Love, love Victory Italian! Great food, service and ambiance! Half price bottle wine is a great value.

Il Vicolo is an Italian restaurant located directly on Oak Park Avenue, with views of the local shops, etc. Currently, the entire street is under construction, so you need to park nearby and walk, keeping in mind there will be dust and rocky streets to navigate. The restaurant had a casual cozy ambience and the service was excellent. A great variety of lunch specials are on offer; however, the portions are quite small, but you can order from the dinner menu if preferred. The pasta entrees were all delicious, the sauce was flavorful, the pasta al dente, the meatballs were ample and well-seasoned; however, the bread tasted a bit stale. This cozy spot is worth a try! read more

Despite the crazy construction and total deletion of Oak Park Ave, this trattoria is absolutely killing it in terms of business. My parents and I were visiting our old haunts in OP and were not only happy to see Vicolo open but pleasantly surprised to see it packed. But what was really amazing was that food kept coming from the kitchen quickly and efficiently; their crew are pros! The food was delicious, just as I remembered. My dad loved his red snapper with tomatoes and olives; my mom enjoyed her ravioli; and I loved my tuna carpaccio - the lemon vinaigrette with arugula, tomatoes, and the thinly-sliced tuna was heaven. read more

Il Vicolo Trattoria - Burrata Bruschetta - Italian Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

The food is so good! I appreciate the staff for all their help and attention for detail. We were dining with young children and they help us out a lot. The decor is cute they had Halloween themed decorations up at the time of our visit. Our family enjoyed it very much. read more

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Very cute Italian Villa look inside with draping leaves. Big outdoor seating as well. Wait staff is attentive and friendly. Unfortunately the food was mediocre. It seems awful to say this, but honestly I like the Italian food at Olive Garden better, and I'm not a big fan of Olive Garden. The food was under seasoned and small portions for big priced. I got the lobster ravioli and wasn't impressed. My friend didn't care for her lasagna either. Not worth it. read more

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My friends and I met here to celebrate our friend's birthday after a candle light concert near by. This is very nice and cozy restaurant with great service. My pistachio martini was something new that I tried and it was pretty good. I enjoyed my cheese ravioli very much. I felt tiramisu was decent - I tried much better at other places. read more

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We decided to randomly walk in and dine at Vicolo and we weren't disappointed. We decided to sit outside since their outdoor patio is pretty and it was a relatively warm fall day. We ordered some sauv blanc and were served some complimentary warm bread and olive oil. We orders the Spinaci Ravioli Con Pesto with a side of veggies. We asked the server to replace the broccoli with spinach but he thought we were asking for both. We sorted the confusion out and started to dine. The server was sweet enough to separate out portions for us since we were sharing the ravioli. The pesto was delicious and the toasted almonds added the right crunch on top. Overall, a great semi casual Italian restaurant to try authentic Italian food in Oak Park. read more

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We came by for dinner after attending a show nearby. Parking is street parking or there is a paid garage around the corner. We came by around 7ish for dinner, and the show has just broke out. Upon arrival we were seated pretty quickly. We were seated towards the back of the restaurant. And were brought water, bread, cheese and oil. We ordered drinks, I ordered a spritzer and my husband ordered a Negroni. The drinks were okay, a bit watered down but overall good. We started with calamari, to my surprise this was my favorite dish of the night. It was crispy and tender all at the same time. For our entrees I got the lasagna and he got the rigatoni pasta. We ordered a side of meatballs to share. The lasagna was supposed to have a bolognese and ricotta. While I did have some ricotta the lasagna was oddly sweet as if they used canned tomato sauce, like raos. On to the meatballs, for them being $10 for 2 meatballs I was expecting for it to be something super unique and flavorful, but unfortunately it missed the mark for us. It was pretty hard and dry and was set on top of the same rather sweet tomato sauce. However we did really enjoy the rigatoni because the flavors and noodles were cooked great,. All in all we had a decent experience, and am glad we tried it! read more

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I enjoyed Vicolo Trattoria, the service was good, the ambiance was your basic Italian restaurant. They have a bar seating area and more tables in the back. They also have a large patio for seating outside in the summer that I can't wait to come back for. The food was great overall: we had the grilled calamari to start. It was just okay for me - I have had more flavorful grilled calamari before, but others may think the grilled calamari is great so it's really just personally preference. Entree: we had the lobster ravioli which was really tasty served in red sauce. Also tried the wrapped beef that my husband really liked. He asked for medium but it was probably prepared medium well - there wasn't much pink in it. Drinks: I am a margarita fan - tried the spicy pineapple margarita and it did not disappoint. It didn't taste too sweet and had the right amount of spice. Also tried the Mandarin dreamsicle - on the sweeter side and filling. read more

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We had an 8:00 p.m. reservation on New Years and were seated right away--even a few minutes early--which was a great start. The staff was friendly and welcoming. Unfortunately, the food experience went downhill quickly. My husband and I ordered a bowl of soup to share as an appetizer, and it arrived only half full. When my husband asked about it, the waiter acknowledged that he had noticed it was half full. Instead of bringing out a new, full bowl, he returned with the "other half" of the soup. As a former server, this felt like poor service--bringing a fresh, full bowl would have been the appropriate solution. The soup itself was also very mushy in texture. After we placed our entrée orders, the waiter came back to tell my husband that they were completely out of the special he had ordered, so he had to choose something else. When our entrées arrived, the portions were extremely disappointing. My pasta barely covered the bottom of the dish--there were literally eight cavatelli noodles total (I counted). My husband's fish dish came with one small potato, cut into a few pieces and the veggies tasted microwaved. It honestly felt like the kitchen was running out of food and trying to stretch portions to get through the night. read more

The food , services and ambiance was was great. I was there for a workshop regarding ambulances service and we were told that we could only order one item not to exceed 25 dollars, I ordered a small pizzas and water, was not in the mood for pasta. Overall I will recommend II Vicolo Trattoria and will return in the near future. read more

Atmosphere was nice, server was ok... problem was food portions were skimpy and prices were high. Felt like they were rationing their food for the night. Soup was half filled, pasta was barley covering bottom of plate.. for an high end restaurant, left alot for the imagination read more

I cannot say enough great things the food was authentically Italian and fresh. The service was top notch. The owner is a GEM! The wine is great and desserts even better. Service was so attentive, while the ambiance was so beautiful. Thank you for a lovely evening. read more

This place never disappoints. "I had the Squid ink fettuccine con frutti di" which has "Squid Ink Fettuccine w/ prawns, clams, mussels, calamari- fresh tomato basil sauce". It was delicious. If I could, I would eat here everyday! read more

This was a very nice authentic Italian restaurant. It's a quaint little spot by lake st and at first there wasn't too many people in there eating so we didn't know what to think of it but after receiving a fresh, hot order of calamari, we were able to relax. It was a great first starter for our meals to come. Our waitress was very kind and patient with us when it came to ordering our entrees. I'm always indecisive so my meal was an adjusted take on one of their other items but she rung my order up as a created pasta since it was cheaper that way (very considerate). The pasta's were great. My husband really loved his and he can be picky so I was surprised about that. But we enjoyed our little experience so much that we ended up getting their raspberry dessert. (Can't remember the actual name) but it was a nice treat after our meal. read more

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Wow! The patio seating is wonderful and the food is even better. The fire roasted pizza had a delightful crispness to the crust, with abundsnt flavor in the simple sauce, all the toppings were fresh with the best sausage I have experienced on a pizza. The eight finger cavatelli and gnocchi had layers of flavor throughout the dish and cooked to perfection. Their single glass wine came out in a small bottle, making it fresh and nice iced tea. Add this to your list o faces to try! read more

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Really delicious food and very nice service. The outdoor seating is completely enjoyable.

il Vicolo is always good! Great service and consistently good food! We prefer the indoors, but the outside is a really nice quiet space--or more entertaining close to Oak Park Avenue. read more

It's now at least 6 months later, and since this place is near my parents and they have needed a lot of help this past year, I have to say I've ordered here at least 20 more times. It's always amazing high quality Italian food. Delicious flavours, homemade pasta, very generous portions, tasty drinks (I recommend a margarita or a lemon drop martini), delicious homemade soups. My parents are now also in love with all the take-out food they've received from this restaurant. I think I get 5 stars, as a daughter, for bringing it to them. ps: the mushroom risotto is to die for read more

Great food at this restaurant especially the fried calamari. I've never found better in the country. I don't live in Chicago anymore and I miss the good food from this restaurant. The owner is a lovely older gentleman that usually goes to every table and asks how is the food. Very good service and old Italian food that it's great. Great ambiance indoors or outdoors on their patio. Reasonable prices. read more

Great food and service. Reasonably priced and a great place to hang out with friends. Their spaghetti ai frutti di mare is my favorite

A solid dinner out, with a great patio and good service. The kids liked their pasta and cheese pizza; I thought the tuna steak was good, maybe not great, but it came with a heap of veggies that were tasty. Good meatballs, and the cavatelli was great. We got a lot of food for about $150, so the value felt good for our party of five! Looking forward to return visits, particularly when the spring comes around and we can do more time on the patio. read more

I went here for the first time today for lunch and it was pretty inside the restaurant and the waiter was very friendly and polite. We ordered clams and mussels and even though I am not the biggest fan of clams, I ate one and it was pretty tasty. The mussels were divine and I could drink the sauce. The entree I ordered was angel hair pasta with marinara and meatballs and that was so delicious. It wasn't an overly complicated entree but it is just what I wanted. It is a bit pricey but totally worth it. I will return. read more

Food is amazing, service is wonderful and the ambience is cozy and welcoming. During the summer I suggest sitting outside. You can never go wrong with ordering one of the specials read more

Food and drinks were delicious, and the restaurant itself had plenty of seating. We tried to be seated outside but the patio was booked up - first sunny day of the year! Service was a little scattered timing-wise, we were seated at a table that was a little out of view of the staff so it felt like we got forgotten a couple of times throughout the night. Food made up for it! read more

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I dined here in late April to celebrate a birthday. Sadly, the service was the worst I can recall in my history of dining out, especially at this caliber of a restaurant. The server approached us not by an introduction but just asking what we wanted, but with an air of annoyance versus openness. From there I was turned off but tried to enjoy the meal. I ordered two items one of which never came. The server didn't check back in until we were finishing up the meal. He did remove the second item from the bill. But when he brought the check rather than setting it down on the table he dropped it down with a slap. The vibe was very unwelcoming and unprofessional and utterly disappointing. The food was decent, thankfully. read more

Amazing place! Went for my birthday, Ate a little of everything!! Was a great place to relax and enjoy a true italian experience...

Food was amazing and fresh. I was served by a gentleman named Ansel and he did an amazing job and was very attentive! The owner frank even came up to our table during the night to check up on us to see if everything was going well! Can't say enough good about this place. They make you feel at home and food is to die for ! I live in the city but am willing to make the trip everytime! Will be back for sure ! read more

Really enjoyed our evening out here. They are reservation only, so plan ahead! The outside eating area was perfect for us as we are still a little wary still of enclosed areas without masks. Good wine selection and the waiters provided us with an excellent recommendation! We had minestrone, Italian sausage, lasagna, and prosciutto stuffed chicken. Delicious. We'll be back! read more

Il Vicolo Trattoria - A wonderful place to have an anniversary. - Italian Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

Such a cute place with a really nice outdoor patio. The servers were excellent and attentive. We tried the Margherita pizza and the cream of leek soup.. both delish! It was too chilly to sit outside but definitely will be back. read more

Il Vicolo Trattoria - Limoncello Cake - Italian Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

The only redeeming thing about this place is their pizza. My husband and I tried sitting down to dine outside two days in a row. And for two days we were treated like trash! We sat and waited and waited for our waiter. And nothing! This greedy man named George has quite the reputation for being nasty and rude to his customers. He refuses to hire additional servers and the customers suffer as a result. We had the rudest waiter ever and when we asked to speak with a manager he abruptly lied and told us that the manager was busy in the phone. We find out later from another waitress that the manager wasn't even in the restaurant!!! So not only do we have a waiter who is lazy but he also lies!!! Clearly they are understaffed and their waiters need training! Wow! Althoigh we enjoy their pizza with so many other options in the area why would we subject ourselves to this type of treatment? In case you are considering dining here let me give you a piece of advice. Run like your the last two monkeys boarding Noah's Ark and it's starting to rain! No no no!!! That's a hard no from me! Enter at your own risk! You have been warned!!! read more

2.5. Hadn't been here in a long time but thought how lovely it would be to eat on their covered patio, so we went for husband's birthday. Had the fried calamari, Caesar salad, gnocchi in vodka sauce and squid ink seafood pasta between the two of us. Service was attentive and table and ambiance was great. The food however was very lacking. Calamari was decent but not as crispy as we would've liked. The sauce it came with was very good but served in a very small amount. (Not enough for the amount of calamari) The Caesar salad was fine. Nothing special but ok. But worst of all was the pasta entrees we ordered. The gnocchi itself was fresh and soft but the sauce was terribly bland. Even the tomatoes in the sauce were flavorless. I make a vodka sauce at home that is 10x better - it's pretty hard to mess up a simple sauce like that. My husband's seafood squid ink pasta, which was $40, had lots of seafood that was cooked nicely but again, lacking in flavor. The sauce was like a watery, oily salty brine. Just not worth the cost at all. Overall, the people were nice and the atmosphere lovely but I definitely wouldn't go back for the food, particularly the pastas that we ordered. Definitely disappointed that we chose this place for our birthday dinner. One positive was a talented violinist played outside and we enjoyed that as well. read more

My husband and I love Il Vicolo. It's our favorite Italian restaurant around, you can't beat the food and the service. We enjoy it so much that we had our rehearsal dinner for our wedding there and Vito was helpful with planning, choosing the foods and giving the details. The rehearsal dinner was truly amazing, most of our family and friends were surprised but the sheer amount of food. And the great service! Il Vicolo holds a special place in our hearts (and our stomachs!) and we will eat there for as long as we can. read more

Loved my first visit to Il Vicolo. Enjoyed great, attentive service and a Negroni under the umbrellas of their huge patio on a beautiful June afternoon. Quality Burrata with crispy pancetta and bruschetta, melt in your mouth chicken vesuvio and really good lava cake. Wished we had tried the fried calamari instead of the grilled as I could taste the gas grill flavor. The tiramisu was ok, but I would not order again. I will however make it back to try their other menu items and enjoy the ambiance and hospitality. read more

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I have been walking by this place for 15 years and never went in. That was a mistake. Inventive menu and excellent preparation. The cocktails are great for maybe 1990 standards. The staff are attentive and the atmosphere is cozy, tho it can get loud if you have boisterous neighbors. read more

Excellent food! Portions are not too large and the food is not too heavy, which can be an issue with Italian food. Prompt, courteous waitstaff. Best Italian food in Oak Park. read more

Great food and service. We really enjoyed doing dinner here and will definitely coming back

Really great neighborhood spot with authentic Italian food. Lovely outdoor space for summer dining.

LOCKED OUT WITH GNOCCHIS Although that Italian food pun might be too cerebral for some (gnocchis = "no keys", teehee), this restaurant in Oak Park serves up some worthwhile dishes. Named after the Italian word for "alley", Il Vicolo is located in the eastern part of OP's downtown area, not far from the library and nearby the terrific Winberie's. I came here with my stunning companion Nichole C late on a weekday, 4/25/18. We received bread service shortly after being seated and ordered a very reasonably priced bottle of Folonari Chianti ($20!) The wine listing was extensive, much moreso than the food menu. As with most Italian places -- Olive Garden excluded -- everything is a la carte which jacks up the prices. Starting with an order of the 'vongole al forno' (6 for $13), these baked clams on the half shell were delicious. Though my girl is more of the bivalve connoisseur (wait, a what??), we both agreed that these were tasty and a good value. I'd get these again without question. Our entreés came out after a while and found them more than adequate. Her gnocchi alla vodka ($15) were EXACTLY how gnocchi are supposed to be, not like the tube noodle nonsense we got at (the now-closed) Flight 112 in Elmhurst. Big props on this dish. My lasagna ($15) wasn't the most original choice, but seeing as how Il Vicolo didn't have chicken cacciatore, piccata, al limone, or even veal parmesan on the menu -- seriously?? -- I resorted to my backup plan. It was better than I expected, and the bolognese was great. The homemade meatballs (2 for $5.50) had a very meatloafy consistency to them, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. They were tender and served in a dish of spicy tomato sauce. Yummo! Bread = 4.5 Circuses = 3 Service was fine, but our guy didn't mention to us the daily specials. Honestly, I probably would've gotten one of them but without a specials menu on the table, how the hell are we supposed to know what's being featured? * TL;DR * Our meal was quite good, though it wasn't the best. After experiencing the gold standard at Sappori Trattoria in Lincoln Park, it's hard not to compare every other Italian restaurant to them, y'know? If Sappori's mind-altering lasagna was a 10, Il Vicolo's would be a 6. Frankly, I was disappointed with the overall menu here, having to settle for my 4th or 5th choice and not being told the daily specials (which are usually pretty compelling options). Wine was a surprisingly good value, and it wasn't a sh*tty dumpster bottle of red, either. Roughly on the same page as Mancini's on Lake St and La Bella Pasteria on South Blvd, both nearby. However, La Notte is still the #1 choice for Italian in Oak Park, but you can't really go wrong with Il Vicolo. Recommended! read more

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I was craving some delicious pasta and il vicolo trattoria delivered! We called and made a reservation for indoor dining and was very pleased with how they handled social distancing and health precautions. We were seated far from other guests and all of their staff wore masks. Their staff were very professional, friendly, and visited our table several times to ask if we were happy with our service/meal and to ask if we needed anything else. We ordered a glass of wine...(and boy do they give a GENEROUS pour) as well as their famous 8 finger Cavatelli pasta, margherita pizza, and a gnocchi to share. Their pastas are made from scratch and they have truly perfected their art. Both pastas were a perfect al dente with a slight chewiness to them, which I absolutely loved! Sauces were rich, but not overpowering. Their pizza was also very delicious, but thin and not too filling. The portion sizes were very generous as well and we even had enough to have another meal the next day. I highly recommend giving them a try! I'm especially looking forward to enjoying a meal on their patio in the warmer months! read more

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