Viaggio Highland Park

Is it a bar, sports bar or restaurant? Yes. Normally that means nothing good, but here they all come together in a small, loud crowd Italian symphony (not NYC Symphony, but it’s smart suburb version). Everyone knows everyone’s name and they’re totally cool that you also came. The family feel spreads to the food. It’s homemade, mostly pasta, about 3 fish/seafood mains, some chicken/veal. All good, nothing to widen your eyes, but that’s not why you are at Viaggio. The more inventive baked clams are overfilled with breading. The cavatelli is very good, though too tomatoey for my taste. Rigatoni is solid. Desserts are good but the whipped cream tastes from a can. Drinks are expertly made so don’t be a dummy and have one. You’ll fit in more. Oh and the bell pepper in olive oil brought to each patron with bread is a fantastic and original touch. Yes, they still give you bread like a real Italian place so don’t be too American, dip it and eat it. Sorry that the pics are 2nd rate, but I thought better to include them anyway.

Enjoyed a great business dinner with co-workers. We ordered a variety of. appetizers and all were excellent. I especially enjoyed the meatballs. And the sausage and peppers. Others at the table enjoyed the clams and calamari. We ordered a variety of main courses and served ourselves family style. The chicken Limon was very tender and excellent. The lasagna portion was huge and very good. The pasta and vodka sauce with sausage was outstanding. Others had the chicken parm which they really enjoyed and one guest had salmon which was also very good. For dessert people ordered a variety of items the chocolate cake was a huge piece and looked very good. I had the tiramisu which was excellent. Others had a cherry pie which they raved about. One of the guests said they order it every time they're there and love it. Lots of outdoor dining and on a nice night it's a perfect place to eat. Inside the restaurant also is very nice and I look forward to returning and trying other dishes.

Went for dinner Tuesday nite. Was amazing! First time there and we were treated like family! Service was amazing as the food. Large portions, reasonable prices.Definitely will go back❤️

Viaggio's hand-made pasta and sauces are incredible! We had the eight-finger cavatelli, the rigatoni with vodka sauce, and cheese ravioli, and they were all delicious. The owner was very welcoming. The service was ok: not bad, but not great. We would definitely return.

I give this place a 5. Food service was quick and food was delicious. I had the whitefish special with mushroom sauce and it was great for $26. Food portion sizes were small but I think healthy is better anyway as it is easy to over eat. When busy, the atmosphere is very loud, so not a place if you want a quiet dinner. There is veritable parking available but kiddy corner is a walgreens lot that has 2 hr parking along the side closest to the restaurant. Things that could be better is less tables, it has a unique look but the guy behind me had his chair right against mine and if you are a heavy set person you'd have a hard time moving around with bumping others. The other thing that I thought strange is how the bread gets served with a plate of what looked like mushed green peppers and instead of pouring the olive oil on your plate and mixing grated parmesan, the bottle is at your table. If I hadn't known what it was or what to do I would have not had as good of an experience. I removed people from my photos for privacy.

Great Italian food. Nice ambiance and friendly and attentive service. Lasagna, Cesar salad with salmon, and amazing chicken marsala. Highly recommended.

A hidden gem for great homemade Italian food. Either a romantic dinner for 2 or family night out, this is the place to go to. To keep my kids occupied, our server brought play dough to the table, just to show how they go above and beyond!

The delicious food , owners and staff are the best ! Homemade pasta, selection of sauces , seafood , meats- chicken and more! Brick chicken , 8 finger cavatalli , gnocchi among favorites! My parents were abruzze and Sicilian- most restaurants do mit come close to Viaggio 👏👏👏🇮🇹🇮🇹

Food excellent! Service Good Ambiance outdoor dining in summer Meatball salad favorite gnocchi excellent Minestrone Soup yum Calamari

We visited here before a Ravinia concert. Weeknight before classical music show. All the other patrons were a homogenous sea of faces: 50+ years old. The food reflects that. Unremarkable bread basket. Roasted Brussel Sprouts, 4/5-- generous portion but roasted beyond recognition. Do you see this pic?! Excellent choice of capers though. Skirt Steak, 3/5 -- fine

My wife and I had the good fortune to discover Viaggio Highland Park last night. We dined early and initially had the cozy spot nearly to ourselves, but it soon began filling up with couples, groups, and families with children of all ages. We quickly learned the reason for the popularity of this outstanding Italian restaurant. The host and staff were gracious, welcoming, and friendly as we were seated and greeted by all. Our server displayed her in-depth knowledge of the menu and specials and was helpful with recommendations based on our questions and comments. We started with grilled calamari, which was right up there with the best I've ever tasted. A large serving perfectly grilled, tender, and served with lemon in a light balsamic sauce. With the warm crusty bread served with oil, grated parmesan, and roasted green peppers, it was an excellent start to our meal. Our entrees were rigatoni in vodka sauce, and rigatoni in nana's gravy, chunks of braised beef in a rich dark tomato and wine sauce, topped with ricotta cheese. Potions were large, and both entrees were delicious. For dessert, we could not resist the house-made profiterole with salted caramel gelato and chocolate sauce. All I can say is it tasted even better than it looked, and that's really saying something. It was a great dining experience. Excellent food and service. We will be returning soon with some foodie friends we want to introduce to Viaggio.

Solid all around. Brussel sprouts are the best I have ever had. Crispy and salty with capers and lemon. I am a big fan. Solid food all around.

We always enjoy our dining experience at Viaggio. It's a warm environment where the owner checks on you and the servers are prompt and kind. My favorite entree there is chicken marsala. The lasagna and other pasta dishes are excellent as well. It's a convenient place to dine before a Ravinia concert (park and walk to the venue) but make a reservation far ahead of time because they fill up.

I rarely go further north for dinner but a friend had recommended this place so I came with some family and it was a very nice experience for the 3 generations (group of five). We ordered grilled calamari, the meatball appetizer and bruschetta and they were all extremely tasty and delicious. We pretty much devoured it. My husband had the braised beef in Nana's gravy and there were big chunks of beef with noodles and he almost finished it! My son had the brick chicken and he liked his but I didn't have room to try. My daughter in law and I split the pork chop and white fish of the day and both were fantastic! The pork chop was huge so it must have been a pretty fat pig ! We couldn't finish half of the pork chop but managed the fish pretty well. The little one so enjoyed his spaghetti and meatballs and so there was so much for all of us. The roasted vegetables were perfectly done, too. The brownie sundae was yummy but the ice cream had some crystals in it. The tiramisu is good too. Dining outside was beautiful as well. The indoor seating is very romantic inside. They offer specialty drinks and many fine wines. I can't remember but I don't think they have draft beers but canned I think. I highly recommend it here.

Great Italian food with a small town atmosphere. Theres also outside seating. I enjoyed the ravioli and vodka pasta. Parking is easy to find. Prices are average. Food amounts are generous. a great date locaction.

rigatoni vodka and Nonas gravy was delicious! Being from an Italian family that loves to cook, its hard to get Italian food that I love from a restaurant but Viaggio was amazing!

Very good food and every staff person was hustling! First time here as a stop on the way to Ravinia. Very pleasant outdoor seating. Made reservations online but did not need them even given the time frame we showed up- 5:00 on a Saturday. We both had the Nanas Gravy and it was very good. Our biggest reason for the five star review was our server Liss. She was friendly, attentive and spunky. Will definitely return when in the area.

Honestly every single item I had was perfect. Baked clams were amazing, the 8 finger cavatelli was phenomenal and everything else from the salad to the other entrées.

Great Italian with a family feel. Cavatelli is freshly made and everyone loved the lasagne and meatballs as well. Loved the roasted peppers that are complimentary with fresh baked bread. Save room for their tiramisu and cannolis. Portion of every dish is very generous. Friendly staff and they don't rush you. Outdoor seating is plentiful and you can park in the dry cleaner spots after they've closed.

This is my favorite Italian restaurant in the suburbs. Everything I've tried on the menu has been great.

We've eaten here a few times but tonight we carried out and the results were pretty good for take home. Our salad looked small but was adequate with pretty average ingredients. The dressing was tasty but very thick? Bread and peppers tasty and filling. My friends enjoyed the Brussels sprouts while I excused myself from their pungent aroma. Our mains were the chicken Milanese and rigatoni in vodka sauce. The chicken was very good with a nice coating and well fried while the sauce with it was too greasy for my liking. The pasta was overcooked and too creamy for my taste but others enjoyed it. It's a better experience and meal eating there and that's the plan for next time.

warm welcome, intimate setting, decent menu, good drink selection. the downside: the food, doused, drowing, swimming in sauce. bland. presentation meh. hadn't been back in awhile, and it will be some time before i return.

Amazing Italian restaurant with incredible dishes and flavors. Can be extremely busy but worth the wait. Lasagna was great but so were all the dishes ( Chicken Parm, ravioli, etc...) . Service was incredible. This place is the real deal!!

Wonderful Italian restaurant with authentic and tasteful food with great size portions Beautiful ambience, eating outside in the summer.

Here's what you need to know: food was worth 1.5-2 stars. Service was good, so I'll round up to 3 stars. We ordered 1 dish - the linguine with clams in white sauce and it was very disappointing. There was just no flavor in the sauce at all, and the pasta literally tasted like unsalted boiled pasta. This pasta was $30 before tax, and unfortunately worth none of that charge. This is not reflective of food that comes from a professionally run restaurant kitchen. No seasoning or flavor in the white sauce either, which is so ironic given that people order a clams in a pasta/sauce to taste like seafood. This tasted like nothing. Very disappointing. I genuinely wanted to love this neighborhood Italian restaurant, but I can't possibly order from here again. There was no flavor or value in our meal. The house bread with grated parmesan was a nice touch and was enjoyable with since olive oil we drizzled on top. But since we are in the middle of a pandemic I won't give a 1 or 2 star rating.

Incredible food service and ambiance. My absolute go to for Italian on Northshore. I love their appetizers as well as their pasta dishes, both of which are truly authetic.

This is where the locals eat! You instantly get that vibe when you walk into the restaurant... the hosts and staff know the diners, and so many people are getting up to greet each other. The food is fantastic and comes out piping hot. The baked clams were delicious, and the pasta was perfectly cooked. Viaggio's is a gem and definitely our top choice for Italian!

The friendly staff was nice. And the noise level just right. Foo was going ok. A nice neighborhood spot but my calamari was fair and sort of a small portion. Bread was not top of the line you could find and other Italian places.

Unless you are a regular... Had a reservation, seated quickly, provided with bread and water - then nothing for over 30 minutes while we watched others get seated, orders taken, etc. Flagged some one down twice - still no service.

IN LOVE with this hole-in-the-wall restaurant within a mile of Ravinia! I'm always at a bit of a loss when it comes to getting dinner before or after a Ravinia show. I attended a classical concert not too long ago and some people attending the show recommended this place. Excellent choice!! My tablemates and I split a bottle of wine and raved about the delicious, fresh food, as we chatted about the show we just saw. To top things off, I guess this is a hot spot among Ravinia performers--the performers we saw were enjoying drinks at the bar when we were on our way out. We got to chat with them a bit and congratulate them on a show well done. Just to vouch for how amazing the food was, I totally spaced on photographing my amazing eggplant Parmesan because it looked so darn delicious. Complimentary bread and peppers come with your meal. The eggplant came with a side of tortellini and Alfredo but I subbed that out with some yummy grilled asparagus. The wine was just unspeakably refreshing after a muggy walk around the Ravinia grounds. I'll be back for sure!!

We had a fantastic dinner tonight !! Veal parmigiana, chicken Vesuvio , baked lasagna, skirt steak and egg plant parm. The service far exceeded our expectations!! Lisetttttt killed it !! Highly recommend Viaggio's!! L. feldman and friends Vernon Hills, Il 60062?

I highly recommend. The food portions are delicious and generous. The restaurant is bustling, particularly with a Ravinia crowd but it is worth coming out of your way to come here. Definitely make a reservation. Even with one, we had a slight wait but I think some unexpected rain drove everyone inside so it really wasn't the restaurant's fault. The manager is very personable and went out of his way to make sure we had a great experience. I loved my lasagna and my husband enjoyed his chicken. They even have a kids menu and my kids gulped down the meatballs before I could get a bite. Try to safe room for dessert because the homemade tiramisu is definitely worth it for me! We also tried strawberry cake and warm chocolate brownie ala mode. All were great!

Went here for a family birthday on Saturday night and had a great time. We were actually able to get seated inside right away, though the outdoor area had quite a wait. Everybody loved their food, and the portions were huge! We had the chicken parm, shrimp scampi, lasagna, vodka rigatoni, and the eight finger cavatelli. Everyone tried everyones, and the consensus was it was all really good. Ohhh, and the bread that came out was a perfect crunch of crust and hot inside. The service was a little slow, but I kind of expect that with Italian food, and we were in no rush so we didn't mind. The owners were also so nice, came over and asked about the food, the family and how things were going. When they heard there was a birthday they brought over a dessert and were just so nice about it. Loved the family atmosphere this place gave off!

TL:DR - food is good. Service is sloooooow. We had a 7:45 reservation, were seated pretty quickly. Placed order for entrees at 8:15. Entrees arrived at 9:25. They were busy, but over an hour wait for food is beyond our limit. The food is good, but not good enough to justify that kind of wait.

-Food bad, I mean REALLY NOT GOOD -Meatball salad - bad, tasteless -Eggplant stack -so lousy ( cracker crisp fried eggplants, one piece mozeralla, two slices tomato, lots of arugula covering the mess ) -2 pasta entrees - good -2 chicken entrees, so nasty, overcooked dry, tasteless. Just because you throw arugula all over everything doesn't make it even a little good . As Dionne Warwick said back in the 1960's, WALK ON BY!!!!!!!!!

Wonderful restaurant & service! Lane was awesome. We ordered the sausage with peppers, rigatoni vodka and eggplant parmesan; very fresh, flavorful dishes with amazing presentation! The main dining room is a bit crowded, so if you have a party greater than 6 I'd definitely request a table towards the front by the bar. Overall, I'd totally come back!!

Our party of four stopped in for dinner on a Saturday night around 6 pm. The dining room has a polished but comfortable feel to it. When we first arrived the restaurant was half full which contributed to an environment where conversation was easy. As the restaurant began to fill up conversation became very difficult which was disappointing because we were looking forward to catching up. The menu has all the Italian basics you would expect and the portions were reasonable. The special menu had some interesting options. One member of our party ordered the whitefish special which came with mashed sweet potatoes and a balsamic glaze which seemed to be a unique way to serve whitefish. We thought the food was good but overpriced for what it was.

Outstanding food. Waitress and management was very friendly and service was great! Loved the outdoor seating.

i have eaten here multiple times over the past couple years and always found the food and service to be lacking. Bring back Merlot or Ravinia Bistro!

Viaggio is a delicious Italian spot to serve you some Italian comfort food during these uncertain times. I felt as though the prices were generous for the portions that came with the order. Also ordered but not pictured was the Brick chicken, Eggplant Parmesan and fish of the day which was a White Fish. Everything that was ordered was hot and packed full of delicious flavor. They also sent a nice portion of warm Italian bread with some marinated green peppers on the side for no additional cost. I had high expectations as the Italian restaurant previously in that location was also a 5 star in my book, but Viaggio definitely exceeded my expectations. I look forward to eating inside the restaurant in the future.

Very nice outside seating. They did a great job utilizing the parking lot for socially-distanced tables. It was unseasonably cold at dinner (54F), so the heating lamps were a GREAT touch! The food came out quick, and the hot dishes were piping hot - especially in light of the "frosty" 50-something outside temperature :). The food tasted amazing! Fresh! Plentiful portions! And very flavorful! We really liked the Nana's Gravy and the Chicken Milanese dishes. Special thanks for their table spicy sautéed peppers - nice wake up for the taste buds! The price point is on a higher side of reasonable, but this is a great place for a date-night or (finally) dinner with friends occasions - I would estimate about $40 per person without drinks. We would definitely come back, and would recommend this place to others!

I recently reviewed the restaurant with higher remarks across the board. The food itself is outstanding the passion for the cuisine is 100% there. The last time that me and my girlfriend went it was during the re-opening of restaurants and there was a very limited amount of people at the restaurant. Because we live in a world with Covid safety precautions trump any other standard when it comes to dining and unfortunately what I observed today was not with the customers safety in mind. While the food was outstanding and the service was OK the restaurant was packed the seating arrangements were within 2 to 3 feet of each other and every single table was full. Considering that this is a family owned restaurant and a family operated restaurant you would think that the safety of their patrons would come first and foremost but when you're packing the restaurant wall-to-wall and you do not have proper 6 feet distance between tables it is disturbing. While we will continue to come to the restaurant because they have wonderful food we will either be eating outside or ordering out to go.

My sister and I had a wonderful dinner yesterday. They started us off with bread, Parmesan and marinated peppers. I ordered a lemon drop and wow that's a great cocktail! Our appetizer was the baked clams. Some of the best I have ever had! My godfather's mother-in-law made them in the basement of a place in Elmwood Park. So I am spoiled. Sister ordered the chicken Milanese which I sampled and it was so juicy and across so crispy unbelievable. I had the chicken Vesuvio with a side of pasta olive oil and garlic. It was better than little Italy places. Our service was perfect! I brought my dog and they brought water and treated us like family. Can't wait to go back and have some more clams

Authentic Italian food?.. I don't think so. We ordered a lot of food and the only thing that came out decent were the clams. My husband and I ordered chicken dishes and they had absolutely no flavor including the vesuvio potatoes. I felt like I needed to add a bunch of salt and lemon to my dish to get some flavor. The dishes are so overpriced as well. The service was not good at all and our waitress was rude and blunt to say the last. Definitely never coming back here.

The curb appeal is completely local. In summer, outdoor seating steals some parking spaces for what is, fundamentally, a small strip mall. Do not be deceived. Viaggio presents great food and sophisticated service as accompaniment. This is the place that, if you discover it for a pre-Ravinia Festival dinner, you write home about. Lucky you, even, if you can get in. Winter/Fall/Spring is more laid back and inhabited by locals, families even. I prefer it then. A solid bar with excellent wine options as well. But let's get to the food, dammit. So, yes, there is a kid's menu. The baby had spaghetti and meatball. Such a meatball. We all had some. Just a note, no diaper table in the restrooms. The 8 year old had kid's cheese ravioli. All good there. For the big people, the veal piccante was succulent, skirt steak tender, linguini & clam will leave you with garlic breath - that's a good thing. Salads are solid. We enjoyed the Caesar. We'll be back for New Year's eve. No prix fixe, just the regular great menu, consistent with this unpretentious, low key, restaurant. Looking forward to the whitefish. Just fortunate to have this outstanding restaurant in the 'hood. And worth a trip from elsewhere as well.

This is our go-to place in the neighborhood. Always reliably great food, excellent service and friendly owners. It feels like Cheers but with outstanding food!! We have had several birthday celebrations there and always excellent. Eggplant is my favorite. Be sure to make a reservation.

Excellent food, service and atmosphere. And the owner and staff are all nice as can be. Great linguine with clams and red sauce. A perfect pre-Ravinia dinner spot!

A hidden gem for great homemade Italian food. Either a romantic dinner for 2 or family night out, this is the place to go to. To keep my kids occupied, our server brought play dough to the table, just to show how they go above and beyond!

We finally visited this place and sat outside on their patio. There aren't too many changes to the space inside and out except for the signage. The lady bringing out the bread is the same lady that's been here for years. First off, I was happy about the service and for that they get a star. Unfortunately that's where the positives end as what's most important is the food and the food here is just NOT good. Any place that can screw up a beet salad needs to start looking for a new cook. The $15 beet salad was placed messily on a plate with a ginormous smattering of what they call honeyed ricotta. It looked like regurgitated emesis (aka puke)! It was nasty. I ordered the chicken parm and it too was NOT good. The ginormous GMO chicken did not taste fresh and it was breaded and fried to death and smothered with so much flavorless mozzarella cheese to constipate any diner. Gross. Luckily I enjoyed my glass of wine, skipped the desert, paid the check, and will never return to this horror show of a restaurant. Got home and felt nauseous. Viaggio is Italian for Go Travel elsewhere for good food.

I ventured into Viaggio with little expectations and a few rumors of great meatballs and pasta. Unfortunately the whole experience left more to be desired. I will not be returning. Without going into detail the service was not good. Our server in particular just missed the mark so many times. To start we shared the meatball salad (recommended) which was cooked great but was nothing special. Then we had an order of Brussel Sprouts and an Eggplant stack. I thought the brussel sprouts were roasted to perfection, but found the taste unappealing. The capers didn't work for me. Although I didn't have much of the eggplant stacked my Aunt enjoyed it. For main courses we shared Shrimp Scampi and Chicken Milanese. The chicken was dry and flavorless but had a nice crunch. The Scampi, $32, did not warrant the price tag. 5 jumbo shrimp and a pile of pasta in garlic sauce does not make a scampi. All in all the price of the meal is what dropped this down an extra star for me to a 3. One star deducted for service and another star for the quality of the food.

Viaggio is exactly what the North Shore needs - a cute Italian restaurant with great food, a charming atmosphere and friendly service! It's less than 3 miles from our house, yet we didn't even know this little strip of restaurants existed. My husband had the chicken Parmesan and I had the Orecchiette & both were tasty (albeit my pasta was slightly overcooked). The wine list was excellent and not horribly marked up. Apparently they have half-off all wines by the bottle on Wednesday nights, so we'll be back for that. We'll be back. I have to imagine this place is packed when Ravinia is going....

We used to frequent their Resturant on Madison ave. We happen to drive by the restaurant in Highland Park, had the best experience both in the food and the great service, thanks to Kyle We will be back and highly recommend Viaggio

Some of the best Italian food in the north shore. Lasagna and Caesar salad are special, this place nails the basics and then some. Shout out to Todd for running a stellar restaurant, Grazie Mille

We were put off when our waitress/hostess said to the busser "we're going to get slammed in two minutes" right when we sat down. (They're near Ravinia.) She rushed us through drinks, appetizers "ready to order, ready to order?" Guess what - they never got slammed. She was a downer. Food was good though.

Good food but disappointing experience this evening! We've eaten at the bar previously and have been very pleased. Stopped by this evening after Ravinia food truck Thursdays, and we had the dog, and they are dog friendly outside which was great. The grilled calamari appetizer was phenomenal. But we ordered a bottle of wine, and when she brought the wine out, she poured a 1/3 to a 1/2 glass before she said that she noticed the glass was dirty. She apologized and said she would get us a new glass. She took the glass away - with the wine in it, and then brought us a new empty glass. Never said anything about the wine that was already poured, that we paid for, that was gone. During the course of the dinner, she mentioned she was the owner's daughter. Not a huge deal that the glass was dirty - that happens - but to waste the wine we paid for with no compensation nor replenishment in any way shape or form - very disappointing. Especially from an owner. Any mistake with an appropriate resolution goes a long way. But no resolution, no acknowledgement, unacceptable for a restaurant.

Consistently excellent! We hadn't been here for a while, and I think we ate enough to last us for a month! Chef's take on minestrone was thicker and more flavorful than the standard version. The blackened trout with caper sauce on mashed cauliflower was outstanding (a special of the evening). The penne arrabiata was good - not quite as spicy as we've had elsewhere, but still tasty. And the enormous slabs of cake left us groaning but happy - especially the chocolate, which was superb. Next time we'll try the cannoli, which are house made. But first we need a month of workouts!

Hubby and I went here for dinner recently. We came early and had dinner at the bar. No one else was in the place... except one person who was speaking extremely loud to the manager. They seemed to be friendly, but it was practically shouting. That changed after this person left, and more folks started coming in. There was a nice buzz with local folks. Our bartender was very attentive. She made a good drink, was friendly, and attentive without being overbearing. She brought out bread with a plate of roasted peppers in oil. OMG what a great idea! The bread was warm and crusty. It just all worked so well! For an app, hubby and I ordered the brussel sprouts. They were good... crisp... maybe a few too many capers, but I brushed some aside and all was good. At Disotto they spoiled me with their version (egg on top), but I would say these were not bad. I had whitefish Milanese. It was a huge piece of fish with a nice crisp crust. My only complaint was that the tomatoes on the salad were blah. They should use cherry tomatoes or something that is better in the colder weather. Hubby got the chicken Milanese and was also happy with it. The owner/manager? came over to see how everything was. And he listened. It wasn't just a "fly over". It was a nice cozy neighborhood place.