In Chicago for a few days and relying on Yelp to take us to new places. Nora was 2 blocks from our hotel. This place is all about service. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted and escorted quickly to our table outside. Mirco was our server and we asked him for recommendations. He was so spot on it was amazing! We started with 1/2 dozed oysters and Tuna tartare. The tartare melted in your mouth and had a mild flavor. You could taste everything from the capers to the lemon in each bite. I'm not a huge oyster fan but my fiancé seemed to love them. Mirco recommended the Sardinian style ravioli filled with melt in your mouth short rib smothered in a rich mushroom and truffle sauce. Heaven!! She ordered the beet salad with salmon and gigantic grilled shrimp added. She just raved about it all. I appreciated great food but great service is what makes it a memorable experience. This checked all the boxes. 5 stars! read more

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Fun place for Italian food The cheese was outstanding The prices for downtown Chicago were great. Good wine selection Great service read more

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Ordered oysters, veal and the tuna appetizers. All great except oysters didn't come with cocktail sauce, lemons or horseradish. read more

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Had a delicious meal of Fried Calamari, complementary focaccia bread, wine, Linguine Vongole e Bottarga and Culurgiones al Brasato di Manzo. Every bite was delicious. The fried calamari was crisp and came with two different sauces a tartar sauce and a romesco sauce giving a lot of flavor and depth to the dish. The Linguine was light but full of flavor. I have always worried if it would come out with not enough sauce or too heavy on the oil. This was a perfect mix bringing out the bottarga with that slight salty addition. We also had the raviolis stuffed with slow-braised short rib. This was by far the most tasty ravioli we have ever had with an amazing and hearty sause. If you like mushrooms these mix of roasted mushrooms have amazing flavor and texture. Highly recommend! We will be back soon! read more

Nora Restaurant - Dinner Menu - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We researched on Yelp and chose this restaurant. Then it happened to be next to the hotel we were staying. Convenient, for sure. But beyond that the food was incredibly good and the service top notch. Thank you Nicolas for such wonderful attention to ensure a great dining experience. We will be back!! read more

Saturday night in the city can be a dicey prospect for dinner with no reservations even as a solo traveler. While Nora was busy I was able to find a seat at the bar. Staff was attentive but not overbearing and knowledgeable of wines. She offered a couple of options and tastes of the wine as well. The malloreddus pasta was nothing short of amazing. It made me wish I had a bigger stomach. The bread was fresh but a little oily. I definitely want to try more selections! read more

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We initially went to Volare but they had a long wait, about 1 hour. It was a busy weekend. They directed us to go to Nora Restaurant which they said that there will be no wait and the food is similar. We took our chance bc we didn't want to wait since we have a toddler with us. There was no wait at Nora's and we're glad we dined here. We were seated outside under heat lamps and it's covered. It was quit stuffy and hot due to the covering. We sat in the back. Our dining experience was ok due to our impatient toddler. We ate quickly. But we ordered the grilled octopus, beet salad for apps. The octopus was delicious. Highly recommend it. For my entree, I got the oxtail rigatoni and my husband got the Malloredus pasta. It was all really good. My pasta was extremely rich, so I ordered wine with it. My husband enjoyed his pasta and we had some leftovers . It was a busy place but still had seatings. Servers were nice and understanding to our situation. read more

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On a recent trip to Chicago we selected Nora for my friend's birthday dinner. We were able to snag some reservations a few days in advance. The inside is pretty cute with a nice size dining area and bar seating. The menu is supposed to be Sardinian food but it definitely leans more in the general Mediterranean direction. They have house made dips that you can even order as a sampler. We ordered the red pepper-based dip with pita and veggies so I could enjoy it gluten free. The dip was just OK - it needed a lot more salt, red pepper, and garlic and was too watery for my taste. The octopus was really delicious though with a nice sauce and perfectly cooked potatoes. We also got the pork entree which was supposed to be a Sardinian specialty. It was a little strange but still okay. They had gluten free pasta too but I didn't get to try any this particular night. I stuck with wine but my friends seemed to like their espresso martinis. The service was friendly and fast and at times we even had two servers helping us. They also sent out a nice dessert with a candle for my friend which was really nice. Overall this place is pretty good but I'd probably try somewhere different next time I'm in Chicago. read more

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I thought for sure I had written a review about Nora, only to discover I had not. This was our second time at Nora while doing a staycation at The Ivy Hotel. This location use to be a Southern restaurant before COVID, and for the life of me I can't remember the name of it, but remember these amazing blueberry biscuits that the chef brought out to us. Nora I will not forget based on their calamari. That was so tender and delicious! I was told that the chef bakes it in olive oil, then grills it. The texture of that is crazy good, soft where you don't need a knife to cut it, but so flavorful. The two times we dined here were very nice. The staff was friendly and attentive, and the food was very nice. The décor inside is charming and their outdoor area is also very nice. For starters we got the tuna tartare, which for me is always a winner. It came with this crazy black lace, which reminded me of the "charred lace" in The Menu for the film's amuse-bouche, with compressed and pickled cucumber melon and milk snow. For dinner I got the Rigatoni alla Norma and The Doctor had the Orecchiette. Both dishes were very good, with the pasta being cooked just right, with that little bit of give in the texture. The last time we were here they had this lovely Braised Beef Short Rib Ragu with Pappardelle (me) and a Seared Ahi Tuna (The Doctor) ...wouldn't mind seeing those dishes again on the menu. We didn't do dessert because we had something waiting for us back in our room, and honestly have no idea what they offer for dessert. But I would say Nora is on our rotation for places to eat. read more

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We stopped in here for lunch after a day walking around in downtown! Three of us got paninis and one got the risotto. They were definitely lunch sized portions, but very good! The chicken panini was a favorite, though the prosciutto was tasty as well. There was a lot of pesto was, so I'd choose something else if you don't absolutely love pesto. The mushroom risotto was rich, creamy and cooked perfectly! The service was prompt, and the ambiance was nice for a quieter, upscale place after a busy day of shopping and walking around. read more

Nora Restaurant - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

VERY unique cuisine. Purposeful and honoring the true flavors of the Greek region. The bartenders were kind and helpful with the menu. Delicious meal, appetizing and calm setting at the bottom of Hotel St. Claire. Will come back to experiment with more of the menu. read more

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Came here for a Friday date night with my wife; very charming placing, with warm modern decor. Food was excellent and unique to Sardinian Italian cuisine. The traditional Carasau flatbread was excellent and I had lamb ragu with homemade pasta which was perfectly cooked. I Recommend trying this place if you want to branch out from classic American /Italian fare. read more

Nora Restaurant - Grilled Pecorino Cheese - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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How can this be? I had such amazing hopes and was so excited to have a dinner at Nora... We ate outside and it was such a lively area. The waitstaff was great. The special Red Snapper was to die for. Every bite was wonderful. One member of our party had stuff shells with salmon and the other had a tuna appetizer as the main dish which both were excellent. The issue was the appetizer. None of us liked the 3 sampler dip. Beet, hummus and red pepper. All three just weren't right. The Sampler looked amazing but no taste... read more

A cute interior, attentive service, and good food made Nora a solid 4-star experience for my group of 4. There was no wait at 5pm on a Saturday - my group was one of three tables in the restaurant. The waitstaff, which seemed to all work together to serve my table, made sure drinks were constantly refilled. Portion sizes were on the smaller side, with my culurgiones only consisting of 5 pieces, which I didn't anticipate - though I now understand that this seems to be typical for culurgiones. Charcuterie was a little forgettable and came with four chunks of toast which, which tasted great, but weren't quite enough. Everyone left happy and I'd return again, but I'd probably pick a different menu item since other pasta dishes my party ordered seemed more substantial. read more

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We stopped by Nora for a late weekday lunch/snack during a recent trip to Chicago, and it was a fantastic experience. The restaurant has a beautiful bar space that's cozy and elegant. Since it was a quiet time of day, w had the chance to enjoy a relaxed meal with great bartenders who were so friendly! We shared the spread sampler and tuna tartare, both were great! The beet hummus was my favorite of the three. The wine by the glass list offered some good options, and the bartenders were quick to poor a taste to help us decide. Definitely looking forward to coming back for a full meal next time! read more

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The Nora Restaurant has a great cozy feel and I loved the bar area. Service was efficient but some staff were much friendlier than others. I ordered the Oxtail pasta which overall was a disappointment for the relative cost. I could justify an almost 30 dollar entree if it had handmade pasta but my noodles were reminiscent of what you could buy from a grocery store box. The Oxtail meat was relatively sparse. The outside seating is nice and I enjoyed the olive spread with the bread but overall I doubt I would return. read more

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I loved the house prosecco and the octopus was fantastic. Ambiance is wonderful! Stands out on the mag mile. read more

Nora Restaurant - Pulpo a la gallega - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food was good. The wait staff was slow and not thorough. Seemed confused about the wines, and didn't offer a side salad or any other options or ideas about the menu. read more

We were visiting Chicago and had dinner at Nora's, which is a Mediterranean restaurant. It has that classic restaurant feel. Service was very good throughout the meal. They have a nice wine list (particularly heavy on Italian wines--we had a couple of nice bottles of red. They provided focaccia bread and an olive tapenade that everyone liked. We were a large party and had the charcuterie plate and hummus. The charcuterie plate was great, with a nice mix of cheeses and meats. I am not an olive fan, but people loved those. Then I also really enjoyed the hummus--it was there version, nice and fresh. For the main course, I had a special which was pappardelle with mushrooms. The pasta was nice and fresh and the flavor was excellent. Others enjoyed the culurgiones (which were shells stuffed with cheese), the beet salad, the pork loin and the linguine. Everyone loved all the pasta, really great. I was too full for dessert, but the baklava gelato sundae was a really big hit. Nora is definitely worth a visit. read more

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Nora is a beautiful restaurant located just off of Michigan Av (directly facing the Hyatt). We stopped by for an early dinner with the kids and ordered: -agnolotti - linguine vongole - 2 kids butter + Parmesan pastas - Caesar salad They forgot my Agnolotti and I had to remind them halfway thru the meal. No apologies, nothing by to make up for it. Ok fine. Linguine vongole was good, needed a touch more salt but I understand it's hard to gauge how salty clams are sometimes. Caesar was decent but the croutons were stale and hard. All in all, not a restaurant I would go back to and definitely not one I'd recommend. It's beautiful and a great location but not for me. read more

Nora Restaurant - WOW be careful ordering for kids... $21 for each plate of plain pasta w/ butter and parmesan is highway robbery. - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went solo had an amazing dinner from start to finish. I had the Burrata & Agnolotti which is pasta stuffed with braised short rib, roasted mushroom sauce, white truffle oil, shaved Pecorino. The only feedback is the Agnolotti, the menu said it had mushroom sauce but there were so many mushrooms in the foot itself. I should have asked. I don't mind mushroom sauce but i lost count after 40 tiny mushrooms were in the pasta sauce. Definitely a "me thing" but otherwise 10/10 read more

My colleague and I stumbled across this restaurant while trying to find a place for dinner. Like most restaurants in Chicago, they were fully booked for a Thursday night but had space at the bar. The restaurant has a wonderful atmosphere with Mediterranean decor. Service was fast and very attentive-- I think we got our orders in as soon as we sat down. We ordered two pastas-- the oxtail rigatoni (pictured below) and the agnolotti truffle oil pasta. The oxtail rigatoni was just okay. The other dish smelled amazing and seemed really unique. Would like to come back and try more of the seafood dishes. Great restaurant! read more

Nora Restaurant - Menu - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Was visiting my wife in Chicago as she was working there for week and we walked to this venue for drinks and dinner. I really liked it as it had outdoor seating as well as inside and the food was amazing. Had decent drink menu as well. Had a huge wine list and many different liquors too. My server was super friendly. Would definitely go back next time as well. read more

Great food, top notch service, chill and beautiful ambiance and the music is good too! Bananas foster French toast and an espresso martini (with real espresso) was a great start to the day! read more

Great experience at this Italian restaurant. The octopus was phenomenal. The pasta with seafood was cooked perfectly. The service was excellent! Two ladies working at the bar area were very friendly and helped with my dinner selection. Highly recommend and I will definitely be back next time when I am in Chicago. read more

Nora Restaurant - Octopus was absolutely delicious! - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I came for an early dinner, but I saw that as it approached closer to 6pm on a Thursday night, it seemed to get busier and busier. I didn't realize they had a happy hour menu until I got there. I went with the calamari and the meatballs. I really loved the marinara sauce of the meatballs but the meatballs were okay. The meatballs itself were pretty bland, left with that beefy aftertaste, and was so firm that I needed the knife to cut them. On the other hand, the calamari was wonderful. It was crisp, tasty, and the octopus was tender. The only thing I wasn't too fond of was their dipping sauce for the calamari. I ended up dipping it in the marinara sauce from the meatballs lol. I think I would like to give this place another shot and order from the main menu. Overall, the place makes great for a romantic and intimate setting, whether it be for a small group of friends or a loved one. read more

Nora Restaurant - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Definitely the best food we have had while in Chicago. We were somewhat limited because we were staying at the Hyatt attached to Northwestern University Medical Center. We did eat at The Albert and Labriola neither of which could compare to the quality of Nora. The Lamb Shank, Gnocchi, Beet Salad, and Goat Cheese Salad were all excellent. My wife's lamb shank was the best she had ever had, tender and tasty. The salads were seasoned perfectly. read more

Referred here from a sister restaurant down the street, and we took a chance after seeing the great reviews. Food was decent- fried smelt was crispy and the marinara sauce has a nice spice kick. I got the special linguine with clam which is good size portion but could use some more salt to bring out more flavor and is slightly fishy. We also got the lamb shack which was also good. Would be nice to have steak knife instead of regular knife for this dish because the meat is difficult to cut. FYI- we were asked if we want sparkling or still water and we said we would like still water, meaning regular water. Somehow this was translated into water from a bottle and this showed up as $7 on the bill. We would've appreciate more transparency rather than sneaky upsell tactics. read more

Great happy hour at Nora's! Enjoyed a $10 Orosei spritzer and $16 house burger. Sat at the bar and watched bartender make more spritzers--they were popular. And refreshing. Just a 5-minute walk from Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile. Way better vibe than hotel. read more

Nora Restaurant - House burger on HH menu - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I'm confused by the reviews. This was easily one of the most bland, uninspired, flavourless meals I've ever had. The hummus was chickpea paste, almost no taste at all and the panini I had was not better than a hot sandwich from 7-11. The side salad was iceberg, three cucumber slices and 2 halved cherry tomatoes. Even the Olive tapenade was dull. On the positive side it is cute and our server was professional. read more

Walked here and the ambiance was amazing. We got seated and our waiter was amazing. He was so quick with taking our orders and waiting for the food was not long at all. I ordered the hanger steak which so tender and good it had a side of potatoes and arugula salad. You could pour the gravy on top of the steak which was also given on the side. The drinks here was so good. And very pretty presented. Our waiter recommended the burrata and it was so fresh and good. There was also complimentary bread service as well. Really enjoyed this place which was literally across the hotel we were staying at. read more

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We went here for a friend's birthday. Service was very good, food was great, dessert was FANTASTIC! Highly recommend the lentil soup and the lemon tart read more

Nora Restaurant - This is on a 12 inch dinner plate! Nice and tart Lemon Tart - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Stopped in for a cocktail. Nice service and pretty interior. Low key spot off Michigan ave. Only reason for 1 star ding was glasses were a bit water stained and could have been polished- seems petty but it's all in the details! read more

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My mom and I ate here and it was is amazing. The service is some of the best I've ever had. They asked me if I wanted a refill of my drink when it was empty. The inside is festive for Christmas but not over bearing like most places and a plus for me is that they weren't playing Christmas music. The food my mom and I had was amazing so delicious. My pasta was perfectly al dente and very flavorful. read more

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Always a great experience here. 3entrees were delicious as was our appetizer. Great bartenders! read more

I had dinner here with colleagues AUG2024. The place has a very nice atmosphere inside. Service was very friendly and the food was delicious! Solid 4+ for our first experience here. read more

Joined a friend for dinner at Nora, located right in Streeterville. The curb appeal is so beautiful albeit it is right near the Inn of Chicago which has become a migrant shelter and run down. However once inside, you will forget all about that because the menu has so many great options with traditional Sardinian recipes - quite unique for Chicago. We had just missed the happy hour which runs 4-6pm on the outside patio weekdays. I mention it so others know it's a thing here:) Bread with a house made olive tapenade is brought over as a complimentary starter and if you love olives, you will love this! I ordered a mixed beet salad $15 and my friend had a caesar salad $12. As a main course I absolutely had to get the Culurgiones (a potato dumpling with cheese and tomato sauce) $26 when I spotted them on the menu because it's very popular in Sardinia but not a commonly known dish outside of Italy. My friend opted for the hangar steak $43. We were considering sharing the branzino but the waitress talked us out of it, but I'm thinking I'd still like to try it another day. Also they have fregula which again is another tradition Sardinian dish but it would have been so filling. I'll definitely be back for it though! Yum. Everything was well portioned, presented well, and tasted great! Table service was attentive, albeit it wasn't too busy during our meal. Keep your eyes on your table though because the bussers are mighty quick to take plates away which made us feel rushed for no apparent reason. We weren't even done but just talking and enjoying ourselves and my Culurgiones disappeared before I could finish them. That bugged me because I could have enjoyed those last few!! When I told the waitress, she apologized and giggled but since only 5 come to an order, taking two away before I could enjoy them was really not ok. My friend loved her hangar steak and said it was cooked to perfection! We considered indulging in desert but ultimately opted for expresso this time. Ambiance: 9/10 Service: 8/10 Menu selection: 10/10 read more

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Wow! What a gem. This goes down as one of our top three late-night dinners that made the day. We will be back. We had made 7:30 PM reservations, but the flight & ORD put us way behind. Cancelled the reservation. Arrived at 8:30 PM. We were offered a table outside, but it was hot & humid, so we moved inside--plenty of room. Nice dining area. Great staff and service. Excellent menu. We started with the Burrata - cherry tomato confit, salmorejo sauce, balsamic pearl, basil oil, and guttiau bread. Their bread basket was perfect. We shared the Goat Cheese Salad and the most amazing Malloreddus Ragu d'Agnello e Carciofi, a traditional Sardinian Malloreddus pasta in slow-braised lamb ragu, white wine, sautéed artichoke, & Ricotta Mustia. My mouth is watering just writing about it. Nora has a nice drink menu. We enjoyed their Pinot Grigio, perfect with our meal. Lots of sparkling water, too. Topped off the meal with a traditional Sardinian dessert, Seada, a crispy semolina dumpling stuffed with fresh Pecorino, lemon, candied walnuts, dried figs, drizzled with mirto sauce & local honey, topped with honey gelato. Thank you, Nora team. You have a great place. read more

I had a nice experience at Nora, but, unfortunately, I don't think it's a restaurant that I will be returning to. I dined with a group of friends on the patio for lunch. While the ambience was lovely and beautiful, the service was very slow. We ordered an assortment of spreads for an appetizer, which were nice! However, I couldn't finish my roasted cauliflower salad with chicken, as there was too much dressing and the chicken was gamey/fatty. Sadly, didn't love this place, which was a bummer! read more

Nora Restaurant - Roasted cauliflower salad with chicken - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Visited Chicago for work and decided to come here for a bite to eat. The place is so aesthetically pleasing, and the staff are very friendly. The best octopus I've ever had is here! I am very skeptical on octopus and usually do not like it because it's chewy and tastes like rubber bands. However, the server highly recommended for me to try it. I tried it and it was so soft, flavorful , not chewy at all and tasted delicious. I can probably say that this is probably the best octopus I've ever had. I also tried the beet salad and it was so refreshing with the strawberry sauce. It's good for winter and Summer meal. I came during happy hour, but they're happy. Our menu was nothing special. It was just typical bar food. However, their main menu I would highly recommend. read more