La Notte Ristorante Italiano
Jodi Meyer · 142 Google reviewsLa Notte Ristorante Italiano — an italian spot in Forest Park. Candlelit and unhurried, ideal for a slow dinner. No shortcuts. You can taste the intention. Owner-operated. "The Osso Bucco was perfectly complimented by the grilled vegetables and al dente pasta" — Chad svastisalee [$$, patio]
What 277 diners keep saying
What 277 diners keep saying
verbatim, from Google
“The food here blew me away; I had a pasta that was like lasagna but in noodles! The chicken parm was also amazing! The salads were delicious! The bread was warm and fresh! The staff goes above and beyond to explain the menu and options; they also will customize to your preference. The menu has lots of options and even has some unique items that are special to the owner’s family! It’s very authentic Italian food! Everyone is so friendly and welcoming! It’s a wonderful atmosphere. I highly recommend this place!”
“Delightful for a special occasion. The kitchen is open to customer preference, adapting the menu as requested. Everything is made from scratch, with attention to detail. Nick took great care of us, answering all food allergy questions, helping navigate the menu and customize as needed. The bread was hot and fresh, the Moscato d'asti sweet and light. For those with an adventurous taste, they offered fettuccine in black squid ink sauce. My son, who is a fan of umami LOVED it, while my tastes were more traditional. The creme broulee was a perfect end to the meal.”
“Run, don't walk for a wonderful Night Out in Oak Park! La Notte is indeed a neighborhood gem located in the Carleton Hotel building. This quaint Italian eatery on Marion Street checks all of the boxes. Fresh, Authentic, Family Owned, Passionate and Flexible. The wine list was wonderful. The pasta a tasty delight, the cannoli a dream. The amazing attention to detail from Gio and his staff are reflected in the quality of ingredients and outstanding service. Our party celebrated am 8th grade graduation and it was a delight. The starters of raw oysters, grilled and fried calamari were so fresh and set the tone for a fine meal. The Osso Bucco was perfectly complimented by the grilled vegetables and al dente pasta. The homemade linguine pasta truly made the vongole (clams) and alfredo memorable. In terms of wine, the Serena Sweet Red bubbly was a bit too sugary and moved onto and really enjoyed the Tintonegro Malbec. This Mendoza provides great, taste and always pleasing on the eyes and tongue. The future looks bright and we'll definitely return to La Notte in Oak Park!”
“This was a great place for an Italian dinner, several specials. Nice comfy atmosphere. They owner stopped by our table to say hello. The server Jackie Robinson was delightful and attentive. Friendly staff, they had a nice selection of deserts, and we had their signature desert a tulip made of chocolate filled with chocolate mouse and tiramisu topped with what seemed to be home made whipped cream 😋 yummy Thanks, Jackie and Gio !!”
“It has been a long time since I have had a “dining experience!” We went to La Notte In Oak Park to celebrate my granddaughter‘s graduation. Giovanni and Jackie, (The executive chef and owner and a staff member he was training) gave us incredible service and a really lovely evening. The food was really delicious, everyone at the table was very pleased.After starting our meal with some bruschetta, that normally came with an order of four pieces, but they gave us five as they were five at our table. Small thoughtful things like that occurred all evening. Three of us had the house salad with an incredible house dressing and my son-in-law had red clam chowder he said was delicious. My granddaughter had fried soft, shell crab, my daughter and son-in-law, each had a different veal dish, my grandson had chicken Alfredo and I had a wonderful shrimp dish with a kick. There was also incredible warm Italian bread With a Parmesan and olive oil blend that was so good. We had two orders of that bread. I don’t drink, but the others shared two bottles of wine, reasonably priced, chosen by Giovanni. He served us all evening with Professionalism, fun, and humor. Finally, we ended our meal with some lovely desserts, of course we were all sharing spoonfuls and there was not one that was disappointing. Chocolate mousse was exquisite, crème brûlée was perfect, my traditional spumoni ice cream was smooth, creamy, and I am sure homemade. My son-in-law had an espresso with that same ice cream in it and a bit of whipped cream on top. We thought we were all done with our meal. When Giovanni told us to hang on a few minutes. He came back and introduced the rest of the table to limoncello. They all enjoyed this very much and it was a warm and lasting ending to our meal. I am so grateful that they made my granddaughters celebration a memory of a lifetime. Unforgettable. I highly recommend this restaurant. I am sorry there are not more pictures, we were too busy enjoying. I didn’t even think about it until dessert. Also honorable mention here for the busser, he was like a ghost appearing, and then going away again, keeping our table clear of all dirty dishes. The amount been per person includes wine, meals, tax, and tip. Very reasonable.”
“Ahhhhh. ❤️ this spot. They’ll take any menu item and make it your own. Wonderful music, Sinatra, etc. Quiet atmosphere. Great bar.”
“On June 28th we celebrated our son and daughter inlaws rehersal dinner for 40 people. Giovanni along with his staff went above and beyond making wonderful memories, evening and expirence❤️ The buffet was delicious, generous and bar was spot on. Everyone was beyond happy... I highly recommend and would give them 5 stars x 100. Thank you again to Giovanni, you and your staff are now part of our family and memories of the kids special night 🥂💍🎉❤️”
“Knowledgeable, Attentive servers. Delectable food and drinks.”
“Lowkey Italian restaurant with authentic food and a nice ambiance!”
“I am here for valentine’s day, and it took forever to get our order taken, it forever for the food to come, and overall the service was not good. The guy was friendly, but definitely understaffed. The food was hot, but the portions were small for the expensive price and underwhelming. They forgot the appetizer as well. They even took a while to bring the check.”
“Update 1/2025 - hope you like paying someone to heat up 100% frozen food. The owner bragged to a potential employee about how "stupid" their customers are that they don't know everything is frozen and showed them the line of freezers in the basement. Update 5/2021 - after moving, this place somehow managed to get worse. See my review on Victory - and I can't believe I'm saying this - but you're better off going there. The owner is completely checked out. Most everything is from a can (including the artichokes in the antipasti, or stale meat plate as it should be called - see the photo with the prosciutto that looks like it sat out all day) and the Vitello Piccata had so much salt I had to spit it out. When we asked the owner so taste it he had the nerve to say "I don't need to taste it, I know how it should taste". What? BTW - see the owner's response to my prior review and that's all you need to know about this place. --- Too expensive for both the quality, authenticity, and portion sizes. I don't know how anyone can give this place 5 stars - but, since the reviewers who did also gave "Buckingham Fountain" five stars - maybe you should try their Italian food :) It's too bad because the service is pretty good, but they are clearly only making the attempt because overpriced food means over-tipping. If you want real Italian, don't eat in Oak Park. Go downtown.”
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