Bottom Line: Good place to start the evening…read more This spot is good for opening the evening before heading to one of the many nearby dinner destinations. The indoor space is long and narrow, with an eclectic, warm vibe, lined with display bottle and can-filled shelving. There are several tables along the display wall that seat four comfortably, with a compact bar tucked toward the front. Don't come here looking for a quiet corner though. The place fills up quickly--especially Thursday through Saturday nights during sidewalk‑dining weather where the crowd spills out into the covered entry and sidewalk. The clientele skews upscale and once they settle in, tables tend to turn slowly. Also, the noise level often rises to the point where conversation requires a raised voice. Wine and appetizers are this place's wheelhouse. I agree with other reviewers that service can lag, especially when you're trying to get that first order in. The charcuterie is a reliable favorite, with the rest of the menu at least decent if not particularly memorable. The wine and beer offerings are broad enough to satisfy most tastes, though some reviewers' claims of "reasonable prices" depend heavily on your definition of reasonable--lingering over drinks and appetizers will leave a very noticeable dent in the ole' wallet. Though I don't feel It's the kind of place I'll likely make a weekly habit, it is a good starter spot for a date night or a meet‑up before moving on to a dinner place.

This is such a great wine and charcuterie spot in downtown Downers Grove! The charcuterie boards…read moreare delicious and honestly really reasonable priced. We got to choose seven items between meat and cheeses for $25 plus you get to pick three accessories like nuts, jam, mustard, fruit, olives etc. All of the options we chose were delicious! And served with both a garlic bread and rice crackers. They have an extensive wine list and a lot of food options as well. After our charcuterie we enjoyed the white pizza- GF FRIENDLY! All the crusts are cauliflower crust, and I am not GF so while I wouldn't have picked this normally, it was SOOO yummy. I wouldn't have even known it was cauliflower crust! The flavors were great too. We also had a super tasty grilled cheese with bacon and the star... jalapeno jam! Loved it all and can't wait to come back on a future date night!

Davanti hosted a funeral luncheon on June 5th. From the moment I first emailed Suzie Reeves to the…read moreend of the luncheon, everything was beyond wonderful. The food was excellent, service and staff were amazing and so accommodating. We had a guest who was lactose intolerant and they made a special appetizer and dessert for her. The funeral was for my father, and davanti was one of my favorite parent's restaurants. The staff at Davanti turned a very sad, difficult situation into an easy experience and added wonderful memories. Thank you to Suzie and the entire staff!

We recently designed the florals as FleurElla Florals | F2 at this location…read more The event manager (Suzie Reeves) was an absolute dream to work with!! We needed to coordinate some last minute adjustments and Suzie was responsive, easy going, and genuinely invested in making sure every detail came together seamlessly! The venue itself is stunning. It has this rich, rustic elegance with exposed stone walls, warm wood tones, and the most beautiful candlelit chandelier that creates such an intimate, inviting atmosphere. It feels like a tucked-away wine cellar SO cozy, elevated, and full of character!

I've been wanting to try The Elm for quite a while now since I've heard so many good things. So I…read moredecided to stop in during lunch and wow, I was impressed. From the atmosphere, to the decor to the food, everything just felt right. They currently have their winter menu right now and I ended up ordering the Crispy Buffalo Chicken Wrap with sweet potato fries. Definitely a healthier bite on their menu but it was still packed with so much flavor and the perfect buffalo kick. For appetizers I ordered the Tempura Shrimp and I really liked that ALL the food came out steaming hot. I didn't catch our waitress's name but she was informative and kind from the beginning. She even told us they host comedy shows there, which is such a nice touch. I will definitely be returning, especially once warmer Chicago days arrive and their patio can fully be enjoyed.

We dined over the weekend. Reservations are online and honored which is a huge plus. The rooftop is…read morescenic and our waiter was attentive and quick. Drinks look like they are updated seasonally with classics remaining. The food is well seasoned and prepared; however, the salmon was not fresh at all. It had a very pungent "fishy" odor, so much I tasted it in my drink. Messaged management first, but they didn't respond.

Returned to Dolce last night bringing a friend for the first time. Not an empty seat in the house,…read morewhich is a good sign. We sat at a table upfront in a little nook, quite cozy. Saw my favorite waiter Rich and said hello. Angie took care of us last night, she was friendly and engaging. They were short-staffed unexpectedly so we were patient during our dining experience. We started with cocktails and I was happy to revisit the leatherneck, which I had on my previous visit. I added a sugared rim and it was perfection. The highlights of our dining experience were the brie with caramelized walnuts & honey, my husband's pappardelle dinner, and the tiramisu. The owner Steve came by the table a few times to talk to us. We met him the first time we dined at Dolce. It's evident that he cares about his customers and his business, and who doesn't love a little attention from the owner? If you dine at Dolce, save room for the tiramisu. It's so light and creamy.

Food was delicious, especially the Chef Bob's Shrimp, and the space made a charming spot for our…read morebook club. They hyped 'grab your green gear' on social media for St. Patrick's Day, but aside from a Lucky Charms gelato, there wasn't much of a theme happening. Our waiter was attentive and the overall experience was good. A nice little find in downtown Westmont.

In June, we had my daughter's rehearsal dinner here. The ambience of the room we had was great; off…read morefrom the rest of the public part of the restaurant but still in the heart of the place with access to the the spacious patio. We had the event on a Thursday, which is also on the evening that the city of Westmont holds their car show there on Cass. This made for a little challenge with parking but it was worth the extra walk to have a fun event at the same time as ours. It was a fun diversion on that wonderful summer evening. The drinks were plentiful and the food was delicious. The servers were completely attentive.

I went to neat kitchen and bar for happy hour on a Monday and was fairly disappointed that the…read morehappy hour didn't include any food specials, $10 cocktails and $6 draft beers just an ok deal. I tried the shrimp po boy and my husband had the Nashville hot chicken and we thought both were just average. The service however was excellent and we had an attentive waitress. Given many other less pricey options with better food, likely would not come back.

Went Saturday night, Father's Day, Eve. Great outdoor seating & atmosphere…read more Had a terrific, boneless, New York strip steak. It was prepared perfectly, medium rare, plus. Double baked potato and special chipotle Brussel sprouts. Everything was very tasty. We will definitely be back soon and recommend it to all.

We had a good experience over the summer. Went there on Valentine's day. Reservations were for 7:30…read morewe were seated at 8:30. The hostess was like 16 years old and completely rude. Once we got seated it took 20 mins to even get water. The waitress, didnt give AF about us she was too worried about a table of 10 trying to get tips. She would pass our table and not even look at us Eventually I had to yell "HEY!" to get her attention. The food was terrible. I had the lamb and asked for it rare, it was well done and like shoe leather. The broccoli was basically steamed with no flavor at all. The good news was our dog got to eat 90% of it because it was pretty inedible for human consumption. My wife said hers was basically a minor upgrade from Olive Garden. In the end the best thing was the bread. It was actually very good bread but paying $160.00 for bread was a teeny bit high. I get it, it was a busy night but in those instances if you overbook you step up the service or at least try to give AF about your clientele' by having the head person go table to table and make sure people are getting what they should. Clearly they did NOT Give AF, They were only there to pimp out money for themselves. Totally disappointed.

Lemontini was delish! Divey bar with 100 martini flavors. Botanical garden in back! They're…read moreremodeling this month til May

Bluewater Lounge is such a fun spot! Their martinis are huge, perfectly chilled, and absolutely…read moredelicious. I've never seen a martini menu as long as theirs, there's truly something for everyone. Always a great time and a great vibe.

Just being a cafe that is open into the later evening hours is enough to warrant a positive review,…read morebut the dream does not end there. This is the type of place you'd expect to find enmeshed within a community in one or the other neighborhoods of the city. An eclectic menu where everything feels deliberate and treasured, you'll surely find something to slide across your taste buds. Ordering for pickup, the food was ready quickly, was hot and delicious, and while service was limited in that experience, it was still wholly hospitable and inviting.

Friendly, good food, great casual meeting place. Welcoming vibe. Would visit more often if it was…read morecloser to home, but well worth the short drive on occasion for one who only eats out rarely (me).

Free parking lot with space. Greeted by friendly employees…read moreand seated promptly. The employees checked in on me frequently but not too much. Nice indoor and patio like environment. Great bar and table area. Drinks: Italian wine Luigi Righetti Valpolicella Ripasso and bread while I waited on my appetizer. Standard Peroni Italian beer. Dessert: apple crostata with vanilla gelato and drizzled caramel. This was good, fresh, and hot. Need a little more apples but delicious. Appetizer: I had Fritto Misto lightly breaded calamari, octopus, and shrimp in garlic. I liked this dish and substituted the cocktail sauce for marinara. I'm not into sweet dips. Entree: Bucatini Del lazio a pasta with lobster meat and jumbo shrimp in a brandy cream sauce. This was delicious and light. I can tell that the pasta was homemade. Very filling but I would have wanted more garlic in it.

We went for a celebratory dinner and were greeted and sat right away. Staff was nice, busboy did a…read moregreat job. Ambiance was nice, typical for an Italian place. The food was not great. We were both disappointed in our dishes. The chicken parm was dry and the rigatoni with chicken was not enjoyable. The waiter could tell that we weren't enjoying the meal. It's unfortunate, because the ambiance is nice, but we won't be going back with so many other choices in the area.

Our server at the Wonderverse recommended we stop in the Ghost Trap after dinner so we did. It's a…read moreneat 21 and over speakeasy with a bar and a handful of tables. I don't think there's table service here, we ordered and paid at the bar but they did bring the drinks out to the table. They had a few Ghostbusters themed drinks that aren't available at the restaurant. I had the Death Chill Slushie which was good and strong, I enjoyed that it came with a rock candy swizzle stick. Hubby had the Wax On Wax Off which was a little more sweet and more up my alley. Overall a nice place to grab a drink and relax for a bit. Cute for a date night.

Cute spot inside wonderverse! Glad we came during soft…read moreopening weekend because I can tell this place will be packed. Shout out to Hedeia (spelling may be off) at the bar. She was hustling and patient with the guests. Things to keep in mind: you are paying for the theme. Their specialty drinks run $20. Tip your bartenders appropriately on that amount. Recs for the team: qr code, menus on tables would be helpful for when the crowds pick up. Fun time!