Storm was the best server! He was very attentive and kept the energy up! The food was 10/10.

Zarella seriously never disappoints me. This is hands down the best pizza I've had in Chicago. My absolute favorite is the tavern style mushroom and truffle pizza. It is thin and crispy like a cracker and comes covered in cheese and mushrooms with a subtle truffle flavor. I also love both their sunday salad and kale caesar. I've always had outstanding service here as well. read more

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The gnocchi is a must-get. You hear this dish often being described as pillowy, but these little beauties were somehow unbelievably light yet decadently rich. We also had the radiatore pasta in spicy vodka sauce and we were fighting over the last scoops. Don't sleep on the pizzas. We had tavern style vodka and sopressata and mortadella pizza. Absolutely amazing. Service was wonderful also. This is a must stop for Italian in town. read more

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Everything, I mean everything was exceptional. The mushroom truffle tavern is life changing. The mozzarella sticks, kale salad were all fantastic. I don't think I've ever said that about any restaurant. The crispy calamari was a 4/5 but still amazing read more

Incredible tavern style pizza! I always have to hit up one pizza place whenever I visit Chicago 2-3x per year, this time it was Zarella! We ordered and had it delivered. Was delivered on time and was still warm! We all kinda shared and got a vegan cheese pizza, a margherita pizza (both tavern style), beans, and eggplant. The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the eggplant but I think I'd like it mixed in something. The pizza crust was perfectly crisp and thin, didn't get soggy or anything! Perfectly cheesy and fresh toppings. My sisters vegan cheese pizza was so good too. And we loved the beans as well, flavored so well. SUCH a good spot, I absolutely need to come back. read more

Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna - Margherita - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Zarella was a treat when it comes to thin, crispy, cracker thin pizza. We started with the carrot dip, which was interesting. The texture was something resembling hummus with sweet and savory components. The plating was nice offering varieties of vegetables and crackers. That made for a more fun experience. Next, the main event. We ordered 1 truffle mushroom pizza and 1 spicy vodka, both with beef pepperoni. The spicy vodka is not the creamy sauce that I envisioned but still had decent flavor with the peppers and pepperoni with a dash of hot honey drizzle on top. Overall, this pizza was good but not the best. The truffle mushroom with beef pepperoni with the star of the show offering a white sauce with red onions and paired well with the mushroom and truffle flavors infused into the sauce and the salty pepperoni cut thru it. That was great and each bite had a nice crispy crunch. Finished with the butter cake that was drenched in a banana glaze and crema fresh. It was a nice end to the meal. Overall, the service was good, ambiance was nice and food tasty! read more

Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna - Signage - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We had such a lovely evening at Zarella. We enjoyed a pizza, the meatballs, carrot dip (very different but tasty, and gnocchi). I would order each dish again as they were all delicious. Overall the restaurant gave a very laid back feel and would be perfect for all groups! read more

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From the moment you walk in the door, Zarella feels like the proper Italian night out and well worth the 30 day wait to get a prime time reservation. The decor has beautiful art and dark wood all around, making it a cozy experience that's not too crowded or loud. Service is excellent and our server was attentive, making the birthday celebration of the evening extra special. The food....out of this world. One of the best tavern pizzas in the city. Food reviews: Truffle and mushroom tavern--light and well balanced. Delicate sweet notes from the red onion balance out the earthiness of the mushroom, truffle and charred crust. Cheese doesn't overwhelm the pie and compliments all ingredients with a salty bite Spicy vodka and sausage--so different than the first pie but equally as delicious! Vodka sauce has a deep flavor with only subtle heat. Sausage packs a ton of flavor. Heavier of the two pies since it had more cheese on it but my husband enjoyed Chocolate peanut butter sundae--birthday celebration treat brought by our server! Wow it's a must order. The puppy chow was an insanely smart ingredient to add for texture and bit of chocolate. Can't wait to return to try another specialty pie! read more

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Everything was excellent, service, food, drinks. Highly recommend visiting. Definitely up there with some of the best pizzas in the city. Definitely appreciate the beef pepperoni, most places don't have pork substitutes so love that. The chicken Parmesan was delicious, so were the mozzarella sticks and fried zucchini. read more

Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Yum, yum, and YUM!!!! Went here with a larger group for a surprise birthday dinner and it didn't disappoint! We had a little bit of a wait before we were able to be seated, but not too bad. We were seated in the basement level of the restaurant, which had a small bar and intimate, dark lighting. The decor is very fun, patterned, and glitzy. Our server was super kind and attentive -- wish I remembered her name! We got a wide variety of menu items, but the stand outs for me were the meatballs, mozzarella sticks (some of the best I've ever had!!!), kale cesar salad, radiatore alla vodka pasta, tiramisu, and brown butter cake. The pizzas we ordered were all good, but I wished we tried the other style crust as I think I would've liked it more than tavern style. Wished the ricotta gnocchi, while it had a great texture, had more of a basil flavor. The green river sodas were a fun touch, as I don't see that often in the city!!! Definitely a great spot for a group outing such as a birthday, or a casual dinner. Would love to try lunch here, as well as the cocktail menu. Can't wait to come back!!! read more

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The food was fine. I had higher expectations. It's got a casual pizza tavern vibe. The service was alright. Our server seemed too nonchalant and so not offer any information. They have high chairs but no kids menus. read more

Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna - Radiatore Alla Vodka - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Medium size space inside. Reservation will be good they do take walk in. Service was good. Vegetarian food review out of 5. In summer they allow dogs on patio. Fresh basil lime mocktail- 4 - refreshing Purple cocktail- 4 Gnocchi- 4 - ricotta was good and sauce was good too Tavern pizza spicy sauce -4 they made half with vegan cheese. Really good. Zucchini fries - 5 - tasty read more

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If you're looking for a pizza spot that basically aces everything and does not pinch your pocket, Zarella is the place to come. They have the warmest staff, a really good wine collection and a moody diner style ambiance perfect for any occasion.. I went for a girl's night out and we practically ordered everything on the menu and nothing disappointed. They have a unique menu for dessert with floats made with local sodas. If you're vegetarian, be sure to try their beans, fried zucchini, hot honey dressing w the spinach and artichoke pizza. For those who eat meat/fish, the calamari is refreshing! And for dessert, i recommend the brown butter cake (you'd probably eat the whole thing yourself) Will be back soon! read more

This place surprised me! We came down to the city on a Saturday. There weren't any reservations open so we ordered a pizza to-go with plans to take and eat it along the Riverwalk. I typically prefer Artisan style pizza but we went with tavern style since I figured that would be easier to eat without a proper table. Spoiler alert: it was delicious! The crust was thin and crispy and the pizza was not super oily. The sauce was some of the best I've ever tasted too! We ordered the margherita style and added red onions. They are definitely sneaky when it comes to toppings. In most cases, it's cheaper to order one of their existing combos rather than creating your own. The portion was decent. We split one pizza which was more filling than I expected. I think one pizza plus an appetizer would have been the perfect portion. Only complaint was that they didn't have any napkins or utensils available for to-go orders. read more

Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna - Margherita Tavern Style with Red Onions - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The spicy vodka was unfortunately no where to be found in the spicy vodka pizza. It was still a solid pizza nonetheless. The entirety was super crisp and what you expect out of tavern style. The fried zucchini was good as well, but flavor was quite one note between that and the side sauce read more

Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna - Spicy Vodka - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I came here to check out what people say is one of the best pizzerias in Chicago. The vibes were great during the day. Lively but still aesthetic, and I loved sitting by the window. 9/10. Service was also really good. Our server was friendly and checked on us the perfect amount. 9/10. The mozzarella sticks were the best I've ever had. Super crispy and cheesy. 9/10. The vodka pasta had perfect al dente texture and the sauce actually tasted flavorful and homemade, not just basic pasta sauce. 8.5/10. The tavern style pizza was amazing too. Super crispy and flavorful. 9/10. We added pepperoni which tasted good, but I feel like it might've been better on its own instead of mixing flavors. The honey hot sauce was amazing, definitely more honey than heat. Portions were huge! read more

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Finally, a spot that treats gluten-free crust like an art form. Dropped into Zarella's and the space immediately hits you with that effortlessly cool, dimly lit, retro-cool pizzeria energy. It's got that timeless, upscale-but-chill neighborhood charm down pat. While the regular menu looks spectacular, you need to get over here for the gluten-free crust-- it is an absolute revelation and easily one of the best in the city right now. It completely avoids the usual traps of being soggy or overly dense. Instead, you get a genuinely phenomenal, shatteringly crisp undercarriage that achieves that legendary Midwest tavern-style crunch without falling apart. Major shoutout to the crew for getting the texture so right. Pair it with a classic cocktail, grab a table downstairs if you can, and enjoy. A mandatory stop for anyone who needs a truly outstanding GF option in Chicago with zero compromise. read more

Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna - Wish I took my pics. It's beautiful and very cool space. - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

OMG. Fantastic Tavern style pizza. Zarella checks all the boxes- Great Atmosphere , Great Location -River North and top notch service @ Zarella. read more

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One of my favorite spots in river north. Delicious food. Incredible pizza. The fried zucchini is sooo yummy with the sauce. The carbonara pizza is one of my faves. Really enjoy the carrot dip as well. Definitely unique and refreshing with the veggies. A bit pricy to make your own pizza especially if you want more than just a couple toppings. But the quality is always sure to be great. Love to dine in but it's also really good with take out. read more

Five stars for the tavern style margarita pizza!! It was so good, my friends and I actually inhaled it. Cute spot, plenty of seating, good ambiance. Service was great. I would definitely come back for the pizza and I'd want to try other things. Lots of people were coming in for take out too. Highly recommend. read more

Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna - DELISH @yassiG - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Delicious dinner, can't believe I haven't been here yet! Came for a dinner club/birthday celebration. First off, we had a large group so we were sat downstairs. It had the cutest, coziest environment. I loved it. We ordered a ton of food, as seen from the pictures. My favorites: radiatore alla vodka, mozzarella sticks, calamari and the yummy sauce that came with it, meatballs, and the focaccia bread. However everything was so yummy. Our waitress was so kind and attentive too. Everything was perfect!! My drink (not pictured) was such a refreshing spritz. I definitely would come back! read more

This is some of the best taverna style pizza I have had in Chicago great thin crunchy cornmeal crust fresh ingredients and delicious sausage. I ordered to go delivery so did not get a chance to experience anything in person read more

Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna - Tavern pizza - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Zarella lived up to the hype!! Dirty martini was 10/10, very crisp. We split the meatballs and the beans which were also great but the salad was one of the best parts of the meal!! For pizzas we got the mushroom & truffle and the vodka sauce. The mushroom was the winner; the vodka pizza was pretty simple, more like just a cheese pizza. The textures on both were excellent though. Would come back here! read more

Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna - Mushroom & Truffle, Spicy Vodka - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food amazing Service amazing Ambiance amazing I cannot wait to go back. The interior is decorated beautifully and cozy. I was close to licking my plate clean, that's how delicious everything was. I can see myself coming in for a cozy family dinner or a group chat meetups. read more

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Pizza was pretty good. I wouldn't go so far to rank it amongst the best but I liked it a lot. Not your typical tavern style Friday night pizza. There's no grease albeit maintaining a noticeable flavor. It's family friendly while still being higher end. I can't recall seeing a pizza nor Italian style restaurant with a stocked bar of great whiskeys & spirits but zarella does. I didn't indulge but the liquor is there. I'd return but I've heard it's tedious to get in here. I walked right in during Friday lunch time. In closing the truffle flavor is extremely subtle but it's still a good thin crust pie. read more

Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna - MUSHROOM & TRUFFLE white sauce, tallegio, mozzarella, red onion - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My Book club came here for our meet up of the month to discuss the book that we actually didn't even read, but guess what the food and drinks were amazing so it really didn't even matter. I'm really glad that our group was able to sit at the booth. We had like a U-shaped booth that was absolutely spacious and comfortable for our group.. I love any drink drinks that have a lavender in it and my cocktail that I got from here was delicious. pro tip if you want a little bubble to it ask for some Prosecco. my waitress I was telling her about what I was interested in and she actually recommended that to me and I got like a little shot of Prosecco that I added into my cocktail and was able to add a little fizz to my drink to top it off. We tried the calamari which was delicious as well as the kale Caesar salad that was also really great and then the pizzas were delicious as well too. The mushroom and truffle pizza that we got tavern style was definitely a favorite. It can kinda get noisy in there but due to it just being such a popular place but nothing that deterred us at all since we were also yapping it up so this is perfect for going out with your friends or even a little date or if you wanna sit at the bar and chill by yourself and get some good bites in. read more

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Visited Zarella for the first time for dinner Sunday night. We made a reservation in advance. The host and staff were really friendly and the ambiance was nice - ambient music with lots of comfortable seating. We ordered the Kale Cesar, Chicken Parm, Vodka Pasta, and soppressata pizza to share. The food overall was wonderful. I liked the chicken parm and kale cesar the most. The vodka sauce pasta was more-tomatoey than others I've had (not bad, just different). Would highly recommend! read more

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My first time trying Tavern-style pizza and I really dug it!! The crust is flat and crispy, almost like a cracker, and the sauce is flavorful with just the right amount of toppings. One pizza is probably enough for two people. I tried to finish it on my own and it was definitely a lot. The staff were very friendly and attentive, and the ambience is nice, great spot to hang out with friends or even for a casual date. read more

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The interior of Zarella is so cozy and homey, definitely a great place to bring someone from out of town. Service was also helpful and accommodating, we initially walked in to sit at the bar, but they quickly sat us at a table after we were unable to find seats. I was excited to try tavern style pizza for the first time and I was not disappointed! I thought the crust was super crispy and balanced with the sauce and cheese. The radiatori alla vodka was less exciting to me, however-the sauce did not have much depth. read more

Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna - cheese tavern pizza - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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If you want some delicious tavern style pizza I highly recommend Zarella. The sopressata and mortadella one was amazing. The crust was perfectly crisp and the flavor was on point. The Sunday salad was also amazing. Very large so great for sharing! The zucchini chips were is okay. They had more of an oil taste the anything. It helped to squeeze Leon juice on top. I wouldn't order those again but I'd def go back for more pizza!!! read more

Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna - Zucchini chips and Sunday salad - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I've heard of Zarella for months due to them being recognized as one of Chicago's top pizzas, and I was so excited to finally snag a dinner reservation with them (at a reasonable time)! The ambiance is very cozy. It is dimly lit, and there are a lot of decorations that create a unique vibe. We were seated immediately, and our server was attentive throughout the night. Food-wise, we went with the Mozzarella Sticks, Radiatore Alla Vodka Pasta, and Soppressata and Mortadella Pizza. By far, my favorite dish was the pasta. It was perfectly done--there is not a single thing I would change about it. The sauce was dish, and the pasta was cooked amazingly! It had the perfect al dente texture. I wish I could eat this dish every week. The mozzarella sticks and pizza were both very solid as well. We got the pizza tavern-style but would be interested in trying their artisan style in the future! The flavors and textures were good, and I was overall pleased with the food. In general, I think Zarella deserves the hype! I don't know if I would consider them the #1 pizza spot (as ranked on Beli right now), but I do think they are worth trying for sure. read more

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Saw this place blow up on social media and had to see if it was worth all the hype. We came here for a weekend lunch around 12pm and it was busy but not super busy. We also had a reservation and wasted no time waiting to be seated. The interior was updated and had a nice chicago/pizzeria vibe. For drinks we got a beer and espresso martini. Both were pretty average and nothing worth noting. For an appetizer we got the sunday salad. This salad was a decent size for 2 people and had toppings that were not listed on the menu which was interesting trying to figure out what everything was. All of the unique toppings made it out to be a salad unlike anything we've had before with beans and different style peppers making it delicious altogether. For entrees we got the alla vodka pasta and the artesian pizza with pepperoni and sausage. I love vodka pasta but somehow found theirs to be disgusting. The sauce was extremely sweet and not something i could eat. The pizza on the other hand was probably the best artesian pizza Ive had in Chicago. The crust and underside were crispy and did not flop when you picked it up. There were also a decent amount of toppings that added full flavor. You could tell the toppings were high quality. Side note get the garlic ranch! It is some of the best ranch I've had. Overall this place had extremely good food and service. The pasta was not to my liking but my friend i shared it with liked it. The rest of the food was top tier food even for Chicago standards. I would love to come back here and check out their speakeasy! read more

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This pizza place exceeded expectations! We got a thin crispy Tavern style pizza with mushroom and Italian sausage and it was delicious! Definitely a change from the usual Chicago style pizzas that I've had in the past, but I was pleasantly surprised by the thin crispy texture of the crust! Would definitely go here again in the future! read more

Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I booked Zarella for my birthday dinner, and it turned out to be such a nice experience! The best part was that they had my birthday and name printed on the menu, which was such a thoughtful touch. We tried the Radiatori alla Vodka pasta, the tavern-style spicy vodka pizza with standard toppings, and the chicken piccata. I liked the pizza and pasta the most, both were flavorful and well made. We also got a couple of drinks. I liked how the drink menu was arranged from most crushable to most boozy-- such a fun idea! Of course, I went for the boozier one since it was my birthday. The service was quick, and overall the place felt perfect for special dinners with friends or family. I'd definitely recommend it for a celebration! read more

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Zarella was highly rated so we decided to give it a try and made a reservation. I highly recommend making a reservation as we went on a Wednesday evening at 7pm and it was very busy. After looking things over we decided on the Soppressata and Mortadella artesian style and it did not disappoint. Just the right portions of each ingredient made for a delicious pie. I was concerned the Calabrian Chili Honey would overwhelm but kitchen staff applied the perfect amount to accentuate the other flavors of the pizza and not leave a sticky mess like most pizzas with honey often do. Overall a great pizza and great experience. read more

Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna - Soppressata & Mortadella pizza - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I'd go back and just get a tavern style create your own with beef pepperoni and hot honey again because I could've devoured even more of that pizza. On another note, the vodka pie is so beyond mid. Maybe one of my least favorite vodka pizza slices :/ read more

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We had a great experience at Zarella's. The decor and ambiance really stood out beautiful wallpaper, light fixtures, and artwork that made the space feel warm and inviting. Our server was extremely nice and added to the overall positive experience. For food we ordered a tavern-style spicy vodka pizza with pepperoni, and it was very good. The thin, cracker crust had great texture and the flavors were spot on. Overall a really enjoyable visit and a place we'd definitely come back to. read more

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This probably the best tavern style pizza I've had. Thin, crispy, great crunch and the toppings are very high quality. Even distribution of ingredients and served nice and hot. Pro tip: get a side of the garlic ranch for dipping. Plentiful and a little goes a long way. Definitely worth a visit. Make reservations or come at the open because this place is busy for good reason. read more

Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna - Tavern style with sausage - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great spot totally dig the design too, I think it's one of the people from hog salt who did it. Anyway, Noah is cool as hell at the bar. Came up with the Moto buddies last weekend and we had a bunch of pizzas that were great. No complaints. See you again soon! Once this windy, trash, chilly weather in Chicago goes away for good. Spring starts next Friday! Hopefully it doesn't rain. Oh by the way, they have great cheese sticks at this place too! Tavern Pizza, chili oil, hot honey, ranch, what else do you need? That cucumber cocktail I had was great too. I think it was gin. OK bye. Check out the photos! read more

I love the kale Caesar, the mozzarella sticks, and the tavern style spicy vodka add pepperoni. I love their pepperoni isn't pork. All of there deserts are good. I've been numerous times and only had an off experience once and I think it was maybe the toppings were just too much for that order above and made it super super salty. (We added garlic and red peppers and I think cohesively it was just too salty for that pizza) every time other than that was perfect . read more