Mano a Mano

Chicago’s Best Italian Restaurants

"The owners of Andros Taverna have opened a dimly lit and intimate restaurant that serves a variety of pasta with farm-fresh ingredients. Mano a Mano features attentive service, great desserts, and an ambitious wine list. It’s not a red sauce joint, but it modernizes some familiar traits. The seafood-stuffed pastas are worth the splurge, and the bread is also a must-order—the stracchino with the focaccia is a crowd-pleaser. Go to the restaurant’s website to make reservations." - Ashok Selvam

The Newest Restaurants In Chicago

"We recently checked out Mano A Mano. Read our review here. The Andros Taverna team has a new Italian restaurant next door in Logan Square. Mano A Mano dubs itself “a pasta project” and the menu lives up to the label. Besides some antipasti and seasonal vegetable-heavy dishes, there are eight pastas involving ingredients like braised rabbit, octopus, and classics like cacio e pepe. " - john ringor, veda kilaru, nick allen

Mano A Mano Review - Logan Square - Chicago - The Infatuation

"Mano A Mano calls itself “a pasta project,” which might explain why this Logan Square spot (from people behind Asador Bastian and Andros Taverna) feels like such a work in progress. Its decor style is unfinished dark old basement, with wood paneling and a few seashell lamps. And the inconsistent pastas don’t make the stale space worth it—the homemade pappardelle are too firm, and the squid ink tagliatelle is one-note. Red chili flakes make a recurring appearance, whether in a just-fine corn agnolotti or a much worse, very salty insalata verde salad. Mano A Mano also has a limited drink menu of a few Negronis and house wines by the glass—it’s all about the bottles here, even though the place won’t make you want to hang around. Food Rundown photo credit: Akane Matsumoto Panino Alla Mortadella The thick pile of mortadella makes this starter taste like a typical bologna sandwich with a little cream. The choux pastry is soft, but the sandwich itself is tough to split. photo credit: Akane Matsumoto Meatballs When an Italian restaurant can’t properly season their meatballs, or make the accompanying sauce more exciting than Chef Boyardee’s, it’s a major red flag. Skip this. photo credit: Akane Matsumoto Pappardelle The braised rabbit is fine, if a bit oily. But the noodles are oddly al dente, to the point of almost being crunchy. photo credit: Akane Matsumoto Agnolotti Red chili flakes have a big presence on this buttery dish, as if to lazily spice up the very sweet cheese and corn pillows. photo credit: Nick Allen Gelato Alla Minuto This OK dessert comes with creamy gelato, caramel, and corn cob kernels. When everything is in the same bite, it also tastes just like a vanilla ice cream cone you could order for cheaper at a certain Golden Arches five minutes up Milwaukee." - Nick Allen

The Best Chicago Restaurant Week Deals for 2025 - Eater Chicago

"Logan Square pasta spot with a $45 dinner featuring classic pasta, novel gelato flavors, antipasti, ciabatta, and Calabrian chili butter. Wine pairings available for $20." - Samantha Nelson

Pete West

Google

I’ve been very interested in checking out Mano a Mano for a while, especially since I love both sister restaurants in Andros Taverna and Asador Bastian. After getting to experience it myself, I think the “No BS review” folks at Infatuation Chicago owe them an apology and a redo on their review. Our meal was fantastic! We were a party of 4 so we ordered a lot, would highly recommend the tiny fried calamari, mortadella sando, agnolotti, bolognese, and then this crab pasta they had on special (if that’s still available when you go). We also got the zucchini flowers, prosciutto & arancini, and carbonara, all were solid I think we just liked the other stuff better. The pastas were all perfectly al dente, and everything was packed with flavor and great for sharing. The inside was a nice dark moody vibe, and it was packed to the gills but not overly noisy. Our waitress was great and very attentive, so overall a win and I would highly recommend stopping in if you’re in Logan Square for dinner.

Patrick Finn

Google

We were celebrating our 5th anniversary and decided to try Mano a Mano for the milestone. The space was lovely, with a distinct '70s vibe in both the furnishings and music—something we didn’t expect but really enjoyed. It was a bit dimly lit, so reading the menu might be tricky for some. As for the food, the appetizers and main courses did not disappoint. The zucchini flowers and eggplant were splendid—definitely dishes we’d order again. The pacing of the meal was almost perfect. The main courses took a little while to arrive after the appetizers, but it wasn’t a huge deal and was preferable to everything coming out all at once or too early. We ordered the mushroom ragu pasta and, I believe, a butternut squash dish. Both were delicious, though the squash was sweeter than expected—not unpleasant, just surprising. My only critique is that the portion size of the ragu pasta could have been larger; I wanted more immediately! We also appreciated the extra bread provided, which was perfect for soaking up the flavorful sauces. For dessert, we tried the tiramisu and the apple cobbler with popcorn ice cream. Both were okay, though not particularly memorable. I’m not a big tiramisu fan, but my partner enjoyed it. The cobbler was a little too sweet for my taste, and the popcorn flavor in the ice cream didn’t really come through. Next time, I’d likely skip dessert in favor of an extra appetizer or two. Overall, it was a pleasant experience, and we left happy. The staff were incredibly welcoming, offering the kind of attentive service you’d expect at a high-end restaurant in River North—a very pleasant surprise. They’re clearly striving for excellence. We also greatly appreciated the complimentary champagne they brought out for our anniversary. It wasn’t necessary but definitely a thoughtful and welcomed touch.

David Trevino

Google

I came here with a couple friends on a Monday night and there wasn’t a single miss. Each dish was beyond distinctly flavorful. The mood in the restaurant was a great old-timey LA vibe. I wish I remember everything we ordered, but uploaded the pictures. I highly recommend the zucchini flowers and the rigatoni. Phenomenal! I will be back. Our serve was so great with his recommendations.

Nick Bacci

Google

I first went to this place back when it had only been open a few months. Our server Johnn was just incredible. Pretty cool place that’s definitely sort of like a dark chic parlor restaurant vibe and cute. The food was good but the main problem in reason I probably won’t be back is because there are no proteins on the menu. We started with their focaccia but it was really more of a Piadina or a flat bread. We thankfully opted to get the mortadella on it because honestly without the protein, it wouldn’t have been nearly as good, but it was delicious with the mortadella. We also got their zucchini blossoms and their carbonara pasta . Finished with the dessert we thought was gonna be kind of like an ice cream sandwich, but it was really more like an Italian doughnut. To be noted that the Mezcal Negroni was one of the best Negroni I’ve ever had in my life !!! Everything was pretty great about Mano A Mano the biggest thing that got us was just, no proteins on the menu. Ambiance is nice food is yummy 😋

Lauren Taylor

Google

I am still dreaming about the meal I had here! We started out with the thin focaccia appetizer and we're immediately impressed. It was perfectly cheesy with the right amount of crunch. We then got some traditional focaccia with a chili butter and basil oil on the side. We didn't order this, but I saw it at all the other tables so I think it's a regular item they do. Great salt level on the focaccia and the flavored butter was fun to try! I ordered the spaghetti as my main entree and I'll be dreaming of this spaghetti for a long time. The pomodoro sauce was savory with a very subtle sweetness from the tomatoes. There was a good balance between a deep, complex base flavor and a freshness from the tomatoes. The noodles were perfectly cooked. I can't comment too much on my fiance's dish, but he had great things to say about it as well. A dish of parmesan was left on the table to add to the pasta as you prefer, which was a nice touch. We split a half liter of their wine of the moment. It was the perfect amount for 2 of us and was reasonably priced. We didn't have room to try a dessert but the seasonal gelatos sounded delicious. The ambiance of the restaurant was dark and moody, without coming off too fancy. I could've spent all night there. Our server was friendly and attentive. The assistant manager popped over to make sure things were good and she was also very friendly and personable. We will absolutely be returning, these pictures don't do it justice!

Lily Huber

Google

The best meal I had in Chicago! Every single thing we ordered was absolutely delicious, and everyone working there is so nice and friendly and cool. Incredible service— I loved the ambience & vibe inside. Beautiful lighting and very lux vibe. Perfect romantic date spot. Every single pasta is like mouthwatering… divine! I can’t wait to go back!

Joe Avola

Google

Treated ourselves to a date night here and we were not disappointed! A very warm, cozy atmosphere made for the perfect escape from a frigid Chicago night. The main reason for writing this review was to highlight our server, Dre. He was super friendly and accommodating and his recommendations were all spot on. He really has a knack for making you feel like you are the only one in the restaurant with the whole experience catered to your liking. He even went the extra mile to send us some treats and candles as we were celebrating Valentine’s Day a day early. We tried the zucchini flowers, the very verde insalata, the calamari, the tagliatelle and the ravioletti- all of which were executed exceptionally well. We also ordered the focaccia de recco that we probably could’ve done without- the bread and the Calabrian butter with pesto olive oil was noticeably better and complimentary. We finished with the tiramisu which smacked. Overall would try again!

Greg G.

Google

Amazing service and such an aesthetically pleasing moody ambiance. The food is some of the best in the city. So much so I almost thiught about gatekeeping it. Words don’t do this place justice. Go there. Now.

Chicago’s Best Italian Restaurants

The Newest Restaurants In Chicago

Mano A Mano Review - Logan Square - Chicago - The Infatuation

The Best Chicago Restaurant Week Deals for 2025 - Eater Chicago

"Logan Square pasta spot with a $45 dinner featuring classic pasta, novel gelato flavors, antipasti, ciabatta, and Calabrian chili butter. Wine pairings available for $20." - Samantha Nelson