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    Raffi's Locale

    4.6 (156 reviews)
    Closed 3:00 pm - 10:00 PM
    Updated 3 weeks ago

    Raffi's Locale Reservations

    Order Raffi's Locale Takeout or Delivery

    Raffi's Locale Photos

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    RAFFI'S LOCALE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Intimate
    Classy
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Raffi's Locale

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    Reviews With Photos - Raffi's Locale

    Osie C.

    This locally owned restaurant hit the spot! Authentic, fresh and large portions perfect for sharing! Staff made you feel like family! It is everything that makes eating local so special!

    A pic of Raffis home made carrot cake , yummy
    Bob C.

    Yet again another successful visit to our friend. Took the family here for a group dinner Had calamari appetizer which w as excellent Several different plates I went low maintenance this visit and had the lasagne which was mouth watering Great service What a great place , small cozy and great for a tight knit family to go sit down and break bread together Love it and always do Thanks Raffi and crew

    Arancini

    The food is cooked with love .I want to try everything all at once. Thank you for making my day! :)

    Jennifer J.

    My fiancé has been coming to Raffi's for over 10 years. When him and I met he introduced me to Raffi and I have NEVER gone back to any Italian restaurant. Raffis is the only Italian food I'll eat, it is amazing. I'll get "home sick" when we're on vacation and can't get Raffis cooking!

    Nerina B.

    This a nice Italian restaurant nestled in the neighborhood. It's roomy, welcoming, and BYOB. The waitress was nice. We ordered the fried calamari as for appetizers. It was a small portion but we managed to share it with 4 people. I order the lobster ravioli. It was really good. The ravioli was perfectly cooked and it was filled with the right amount of lobster. The sauce it came in was very nice and tasty. This is a nice neighborhood gem. Highly recommend.

    Chicken vesuvio

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    1 month ago

    The food is fabulous and the owner is awesome. The staff is very professional. I love the atmosphere., it's very cozy. We go there often.

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    6 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    4 months ago

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    22 days ago

    Excellent food, every time. Everything on the menu is delicious. Highly recommend. Always busy, so go early.

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    1 month ago

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    14 days ago

    The owner is amazing. The is great, and the is to die for. Try the Sea Bass, the best in Chicagoland

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    4 months ago

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    1 month ago

    Great food and BYOB or wine. No corkage fee. You can drink better wine and not have to pay for bad wine.

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    2 months ago

    Raffi Locale is a must go to restaurant From the Tiramisu to stuffed Gnochhi Risottos to sea Bass to Tortellini every meal we had

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    3 months ago

    Excellent food and customer service. Been here so many times. Friendly owner and employees.

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    6 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    9 months ago

    Catered food for our wedding from here and every dish we ordered was delicious and Raffi was very accommodating.

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    8 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    9 months ago

    Fantastic Italian food and service! Desserts drinks ambiance and fun!! In my neighborhood love it

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    5 months ago

    Amazing food! Raffi is a great guy, often checking everything was ok. 10/10 recommend, the tiramisu was amazing as well!

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Everything was delicious and the servers were very friendly! Love that it's BYOB as well.

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    8 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    7 months ago

    The food was very good everybody loved what they order , our waitress was even better .We will definitely go back.

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    1 year ago

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    8 months ago

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    9 months ago

    Love this spot! The food is incredible and the owner is the best. You must give it a try if you live in the area.

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great bread, great service, good customer service.... food was decent/ good. Pricey for pasta. Might give it a second chance.

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    Page 1 of 4

    Raffi's Locale Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Raffi's Locale

    Peanut Park Trattoria

    Peanut Park Trattoria

    4.1
    (165 reviews)
    9.8 mi

    Delicious pizza and pizza in Little Italy area of Chicago. It is a nice looking restaurant, too…read more We went for lunch on a Sunday (to avoid the crowd and for free street parking). The restaurant is not busy at all. We were seated right away. Our server was nice and attentive. We ordered pizza and pasta. Pepperoni and Whipped Ricotta Pizza - cooked perfectly, fresh ingredients and delicious! Served hot! Short Rib Pappardelle - to die for! This is very tasty, the pasta is cooked al dente. The short rib sauce is ssosooo delicious! We sat by the bar overlooking the open kitchen. It was nice to see the chef make the pizza and make the pasta. Further area is more fine dining with wall of wine. Very classy! Street parking only. So plan ahead.

    This is such a cool spot. I wouldn't have even known about it, if it weren't for a local friend…read more Where to start? We came in with a group of about 20! Normally I hate those kinds of large group dinners, but this was the perfect spot for it. The service was absolutely wonderful. I don't know how our server stayed so cool and calm with a group that size. We got a variety of things. EVERYTHING was amazing. If you have seen any of my other reviews, I always get a meatball when I'm at a place that has them. They almost never live up to my expectation. But this place has the new gold standard for a meatball. It was everything you want. It is fork tender, full of flavor, no chewy ground up bits. The pizzas were authentic and thin. With fabulous house made red sauce that wasn't too thick and overwhelming. The flavor was A+ The cocktails were so good! All made from scratch with love. The ambiance was cozy and comfortable. Perfect for a group or a date. They have a full bar, and also great seating with perfect lighting. This is a new favorite for me in the city.

    Photos
    Peanut Park Trattoria
    Sausage and Peppers
    Sausage and Peppers
    Outside

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    Outside
    Il Porcellino

    Il Porcellino

    4.4
    (1.8k reviews)
    10.5 mi
    $$

    Il Porcellino has been around for ten years, but my lovely wife and I finally visited this…read morerestaurant on Hubbard Street to enjoy the Happy Hour specials. We had visited Florence last year, and one of the numerous wonderful moments of our trip to Italy was seeing "Il Porcellino" - the lucky bronze boar fountain that draws tourists from around the world. A copy of the boar stands proudly near the entrance of the restaurant, and though it is not as old as the original 1634 sculpture, it was a charming reminder of our amazing Italian holiday. Did I mention that the weekday Happy Hour (4-6PM) specials are quite good? The specials are served only at the bar area, so you might have to wait a few minutes for available seating. We started with some drinks, including two kinds of Negroni. The wild mushroom arancini (5 little balls for $6) were the smallest I've tried, but they were creamy and melt-in-your mouth delicious. The whipped ricotta and jam beautifully served on a strip of toasty focaccia was a unique taste sensation. Prime beef meatballs and short rib sliders on toasted ciabatta bread also hit the spot. Even though we were merely dining at the bar, we enjoyed the overall vibe of the restaurant. There are lots of photos on the walls, interesting lighting from the ceiling, nice serving dishes, and servers who seem to know who their regular diners are. We look forward to returning to Il Porcellino, to bask in that indescribable feeling of being in Italy again.

    Great vibe. Has the dark and moody you want for a date night but also some airiness when the…read more"patio" doors to the street our open. I ended up at a table right by said doors, which was perfect because it had a view of the 1 TV during the World Cup. There is a downside that random people or servers will walk through and be closer than you'd like vs using the regular door like they should. Serviced is good but not exceptional. Attentiveness could be increased a bit, especially relative to water refills, more drinks, dessert time, etc. Food is quite good, but probably won't break into most people's very top tier. That said, there's nothing to really complain about and you won't leave hungry. Overall, it's a solid place that is worth the visit but may not make your "Best Places in Chicago" list.

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    Dining room/Bar
    Dining room/Bar
    Grilled Calamari
    Grilled Calamari
    Burrata Lasagna

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    Burrata Lasagna
    Ciccio Mio

    Ciccio Mio

    4.7
    (647 reviews)
    10.3 mi
    $$$

    My wife and I took our daughter out for her birthday. We got to meet the boyfriend. Our daughter…read morehas wanted to dine here so we popped for the bill. I would say it's a romantic setting, a bit dark in the restaurant. Us old folks needed the table lamp to read the menu better. I had read good things about the meatballs and bread as an appetizer so we shared that. Five meatballs, I got two. I thought they should have been hotter but I still enjoyed them. The wife wasn't impressed. Not sure about the younger folks. We shared a bottle of Classico Chianti, Montescondo which was very good. Boyfriend had the braised beef short rib. He seemed to enjoy it. Daughter had gnocchi. Wifey had Bucatini Amatriciana while I ate penne bolognese. Wifey and I shared an order of chicken Parmesan. So much of it the kids took home almost half. The wife had wanted to get the tagliatelle carbonara but with certain ingredients. They weren't sure if they could do it since the sauce was already made. She switched to the Bucatini but the server came back later with the carbonara for her to enjoy on the house. They are very nice here. Daughter was given a celebration baby gelato she enjoyed by the restaurant. We ordered two tiramisu deserts. They were #$@& Hugh. So to wrap up we had fantastic service, great meals and Hugh yummy deserts. Oh, the wine was very good. Thanks to the restaurant staff for this wonderful dining experience.

    Italian food isn't my first choice with dining, neither is Hogsalt. That being said, Ciccio Mio…read morequite literally translates to 'My darling' in Italian and it is undeniably the darling of the Hogsalt restaurant group. A ~very romantic~ touch is that they give you a red rose for your birthday. What we ordered: Bucatini Amatriciana: Guanciale, Calabrian chili, pecorino romano Burrata: Saved with fougasse bread, olive oil, and other accoutrements. Forget the lasagna rotolo, this is Ciccio Mio's pièce de résistance Truffle Mafaldine: truffle cream sauce, parmesan. I think mafaldine is my favorite pasta shape. It's just such a whimsical noodle to eat lol Fried Artichoke: Artichoke hearts, caesar aioli.

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    Espresso machine
    Espresso machine
    Lasagna Bolognese
    Lasagna Bolognese
    Toasted Almond Gelato

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    Toasted Almond Gelato
    Alla Vita

    Alla Vita

    4.4
    (841 reviews)
    10.1 mi
    $$$

    Alla Vita was great! Glad we went with 4 people because we got to try more dishes. They also have…read morean extensive wine selection. We started with three apps. The octopus surprised me because octopus can be hit or miss for me, but they did it really well! The table bread was also pretty good and cheesy. The Caesar was just fine. Nothing special but not bad (which is good coming from me since I'm not usually big on kale). Of course all of the pastas were yummy. The fusilloni was definitely my favorite from the noodle shape to the sausage and cheese. The ricotta dumplings were suuuuuper cheesy which I really liked (though I could see why others wouldn't) and had a melt in your mouth softness. The rigatoni was tasty, but kinda just tasted like a normal red sauce so would probably try something more interesting next time. We really enjoyed the chicken parm, too. Not as good as the pastas, but definitely tasty and the basil was a good touch. We finished with the guava cheesecake sundae. I really liked the little bits of cake, but the ice cream itself was a little lacking for me. Still a nice sweet treat to finish the meal!! We had the perfect amount of food overall for 4 people!

    I left this place dreaming of the rigatoni. This alone should be 5 stars. Any place that has a dish…read morethis good deserves top accolades. And get this... I don't really love pasta. True story. The pizza was absolutely super and the branzino off the charts. That puts the pasta in perspective - all the dishes were just mind blowing. I feel this is a great place for groups - it's loud - but not intolerable. You can still laugh and talk, hear everyone without feeling you are disturbing anyone.

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    Kale Caesar
    Kale Caesar
    APEROL SPRITZ
    APEROL SPRITZ
    The strawberry gelato was delicious!!

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    The strawberry gelato was delicious!!

    Raffi's Locale - italian - Updated July 2026

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