it's an amazing bakery...the cakes the cookies, the mini pastries etc... they are all amazingly delicious ..you need to go..my birthday cake is amazing..thank you..yummmmmy.. read more

Il Giardino Del Dolce - This is my AMAZING Birthday Cake!!!! LIMONCELLO....THANK YOU...I love yellow,,if you couldn't tell..lol.. - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Visited yesterday after a few months away. The awnings and sign are down. The cases were mostly empty. The very nice woman who helped me gave me an odd, noncommittal response when I asked what was going on. "We switch out the cases a couple of times a week, but we have everything in back." "I always come in the back door, I don't know what's going on with the signs." Both answers may be true, but now that we've made our purchases, I'm worried that our favorite Italian bakery might be under new management or struggling. The chocolate dipped almond crescents were missing their classic intensely almond flavor and the chocolate was tasteless. More like chocolate "coating" than actual melted chocolate. The Italian wedding tri-color cookies are bone dry and the apricot flavor was entirely missing. Finally, the Easter cannoli zeppoli that we got lacked its usual flavor punch (too much powdered sugar in the mix?) and both the filling and the pastry were dry. Everything tasted dramatically different and, sadly, not for the better. I don't know what's going on. We will definitely go back and just hope that it's a one off visit and not a sign of things to come. read more

I've had this bakery make 3 of our birthday cakes for our family in the past few years. This past month we got married and used them for our wedding cake. The cake exceeded our expectations and was just perfect! It was delicious and all of our guest loved it! They were so accommodating even through some hiccups. Appreciate them very much! read more

Il Giardino Del Dolce - Wedding Cake - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We don't live close by but this place is definitely worth the trip. Everything is fresh, beautiful to the eye, tastes amazing. Never a funky aftertaste. We order online for special occasions like birthdays, showers, holiday parties, thank you gifts and our annual block party. People always ask where they can get the pastries. Sometimes when we're in the neighborhood we just pop by to get a few delicious items to go with a cup of coffee or tea. Don't limit yourself to the cannolis, fruit tarts, tiramisu cups, bonbons, cream puffs, eclairs, sfogliatelle napoletane, etc. Their cakes and cookies are worth a try. Everyone behind the counter is welcoming, friendly, helpful. *They close early at 3:00pm. read more

Every year they make the most cookies and pastry's I've ever tasted. If I could give this place six stars, I would.

They have a great selection and good prices but the pastry can sometimes have an old taste. The cookies are good cannoli very good.

The taste was a hit, and as always, you delivered on flavor and quality. I truly appreciate your consistency and the care you put into your work. Every order I've placed over the past six years has been nothing short of excellent. Thank you again for helping make our celebration special! read more

Only place I can find with my crescent almond dipped cookies! They're so good! I tried finding bakeries closer to me that sells them but no luck. I'll continue to make the drive here! read more

Il Giardino Del Dolce - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Thought I'd found a real old fashioned Italian bakery like the ones I remember from my childhood in Brooklyn, NY. Unfortunately that was not the case. Everything looked great but I was disappointed. The custard napoleon was a huge letdown. Pastry was soggy, custard was tasteless, and top was grainy not smooth and thick like it should be. The raspberry chocolate slice was OK but not memorable. The best thing was the amaretto pistachio cookie which were tasty and full of pistachios. Prices were not bad for the napoleon and cake slice $3.75 each. Amaretto cookies were high at $18 a pound. Service was good. Place was clean. Will continue my quest. read more

Ordered a going away cake, it was delicious and exactly what I wanted! I added the cake topper. read more

Il Giardino Del Dolce - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I have been going to this place for cannoli for 16 years. They are the best in a neighborhood full of amazing bakeries. This local mom and pop bakeries has great fresh made treats for everyone. The service is great, though on holidays they tend to be super busy, as any place this good is. Be sure to order ahead for big days like Thanksgiving, Easter or Christmas. It makes it way easier to just walk in and walk out with the pre ordered goods. read more

Came here to get some Italian pastries. They offer a variety of baked goods at a very fair price. But most importantly, their customer service was amazing. They welcomed us in like if was their own home. The lady talked to us as if she had known us for a long time. Makes you want to return so you could continue your conversation! As for the pastries, we got a little bit of everything. Of course we had to get cannolis. We also took home some turtle cookies, fig cookies, sfogliatelle Napoletane, and napoleons. All were very tasty, but the turtle cookies were my favorite. Should be returning shortly to get some more pastries! read more

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Ok but average mini-sfogliatelle. Nice flavor to the custard, but not very crispy and fresh.

Placed an order for pastries. I dealt with Amanda. She was wonderful. Patiently took my order and answered all my questions. Would definitely recommend this place and Amanda. read more

I just ordered mini pastries for a bridal shower. They were beautiful and delicious! Very few left over!!

Italian cookies of the gods! I nearly wept after I at a pine nut cookie! The fig cookie was amazing as we!l ...and on and on! Usually these types of all cookies taste the same, but not here! Yum yum! They make them right there, fresh - I peeked around the corner and saw multiple Italian women baking away! There were cakes and all kinds of goodies - I'll be back for that pignoli cookie - SOON!! read more

One of the best , if not THE BEST authentic Italian bakeries I've ever visited. Everything is so incredibly fresh, and the service is prompt and ever so friendly read more

Just had a dessert table set up by the best bakery in the country. Helped me plan, pick out and decide how many desserts needed. It was absolutely amazing. Every guest complimented on how beautiful and delicious everything was. You must go there and consider them for all your special occasions or just a craving! They are the best!!! Carol read more

This was the best lobster tail I've ever had! They are my go-to pastry at any Italian bakery. And the one from Il giardino was perfect, head to tail! I couldn't even get a picture lol Thank you guys! Nice employees too. read more

This bakery brought so many good family memories for me. While in a different city, my childhood was spent fondly requesting my nonna bring me to our local Italian bakery. Since that bakery is long gone, I've been searching on my travels for a bakery that can bring that nostalgia back for me. I ordered my favorite Italian butter cookie, chocolate chip on top. The cookie had the nice buttery goodness I was looking for without being overwhelming. It also had a flakiness to the crust and the perfect ratio of miniature chocolate chips to butter cookie base. This key had me eating half the box without sharing. Their cookies are a great representation of this Italian American classic, great flavor and fresh taste. The staff was very friendly making it an instant hit. While I'm not sure the next time I'll flying into o'hare, their website offers national shipping so their delicious cookies are not out of reach. read more

This is a review of their ability to handle a large event order. NOT their products. Product tastes great. This was a wedding order...emails leading up to placing the order were friendly but....super slow response times and questions were not fully answered. They also forgot answers we gave to questions they had asked us. They didn't have enough staff for a tasting. Ok.. but not even one free slice of cake to taste? We bought samples anyways and the quality was there even on a random weekday from their case. If I wasnt so dead set at having a cannoli cake and heard good things about this place I would have looked elsewhere regardless.... Then scheduling a delivery was a total mess. First it was they could only deliver 8 am to 12 noon. After begging them they suddenly could deliver 12 to 5pm. Then the cake didn't show up. Nothing showed up. We called. No answer. We emailed as a shot in the dark. They happened to read the email...responded an hour plus later and got the desserts there another 40 min after that. They said it was a new secretary who tagged the order wrong for the next day. My sister in law ran to Tony's before we had heard anything back. They ended up reimbursing us for the stuff we got from Tony's. Only after me asking them to. If we hadn't asked for that - they were only offering a 100 dollar VOUCHER. We had a large wedding cake and 2 trays that wouldn't have gotten to the event if we hadn't emailed them the same night...yet at first just a 100 dollar voucher? We lost the floral we had for the cake during the switch and thus il giardino cake looked naked because we werent expecting to need much frosting decor because of the flowers...... they did follow what we were looking for on the design of the cake but with out the flowers it looked wrong. I get it - its a small business but from what I know its been around for a long time. Must be because of the pastrys because it's not for the event order coordination or customer service. read more

Friendly staff. Beautiful and tasty assortment of pastries, cookies and cakes. Authentic. This bakery is incredible. It has become a bakery I regularly visit. Tip: Only parking is street parking. read more

Wow wow wow what great pastries. We purchased a few cannoli, chocolate horn, lobster tail and assorted cookies and were very impressed. Everything was fresh and delicious. The folks behind the counter were great to deal with and the price was reasonable. This place is a drive from where we stay in Warrenville and it was worth the drive. We will be back. read more

I got a few dozen cookies and wish I had just gone to the grocery store and bought packaged. Not worth the money. Owner was unfriendly. Avoid. read more

This is my second visit to wonderful bakery. The first time was four days before St. Joseph's Day, and I wanted to purchase Zeppole. My goodness, they were awesome. I was saving one to take a photo on that day, but it was looking rather poorly. So. rather than show a photo it, I made a promise to myself to go back and take photos right away for the newer items I bought. I purchased six items. but only manage three shots. The two that I saved for myself, which were the layered raspberry cake and Tiramisu were outstanding. The Chocolate Napoleon that I gave the maintenance man was awesome. And my caregiver ate her Black Forest slice on the bus. She made the mistake of tasting it and finished it before she realized it was all gone. I treated the strawberry boats to two women at the medical center, because they always go the extra mile for me. Both loved it. The salesperson that helped me, Vittoria, was amazing. This place is definitely a place is on my list to frequent whenever I will be in the area. A great variety of tasty treats. Not only cake slices, but cookies and pastry cream, whipped cream or custard filled items. read more

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Another year, another cake, another beautifully delicious job by Il Giardino del dolce! Seriously the best. read more

Il Giardino Del Dolce - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've been in the area for about 3 years and seem to overlook this bakery, but no longer. The smell was heavenly and the staff was very friendly. read more

Amanda went out of her way to accommodate a special order for a holiday party for me. All other places I called could not do it. This place came highly recommended and I'm glad I acted upon that recommendation! The cookie assortment and giant cannoli with the mini cannolis in it tasted great and everyone at the party loved them! Will definitely use them again in the future! Thank you read more

What a lovely place! Always clean and beautiful. High quality service plus delicious sweets. Go and try! Great place to get a yummy threat for a special day. read more

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Thank you IL Giardino for your outstanding cake and Pastries for my Goddaughter sweet 16 party. I received many many compliments on your desserts. You guys are truly the best!! Thanks again!! read more

Il Giardino Del Dolce - Simply Amazing - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We had an unbelievable cannoli cake for my wife's 60th birthday. It was so fresh and delicious . The yellow cake was very moist and the cannoli filling was perfect. They also did a great job decorating the cake. We were thrilled to enjoy this cake with our family. read more

Il Giardino Del Dolce - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Love this place. I live on the south side and travel almost 15 miles just to get their cannolis. The huge cannoli shell filled with around 50 mini cannolis. We also can not get enough of their apple slices, turtle cookies and crescent cookies. It's family run and you can feel the sense of that with the way you are treated when you walk thru the door. If I can give it more than 5 stars, I would. read more

Il Giardino Del Dolce - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I have a very picky sweet tooth and do not eat sweets often until I find something delicious. IL Giardino Del Dolce is a place where I've found the perfect brownie. I love chocolate! To me, a brownie should have the perfect balance of cake and frosting. The brownie here takes me back to my childhood where I ate from homemade recipes in my mother's kitchen. This brownie had a great consistency to it and was not overwhelming! It does make you want that cold glass of milk after, but in the best way! After that, I also had them make a simple cake for my friends birthday. I showed them the picture of the design I wanted, the frosting the colors etc and it came out beautiful! They accommodated the last minute order for me (this is an exceptionally busy time because of the holidays) and I was so grateful! If you are in this area and see this place, make an effort to place and order and grab something amazing (which is anything)! Great bakery with great service! Will keep returning! read more

Il Giardino Del Dolce - Fudge Brownie. A nostalgic bites to my childhood! - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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You don't ask a customer if they can pay for a LB of anything! Horrible service and the cookies were not that great at all

I ordered my daughter's first birthday cake and it was amazing!! It was supposed to be a smash cake, but luckily we cut slices before she smashed it!! Little girl ate the whole slice! Not only was it beautiful, but delicious! read more

Il Giardino Del Dolce - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This place has something for everyone. Too bad they aren't open later in the day. Tasty desserts

When I travel, I head to the Italian markets and bakeries. I've had cannolis all over the world including Italy. The cannoli I had here is one of the best I've ever tasted. I will definitely be back here all the way from WI. The pistachio cookie was amazing!! read more

Il Giardino Del Dolce - Sfogliatella and cannoli - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Il Giardino Del Dolce means The Garden of Sweets and as far as Italian sweets go, the name couldn't be more accurate...a garden indeed. You will be AMAZED at the vast selection here. Your eyes are immediately drawn to the abundantly filled cases of eye catchy, gorgeous desserts. Nothing here looks or tastes boring or mediocre. Simply the BEST selection of authentic Italian sweets I have found anywhere in Chicago and I've been around... Don't let the unassuming storefront or small yet simple old-school interior fool you. They take baking very seriously here. Walking in on a weekday afternoon I could not believe the selection on hand. Even though it was a few weeks prior to St. Joseph's Day and Zeppoles were ready for the taking - cases were filled with all Italian sweets known to Italians. Overwhelmingly filled. Cookies, pastries, cake slices, tarts. I dare you to stop here and leave with only two. All desserts display a name tag, brief description and price. You will appreciate this, I sure do. Ultra organized and very clean bakery. While I've been coming here for years, it had been some time since I returned. I've tried virtually every Italian pastry you could think of, but have my favorites: Cannoli, Napoleon and Sfogliatelle. I NEVER pass up the yearly Zeppole either, BUT one stand out for me is the cannoli filling here..hands down, Sensational. Ricotta is not overwhelmed by sweetness, it shines... Superb texture, delicate. Amazing Cannoli filling. They offer 4 cannoli varieties. Yes 4. Crispy, flaky golden shell. The traditional has citron peel and crushed pistachios generously adorning each end. Citron is subtle. A chocolate dipped shell, white chocolate dipped shell and one with mini chocolate chips versus crushed pistachios...If your searching for a phenomenal cannoli in Chicago - I highly recommend Giardino... As far as custard goes, I must admit Reuter's still makes the best. Custard here is more 'gelatin like' and thick. Not that smooth, light and creamy texture I love. Nothing close to Reuter's, and once you've tasted Reuter's you will notice the difference immediately. Don't get me wrong, the custard is tasty...I've just been spoiled. When I tell you the cases are abundantly filled, I'm not kidding. They will offer two or more varieties of the same pastry. For example, the Sfogliatelle Neapolitan is filled with custard while the Sicilian version is filled with a whipped cream. Pastry shell is outstanding and made with ricotta. You can't taste the ricotta, but it makes for a very tender bite and the beautiful layers are noticeable. The custard filling is overflowing..Lobster Tails are on its own here. They also offer Cannoli Cartocci's - light fried tender dough filled with cannoli or custard. Cornetti, Cassatine, Rum Baba, Monachini, Pasticiotti, Chocolate covered Horns, 2 types of Napoleon's - Chocolate and Vanilla and they are layered with custard. Custard, cannoli and French cream Zeppoles with various fruit toppings. Expertly made and exceptionally good. Cake slices galore. Yes, you can grab a cannoli cake slice...Chocolate Mousse, Strawberry, Double chocolate, Lemon, Tiramisu, a variety of Eclairs and Cream Puffs, Cake roll slices, Carrot cake, Cheesecake, German chocolate cake, fruit tarts, cherry & apple slices....They make mini versions of their pastries when you need them for a celebration. Incredible selection of Italian cookies. So many types of Biscotti. They even have Cuccidati; an Italian fig cookie. These are hard to find and alot of work to make. My mother makes these and although I picked up a few here, I have to say mom's killed it. There is no competition. The dough was a little dry and filling was not as moist. They have Lemon Taralli cookies as well. I have never ordered a cake here but heard they do a great deal of wedding biz as well as party cakes. Considering the quality and presentation they are VERY fairly priced. Pastries start at $1.75 - $3.00. Cookies ranged from $8 - $10/lb. I must note the sweets here are not skimpy at all. Amply sized. If I had to compare Il Giardino to Reuter's (my two favorite bakeries in the city) I'd say both offer excellent cannoli, while Giardino is a notch above. Reuter's has the best custard and offers superb pastries & cakes, just not the best Italian selection. You'll find more American-Euro options at Reuter's such as danishes, coffee cakes and scratch made breads. If your looking for that hard to find Italian treat you grew up with, I can almost guarantee you'll find it here...truly a gem worth checking out.. read more

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Stopped in on a recommendation. Service was friendly and prices were fair. The pastries look good, but taste like they've been frozen. Based on all the hype I expected so much more from this place. read more

Il Giardino Del Dolce - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It's Christmas Eve. I procrastinated. I slept in. I'm supposed to make/ bring dessert tonight. It's 1 frigging pm. I have to be out the door by 3pm and in the suburbs by 4pm!!! Sweet Baby Jesus I failed with a capital F! Il Giardino Del Dolce, I love you from the bottom of my heart! The bakery closed at 1pm, but the owner would not allow Christmas Eve to be ruined. They were willing to wait for me and put together a beautiful assortment of mini pastries. Thank God I live only 5 minutes away. I have tried other bakeries and no other bakery compares with their 5 star customer service, care, compassion and taste! read more