Tortello Reviews

Plenty of pasta across Chicago but this one trumps them all. Handmade pasta possibly the best I have eaten outside Italy. Amazing bread and outstanding pasta must do.

Nice atmosphere, a charming host and some very tasty food. We went for the special multi-course truffle tasting menu. All the dishes were lovely; surprisingly the truffles were rather tasteless, even though they were very generous with the amount used. Despite the truffles, everything was lovely anyway. We really enjoying the chatting with the owner/chef, he was delightful. Highly recommended for wonderful pastas and more.

I’ve heard many amazing things about this place! We were shocked that they serve breakfast now (pastries and coffee) and ohmygod the authentic Italian taste truly made our morning way better! You can tell the owner truly cares about the flavors and history of Italy. Would recommend!

If you are a fan of homemade pasta, this is your spot! A husband and wife team have opened up this casually hip, small (only seven tables inside (more outside weather permitting)) absolutely fantastic pasta destination. There are about ten pasta choices, plus a daily special; meat and meatless options; a nice appetizer selection; plus wine and cocktail options and some killer dessert options. There are many unique pastas and the food is about as fresh as it gets with many imported ingredients. There is also a takeaway option as well as the opportunity to buy fresh-made pasta.

Excellent food with all pasta house-made. The tortelli with sage butter was delicious, but for the price I expected more than just 4 pieces. Outdoor seating was sweet. All in all a nice meal in a great environment.

A delight! For Europeans used to eating in the heart of Italy, tortello took up the challenge: we closed our eyes and we were in Italy. The taste, the seasoning, the fresh pasta perfectly cooked Al dente (which is rare!).

My half-Italian wife remembers when there weren't so many Italian restaurants to choose from. But that was when pizza was just becoming a fashion and Eisenhower was President. Or was it Truman? Well, that was then and this is now. My quest to find the best spaghetti dishes in Chicago is on-going and the list of Italian restaurants is never-ending. How about Tortello? Located at 1746 West Division Street, at Wood, in the Wicker Park neighborhood, it is a chef-driven open kitchen that features counter service and house-made pastas and sauces. Open from 11:30 to 9 Wednesday through Sunday and 4:30 to 9 on Monday and Tuesday, it is an authentic Italian ristorante that reminds my wife of Chuck Cavallini's in Midlothian in the 1950s. We started with Focaccia Ricotta and honey, freshly baked Focaccia topped with rosemary and served with whipped ricotta. Then marinated Castelvetrano olives with fennel, red pepper, lemon and Sicilian olive oil. For an entree, my wife chose Tagliatelle Tina, long delicate ribbons of tagliatelle with an all-natural grass-fed beef ragu topped with aged parmigiano-reggiano. I came for the spaghetti Stracciatella with home-made pomodoro sauce topped with imported Stracciatella, basil and black pepper. With meatballs, of course. In my view, spaghetti is like pizza and tiramisu. No two are alike. But they are all delicious. For dessert, we shared Tortello's tiramisu and chocolate and hazelnut cookies sprinkled with powdered sugar. We'll be back for more.

What a cute restaurant! The person behind the counter (Manager? Owner?) was SO interested in pleasing me and was so friendly! I enjoyed a lovely lunch here and found the place just charming. I just had a fennel salad and tiramisu and both were good. I appreciated the bottle of water the kind and friendly server brought to my table. I think this place is fun and good and I would definitely return. Recommended!

I saw cacio e pepe on their menu and knew I had to come and try it. I would not have expected it to be so good - the quality is very high, delicious pasta and the sauce and rustic as it should be. Friendly service and outdoor seating.

Great concept for the Italian restaurant with freshly made pasta at the front entry window. It makes the restaurant to stand out from many other restaurants in that area. I loved the small menu. The tiramisu for the desert was almost perfect ( it could have had more biscuits compared to amount of cream). The variety of Italian beverages was also impressive. I would definitely go back there. Highly recommend!

Came here with family. Pasta was too undercooked, especially on the edges. I am sure pure fresh pasta lovers will disagree, but the cost was excessive for what you got. You order at the counter, extremely limited menu, yet they look for a tip to walk it to your table. That said, the people were pleasant and the food taste was good. Only big objection is the up charge for average bread and butter with a touch of honey being $11.00. One slice each. Crazy.

Is there another city in the United States that features more outstanding Italian restaurants than Chicago? For the past eight years, since I began submitting reviews to TripAdvisor, it seems as if every week a new Italian eatery opens up on every block. One of the latest is Tortello. Located at 1746 West Division Street in the Wicker Park neighborhood, at Hermitage, west of Ashland, east of Wolcott, it is open from 11:30 to 9:30 Tuesday through Sunday and from 5 to 9:30 on Monday. "Hand-made with love" is the motto created by husband-and-wife owners Dario Monni and Jill Gray and veteran chef Duncan Biddulph, who has worked at some of the finest restaurants in Chicago and was listed among "Best Chefs America" in 2013. Tortello specializes in house-made pasta and sauces from an open kitchen and served at a counter for casual dining or takeout. My wife and I started with delicious and fresh focaccia bread with ricotta and honey and shared a signature Tortelli pasta filled with burata and topped with butter, sage and toasted hazelnuts. For a main course, my wife chose lasagna with bolognese, squash, kale and ricotta. I gave a thumb's up to a plate of spaghetti served with pomodoro, stracciatella and basillico. Who needs meatballs when it tastes like this? For dessert, we shared portions of tiramisu and panna cotta. House-made pasta is becoming a trend in Italian restaurants, especially new ones, and it seems to be gaining popularity.

It doesn't break 3 legs to a duck.. pasta yes but not of the to believe in Italy either! But it was on the road .. so we tested!

In Italy it is difficult to find places like this to eat, finding a pearl like this in America is a rarity.

I wasn't sure I was prepared for this style of dining. But the food was so good, it didn't matter. Tortello, which opened in 2019, is a chef-driven but casual counter-serve restaurant where chef Dario Monni and his wife Jill Gray make everything in-house, pastas and sauces coming from an open kitchen and served at a counter for casual dining at a table or takeout. Located at 1746 West Division Street in Chicago's West Town/Wicker Park neighborhood, Tortello is open from 4:30 to 9 on Monday, 11:30 to 9 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On this occasion, for lunch, I decided to take my food home--about a 15-minute drive--and use my microwave if reheating was necessary. I ordered marinated olives with red pepper, lemon and Sicilian olive oil, freshly baked Focaccia topped with rosemary and served with whipped ricotta, olive oil and honey, spaghetti with house-made marinara sauce and topped with stracciatella, basilco and black pepper, and classic tiramisu with espresso-soaked lady fingers surrounded by sweetened whipped cream and mascarpone with chocolate powder on top. The spaghetti was delicious--and it didn't have to be microwaved.

We learned about Tortello from a TV show that recommends local businesses to patronize. We are life long lovers of Italian food and thought we’d try a new spot. Everything is made fresh in house and the owner is so helpful and passionate about his food! You walk in and place your order at the counter where you can also order meal kits to go, fresh pastas, sauces, and many high quality imported Italian specialties. We ordered two different Negroni cocktails and the house specialty Tortelli, a duck orecchiette, and rosemary focaccia with ricotta cheese topped with honey and olive oil. Everything was so fresh and delicious and the owner explained each dish as it came out to our table. His love and enthusiasm for the food is so genuine and adds even more to the dining experience. You can watch the homemade pasta being made in their storefront window! We finished the meal with a perfect cappuccino and tiramisu. We decided to order a meal kit to go as well as a cacio e pepe sauce. This is a special gem of a place and we look forward to our next visit.

An absolute must, a hidden gem for fresh pasta lovers ! We go there often as freshly made pastas and tasty raggus are truly outstanding. I especially love the small chiusoni pastas with the saffron sauce. It's also fun to watch the staff making the tricky shaped pastas in front of you ! A little pricey but well worth it!!

Fresh made pasta and amazing authentic Italian sauces made with premium ingredients. Owner is friendly and spent time explaining his background and information about each dish and its ingredients. Wonderful delicious meal. We also bought fresh pasta and sauce to go. Will return!

We met friends here for dinner on a lovely late spring evening. Division Street was hopping! We had a great experience. There was a wait for a table, but we were able to order a cocktail and enjoy it on a bench nearby, enjoying the weather. They have nice wines and a few spritz beverages; the Campari spritz and Cynar spritz were both perfect, served in tumblers. You order at a counter, but the quality of food is way better than you’d expect from that arrangement. We had a great feast! The focaccia with cheese and honey was perfect; a tray of cured meats was also tasty, but would have been better with some crackers or bread. We had four awesome pastas: a dough of semolina and water had great bite, and its Sardinian-style cream sauce with saffron was unusual and delicious. The tagliatelle with beef ragu was a favorite, as was the stracci with pork and balsamic. Another pasta with a slightly space sauce and lobster was also great; the seafood flavor was light. Service (they bring food to the table after you order at the counter) was attentive, and the proprietor was warm, welcoming, and full of pride. We enjoyed watching the pasta being made by hand in the window. A delightful addition to Division Street—worth a visit!

I think carry out is a bad idea for this restaurant. Our food was cold, which made it difficult to appreciate the unique flavors of the 4 entrees we purchased.

The pasta was amazing and the service was perfect. I love the way they prepare fresh pasta every day!! You must try this place in Chicago, absolutely fantastic!!!