We were staying in a VRBO and this was recommended by our host Mike. It's a very pretty upscale Italian restaurant with a large menu. They have a special menu on the first page and then the regular menu follows. My husband chose the lasagna with the Bolognese sauce, and I had fettuccine Alfredo, both of which were very large portions and delicious. We were seated quickly with no reservation and warm sourdough bread and a delicious Parmesan cheese and olive oil dip was complementary as well. Waitress was a very nice and efficient woman who knew her stuff and got her order perfect We both chose to only drink water, chose no appetizer or dessert simply two entrées and our bill with tip was $65 read more

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We just moved to Palatine and this is the first place we've had a date night at. Amber, was our server - she was very nice. My drink was strong and the food was very good. We'll definitely be back. I gave 4 stars because our service was slow and the restaurant was freezing. read more

Best Italian Restaurant in all of Chicagoland. Angie is the best server as well. Our very favorite dining experience.

Good Food, Nice Patio, but Service Could Be Better My husband and I had dinner at Gianni's Café for the first time. I'll admit, I was a little hesitant because the reviews were pretty average--not bad, but not amazing either. Still, we decided to give it a try, and I'm glad we did. It was a beautiful evening, so we chose to eat outdoors, and I'm so glad we did. The outdoor area was pleasant, comfortable, and not too hot. Personally, I think sitting inside would have felt a bit cramped and stuffy, so the outdoor seating made for a much nicer experience. For dinner, we ordered the mostaccioli with a side of sausage and the fettuccine broccoli Alfredo. Both dishes were very flavorful, served hot, and came in large portions. Each meal came with a choice of soup or salad--I picked the minestrone, and unfortunately, it was not good at all. I took one bite and didn't eat any more of it. I'd definitely skip the minestrone next time. My husband ordered the chicken soup, and that was much better--perfectly seasoned and full of flavor. As for service, our waitress was friendly but quite slow. I had to wait a long time for drink refills, and my glass was empty most of the meal, which was disappointing since I was only drinking water and Coke. Overall, the food was delicious, the outdoor dining experience was lovely, and while the service could use improvement, I'd still consider coming back--just maybe not for the soup! read more

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Alright folks , its redemption time! Yes I went back and gave it another try...from 3.5 stars to 5 stars for Gianni's. The food , our waitress and the atmosphere rocked!! Love it! read more

I visit or order from Gianni's whenever I am in the area. The food is delicious...I mean, I assume the rest of the food is delicious as I can't pull myself away from ordering the pasta carbonara. It's the best I have ever had. Service is always friendly and helpful. Everything is surprisingly quick for such a busy restaurant. The general atmosphere is lively and can get loud. Not that I mind, coming from a big loud family. Loud means people are having a great time and enjoying themselves. Don't let the loud crowd scare you; they just want to eat, drink and be merry. read more

I went with my family of four and the food was taste list and watered down. We did not enjoy it at all. Do not recommend.

Wonderful food and staff. Their country rigatoni is outstanding. The food at Gianni's is always fresh. Highly recommended for all occasions.

We just visited with a group of friends and had a great time. We were seated just inside and to the right from the entrance. There were seven of us and we were crammed into our table. Granted, we had some larger people in our party, but as soon as the slightly larger table behind us opened up, our server, Amber, offered the table to us and we gladly took it. It certainly gave us more room and pushed us a little bit more into the restaurant and away from a high foot traffic area. It's definitely a very nice restaurant for families, dates, events, and more. Nice ambience that is warm and cosy...with the exception of opening the front door. It was cold tonight and every time the door opened, cold air rushed in and chilled us. Amber was a fabulous server. She was quick to not only take our drink orders (I think only two of us had drinks and they were both diet sodas) but to refill everyone's drinks as well. One couple ordered the Stuffed Mushroom Caps for an appetizer and said it was really good. They kept the plate after they finished as they said the sauce was wonderful and perfect for dipping the bread into. They weren't wrong (and I hate mushrooms!) Everyone opted for salad that came with their dinners instead of soup. They were nice side salads with a nice sized tureen of salad dressing on the side. And we all liked our insanely sized portions. Two of us ordered the Chicken Piccata (one with the pasta and marinara sauce and the other with the pasta in the lemon sauce), two ordered the Chicken Giardiniera (one with the Italian sausage and one without), one order of the Chicken Parmesan, one Tomahawk Pork Chop, and one Country Rigatoni. They have a very good chicken piccata (I forgot to order it without capers, but they were easy to eat around). I had the one without the marinara sauce (two sauces and one dish seemed odd to me). It was lemony but not overly so and the sauce is thick enough to not coagulate and it was flavorful. Our friend picked the bone clean of his pork chop and said it was very good. the other piccata and the rigatoni also liked their meals and brought half of them home. The chicken parm with the side of spaghetti was huge. And very good if you like chicken parm (you won't be disappointed). And the Giardiniera dishes were so aromatic that you could smell them over the other dishes, but in a good way. Just a nice little kick with the dishes. We didn't order dessert, but we did celebrate a birthday and they brought out a huge chunk of their tiramisu. It was light and creamy, with a hint of the alcohol flavoring, and high on sweetness. It was very good. Had I known it was that good, I would have ordered my own (regardless if my wife didn't want me to order dessert). Gianni's has a few locations, and this one is simply better for size. There's lots of street parking so it shouldn't be hard to find a spot on the street (we didn't at 7pm on a Saturday, so shouldn't you. If you do go, make a reservation as the place was packed when we were there. And while the food was really good, our server, Amber, was terrifically top notch. Very friendly, helpful in choosing dishes to order, johnny-on-the-spot with refills, and always checking in on is. She is one of the better servers I've had anywhere. They are one of my favorite Italian restaurants anywhere and is definitely worth a go in you're looking for great food, great service, and a great atmosphere. read more

It's a wonderful, cozy Italian restaurant in a strip mall. They have outdoor dining in the warm weather. As i talk about ambience, they are fully and graciously handicapped accessible. (I haven't tried the restrooms). The service was knowledgeable and gracious. I was there on a week night and witnessed a server prepare a cocktail table side. I learned that--on the weekends--they have a bartender who.can serve the crowd. But to have servers trained to make drinks on week nights, that's special. As for the food, I grew up with an Italian neighbor and learned great food from her. This restaurant keeps alive that food tradition. Have a great eating experience! read more

Refused to provide a comfortable table when the restaurant was two-thirds empty. Finally provided a table we felt we would like to use but then the waitstaff bumped into the chairs multiple times during the meal. Provided the wrong check which was over $100+ higher than the bill for the food we ordered. read more

Amazing food. Great place, great drinks, I highly recommend Gianni's. Never a disappointing meal.

Excellent food and pleasant friendly waitstaff. Only negative is the paper covering over the cloth tablecloths. This place isn't inexpensive so ditch the cheap covering and replace the linen after each diner. This is the reason for the four stars. read more

Wonderful Food, Atmosphere & Staff. Highly recommended! Been going here for years & never been disappointed.

I've never been disappointed! Hardest thing was to decide what to get. Bring friends who like to share

Great food and ambiance!!! Staff very kind and quick! It sells quickly make reservations early! read more

Gianni's one of our favorite restaurants in the suburbs! We always request Lori for our waitress who is the very best waitress! read more

Our go to place for great Italian food. We celebrate special events at Gianni's and they never disappoint. Highly recommend.

What can I say, the BEST place in Palatine. The food, atmosphere and staff are the best. Many favorite dishes, to recommend, but if your a 1st timer. Go to the house specialty list, and get the country rigatoni. If there is 1 part of the meal you want to tweek they will change out pasta, sauce, etc.. Also do not skip the bread, and garlic basil oil, hot fresh, worth the calories. If you want a beverage and a lite bite, or full blow out dinner, grab it at the bar. The bartenders, know how to mix a wonderful cocktail. PS Grab a giant slice of chocolate cake to go read more

Lots of food options. Lots, and they all sound amazing. Plentiful chicken and veal options and amazing custom pasta choices. The service is extremely friendly and efficient. Fast prepped and incredibly delicious. read more

We frequent Gianni's 4-5 times per year. Went for dinner last nite. Whatever happened since closing the Kildeer location, has spread to Palatine. Calamari Sicilian style tasted like par fried rings they found in the back of the refrigerator. Sauce wasn't the same, we found something crunchy (like a shrimp shell) mixed in with the rings. Pasta and chicken entrees were brutal. Over prepared and sauced, everything was literally swimming in some form of liquid (think of not draining your spinach enough). Our server Angie was terrific as usual. I am curious if other regular patrons have found the same thing. read more

It was extraordinary! The quality of food and variety of the buffet added to the Birthday Celebration! In addition the price was far less than what they could have charged. It is a beautiful place! read more

Each time my family and I have eaten at Gianni's, left never disappointed. Food has always been extremely good. All staff--from hosts at front desk, to waiters/waitresses and those that come to refill water and clean up tables--are very good, friendly and courteous. My family and I recommend Gianni's for a great meal. read more

We enjoy dining at Gianni's. The service is always great, attentive but not intrusive. We particularly like creating our own dishes by choosing from numerous options on the menu. The restaurant is also conversation friendly and good for both adults and children. The prices are very reasonable. read more

A nice and cozy place with a large menu in downtown Palatine. The staff was so friendly too. The mocktails left a bit more to be desired, but was glad they had some! read more

This rating is based on my wife's response. Had take out, baked mostaccioli and grilled calamari. Mostaccioli was so dry, no marinara sauce at all. Serving size has sure shrank also. Calamari wasn't bad, have to think twice next time based on the cost and quality. read more

Ginny and Brian are the best bartenders!! Always a great time! Best food in Palatine!

I live within walking distance, but this is always my last choice for a meal. Here is why: I am an 'eat at the bar guy'. Whether I am alone or with friends, here it always feels there is a great amount of deference paid to the regulars. Almost to the point of being ignored. I get it, to pay the bills, a restaurant has to have a regular following. Too many nights, however, not even a, 'Have good night, thanks for stopping in'. This evening, I was alone and spent $71.00. I wasn't offered a thank you or good night from the bartender, who I suspect is a manager or owner. To be fair, it is probably different for table service. The food is great though. read more

Great spot for weekend brunch. They have a great buffet brunch with all you can drink mimosas!!

Food and service are good and it is a comfortable atmosphere with no rush! Have been going to both locations for a long time.

Good food and service in a very cute restaurant with a festive vibe for the holidays. The only improvement would be to redesign the space to improve the checkout for customers dining and in and for those picking up orders or donut's. read more

We love Gianni's Cafe and keep bringing our friends in to try it and they never let us down! From the wait staff to the menu and the meal. Wowwwwwww never fails us! We are going again tomorrow! I can't wait! Try the Chicken Parm! read more

This is truly one of the GREATEST Italian restaurants in the northwest suburbs and beyond. Fantastic, mouth-watering food, impeccable service, and an atmosphere that is perfect for a date, to celebrate a special occasion, or meet up with friends. We dine at Gianni's about once a month the staff is friendly and professional. The food is phenomenal. You simply can't go wrong here! read more

The food is really good and is coupled with great service. I highly recommend Gianni's.

FINALLY have found a bottomless mimosa place in this part of the suburbs! Normally a buffet style bottomless mimosa place means you're sacrificing quality for quantity, but that's definitely not the case here. There's such a good spread of food, a little breakfast, a little lunch. It was all pretty good too. When we first walked in we thought that it was this super fancy place & felt a little out of place, so if you're going here for dinner, I would probably dress a little nicer (or don't, I'm not trying to tell you how to live your life). After a few mimosas, we normally get pretty loud, but the volume levels here never made us feel like we were too loud. Our server was AMAZING. She was fun and never let our mimosas stay empty for too long. So what's not to love about this place? read more

Really good value for what you get. Portions are nice and the food is really good as well as the service.

its an OK place to Go to. Ambiance - is beautiful. very italian.have some figurines and flowers. this location was established in 2003. The atmosphere was very calm and soothing music was on.we went in on weekday night and there were plenty of empty tables. Kitchen- open kitchen. looks clean. but manager and the other staff members were actually walking around and eating in the kitchen area. which was unacceptable for me. Reservations- not needed during weekdays but is must on weekends. Our server was very nice and soft spoken. with good etiquettes. Food- we got bread and olive oil. but the bread was stale and hard and they did not have any more bread. we ordered weekly special appetizer but they come back saying they are out of cauliflower. So we order stuffed mushroom. I would give one star to it. it is actually only stuffed with cheese and definitely over priced. did not like the flavor at all. we order Pasta and we get side of soup or salad. I got minestrone soup- which was very small serving size and was yucky. I had way better soups in other Italian restaurants. with other entrée got Salad, and salad was not fresh and did not taste good. Pasta - we created our own. Got rigatoni with alfredo sauce and Gnocchi with vodka sauce. they were the only good things that we liked in our whole dinner. Pricing- definitely OVERPRICED for the quality of food they are serving guests. I personally will not go back to this place. read more

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Update- 10 years later and they're still one of my favorite places for exceptional food, service and atmosphere.

Spectacular food. I had seafood dish with lobster tail, scallops and shrimp. Husband had special, veal Oscar. Busy on a Friday night. Host and some bus people were in casual fleece and jeans so it was hard to tell who was customer versus restaurant employee. Surprising for upscale place. Didn't change quality of food but was confusing when we wanted to ask for more water or bread. read more

Amazing tasty food. Great ambiance but they do a great job with take out as well. We enjoy many of their appetizers and order an entree to share because it's just that good! Love their bread, garlic EVOO with seasoning! As a person who cooks tasty meals and loves different flavors and spices, this place has my food heart! read more