Torchio is one of the best Italian restaurants in the city. Bill and his wife are just as amazing as the pasta. My only knock would be to make the ceasar salad a little more exciting. Maybe some house made dressing & croutons, shaved parm, etc. (Piazza Bella in Roscoe Village has one of the best ceasars in the city for reference) Still a 5 star review since no one's really going there for the salad. Lol. read more

Wish I could give this place 10 stars! Great wine, tasty pastas and nice atmosphere. Definitely recommend!

This is the kind of place that you better eat at now because once the word gets out you will be waiting for days to get in. The absolute best meal I have eaten while here. The owner was in the restaurant making the pasta from scratch. The pasta was nothing fancy but was simple and amazing. We had the Caprese Salad which was fresh and beautiful. I went with the Cacio e Pepe which is spaghetti with cheese and fresh cracked black pepper. It was out of this world. My wife had the pesto pasta dish and it was delicious. I would recommend if you are in the area you go and go now. Before it's the cool thing to do. Very nice owner and friendly enough staff. Thank you for such wonderful dishes. We will be back. read more

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Food and service! Great appetizers meatballs and fried artichoke were exceptional. We had the scallops and pasta and Bolognese and pasta fanatic! Our waiter Chris was very nice and always there to help! I would ask for him to wait on you! Met the owner Bill he was very cool and helping behind the bar. An overall great experience try it I bet you will love it! read more

My pasta was terrible. The sauce was gross and our service wasn't great. I wouldn't go back

This probably my favor place in city for hand made pasta. Delicious. Server is always good with Emmie. I was already 3 times and I for will be back . I love this place. read more

Phenomenal new local spot - all pasta homemade, and dishes could compete for best in the city. The new pasta "bar" has been set high. Great menu and fair prices. The owner Bill put together a top talent team here, from the top mixologist in the city, to the best chefs, servers and bartenders. New favorite spot - this is a must for locals and visitors. Keep up the great work. read more

I just want to start off by saying Torchio has all the right elements to be one of the best restaurants in the city. The atmosphere is warm and inviting but still trendy, the owner and staff are super nice, the bartender is fantastic. The only "issue" per se, is the food. I use the term 'issue' lightly, as I'm hoping this can just be helpful feedback for the restaurant. Torchio has a wide array of menu items, to the point where everything looks good and you have no clue what to even get. I've tried a number of their dishes since they opened a couple years ago, and while everything could be described as "good", there's just always something... missing? Or not quite right? The average cost of a pasta dish at Torchio is around $27, which in my opinion, is way too steep. Here are some items I've tried: - Semolina Gnocchi $14- this is arguably the only thing on the menu that is truly perfect; the flavor AND price are spot on - Burrata with Pesto $16-everything was cold like it had been sitting in the fridge for a while, and did not come with any sort of bread or crostini. Who doesn't want a warm, buttery piece of bread to slather their burrata on? C'mon. - Saffron arancini $17-- a little dry... not bad.. but wouldn't order it again - Cacio e Pepe $23-- decent but... $23?! Some of the best pasta in the city costs around $19. Cacio e Pepe should be light and creamy, and this one is almost dense - Carbonara $25-- the cheese is REALLY sharp, like makes your jaw muscles twinge, and the pancetta is too hard and gives your teeth a workout - Orecchiette & sausage pasta $27-- This is actually a sold option. The flavors are all there, but it should be about $6 cheaper - Spaghetti & garlic shrimp $28-- needed a lot of salt. This dish is traditional in the sense that it doesn't come with cheese, so when the pasta isn't salted correctly, you can really tell - Torchio pasta $27-- this one is really tasty and a solid option if you like mushrooms - Seafood fra diavolo $32- Eh... just okay! Definitely not worth the price! - Tiramisu $10- this is really good! Again, I WANT Torchio to be my favorite restaurant in the city. It has this feeling like coming home. But when you have restaurants like Rose Mary, Monteverde, Alla Vita, Ciccio Mio etc. executing dishes flawlessly for around $7 less? It makes it tough to keep choosing Torchio. read more

Amazing & delicious. Great service, extensive drink menu, rare finds include. Fresh and hand made pasta, definitely worth going read more

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Had walked by Torchio Pasta Bar a few times and was interested in trying it out. Their website advertises a Happy Hour menu every Tues - Friday from 5-6:30 pm, which was enough to lure us in. Made reservations for date night dinner, 5:45 pm on Friday. Walked over in an historic rainstorm. The restaurant was pretty empty when we arrived. Once seated, we told our waiter we were there for happy hour, to which he responded that there is no happy hour. He called over a manager who denied the existence of any happy hour and claimed we were relying on a third party's website for which she "can't be held responsible" (what?). After we showed her that we were, in fact, reading Torchio's own, current website (https://www.torchiopastabar.com/menu/happy-hour/) (screenshots attached), she inexplicably questioned the authenticity of the menu and website and declined to honor the happy hour. Left a bad taste, so to speak. (note: as of today's date, the happy hour menu is still up). Second icky tactic was the 3% "credit card processing fee" added onto our bill even though we paid by DEBIT Card (is this even legal?). We left with the impression that this restaurant is more focused on skimming off the top than good customer values/service. read more

Torchio Pasta Bar - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Good wine and helpful bartender......his bar....but the pasta lacked flavor. I finished but my wife left it. Nice room...nice location.....hire better cooks and use Nana's real gravy recipe. read more

Excellent service, delicious food, lovely ambiance. Can highly recommend the scallops and the house pasta (with sausage and mushrooms).

Not one to leave a review but I was really disappointed in the food and drinks at Torchio. All the reviews are wonderful and I really didn't expect for the food to be so bad. We ordered two pastas and a salad. The salad was straight from a supermarket premade salad bag. And the pasta not only was undercooked but the meat was over cooked and hard. Everything was inedible. I don't know what the hype was about this place it was awful. Will never be visiting again. read more

Spent the day on Chicago while traveling with my fiancé, we were craving pasta after being on the go. He came across Torchino and I was sold. We sat on the patio (in October) and was pleasantly surprised! We enjoyed the mussels with white wine sauce and two amazing homemade pasta dishes. My scallop fettuccine was some of the best I've had. They filet the scallops, I'm taking that idea home with me! Would recommend! read more

Torchio Pasta Bar - Scallop fettuccine and cacke e Pepe pasta - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My new favorite restaurant!!! I'm not a pasta person, but this place has made me a pasta person!! You can tell that everything they make is homemade. Perfect portions, amazing bread, delicious pasta, refreshing salads! This will be my new spot! The head bartender created the cocktail list, so you know the drinks will be good. Just a couple of tips: 1. It's a new restaurant so please be patient with the staff, they are learning 2. The room is small, so if you are going during peak hours you will have to wait Highly recommend!!! read more

Food was just "ok". Definitely felt over priced for what we got as well. On average the dishes are $30 whether you get a simple pasta in cream sauce or a seafood pasta. In fairness we didn't order any of the seafood pastas which looked good in the reviews on Yelp. For the value, price and service I felt it deserved a 3 star review. Personally wouldn't return. A few details I felt hurt the experience for example is that one of our pastas was supposed to have a truffle taste (oil only), we let the server know that it was not very good and tasted like an average cream sauce pasta, so he offered to bring more oil lol. No offer to change or remake it. He brought a bit of oil and a spoon. Then when you get the big, they charge a 4% surcharge for credit cards and if you ask for your drink "up" it's $2 more. It's not about the money, I think we would all agree, but little things like this I feel are unnecessary and you feel you're being "nickel and dimed". With so many great restaurants in Chicago, this is a strong PASS. I rarely leave reviews for restaurants especially no-so-good ones, but we found this spot on Yelp, with high star reviews, so I felt it right to give a little feedback. Overrated. read more

Went to this spot for a date night. The owner was behind the small pasta bar area making the dishes right in front of us and chatting to us. Very friendly man and has great stories to share! The pasta dishes were also excellent. The spaghetti with peas, bacon, and onions was out of this world! The wine choices were excellent as well. Tiramisu was a wonderful end to the meal. Highly recommend. read more

Overall I had a great experience at this restaurant. The food was amazing and the servers were fantastic. They did a fantastic job at waiting our table and the desserts were just fantastic. The only problem was that the seating was a bit tight. We made reservations for a table of five and the table was more for let's say 3.5 so it was a bit unpleasant. I had to keep moving by seat for other to pass through which really hindered by dining experience and was definitely worried about some items falling off the table it was that cramped. Overall if they do better seating arrangements this would become a 5 star experience. I will definitely be coming back for the food and service. read more

No question the best pasta in river north, perhaps Chicago. Bill and Amy do a wonderful job of making you feel at home while eating some of the most delicious dishes you can ask. I wish I could give this 10 stars Bravo read more

This is truly a one of a kind restaurant, and if you're in Chicago you must visit. This was the first restaurant my wife and I went to after arriving for a visit from San Francisco. SF is known for their food scene, but this beats any Italian or pasta I've had from back home. If I were a local here, I'd visit weekly. We were sat at the pasta bar and had the opportunity to meet the owner, Bill, who was behind the counter preparing dishes. It was such a special experience and his passion and love for what he does shows in every way. From the detail in the dishes to the relationships he has with all of his guests. We came as complete strangers but left feeling like family. What a gem Chicago has! read more

Torchio Pasta Bar - Inside, modern with an antique feel. Some genuine pieces from the late 1800s decorate the place. Very European feel. - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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There is nothing to not love about this place. The service was top notch. The drinks were as good as any cocktail bar in the city. And then comes the food. I tried 3 different pastas, and there wasn't a bad one in the bunch. The portions were perfect. One of the best dining experiences I've ever had in the city. read more

Dining here felt like going over to grandma and grandpas for dinner. The food is authentic and delicious, and the service is incredible. The patio area is in front on the sidewalk, but the flowers surrounding the perimeter make it feel cozy and intimate. We had to wait for a seat on the patio, but were able to enjoy some wine and people watch at the bar while waiting, so the time went by quickly. Bill makes you feel like you're a guest in his home. I had the Torchio pasta which was delicious. We also split the prosciutto board with a bottle of rose. 10/10. Our server was Juan. He was attentive and very friendly, while still letting us enjoy our meal and conversation. You'll notice that all the staff here - from owner to manager to servers - run food and tend tables. It makes a huge difference in the dining experience. You can tell that this is not another chain Italian spot. We will be back! read more

This is hands-down my favorite Italian restaurant to go to in the city! The pasta is made so fresh and has the best seafood to offer. I had the scallops that were cooked perfectly with some angel hair spaghetti pasta it was light but still filling. The line goes amazing with all the pasta dishes and the atmosphere is delightful! read more

Food was great! Cute patio area as well. Would definitely return and recommend this restaurant.

Delicious, authentic Italian food. Wait staff is very friendly and patient. My friend and I went here to celebrate our birthdays and were not disappointed by our meal. We sat outside on the patio. The ambiance was beautiful, and you felt like you were in the city, but still very private. read more

We found ourselves in need of a last minute reservation (with our dog) for a party of 5. We called here and they were very accommodating. Not many restaurants will allow a patio reservation, and they did. Which was wonderful. Everything was tasty and well prepared. The service and the food was exceptional. I will definitely eat here again on our next time through chicago. If I lived in the neighborhood it would be my go to place for dinner. read more

My family and I had a really nice evening dinner on the patio. Pastas were delicious, service was incredibly attentive and courteous, which feels rare in this day of staff shortages at restaurants! The owner even stopped by our table to see how our kids enjoyed their pastas, which they enthusiastically gave a thumbs up! read more

Fantastic experience. The owner was walking around and asking about our dinner and drinks. My plate was delicious. I got the seafood pasta and another in my party got the scallops and they were both top tier. read more

The pasta carbonara is delicious, but I was underwhelmed by my pasta primavera and meatballs.

Food, service and ambiance are all perfect. I have been here several times, and I love it each time. Definitely one of my favorite Italian restaurants in Chicago. read more

Had dinner here for the first time after getting a tour during construction from the friendliest owners in River North. Food was amazing and you could tell pasta was handmade. Great, modern decor and wasn't loud at all when every seat was taken. We had the charcuterie board and I had the Bolognese (which had an amazing parmesan crisp bowl on the plate); large portion. Finished it off with chocolate gelato that was amazing. Torchio drink was fantastic as well - better version of an old fashioned. Right down the street and plan to come frequently. read more

The short rib risotto was incredible! And our waiter was very helpful in suggesting good drink pairing

TL;DR the pasta is slightly above average but the rest of the menu is nothing special and the service needs major help. I live in the neighborhood and was really excited to try this place. We went here on a Friday night wanting to sit outside with our dog, the host said 30m wait. After 45m I check in and the host says another 30m wait, pretty frustrating that you wouldn't over estimate the wait time rather than under. Finally sit down, the server seemed uninterested, I had to ask for the bread and it tasted like it was from jewel Osco bakery. I saw some of the other tables with apps and salads and they looked pretty sad. We ordered the cacio e pepe and the orechette with broccoli raab and sausage, it was good but I can think of other places where I've had these dishes and they were much better. Last night we tried to go again to give it another shot and there was an open 4 top. The host said they needed at least 3 people to sit there. EXCUSE ME?! This is a new restaurant in a trendy neighborhood and you're turning customers away? Unreal. The pasta wasn't good enough for me to look past all the other fails at this place. EDIT: Bill, first come first served means you should have seated us at the 4 top outside since it was the only table left and not tell us you need at least 3 people to seat us and make us wait until a 2 top opened up. read more

Lovely and delicious! Came for my birthday, we ordered a bunch of dishes to share. Everything was perfect! Pesto pasta was my favorite! They make all their pastas in house :). Staff were really nice and helpful and the ambiance is cozy and not too crowded. Perfect for a date, quiet casual dinner, or a celebration . So happy this spot exists! More authentic than all the other Italian places in river north and more affordable and cozier than eately. Will definitely be coming back as a regular! read more

AMAZING pasta in Chicago - this lovely restaurant is a must!! All homemade on premises, and Bill is the greatest host. We had the whipped ricotta appetizer, the rigatoni, & the scallop special. Perfectly cooked & delicious! Don't miss Torchio!! read more

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Such an amazing restaurant and experience. Great food, great atmosphere, great service, and fair prices. Had the chance the talk with the owner, Bill, as well. Such a very nice and welcoming person. Also, I really appreciated how they allow you to reserve seats in different areas of the restaurant. You can reserve a space at the bar, pasta bar, window seat, a high table, or a standard table. The Burrata and Heirloom tomatoes and sauteed mussles for an appetizer was incredible. Honestly, one of the best food experiences I have ever had in Chicago. I will be eating here again... And eating here again frequently. read more

Our meal started with the pesto & burrata appetizer. Next we had bucatini arribiata with burrata and added shrimp and rigatoni in a vodka sauce. Finished the meal with gelato. It was all amazing! Our server Clara was wonderful too! The only part of the meal I didn't love was the bread because I like mine crustier and not as soft. The patio was cute and perfect for a summer dinner. Definitely recommend! read more

Torchio is a family owned business and Chef Bill makes the pasta himself and desserts are family made! The food is amazing and the staff is friendly and remembers each time we come in to visit. The ambiance is great and very comfortable and casual and yet romantic if needed. The staff can give you recommendations and Bill greets the tables it is fantastic! The Cannolis are but free if you have allergies and they are amazing and the meatballs are just like my Nanna use to make. Make a reservation as they are family sized with big food, a must try. Bill and his team make you feel at home and it is just a great spot no matter the day of the week! read more

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What a great neighborhood find! The arugula salad is so light and delicious. They have one of my favorite dishes, cacio e Pepe. It was really good. A little heavy on the pepper, but still delicious. My husband had the Tuscan chicken, which was incredibly flavorful. As someone with a gluten allergy, I really appreciate that they have delicious gluten free pasta. The servers are still trying to find their way, but it's really new, so I'm sure they will work out the kinks. I think the best part is that the owner makes it a point to visit every table. He truly cares about his restaurant and is appreciative of the customers. read more

This place is new, but they already have the swagger of a restaurant that has experience, great food and knows it. You gotta try Giovanni's Bolognese. The tagliatelle is superb and the Parmesan basket it sits in is to die for. The broccolini side was about the best in memory, sauteed in garlic. Wife had the Whipped Ricotta and Tomato Fig jam, which I tried Great combination. A very tasty appetizer. The grilled basil shrimp cocktail was just okay. Bill, the proprietor stopped over to check on us. We chatted a bit and when we learned how they make their tiramisu, we just had to have some. Outstanding. And the wines we had were also very good. We'll definitely be back. read more