We went for the Mother's Day brunch. And everything tasted so good. I was so happy they had the Tiramisu its my favorite and they have one of the best ones. I also loved their nutella cheesecake. The prime rib was cooked and seasoned perfectly. The ham looked dry but i did have it and it wasnt dry so looks can be deceiving lol. The Garlic roasted chicken was also a fav, the chicken was juicy and tasty. Service was great and they had a Valet service specificalky for this occasion. Definitely coming back because i still want to try their grilled octopus. Happy Eating! read more

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We met here with a work group. All of us in town for a meeting. The food took so long and it got so late I had to go because I hadn't planned on eating so late. The table server was kind and polite but could not cover for the slow cook. I left my coworkers who opted to wait it out. The slow food service kept the others another 30 minutes before they got their orders served. Could have been an anomaly but I'd call this a failure. I hope for their sake they find a chef. read more

Giostra is nice addition in the South Barrington Arboretum. It's semi-upscale yet comfortable. Has a modern Italian vibe though they carried over the booths from the previous restaurant, not really my style and dates it a little (not a lot). Well suited indoors for date night or romantic evening, or just to hang with friends. Outdoor patio is nice, but overlooks streets/parking. Service was excellent start to finish. Curtis is very professional and knows his stuff. He blends polished with personable perfectly (though he doubted that I would finish my food, see below). The staff was very efficient and you could tell they were well trained. The Cast Iron Focaccia is a great appetizer for 2-3 people. Our friend enjoyed classic fettuccine Alfredo, and a side of brussels sprouts all my wife enjoyed cavatelli (I believe). I went for the Pollo Scarpariello. The chicken was tender, paired with sausage, onions, peppers, mushrooms and potatoes in a white wine sauce (I think). Extremely tasty and plentiful portion. Could easily feed 3 people, but I ate it all - take that, Curtis. LOL They offer a comforting atmosphere, outstanding service and excellent food. We'll definitely return for something new. Caio read more

Giostra By Fabio Viviani - Cavatelli? - Italian Near Me - South Barrington, Illinois

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I had an annual get together with friends who now live out of town and we have made it an annual event at Giostra. The staff is truly incredible and personable and the restaurant is very comfy but tonight the music was a little loud but made it work. The menu is ever changing but it's easy to find a delicious meal. Tonight was the fettuccine bolognese for me and my friends all had the fettuccine alfredo. Everyone was pleased with dinner. We were 2 hours in the restaurant and never once felt pressured to move along. A truly lovely evening read more

Giostra By Fabio Viviani - FETTUCCINE BOLOGNESE - Italian Near Me - South Barrington, Illinois

This restaurant has so much potential to become a true local favorite. Honestly, the food alone is enough to make me want to come back and work my way through the entire menu. Everything we ordered was delicious. The focaccia was a great start, the mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts were some of the best sides I've had in a while, the steak and pasta were cooked well, and the tiramisu was the perfect ending to the meal. Every dish was full of flavor. The biggest opportunity for improvement is the service and overall execution. On a weekend evening, the restaurant was much quieter than I expected for food of this quality, and I couldn't help but wonder if the service plays a role. We experienced long waits between courses, were given plates that weren't thoroughly cleaned multiple times, and were not immediately provided with extra plates and steak knives despite it being family supper style. None of these issues ruined the meal, but together they made the experience feel less polished than the food deserved. I would absolutely come back because the food is genuinely outstanding. My only advice is not to plan anything immediately afterward, as the meal may take longer than expected. With stronger attention to service details and management, I truly think this restaurant could become one of the area's most sought-after dining spots. read more

Ambiance-Sat outside and while the patio is nice the music is extremely loud. Not something I would typically notice but multiple times people had to repeat themselves. Definitely not background music. We asked the server if she could turn it down, first she ignored (or couldn't hear us!) after asking again she replied that the she would ask the owner but he doesn't like to turn it down. It was never adjusted! Service-Terrible. Slow, not accommodating, overall cold. Aside from the music issue we asked for parmigiana cheese and it finally came when our meal was 1/2 gone. When asked if she could leave the bowl she simply replied "no". No offer to get a smaller bowl to leave with us or anything. Also water served was not cold. Food-Just okay. Disappointing that an Italian restaurant doesn't have complimentary Italian bread and olive oil as a standard pre-meal. Portions are large but quality is just average. We almost walked out before even ordering due to the music and waitress but stayed. That was a mistake! Won't be going back. read more

Great food and great service! They really worked with our food restrictions to make sure we had an amazing meal! Highly recommend!

Beautiful restaurant with delicious food and excellent staff. We are fortunate to have this business in our community.

I have been to this restaurant so many times especially for bdays. Even frequented Lago and Sienna Tavern a bunch of times. Every time it's been amazing. Stopped by tonight for my bday during happy hour because we were on a time crunch. The waitress was nice, but wow, going during half hour vs regular dining was night and day. Food was as always amazing But, they really treat you differently if you don't have a regular dinner. Like don't ask if you are celebrating something special and then not even celebrate it. Crazy how they were out of their famous bolognese at 6:30 too. Will think twice even thrice about going back next time for a celebration. BTW the place was empty, Maybe treat the people who show up nicely! read more

I had high hopes for this new Italian spot in south barrington but it left me disappointed. The day I went in, they had major supply chain issues so many items weren't available including all focaccias. They did give us bread to make up for it but the bread was awful.... How does an Italian spot mess up bread? It was pre sliced, stale and had oil and Parmesan already on it. I wish this was like a warm baguette I could rip and dip in oil myself. I made a 7:30 reservation and didn't get my food until 9pm. They were super slow and it almost made it worse that they kept coming by and saying our food would be out "shortly". I ordered the salmon and it was fine. It wasn't anything special but it was really salty! I think there was an olive mixture at the bottom which increased the salt. I just wish all of the ingredients of the dish tied together and it felt disjointed. I probably won't go back which is sad because I really wanted to love this place. read more

Giostra By Fabio Viviani - Salmon - Italian Near Me - South Barrington, Illinois

Beautiful newer restaurant - I had heard great things so for this special occasion a group of 7 of us had a reservation and were seated in a nice private corner booth room. Service was great overall. We took our time and put in some drink orders first and enjoyed the complementary garlicky bread. My glass of montepulciano went nicely with the meal. For appetizers, we shared the Wagyu meatball, which was huge and delightfully tender and flavorful. We also shared the garlic shrimp, which was tasty as well. I got to try a number of entrees with this big group. The frutti di mare was delicious and perfect to share. Generous amounts of tender seafood in a delicious sauce with squid ink pasta. The fettuccine Alfredo was deliciously creamy and a huge portion. The brussel sprouts were tasty and a nice side. The shaved brussel sprouts salad and chopped salad were both refreshing accompaniments to the meal and big enough to share. For dessert, we got to try the cannolis with a nice sparkler. These were tasty and creamy. I'd want to try the cheesecake and tiramisu next time. Everything was excellent and we were treated very well - will definitely want to come back and try the rest of the menu! read more

Giostra By Fabio Viviani - Shaved Brussels sprouts salad - Italian Near Me - South Barrington, Illinois

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Came in on a Monday evening to try out the new Aperitivo Hour. Since there was a private event in the bar area, we were seated in the main dining room- which is atypical for the normal Aperitivo Hour service. We ordered whipped goat cheese, arancini and fried artichokes in addition to some HH red wine. There were multiple wines that were offered versus just one red/white- which was appreciated. Our server was prompt and stopped by throughout the meal without being intrusive. I appreciated the table clean up service in between our meal and dessert as this isn't very common. All of the food was delicious and was delivered fairly quickly. I would have liked the whipped goat cheese to be a bit firmer to be easier to eat with the provided lavish. The arancini was perfection - lightly crispy filled with creamy risotto that still had texture. I was surprised that the HH arancini portion was smaller than the regular menu portion (2 vs 3) as this was different than their IG post. The fried artichokes are served with a lemon aioli that is spread at the bottom of the plate but would have been better served on the side since it gave a nice citrus perk. As we were celebrating an occasion, we were treated to cannoli and they were some of the best I've had. All in all- I'm really glad there's a new happy hour addition to the Arboretum and looking forward to the menu continuing to evolve. read more

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Came here for dinner with a friend. We sat in a half circle booth which was a bit awkward but we made it work. They have multiple items on the menu that can be made GF. We started with the caprese salad and I was able to have the fusilloni pasta GF. It was delicious! Their dessert options are very limited for GF. We ended up sharing the pistachio gelato which was really good. read more

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I've come by a few times to sit at the bar for cocktails or sit in dinning area for dinner. It can get very loud in the bar area and service could be slow at times but I highly recommend the meatball app, any pasta, and octopus app. The octopus can be hit or miss--sometimes it's a little overcooked or charred--but I still take the gamble and order it because when it's done right, it's excellent. read more

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Our second time here for a birthday dinner. The heirloom tomato caprese salad was good as were the dinner rolls. I ordered the butternut squash sacchetti which were outstanding. Not too sweet. Tender al dente pasta. My friend enjoyed the tableside fettuccine. We were sat in a small side room which I wasn't a fan of. The air conditioning was blowing down on the table a bit too much. I mentioned we were here for a birthday several times however the deserts came out without the sparkler as we had in the past visit. Oh well maybe they don't do that presentation any longer for birthdays. Overall a good meal. Pretty interior with merry go round theme. I love the hanging lamps and pictures. Service was very good as usual. read more

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Celebrated a friend's birthday here last minute and it turned out to be great. We ordered cocktails, wine, appetizers, entrees and dessert. Everything was delicious. What was particularly fun was the table side for 2 Fettuccine Alfredo. The waitstaff was lovely and had wonderful recommendations. Great spot for a nice dinner. read more

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Finally had a chance to stop by here. The interior decor looks really nice! Our infant loves looking at all the lighting fixtures and stuff. The house rolls were so fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. We ordered the focaccia as well and it was sooooo good! We loved the bread from LAGO and this focaccia is just as amazing. We wanted some light options for dinner so we went with the branzino and pasta. The branzino was well seasoned. The accompanied greens was nice with the fish too. The tagliatelle was delicious! The pasta was Al dente. The cream sauce wasn't too heavy. The saltiness of the ham wasn't overpowering. My son loved the pasta. The wait staff was all super friendly. Def want to try other pastas read more

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We loved our first experience at Giostra so much, we decided to try out their Valentine's Day pre fixe menu. For $75, we received 4 courses that were all bursting with flavor. Favorites include the butternut squash agnolotti and the flourless chocolate torte. We could definitely tell the restaurant was packed for the holiday, which detracted a bit from the overall experience. My husband had to kindly ask the table next to us to excuse him while he made his way into his seat. I also felt like we lost some intimacy of dining out since we could clearly hear the conversations next to us given the close proximity. This tightness seemed to affect the wait staff too as I had food spilled on my purse and jacket when they were clearing plates. read more

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Literally such an incredible meal! Each dish had depths of flavor, perfectly balanced with the textures. We tried most of the vegetarian items on the menu (which are a lot) and truly enjoyed every dish! Our top favorites were the beet salad, Brussels sprouts salad, arancini, fusillini, and the brown butter dessert ... and the cannoli! The servers were attentive, and quick, and had great recs! Overall, a great place for a date night or celebration meal! read more

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As someone with severe food allergies, I can confidently say this place went above and beyond. I've been to restaurants that either can't guarantee against cross-contamination or don't even try to accommodate -- but Giostra was the complete opposite. From the moment I arrived, the managers reassured me and immediately brought out Chef Massimo. He personally walked me through what I could and could not have, and promised he would make my food himself so no one else would touch the plate. What impressed me most was how seriously the staff took my allergies. The managers told me they had even held a pre-kitchen meeting at 12:30 p.m. to discuss my allergies -- even though my reservation wasn't until 6 p.m.! Throughout the evening, multiple managers checked in to ensure everything was safe and that I felt comfortable. This was my second time dining here, and once again it exceeded expectations. On my first visit, our server Jon was incredibly personable and attentive, and the food was unforgettable. Tonight, Shawn took care of us and he brought that same level of attention and caution. Every dish was prepared with obvious care, and the communication among the staff was outstanding -- even the bartender, Brennen, already knew about my allergies. That kind of team awareness is rare and genuinely put me at ease. Amazing food. Amazing service. Truly amazing allergy care. 10/10. read more

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We had a wonderful time. Juan was our server and was fantastic. Food was delicious and the ambience was energetic. Chicken parm was one of the best I've ever had. Specifically, the marinara was robust and tasty, not like other marinaras which offer taste like watered down pizza sauce. Definitely will dine there again! read more

Eager to try Giostra - I'm huge Top Chef fan and remember anything Fabio touched was excellent so our dinner experience didn't disappoint! Very new, so some kinks might still be there but we really enjoyed our meal. Service was excellent and the menu had a wide range of options. We started off with the Polpo which was very good - highly recommend. We weren't a fan of the Roman Porchetta appetizer - plain and not appealing to the eye. I would skip out on the porchetta. We both ordered pasta which is made in house. Very good and classic examples for all Italian lovers. I had the fettuccine Al ragu and my husband had the Fusilloni with added sausage which were both excellent! Nice portions. Beautiful presentation from restaurant decor as well as dishes. The wine selection is nice, they offer wine flights which is a unique touch. A bit pricey but was a very good dining experience. I would recommend making the drive! read more

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We were looking for a new Italian spot to try and made our way in on a Friday evening. We made reservations, which I recommend if going on the weekend evenings. We were seated immediately. The decor is beautiful and the ambiance is warm and cozy. What we ordered: Appetizer : Focaccia bread with Olive oil for dipping. The bread was served warm in a cast iron pan. It was flavorful, fluffy on the inside and a slight crispiness on the outside. Dinner: Each of us ordered a pasta. The pasta is made in-house. I myself indulged with the linguini and clams. It did not disappoint. The linguine was cooked to a perfect al dente, the sauce that accompanied the shelled clams and pasta was very flavorful and on point I would absolutely order it again. Dessert: we decided to have a liquid dessert and we all ordered the espresso martinis. They were a perfect finish to our pasta dinners and our evening as a whole. Our server was very knowledgeable about the menu, giving us some of her favorites, and suggesting different add-ons to our pastas as well. She was outgoing, friendly and an absolute pleasure. read more

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Where to begin....first the vibe,food and service were excellent. We went with a group of 6 and ventured to South Barrington to try something new and we were not disappointed. Upon seating we were immediately greeted to get some fresh drinks in our hands. The cocktails were amazing and refreshing. You could tell this wasn't your average Chili's bartender but a mixologist aiming to impress and each drink delivered. We started with the Arancini, Polpo(octopus), Wagyu meatball and Frito di Mare. Portions were great and everyone enjoyed each bite. My favorite was the Arancini that had an amazing pecorino cream. Next up were the salads. Perfect portions as well as we didn't want too much. Caesar was excellent even if I didn't get my fresh anchovies on top. It was still excellent. In speaking with the server we decided to just keep going family style and bring out a few entrees for all to try since we wanted to share anyway. Our group went with the porterhouse which came grilled and sliced perfect to share. It was cooked to perfection and I joked that it was better than a steak house near by. You won't be disappointed with that choice. The lobster special had plenty of lobster and made for a great surf and turf option. We had two other pastas one which came in a jar that the waiter shook up and dumped on a plate. Maybe carbonara in a jar but can remember but do remember it was incredible. The other was the staple Fettuccine that didn't miss. I could go on and on about the food here and the service was incredible as well. The poor review below maybe caught them on a night the chef was sick but food was incredible. On a busy night we never felt ignored or in need of anything. We enjoyed our time there and even had some room for cannolis. Overall a 5 star place that was well worth the drive. Kudos to the team that runs this place. We will be back. read more

Giostra By Fabio Viviani - Italian Near Me - South Barrington, Illinois

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Great spot for dinner. Delicious Italian food, highly recommend the fettucine bolognese, tiramisu, ans bruschetta. Service was efficient and friendly, ambiance is nice and dimly lit. I will say - tables are small and its a tight fit in the restaurant- so purses, bags and stuff will be on the floor and you are quite close to your neighbor. read more

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10/10 in house and through DoorDash. My husband and I love this food through and through. The half roast chicken even shows up with crispy skin through DOORDASH and we live twenty minutes away. Honestly if that's not good cooking, I don't know what is read more

Giostra By Fabio Viviani - Half roast chicken - Italian Near Me - South Barrington, Illinois

Got the big steak with some friends-was okay. Probably not the dish to get there I'll admit. They forgot our sides so that was a bummer. Server was great. Drinks are good. Would try it again but not in a rush. read more

Finally we have a great restaurant in the area. We visited them on Saturday night and the place was full so reservation is recommended. Its very common for a new place to get lots of interest and if they keep the good quality of food and service this interest should be steady. Our server Anthony was great , and answered our questions. We choose the following for our dinner Arancini-perfectly done, crispy on the outside and creamy inside, served with Pecorino cream was a nice , subtle appetizer. Gamberoni-Rosted shrimp in garlic brandy sauce served with home made bread. Shrimps were very tasty, cooked to perfection. This was another great antipasti. Dipping the bread in the sauce is a must! Scaloppine alla Milanese-veal medalions served with porcini mushroom sauce and spinach. In my opinion this dish is a little bit on the expensive side at $46 but very delicious. The meat was soft, not overcooked and the sauce had the great umami flavor from the mushrooms. Fettuccine al Ragu-there is no Italian restaurant without a good homemade pasta. Personally I thing a good ragu is like a saint in Italian culture and making this classic so good gives you the point that the chef knows the cuisine. Pasat was nice, velvety and what is most important for me al dente. Sauce was rich, definitely a dish to repeat another day. We chose a bottle of grat white wine and their selection of wines is pretty good. I did not know they allow to bring your wine to the dinner and the corkage fee is $35 which is also a thing to consider. We will definitely be back to try more dishes or repeat the good ones. read more

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Let me start off this review by mentioning that the restaurant had only been open for about three weeks before we tried it out We arrived at our reservation hungry, knowing that we really want to try a bunch of things! We were really happy with the food and experience. The restaurant is not too big, but it is designed really well. It has an energetic vibe and it was really busy during peak dinner hours. We had pretty good service, our waiter was attentive and had a good personality. It seemed like everyone was trained well and had a part in making a solid over all experience. We ordered a few appetizers, wavy meatball, arancini, and a soup. The arancini and wagu meatball was exceptional. These are definitely worth trying. We ordered Pollo Milanese and branzino for our main dishes. Both were very good, portions were just right. A lot of flavor for both dishes. Highly recommend. We noticed the table next to us ran into an issue when their meals were brought out before their appetizers, however the waitstaff and the manager quickly fixed the situation and seemingly made things right. I'd expect some hiccups in the first few weeks of a restaurant opening. They handled it really well which is the most important. We really enjoyed this new restaurant and will be back with friends soon. read more

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This is a long anticipated restaurant at the arboretum. We went in a weekday night, and it was quite busy. First, let's talk about the decor. Giostra is an Italian word means merry-go-round. So inside the restaurant, you will see clearly the theme is around giostra. It's done tastefully. The service was great and staff were knowledgeable about the menu. The menu has clear indication of gluten free, and the staff was very well informed about the items. There are some alcohol free cocktails that thoughtfully put together - not just a juice without alcohol. The food was delicious. The minestrone was very hearty with generous vegetables. The bufala capers read big enough to share. For entree, we had Pollo Scarpariello (braised chicken) and Scaloppine ai Porcini (Veal). The portion of both entrees were generous. The chicken was perfectly cooked - with crispy skin and juicy meat. Same for the veal, which was tender. We had gelato and apple tart for dessert. It was a sweet way to conclude our dinner. Can't wait to try the fresh pasta dish (note, they don't have gluten free noodle... yet). read more

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I was here for the grand opening and this place was paaaaaaacked and for good reasons too! Service from start to finish was 5 stars all the way. Chef Fabio made rounds to see how everyone was doing which I thought was so kind. It shows he cares for his customers and his craft. There was 1 staff member that stood out for me, Stacy. She was friendly, informative and funny as heck! As far as the atmosphere the theme of Giostra is a carousel within the piazza in Florence. There's also lots of 'wood' wall paper, red colored seating and the statement piece of a horse (from a carousel) as soon as you walk in. Since I was here for the opening we were offered majority of their menu which was great! My favorite adult beverage was the red wine. It was smooth, bold and delicious. As far as food I really enjoyed the bruschetta, arancini and the date cake. read more

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Soft Opening Review!! Giostra is Fabio Viviani's newest addition to the Chicagoland area. Nestled into South Barrington's Arboretum Mall, it is a modern take on classic, old world Italian. "Giostra" meaning carousel in Italian, is accented throughout the space with artwork, lighting, and the main feature piece upon entry. The inside has a mix of wood paneling, white brick, olive trees, and red accents. All seating looks comfortable and inviting to small and large groups. The menu will offer everything from pastas, larger entrees, seafood plates, housemade breads to Italian wines and specialty cocktails. When visiting, some of my favorites were the Gnocchi Alla Sorrentina, Fusillioni, Fabio's Wagyu Meatballs, and Bruschetta Romana. And for those needing a sweet treat, don't pass on the Warm Sticky Toffee Pudding! So excited for this new addition to the area and cannot wait to return soon enough! read more

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My husband and I had the pleasure of dining at Giostra last night. It was a meal I will not soon forget. When I heard Fabio was opening a restaurant in Barrington, I started getting excited. I waited patiently and checked for updates online often (and drove by every time we went to Mago to see if I could get a sneaky look). Okay, enough gabbing... let's talk about our experience. Our server was awesome. He helped my husband decide what kind of drink to get and checked to see if they had ginger ale for me. He walked us through the menu and gave us plenty of time to look. We ordered the Cast Iron Focaccia and Fabio's Wagyu Meatball for a starter. Oh my gosh.... delicious. The meatball was amazing as was the sauce it was hanging out in. The Focaccia came with some sort of dippy stuff that was soooo good. I had surgery and have a very small stomach so my husband ordered the Fusilloni and I took a few bites. Holy cow, it was phenomenal. It's been a little over 24 hours since our dinner last night and I am still thinking about it. For dessert, our server brought us a "sweet treat" for our anniversary. Three cannoli's. My husband said they were spectacular. The restaurant is beautifully decorated and every one from the valet guys to the hostesses to the servers were so wonderful. We noticed how nice the servers were to each other; that really made me smile. Fabio is really welcoming and pretty darn fabulous. I can't wait to go back. read more

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Had Its Ups and Downs Giostra = Carousel. And like any carousel, Giostra had its ups and downs. We walked in, nice ambience and were greeting nicely by a hostess. She handed us off to a host to whom I said "We'd like to have a booth or a perimeter table, please." To which he said "Of course" then proceeds to take us right to a table in the middle of the room. I am not unreasonable - if there is none available, I can deal, but don't say "Of course" then completely disregard the request. So right off, I'm a bit miffed, but still open minded. The service was nice. Our waiter was Sean/Shawn, who was very knowledgeable about the menu including the wine selections. We had to request bread, which bugged me, but I will say that it was very good when they finally brought it. For our selections (none of us happened to order pasta) the portion sizes were above average. I had the half roasted chicken and it was delicious and very generous. One of my colleagues had the chicken Marsala and that also seemed to be a very healthy portion - as far as taste, he said he'd had better and wasn't overly impressed, but he did eat every bit of it. One of the highlights was the sweet and friendly bus boy/waiter's assistant, Brian. He was attentive, friendly, earnest and polite (good job to Brian's parents!). He noted empty water glasses, paid attention to when we were done so that he could offer to box our leftovers and I mentioned how good the bread was and he even boxed that for me. Bottom line: Nice room, good food, good service, a bit pricey but not outlandish. I would definitely go again and see if they are consistent. read more

We had a family outing with 5 of us to check out the new restaurant in the arboretum. The inside is nice and we were told it's decorated in a carousel theme to match something in Fabios hometown. The manu is not huge but it has most of what I would consider the standards. Me and my wife decided to splurge a bit and get a bottle of wine, since it was not that much more than a few glasses would have been. They were out of my first selection but the waitress recommended another and it was a really great wine, Fantini Montepulciano D'Abruzzo. We started with a very good roasted beet salad with goat cheese, walnuts, pomegranate seeds and a vinaigrette. It was a perfect size to share. We were planning on one of us getting a protein and one getting a pasta and sharing, but we ended up liking what we got so much, we each kept what we ordered and just tried the other dish. My wife got the Cannelloni alla Fiorentina, it was chicken and spinach with a really fresh tomato sauce and Parm Crema. Really good pasta, and great sauce. I got the Ossobuco with bone saffron marrow risotto. It was meaty and perfectly cooked. The risotto was good but not that hot and kinda stiff, not creamy. The food was very good, but there were a few things that took away from the experience. For the prices, the size of the entrees were not that large, my Ossobuco was a good size but my wifes was not. Also when my entree plate came there was a Starbucks drink stopper stuck to the bottom and my wife's salad plate was not clean. The service was excellent, and the desserts were the star. We got a few things to share, some amazing cannoli, an order came with 6 small cannoli that were very memorable. The Pistachio cheesecake was good but with not alot of Pistachio flavor. If the other desserts were not so outstanding it would have been fine. But the sticky toffee pudding was one of the best things I have eaten in quite awhile. It was a show stopper, everyone loved it. read more

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Service/kitchen is terribly slow. Appetizers and entree in a lengthy 2h45m visit. Not properly staffed. Food is average at best. Overpriced $75 Veal Milanese had very little flavor and generic diner breading. Cacio de Pepe was disappointing. Very little to no pepper. Pasta was not bucatini. The pasta lacked the texture of real homemade pasta. Meatballs were sub-par and once again lacked flavor. Focaccia was very good. After a night of indigestion I edited my review to one star. read more

Great food and professional fun staff. Bar staff great the cheesecake is awesome! We had Halibut and Filet, stated with foccia bread YUzn read more

Giostra By Fabio Viviani - Filet - Sides Sooo Good - Italian Near Me - South Barrington, Illinois

Finally got to sneak out for a date night after baby #2. We made resos but it was a bit late on a Sunday and resos didn't seem to be needed. We were greeted and seated promptly. The vibe inside was so cute. The space was large, clean and dimly lit. Our waitress was wonderful! She went over the concept and the menu which was helpful since it was our first time We ordered: Fritto di mare- this was good! For something fried this wasn't greasy and perfectly breaded -Giostra chop -Fusilloni - crostino- this was the only thing I was mehhh about. A lot of flavor and toppings on a floppy piece of toast. I thought it was going to be a pizza style focaccia and it wasn't. Everything was good and our server was so wonderful! We live next to Lago (Fabio's other restaurant and for the convenience we like it a bit better) read more

Had such a great experience here last night. Our server Bianca was amazing -- didn't rush us at all -- paced our courses out perfectly and always checked in with us. The pasta courses, the chicken parm, the dessert -- it was all a home run. Will definitely be back. read more

Giostra is a beautiful restaurant! Decorated meticulously, it is chic and inviting. Our waiter, Joe, was very welcoming and gave us the history of the restaurant and the chef, he walked us through the menu and was helpful throughout the meal. I had the fusilloni with vodka sauce and it was so good! Perfectly seasoned, creamy, and the Calabrian chilis had the perfect bite and pickle to them. The pasta was topped with crispy garlicky breadcrumbs and added the perfect texture. I will definitely be back to try more of the menu! There were so many options as a vegetarian. read more

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