Very nice people. Excellent service. The ambience was fantastic. The food was OK. I know we're at an Italian restaurant, but the bread was like a cheap Italian bread that you might get from Jewel. I did like the effort they made presenting an olive oil dip for your bread. That was a nice touch. I know that sounds silly, but I think you can judge a lot about a restaurant by the bread they serve. The seafood dish I had was pretty good. There was about as much seafood as any human could possibly eat in it. The flavor wasn't fantastic, but there was a ton of food. It's a very nice restaurant, especially for Palatine. read more

Excellent service. The ambience was very nice, clean and cozy. The food was good. One dish serves a lot of food and we ask the waiters if we could split in two plates and he was very nice to us giving dishes recommendations. I just wish the sauce was warmer for the lasagna and more seasoned.The olive oil dip for the bread is very good. It is a very nice restaurant in general. Would come back for sure. read more

New chef? Not sure...tad slow BUT very busy. The food coming out looked like it was from a magazine. The taste was INCREDIBLE. The dessert we ordered was a carrot cake and I don't know if they have an in house pastry chef but it was FABULOUS! Had a fresh espresso and shot of Baileys with a hot black coffee in the side to go with it--no words can describe the heaven!! I wish I had taken pics of the bolognese sauce and fresh pasta(hungry and ate it before I could get a pic). I am usually faintly critical and when I'm not it may be because I fear the place may be failing...in this case I TRULY recommend you come in and try GIANNIS even if you have been in before--it's changed--in a good way! read more

Gianni's Cafe - Carrot cake--so GOOD! - Italian Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

There are two locations for Gianni's cafe, Kildeer and Palatine. Both offer amazing food and service. I am a fan of the Palatine location, because I don't have to deal with the weekend shopping traffic at Kildeer. The bar area of the Palatine location is a hit with locals and you will find it to be a hard place to find a spot at. It's cozy and relaxed which makes it a great spot to cozy up to with a friend on a cold day. Everything I've had has been made to perfection. Try the country rigatoni, a pineapple cocktail and don't forget dessert! The chocolate cake is massive. read more

I would give them a 4/5 for food. Their pastas are so good and my favorite part is you can customize it to your liking. My parents love spicy food. They were able to accommodate and make their food to their liking. We went on a Saturday as a group of 8 and they were able to accommodate. I am taking a star off for food because of dessert. We ordered the molten lava cake and the cake was cold hence no molten lava, which was disappointing. I have been to this location a couple times but today service was not great probably 3/5. I understand they are busy but we repeatedly had to remind about waters. They brought food out without even clearing up our other all plates so there was literally no room on the table to put our plates. I have gone to the other location in Kildeer and it is better in terms of service! read more

Be aware Giannis Cafe does not accept gift cards for larger dinner parties. If your party is larger than 4 people they may not accept gift cards. Customers should check in advance before purchasing or attempting to use gift cards. read more

Terrible experience ordering from Uber eats. Completely wrong order and the restaurant could care less. We will not be ordering again. Very poor customer service. read more

I have been to this location once before and their Kildeer location many times. The parking here is somewhat limited, the ambiance is nice and the rolled pasta with risotto, spinach and added meat sauce was delicious! The waitress was somewhat attentive but the blueberry martini was literally blueberry vodka chilled (not good!). I give this location 3.5 stars. I much prefer their Kildeer location. read more

Ok... Was seated at the worst table in the restaurant. The staff knows this table. Yet dropped over $300 on Saturday. It was super clear and out in the open the bar staff and wait staff are all about drinking and having fun. Everybodies favorite Brian falls short outside the bar. Ordered appetizers and dinner and have to say it was amazing. Refill on drinks could have been better. Our seats agent to kitchen sucked. Enjoyed our dishes. Staff could have been less drunk and more into us. read more

Warm ambiance, great for a romantic dinner or a group. They have large rounds that seat 6 or 7, great for a group. Service is professional, homemade soups are great, especially the Lasagna soup! Best chicken Marsala I have had - seriously great. We also really enjoyed the suprema pasta sauce, a mix of Alfredo and red sauce for the indecisive folks. Make a reservation for dinner on the weekends especially or you might be disappointed. Adding an edit, just had the veal saltombucca, it was amazing! read more

Well, times change. I'm writing because one of our favorite spots is definitely slipping. This is the second time, two in a row, where on visits we've waited 2 and now 1.5 HOURS, respectively, for our entree's to show. I want to emphasize that the service is well above average, the room is great with a fun vibe, but but BUT the food preparation time is beyond bad. And on top of that, the recipes seem to be changing ever so slightly. Still really good, though. As an example, the chicken gardenier, one of our favorites, is now hotter (spicey HOT) than the diablo sauce which we love too. I picked off at LEAST 25-30 jalapeno slices from the Chicken entree. Another couple we sat next to at the bar, also enjoying an after dinner drink, had the exact experience. They waited two hours for their entree's. Whatever issue they are having on the cooking line, they better get a grip on it and quick. read more

We Decided to finally try this place for the Sunday brunch . Well... first the table we were sat at had crumbs all over the paper on the table , we were there shortly after 11:00 right after they opened so you would think it should've been all clean ! The food was cold , mediocre frozen sides , the croissants stale and hard as could be . Cannolis with super soft shells , probably have been set out and frozen over and over ! Pieces of dried out chocolate cake . The owner was standing around , didn't say hello, no smiles , actually he was just so "kind" he rolled his eyes at my little girl for walking in-front of him and she even said "excuse me I'm sorry ". As we were leaving he was again standing there , no "thanks for coming , how was everything "... just not a good feeling at all . I did give two stars because the waitress was sweet and did great . I definitely wouldn't recommend going here and we will never go back . read more

This is a must stop in Palatine. Went here for an early Father's Day dinner and I have to tell you. Service (Ginny) was excellent never missed a beat Food was perfect. A lot of different plates on the table. I had a filet mignon cooked to perfection I felt like I was going to see Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin walk in and be seated. How cool is that A must stop if you're in the area Again thanks to our server Ginny who was awesome read more

Casual atmosphere, good service and a variety of choices on the menu. I had the Braciole. Tender flank steak and sausage rolled on a bed of linguini and marinara. Support these local restaurants read more

Gianni's Cafe - Entree menu - Italian Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

Three times there, three times left wanting. This recent time, the servers were great but we didn't get what we ordered (daughter got alfredo instead of carbonara) my sauce tasted more from a jar than fresh and our calamari, while seasoned well in a Sicilian style was like chewing tires! So tough it was almost inedible and when we didn't really eat it, there was no questioning what was up. Any italian spot should have great bread - which is not that difficult to do but this is a big miss as well. At least we didn't pay for it, but should be a plus to the meal and not just there. Our daughter pointed out that you get what you pay for and our salads were included - seemed so run of the mill for a spot that looks like it would be upscale. I'd love a local fab Italian spot but this was the third strike. read more

Been going here for years it's been a family favorite but lately it hasn't been great. We ordered baked oysters. My husband and I each tried one they were cold. The cheese wasn't even melted. It was very bad tasting. We told server that the oysters were cold instead of bringing us a fresh new order of oysters they brought the remaining oysters heated up, not very classy disappointed. After ordering Our dinner took 45 min to come read more

Service is friendly here but the food is absolutely delicious came here once but can't wait to go back again. Came here for a date night with my hubby but most definitely will bring my family here sometime soon. read more

Gianni's never disappoints and our experience on New Year's Eve was extra special. The food, service and atmosphere were all very enjoyable!

Thanksgiving at Gianni's did not disappoint. Food and desserts were delicious. Service was excellent and overall ambiance was pleasant. The buffet line got hectic here and there but overall Gianni's was a great alternative to hours of food shopping , prep and execution. No mess to clean up either. read more

This used to be a quality dining experience. Post covid it has gone downhill fast. Had dinner last night - the food was not edible left the entire meals untouched. Paid the full bill and topped the server as it was not her fault the place is poorly managed. Stay away until they figure out how to run a restaurant again. read more

Friendly happy service , Nice crowd , delicious soups , tasty meals , love the fresh bread and olive oil . Yum

Food, wine and service are top notch. Great ambience. Try the lasagna, you won't be disappointed.

Food has been so much better lately. I don't know if they have a new chef but really good. Huge improvement. Red sauces are outstanding.

This place is a wonderful gem! My husband and I have done takeout and dine-in, and either way you will be satisfied, and you will be full until the point of hating yourself, but you won't hate yourself because you just ate delicious food! Let me also just say that you get what you pay for! The portions are beyond generous, and we've always had leftovers. I have tried a few different dishes, and every time I am happy with the taste and portions! We dined in yesterday, and the staff were wearing face masks, the tables were socially distant, and some items (olive oil) were prepackaged so that everything was safe. We will definitely be back to try more of their delicious menu! read more

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Excellent food and service. We love the Shimp Dejonghe over angel hair pasta. It's excellent. I recently ordered the Steak gorgonzola entree salad and was disappointed. The steak was cold and I expected it to be freshly grilled. read more

I checked out Gianni's for the first time, recently. This is their second location established in 2008. The original location is in Kildeer established in 2003. It's a family owned restaurant that serves delicious food inspired from recipes from a few different regions of Italy. We had a reservation for 7:30 PM and once we got there, we were seated promptly. After getting seated, our server (Laura/ Laurie? Sorry, I forgot her name but do remember her face.) introduced herself and asked if we wanted to start off with any appetizers and/ or drinks. My wife and I were still deciding so we informed her that we needed a few more minutes before we were ready. In the meantime, we were served complimentary bread (two types) and olive oil + parmesan + basil, dip. We decided to have their Eggplant Involtini as an appetizer and a couple of glasses of wine. When our server returned, we asked her about the Involtini dish and she informed us that it was a pretty popular app. dish and even better than their Eggplant Parmigiana. Our server was friendly, informative, and helpful. We also asked her about a few wines and her information helped my wife select the wine she wanted to try. Our server brought my wife three wine tasting samples so that my wife could choose her favorite. That was nice of our sever as we didn't expect that. At this point, we hadn't quite decided on our entrees but had almost narrowed them down. In the meantime, we were enjoying the delicious Eggplant Involtini (see my photo). It's lightly breaded eggplant rolls, ricotta filled, baked with marinara, and topped with mozzarella. It was very good in taste. Wow! I had never come across such dish before. It could actually be a meal in itself for some. Gianni's marinara sauce is da bomb. I liked it a lot. It was not runny, sweet, salty or tangy. It had just the right flavor that jived with my taste buds and it's not too frequent I find that. Now, we were ready to order our entrees. I ordered their special of Seafood Diablo Risotto but I asked for substituting the Risotto with their house-made Cavatelli and their marinara sauce with Suprema sauce (Alfredo meets Marinara) and my wife too ordered from their specials by selecting their Pumpkin Ravioli. My pasta dish was huge and filled with lots of seafood pieces (scallops, shrimp, and lobster meat). The seafood was cooked properly (not under or over done). The Suprema sauce was perfect in taste. The Cavatelli was cooked well too (just the right al-dente). I had my dish topped with fresh parmesan, some black pepper and crushed red chili flakes. This dish was hit in my book as it hit the spot right away (no pun intended). It was quite flavorful. The only thing I didn't find was the taste of heat/ spice in pasta (the Diablo part - spicy giardinera). But I am not complaining. Given the big portion of my plate, I intentionally left a portion of it to be eaten as leftovers because I wanted to indulge in their desserts a bit later. My wife's Pumpkin Ravioli was very good too. Although much smaller in portion size. If you fancy a sweet tasting pasta (but not quite dessert like) than this is for you. It had a unique taste. I liked it a lot. When it came to desserts, I wasn't sure what all they had as it's not listed on their website. So when we were ready to order desserts, our server brought a tray full of dessert samples to show and inform us so we can select what we liked. All of their choices looked good. I can't remember all of them of the top of my head right now but we went with their Lemon Cake with Cream Cheese frosting and a Chocolate Chip Cannoli (or Cannolo for singular?). Our server said they stopped selling Pistachio Cannoli due to allergy issues to which I was slight bummed about as Pistachio Cannolis are da bomb (when done right) and I would have definitely ordered that. As a matter of fact, anything pistachio is da bomb in my book. ;-) Anyway, I loved the desserts we had. Both the items tasted delicious. My favorite was the Lemon cake which had just the right taste of lemon, cream cheese frosting and the amount of sweetness. I was very satisfied with our meal, overall. Not only we had great tasting food but also received good service. The place was happening. It was busy and almost packed. There were couples, families and friends having dinner and drinks. It was a good ambiance. I liked the location of the restaurant, their decor inside, menu variety and the ambiance. The restaurant was clean. Their prices are a bit on the high end but you kind of expect that from the type of restaurant it is. This is not a typical fast-casual Italian restaurant. It's a nice quality, sit-down place that serves good to great quality food. It's a place to go for any occasion. We enjoyed our experience and look forward to going back (next time to the original location in Kildeer). I highly recommend checking Gianni's Cafe out. They are totally worth it. read more

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10/10 recommend. Great service, huge portions, great ambiance andddd the food is delish! Great place for date night!

Ordered to go. Been a minute since I've been at Gianna's and I wasn't prepared for a $100 tab on 1 drink 1 appetizer and 2 entrees. Food was fine. Bartender was extremely busy and there was quite a wait to get my order in. Definitely a special night out only going forward. Used to be 2-3x a month. Calamari Country Rigatoni Cacio y pepe crab risotto Tito's rocks read more

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Used to be a great place to eat. Now, the service is terrible and management is combative with patrons that raise concerns. When raising an issue with undercooked calamari the waitress told us that the kitchen staff has been rushed. Didn't receive our food after being there for an hour and a half. Don't waste your time or hard earned money there. read more

Delicious food, big portions and great service. I have a pepper allergy and the server was great at recommending dishes I could eat. I highly recommend this place read more

Horrible service. Took 1.5 hrs for our salads. Cold in there and so over priced messed up 2 of our orders a d soups were cold and house dressing horrible. Never again Over rated read more

I like the place but service was so slow. Understand as we were sitting in the bar but we didn't get served for food and decided to check out. Normally it is a good place read more

Nice place, good food, great bartenders and manager! Literally the only complaint, to the owners, invest in a vestibule during the winter... regardless, it doesn't stop us from visiting one of our favorite hometown restaurants. read more

Nice variety of seafood appetizers, several types of salads, wide variety of entrees (Italian style). Spacious restaurant. Food was above average. Service was good. Good place to go for a variety of choices. read more

Excellent food!! The service was great. This is coming from a person who has worked in the service industry, and I am very critical on how the server is. Because I my work ethic is been holding people to a standard. I have been held that I think is just as equal. I had a very pleasant experience there do not know the persons name I remember, was a very pleasant female very nice would recommend to anybody to go there. read more

Amazing food. Seafood Supreme, Veal Parmigiana, Tortellini Prosciutto and the most amazing Tiramisu. Wow. We have several meals from the main dishes. We ordered pick up and still sooo yummy read more

Great Italian food in Palatine. In our rotation of excellent choices in the suburbs. Nice intimate dining room for a night out.

FIRST TIME at Giannis Cafe last night for a Valentine Dinner with my Valentine. Myhusband is 100% Italian growing up with a Mom who loved to cook and oh my could she cook. We were very impressed ! The ambiance is everything you'd expect in a fine dining Italian restaurant, the service was impressive ! Brian was our server and not once did we need/want for anything! The food was delicious! we had baked clams (large and full of flavor) salads with amazing dressings of blue cheese and creamy garlic, Saltimbocca (which I always order at a new place we visit because it sets all standards for me) was the best I've ever had ! Linguini with shrimp, broccol, lemon sauce was fabulous. We will definitely be back ! read more

Slow service on Thursday. Not enough servers. The food spectacular! Huge servings. Definitely worth going to for dinner.

My honest review is 1.5 stars. we expected so much more from a high priced Italian restaurant. My biggest complaint is the food isn't fresh. They use frozen meatballs, frozen seafood, frozen vegetables in the minestrone and boil packaged noodles. The seafood dishes are decent and the calamari is good. The bolognese and spaghetti and (green) meatballs were horrible. The server was nice, but our entrees took between 75 and 90 minutes. I'm not a franchise fan, but Maggianos and Buca give you a much better meal and experience. Sadly, we won't be back. read more