Cefalu Seaside Sicilian

We celebrated our birthdays at Cefalu and absolutely loved it. The atmosphere is perfect for any kind of celebration, from date nights to birthdays and baby showers, with great food, cocktails, and live music. The Prosciutto & Burrata was delicious, and the cacio e pepe bucatini served tableside in a flaming cheese wheel was unforgettable. We’re already planning our next visit because there’s so much more on the menu to try. I've been to Italy, but not the seaside and now I want to make that a reality! The live music was great! Looks like great happy hour deals too! Can't wait to go back!

We live close by & finally tried this place which had changed hands again a couple years ago. We arrived on a Saturday night close to 6 pm without reservations so our only option was to eat at the bar. Nice decor and vibe. We really enjoyed the food and atmosphere. The bartenders got busy quick so the service could have been more attentive but they were pleasant. The presentation of each dish was impressive. Live music began at 7 pm - a smooth duet of a singer and keyboardist. We liked the international song repertoire that makes you feel like you’re on vacation but if you’re looking for a quiet place to talk it got louder as they went on. A bit on the pricey side but good size portions. We plan to go back and sit in the dining room. A good place for family gatherings and special occasions. The pizzas looked amazing and were reasonably priced.

Food, service, and ambiance was impeccable. Staff were very friendly as well as the GM. Had a chance to thank him, his name was Michele. Nice to see a leader on the floor hands on supporting the team. Had the pecorino pizza, meatballs, cannoli dip, chocolate lava cake and some wine. Nice wine selection. Danny the bartender top notch as well.

Cefalù blew me away. The food was fresh, flavorful, and the portion sizes were no joke—you definitely won’t leave hungry. They serve real Sicilian dishes, not watered-down versions, and everything from the appetizers to dessert was on point. The place itself looks amazing—clean, sharp, and comfortable. The staff was super friendly and attentive, made me feel right at home. They also have free valet, which was a nice bonus and made getting in and out easy. The crowd that night was wholesome and laid-back, good energy all around. No drama, no noise—just people enjoying good food and company. I’ll 100% be back, and I’m already thinking about hosting a big event here. If you want legit Sicilian food with great service and a relaxed atmosphere, this is the spot.

We tried Cefalu for the first time. There was a private party being served and the main dining room was being used. The bar area is a great place for spacious dining. We didn't get a regular server because of this party. Instead we got an apology and then the best service from a non-server! Attentive, prompt and very friendly. A bumpy start turned into a delicious meal and fantastic desserts. The manager checked with us to be sure everything was okay. The starter was called Parmigina, it was delicious! I like to order old school menu items at a new restaurant. So I had the Chicken Piccata. It was a happy smell and taste of long ago and missed recipes! My wife had the Roasted Salmon and loved it. She said the salmon was cooked perfect, like many of the places she tries. She said the Herb Butter Sauce made good salmon, fantastic salmon. We also ordered a side of the Smashed Potatoes, we weren't disappointed! Dessert was the Tiramisu (wife). Do yourself a favor and have one. The best of the local Italian restaurants, imo. I had the Chocolate Lava Cake with vanilla gelato, another hit. Nice wine list.

We had a private event at Cefalu and it could not have been more perfect. Working with Caroline was a dream and the staff so professional. Food was excellent and the decor was out of a magazine. Highly recommend

We had a party of 9 and couldn't have been more pleased. Most people ordered differently and absolutely no one had any complaints. I would recommend it for a larger group. We have been there before as a pair and it was also good. Its not a place for intimacy, its more vibrant, still romantic, but is usually busy. (A great sign.) However, if busy, expect to wait a bit, those waitresses are working hard ;). I would recommend what ever looks good to you because, so far, it all been good. They also do wood-fired pizzas. (Which are my favorite style) If you order the brick chicken make sure you are hungry.

Great atmosphere, food was just like what we had in Sicily- great quality and tasted delicious! Outstanding service. We went during happy hour and had a party of 5 - loved being able to share all these different dishes - definitely will be back!

So good! One of the best pizzas I've had in a while! The atmosphere was cozy and the service was friendly and attentive. Definitely coming back!

I'll start by saying I work in healthcare and deal with high emotions every shift so am exceptionally forgiving and understanding of anyone working in the service industry or with the public, but this was traumatic. This experience made me decide to never go out for V Day ever again. Reservation for 7pm...line to hostess stand barely moving as none of the 3 of them look up to greet us as they seem disorganized and confused by the iPad seating technology in front of them. Total mess as we are staring at multiple open tables for 20+ minutes. We get seated. Waitress comes to take our orders like we're at a diner at 2am. No introduction, no personality just "what can I get you?" Order drinks, app, meals - other tables are commenting at this point how terribly long we've been waiting. Tables around us have to-go bags and we're still waiting on the app. Time between app and dinner is about an hour. My octopus is cold. At no point during the wait did the waitress apologize or give us any updates. It was clear she was avoiding us as I'm sure she realized it was taking so long and seemed awkward. Ironically the manager himself brings us our entrees so I decide to bring up the shortfalls starting with saying I'm overly understanding of the service industry. This man was so unapologetic and blamed the kitchen being backed up on a holiday. The problem wasn't just the kitchen. It was mostly the lack of warmth and any personality in this restaurant. All of that is fine and somewhat understandable. Shame on me for expecting good service on a busy holiday, but seeing this lack of service recovery from the excuse-filled manager himself made me realize I'm not dealing with a classy establishment. No wonder there are no people skills from the host stand to the server when this is their leader. Time for the bill. I'm thinking they could really redeem themselves with at least something comped. Nothing. And to make it worse, the server disappears with our card for 10 minutes..no communication on wtf just happened. At this point, I just see the finish line in sight and can't wait to just leave. Side note: another couple 2 tables from us had the same experience, went up to the manager, and received the same poor treatment. Never again at this place. They need a whole course in efficiency and service recovery from the hosts to the servers to the management, but I certainly will never be back and won't recommend to anyone.

Just got home from the restaurant. It is a big restaurant and it was packed. Our server Yurdonna was wonderful. Very helpful professional and friendly as was the bus person she worked with. Not sure I spelled her name correctly and I never learned his. But they were a credit to the restaurant. Food was good! Limited selection on some items but what our group had was well received. Staff was super friendly. Not the best pork chop I ever had but it was good. Well prepared. We were a group of 8 and treated very well. Not hurried. We were celebrating the loss of a cousin. Lots of memories in a nice place to remember. The restaurant is very big. Quite modern. Looks as if the restraint was completely gutted and redone from the last resident. Only thing I had trouble with was the long walk from the front to where we were seated. I managed. But as a handicapped man it was a long walk.

First time to actually have a sit down dinner. The place is nice, nice night to dress up a bit. Service is great very attentive. For the food. The Grilled Octopus is still a favorite, cooked and seasoned perfectly. Arancini is very tasty and the Seafood Salad was great! I didnt like the Risoto its cooked in asparaguz and parmesan. Its weird for me. Would still come back just for the octopus tho. Happy eating!

My family actually came to America from the small town in Sicily that this restaurant is named after, so we were thrilled to try it. After visiting a few times, and also attending a bridal shower hosted by Cefalu Seaside, I finally remembered to leave them a glowing review. The food is a bit pricey, but overall very tasty. That said, the ambiance is really my favorite part. It's so bright and crisp feeling. If you make a reservation, you can ask for the "tree table," which is a truly unique table built around a tree near the center of the dining room. The service is also wonderful. Their marketing team deserves a special mention as well- they're hilariously creative. From Labubu events to Elf on the Shelf events, it's clear they're making a thoughtful effort to attract a younger crowd, and I hope it's going well for them.

When a modern, airy Sicilian spot gets the vibe and flavors right but still needs a little polish, you get Cefalù Seaside Sicilian. We came in for Sunday lunch right after church, and the space is undeniably beautiful--bright, spacious, clean, and styled with that sleek city-restaurant aesthetic you don't often find in the suburbs. There was a baby shower going on, so seating was a bit limited, but even then the atmosphere felt inviting and upscale. Service * Friendly and warm, but could use refinement on the small touches * Slower with clearing plates, swapping silverware, and general pacing * Attentive enough overall, but not quite as polished as the space suggests Food * Arancini - huge portions; flavor is decent, but the oversized balls make it feel heavy and a bit sloppy * Brick Chicken - tasty and well-seasoned; just know it's basically half a chicken. Great flavor, massive portion * Veal Milanese - crispy, cooked well, good potatoes; could really benefit from a sauce to tie everything together * Branzino - the standout of the meal. Beautifully filleted, tender, with avocado cream and a bright sauce. I'd come back just for this * Chicken Piccata - lemony, flavorful, and executed well * Risotto - comforting and nicely seasoned * Chianti - a solid pairing for the richer entrées Verdict Cefalù Seaside Sicilian has real potential to be a destination spot in Elk Grove Village. The space is stunning, portions are generous, and several dishes truly shine--especially the branzino. Service polish and entrée refinement would easily elevate this from a 3.5 to a full 5-star experience. For now, it's a solid four stars. I'd return for the branzino and a relaxed Italian meal, but I'm not rushing back just yet.

Got the opportunity to try this place finally, in Elk Grove Village that has been on my list for weeks. Fantastic sicilian restaurant that it worth every minute and penny on it. The waitress that took care of us, she was on point and attentive to all needs we had for dinner. We ordered the charcuterrie board and the Arancini for starters. The Arancini was amazing and full of flavor, done incredibly crispy and the filling was amazing, the charcuterie board was on perfect size to share with everyone and have a nice talk before the main dishes. The bread and sticks were incredible to eat with olive oil and cheese. For main dishes we got different plates to share, the caccio peppe, the pasta norma, the funghi pizza, the octopus (the star of the meal and fresh, something difficult to achieve in a lot of places that I tried before) and the salmon (it was the least favorite of all of them and still it was great). For dessert we got the tiramisu and the cannoli, not too sweet and have a perfect balance with flavours of the ingredients. The best part? For 4 people having that amount of food we racked close to 300$ with tips, it wasn't that bad on pricing and the food quality matches with what is paid. Don't miss the opportunity the try this place in the suburb. I feel that not all the time the best things are in the big city, surprisingly can be outside too

I haven't been back to Elk Grove Village for a bit and this spot always seems to have a lot of turnover - but I can genuinely say I hope Cefalu makes it here and stays for a long time! The ambience is stellar - so posh, hip and "instagrammable" too. Just a fun vibe from any seat including from the big bar at the front of house. The food is tasty with a few vegetarian options as well - I recommend the polenta. Staff is accommodating, approachable and speedy. Just a lovely place to go especially for an event like a wedding shower or we even saw a kids birthday party happening here during our stop in.

Beautiful interior, food is delicious. Ordered the chicken it was amazing. I will be back.

The restaurant is massive! There were three different seating areas that gave off a contemporary seaside vibes. We had reservations on a Saturday night to celebrate our friend's birthday and our server was very attentive. We ordered the 360 day aged prosciutto to start off with but were very disappointed to learn that they did not prepare it tableside. The fresh burrata wasn't as creamy as we were also expecting. We also ordered the fritto misto and arancini to share as appetizers. For an entree I ordered the 22oz prime bone-in ribeye and was able to substitute the roasted mash potatoes for the puree ones. The steak was so juicy and tender. The pistachio creme brulee was so delicious, we almost ordered a second one. The best part of the meal came when the server surprised my friend with a deconstructed cannoli dessert with sparklers for her birthday.

Lovely experience at Cefalu! I've been trying to get here and was not disappointed. The restaurant space is beautiful and elegant. We started with 360 day aged prosciutto which was excellent and great starter for 4 people. We opted for pastas and pizza for our entree and was not disappointed. I had the tagliatelle Gorgonzola which was substantial, creamy, and delicious. My husband had the pecorino pizza, someone had the cacio e pepe, and the orecchiette which were all excellent dishes. They also offer gluten free pasta which is an accommodating touch. Great wine options! Dessert was rainchecked this trip, but plan to devour next visit.

The ambiance is above par! Beautifully decorated and designed. Service was very friendly and personable. The food was fresh, flavorful and met all of our expectations.

Our server; Reubn, was very pleasant and attentive! The food, drinks and dessert were delish! The ambiance was wonderful! We celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary here. Highly recommend!

Came here to celebrate a friend's birthday on a Saturday evening. First impression - it was very loud because there was a live singer right at the entrance so our celebrant asked if we could sit away from the live performance. To start, we got the chopped salad, fritto misto, and bruschetta with added burrata. Overall everything was fine. The salad was disappointing. The bruschetta was served like a pizza. It was basically a circle of fried dough with diced tomatoes on top which was interesting. For my entree I got the tagliatelle which was also fine. Portions here are good in my opinion. I got a spirit free strawberry lemonade (forgot the name) and it was very refreshing! Service also could've been a bit more attentive but it was busy and we were a group of 8 so I understand.

Great ambiance, excellent food. We sat at the bar and service was good. Grilled octopus, mussels, arancini, old fashions. All excellent. Highly recommend as an option vs Lucia rose which is also great for the area.

A fabulous new-for-us Sicilian restaurant. We enjoyed every part of Cefalu Seaside Sicilian restaurant in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. We have been to Cefalù Sicily a couple of times. And, being of Sicilian heritage I just had to give it a try! Entering the large and open restaurant we see a bar with live entertainment on one side, a small private room with one table on the other side, then the kitchen area and pizza oven ahead. The main seating area was open, bright and spacious. And I noticed another private bar area. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente and the wine was excellent. Next time I look forward to trying seafood. I highly recommend and will return when we are back here in this area.

I came here just after 5pm on a Tuesday and I just barely missed their happy hour which is between 3-5. The atmosphere for the entire place was modern and chic it is really inviting. Plenty of parking and outdoor seating. The bar was poppin during HH so be sure to get there early. I sat at the main dining area in the back by the brick oven pizza area and ordered the Fritto Misto which consisted of fried calamari, shrimp and scallops. At first glance $26 for an appetizer is steep, but the plate was huge it can easily be shared among 2-4 people. The seafood was so fresh, the batter was nice and light and the seasoning was just perfect. It felt like I was in the Mediterranean seaside eating it. I was way stuffed from just this appetizer alone I couldn't get to order the main, but I'll be sure to return. The service was great and the free bread and cheese sticks were a classy touch.

Food was excellent! Ambience is perfect for family dinners, date night, or GNO. The pizza was delicious - I'm not usually a crust kinda gal but the texture was perfection. We would like to come back and try the other pizzas. Cacio E Pepe was rich so if you're looking for something light, this isn't it. Orecchiette has so much garlicky goodness to it. I would've liked the pasta more on the al dente side but that's just my preference. Flavor on both were great.

Looking for a half way spot to meet friends for dinner last weekend, we chose Cefalu. The inside of the restaurant is really pretty - open kitchen and very airy. If it had been warmer out - I would recommend eating on the very large patio. Across the table - we enjoyed the various wines we got. For appetizers - we shared the Fritto Misto and Crispy Shrimp Involtini. Both a little too fried for my liking, but the others really enjoyed. For entrees - I got the Risotto w/ asparagus and my husband got the Gorgonzola Pizza. Both entrees were delicious - enough so that we would definitely come back. The catch of the place is that they do a lot of parties. Our table of 4 was small compared to the communion / birthday paties of 15-20 people. It's definitely a great place to come if you are celebrating with a large group. Even have a private room of ~40 to accomodate.

We celebrated my wife's birthday. The food, drinks, atmosphere and service were great! #iraeats #iraeats1

Celebrated a friend's birthday. Great energy, quick service, and a menu full of tasty options. Drinks to dessert hit the mark.

We dined at a CEFALU this past Friday night. We chose to sit in the bar area in a corner booth, close to the entertainment. We ordered the chicken Parmesan and asparagus Parmesan risotto. The chicken was a good amount of cheese on top. However, the pasta serving could have been larger for sure. Tomato sauce was tasty but nothing exceptional. The risotto dish was very tasty. However, the amount of asparagus was an EXTREMELY small amount Not only were there only FOUR pieces of asparagus, but the size was cut very very small. See photo I should have said something when both managers stopped by to ask how things were going, but I did not think of it. The service was very good, The waitress brought as extra bread without asking and was very good filling up the water also without asking. The restaurant was quite loud due to a very large group next to us but we expected that. The singing trio was entertaining and nice to have live music. The ambience was pleasant and enjoyed the colorful bar area. I would definitely go back again, but would choose different food items next time.

HAPPY HOUR REVIEW My partner and I came to Cefalu for their T-F 3-5pm happy hour special. They offer 50% off their food menu (excluding grill portion, veil milanese, and cefalu brick chicken) as well as $5 spritz, house wine (cab and two white options), and domestic beers. WOW! The inside of this restaurant is HUGE! There are multiple dining sections as well as a main bar, cozy lounge, private wine room, and private party space. I loved the open kitchen, art deco/coastal aesthetic, and overall color palette. We started with the two spritz options: aperol spritz and lemoncello spritz. Our first round of drinks were slightly better and more spirit forward than our second round. Next we ordered the arancini and meatball as our starter. These were a good portions for (2) people but would be small for a larger group to share. The arancini had peas and meat mixed in the middle which was a great touch to lighten and brighten the dish. The meatball was dense but i enjoyed the sauce ratio it came with. Next we split the orecchiette pasta and pecorino pizza. The pasta was not my favorite but the pizza was amazing! For all my pizza and ranch people out there, get the truffle cream sauce on the side to dip! *chefs kiss Overall, i thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Cefalu. I would certainly come back for the happy hour experience as no where else in the area can compete. Our server Katherine was so sweet and equally was attentive and gave us space to enjoy. My only critique is to make the drinks more consistent tasting.

Food, cocktails and so much fun! Live music and entailment for everyone even the kids have fun!

Great music- a little loud but fun. Our waitress, Mishel, was amazing. Friendly, helpful and attentive. Started with the best bruschetta I have ever had- get it with the buratta. Got the sea bass. Very good. My husband ordered the chicken parmigiana - excellent. The pistachio crème brûlée was unique and delicious. I think I would order a bunch of apps. Also the Sicilian dirty Martini was the perfect dirty martini! Great service, great food! Will be back!!

Cefalu Seaside Sicilian has a great ambiance. We went for happy hour and it did not disappoint. Food was delicious. Great drink specials too. Service was outstanding.

3.5 - This review is based off of dining in during happy hour (Tuesday - Friday, 3-5pm 50% off food items, not including grilled items and $5 house wines) Cefalu is decorated with calming and breezy seaside vibes. The restaurant is spotless and was designed very well. My fiance and I were here for a late lunch (3:30pm) and we were in and out within an hour and a half. Staff members were attentive and timed everything out well. Our water glasses were replenished multiple times and dirty plates were replaced with clean ones during each course. We both ordered red wines however we didn't realize the 1s we chose were not part of their happy hour deal, oops! Tip - make sure to order a HOUSE wine if looking to partake in the happy hour wine special. For food we started with a Cesar salad. It was a pretty standard Cesar salad but the portion was VERY small. Next we shared the chicken picatta and bucatini cacio e Pepe. The chicken was slightly on the dryer side but the flavors made me look past that. The bucatini is freshly made and cooked al dente. I really enjoyed both dishes. I'm not sure if portions come smaller due to happy hour, but if that is the full portion they seem to be on the smaller side for how pricey it is outside of happy hour.

On our bucket list for two years, my Sicilian friend and I finally made it there Saturday night. Our reservation was for 6:30 and it was already completely full. Amazing since the capacity of the main restaurant had to be at least 200 & their small private rooms were all full also. Fortunately, we started with ordering only a drink and appetizer, the Fritto Misto to share. It was such a generous portion of shrimp, scallops, and calamari served with a delicious lime aïoli. So satisfying, we decided to only split a PASTA NORMA,tomato sauce, fried eggplant, basil, ricotta salata. Excellent choice however it was the end of our plans to try a few different items. Luckily we found just enough room to try the AFFOGATO, hot espresso poured over vanilla gelato and the exceptional chocolate gelato. . They've gone to great lengths to create a seaside Sicilian atmosphere. A great place for any size party! The staff went beyond expectations to make us feel welcome, (especially for a busy Saturday night) from the hostess to the dual managers who each stopped at our table to chat & make sure we were well taken care of. When we left about 9:30, the bar area was jumping with people dancing to the live music. Will certainly return and bring new friends.

had a reservation and got seated right away. came around 6:00 and it was a little busy. got seated outside as they asked if we had a preference. started off with some waters. waited a little and then got asked if we wanted some drinks. ordered an appetizer of the bruschetta and was disappointed. i read what it was implying but not what i was expecting. had to pay extra for cheese so we didn't get it. there was one basil leaf and the rest tomatoes which was a lot and made the bread soggy. asked for balsamic on the side and only made it a little better. for entrees we got the filet which was really good id recommended and also got the pasta norma, it was good just was expecting more eggplant. drinks we got a coke and gazosa which was also really good. the inside is really nice just probably would come back for soemthing else. waiting for food did take a bit as well.

Food was 4 stars. Service - 3*We had reservations at 7 and were seated at 8. They were out of many items from the menu. Knowing that they had so many reservations that day, they should've been prepared, but seemed as they were new in the restaurant business.

My recent dining experience at CEFALÙ was a blend of delightful highlights and a few areas for improvement, but overall, it was a memorable evening. The Good: * The evening began with freshly baked bread and breadsticks that were warm, moist, and incredibly fresh--a fantastic start to the meal that set high expectations. * Our server was excellent--sweet, attentive, and genuinely helpful throughout the evening. * The clams busiate was the highlight of the night. The sauce was phenomenal, and I loved every bite. * The octopus was another standout dish. It was perfectly cooked and paired beautifully with roasted potatoes and a smooth potato leek purée. A touch of lemon and salt brought the flavors together perfectly. The Misses: * The swordfish carpaccio was visually appealing, and the capers and tomatoes added nice elements, but the fish itself lacked seasoning. A bit more seasoning of the fish would have made it shine. * The beefsteak tomato salad was underwhelming. I've enjoyed this dish at other restaurants where it's served with fresh mozzarella. Here, it was just chopped tomatoes with balsamic vinaigrette, which felt incomplete. * For dessert, we had marinated strawberries with gelato. While the gelato was creamy and flavorful, the strawberries weren't marinated as described--they were simply fresh fruit, which was a bit disappointing. Service and Hospitality: Cheryl, the manager, added a personal touch to the experience by stopping by to ask for feedback. She was very open to listening and showed great hospitality by taking the dessert off the bill after hearing our thoughts, which I really appreciated. Ambience: CEFALÙ has an absolutely amazing vibe that transports you straight to Sicily. The decor, lighting, and atmosphere all come together to create an experience that feels like dining on a beach in Italy. From the warm, inviting tones to the subtle coastal touches, every detail seems thoughtfully curated. It's the kind of place where you can unwind, savor your meal, and momentarily forget that you're not actually sitting by the Mediterranean Sea. Perfect for anyone craving an authentic and immersive Italian dining experience! Final Thoughts: CEFALÙ has strong potential with its warm service, exceptional bread, and standout dishes like the clams busiate and octopus. With a bit more attention to detail in seasoning and staying true to menu descriptions, this restaurant could become a go-to dining destination. I look forward to returning and seeing how they continue to refine their offerings!

What a beautiful restaurant! Truly a gem in the suburbs! The ambiance here is so lovely and the food is fantastic--particularly the seafood! You can't go wrong with any dish here and the drinks are also incredible. I will be back!

Rusbin was amazing and he knew about cappuccino only in the morning he said that is a professional waiter also Mr Mike from Triggiano was awsome too . We will be back ,the DI DIANA FAMILY

We had a such a great night here! We booked the wine room they let us decorate it and bring our own dessert. Ana our waitress was amazing!!! She was so attentive and sweet! We all loved her! Food goes without saying perfect! Live music was also a hit! Can't wait to come back.

Happened to be driving by and spotted this place, circled back and went in. It did not disappoint! It's beautiful on the outside and the interior. The vibe is perfect! All three of our drinks were fantastic. I especially enjoyed the Passione. The staff was incredibly attentive and the food items we ordered were delicious. We ordered the wedge salad, Fritto misto grilled, and the burrata/prosciutto with a yummy cheese focaccia to spread it on. We were there for lunch so we just got a couple of things to snack on but we will definitely be back to try more entrées, pastas and pizza. They also had a really great happy hour menu with amazing pricing also.

Minuscule menu with portions to match. Overpriced. Wanted to try Cefalu for some time and today I found I wasn't missing anything. Had salmon that was a bit dry. Nothing special with maybe 1/8-1/4 cup spinach. Atmosphere is bright and pleasant but not a reason for their prices. I should add, I was here for lunch. Save your money. Once us enough for me. Not going back.

The staff and servers were amazing, and the food was absolutely outstanding, every dish was delicious and beautifully presented. I highly recommend Cefalù to anyone looking for a warm, welcoming atmosphere paired with exceptional service and fantastic cuisine.

Tonight, we wanted to try somewhere new near Elk Grove Village. We decided on Cefalu. Initially, walking in, we noticed the bright white decor, trendy looking bar, and the hostess. We were seated immediately for our party of 6 and were given menus. The menu is fairly limited. There are a few pastas, a few steaks, a few salads, a few fish dishes, etc. I went with the 8oz Sirllon with a side of smashed potatoes and wild mushrooms. The others got a pizza, chicken Parmagian with a side of French Dippers (French fries), Busiate with a side of broccoli, and Cefalu Rizzo. The wild mushrooms, smashed potatoes, French Dippers, and bread were good. Slightly plane, but good. The broccoli was awful. Not one of us liked it. Extremely bitter! Yuck!. 6 people couldn't finish the small side of broccoli. My sirloin had a decent flavor, but my medium ordered steak was completely dried out and relied on the little bit of sauce under the steak to provide any kind of moisture. I can't recommend it. The other person really liked his Chicken Parmigian. Good flavor and chicken was moist. The pizza was decent. It's thin with pecans on it. The Busiate was described as middle of the road but fairly bland. The other person liked her Cefalu Rizzo, but thought it wasn't worth the price paid. I tried their Rose' wine. It was descent but not worth $12 a glass...$8 would have been more fitting. We noticed almost instantly that the music was way too loud. If patrons have to yell or have a hard time hearing to converse....it's way too loud. The service was very slow. It took over 20 minutes to get our check after we asked for it. The server was polite but never checked on the food, and I had flagged her down for the one refill of soda I received. A few of us never got water refills and couldn't find the server. The quality and flavor of the dishes were not worth the price. Not even close. I'll give this establishment 0 stars for service, 2 stars for food, and 2 stars for pricing. I recommend skipping Cefalu. It is not worth the time nor the price.

I went to cefalu with my family for the first time last night. We sat down and no one came up to our table for 15 minutes. My grama flagged down a nearby waitress and said can you get our waitress/waiter and her response was "oh you are ready to order?" And my grama said no, no one has come to our table yet. So then a young girl comes up to the table and starts to take our orders and halfway through another waiter comes up and says he is our waiter and then finishes our order. Extremely confusing and weird. My grama and papa ordered their main dish and a salad. And I did the same. I got my salad before my meal, but they brought my Grama's salad with our main meal. Very weird and way out of order. My grama told the 1 of the 3 servers that she wanted it before and she said oh we can box it up for you. Like box up a salad? So it can be all soggy? No thank you. So we begin eating our meal, this older woman comes up to our table and asks how everything is and my grama being older tells her a little bit of what's going on. She says she would get the manager. We said it's okay our food is here no big deal. So as we are eating this women (who we assumed was a manger) is gathering all our 3 servers and pointing at our table. Keep in mind we are still eating at this point and she comes over 3 Separate times and keeps bothering us while we are eating. We are about halfway done with our food and (who we think is our server) already starts handing us desert menus. We get the bill and it is $200! I got chicken piccata the portion size was enough for a dog, my girlfriend got clams and pasta which she says was like eating buttered noodles. Overall do no not go to this place. The service is awful, the food is overpriced and serving portions are way too small. You want a great Italian place ? Go to MARINOS right down the street. Get your moneys worth and stay away from here. Service sucks, food sucks and it is overhyped.

If bad attitudes are your thing this is the spot. Only one person we dealt with was pleasant, the others were in fact very rude. The place was wide open but the hostess had some feelings about us not having a reservation for no reason. The water boy and our server both had dirty shirts and we were sat right next to dirty plates when again the whole restaurant is open. Our server was nice at first but when the salad I asked for without anchovies came with anchovies he was upset I didn't want it. The busser flung table crumbs across the table when clearing. The calzone and bread/oil was good but the service here is atrocious. Our server kept trying to run away with the tablet as I tried to pay.

Wow. Best past dish since my Italy trip. Where did this place come from? What a treat. First and foremost the staff was amazing and attentive and humorous without being annoying. (That's a thing right?). Beautiful decor and cool vibes all about the joint. The seafood appetizer had VERY fresh calamari, shrimp, and scallops. Too much for two people. And my large penne dish with beef pork and veal ragu???? Fahgetaboutit. Eat here be happy. MANGA!

I visited again with my office colleagues for a social fun dinner! Our drinks especially coconut margaritas were really good. All our appetizers, entree and dessert were also good. Our server was very good with order recommendations and service. Last time, I sat inside closed room and didn't get much time to look around interiors but this time, we got table to near the center of the restaurant and it was nice vibe, especially with live music on. I want to try their happy hour next.

The ambiance here was so fancy-chic! You walk into the bar area first which was confusing but once you get seated it's so open and beautiful. The decor was very thought out, from the walls to the plates everything was very Sicilian! The service was great as well our waiter told us every wine pairing for all the food we asked for and the owner came up and greeted us. The food was good! I got the steak and it was cooked to perfection, the potatoes were super good as well, love a good mash. The sides were an extra charge if I wanted more veggies and it was a pricy meal, but overall very good. Would come again but knowing it'll be a pricy dinner!

We went back yesterday, much improvement since last time we were there. The octopus was good, although very few pieces. We were unhappy with the arancini, as they were not made as they should be, and the rice very overcooked. The salad was good. Most impressive was the service by Bridgitte. She was very professional, attentive, kind. The restaurant is beautiful and welcoming, there need to be some fine tuning, with menu, preparation, prices.

Really wanted this to be good, but it fell short. Went for happy hour and the waitress was not attentive. Got a couple Spritz's and ordered an appetizer that never came. We both got pasta that tasted ok, but nothing to brag about. The desserts were creative but again, nothing to brag about. They also advertise that from 3-5 their menu is half off but our pastas were on our receipt as full price. They seem to be doing a modern Italian, but it did not work well. Service overall was not good and the food was subpar for how pricey it is. Happy hour would be worth it to come here for, but not for full price. Also both my friend and I got sick after eating here. I would not recommend it and probably won't be back.

They might be reading these reviews, or he might just be hiding from me, but the angry general manager I've read about wasn't here. In fact, everyone was very friendly- our waiter included! The Bruschetta was delicious, and definitely something I'd order again (during their happy hour when it's half off.) The chicken was nice; I wanted to complain about the portion size for what you pay, but honestly, if you get an appetizer, it's a good portion. The marinated strawberries for desert were nothing special. To be honest, they didn't taste marinated at all, which means I spent $8 for strawberries and lemon sorbet, but ah well. Overall- very nice staff, very fancy looking place, but the menu's prices are a little spooky. I'd recommend coming during happy hour and trying their appetizer menu if you want to save some cash.

Big disappointment Turns out to be Ladies Night. We didn't know or care. We wanted a good meal and service. We had 5pm reservations 3 adults 1 child loud woman hawking 'order more food and drinks-get more free raffle tickets" over a speaker definitely lowered experience . It turned out raffles were for smaller items, GUCCI bag was $25/ticket and you had to be there at 830. Catch is they were very busy and as we just paid the $210 bill, a large blonde woman in a frilly blue dress came to our table and said "I need your table NOW are you leaving now?" NO HOW WAS YOUR DINNER?,NO THANK YOU FOR COMING. Left a really bad impression of management . Server and food were excellent. DONT COME HERE IF YOU WANT A QUIET DINNER IN AN ATMOSPHERE THAT IS WARM AND INVITING.

This place is so wonderful I do t know where to start! Lovely ambiance with a relaxed atmosphere. The food is terrific and tasty and servers and management are warm and friendly!

The food was quite well, really loved everything and the truffle pizza is very well made- on the other hand the service is eh, tipped the bus boy because his service was exceptional but the waiter just never really seemed very scattered for such a small amount of patrons the restaurant