Melissa B.
Yelp
The food here was great, and I would return. It seems like they really know Italian food, more than you'd think from the cutesy name and "hotel restaurant" status it occupies.
At first, it was a bit annoying. They are understaffed, and it is apparent. One host (?) was going over a takeout order with a woman for 5-10 minutes without acknowledging our party or anyone behind us. I always find waiting in line for a while just for host stand acknowledgement a bit off-putting. Still, when the host got to us, he was polite and sat us right away without us needing reservations.
I think the service was a bit uneven. My husband ordered his drink while I was in the bathroom, so it certainly makes sense that he got it first. Still, after I ordered mine, it took about 10-15 minutes (the women next to us seemed to get their main courses 15ish minutes apart from each other too, which is unfortunate). It is definitely a creative drink, with honey, lemon, and other ingredients I forgot, plus a sage leaf to garnish! But it tasted a bit strange to me, almost like dish cleaning solution. Still, taste is subjective, especially with cocktails, so you might enjoy it and find my opinion to be "out there." BTW, the bathrooms are indeed outside of the restaurant and upstairs, then in a badly lit second floor without much signage. It's not great!
I'm still giving four stars because the food is amazing!!! The Caesar salad was a hit, with a bit of celery for some nice texture and variety (I can't believe we ordered it so soon after the Ides of March...have we no shame?!?). The pappardelle Bolognese was tremendously good, on par with what I've had in Italy. It smelled amazing, was in a sensible portion, and so packed with flavor. I think their pasta dishes in general are supposed to be terrific! And I think the waiter noticed how uneven the pacing had been for our table and others, so the main course turnaround was surprisingly quick. This is overall a great option in the Loop without being touristy or overly pretentious - just well made food! :)