, invited me to return and try his restaurant, again. This time, he offered me outdoor seating. I took one of my daughters, who was in from NYC and had been at the first time we dined there. We were greeted by Henry and seated outdoors on their beautifully decorated patio on West Randolph Street. He brought us a wonderful bottle of Italian wine, a sauvignon blanc, that was perfect to accompany the fish we planned on ordering. It was dry, not too sweet, but sweeter than a Chardonnay. Notes of pear and oak? Grade: A Next came the roasted garlic and olive oil with their Italian toasted bread. So deliciously done! Grade: A For appetizers, we ordered the fried calamari and the buratta toast with arrugula. Very well done! Grade: A We were then greeted by the Chef, Todd. He was quite pleasant and we told him our experience today was completely different. Henry insisted we try their pasta carbonara. OMG! It came with the yellow egg in the middle. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente. Now, THIS was heaven! I rarely order pasta, being a diabetic, but I had this cheat for once! This was my dessert! Grade: A+++ Then, the test. We ordered the Branzino, once again. This time it was a long, large filet, with a blackish tail. It was perfectly cooked deboned and served with sauteed greens. Grade A+ Henry offered us dessert but alas, we had just had no room! I already had too many carbs for the day! He even offered to box it up to take home. No thank you because we were watching our waistlines. (NOT!) This was NOT the same experience we had the first time we dined on Mother's Day weekend. The wait staff and servers were polite and efficient, clearing plates and addressing our needs. My advice is to not dine on a special holiday with crowds. This Italian restaurant does it beautifully. The inside dining areas are beautifully done, too. I am a fan! I will return! I love their outdoor patio! read more

In a world of shrinking Italian food serving sizes, Formento's bucks the trend and blends a hip atmosphere with satisfying portions. No "huh?" moments when your food arrives. Friendly, attentive service. Butcher steak met expectations; lamb was out of this world. read more

We selected this place for a dinner presentation with clients, which we do a lot of. They were the most difficult venue I've ever worked with. At one point I was told menu selections for our 20 guests were required 72 hours in advance. I setup valet service for 5 of our clients with the restaurant prior to the dinner and wasn't told about planned road closings. On arrival, they were instructed to valet at another restaurant down the street. Our private room wasn't ready until 30 minutes after the agreed upon time on the contract. Food was mediocre, there is much better Italian in the area. Meatballs 7.3 Chicken Parm 5.8 (driest I've ever had) Tiramisu 6.5 Probably biased based on the unprofessional customer service we had but I'd find another spot either way. To end on a positive note, wait staff was great! Cheers read more

Only experience I have with this place is take out pizza and we were unbelievably satisfied. Everything from their sauce, to the butter crust, to their airy dough- we will definitely be paying them some more visits. read more

Stopped by here for Father's Day and was very satisfied with my entree! The staff was attentive and even sent us home with cake (which was very Delish) read more

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I dislike West Loop, but had my arm twisted to eat dinner here. My Paccheri pasta was tasty - the squid ink pasta had a nice ocean flavor and the Wild Branzino fish entree was perfectly cooked. Meatball and ricotta cheese appetizers were good starters. Service was excellent and attentive. I give 5 stars for our server and management staff. Our three desserts were all good and my favorite was the decadent chocolate cake. read more

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Their ravioli appetizer was off the chain! Tried their Moscow mules and was impressed, the staff was attentive and were constantly checking in and making sure we were having the best time we could. First restaurant I tried in Chicago, off to a great start! read more

The staff and atmosphere here were top notch. Enjoyed a wonderful meal with friends and the food was great. Highly recommend the chicken parm and whipped ricotta as an appetizer read more

My husband and I agree that this place beats out Piccolo Sogno and La Scarola for our favorite Italian food in the city. We had an awesome experience here for three reasons: 1) Our server, Megan, was so nice and so knowledgable. 2) Everything we ordered was delicious. Calamari - let's be honest, the aioli was the star of the show here Burrata - so creamy and tasted great with the arugula Ravioli - light and flavorful it was a great summer dish Bucatini - my favorite Chocolate cake - classic and delicious! 3) We loved sitting on the patio out front. Such a nice ambience with greenery and hanging lights, and it's a little further down Randolph where it's not quite as busy. read more

The BEST food and the BEST service. :) we would come back in a heartbeat! We had Pam as a server and she was fantastic! The pasta is homemade and excellent read more

This place was really a doozy. Cool spot on a corner. Waited at the bar for 5 or 10 mins pre dinner no one was being served by the two bartenders who were chatting over the register, backs to customers. The salad was way over dressed. Pasta was horrible- room temperature and overcooked - tried several different ones. And for the finisher my $67 steak was cold and rare (ordered med rare). Plate was cold - who does that? The cut if meat was stringy and tendony (ordered NY strip). This place has good reviews from a lot of people maybe I caught a bad night. read more

Great service. Food was on point. Portions on the small side. Price is a little high for the portion. The limoncello martini is very yummy. Overall, a nice place for a good meal. read more

The food and drinks here were great. I enjoyed vegetables I never imagined could be made to tase pleasurable- but the real star of the show was our server Murphy. He was super cold dude that recommended some great options, was very attentive and took excellent care of us. We were sitting at a wobbly table and he had it adjusted for us without us even asking. Honestly the table didn't even bother us, but it just shows his attention to detail and service. read more