I had such an enjoyable meal at Davanti, I'm not sure why this was my first time eating here. First of all the staff is so nice. Our waiter, I don't remember his name but I'm terrible with names so no offense, was so chill yet so helpful and knowledgeable and smiley. I was like the first one there that Saturday afternoon at 12 meeting my mom for lunch. I had a beer while I waited and perused the menu which was fun because they have things like Ricotta and honeycomb on toast. That dish was ordered and was consumed with eyes closed while moaning. It was THAT good. We also ordered polenta and egg with veggies (awesome), mushroom/tallegio pizza (OMG) and the escarole salad with cheese and apple and nuts and holy moly it was delicious. Could not get enough of that salad. These are small plates, call it tapas style and meant to be shared. They also do cheese and meat boards, which we could not fit in our bellies, so that's for next time. Yum! Cute place too - dim, cool light fixtures, wood, outdoor seating, average bar selection as far as liquors, more wine choices for sure.
(5)
Judy L.
Who knew warm kale could be so delicious! LOVE the warm kale salad with pecans and oranges. On the weekends they have a make your own Bloody Mary bar! Love the small plates/large plates Italian tapas style menu. Awesome for sharing food or sampling a few things. Not to be missed: the salads (pick any one...all yummy!), the "egg toast" appetizer and the Blondie dessert. We also shared the salmon, the arugula pizza and a burger (shoe string fries are AWESOME). Everything was outstanding! It's really a dining experience and they consistently take the extra step to make their food special. For example, the pizza was served with little dishes containing red pepper flakes, sea salt, etc. Everything about this place is SO right! The food is exceptional, the decor is so unique and warm, service is top notch. Whoever thought of using wine crates and corks to cover the walls...genius. Perfect for a special occasion or brunch/dinner with friends. Great outdoor patio for dining too! Shout out to our server Katie for being so on top of everything and knowledgeable about the wine selection!
(5)
Keri W.
Since my last review I have been back several times and I always enjoy the food and the service has been great! The outdoor patio in the summer is lovely and I am always anxious to see what the polenta special is! One of my faves!!
(5)
Brad S.
Oh my god. This place has WITHOUT A DOUBT thee best hamburger you will ever have. I may never eat another burger again. I could cry. Two words "bacon jam". I would never have thought an Italian restaurant would earn that award but...wow! This Italian wine & small portion (think tapas) style restaurant is a hidden gem. Treat yourself. All the food is amazing. The pork shoulder ragu and cauliflower steak were two instant favorites as well. The atmosphere is a tribute to an Italian basement wine cellar which reminded me of Milan.
(5)
Russ D.
Great food and service. The menu is full of interesting and unexpected things. We'll be back.
(4)
Eli H.
We went here last night for a friend's birthday with a large party. We did everything we could to make this as smooth as possible, making reservations well ahead of time as well as arriving very early. Regardless, the night was an almost total clusterf*ck. We had reservations for 8:00, got there at 7:30, and were seated at 9:00... With our party split across two different tables with two different waitresses who weren't at all on the same page. One table ordered entrees, the other didn't, and when tables cleared out enough for us to eventually got seated together... Well, as you can imagine, half of our party got their dinner with the other half saying, "Oh, you guys ordered?" It was... Awkward. Why four stars even though the whole night was pretty crazy? Well, the host and the guy who I can only assume was the manager was doing everything they could to make things right for us. Apparently the problem was a party who showed up at 5:00 who dug in and didn't leave until we did at 10:00. I can't really blame the restaurant for that, I wouldn't schedule tables around the idea that people would sit there for FIVE HOURS. The bar was also occupied for a private event, so there really wasn't anywhere for us to go. We all got a round of free drinks, a bunch of free appetizers, and so many apologies if I had a penny for each it would've covered the rest of our dinner. ANYWAY, since you're likely reading Yelp reviews for a NORMAL sized party just there for a normal dinner, let's cut to the chase- The food here was great, the appetizers we had were a variety of their different toasts. The truffle and egg one was the best, but beware if you're weird about eating raw eggs as this is basically raw egg paradise. If you're fine with that, you'll be in for an amazingly creamy, crusty, truffle-y goodness. Oh, the ricotta and honeycomb toast was nuts too. I had spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, which isn't even on the menu, which kind of brings me to another complaint here. Before I get started, the food was great. Whoever is working in the kitchen definitely knows what they're doing. Whoever wrote the menu though... I kind of want to give them a taste of Gordon Ramsay yelling at them a la Kitchen Nightmares. (The UK one, not the trashy US one.) The menu is so heinously pompous and full of itself it'll make your head spin. It seems like the menu author has nearly derived some level of gratification from using words he knows no one knows. How do I know that? The MENU INCLUDES A GOD DAMN GLOSSARY. This effectively is saying to your diners, "Don't worry idiots, I know you don't know the amazing things I'm about to serve you, that's why I included a list of words to dumb this down for ya'll." It's like reading A Clockwork Orange for the first time. It was clever when Anthony Burgess did it, not so much when the chef of a suburban Italian place does it. So, yeah, that puts this review in a weird place. Our party seating was a disaster, the menu is ridiculous, but the food is great. At the end of the day, that's the important part of a restaurant, so, whatever. I guess the rest of it just makes for an entertaining story.
(4)
David N.
Very enjoyable Friday night visit recently. Definitely call ahead and make reservations, because this place will get packed. Walking in, it almost felt like we were downtown in the Loop. Loud, crowded, busy, all normally things I try to avoid. However, they lent themselves fittingly to a unique dining experience in the Southwest suburbs. Service throughout was friendly, helpful, and very knowledgeable. For being as packed as they were, food came out in due time, and we were rarely caught waiting. Serviceable beer menu and a stellar wine and cocktails married very well with their food offerings. Anyways, on to the food... Apps - Bruschetta of the day; Prosciutto-Veal Meatballs; and the Riccota Honeycomb Vasi (mason jar). Concerning the bruschetta, it was freaking amazing. Topped with whipped goat cheese , grilled asparagus, caramelized onions, mushrooms, and peppers, it was probably the best dish of the night. Perfectly seasoned, and every ingredient propelled the next to stardom. The meatballs finished a close second. Solid seasoning and flavors however they were drier than most of your housemade Italian meatballs. The ragu paired well, and the sauteed onions, braised greens, and garlic definitely increased the dish's appeal and flavor construction. The shaved pecorino went mostly unnoticed :( Sadly, the ricotta honeycomb mason jar finished last. We had heard all of the hype, but for me it was almost tasteless. That, and with so much ricotta there was hardly any honeycomb to go around. If and when we make it back, I'll have to pass on this one. Mains - Davanti Burger, Bistecca con funghi + fonduta (steak with mushrooms, bleu cheese) The burger was a solid 4 stars. Topped with cheese curds, bacon jam , roasted tomato, arugula, and garlic mayo , it had all the makings. Unfortunately the burger was under done and, at its center, almost raw. We enjoyed the beef blend flavor and overall presentation, but it was far from my top 5 burger list. The accompanying side of shoestring fries were well seasoned, however more or less inconsequential. The strip steak, much like the burger, rated no higher than a 4 on the Yelp 5 scale. Decent flavor and presentation, but nothing over the top. I tend to eat my steak plain, as to enjoy the full flavor, so the bleu cheese and porchini mushrooms (with sauce) did nothing for me. Cooked properly to our order, but again, nothing extraordinary. Don't get my somewhat harsh criticisms confused with what was a above average dining experience. Most every food offering we tasted was done very well. However, when dining at restaurants such as Davanti Enoteca, the level of expectation is raised, and anything less than run of the mill is hard to justify. We definitely enjoyed ourselves, and will be coming back, but a few of our choices will be modified on the next go around.
(4)
Brenda Lee J.
Delicious meal. Had the bursts salad, the kale salad, and the Hanger steak. Very good! Will return...
(4)
Emma P.
I've been going to the Taylor street location since it opened and think it's divine. I was a little sceptical when a gf invited me to meet at this Location but it was pretty spot on. The food was great, good wine selection. Our server wasn't great, no mention of the nights specials which after overheating the waiter next to us I absolutely would have gotten but over all it was good and we will be back. The big draw for me was the space is way bigger than Taylor street so no 45 minute wait!
(4)
Glenda C.
Mmmm mmmmm mmmm! I love this one a little bit more than the one in the city! First of all, because it's easier to get to, easier to park, and probably not as crowded. "Suburban" is written all over my forehead, isn't it? I don't care. It's a gem in Western Springs and I'm thrilled to have it nearby. I am sure their menu changes seasonally, but when we went I loved the focaccia bread with honey. It's not the thick focaccia bread you're thinking about. Theirs is lovely thin, with ricotta cheese in it and served with honey. Their burgers are to die for. Juiciest thing I've had in a long time! Mushroom pizza was an appetizer we scarred down! Roasted chicken was very juicy as well. There was not one bad thing on the menu,. Wine was remarkable! And the service was good!
(5)
Erika C.
So this is what we do. We go when there are no others i.e. Saturday for brunch. We make our own Bloodies, we drink them and some more, and we eat. We eat We eat We eat......pizza, polenta with ragu, ricotta and honeycomb, cauliflower steaks, beets salad, and everything else we can. then we nap.
(4)
J C.
Have been here a few times for dinner and have always been very pleased. The daily polenta is excellent and they also have a delicious burger. Recently we wandered in for Sunday brunch. Bloody Mary bar? Don't mind if I do!!!! Nice presentation and accoutrements! The coffee was yummy- rich and robust not like the thin brown water at most diners. I ordered the pork belly hash and although my eggs came with the hollandaise on- when I asked for on the side it was good- not thick and salty goo like most but light with a slightly lemony taste. The hubby had the steak and scrambled eggs commenting he had never had such creamy yummy eggs- and the steak was tender juicy deliciousness- had to beg for a second taste. Good potatoes on the side. The bill is definitely higher than other local breakfast places but the quality and creativeness of the food is worth it.
(5)
Ann F.
Worst experience ever. Seated promptly but it took 15 minutes for anyone to approach the table. Three burgers ordered-two served. The burger ordered medium well served almost raw. Manager, Michael McDermott was useless-no people skills and unable to handle uncomfortable situations. Will never return. Spend your money else where.
(1)
Greg T.
We have gone here twice and really enjoyed the food. The first time was for New Year's eve and the seafood feast was outstanding. ...our second visit we ordered off the feature menus and enjoyed the food as well. We highly recommend that you give it try.
(4)
Ruby K.
One of our favorite local joint. It was a rocky start when they first opened, but now can pretty much count on good service. Delightful food. Pretty expensive for the burbs. My husbands favorite drink is $16 and we joke that the second is always bigger than the first...which I guess is a relief considering the price. Reason they lost a star: went in with a gift card we didn't know was expired (by 3 weeks) and was denied by our server. Disappointed! She recognized us by our frequent visits. It would have been a nice customer service touch to ask manager to accept.
(4)
Antaash U.
My friends and I went on a Monday night. Within no time of our arrival, the restaurant was packed with happy, smiling families, groups of friends and men in suits enjoying their time together. It created a very warm and welcoming environment. The space itself is beautiful and not what you expect considering it's in downtown Western Springs, close to the Metra station. Though I live by two Davanti's in the city, this was my first visit and I was not disappointed on any account. Note: This is a small plates menu meant to be shared (and they recommend 2 dishes per person). We started off with the Pizza D.O.C. which is a tomato, mozzarella and basil pizza. However, though the ingredients are simple the flavors are not. Everything was so fresh! They literally burst in your mouth with that first bite. I also wanted to order this to evaluate how Davanti would take a very traditional pizza and execute it because as simple as it is, I have had some less than delicious versions. Davanti hit the nail on the head. The crust was crispy on the outside and soft in the middle, the mozzarella was fresh and the basil plentiful. The sauce was sweet and tart, truly a perfect harmony. We also ordered the Cacio e Pepe: spaghetti, black pepper and pecorino. PERFECTION. The spaghetti was al dente, the fresh black pepper added a nice bite to the dish that balanced out the saltiness of the pecorino. I could have eaten the whole plate by myself it was so good. The next pasta dish was the mushroom risotto. It was creamy and delicious. I wish I could remember the mushrooms in the dish, but they had a wonderful earthy flavor with a meaty texture. This dish was also a home run! My friends ordered the special ragu of the day, which was polenta topped with some shredded pork. I tried the polenta before they placed the pork on it and thought the polenta was some of the best that I have had. Even the dessert did not disappoint. First of all, we could have ordered everything! It was so hard to choose! Eventually, we chose the hazelnut gelato cake concoction. IT WAS TO DIE FOR! Davanti lived up to all the hype and then some!
(5)
Jason M.
The food here is absolutely delicious! We came in early on a Friday night, with two small children. We were seated in a great corner booth. There is no kids menu but they do have crayons and pages for the kids to color and the kids can pick any sort of pasta. Ours shared spaghetti and meatballs and really enjoyed it. We shared several dishes. the bruschetta special was just ok - the peppers overpowered the cheese. The mascarpone polenta special, with pork belly ragu was really good. Great flavors and textures, and not something you see every day. The Gnudi pomodoro was our favorite. Similar to gnocchi, the dumplings were tender and very flavorful. Next time we will be back without the kids - we would like to dedicate our full attention to the food! Service was very attentive too.
(4)
Erin Y.
We had a great Easter brunch here! The buffet was extensive and very good. Just the cold half of the buffet was fantastic. Highlights were the pea tendril salad with rock shrimp and the roasted vegetables. Yum. The hot part of the buffet was also delicious. I enjoyed the risotto, eggs Benedict, and bacon. The lamb saddle and prime rib at the carving station were both perfectly cooked. The brunch also included mimosas and made-to-order frittatas. Overall, a very good brunch at Davanti. I understand they only offer the buffet on holidays, so it's definitely worth coming by for a special occasion.
(4)
Ania S.
A group of 5 came here on a Tuesday night w/ a reservation made on Open Table at 8:15p. I've been wanting to try this place after driving by it a few times on my way home from work. We were seated promptly and got the choice of the bar area or dining room - we chose the dining room. We ordered the meat and cheese platter (I asked the waitress to make her picks for us). Prosciutto, as always, was fabulous and nice and salty, but not overwhelming. The two cheeses were mild but smooth. Very good choices! I can't complain as I allowed her to choose for us. The bread is nice and toasty (looks like they butter and toast it). It came out sort of late... we were done eating our meat and cheese at that point. It would be nice if the bread would come out upon seating guests. I would have liked fresh bread vs. toasted, but that's a personal preference. For dinner, I had the pizza w/ prosciutto, the guys had burgers (which they raved about - fries were super crispy!!), the girls had the seafood linguine and the big ravioli w/ egg (DELICIOUS!!!) We got the apple caramel dessert and the chocolate mousse. It was sooo soo good. Not overwhelmingly sweet... actually a nice, dark chocolate taste. We will definitely be back again! I'm glad to see this place is here. I love small, quaint wine/beer places. Great atmosphere and the service was fantastic! Thanks!
(4)
Michael B.
Caught up with my friend Todd after work for a bite. I had been to the one D.E. on Taylor Street and thought it was OK. But on this night, this place nailed it! First, a welcoming, professional staff couldn't do more to make sure we had exactly the table and location we wanted as we waffled back and forth on sitting in the dining room or at high tops in the bar area. Cozy, rustic theme with stone, wood barn doors, wine racks throughout the dining area typical of a true Enoteca, which is basically a wine shop that features local wines and accompanying small plate cuisine. We settled down in the dining room, and it began! Unbeknownst to us, Wed is half price wine night for wines up to $80. So with a nice wine in hand, which they decanted for us, we ordered three home run dishes as follows: 1) Pizza della Terra - (wild mushrooms, braised leeks, taleggio, truffle oil), sensational! Their changing polenta board featured a marscapone polenta with a generous portion of pulled pork shoulder in a rich, thick red sauce. delicious! A wonderful farro salad accompanied a nice of delicious food and drink. On the way out, we couldn't help but notice that the bar area had filled up with groups of elegant, beautiful women occupying the majority of tables. There will be no waffling as to where we sit next time!!
(4)
Betsy P.
Hello America! Or shall I say Buongiorno Americanos! Ha! OMG! This place is simply DEVINE! We headed out to this delectable restaurant for a birthday party and they sat us in a semi-private area. All I can say is WOW! The look of the restaurant is RUSTIC and so is their food. From the appetizers, to the entrees and desserts we shared them all and we loved them all. DELICIOUS! SCRUMPTIOUS! YUM! Service was perfection. Bravo to Brad for being an amazing server.
(5)
Jesse G.
Really awesome place, excellent food, awesome atmosphere! Both times me and the wife have been here we left crazy happy on our food highs, maybe the bottle of Malbec helped too. They have a polenta board that changes daily although both times we came they had the same one, which would be a negative for most places but here it was so good that we ordered it again, creamy mascarpone polenta with a pork bolognese, I feel rich just thinking about it!!! And the pizzas, also absurdly good. While we were there, a crazy person that sat down behind me who was complaining about wanting a hamburger or some nonsense (don't get me wrong, I love burgers, but a tapas bar is neither the time or the place) he settled on the chicken which showed up just before we left, it sat there untouched for 10 minutes smelling brilliant, he was picking at the greens on the plate. People that don't care about food, should not be let into nice places. Really for the burbs, and a chain, this place is a real find, great favors, that work great together, high quality ingredients all around worth going out of the way for! Unless you have a lack of taste buds, then go somewhere else.
(4)
Kyle P.
Totally disappointed with my dining experience. Maybe I was expecting too much...but these were the highlights (?) of our visit: - Reservation not being honored and had to wait an additional 30 minutes before being seated; - Server getting two of our orders completely wrong; - Being pretty much ignored by our server (having to flag her down to even put in our order); Expected much more - will not be recommending this place to anyone else.
(1)
Larry K.
Went last night for the first time and this place is OUTSTANDING. The decor is different and mostly casual. The food however was unbelievably delicious, upscale and amazing. Everything we got was great. A little fancier food than I am used to, but really wonderful
(5)
Mary Pam P.
Loved it! Polenta board was fabulous as was the farro and butternut squash salad. The fresh doughnut affagato dessert was very good. Service was friendly and the atmosphere cozy. Only reason not to give 5 stars was the price of cocktails was high and they were on the warm side and only so so.
(4)
Karen G.
I had a great lunch here on a weekday afternoon. The host was very welcoming and since I arrived before my friend, they asked the name so they could direct them to my table. How fancy! I had the Gnudi Pomodoro. It was ... GREAT... but so tiny for 14 bucks. It was served n a shallow bowl and the width of the food was less than 4 inches. ... depth oh, maybe slightly more than a inch? ( You can tell I'm a scientist.) I really really wanted it to be bigger so I felt like I had a full lunch. No bread was served to us. I guess thats normal? Because of the tininess of my dish, I nibbled on my friend's Paccheri con Salsiccia e Pomodori al forno. It seemed like a larger dish and it was good- but the large chunks of onion and the tons of garlic were a bit overbearing. I would come back to try the "cheese and cured meat" selections. They looked really good.
(4)
Judi W.
Had a 6:30 reservation that was made two weeks ago - requested a high top in the bar by the windows - the staff does NOT read the reservations ahead of time. We arrived at 6:23 - there were no tables in the bar so we were taken through the main dining room where there were available tables and shown to a table in a side room filled with families with children - why would the two of us want to squeeze into a table in there with all those kids - we were out for a nice time ?!?!?!?! Clearly the blonde gentleman that sat us did NOT read us correctly. We promptly walked out and probably will not go back. Ugh !
(1)
Eloise P.
Being new to the neighborhood and after reading great reviews, I was looking forward to our first dining experience at Davanti. We made a reservation through Open Table for 7:45 pm. We showed up and the hostess said they were running behind and should be able to seat our group of 4 in about 10 minutes. Ironically as we waiting in the lobby, there was a sign that said they don't take reservations.... After 15 minutes I approached the hostess stand and she continued to ignore me and wouldn't look up from her computer until one of the managers finally acknowledged me and said, oh we are just getting your table ready now. Not a great first impression to this restaurant. We were seated at a table and the dining room was extremely busy and loud. The ladies at the table next to us were so close and loud it was hard to hear anything but her booming voice. The waitress them came over and asked for our drink order. She was obviously disappointed we didn't order wine because she promptly walked away from the table and did not come back for at least 15 minutes. We finally had to ask the water guy to please send the waitress over as we were all more than ready to place our orders. The waitress took our orders but did not write anything down. I immediately knew we were going to have issues getting what we had ordered. We had four different dishes and a meat and cheese platter with a variety of specifically selected items. After the last order was taken she said, well everything here is a small plate and you should just share the dishes. Well, this information would have been really helpful to know BEFORE we ordered as two of us ended up ordering the same dish. She walked away before we could change our orders. The appetizer arrived about 10 minutes later. The bruschetta was roasted cauliflower with onions and a mild cheese. It was very bland and totally flavorless. A total bore of an appetizer. Not long after, the first dish was brought out. It was a butternut squash salad that none of us had ordered. We let the male server know it wasn't for our table. He came back and said that it was ours and that sometimes people order the wrong thing. My sister insisted she ordered the butternut squash ravioli and not a salad. He continued to sternly tell my sister she must be confused because she ordered it. We were astounded that this male sever who delivered the food would say that because he did not take the order nor had our waitress written down the order. We all heard her order the ravioli and even the waitress verbally said the ravioli when she repeated it back to confirm the order. It should be a standard practice to write down orders at this establishment as our server screwed up 2 of our 4 dishes. Our waitress them came back over to the table, whisked the salad away and presented it to the table next to us as a complimentary salad and told my sister her ravioli was on its way. Very odd to witness her taking a plate from our table and kindly offering it to the table next to us. My husbands meat and cheese platter showed up next and I had the skirt steak,as did my mother. The steak was actually very delicious and tastefully prepared. The ravioli dish came out about 10 minutes later and it was definitely not worth the wait. The dish came out with ONE ravioli on the plate and it was stuffed with spinach and not with butternut squash as the menu describes. It was pretty bland. I had better butternut squash at Panera bread yesterday. They stuff their ravioli with actual butternut squash too and not spinach but then try and call it butternut squash ravioli... There was nothing butternut squash about this single ravioli. After the meal the waitress came over to ask how everything was. She never bothered to check in until the food was gone and our plates were cleared. My husband then said the cheese and meat platter she brought us wasn't the combination he ordered. She then explained, yes, I know they took your cheese tray to the wrong table and you received their tray. So there was a mix up and she knew the whole time and wasn't going to say anything!!! I couldn't believe it!!! She was just hoping he wouldn't notice the mix up. She then insisted that she make up the platter he originally ordered to go. By that point we were all so annoyed with the attitudes and deceitfulness. This restaurant was a complete disaster from the moment we walked through the door. There were so many opportunities for the hostess, our server, the male server that persistently insisted we didn't know what we ordered to be friendly, nice and honest. But they all chose to instead be cold, aloof, dishonest and accusatory. This place was a total disaster from start to finish. I expected so much more from this Scott Harris restaurant. A total disappointment.
(1)
Eric Y.
This update is for Easter Brunch. This is a buffet that also includes made-to-order frittatas that you order at the table and they're brought out to you when they're done. This is a very good brunch - a departure from their usual weekend brunch which is an a la carte affair. The frittatas are ok, just fancy word for scrambled eggs with stuff in them, i.e. omelets. The buffet though is excellent. The chilled food section is great. There are wood-oven grilled vegetables, caprese salad, beet salad with goat cheese, a kale Caesar salad, and an excellent pea-tendril/arugula/rock shrimp salad. Some nice charcuterie and cheeses are also there and black-truffle deviled eggs. Yum. The hot foods were also very good and included risotto (soggy), some very nice bacon, eggs Benedict, and delicious roast lamb loin and salt-crusted prime rib. The sweets section featured excellent key lime pie, chocolate mousse tart and some cookies and hand-pies. A mimosa is included in the price but there's also a bloody Mary bar. $42 per person is not the cheapest (what, no seafood?) but the quality is high.
(4)
Kate C.
Awesome burgers, pizza , and bruschetta. Try the honeycomb flatbread appetizer and you will die. We love the staff especially the bartenders. Amazing place for brunch as well. You can't go wrong!
(5)
Eva V.
The concept and the atmosphere is great, but everything else in this restaurant is a notch below what i t should be. The table are to closely placed, so staff and patrons can't move easily. I feel that the cheese assortment is too expensive, as is the house wine per glass. We were served a piece of a hard cheese with the outer skin on it. The lamb ragu, served with polenta medallions, had about 1.5 oz of lamb and a whole lot of polenta. This restaurant owner needs to take a close look, because the quality is fast slipping away. When we were leaving three employees were at the front register/check-in desk, and not one thanked us. I certainly think that this can again be a good place to dine with the right guidance.
(3)
Marissa S.
Great place to go with a group. We ordered a bunch of different appetizers and entrees and split them all. I was pleased with tasting many different options they offer. I went with a group of 4 for dinner and we ordered the veal meatballs, bruschetta, and the Mediterranean hummus with spicy pesto jar. Next we tried the pizza soppressata, gnudi pomodoro, and the davanti burger. My top 2 favorites that I highly recommend are the hummus and the gnudi pomodoro.
(5)
Laur G.
Had a great night at Davanti Enoteca. Our server was awesome. We told him the four dishes we wanted to share and he spaced them out perfectly. I will definitely return.
(4)
Carol K.
Having been to the Davanti locations both on Taylor Street in Chicago as well as the one in Del Mar, CA, imagine how excited I was to learn that they were going to open one out in the Western Burbs . . .and close by my work and home in Western Springs! My first visit was great! And even on a Tuesday night- this place was hopping! Make reservations or you may find yourself with a huge wait! We were seated at a two top high top by the window in the bar area. The perfect table. Our server, Joe, came over then and he turned out to be the perfect server. Attentive, personable, knowledgeable and funny! All things that went a long way in making our evening just that much more special! We ordered simply- the cauliflower appetizer and the goat cheese stuffed foccacia de recco which , with it's honeycombs to smear honey over the thing - should really be listed as a dessert. That focaccia is out of the this world- but I wish they would do a half size portion as there is never any way to finish it given how rich it is. For my entree- I always have the chili paste chicken which is a whole half a chicken and plenty to share. Speaking of sharing- the menu is set up to do just that but you may like your entree so much that you keep it all to yourself! I've also had the hangar steak which is also quite good. The wine list is quite robust, and here again, our server went out of his way to make sure we were happy with our selections. And if you drive (it's in the Burbs so that's probably likely although the Metra train stops nearby) there is a private free parking lot on the north side of the building. While there have been a range of restaurants in this place, I am hopeful that this one will stick. I like that you can come by for a business lunch- grab a glass of wine and some cheese with friends after work, have brunch on the weekends or have a complete meal at night. It's just that kind of restaurant that should meet a wide range of eating occasions. All in all a great addition to the Western Burbs.
(4)
Angela P.
5 Star Potential!! For SURE!!! Just wanted to start with that! I called on a Saturday afternoon and was able to make a same night reservation for 8:45 PM, which surprised me, but I was so excited, none the less. We arrived to this brand new location (opened April 5th) in downtown Western Springs just North of the train tracks on Hillgrove Ave. and Wolf Rd. at around 8:15 so we were told we would be seated a little closer to our reservation time, which was fine because Fred and Kevin wanted to grab a drink anyways. So they grabbed a drink at the bar while I just looked around and took in all the unique light fixtures and of course, checked out all the fabulous food walking by. Yum. We had been waiting over 55 min. (25 min. AFTER our reservation time) and I honestly was getting upset because I feel that reservations have a purpose but I do understand that people sometimes just don't like to get up, which was the case last night. So finally, at this time, one of the hosts came over and offered to buy us all a drink since we had been waiting so long, which already starting winning be back. I am a sucker for customer service and appreciation, so that was impressive. We were then seated within 5 minutes of getting those drinks and were told after being seated that we were getting not one, but two appetizers on the house for our trouble. Seriously. That was way more than I ever would have expected and was MUCH appreciated!! Our server came over to greet us and she was SUPER friendly and very enthusiastic about the menu items, which just makes me happy because I could talk about food all day! So her and I were a perfect fit! =] On top of the two free items, we ended up ordering like 6 more items, I will break them down individually since they were that good. Farro Salad (Free Item) - Farro, Roasted Butternut Squash, Hazelnuts, Watercress, Goat Cheese and a Apple Cider Viniagerette. This dish was my favorite of the night. Hands Down. The flavors were perfection and the nutty chewiness of the farro was so refreshing, something I probably would have never ordered but now will order every time!! Taleggio Vasi (Free Item) - Melted Taleggio Cheese, Grapes and Black Truffle. This was gooey, cheesy meltiness with the Earthiness of that truffle paste and the sweetness of the grapes. It just worked. So flavorful and rich. Ricotta Vasi - Whipped Ricotta with Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper and Honeycomb. This is one of the best spreads I've ever had. So creamy, cold and satisfying. And the perfectly oiled and toasted Italian bread that is served with it could be a meal in and of itself! Best.Bread.Ever. Fabulous! Roasted Beet Salad - Beets, Walnut Butter, Crema and Candied Walnuts. This salad is the perfect balance of flavors and textures. Cool and tender beets with that slightly warmed butter mixed with the cold cream. Honestly, it's perfection. So much so, that I have re-created it at home and didn't change much because it is so spot on! Pizza Giardiniera - Super crisp crust with Ricotta, Homemade Sausage (which was super light and flavorful) and a very light giardiniera of carrots and cauliflower. The pizza was good, but since everything else is on a totally different playing field, it's not something I would come here for. Ragu of the Day - Braised Pork Shoulder (whatever they have that day) over Mascarpone Creamy Polenta. It tastes JUST like my grandma's pot roast. Super tender meat and creamy, cheesy polenta. You really can't go wrong, another winner! Cacio e Pepe - Simple. Spaghetti, Pecorino, Butter, Salt & Pepper (lots). This is one of my favorite pastas I've ever had. So simple but done with such perfection, you will try it, and you will be addicted. End of story. Risotto Carbonara - Al Dente Risotto, Peas, Pancetta, Cheese and topped with an egg yolk to stir in just before eating. Simple, absolutely delicious, perfectly seasoned and genius. So old world style which I LOVE! That's all we got, just a short little list, right?!?! =]] Honestly though, our friend said he would love to be able to just pop in here for lunch during the week for lunch (but he works WAY too far from here) because he loved the freshness of everything and tried lots of items he has never had and was SUPER impressed. We will all back, very soon and very often! Thanks Davanti for another great experience, this time in a new location. Bringing a little sexiness over to the suburbs.
(4)
Benjamin R.
Fantastic meal in a beautiful building. We got a pizza (ok), gnudi pomodoro (delicious), meatballs (delicious), and other stuff I can't remember. Nice little beer selection, and obviously a great white list being a wine bar. Really great meal across the board, I'd like to come here again tomorrow.
(4)
Julie A.
Love, love love this place!! Superb food, great service (for the most part) and so NEEDED in Western Springs. You can share plates, or have your own. Their "specialty" drinks are really good too! Don't miss the donuts on sunday morning and one of the best bloody mary bars in the burbs!
(5)
Laura L.
I love this place! Love the Taylor St location. Been to this location 4 times! The food is up to par for sure but I totally agree that the service is lacking! Thank god my friend and I ran into people we knew to pass the time or else it may have ended up being an issue. We were there for almost 4 hours due to slow service! On another note this location is in a very family friendly community so expect to have children around as you dine. Thank goodness it's loud in the restaurant! Love that it's close...love the food...work on the staffing!
(4)
Margaret W.
Impressed with western springs as both the restaurants I tried this week were fabulous! I could have tried everything on this inventive menu! The beet salad surpassed my expectations! I was a bit hesitant as it arrived on a very chilled plate - I never like it when restaurants premake and hold chilled...really? Can't you do better than that? But this salad was so good, I quickly got over it. A must if you love beets - texture, taste and yes temperature spot on! The mushroom leek truffle pizza also a hit! Anxious to go back and try so many other amazing sounding menu items. Well done!
(5)
alexander s.
A great urban choice in the middle of suburbia. Best uni pasta I've ever had, even compared to ones in little Tokyo in LA! I loved the truffled toast with egg and asparagus, and the spaghetti cacio e Pepe was spot on. Unusually, dessert was very disappointing end to such a great meal.
(4)
Josh B.
Went there on a Sunday night. We had reservations for a party of four. Host/Mgr wouldn't seat bus till all party arrived. That's okay that is there prerogative. All arrived had to wait an additional 10 minutes to be seated I what I would classify as a not very busy restaurant. Service was fine, food was okay. The bus not super hustled to fill up our water. Maybe it was because it was a Sunday but it just wasn't happening to merit anything more than 2-3 stars to me. They barely brought out enough bread for each small plate. One piece a person while the arrabitta thing we ordered could have served 6-8 people. The small plates all were good but nothing was great. Service was good but not great. Just not many options on a Sunday night in Western suburbs except for the big chains by Oak Brook Center so this had to do T
(3)
Michael Z.
So, the most of the food was good and the place is warm and somewhat Inviting. The service was excellent, especially in regards to their courtesy. He gave us free desserts as it was our first time there. Notice how I said "most" of the food was good? Well, there's one glaring issue that bumps this place down to a 3 star rating. It was the pizza. We got a Margarita Pizza and it took FOREVER. All the other dishes were very timely. It felt like they forgot about the pizza. But the biggest issue? The crust was downright the worst I've ever had from a (sit-down) Italian restaurant. It had the flavor of those plain crackers that they serve on airplanes, and it was a complete contrast to the soft inner portion of the pizza that needed to be folded to be eaten. The crust, however, was so stiff that it didn't want to fold. It would just crumble and make a huge mess. I'm sorry, but an Italian restaurant that can't make pizza properly is not a restaurant that I'm going back to, great service or not. That's just inexcusable.
(3)
Chari A.
Love it! Extraordinary. See my tip. Come here, come often we are so lucky to have this restaurant in Western Springs. Thank you!
(5)
Chris G.
Amazing Fabulous menu, service, and wine Everytime I dine there whether for business or with my kids I always have a fabulous experience. Food is amazing. I have my favorites (polenta, escarole salad, focaccia) But I've never tasted anything I didn't love Staff is friendly knowledgeable and fast Management is always welcoming and treats you like a familiar face. Highly recommended
(5)
Kate S.
My husband & I made a last minute stop here on a busy Valentine's night. We knew better than to expect a table for dinner and were prepared to sit at the bar. The manager was super nice & told us he could surely sneak us in. We were sat at a cozy table and had a delicious meal in great atmosphere. It's nice to have a yummy restaurant close to home where the establishment remembers its customers and appreciates the business. The ricotta bread is amazing!!
(4)
Noor B.
Fantastic spot in our new hood. Great apps, pizza and beer. Not to mention a lively atmosphere. Good service. Definitely recommend.
(5)
David W.
Great date night spot in western springs. Italian small plates meant to be shared between friends and family. Mushroom pizza is delicious. Only 4 stars because we seem to have to wait 20-30 minutes despite making a reservation. Not sure if they purposely overbook or if they were just unexpectedly busy nights. If this happens to you, walk next door and grab a glass of wine at Hillgrove Cellars while you wait.
(4)
Patricia m.
The absolute best food I have ever tasted???? First of all let me start out by saying, my husbands thinks I was born to complann - LOL, I do see it as kind of a sport. I can not find one single solitary thing to complain about here. I am a pretty picky eater and I have to push my self into trying new things. Our waitress basically made the choices for us and there was not one bad choice out of about 10 different items!! It's some what like tappas but with much more food portions. The food is made to be shared. There were 8 of us so we had plenty to eat and each and every dish was mouth watering, delicious. Most of the food I can't even pronounce let along remember and I'm already planning to go back. The blood Mary's were the best ever, the service is top notch, the ambience is perfect and the prices are super reasonable. We will definitely become regulars.
(5)
Sue O.
Not a particularly good lunch menu; we checked it out last week and decided not to stay. I don't eat nuts and most salads included nuts, which in some cases can be omitted but if the salad is special because of the nets the excluding them detracts from the intention- perhaps there could be more choices.
(3)
S L.
Was disappointed in this visit. Have visited other locations but this was very different. Made reservation and when we got there, we checked in. It was early in the evening and the place was 1/2 full. The hostesses (very young and disorganized) said they would be right with us. Then we watched people come in that had no reservations and they were sat right away. I then asked what the situation with our table. They apparently forgot about us and st us then. Server was Victoria, who I wish I could give a million stars just for her. Her service, explanation of the menu, and overall personality was A-plus. The food...not so much. Sausage and peppers with marscapone polenta---no flavor whatsoever. Cauliflower steak...no flavor. Asparagus salad? One again, the char on the spears was great, but I could easily do this at home myself on my Weber. Pickled rhubarb? Unremarkable .Foccacia with cows milk cheese with honey was amazing. Unreal how great it was. How do you run out of beer(IPA) that is on draft on a Saturday night at 7:00pm? One last thing.......I absolutely HATE it when I visit a place and a manager does not visit the table. I just spent $120 for two people and you don't stop by tables and ask how everything was? This shows arrogance and a definite dis-connect from your establishment and your guests.
(2)
D T.
I hate to do it, buttttt...it was so sub par. It's still mind boggling people love this heavy food there are NO light options, and I'm no sissy. I got it to go, I wouldn't again. Taylor street location is better The staff COULD NOT BE KINDER OR MORE ACCOMODATING. they're wonderful. I hope it works, but for now, no thanks.
(2)
Andrew K.
Great food. Excellent atmosphere. Particularly love the outdoor seating in the springtime.
(5)
Bob H.
Yeah, 5 stars. Everything was fantastic. Really excited a place like this is close to home. Started with the soppressata which had a great giardiniera with it. Then has the focaccia with honey. Very non-traditional focaccia, and the honey put it over the top. I want to say its the best thing I had, but everything was great. From there we had a pizza with arugula and finished with the Cacio de pepe, which was so simple but so fantastic. At first we were a little concerned. We had an 8:15 reservation and didn't get seated til 8:44pm. The food really needed to make up for it, and it sure did. The way they serve is different, so I get why we waited and next time will keep it in mind. Easy parking and very accessible by train. I'll be back for sure.
(5)
Ann G.
We had a very fun experience here. Our waiter was really helpful and friendly as we asked him several questions about the menu. Service was attentive throughout the night even though the restaurant was packed. Both the polenta special and gnocchi we had for dinner were really tasty. I would definitely go back here. Be sure to make reservations for weekend nights.
(4)
Mile K.
Great intimate atmosphere & rustic brick & wood appeal! Grab a booth in the front!
(4)
David S.
Seriously good food. We wen't for Brunch and they have a really fantastic offering. The french toast is unique. Thick and crispy yet light on the inside. Balsamic-maple Syrup and orange mascarpone....mmmm. The dish you cannot miss is super simple, but works because of the great ingredients. Whipped ricotta and natural, local honeycomb. A hint of honey on the bread (which is very good too), and then a smear of the whipped ricotta over it. Phenomenal taste combination. Weekends they have a make your own bloody mary bar.it includes Bacon as an ingredient. For some this may be all that is needed, but I'm going back for the ricotta and honeycomb thing. Ambience is very nice too. Rustic and not stuffy at all. There are some side rooms where a group can be comfortable enjoying themselves, while not bothering the rest of the diners. Patio looks comfortable, but something to save for cooler weather. Very good looking wine list. Not just Italian, some well selected California wineries are also represented.
(5)
Mario C.
We are frequent diners here. This review is overdue. Had I written it before our latest experience on 8/2, it would have been four stars. Had this been our only dining experience, it would have been one star. We sat outside, four of us. The waiter was pleasant enough and took our starter order. Our food came quickly and was very good. Our waiter then promptly disappeared. By the time he had returned to our general area, he had evidently lost his sight and hearing. He ignored us. We watched him chat with a table at the end of the sitting area for what felt like 10 minutes. (It was probably five minutes, but felt like an eternity, especially when we had been ignored for 20 minutes). It was maddening. In fact, the bus boy actually thought we were DONE with our meal when we had not even ordered any entrees. The bus bot, the only attentive employee in the room, was able to get the prodigal waiter to return to our table whom we "welcomed" back. He replied to us that "he saw us talking and did not want to disturb us". Huh? (Trust me, had he even glanced at the table, he would have seen four pairs of eyes looking his way, and to the extent we were talking, it was about him). It got worse. Three entrees arrived, one did not. We were told that "chicken takes longer". Well, I can tell you how much longer. It takes as long as it takes three people to eat their entire entrees is how much longer. My wife restrained me from complaining to the manager as we waited for her chicken as she did not want to ruin the meal any more then it was ruined already. (Her nature is not to complain, but instead not to return). One more note, the skate fish (a special) was cooked perfectly but very over saturated with balsamic, and was the only good thing on the plate. Two of us had it and both agreed that the balance of the plate was inedible. We will most likely return, but warily.
(2)
Lisa H.
One of the best Italian restaurants on the southwest side. I have eaten there @15 times. There was a short period when the food quality started to slide- raw ravioli, tasteless sauce- so, I waited a few months. They are definitely back at the top of their game. 1/2 price wine Wednesday, fresh, light cuisine that tickles your palate. You don't have to share if you don't want to- but it allows you to taste many different foods. You can always order more. Favorites are the truffle egg toast, kale salad, polenta board, bruschetta , octopus, pizzas...just about everything
(4)
Jenn M.
Update: So, since I've been quoted in the weekly Yelp, I have to say that unfortunately, the amazing, delicious, best-thing-on-the-menu, farro salad is gone for the season. Personally, I call bullshit, because I can get squash at the store still. I actually whined, begged and pouty-faced the waitress, the chef and anyone that would listen (i.e. my husband at the table the entire time). Now, maybe my view was tainted because of the farro incident, but this was definitely an off night for them. I "settled" for the risotto carbonara and which last time it was perfect, this time, the risotto was seriously undercooked. And the pork shoulder ragout wasn't nearly as tender as usual. I found one piece inedible. Hubby ordered the ribeye and to me, it looked disgusting. There was so much fat and "icky stuff" on it there was no way I was touching it. I'm still leaving it as 4-star, but now the food is down with the service. But hopefully it was just a bad night.
(4)
bridget l.
I love this place. The service is amazing and the outside patio is the best especially on gorgeous Chicagoland summer days :) the food is THE BOMB but don't take my word for it try it yourself! Whatever they are serving over polenta I'm buying. Nice ambience too- great place for a date.
(5)
Ms Jiji S.
I went here for the first time with my family for my birthday. I was excited to try it out, and more excited for my family to try it. My father is off-the-boat Italian, and I thought this might be a great place for him! First they brought the wrong bottle of wine out, which took at least 15 minutes to get to the table. Then we ordered a different bottle because apparently the one we wanted was out of stock, and it took another 15 minutes for it to arrive. They stuck our large party (10 people) in the back room (which doesn't get cell phone reception), and kind of forgot about us. The food came out sporadically, and was ok at best. You are better off going to Brookhaven Foods for better deli meats, at least that's what my father said! The polenta was not good either. I grew up eating polenta regularly, and when they brought it out, all of us thought, "What is this crap?!?" The service was absolutely lousy. It felt like the waiter knew he could ignore us because he would still get his 20% tip due to the size of the party. I would not go back, and neither would anyone else in my family. I expected more from them, especially since this is a sister restaurant to Francesca's, which I've always had good experiences with. It's really too bad. That spot in Western Springs has had about 3 different restaurants in there in the past 6 years, so maybe it's cursed with bad luck.
(2)
Rich R.
I really enjoyed this place. Greeted warmly for lunch. An extremely varied and interesting menu. A whole section of meat and cheese appetizers. I had the GIANT rigatoni with sausage which was well spiced for an interesting taste. Superb. Ambiance is trendy; parking a cinch. I enjoy the American movie posters on the walls in Italian, being the movie buff that I am . I will definitely go back, maybe for dinner when I can try out their wines.
(4)
Jennifer B.
Met some friends here for our traditional long lunch on the day before Thanksgiving and wanted to try some place new in the burbs not in La Grange. Was happy to find this place. Easy to get to and parking lot is a bonus. Decor is cozy and welcoming, but there wasn't much of a lunchtime crowd. I ordered the warm kale salad in a vegan version - by not including the bacon and cheese, as well as a wild mushroom/fennel flat bread (without cheese) for entree. Of the three of us, we each ordered a salad, and then the flatbread for two of us to share, and one other entree. Either the server or kitchen didn't quite figure out that the salad was intended to be everyone's first course, followed by the other two items ordered. So everyone's salads came out, and at the same time, the flatbread. It had also taken more time than would be expected for this food to appear. (Good thing we were off work that day. ) When the issue of timing was raised to our server, she did take it back to "keep warm" for us at our request. But when we'd finished our salads and the entree course arrived, they had prepared us an entirely new pizza. That was a nice touch! Taste wise it and the kale salad were perfectly adequate - nothing extraordinary however. The chef was good in handling my vegan requests, and had sent our server out to warn me that the beet salad my friend ordered was not vegan (in case it was to be shared) which was very thoughtful and appreciated. My friend really raved about his beet salad and seafood stew, and my other friend raved about the farro/butternut squash salad. Daily special 50% of bottles of wine was a good deal for us. Davanti Enoteca is a solid, A-OK choice for Italian, but didn't especially stand out from the crowded Italian scene.
(3)
Karen G.
Another totally disappointing dining experience at this place! Noisy, overcrowded tables, tables too close together and mediocre food at best. If the restaurant is going to book a birthday party for a child at 7pm to include 25 + mothers, fathers, grandparents and screaming children in the 'cozy nook' of the restaurant than have them book the room as a private party. Seating customers to fill surrounding tables is just wrong. Not to mention the poor service. The waiter for our table forgot to order one out of five entrees and we had to get the attention of a busboy to find the waiter - whose station was in the larger room - to tell him the entree never arrived. When it did arrive it was luke warm just like the other foods we ordered. Managements two 'free' desserts were a poor attempt to make it a great dining experience. Just can't/won't do this one again.
(1)
Cindy B.
Davanti Enoteca provides a great night out with a city atmosphere, great food selection, wrapped up with good service. Their daily specials are always a delight, and love how they have different takes on bruschetta. They recently had an eggplant bruschetta that was delightful. Must try the polenta with the ragu of the day, favorite so far has been the pork shoulder ragu. Excellent! Great for bigger groups or dinner for two. All in all never a dissappointment, and always look forward to having something new!
(4)
Kirk W.
The quality of the food here is very good .... but when they say small plates, they really mean small plates. Not a place to go when you are super hungry ... unless you want to spend $150 on dinner. But everything else about the place is good - the food, the waitstaff, the drinks ... all very good.
(3)
roxie j.
We just moved back to the area from San Francisco and tried this place last night. We were able to get a table outside and from the moment we stepped in we were greeted with smiles, kindness and terrific energy. We were fortunate to have Jaimie as our server for the evening. He methodically explained the red wine choices to my husband and was very patient as my husband hemmed and hawed...he brought out two samples for my husband to try and we were then able to move onto the menu...we started with the marinated olives and roasted cherry tomato + burrata+basil pesto - there were three of us and we were sedated by the flavors and knew we had found a goldmine. The bread served with the roasted cherry tomato, bur rata and basil pesto was generous, thick and crispy - so perfect. We moved on to the Linguine, sea urchin and crab as well as the Ribeye - SUPURB on all levels. We shared every dish - we felt the portions to be appropriate to the price and filling. The wine match that Jaimie offered was exceptional as was his personality, skill and commitment to our experience. We had to pass on the dessert (we were full ) only to have Jaimie give us one to go as a gift. Unbelievable yet clever as he in that move alone made us loyal regulars at Davanti Enoteca...is tonight to soon to return? LOVE this Western Springs Jewel!
(5)
Petey D.
Went there last night with my family and it was amazing. Such a great place for a family dinner, a date, or even just a giant group. The hostesses seemed somewhat out of there element but that can't take away from the review. The polenta is amazing, such great quality and richness and even though it's expensive as a small plate is 15 and a large 17 you can tell you're getting your money's worth. The waiters are very natural and seem to never get lost; I thought he was the owner. Everything's good here, especially their desserts. The Blondie is a bread kind of pudding but has great structure with a complementing scoop of salty vanilla ice cream. The ice cream is obviously Angelo ' s which is at most chicago Italian restaurants but for some reason it tasted better.. maybe it's the amazing enriching atmosphere or they let it sit for a minute or two to make it smooth enough for your spoon to seep in with ease but is still whole. I love it, I love the francesca Amici chain and divanti's seems to be higher quality. I'd recommend 100%
(5)
Leia H.
Amazing! Everything we tried here was great, but my favorites were the ragu and arugula pizza (I don't even like arugula) . Lots of options; portions perfect for trying several options and sharing. You really have to try the ragu with polenta, its amazing.
(5)
Tony M.
My girlfriend and I met another couple here on the other couple's recommendation. We had a great time. The server was readily willing to help us decide on different items and the timing of the food coming out of the kitchen couldn't have been better.
(5)
Christina H.
What a great spot... the wait staff is knowledgeable and attentive and the food is off-the-charts good. I dream about the truffle egg toast. Best to go with a big group and try pretty much everything. Love davanti.
(5)
Paul B.
I am often left to scratching my head when reading other reviews here on Yelp. After dining at Davanti the other night, I had to scroll back to "Bob's" review also shown here--and I wondered what the heck he was looking for. I found Davanti to be a really delightful place. "Bob" says that he was disappointed that WS now has another bistro with an unpronounceable name (alluding to Macenat, I'm guessing) and for all the reasons he hated it, I loved it. Why do so many wish to have the equivalent of a culinary dumb-down for it to be appealing? I'm guessing Bob wants to have a WS equivalent of a Carraba's or Olive Garden. Bob, drive to where you can wear your flip-flops and tee shirts and be happy. Me? I'll enjoy that WS has a moderately upscale Italian dining experience. The reservation was for 7:30 and the table was ready when we arrived. We were offered inside or patio seating. We opted for inside. While they were looking to give a choice of locations, no fewer than three staff greeted us warmly and asked if we were being helped. No shortage on the friendly factor. The waiter ("Brooks"... remembered only through the Shawshank reference) was also friendly, did all the right things and took the drink order. When he came back, he went through the night's specials and explained how the menu overall worked. Again, good training by someone there. Cocktail could have been in a bigger glass and it was brimming full of ice, which I know many like, but I didn't say I liked less so that's more on me than them. Wine portion was generous. I had the special app for the night... clams in a great broth with crispy pancetta, peas and two slices of really crusty, toasted and rubbed with garlic bread for dipping. Huge flavors well executed and presented. We both wanted to try the wood-fired pizza and opted for the Margherita DOC as it's the classic and if they get that right, they'll get the rest of it right. Nice work. It might have needed 30 secs more in the hearth, but I can't complain about it one whit. We weren't huge hungry so that's as far as we went for a first visit, but I know there's going to be a return--and probably often. I watched other orders as they passed us and it all looked terrific. There's ample evidence that this will become a regular stop. The decor is warm and inviting. If there are fewer people there with Bob's mentality, fine with me. I'm not a lowest common denominator kind of guy as apparently he is. Bob... just get a can of something from Chef Boyardee and be a happy guy. Me? I'll be in WS.
(4)
Marianne D.
First time diner. A friend and I went to lunch. Great atmosphere, loved the outside dining area where we sat. Small plates to share menu. Brooks was our server and was great...attentive and informative and so nice. My friend and I shared a cheese sampling which was yummy. I wish there was crusty grilled bread provided with the cheese plate. When I did request bread it was toasted, not grilled. Grilling provides something extra over toast similar to what pops out of a toaster. We then shared the roasted beet salad which was good. Again, not much roasted flavor going on but still enjoyable. Next was the mushroom pizza with leeks, very good. Brooks found out we came to Davanti because of Yelp reviews and treated us to a trio sorbet since we were first time customers. A very nice touch! I definitely will be back for dinner with my husband!
(4)
Super S.
What a disappointment. This location has been cursed for a long time. Restaurants just can't succeed here. I really liked the Davanti on Taylor Street so I was excited that a great restaurant was coming to Western Springs. I have been here 3 times. At this point I do not feel the need to go back Certain things on the menu were great. The pork shoulder polenta appetizer was wonderful as is the Davanti burger with bacon jam. The Pollo 'Sole Mio', the mozzarella, tomato, basil pesto vasi were just ok. The Gnudi Pomodoro portion was tiny, very tiny. Food aside the biggest problem I had was the service. I don't know if the kitchen is too small or poorly laid out but every restaurant in this location suffers from poor/slow service. I don't like to be rushed when I eat but twice the food for our party came out at very different times. We ordered our entrees and and they would bring 2 out at a time. The third time I dined here I asked the waitress about it. She said that all the entrees were meant to be shared - like tapas. If that is the case than I believe the servers should mentioned that when you are ordering. Otherwise it is a very uncomfortable feeling when someone has, for example, their chicken dish in front of them hot and ready to eat and all the other people at the table have nothing. The last time I dined at Davanti. I had the strangest experience I have ever encountered. There was a total of 4 women in my party. At the end of the meal, after we had VERY poor service (we actually thought something was very wrong because our waitress disappeared for about 30 minutes) the waitress added a 20% gratuity and didn't tell us. Someone in the group noticed and questioned her about it and she said. "Oh yeah, I already added the gratuity for you." What? I have never heard of such a thing. We even double checked the menu in case it was mentioned on the menu and we had failed to notice it. Nope. Apparently my 3 visits to this place were out of the ordinary, everyone seems to love the place. I am in no hurry to go back. There are too many restaurants I could spend my very hard earned money at so there is really no reason to have a crummy dining experience. One of the things love about the Chicago area - the winters may be crap we have great food and fabulous restaurants, even if you have to drive a bit. It will be well worth the drive.
(2)
Ryan C.
This is one of my favorite Italian Restaurants. Its like an Italian Tapas restaurant so you will have a great time going with 4-6 people and sharing your dishes and exploring all their different flavors. Some of my favorites for this place are the Riccata with Honey Comb, Brochette, and Bisteak with caramelized onions. This Restaurant can get expensive if you order 2-3 main dished per person but if your order 2-3 appetizers and then one main dish per person you can get out with a glass of wine under $30 per person. Some of the best dishes are the appetizers. They have a wide variety of meat and cheese plates and wine.
(5)
Marcia S.
Food was very good and wine drinkers at table seemed very happy. Service was average but busy night so probably as good as could be expected. Beer choices were major disappointment....no IPA no reds. Tried to give feedback to manager on way out but clearly he did not get it. Overall I'd recommend the restaurant but if you're craving a decent craft beer before or during your meal this is not the place
(3)
John D.
Always superb. Support staff is the best and food is always first rate. Been back many times and will keep coming back. Do try the burger. They also have Gosling's the mule or alone. Highly recommend for something different in the western burbs.
(5)
John W.
Enjoyed our meal and wine very much! Not a bad dish out of the 6-7 our table ordered. Service was great also! Not overly expensive.
(5)
Pam K.
Warm and cozy place. Went on a Monday night. We had the bruschetta with goat cheese and butternut squash which was OK but I would have preferred it to be on a crostini or at least smaller pieces of bread, the warm tomato with burrata salad, which was phenomenal, the polenta and the hanger steak. The steak was very chewy. Had a nice bottle of wine and finished the meal with coffee, which was very good and a mediocre dessert that we barely touched. I'd go back and order the burrata salad and maybe look at getting a cheese plate with a bottle of wine next time because we weren't thrilled with the food but liked the atmosphere. We spent $150 before tip and left unimpressed.
(2)
Kelly P.
AMAZING! A friend suggested we try Davanti's so we ventured to Western Springs. So glad we did. My husband and I had a fantastic meal, sharing a bunch of small plates. We loved them all. Our waitress, Julie, gave us great recommendations and service. We will definitely be back!!
(5)
Mike D.
Finally, a quality restaurant at the corner of Hillgrove and Wolf road! We've been to the Taylor street location many times and were thrilled to learn Western Springs would be getting their very own Davanti Enoteca. Must haves: Mason jar of ricotta with local honey comb. Soft polenta with ragu of the day. Burrata. Those are the three best things on the menu. Hands down. I can not fully explain to you how good the soft polenta board is. You must order this. IF you think you will really be able to throw down, the focaccia board is also dynamite. It's just filling as all get out. For entrees, we have enjoyed the rigatoni, ravioli, pizza, hangar steak. It's all excellent. You really can't go wrong. We really enjoyed the space and the service was outstanding. Cocktails were delightful. Bill can add up quickly, so choose wisely. And make sure make a reservation ahead of time. It was full to the brim at 6pm on Saturday!
(5)
Bob C.
I hate to be a killjoy since we were so hoping for a great place, but we have another overpriced restauarant with fancy food in Western Springs, a town with yes - kids and teenagers. I'm not looking for a place to bring babies and toddlers, but kids who actually eat food. This place is not for them. Adults can already go to a bistro with a name they can't even pronounce if they want to, so how about a place for everyone who has an appetite? So if you aren't very hungry and have a lot of extra money, this is the place for you. The special - the polenta and braised pork in tomato sauce. Let's see - 4 scoops of essentially cornmeal with some cheese mixed in, spread out on a board and anointed with 4-5 ladles of the sauce - thats $18. Really? R u kidding? I ate it with threes slurps. Share it and everyone gets 2 tablespoonfuls. Pepperoni and kale pizza was unremarkable - there are 2-3 other woodfired pizza places within 10 minutes just as good if not better. Veal meatballs and prosciutto - run of the mill. Wine pours - lets see huge glass, small flask, embarrasing combination. Some sea urchin and crab linguine thing was fairly tasteless for $15 with enough crab to fill a large thimble. Ricotta dumplings in tomato sauce - again unremarkable. It's easy to get people in to try a place once, but getting people to return here - have to wait and see, wont be us.
(2)
Linda R.
Wonderful, wonderful. Every bite was great, the service was good. We sat inside and it was a bit noisy, but the hustle and bustle was great. Try the polenta - this night was pork shoulder, it was great. The fish with the fava beans was also a great favorite. We were a bit wary of the sharing of plates, but it turned out to be a great experience. We will be back and back! Thanks
(5)
Paul A.
The menu has great variety. Management is watchful and involved. Not many reviewers mention it, but their Cheeseburger is INCREDIBLE. I know it's an Italian place but I think that Burger may be the best in the Western suburbs.
(5)
Jim E.
Im going to attempt to keep this short and sweet. First off, I made a reservation for 8 PM and arrivved at approx 7:55 and was met by a huge crowd inside the front door. Mark and Chris were working the front of the house and assured me it would only be about 15 mins before they could get us seated. We waited in the bar and had several different drinks between the four of us. The definite stand out was a Davanti infused fruit Martini that was amazing . Well, 15 minutes turned into an hour and Chris came over and apologized greatly and assured us they would make up for it. He was not lying, our server Salina treated us like family, the house bought us a round of drinks and appetizers. I will tell you everything we ordered was very good, with the exception of some beets with a walnut butter that missed the mark. I will just list the rest of our items and tell you each one was worth going back for. Prosciutto and Veal meatballs,Focaccia di Recco,a Pizza,Risotto,Ravioli,Bruschetta and Beets with Walnut butter. Thanks again Chris, we will definetly be coming back soon.
Wow. Third time there. A favorite for sure. Sat outside. Great service. Had cauliflower "steak", corn salad, daily bruschetta, pizza giardinera, giant ravioli, and some wonderful dessert that I can only remember as delicious. Wine program is both broad in choice and price point. Just love this place..
(5)
Rich S.
Love the place, great food, good atmosphere, family friendly. One of the best casual dining places I been too.
(5)
Nick S.
Great menu choices. Well-prepared and presented dishes. Very good service. Well designed up to date interior. Perfect light level. Lively crowd. Suburban location with an urban vibe. I would not hesitate to go again or recommend to others in the area.
(4)
Lu S.
Food itself is a 5 on taste, lowered to a 4 based on price and size. I'm all for smaller plates, I don't care to overeat but price needs to reflect portion. Way to toss is the BTG wine price to be $8, then say 4 oz. or 8 oz. and charge $12 when you reply 8 oz. Slick move. I prefer honesty but what the hey...we all tell a white lie or two. But again, everything we ordered tasted fantastic! With service, or lack thereof, at a 2 it lowered overall review to 3. Management, please work on this, I really want to come back! But not sure I have two hours to spend on a weeknight to have 3 plates, and 1 glass of wine each with a table of two! It's not because they are lazy, I see them busting their tail, it's inefficient movements I was seeing. And the food runners...omg, randomly walk to each table, "did you order xxx? "did you order xxx?" Are you kidding!! How amateurish and extremely disruptive to paying customers. Maybe more waitstaff and less runners? I thought maybe they were short staffed but after seeing the same comment on service from multiple yelpers I see we're throwing you constructive criticism. Will you fix, we shall see. You probably think you're busy enough but this corner is known for closing other establishments with good reputations as well. Best of luck. Overall... go, when you have the time, and the patience!
(3)
Diane M.
Our group of six went out on a Wednesday night to Davanti Enoteca in Western Springs. On Wednesdays, the wine list is 50% off which was one of the reasons we were there. The room is modeled after a rustic Italian farm house with exposed brick and wood beams and was really quite nice. Things started out well with a Tuscan red wine blend and appetizers of the night special bruschetta along with a cheese board featuring 3 cheeses and a salumi selection. The bruschetta was very good. The cheese board was ok, but seemed a bit pricey. Things kind of went downhill after that. The waitress started out fine and gave some good recommendations, however we were disappointed with the size of some of the dishes. For example, an $11 ravioli dish comes with one ravioli a bit bigger than a golf ball. Same with a $14 pasta dish. We wish the waitress would have explained that we are ordering small plates, tapas style dishes. We also ordered a basic tomato, mozzarella and basil pizza, which was rather bland, and a salad of roasted butternut squash, farro, hazel nut and goat cheese which was disappointing because the waitress didn't explain what it was properly. Then one of the members ordered the grilled hangar steak with roasted radishes and oyster mushrooms. That came out 15 minutes after everyone else got their dinners. It was very tasty when it finally got to the table, but we were not happy with the delay. On a more positive note the seared octopus and warm potato salad was very good and good sized. Also, the wine we ordered was excellent, especially at 50% off. Some of us were still hungry when we left. A few of us will probably not be coming back, but a few others are willing to try Davanti again.
(2)
Arney B.
We had a great experience last night. Most plates are pretty small so you will spend more than you anticipate but defiantly worth it.Food is fantastic and great wine list. Reservations are a must for Fridays and Saturdays and the parking fills up quick. Would recommend parking along the tracks to the South.
(5)
Kari H.
Davanti burger is the best I Ever had. My new favorite restaurant. Can't wait to try the Sunday brunch and the Bloody Mary bar!
(5)
Merid L.
Overpriced for what it was. I never was asked if I wanted a refill on a coke or the cup of coffee that I had after lunch. C'mon, I'm spending $45 for two little bowls of penne. Ask if I want a refill on the coffee! Food was just ok.
(3)
Martha K.
Had a great evening at this restaurant. Our server went out of her way to guide us through the menu to choose what would be right for us. The small plates were still very filling. I loved the mason jar spreads especially the Baked Taleggio cheese with grapes and black truffles. The menu has a wide variety and the couple vegetarians we had with us found plenty to order.
(5)
The T.
The food was excellent but we had two problems with the service,. First of all, although we had a reservation for two, we were directed to the bar where it took half an hour till we were seated. The next problem was with the timing of the food served. One person in our party received their salad. The other person had to wait ten minutes before their salad was served, and this was with urging to the wIt staff. The server apologized and said this wait difference happens often with salads but not with entrees. You guessed it ... Our entrees were served ten minutes apart too. At that point we asked to speak to the manager. He apologized but said this is how it is done at this restaurant. And no offer to comp a glass of wine or dessert. The food is excellent here, as long as you don't mind the awkwardness of constantly telling your dinner companions tongi ahead and eat while their dinner is warm while you wait another ten minutes for your food to arrive. It was a weird, inefficient, awkward and arrogant dining experience tonight.
(2)
Betty M.
Read all the reviews of this eatery and a group of us went for diner late in the afternoon on a Saturday. The location was easy to find and the atmosphere was pleasant. The food was ok but nothing out of the ordinary. We had pizza which was very good (balanced on a large tomato can for presentation-accident waiting to happen) polenta on a wood board, delicious garlic bread and a few other items. Wait staff very attentive but when one of our party had an entire tray of drinks spilled on him management left much to be desired. Dripping from head to toe, shirt soaked, pants, socks and shoes wet. Everyone was quick to help with cleanup, luckily my friend had some workout clothes in his car to change into. Accidents happen but management failed - in my opinion this man should have been offered more than 2 glasses of wine for having an entire tray of drinks poured on him, if he wouldn't have had the change of clothes he would have had to leave. The poor waitress was mortified and couldn't apologize enough, but I feel that management should have stepped up with more than free glasses of wine. All in all the restaurant was ok as was the food, I've had worse, I've had better. Nothing out of the ordinary.
(2)
Jaimie W.
My boyfriend and I have been twice since it was recommended by his father and the food is amazing! We are all foodies and appreciate both good food and service. The only exception to this 5 star rating would be that we made reservations for Sweetest Day, and did end up waiting about 20 minutes. Other than that no complaints. I am actually considering their Party room as an intimate reception place. I will be back with a full review!
(5)
John T.
I brought my wife there last night for her birthday. Terrific food and good service. Really enjoyable. We will be back.
(5)
November P.
My family of our had dinner here last night after the Illumination show at Morton Arboretum and everything was off from the moment we walked through the door. No warm greeting, no smile, they (the hostess and the manager) only wanted to look at my phone to verify our reservation (the restaurant was empty). We were seated by the hostess who dropped our menus without a smile, no "enjoy your dinner", etc. When it was time to order, the waitress informed us they were all out of our top THREE choices. Why wouldn't you inform us of that from the beginning? When I kindly mentioned that we were disappointed about the unavailable menu items to the manager, who was pouring our wine, he told us "well you can come back tomorrow". Hmmmm thanks. The first dish that arrived was the wrong pasta dish (giant rigatonti vs the giant raviolo that we've had at the DE on Taylor downtown-delicious). We sent back the rigatoni and when she brought the raviolo, it had about 1 cup of oil poured on it and the pasta was white and chalky- clearly not cooked correctly. Not even close to aldente, it was raw. I pointed it out to our waitress and requested it be taken off our bill-which it never was. We were really not trying to be difficult and having been in the service industry in the past I was appalled how badly they were fumbling, being one of the only tables occupied. If you want to try Davanti Enoteca, go to the one on Taylor street downtown as unfortunately this one offers really terrible customer service and awful food. We won't be going back.
(1)
Michelle F.
Ate here for the first time yesterday and it was so good. The mushroom flatbread with truffle oil is to die for. There is a different bruchetta every night and it was delicious. The inside of the place is super cute, very old farmhouseish. Lots of exposed wood and little italian touches. Great for a date night or girls night!
(4)
April P.
OMG. My taste buds exploded. I had the bruschetta special which was mushrooms and balsamic on top of cheese. It was bomb. Then I had the mascarpone polenta ragu dish and salmon lentil mushroom special. OMG everything exploded in my mouth. I will be back.
(5)
Sheila D.
Very poor service. The waitress, Ely, rarely visited our table. When she did, she was abrupt. I told her we needed more attention but she did not check back with us (we wanted more wine). Then the food came one meal at a time. She claimed this was supposed to be tapas but our menu items included a big burger (to share?) and pasta entrees; these were not for sharing. Finally, our bill came and she had added a 20% gratuity for our table of 4. The menu said it would be added for 6 or more, as is traditional. At that point, although we did not question Ely, she offered to bring us a free birthday dessert even though we were not celebrating a birthday. We felt she was trying to use the restaurant food to suddenly be a good server. This seemed unfair to the restaurant. I deleted my portion of the tip. The food, by the way, was mediocre. My spaghetti was very oily, garlicy and heavy. Won't be back.
(2)
Mickie M.
Fantastic!!! Service was amazing- food was fantastic- every last bite simply delicious.
(5)
Andrea P.
Went for an early Sunday dinner with a total of 8 guests. Our server was nice enough, but also taking care of a larger party in another room. It probably should have been her only table considering there were at least 20 people in that party. We were offered drinks, but I had not looked at the wine menu so I told her I needed a few minutes. We didn't order a bottle of wine until an hour into the meal, which I guess wasn't such a big deal, since service was so slow, and we were able to have it with the actual dinner. We would have easily consumed another bottle, and that's your loss! One of the wine glasses was filthy to a point where the server should have seen or felt before setting down in front of us. Again, I realize our server was busy with her large party, but shouldn't there be a manager's presence on the floor just in case? In case my server is just too busy to get to my table, as was the case all night. Sitting for 20 minutes after dinner, looking around and at one point with my entire body turned trying to get service, is simply unacceptable. I was clearly a guest trying to get anyone to come over, without actually having to get out of my seat. Didn't work! Server came to our table to ask if we wanted the check. We didn't, we waned to see dessert menus, because in spite of the lack of service we got, the food was really good.
(3)
Julie J.
I had visited Davanti Enoteca on Taylor St. and Western Springs twice before returning for one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had. We went on a week night this summer and got a great table on the patio for 4 people. We sat there for 20 minutes unacknowledged before my husband had to get a manager to find a waitress. He sent out someone that I'm pretty sure has never waited before. She first brought us the wrong bottle of wine and then argued that it was correct when clearly it was not the same name on the label as on the menu. She had no knowledge of anything on the menu and was rude with every interaction. The topper was when, at 9:30 we tried to order another glass of wine and she said, "You realize we close at 10 right?" When we acted shocked and annoyed she then was seen through the glass laughing inside with the manager while looking at us. I've never felt so disgusted after an eating experience and it was solely because of this awful service. The servers assistants also tried to take our plates incessantly during every course while we were clearly still eating. I am trying one more time to go there because I do enjoy the food, but that experience may have ruined it for me forever.
(1)
Kate N.
We have been to this location twice. The first time was a Saturday night. The restaurant was really crowded, but we had a reservation and were seated immediately. The food here, like the Taylor St. location, is excellent. We had the veal/prosciutto meatballs (delicious!) and the ragu/polenta board (I have to get this every time....I literally scrape the board). We also had a pizza (great crust) and dessert (decent but not memorable). We came the 2nd time with friends, again with reservations, and were seated about 15 minutes late, but as it was prime-time Saturday ngiht, I'll cut some slack. Food was, again, great. Service, both times was pretty good. Food arrives quickly, but if you try to stagger your order so that food doesn't arrive all at once, it can be difficult to find your server to order more food! Our first visit I was sitting with my back to the wall, which doubles as their wine storage. At one point I had two people looking for a bottle of wine - they were standing on either side of me, rummaging above my head for at least 5 minutes - it was very annoying, and I finally had to ask them to move away because I was feeling overwhelmed (they apologized and moved immediately). The noise level is also pretty loud, so it's hard to have any kind of intimate conversation. I'm interested to go when they aren't quite as crowded (I'm not sure when that would be....) to see how the noise level is then. But, the food wins out, and we'll be back.
(4)
Carol T.
We enjoy their restaurant downtown so were delighted to see they had opened a place in the western suburbs. We made reservations there for a family celebration on a Saturday night. Unfortunately they seated our family at a communal table with a very loud group of young women. We couldn't hear each other and were not pleased with the seating. I approached the manager and explained our situation and they literally could not have been more accommodating. As soon as some other diners left, they moved us to our own table, stopped by to make sure we were satisfied and sent a complimentary dish during dinner. Just a great reaction to our situation. Both of our waiters were very good and the manager who handled the situation was terrific. We all enjoyed our meals and wine, the recommendations of the servers were spot on, and we're thrilled to have such a delicious option this close to home. We're going back and taking friends there this week and look forward to the outdoor space opening up this summer.
(4)
Tricia T.
Hosted my sisters baby shower at Davanti and it was an amazing event. The venue worked with us to customize a delicious brunch menu, complete with an expansive Bloody Mary bar and mimosas. The brunch was out of this world. Lemon ricotta pancakes, poached egg with pork belly hash and egg white with arugula just to name a few. Service was outstanding. Would definitely go back for lunch or dinner. Great play with flavored on Italian dishes.
(5)
Candice G.
After a long (but glorious) day of being rained on at nearby Brookfield Zoo, we decided to dry off at Western Spring's newest Italian tapas bistro, Davanti Enoteca. My dining partner had been to the location on Taylor Street and enjoyed his lunchtime layover there and my Dad had mentioned that the Taylor Street location was also Steve Dahl's pick when he appeared on Check Please, not that I'm a die hard Steve Dahl fan (I'm rarely up *that* early and radio ready) but I enjoy listening to his show, even going back to the era when he shared airwaves with Garry Meier and there's some nostalgic value in there from when my Dad would drive me to school super early and I could smell his (probably melting) plastic cup of coffee with creamer while Steve and Garry played on the radio. I guess what I'm trying to get across here is that I'm not a Steve Dahl groupie or anything, but I've got respect for the man's opinion, so why not give Davanti Enoteca a try. It was Sunday around 3pm during Labor Day weekend and the place was packed. We walked in basically looking like drowned rats after being drizzled and dampened during our daylong walkabout at Brookfield, while everyone else here looked like they were straight out of Forbes. We had to wait a few minutes before being seated at a small 2-seater high-top in the bar by the window, and it appeared as though we'd beat the rush as not even 10-minutes later the waiting area was crammed full of people and poured over into the dining room and didn't clear out until we were almost done with our meals -- if you can, make a reservation. The menu is tapas-style, but some of the items are still on the small side for sharing plates. As mentioned earlier, the regular clientele didn't seem to be folks on a budget (as you could tell just from most of the patron's attire and overly tanned old-men with wives reminiscent of Lucille Bluth), but I was determined to make this an affordable meal as I knew if it were not, I likely wouldn't be rushing back. The first step to having an affordable meal, is to not do drinks. I was very tempted by their cocktails, but they were definitely going to push the bill up a good $10-$15 per drink, so I stuck with water, though they did have a few $8 glasses of wine and $4-$6 bottles of beer, but I opted to not go in that direction as the only beer I was interested in was the draft Matilda, but I felt the $9 price tag was a few bucks above the market value you'd see posted at other bars. So we stuck with water and the server was nice and didn't judge us like some other places do when you opt for the free or cheapest thing on the menu. We started with: **Marinated Olives - $6 - served warm in a mini cast-iron pot. I'd never had hot marinated olives before, and these were really something. The mix of olives was pretty good, although there was one olive that my partner proclaimed as his favorite, but when we fished around the pot we saw that the one he'd already eaten was the only one that was in there, so I didn't get to try it, but the other olives were meaty and delicious and that was good enough for me. I'd definitely get this dish again on my next visit. **House Bruschette - $5 -(Sunday daily special price) Davanti runs some really great daily specials so we decided to take advantage of the $5 offer even though I pretty much hate bread, especially crusty, because my partner pretty much lives and breathes for this carb-y concoction. The $5 bruschette special was good on the chef's special bruschette but we went with the meat-free house bruschette with traditional basil, EVOO, mozzarella, etc and it was pretty mind-blowing -- and that's coming from a person who generally detests bruschette. It made me wonder if I'd just never had good bruschette before and we were glad it was cut into an even amount of pieces so we didn't have to fight for the oddball slice. My favorite part was that the bread wasn't hard. It had a lightly crusted outside, but inside was soft and warm and tasted like heaven. For our main courses: Gnudi Pomodoro - $14 - (ricotta dumplings, San Marzano tomato, mozzarella di bufala, basil) This dish was delicious, albeit comically small. It's served in a teeny tiny bowl with an absolutely giant brim for presentation. It's hard to tell from the pic I added, but there's only 5 pieces of the ricotta dumplings in there and the spoon is a good reference for the size. The flavor was outstanding, but even if I were just eating for myself and not sharing at all, I think I'd need three orders of this $14 dish to fill up. Pizza della Terra - $14 - (wild mushrooms, braised leeks, taleggio, truffle oil) Super rich and was proclaimed by my boo as possibly the best pizza he's ever had. It was very rich, but excellent nonetheless. Our bill came to just under $50 and while I could've taken down another plate or two, the experience overall was a great one and I'm excited to return when the weather warms (for real) and the patio opens.
(4)
Toni F.
We had a really wonderful dinner here with friends a few months ago. It was my first time at Davanti but we've been to the location before when it was another restaurant. The decor is very rustic, Italian countryside - warm and inviting inside but we ate on the patio outside for this dinner, which was also very comfortable. The service from the waitstaff was just so-so...it took forever for her to finally take our drink order and then appetizer and main course orders. I get the idea that they might be encouraging you to linger and savor and enjoy your food without rushing but she didn't even check in during the lengthy lulls. I would have said that Davanti was a five-star experience if not for this. The food more than made up for the lackluster service - everything was fresh and delicious and the portions were fairly generous and suited for sharing. We thoroughly enjoyed everything we ordered, including the cocktails, wine and then desserts (which we had indoors because a wicked thunderstorm blew up during our al fresco dinner and the management wanted us to move for our safety). We're really looking forward to coming back here - very soon.
(4)
Christina H.
Obsessed with Davanti. Their food is amazing and their restaurant build-out is really great as well--very industrial, wine cave-esque, but cozy, and the music sets a nice mood too. We could easily sit here for hours just enjoying the ambiance. They have a different Bruschetta every night which my fiance and I always order right away with our drinks no matter what it is--because it's always phenomenal. We also really love that their whole concept is "small plates". Their appetizers and salads are what I would consider 'large' small plates, but their "entrees" do seem to be truly small plates, so whenever we have actually made it far enough into the menu to get entrees we usually get a few of them. We also really like that the food is not heavy at all--the salads are delicious, but lighter, and the same for the rest of their plates. It's so hard to find yummy but relatively healthy food in this city but you definitely can find it at Davanti! Davanti does get pretty crowded for dinner...it seems it doesn't really matter what night of the week it is, but we have never had a problem getting a table, and the longest we have ever had to wait is maybe 10 minutes...if that--we do prefer to sit in the bar area, but we've never had a problem getting a table in the dining room either. The service is also always fantastic! And location is great! Being right across the street from the tracks sometimes my fiance will just hop off the train from work and we will just meet there. Oh and Saturdays and Sundays they have Glazed and Infused doughnuts...which are just absolutely incredible......
(5)
Nicholas L.
There's really not a lot to say other than everything I've eaten here was phenomenal. Burger, salmon, warm kale salad, pizza and a few other things that I can't remember due to posting this review a few weeks late. The decor is also great. Oh and the staff was very nice. This will be a place my wife and I frequent.
(5)
Dan M.
One of me new favs. Think italian tapas. Small plates. Not cheap but worth it. Not just a special occasion place but certainly expensive enough to keep it to every so often.
(4)
Tina N.
So, the hubs asked me where we were going to dinner... Hmmm... Let's check the bookmarks. . . Well, although this location wasn't bookmarked, I saw the name & knew my Yelp! friend, Susan H. has been to the same name in University Village (not certain if they're the same but it was worth a shot!) and I knew we had to try this place... that girl has pretty good taste. Seated (with reservations) & greeted immediately by a very knowledgeable and friendly server. I told him my wine preference and he suggested the perfect one. What I loved the most was, the other wines he could have chose were more expensive, but instead of going with price, he went with quality. Right on man! Here was the menu: Bruschetta: asparagus, goat cheese, onions & peppers Ricotta & honeycomb mason jar Veal meatballs Bistecca con funghi e fonduta: steak & mushrooms Davanti burger: bacon jam, roasted tomato,cheese curd, arugula, roasted garlic mayo, shoestring fries I can't say anything we had was bad necessarily but some things could have been done slightly better. The Bruschetta was simply mouth watering, delicious & I can't wait to have more. The ricotta mason jar was, well I guess it was okay but they need to infuse just a little more flavor into that jar (sorry Susan!). The veal meatballs were delish, but nothing spectacular. The steak and mushrooms were probably my least favorite of the night. The dish was flavorless, overcooked and something I definitely will not order again. The burger. . . welp, what can ya say about bacon jam, cheese curds and garlic mayo?! YUM! That burger was pretty awesome! All in all it was a pretty successful trip & to be quite honest, I am excited to go back and try some things the table next to us had. Cheers!
(4)
Suzanne Z.
A must try!! I came here on a date, felt immediately at home. The place has a cozy feel, has a strong emphasis on wine (I loved the wooden wall pieces made from wine crates!), and delicious food. What's unique about Davanti, is that it seems like they keep the menu pretty consistent, but the way they make something might change, based on what's in season. It's a cool concept instead of revamping a menu every few months. We had a bruschetta to start- garlic toasted bread with a gorgonzola cheese spread, mushrooms, and sweet onions. It was a fantastic sweet and savory mix. I loved it! For entrees, I ordered the rigatoni/pasta dish, my date had a seafood pasta. Portions are not huge, if you come very hungry you can easily eat it all. I did go home with some leftovers though. The seafood pasta was rich, but not overly so. My pasta was good, not over cooked, but wasn't super memorable. I think I'd pick something else next time. Service here was wonderful. We arrived without a reservation, and they told us it'd be a 30 minute wait (on a Friday). We were seated within 10. Our waitress was attentive and made wine suggestions to accommodate both of our differing tastes. Her suggestion was a winner for us both! I'm happy this place is so close to home. I will be back!
(4)
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Address :800 Hillgrove Ave,Ste 100
Western Springs, IL, 60558
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Susan M.
I had such an enjoyable meal at Davanti, I'm not sure why this was my first time eating here. First of all the staff is so nice. Our waiter, I don't remember his name but I'm terrible with names so no offense, was so chill yet so helpful and knowledgeable and smiley. I was like the first one there that Saturday afternoon at 12 meeting my mom for lunch. I had a beer while I waited and perused the menu which was fun because they have things like Ricotta and honeycomb on toast. That dish was ordered and was consumed with eyes closed while moaning. It was THAT good. We also ordered polenta and egg with veggies (awesome), mushroom/tallegio pizza (OMG) and the escarole salad with cheese and apple and nuts and holy moly it was delicious. Could not get enough of that salad. These are small plates, call it tapas style and meant to be shared. They also do cheese and meat boards, which we could not fit in our bellies, so that's for next time. Yum! Cute place too - dim, cool light fixtures, wood, outdoor seating, average bar selection as far as liquors, more wine choices for sure.
(5)Judy L.
Who knew warm kale could be so delicious! LOVE the warm kale salad with pecans and oranges. On the weekends they have a make your own Bloody Mary bar! Love the small plates/large plates Italian tapas style menu. Awesome for sharing food or sampling a few things. Not to be missed: the salads (pick any one...all yummy!), the "egg toast" appetizer and the Blondie dessert. We also shared the salmon, the arugula pizza and a burger (shoe string fries are AWESOME). Everything was outstanding! It's really a dining experience and they consistently take the extra step to make their food special. For example, the pizza was served with little dishes containing red pepper flakes, sea salt, etc. Everything about this place is SO right! The food is exceptional, the decor is so unique and warm, service is top notch. Whoever thought of using wine crates and corks to cover the walls...genius. Perfect for a special occasion or brunch/dinner with friends. Great outdoor patio for dining too! Shout out to our server Katie for being so on top of everything and knowledgeable about the wine selection!
(5)Keri W.
Since my last review I have been back several times and I always enjoy the food and the service has been great! The outdoor patio in the summer is lovely and I am always anxious to see what the polenta special is! One of my faves!!
(5)Brad S.
Oh my god. This place has WITHOUT A DOUBT thee best hamburger you will ever have. I may never eat another burger again. I could cry. Two words "bacon jam". I would never have thought an Italian restaurant would earn that award but...wow! This Italian wine & small portion (think tapas) style restaurant is a hidden gem. Treat yourself. All the food is amazing. The pork shoulder ragu and cauliflower steak were two instant favorites as well. The atmosphere is a tribute to an Italian basement wine cellar which reminded me of Milan.
(5)Russ D.
Great food and service. The menu is full of interesting and unexpected things. We'll be back.
(4)Eli H.
We went here last night for a friend's birthday with a large party. We did everything we could to make this as smooth as possible, making reservations well ahead of time as well as arriving very early. Regardless, the night was an almost total clusterf*ck. We had reservations for 8:00, got there at 7:30, and were seated at 9:00... With our party split across two different tables with two different waitresses who weren't at all on the same page. One table ordered entrees, the other didn't, and when tables cleared out enough for us to eventually got seated together... Well, as you can imagine, half of our party got their dinner with the other half saying, "Oh, you guys ordered?" It was... Awkward. Why four stars even though the whole night was pretty crazy? Well, the host and the guy who I can only assume was the manager was doing everything they could to make things right for us. Apparently the problem was a party who showed up at 5:00 who dug in and didn't leave until we did at 10:00. I can't really blame the restaurant for that, I wouldn't schedule tables around the idea that people would sit there for FIVE HOURS. The bar was also occupied for a private event, so there really wasn't anywhere for us to go. We all got a round of free drinks, a bunch of free appetizers, and so many apologies if I had a penny for each it would've covered the rest of our dinner. ANYWAY, since you're likely reading Yelp reviews for a NORMAL sized party just there for a normal dinner, let's cut to the chase- The food here was great, the appetizers we had were a variety of their different toasts. The truffle and egg one was the best, but beware if you're weird about eating raw eggs as this is basically raw egg paradise. If you're fine with that, you'll be in for an amazingly creamy, crusty, truffle-y goodness. Oh, the ricotta and honeycomb toast was nuts too. I had spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, which isn't even on the menu, which kind of brings me to another complaint here. Before I get started, the food was great. Whoever is working in the kitchen definitely knows what they're doing. Whoever wrote the menu though... I kind of want to give them a taste of Gordon Ramsay yelling at them a la Kitchen Nightmares. (The UK one, not the trashy US one.) The menu is so heinously pompous and full of itself it'll make your head spin. It seems like the menu author has nearly derived some level of gratification from using words he knows no one knows. How do I know that? The MENU INCLUDES A GOD DAMN GLOSSARY. This effectively is saying to your diners, "Don't worry idiots, I know you don't know the amazing things I'm about to serve you, that's why I included a list of words to dumb this down for ya'll." It's like reading A Clockwork Orange for the first time. It was clever when Anthony Burgess did it, not so much when the chef of a suburban Italian place does it. So, yeah, that puts this review in a weird place. Our party seating was a disaster, the menu is ridiculous, but the food is great. At the end of the day, that's the important part of a restaurant, so, whatever. I guess the rest of it just makes for an entertaining story.
(4)David N.
Very enjoyable Friday night visit recently. Definitely call ahead and make reservations, because this place will get packed. Walking in, it almost felt like we were downtown in the Loop. Loud, crowded, busy, all normally things I try to avoid. However, they lent themselves fittingly to a unique dining experience in the Southwest suburbs. Service throughout was friendly, helpful, and very knowledgeable. For being as packed as they were, food came out in due time, and we were rarely caught waiting. Serviceable beer menu and a stellar wine and cocktails married very well with their food offerings. Anyways, on to the food... Apps - Bruschetta of the day; Prosciutto-Veal Meatballs; and the Riccota Honeycomb Vasi (mason jar). Concerning the bruschetta, it was freaking amazing. Topped with whipped goat cheese , grilled asparagus, caramelized onions, mushrooms, and peppers, it was probably the best dish of the night. Perfectly seasoned, and every ingredient propelled the next to stardom. The meatballs finished a close second. Solid seasoning and flavors however they were drier than most of your housemade Italian meatballs. The ragu paired well, and the sauteed onions, braised greens, and garlic definitely increased the dish's appeal and flavor construction. The shaved pecorino went mostly unnoticed :( Sadly, the ricotta honeycomb mason jar finished last. We had heard all of the hype, but for me it was almost tasteless. That, and with so much ricotta there was hardly any honeycomb to go around. If and when we make it back, I'll have to pass on this one. Mains - Davanti Burger, Bistecca con funghi + fonduta (steak with mushrooms, bleu cheese) The burger was a solid 4 stars. Topped with cheese curds, bacon jam , roasted tomato, arugula, and garlic mayo , it had all the makings. Unfortunately the burger was under done and, at its center, almost raw. We enjoyed the beef blend flavor and overall presentation, but it was far from my top 5 burger list. The accompanying side of shoestring fries were well seasoned, however more or less inconsequential. The strip steak, much like the burger, rated no higher than a 4 on the Yelp 5 scale. Decent flavor and presentation, but nothing over the top. I tend to eat my steak plain, as to enjoy the full flavor, so the bleu cheese and porchini mushrooms (with sauce) did nothing for me. Cooked properly to our order, but again, nothing extraordinary. Don't get my somewhat harsh criticisms confused with what was a above average dining experience. Most every food offering we tasted was done very well. However, when dining at restaurants such as Davanti Enoteca, the level of expectation is raised, and anything less than run of the mill is hard to justify. We definitely enjoyed ourselves, and will be coming back, but a few of our choices will be modified on the next go around.
(4)Brenda Lee J.
Delicious meal. Had the bursts salad, the kale salad, and the Hanger steak. Very good! Will return...
(4)Emma P.
I've been going to the Taylor street location since it opened and think it's divine. I was a little sceptical when a gf invited me to meet at this Location but it was pretty spot on. The food was great, good wine selection. Our server wasn't great, no mention of the nights specials which after overheating the waiter next to us I absolutely would have gotten but over all it was good and we will be back. The big draw for me was the space is way bigger than Taylor street so no 45 minute wait!
(4)Glenda C.
Mmmm mmmmm mmmm! I love this one a little bit more than the one in the city! First of all, because it's easier to get to, easier to park, and probably not as crowded. "Suburban" is written all over my forehead, isn't it? I don't care. It's a gem in Western Springs and I'm thrilled to have it nearby. I am sure their menu changes seasonally, but when we went I loved the focaccia bread with honey. It's not the thick focaccia bread you're thinking about. Theirs is lovely thin, with ricotta cheese in it and served with honey. Their burgers are to die for. Juiciest thing I've had in a long time! Mushroom pizza was an appetizer we scarred down! Roasted chicken was very juicy as well. There was not one bad thing on the menu,. Wine was remarkable! And the service was good!
(5)Erika C.
So this is what we do. We go when there are no others i.e. Saturday for brunch. We make our own Bloodies, we drink them and some more, and we eat. We eat We eat We eat......pizza, polenta with ragu, ricotta and honeycomb, cauliflower steaks, beets salad, and everything else we can. then we nap.
(4)J C.
Have been here a few times for dinner and have always been very pleased. The daily polenta is excellent and they also have a delicious burger. Recently we wandered in for Sunday brunch. Bloody Mary bar? Don't mind if I do!!!! Nice presentation and accoutrements! The coffee was yummy- rich and robust not like the thin brown water at most diners. I ordered the pork belly hash and although my eggs came with the hollandaise on- when I asked for on the side it was good- not thick and salty goo like most but light with a slightly lemony taste. The hubby had the steak and scrambled eggs commenting he had never had such creamy yummy eggs- and the steak was tender juicy deliciousness- had to beg for a second taste. Good potatoes on the side. The bill is definitely higher than other local breakfast places but the quality and creativeness of the food is worth it.
(5)Ann F.
Worst experience ever. Seated promptly but it took 15 minutes for anyone to approach the table. Three burgers ordered-two served. The burger ordered medium well served almost raw. Manager, Michael McDermott was useless-no people skills and unable to handle uncomfortable situations. Will never return. Spend your money else where.
(1)Greg T.
We have gone here twice and really enjoyed the food. The first time was for New Year's eve and the seafood feast was outstanding. ...our second visit we ordered off the feature menus and enjoyed the food as well. We highly recommend that you give it try.
(4)Ruby K.
One of our favorite local joint. It was a rocky start when they first opened, but now can pretty much count on good service. Delightful food. Pretty expensive for the burbs. My husbands favorite drink is $16 and we joke that the second is always bigger than the first...which I guess is a relief considering the price. Reason they lost a star: went in with a gift card we didn't know was expired (by 3 weeks) and was denied by our server. Disappointed! She recognized us by our frequent visits. It would have been a nice customer service touch to ask manager to accept.
(4)Antaash U.
My friends and I went on a Monday night. Within no time of our arrival, the restaurant was packed with happy, smiling families, groups of friends and men in suits enjoying their time together. It created a very warm and welcoming environment. The space itself is beautiful and not what you expect considering it's in downtown Western Springs, close to the Metra station. Though I live by two Davanti's in the city, this was my first visit and I was not disappointed on any account. Note: This is a small plates menu meant to be shared (and they recommend 2 dishes per person). We started off with the Pizza D.O.C. which is a tomato, mozzarella and basil pizza. However, though the ingredients are simple the flavors are not. Everything was so fresh! They literally burst in your mouth with that first bite. I also wanted to order this to evaluate how Davanti would take a very traditional pizza and execute it because as simple as it is, I have had some less than delicious versions. Davanti hit the nail on the head. The crust was crispy on the outside and soft in the middle, the mozzarella was fresh and the basil plentiful. The sauce was sweet and tart, truly a perfect harmony. We also ordered the Cacio e Pepe: spaghetti, black pepper and pecorino. PERFECTION. The spaghetti was al dente, the fresh black pepper added a nice bite to the dish that balanced out the saltiness of the pecorino. I could have eaten the whole plate by myself it was so good. The next pasta dish was the mushroom risotto. It was creamy and delicious. I wish I could remember the mushrooms in the dish, but they had a wonderful earthy flavor with a meaty texture. This dish was also a home run! My friends ordered the special ragu of the day, which was polenta topped with some shredded pork. I tried the polenta before they placed the pork on it and thought the polenta was some of the best that I have had. Even the dessert did not disappoint. First of all, we could have ordered everything! It was so hard to choose! Eventually, we chose the hazelnut gelato cake concoction. IT WAS TO DIE FOR! Davanti lived up to all the hype and then some!
(5)Jason M.
The food here is absolutely delicious! We came in early on a Friday night, with two small children. We were seated in a great corner booth. There is no kids menu but they do have crayons and pages for the kids to color and the kids can pick any sort of pasta. Ours shared spaghetti and meatballs and really enjoyed it. We shared several dishes. the bruschetta special was just ok - the peppers overpowered the cheese. The mascarpone polenta special, with pork belly ragu was really good. Great flavors and textures, and not something you see every day. The Gnudi pomodoro was our favorite. Similar to gnocchi, the dumplings were tender and very flavorful. Next time we will be back without the kids - we would like to dedicate our full attention to the food! Service was very attentive too.
(4)Erin Y.
We had a great Easter brunch here! The buffet was extensive and very good. Just the cold half of the buffet was fantastic. Highlights were the pea tendril salad with rock shrimp and the roasted vegetables. Yum. The hot part of the buffet was also delicious. I enjoyed the risotto, eggs Benedict, and bacon. The lamb saddle and prime rib at the carving station were both perfectly cooked. The brunch also included mimosas and made-to-order frittatas. Overall, a very good brunch at Davanti. I understand they only offer the buffet on holidays, so it's definitely worth coming by for a special occasion.
(4)Ania S.
A group of 5 came here on a Tuesday night w/ a reservation made on Open Table at 8:15p. I've been wanting to try this place after driving by it a few times on my way home from work. We were seated promptly and got the choice of the bar area or dining room - we chose the dining room. We ordered the meat and cheese platter (I asked the waitress to make her picks for us). Prosciutto, as always, was fabulous and nice and salty, but not overwhelming. The two cheeses were mild but smooth. Very good choices! I can't complain as I allowed her to choose for us. The bread is nice and toasty (looks like they butter and toast it). It came out sort of late... we were done eating our meat and cheese at that point. It would be nice if the bread would come out upon seating guests. I would have liked fresh bread vs. toasted, but that's a personal preference. For dinner, I had the pizza w/ prosciutto, the guys had burgers (which they raved about - fries were super crispy!!), the girls had the seafood linguine and the big ravioli w/ egg (DELICIOUS!!!) We got the apple caramel dessert and the chocolate mousse. It was sooo soo good. Not overwhelmingly sweet... actually a nice, dark chocolate taste. We will definitely be back again! I'm glad to see this place is here. I love small, quaint wine/beer places. Great atmosphere and the service was fantastic! Thanks!
(4)Michael B.
Caught up with my friend Todd after work for a bite. I had been to the one D.E. on Taylor Street and thought it was OK. But on this night, this place nailed it! First, a welcoming, professional staff couldn't do more to make sure we had exactly the table and location we wanted as we waffled back and forth on sitting in the dining room or at high tops in the bar area. Cozy, rustic theme with stone, wood barn doors, wine racks throughout the dining area typical of a true Enoteca, which is basically a wine shop that features local wines and accompanying small plate cuisine. We settled down in the dining room, and it began! Unbeknownst to us, Wed is half price wine night for wines up to $80. So with a nice wine in hand, which they decanted for us, we ordered three home run dishes as follows: 1) Pizza della Terra - (wild mushrooms, braised leeks, taleggio, truffle oil), sensational! Their changing polenta board featured a marscapone polenta with a generous portion of pulled pork shoulder in a rich, thick red sauce. delicious! A wonderful farro salad accompanied a nice of delicious food and drink. On the way out, we couldn't help but notice that the bar area had filled up with groups of elegant, beautiful women occupying the majority of tables. There will be no waffling as to where we sit next time!!
(4)Betsy P.
Hello America! Or shall I say Buongiorno Americanos! Ha! OMG! This place is simply DEVINE! We headed out to this delectable restaurant for a birthday party and they sat us in a semi-private area. All I can say is WOW! The look of the restaurant is RUSTIC and so is their food. From the appetizers, to the entrees and desserts we shared them all and we loved them all. DELICIOUS! SCRUMPTIOUS! YUM! Service was perfection. Bravo to Brad for being an amazing server.
(5)Jesse G.
Really awesome place, excellent food, awesome atmosphere! Both times me and the wife have been here we left crazy happy on our food highs, maybe the bottle of Malbec helped too. They have a polenta board that changes daily although both times we came they had the same one, which would be a negative for most places but here it was so good that we ordered it again, creamy mascarpone polenta with a pork bolognese, I feel rich just thinking about it!!! And the pizzas, also absurdly good. While we were there, a crazy person that sat down behind me who was complaining about wanting a hamburger or some nonsense (don't get me wrong, I love burgers, but a tapas bar is neither the time or the place) he settled on the chicken which showed up just before we left, it sat there untouched for 10 minutes smelling brilliant, he was picking at the greens on the plate. People that don't care about food, should not be let into nice places. Really for the burbs, and a chain, this place is a real find, great favors, that work great together, high quality ingredients all around worth going out of the way for! Unless you have a lack of taste buds, then go somewhere else.
(4)Kyle P.
Totally disappointed with my dining experience. Maybe I was expecting too much...but these were the highlights (?) of our visit: - Reservation not being honored and had to wait an additional 30 minutes before being seated; - Server getting two of our orders completely wrong; - Being pretty much ignored by our server (having to flag her down to even put in our order); Expected much more - will not be recommending this place to anyone else.
(1)Larry K.
Went last night for the first time and this place is OUTSTANDING. The decor is different and mostly casual. The food however was unbelievably delicious, upscale and amazing. Everything we got was great. A little fancier food than I am used to, but really wonderful
(5)Mary Pam P.
Loved it! Polenta board was fabulous as was the farro and butternut squash salad. The fresh doughnut affagato dessert was very good. Service was friendly and the atmosphere cozy. Only reason not to give 5 stars was the price of cocktails was high and they were on the warm side and only so so.
(4)Karen G.
I had a great lunch here on a weekday afternoon. The host was very welcoming and since I arrived before my friend, they asked the name so they could direct them to my table. How fancy! I had the Gnudi Pomodoro. It was ... GREAT... but so tiny for 14 bucks. It was served n a shallow bowl and the width of the food was less than 4 inches. ... depth oh, maybe slightly more than a inch? ( You can tell I'm a scientist.) I really really wanted it to be bigger so I felt like I had a full lunch. No bread was served to us. I guess thats normal? Because of the tininess of my dish, I nibbled on my friend's Paccheri con Salsiccia e Pomodori al forno. It seemed like a larger dish and it was good- but the large chunks of onion and the tons of garlic were a bit overbearing. I would come back to try the "cheese and cured meat" selections. They looked really good.
(4)Judi W.
Had a 6:30 reservation that was made two weeks ago - requested a high top in the bar by the windows - the staff does NOT read the reservations ahead of time. We arrived at 6:23 - there were no tables in the bar so we were taken through the main dining room where there were available tables and shown to a table in a side room filled with families with children - why would the two of us want to squeeze into a table in there with all those kids - we were out for a nice time ?!?!?!?! Clearly the blonde gentleman that sat us did NOT read us correctly. We promptly walked out and probably will not go back. Ugh !
(1)Eloise P.
Being new to the neighborhood and after reading great reviews, I was looking forward to our first dining experience at Davanti. We made a reservation through Open Table for 7:45 pm. We showed up and the hostess said they were running behind and should be able to seat our group of 4 in about 10 minutes. Ironically as we waiting in the lobby, there was a sign that said they don't take reservations.... After 15 minutes I approached the hostess stand and she continued to ignore me and wouldn't look up from her computer until one of the managers finally acknowledged me and said, oh we are just getting your table ready now. Not a great first impression to this restaurant. We were seated at a table and the dining room was extremely busy and loud. The ladies at the table next to us were so close and loud it was hard to hear anything but her booming voice. The waitress them came over and asked for our drink order. She was obviously disappointed we didn't order wine because she promptly walked away from the table and did not come back for at least 15 minutes. We finally had to ask the water guy to please send the waitress over as we were all more than ready to place our orders. The waitress took our orders but did not write anything down. I immediately knew we were going to have issues getting what we had ordered. We had four different dishes and a meat and cheese platter with a variety of specifically selected items. After the last order was taken she said, well everything here is a small plate and you should just share the dishes. Well, this information would have been really helpful to know BEFORE we ordered as two of us ended up ordering the same dish. She walked away before we could change our orders. The appetizer arrived about 10 minutes later. The bruschetta was roasted cauliflower with onions and a mild cheese. It was very bland and totally flavorless. A total bore of an appetizer. Not long after, the first dish was brought out. It was a butternut squash salad that none of us had ordered. We let the male server know it wasn't for our table. He came back and said that it was ours and that sometimes people order the wrong thing. My sister insisted she ordered the butternut squash ravioli and not a salad. He continued to sternly tell my sister she must be confused because she ordered it. We were astounded that this male sever who delivered the food would say that because he did not take the order nor had our waitress written down the order. We all heard her order the ravioli and even the waitress verbally said the ravioli when she repeated it back to confirm the order. It should be a standard practice to write down orders at this establishment as our server screwed up 2 of our 4 dishes. Our waitress them came back over to the table, whisked the salad away and presented it to the table next to us as a complimentary salad and told my sister her ravioli was on its way. Very odd to witness her taking a plate from our table and kindly offering it to the table next to us. My husbands meat and cheese platter showed up next and I had the skirt steak,as did my mother. The steak was actually very delicious and tastefully prepared. The ravioli dish came out about 10 minutes later and it was definitely not worth the wait. The dish came out with ONE ravioli on the plate and it was stuffed with spinach and not with butternut squash as the menu describes. It was pretty bland. I had better butternut squash at Panera bread yesterday. They stuff their ravioli with actual butternut squash too and not spinach but then try and call it butternut squash ravioli... There was nothing butternut squash about this single ravioli. After the meal the waitress came over to ask how everything was. She never bothered to check in until the food was gone and our plates were cleared. My husband then said the cheese and meat platter she brought us wasn't the combination he ordered. She then explained, yes, I know they took your cheese tray to the wrong table and you received their tray. So there was a mix up and she knew the whole time and wasn't going to say anything!!! I couldn't believe it!!! She was just hoping he wouldn't notice the mix up. She then insisted that she make up the platter he originally ordered to go. By that point we were all so annoyed with the attitudes and deceitfulness. This restaurant was a complete disaster from the moment we walked through the door. There were so many opportunities for the hostess, our server, the male server that persistently insisted we didn't know what we ordered to be friendly, nice and honest. But they all chose to instead be cold, aloof, dishonest and accusatory. This place was a total disaster from start to finish. I expected so much more from this Scott Harris restaurant. A total disappointment.
(1)Eric Y.
This update is for Easter Brunch. This is a buffet that also includes made-to-order frittatas that you order at the table and they're brought out to you when they're done. This is a very good brunch - a departure from their usual weekend brunch which is an a la carte affair. The frittatas are ok, just fancy word for scrambled eggs with stuff in them, i.e. omelets. The buffet though is excellent. The chilled food section is great. There are wood-oven grilled vegetables, caprese salad, beet salad with goat cheese, a kale Caesar salad, and an excellent pea-tendril/arugula/rock shrimp salad. Some nice charcuterie and cheeses are also there and black-truffle deviled eggs. Yum. The hot foods were also very good and included risotto (soggy), some very nice bacon, eggs Benedict, and delicious roast lamb loin and salt-crusted prime rib. The sweets section featured excellent key lime pie, chocolate mousse tart and some cookies and hand-pies. A mimosa is included in the price but there's also a bloody Mary bar. $42 per person is not the cheapest (what, no seafood?) but the quality is high.
(4)Kate C.
Awesome burgers, pizza , and bruschetta. Try the honeycomb flatbread appetizer and you will die. We love the staff especially the bartenders. Amazing place for brunch as well. You can't go wrong!
(5)Eva V.
The concept and the atmosphere is great, but everything else in this restaurant is a notch below what i t should be. The table are to closely placed, so staff and patrons can't move easily. I feel that the cheese assortment is too expensive, as is the house wine per glass. We were served a piece of a hard cheese with the outer skin on it. The lamb ragu, served with polenta medallions, had about 1.5 oz of lamb and a whole lot of polenta. This restaurant owner needs to take a close look, because the quality is fast slipping away. When we were leaving three employees were at the front register/check-in desk, and not one thanked us. I certainly think that this can again be a good place to dine with the right guidance.
(3)Marissa S.
Great place to go with a group. We ordered a bunch of different appetizers and entrees and split them all. I was pleased with tasting many different options they offer. I went with a group of 4 for dinner and we ordered the veal meatballs, bruschetta, and the Mediterranean hummus with spicy pesto jar. Next we tried the pizza soppressata, gnudi pomodoro, and the davanti burger. My top 2 favorites that I highly recommend are the hummus and the gnudi pomodoro.
(5)Laur G.
Had a great night at Davanti Enoteca. Our server was awesome. We told him the four dishes we wanted to share and he spaced them out perfectly. I will definitely return.
(4)Carol K.
Having been to the Davanti locations both on Taylor Street in Chicago as well as the one in Del Mar, CA, imagine how excited I was to learn that they were going to open one out in the Western Burbs . . .and close by my work and home in Western Springs! My first visit was great! And even on a Tuesday night- this place was hopping! Make reservations or you may find yourself with a huge wait! We were seated at a two top high top by the window in the bar area. The perfect table. Our server, Joe, came over then and he turned out to be the perfect server. Attentive, personable, knowledgeable and funny! All things that went a long way in making our evening just that much more special! We ordered simply- the cauliflower appetizer and the goat cheese stuffed foccacia de recco which , with it's honeycombs to smear honey over the thing - should really be listed as a dessert. That focaccia is out of the this world- but I wish they would do a half size portion as there is never any way to finish it given how rich it is. For my entree- I always have the chili paste chicken which is a whole half a chicken and plenty to share. Speaking of sharing- the menu is set up to do just that but you may like your entree so much that you keep it all to yourself! I've also had the hangar steak which is also quite good. The wine list is quite robust, and here again, our server went out of his way to make sure we were happy with our selections. And if you drive (it's in the Burbs so that's probably likely although the Metra train stops nearby) there is a private free parking lot on the north side of the building. While there have been a range of restaurants in this place, I am hopeful that this one will stick. I like that you can come by for a business lunch- grab a glass of wine and some cheese with friends after work, have brunch on the weekends or have a complete meal at night. It's just that kind of restaurant that should meet a wide range of eating occasions. All in all a great addition to the Western Burbs.
(4)Angela P.
5 Star Potential!! For SURE!!! Just wanted to start with that! I called on a Saturday afternoon and was able to make a same night reservation for 8:45 PM, which surprised me, but I was so excited, none the less. We arrived to this brand new location (opened April 5th) in downtown Western Springs just North of the train tracks on Hillgrove Ave. and Wolf Rd. at around 8:15 so we were told we would be seated a little closer to our reservation time, which was fine because Fred and Kevin wanted to grab a drink anyways. So they grabbed a drink at the bar while I just looked around and took in all the unique light fixtures and of course, checked out all the fabulous food walking by. Yum. We had been waiting over 55 min. (25 min. AFTER our reservation time) and I honestly was getting upset because I feel that reservations have a purpose but I do understand that people sometimes just don't like to get up, which was the case last night. So finally, at this time, one of the hosts came over and offered to buy us all a drink since we had been waiting so long, which already starting winning be back. I am a sucker for customer service and appreciation, so that was impressive. We were then seated within 5 minutes of getting those drinks and were told after being seated that we were getting not one, but two appetizers on the house for our trouble. Seriously. That was way more than I ever would have expected and was MUCH appreciated!! Our server came over to greet us and she was SUPER friendly and very enthusiastic about the menu items, which just makes me happy because I could talk about food all day! So her and I were a perfect fit! =] On top of the two free items, we ended up ordering like 6 more items, I will break them down individually since they were that good. Farro Salad (Free Item) - Farro, Roasted Butternut Squash, Hazelnuts, Watercress, Goat Cheese and a Apple Cider Viniagerette. This dish was my favorite of the night. Hands Down. The flavors were perfection and the nutty chewiness of the farro was so refreshing, something I probably would have never ordered but now will order every time!! Taleggio Vasi (Free Item) - Melted Taleggio Cheese, Grapes and Black Truffle. This was gooey, cheesy meltiness with the Earthiness of that truffle paste and the sweetness of the grapes. It just worked. So flavorful and rich. Ricotta Vasi - Whipped Ricotta with Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper and Honeycomb. This is one of the best spreads I've ever had. So creamy, cold and satisfying. And the perfectly oiled and toasted Italian bread that is served with it could be a meal in and of itself! Best.Bread.Ever. Fabulous! Roasted Beet Salad - Beets, Walnut Butter, Crema and Candied Walnuts. This salad is the perfect balance of flavors and textures. Cool and tender beets with that slightly warmed butter mixed with the cold cream. Honestly, it's perfection. So much so, that I have re-created it at home and didn't change much because it is so spot on! Pizza Giardiniera - Super crisp crust with Ricotta, Homemade Sausage (which was super light and flavorful) and a very light giardiniera of carrots and cauliflower. The pizza was good, but since everything else is on a totally different playing field, it's not something I would come here for. Ragu of the Day - Braised Pork Shoulder (whatever they have that day) over Mascarpone Creamy Polenta. It tastes JUST like my grandma's pot roast. Super tender meat and creamy, cheesy polenta. You really can't go wrong, another winner! Cacio e Pepe - Simple. Spaghetti, Pecorino, Butter, Salt & Pepper (lots). This is one of my favorite pastas I've ever had. So simple but done with such perfection, you will try it, and you will be addicted. End of story. Risotto Carbonara - Al Dente Risotto, Peas, Pancetta, Cheese and topped with an egg yolk to stir in just before eating. Simple, absolutely delicious, perfectly seasoned and genius. So old world style which I LOVE! That's all we got, just a short little list, right?!?! =]] Honestly though, our friend said he would love to be able to just pop in here for lunch during the week for lunch (but he works WAY too far from here) because he loved the freshness of everything and tried lots of items he has never had and was SUPER impressed. We will all back, very soon and very often! Thanks Davanti for another great experience, this time in a new location. Bringing a little sexiness over to the suburbs.
(4)Benjamin R.
Fantastic meal in a beautiful building. We got a pizza (ok), gnudi pomodoro (delicious), meatballs (delicious), and other stuff I can't remember. Nice little beer selection, and obviously a great white list being a wine bar. Really great meal across the board, I'd like to come here again tomorrow.
(4)Julie A.
Love, love love this place!! Superb food, great service (for the most part) and so NEEDED in Western Springs. You can share plates, or have your own. Their "specialty" drinks are really good too! Don't miss the donuts on sunday morning and one of the best bloody mary bars in the burbs!
(5)Laura L.
I love this place! Love the Taylor St location. Been to this location 4 times! The food is up to par for sure but I totally agree that the service is lacking! Thank god my friend and I ran into people we knew to pass the time or else it may have ended up being an issue. We were there for almost 4 hours due to slow service! On another note this location is in a very family friendly community so expect to have children around as you dine. Thank goodness it's loud in the restaurant! Love that it's close...love the food...work on the staffing!
(4)Margaret W.
Impressed with western springs as both the restaurants I tried this week were fabulous! I could have tried everything on this inventive menu! The beet salad surpassed my expectations! I was a bit hesitant as it arrived on a very chilled plate - I never like it when restaurants premake and hold chilled...really? Can't you do better than that? But this salad was so good, I quickly got over it. A must if you love beets - texture, taste and yes temperature spot on! The mushroom leek truffle pizza also a hit! Anxious to go back and try so many other amazing sounding menu items. Well done!
(5)alexander s.
A great urban choice in the middle of suburbia. Best uni pasta I've ever had, even compared to ones in little Tokyo in LA! I loved the truffled toast with egg and asparagus, and the spaghetti cacio e Pepe was spot on. Unusually, dessert was very disappointing end to such a great meal.
(4)Josh B.
Went there on a Sunday night. We had reservations for a party of four. Host/Mgr wouldn't seat bus till all party arrived. That's okay that is there prerogative. All arrived had to wait an additional 10 minutes to be seated I what I would classify as a not very busy restaurant. Service was fine, food was okay. The bus not super hustled to fill up our water. Maybe it was because it was a Sunday but it just wasn't happening to merit anything more than 2-3 stars to me. They barely brought out enough bread for each small plate. One piece a person while the arrabitta thing we ordered could have served 6-8 people. The small plates all were good but nothing was great. Service was good but not great. Just not many options on a Sunday night in Western suburbs except for the big chains by Oak Brook Center so this had to do T
(3)Michael Z.
So, the most of the food was good and the place is warm and somewhat Inviting. The service was excellent, especially in regards to their courtesy. He gave us free desserts as it was our first time there. Notice how I said "most" of the food was good? Well, there's one glaring issue that bumps this place down to a 3 star rating. It was the pizza. We got a Margarita Pizza and it took FOREVER. All the other dishes were very timely. It felt like they forgot about the pizza. But the biggest issue? The crust was downright the worst I've ever had from a (sit-down) Italian restaurant. It had the flavor of those plain crackers that they serve on airplanes, and it was a complete contrast to the soft inner portion of the pizza that needed to be folded to be eaten. The crust, however, was so stiff that it didn't want to fold. It would just crumble and make a huge mess. I'm sorry, but an Italian restaurant that can't make pizza properly is not a restaurant that I'm going back to, great service or not. That's just inexcusable.
(3)Chari A.
Love it! Extraordinary. See my tip. Come here, come often we are so lucky to have this restaurant in Western Springs. Thank you!
(5)Chris G.
Amazing Fabulous menu, service, and wine Everytime I dine there whether for business or with my kids I always have a fabulous experience. Food is amazing. I have my favorites (polenta, escarole salad, focaccia) But I've never tasted anything I didn't love Staff is friendly knowledgeable and fast Management is always welcoming and treats you like a familiar face. Highly recommended
(5)Kate S.
My husband & I made a last minute stop here on a busy Valentine's night. We knew better than to expect a table for dinner and were prepared to sit at the bar. The manager was super nice & told us he could surely sneak us in. We were sat at a cozy table and had a delicious meal in great atmosphere. It's nice to have a yummy restaurant close to home where the establishment remembers its customers and appreciates the business. The ricotta bread is amazing!!
(4)Noor B.
Fantastic spot in our new hood. Great apps, pizza and beer. Not to mention a lively atmosphere. Good service. Definitely recommend.
(5)David W.
Great date night spot in western springs. Italian small plates meant to be shared between friends and family. Mushroom pizza is delicious. Only 4 stars because we seem to have to wait 20-30 minutes despite making a reservation. Not sure if they purposely overbook or if they were just unexpectedly busy nights. If this happens to you, walk next door and grab a glass of wine at Hillgrove Cellars while you wait.
(4)Patricia m.
The absolute best food I have ever tasted???? First of all let me start out by saying, my husbands thinks I was born to complann - LOL, I do see it as kind of a sport. I can not find one single solitary thing to complain about here. I am a pretty picky eater and I have to push my self into trying new things. Our waitress basically made the choices for us and there was not one bad choice out of about 10 different items!! It's some what like tappas but with much more food portions. The food is made to be shared. There were 8 of us so we had plenty to eat and each and every dish was mouth watering, delicious. Most of the food I can't even pronounce let along remember and I'm already planning to go back. The blood Mary's were the best ever, the service is top notch, the ambience is perfect and the prices are super reasonable. We will definitely become regulars.
(5)Sue O.
Not a particularly good lunch menu; we checked it out last week and decided not to stay. I don't eat nuts and most salads included nuts, which in some cases can be omitted but if the salad is special because of the nets the excluding them detracts from the intention- perhaps there could be more choices.
(3)S L.
Was disappointed in this visit. Have visited other locations but this was very different. Made reservation and when we got there, we checked in. It was early in the evening and the place was 1/2 full. The hostesses (very young and disorganized) said they would be right with us. Then we watched people come in that had no reservations and they were sat right away. I then asked what the situation with our table. They apparently forgot about us and st us then. Server was Victoria, who I wish I could give a million stars just for her. Her service, explanation of the menu, and overall personality was A-plus. The food...not so much. Sausage and peppers with marscapone polenta---no flavor whatsoever. Cauliflower steak...no flavor. Asparagus salad? One again, the char on the spears was great, but I could easily do this at home myself on my Weber. Pickled rhubarb? Unremarkable .Foccacia with cows milk cheese with honey was amazing. Unreal how great it was. How do you run out of beer(IPA) that is on draft on a Saturday night at 7:00pm? One last thing.......I absolutely HATE it when I visit a place and a manager does not visit the table. I just spent $120 for two people and you don't stop by tables and ask how everything was? This shows arrogance and a definite dis-connect from your establishment and your guests.
(2)D T.
I hate to do it, buttttt...it was so sub par. It's still mind boggling people love this heavy food there are NO light options, and I'm no sissy. I got it to go, I wouldn't again. Taylor street location is better The staff COULD NOT BE KINDER OR MORE ACCOMODATING. they're wonderful. I hope it works, but for now, no thanks.
(2)Andrew K.
Great food. Excellent atmosphere. Particularly love the outdoor seating in the springtime.
(5)Bob H.
Yeah, 5 stars. Everything was fantastic. Really excited a place like this is close to home. Started with the soppressata which had a great giardiniera with it. Then has the focaccia with honey. Very non-traditional focaccia, and the honey put it over the top. I want to say its the best thing I had, but everything was great. From there we had a pizza with arugula and finished with the Cacio de pepe, which was so simple but so fantastic. At first we were a little concerned. We had an 8:15 reservation and didn't get seated til 8:44pm. The food really needed to make up for it, and it sure did. The way they serve is different, so I get why we waited and next time will keep it in mind. Easy parking and very accessible by train. I'll be back for sure.
(5)Ann G.
We had a very fun experience here. Our waiter was really helpful and friendly as we asked him several questions about the menu. Service was attentive throughout the night even though the restaurant was packed. Both the polenta special and gnocchi we had for dinner were really tasty. I would definitely go back here. Be sure to make reservations for weekend nights.
(4)Mile K.
Great intimate atmosphere & rustic brick & wood appeal! Grab a booth in the front!
(4)David S.
Seriously good food. We wen't for Brunch and they have a really fantastic offering. The french toast is unique. Thick and crispy yet light on the inside. Balsamic-maple Syrup and orange mascarpone....mmmm. The dish you cannot miss is super simple, but works because of the great ingredients. Whipped ricotta and natural, local honeycomb. A hint of honey on the bread (which is very good too), and then a smear of the whipped ricotta over it. Phenomenal taste combination. Weekends they have a make your own bloody mary bar.it includes Bacon as an ingredient. For some this may be all that is needed, but I'm going back for the ricotta and honeycomb thing. Ambience is very nice too. Rustic and not stuffy at all. There are some side rooms where a group can be comfortable enjoying themselves, while not bothering the rest of the diners. Patio looks comfortable, but something to save for cooler weather. Very good looking wine list. Not just Italian, some well selected California wineries are also represented.
(5)Mario C.
We are frequent diners here. This review is overdue. Had I written it before our latest experience on 8/2, it would have been four stars. Had this been our only dining experience, it would have been one star. We sat outside, four of us. The waiter was pleasant enough and took our starter order. Our food came quickly and was very good. Our waiter then promptly disappeared. By the time he had returned to our general area, he had evidently lost his sight and hearing. He ignored us. We watched him chat with a table at the end of the sitting area for what felt like 10 minutes. (It was probably five minutes, but felt like an eternity, especially when we had been ignored for 20 minutes). It was maddening. In fact, the bus boy actually thought we were DONE with our meal when we had not even ordered any entrees. The bus bot, the only attentive employee in the room, was able to get the prodigal waiter to return to our table whom we "welcomed" back. He replied to us that "he saw us talking and did not want to disturb us". Huh? (Trust me, had he even glanced at the table, he would have seen four pairs of eyes looking his way, and to the extent we were talking, it was about him). It got worse. Three entrees arrived, one did not. We were told that "chicken takes longer". Well, I can tell you how much longer. It takes as long as it takes three people to eat their entire entrees is how much longer. My wife restrained me from complaining to the manager as we waited for her chicken as she did not want to ruin the meal any more then it was ruined already. (Her nature is not to complain, but instead not to return). One more note, the skate fish (a special) was cooked perfectly but very over saturated with balsamic, and was the only good thing on the plate. Two of us had it and both agreed that the balance of the plate was inedible. We will most likely return, but warily.
(2)Lisa H.
One of the best Italian restaurants on the southwest side. I have eaten there @15 times. There was a short period when the food quality started to slide- raw ravioli, tasteless sauce- so, I waited a few months. They are definitely back at the top of their game. 1/2 price wine Wednesday, fresh, light cuisine that tickles your palate. You don't have to share if you don't want to- but it allows you to taste many different foods. You can always order more. Favorites are the truffle egg toast, kale salad, polenta board, bruschetta , octopus, pizzas...just about everything
(4)Jenn M.
Update: So, since I've been quoted in the weekly Yelp, I have to say that unfortunately, the amazing, delicious, best-thing-on-the-menu, farro salad is gone for the season. Personally, I call bullshit, because I can get squash at the store still. I actually whined, begged and pouty-faced the waitress, the chef and anyone that would listen (i.e. my husband at the table the entire time). Now, maybe my view was tainted because of the farro incident, but this was definitely an off night for them. I "settled" for the risotto carbonara and which last time it was perfect, this time, the risotto was seriously undercooked. And the pork shoulder ragout wasn't nearly as tender as usual. I found one piece inedible. Hubby ordered the ribeye and to me, it looked disgusting. There was so much fat and "icky stuff" on it there was no way I was touching it. I'm still leaving it as 4-star, but now the food is down with the service. But hopefully it was just a bad night.
(4)bridget l.
I love this place. The service is amazing and the outside patio is the best especially on gorgeous Chicagoland summer days :) the food is THE BOMB but don't take my word for it try it yourself! Whatever they are serving over polenta I'm buying. Nice ambience too- great place for a date.
(5)Ms Jiji S.
I went here for the first time with my family for my birthday. I was excited to try it out, and more excited for my family to try it. My father is off-the-boat Italian, and I thought this might be a great place for him! First they brought the wrong bottle of wine out, which took at least 15 minutes to get to the table. Then we ordered a different bottle because apparently the one we wanted was out of stock, and it took another 15 minutes for it to arrive. They stuck our large party (10 people) in the back room (which doesn't get cell phone reception), and kind of forgot about us. The food came out sporadically, and was ok at best. You are better off going to Brookhaven Foods for better deli meats, at least that's what my father said! The polenta was not good either. I grew up eating polenta regularly, and when they brought it out, all of us thought, "What is this crap?!?" The service was absolutely lousy. It felt like the waiter knew he could ignore us because he would still get his 20% tip due to the size of the party. I would not go back, and neither would anyone else in my family. I expected more from them, especially since this is a sister restaurant to Francesca's, which I've always had good experiences with. It's really too bad. That spot in Western Springs has had about 3 different restaurants in there in the past 6 years, so maybe it's cursed with bad luck.
(2)Rich R.
I really enjoyed this place. Greeted warmly for lunch. An extremely varied and interesting menu. A whole section of meat and cheese appetizers. I had the GIANT rigatoni with sausage which was well spiced for an interesting taste. Superb. Ambiance is trendy; parking a cinch. I enjoy the American movie posters on the walls in Italian, being the movie buff that I am . I will definitely go back, maybe for dinner when I can try out their wines.
(4)Jennifer B.
Met some friends here for our traditional long lunch on the day before Thanksgiving and wanted to try some place new in the burbs not in La Grange. Was happy to find this place. Easy to get to and parking lot is a bonus. Decor is cozy and welcoming, but there wasn't much of a lunchtime crowd. I ordered the warm kale salad in a vegan version - by not including the bacon and cheese, as well as a wild mushroom/fennel flat bread (without cheese) for entree. Of the three of us, we each ordered a salad, and then the flatbread for two of us to share, and one other entree. Either the server or kitchen didn't quite figure out that the salad was intended to be everyone's first course, followed by the other two items ordered. So everyone's salads came out, and at the same time, the flatbread. It had also taken more time than would be expected for this food to appear. (Good thing we were off work that day. ) When the issue of timing was raised to our server, she did take it back to "keep warm" for us at our request. But when we'd finished our salads and the entree course arrived, they had prepared us an entirely new pizza. That was a nice touch! Taste wise it and the kale salad were perfectly adequate - nothing extraordinary however. The chef was good in handling my vegan requests, and had sent our server out to warn me that the beet salad my friend ordered was not vegan (in case it was to be shared) which was very thoughtful and appreciated. My friend really raved about his beet salad and seafood stew, and my other friend raved about the farro/butternut squash salad. Daily special 50% of bottles of wine was a good deal for us. Davanti Enoteca is a solid, A-OK choice for Italian, but didn't especially stand out from the crowded Italian scene.
(3)Karen G.
Another totally disappointing dining experience at this place! Noisy, overcrowded tables, tables too close together and mediocre food at best. If the restaurant is going to book a birthday party for a child at 7pm to include 25 + mothers, fathers, grandparents and screaming children in the 'cozy nook' of the restaurant than have them book the room as a private party. Seating customers to fill surrounding tables is just wrong. Not to mention the poor service. The waiter for our table forgot to order one out of five entrees and we had to get the attention of a busboy to find the waiter - whose station was in the larger room - to tell him the entree never arrived. When it did arrive it was luke warm just like the other foods we ordered. Managements two 'free' desserts were a poor attempt to make it a great dining experience. Just can't/won't do this one again.
(1)Cindy B.
Davanti Enoteca provides a great night out with a city atmosphere, great food selection, wrapped up with good service. Their daily specials are always a delight, and love how they have different takes on bruschetta. They recently had an eggplant bruschetta that was delightful. Must try the polenta with the ragu of the day, favorite so far has been the pork shoulder ragu. Excellent! Great for bigger groups or dinner for two. All in all never a dissappointment, and always look forward to having something new!
(4)Kirk W.
The quality of the food here is very good .... but when they say small plates, they really mean small plates. Not a place to go when you are super hungry ... unless you want to spend $150 on dinner. But everything else about the place is good - the food, the waitstaff, the drinks ... all very good.
(3)roxie j.
We just moved back to the area from San Francisco and tried this place last night. We were able to get a table outside and from the moment we stepped in we were greeted with smiles, kindness and terrific energy. We were fortunate to have Jaimie as our server for the evening. He methodically explained the red wine choices to my husband and was very patient as my husband hemmed and hawed...he brought out two samples for my husband to try and we were then able to move onto the menu...we started with the marinated olives and roasted cherry tomato + burrata+basil pesto - there were three of us and we were sedated by the flavors and knew we had found a goldmine. The bread served with the roasted cherry tomato, bur rata and basil pesto was generous, thick and crispy - so perfect. We moved on to the Linguine, sea urchin and crab as well as the Ribeye - SUPURB on all levels. We shared every dish - we felt the portions to be appropriate to the price and filling. The wine match that Jaimie offered was exceptional as was his personality, skill and commitment to our experience. We had to pass on the dessert (we were full ) only to have Jaimie give us one to go as a gift. Unbelievable yet clever as he in that move alone made us loyal regulars at Davanti Enoteca...is tonight to soon to return? LOVE this Western Springs Jewel!
(5)Petey D.
Went there last night with my family and it was amazing. Such a great place for a family dinner, a date, or even just a giant group. The hostesses seemed somewhat out of there element but that can't take away from the review. The polenta is amazing, such great quality and richness and even though it's expensive as a small plate is 15 and a large 17 you can tell you're getting your money's worth. The waiters are very natural and seem to never get lost; I thought he was the owner. Everything's good here, especially their desserts. The Blondie is a bread kind of pudding but has great structure with a complementing scoop of salty vanilla ice cream. The ice cream is obviously Angelo ' s which is at most chicago Italian restaurants but for some reason it tasted better.. maybe it's the amazing enriching atmosphere or they let it sit for a minute or two to make it smooth enough for your spoon to seep in with ease but is still whole. I love it, I love the francesca Amici chain and divanti's seems to be higher quality. I'd recommend 100%
(5)Leia H.
Amazing! Everything we tried here was great, but my favorites were the ragu and arugula pizza (I don't even like arugula) . Lots of options; portions perfect for trying several options and sharing. You really have to try the ragu with polenta, its amazing.
(5)Tony M.
My girlfriend and I met another couple here on the other couple's recommendation. We had a great time. The server was readily willing to help us decide on different items and the timing of the food coming out of the kitchen couldn't have been better.
(5)Christina H.
What a great spot... the wait staff is knowledgeable and attentive and the food is off-the-charts good. I dream about the truffle egg toast. Best to go with a big group and try pretty much everything. Love davanti.
(5)Paul B.
I am often left to scratching my head when reading other reviews here on Yelp. After dining at Davanti the other night, I had to scroll back to "Bob's" review also shown here--and I wondered what the heck he was looking for. I found Davanti to be a really delightful place. "Bob" says that he was disappointed that WS now has another bistro with an unpronounceable name (alluding to Macenat, I'm guessing) and for all the reasons he hated it, I loved it. Why do so many wish to have the equivalent of a culinary dumb-down for it to be appealing? I'm guessing Bob wants to have a WS equivalent of a Carraba's or Olive Garden. Bob, drive to where you can wear your flip-flops and tee shirts and be happy. Me? I'll enjoy that WS has a moderately upscale Italian dining experience. The reservation was for 7:30 and the table was ready when we arrived. We were offered inside or patio seating. We opted for inside. While they were looking to give a choice of locations, no fewer than three staff greeted us warmly and asked if we were being helped. No shortage on the friendly factor. The waiter ("Brooks"... remembered only through the Shawshank reference) was also friendly, did all the right things and took the drink order. When he came back, he went through the night's specials and explained how the menu overall worked. Again, good training by someone there. Cocktail could have been in a bigger glass and it was brimming full of ice, which I know many like, but I didn't say I liked less so that's more on me than them. Wine portion was generous. I had the special app for the night... clams in a great broth with crispy pancetta, peas and two slices of really crusty, toasted and rubbed with garlic bread for dipping. Huge flavors well executed and presented. We both wanted to try the wood-fired pizza and opted for the Margherita DOC as it's the classic and if they get that right, they'll get the rest of it right. Nice work. It might have needed 30 secs more in the hearth, but I can't complain about it one whit. We weren't huge hungry so that's as far as we went for a first visit, but I know there's going to be a return--and probably often. I watched other orders as they passed us and it all looked terrific. There's ample evidence that this will become a regular stop. The decor is warm and inviting. If there are fewer people there with Bob's mentality, fine with me. I'm not a lowest common denominator kind of guy as apparently he is. Bob... just get a can of something from Chef Boyardee and be a happy guy. Me? I'll be in WS.
(4)Marianne D.
First time diner. A friend and I went to lunch. Great atmosphere, loved the outside dining area where we sat. Small plates to share menu. Brooks was our server and was great...attentive and informative and so nice. My friend and I shared a cheese sampling which was yummy. I wish there was crusty grilled bread provided with the cheese plate. When I did request bread it was toasted, not grilled. Grilling provides something extra over toast similar to what pops out of a toaster. We then shared the roasted beet salad which was good. Again, not much roasted flavor going on but still enjoyable. Next was the mushroom pizza with leeks, very good. Brooks found out we came to Davanti because of Yelp reviews and treated us to a trio sorbet since we were first time customers. A very nice touch! I definitely will be back for dinner with my husband!
(4)Super S.
What a disappointment. This location has been cursed for a long time. Restaurants just can't succeed here. I really liked the Davanti on Taylor Street so I was excited that a great restaurant was coming to Western Springs. I have been here 3 times. At this point I do not feel the need to go back Certain things on the menu were great. The pork shoulder polenta appetizer was wonderful as is the Davanti burger with bacon jam. The Pollo 'Sole Mio', the mozzarella, tomato, basil pesto vasi were just ok. The Gnudi Pomodoro portion was tiny, very tiny. Food aside the biggest problem I had was the service. I don't know if the kitchen is too small or poorly laid out but every restaurant in this location suffers from poor/slow service. I don't like to be rushed when I eat but twice the food for our party came out at very different times. We ordered our entrees and and they would bring 2 out at a time. The third time I dined here I asked the waitress about it. She said that all the entrees were meant to be shared - like tapas. If that is the case than I believe the servers should mentioned that when you are ordering. Otherwise it is a very uncomfortable feeling when someone has, for example, their chicken dish in front of them hot and ready to eat and all the other people at the table have nothing. The last time I dined at Davanti. I had the strangest experience I have ever encountered. There was a total of 4 women in my party. At the end of the meal, after we had VERY poor service (we actually thought something was very wrong because our waitress disappeared for about 30 minutes) the waitress added a 20% gratuity and didn't tell us. Someone in the group noticed and questioned her about it and she said. "Oh yeah, I already added the gratuity for you." What? I have never heard of such a thing. We even double checked the menu in case it was mentioned on the menu and we had failed to notice it. Nope. Apparently my 3 visits to this place were out of the ordinary, everyone seems to love the place. I am in no hurry to go back. There are too many restaurants I could spend my very hard earned money at so there is really no reason to have a crummy dining experience. One of the things love about the Chicago area - the winters may be crap we have great food and fabulous restaurants, even if you have to drive a bit. It will be well worth the drive.
(2)Ryan C.
This is one of my favorite Italian Restaurants. Its like an Italian Tapas restaurant so you will have a great time going with 4-6 people and sharing your dishes and exploring all their different flavors. Some of my favorites for this place are the Riccata with Honey Comb, Brochette, and Bisteak with caramelized onions. This Restaurant can get expensive if you order 2-3 main dished per person but if your order 2-3 appetizers and then one main dish per person you can get out with a glass of wine under $30 per person. Some of the best dishes are the appetizers. They have a wide variety of meat and cheese plates and wine.
(5)Marcia S.
Food was very good and wine drinkers at table seemed very happy. Service was average but busy night so probably as good as could be expected. Beer choices were major disappointment....no IPA no reds. Tried to give feedback to manager on way out but clearly he did not get it. Overall I'd recommend the restaurant but if you're craving a decent craft beer before or during your meal this is not the place
(3)John D.
Always superb. Support staff is the best and food is always first rate. Been back many times and will keep coming back. Do try the burger. They also have Gosling's the mule or alone. Highly recommend for something different in the western burbs.
(5)John W.
Enjoyed our meal and wine very much! Not a bad dish out of the 6-7 our table ordered. Service was great also! Not overly expensive.
(5)Pam K.
Warm and cozy place. Went on a Monday night. We had the bruschetta with goat cheese and butternut squash which was OK but I would have preferred it to be on a crostini or at least smaller pieces of bread, the warm tomato with burrata salad, which was phenomenal, the polenta and the hanger steak. The steak was very chewy. Had a nice bottle of wine and finished the meal with coffee, which was very good and a mediocre dessert that we barely touched. I'd go back and order the burrata salad and maybe look at getting a cheese plate with a bottle of wine next time because we weren't thrilled with the food but liked the atmosphere. We spent $150 before tip and left unimpressed.
(2)Kelly P.
AMAZING! A friend suggested we try Davanti's so we ventured to Western Springs. So glad we did. My husband and I had a fantastic meal, sharing a bunch of small plates. We loved them all. Our waitress, Julie, gave us great recommendations and service. We will definitely be back!!
(5)Mike D.
Finally, a quality restaurant at the corner of Hillgrove and Wolf road! We've been to the Taylor street location many times and were thrilled to learn Western Springs would be getting their very own Davanti Enoteca. Must haves: Mason jar of ricotta with local honey comb. Soft polenta with ragu of the day. Burrata. Those are the three best things on the menu. Hands down. I can not fully explain to you how good the soft polenta board is. You must order this. IF you think you will really be able to throw down, the focaccia board is also dynamite. It's just filling as all get out. For entrees, we have enjoyed the rigatoni, ravioli, pizza, hangar steak. It's all excellent. You really can't go wrong. We really enjoyed the space and the service was outstanding. Cocktails were delightful. Bill can add up quickly, so choose wisely. And make sure make a reservation ahead of time. It was full to the brim at 6pm on Saturday!
(5)Bob C.
I hate to be a killjoy since we were so hoping for a great place, but we have another overpriced restauarant with fancy food in Western Springs, a town with yes - kids and teenagers. I'm not looking for a place to bring babies and toddlers, but kids who actually eat food. This place is not for them. Adults can already go to a bistro with a name they can't even pronounce if they want to, so how about a place for everyone who has an appetite? So if you aren't very hungry and have a lot of extra money, this is the place for you. The special - the polenta and braised pork in tomato sauce. Let's see - 4 scoops of essentially cornmeal with some cheese mixed in, spread out on a board and anointed with 4-5 ladles of the sauce - thats $18. Really? R u kidding? I ate it with threes slurps. Share it and everyone gets 2 tablespoonfuls. Pepperoni and kale pizza was unremarkable - there are 2-3 other woodfired pizza places within 10 minutes just as good if not better. Veal meatballs and prosciutto - run of the mill. Wine pours - lets see huge glass, small flask, embarrasing combination. Some sea urchin and crab linguine thing was fairly tasteless for $15 with enough crab to fill a large thimble. Ricotta dumplings in tomato sauce - again unremarkable. It's easy to get people in to try a place once, but getting people to return here - have to wait and see, wont be us.
(2)Linda R.
Wonderful, wonderful. Every bite was great, the service was good. We sat inside and it was a bit noisy, but the hustle and bustle was great. Try the polenta - this night was pork shoulder, it was great. The fish with the fava beans was also a great favorite. We were a bit wary of the sharing of plates, but it turned out to be a great experience. We will be back and back! Thanks
(5)Paul A.
The menu has great variety. Management is watchful and involved. Not many reviewers mention it, but their Cheeseburger is INCREDIBLE. I know it's an Italian place but I think that Burger may be the best in the Western suburbs.
(5)Jim E.
Im going to attempt to keep this short and sweet. First off, I made a reservation for 8 PM and arrivved at approx 7:55 and was met by a huge crowd inside the front door. Mark and Chris were working the front of the house and assured me it would only be about 15 mins before they could get us seated. We waited in the bar and had several different drinks between the four of us. The definite stand out was a Davanti infused fruit Martini that was amazing . Well, 15 minutes turned into an hour and Chris came over and apologized greatly and assured us they would make up for it. He was not lying, our server Salina treated us like family, the house bought us a round of drinks and appetizers. I will tell you everything we ordered was very good, with the exception of some beets with a walnut butter that missed the mark. I will just list the rest of our items and tell you each one was worth going back for. Prosciutto and Veal meatballs,Focaccia di Recco,a Pizza,Risotto,Ravioli,Bruschetta and Beets with Walnut butter. Thanks again Chris, we will definetly be coming back soon.
(4)Peter S.
For those who care, enoteca means wine bar or repository. Had dinner on Mothers Day. This review is difficult because my expectations were very high. Overall I give them a 3.5 with great potential. The food was generally outstanding but the service was a little disappointing. The decor is nice and the atmosphere less hectic than I expected. Surprisedly there were a lot of families with kids. They seemed to be ordering the hamburger, which did look good. My favorite was the polenta covered with pork shoulder. The casio e pepe, a simple spaghetti dish, was excellent, as were the pizza soppresata, escarole salad and chocolate mousse for dessert. The liver pâté was also excellent although they could omit the cherries on top. I am more of a savory kind of guy. Our hangar steak came with fantastic roasted potatoes, but our medium rare request was delivered closer to rare. I thought the white anchovies tasted a little fishy . We wanted to order octopus and the gnudi, but they said they had a big lunch crowd and were out. The maitre d was excellent but the busboys were trying to take plates with food on them. And no water refills. One last thing: change the folded menu. Kind of unwieldy.
(3)Susan B.
Wow. Third time there. A favorite for sure. Sat outside. Great service. Had cauliflower "steak", corn salad, daily bruschetta, pizza giardinera, giant ravioli, and some wonderful dessert that I can only remember as delicious. Wine program is both broad in choice and price point. Just love this place..
(5)Rich S.
Love the place, great food, good atmosphere, family friendly. One of the best casual dining places I been too.
(5)Nick S.
Great menu choices. Well-prepared and presented dishes. Very good service. Well designed up to date interior. Perfect light level. Lively crowd. Suburban location with an urban vibe. I would not hesitate to go again or recommend to others in the area.
(4)Lu S.
Food itself is a 5 on taste, lowered to a 4 based on price and size. I'm all for smaller plates, I don't care to overeat but price needs to reflect portion. Way to toss is the BTG wine price to be $8, then say 4 oz. or 8 oz. and charge $12 when you reply 8 oz. Slick move. I prefer honesty but what the hey...we all tell a white lie or two. But again, everything we ordered tasted fantastic! With service, or lack thereof, at a 2 it lowered overall review to 3. Management, please work on this, I really want to come back! But not sure I have two hours to spend on a weeknight to have 3 plates, and 1 glass of wine each with a table of two! It's not because they are lazy, I see them busting their tail, it's inefficient movements I was seeing. And the food runners...omg, randomly walk to each table, "did you order xxx? "did you order xxx?" Are you kidding!! How amateurish and extremely disruptive to paying customers. Maybe more waitstaff and less runners? I thought maybe they were short staffed but after seeing the same comment on service from multiple yelpers I see we're throwing you constructive criticism. Will you fix, we shall see. You probably think you're busy enough but this corner is known for closing other establishments with good reputations as well. Best of luck. Overall... go, when you have the time, and the patience!
(3)Diane M.
Our group of six went out on a Wednesday night to Davanti Enoteca in Western Springs. On Wednesdays, the wine list is 50% off which was one of the reasons we were there. The room is modeled after a rustic Italian farm house with exposed brick and wood beams and was really quite nice. Things started out well with a Tuscan red wine blend and appetizers of the night special bruschetta along with a cheese board featuring 3 cheeses and a salumi selection. The bruschetta was very good. The cheese board was ok, but seemed a bit pricey. Things kind of went downhill after that. The waitress started out fine and gave some good recommendations, however we were disappointed with the size of some of the dishes. For example, an $11 ravioli dish comes with one ravioli a bit bigger than a golf ball. Same with a $14 pasta dish. We wish the waitress would have explained that we are ordering small plates, tapas style dishes. We also ordered a basic tomato, mozzarella and basil pizza, which was rather bland, and a salad of roasted butternut squash, farro, hazel nut and goat cheese which was disappointing because the waitress didn't explain what it was properly. Then one of the members ordered the grilled hangar steak with roasted radishes and oyster mushrooms. That came out 15 minutes after everyone else got their dinners. It was very tasty when it finally got to the table, but we were not happy with the delay. On a more positive note the seared octopus and warm potato salad was very good and good sized. Also, the wine we ordered was excellent, especially at 50% off. Some of us were still hungry when we left. A few of us will probably not be coming back, but a few others are willing to try Davanti again.
(2)Arney B.
We had a great experience last night. Most plates are pretty small so you will spend more than you anticipate but defiantly worth it.Food is fantastic and great wine list. Reservations are a must for Fridays and Saturdays and the parking fills up quick. Would recommend parking along the tracks to the South.
(5)Kari H.
Davanti burger is the best I Ever had. My new favorite restaurant. Can't wait to try the Sunday brunch and the Bloody Mary bar!
(5)Merid L.
Overpriced for what it was. I never was asked if I wanted a refill on a coke or the cup of coffee that I had after lunch. C'mon, I'm spending $45 for two little bowls of penne. Ask if I want a refill on the coffee! Food was just ok.
(3)Martha K.
Had a great evening at this restaurant. Our server went out of her way to guide us through the menu to choose what would be right for us. The small plates were still very filling. I loved the mason jar spreads especially the Baked Taleggio cheese with grapes and black truffles. The menu has a wide variety and the couple vegetarians we had with us found plenty to order.
(5)The T.
The food was excellent but we had two problems with the service,. First of all, although we had a reservation for two, we were directed to the bar where it took half an hour till we were seated. The next problem was with the timing of the food served. One person in our party received their salad. The other person had to wait ten minutes before their salad was served, and this was with urging to the wIt staff. The server apologized and said this wait difference happens often with salads but not with entrees. You guessed it ... Our entrees were served ten minutes apart too. At that point we asked to speak to the manager. He apologized but said this is how it is done at this restaurant. And no offer to comp a glass of wine or dessert. The food is excellent here, as long as you don't mind the awkwardness of constantly telling your dinner companions tongi ahead and eat while their dinner is warm while you wait another ten minutes for your food to arrive. It was a weird, inefficient, awkward and arrogant dining experience tonight.
(2)Betty M.
Read all the reviews of this eatery and a group of us went for diner late in the afternoon on a Saturday. The location was easy to find and the atmosphere was pleasant. The food was ok but nothing out of the ordinary. We had pizza which was very good (balanced on a large tomato can for presentation-accident waiting to happen) polenta on a wood board, delicious garlic bread and a few other items. Wait staff very attentive but when one of our party had an entire tray of drinks spilled on him management left much to be desired. Dripping from head to toe, shirt soaked, pants, socks and shoes wet. Everyone was quick to help with cleanup, luckily my friend had some workout clothes in his car to change into. Accidents happen but management failed - in my opinion this man should have been offered more than 2 glasses of wine for having an entire tray of drinks poured on him, if he wouldn't have had the change of clothes he would have had to leave. The poor waitress was mortified and couldn't apologize enough, but I feel that management should have stepped up with more than free glasses of wine. All in all the restaurant was ok as was the food, I've had worse, I've had better. Nothing out of the ordinary.
(2)Jaimie W.
My boyfriend and I have been twice since it was recommended by his father and the food is amazing! We are all foodies and appreciate both good food and service. The only exception to this 5 star rating would be that we made reservations for Sweetest Day, and did end up waiting about 20 minutes. Other than that no complaints. I am actually considering their Party room as an intimate reception place. I will be back with a full review!
(5)John T.
I brought my wife there last night for her birthday. Terrific food and good service. Really enjoyable. We will be back.
(5)November P.
My family of our had dinner here last night after the Illumination show at Morton Arboretum and everything was off from the moment we walked through the door. No warm greeting, no smile, they (the hostess and the manager) only wanted to look at my phone to verify our reservation (the restaurant was empty). We were seated by the hostess who dropped our menus without a smile, no "enjoy your dinner", etc. When it was time to order, the waitress informed us they were all out of our top THREE choices. Why wouldn't you inform us of that from the beginning? When I kindly mentioned that we were disappointed about the unavailable menu items to the manager, who was pouring our wine, he told us "well you can come back tomorrow". Hmmmm thanks. The first dish that arrived was the wrong pasta dish (giant rigatonti vs the giant raviolo that we've had at the DE on Taylor downtown-delicious). We sent back the rigatoni and when she brought the raviolo, it had about 1 cup of oil poured on it and the pasta was white and chalky- clearly not cooked correctly. Not even close to aldente, it was raw. I pointed it out to our waitress and requested it be taken off our bill-which it never was. We were really not trying to be difficult and having been in the service industry in the past I was appalled how badly they were fumbling, being one of the only tables occupied. If you want to try Davanti Enoteca, go to the one on Taylor street downtown as unfortunately this one offers really terrible customer service and awful food. We won't be going back.
(1)Michelle F.
Ate here for the first time yesterday and it was so good. The mushroom flatbread with truffle oil is to die for. There is a different bruchetta every night and it was delicious. The inside of the place is super cute, very old farmhouseish. Lots of exposed wood and little italian touches. Great for a date night or girls night!
(4)April P.
OMG. My taste buds exploded. I had the bruschetta special which was mushrooms and balsamic on top of cheese. It was bomb. Then I had the mascarpone polenta ragu dish and salmon lentil mushroom special. OMG everything exploded in my mouth. I will be back.
(5)Sheila D.
Very poor service. The waitress, Ely, rarely visited our table. When she did, she was abrupt. I told her we needed more attention but she did not check back with us (we wanted more wine). Then the food came one meal at a time. She claimed this was supposed to be tapas but our menu items included a big burger (to share?) and pasta entrees; these were not for sharing. Finally, our bill came and she had added a 20% gratuity for our table of 4. The menu said it would be added for 6 or more, as is traditional. At that point, although we did not question Ely, she offered to bring us a free birthday dessert even though we were not celebrating a birthday. We felt she was trying to use the restaurant food to suddenly be a good server. This seemed unfair to the restaurant. I deleted my portion of the tip. The food, by the way, was mediocre. My spaghetti was very oily, garlicy and heavy. Won't be back.
(2)Mickie M.
Fantastic!!! Service was amazing- food was fantastic- every last bite simply delicious.
(5)Andrea P.
Went for an early Sunday dinner with a total of 8 guests. Our server was nice enough, but also taking care of a larger party in another room. It probably should have been her only table considering there were at least 20 people in that party. We were offered drinks, but I had not looked at the wine menu so I told her I needed a few minutes. We didn't order a bottle of wine until an hour into the meal, which I guess wasn't such a big deal, since service was so slow, and we were able to have it with the actual dinner. We would have easily consumed another bottle, and that's your loss! One of the wine glasses was filthy to a point where the server should have seen or felt before setting down in front of us. Again, I realize our server was busy with her large party, but shouldn't there be a manager's presence on the floor just in case? In case my server is just too busy to get to my table, as was the case all night. Sitting for 20 minutes after dinner, looking around and at one point with my entire body turned trying to get service, is simply unacceptable. I was clearly a guest trying to get anyone to come over, without actually having to get out of my seat. Didn't work! Server came to our table to ask if we wanted the check. We didn't, we waned to see dessert menus, because in spite of the lack of service we got, the food was really good.
(3)Julie J.
I had visited Davanti Enoteca on Taylor St. and Western Springs twice before returning for one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had. We went on a week night this summer and got a great table on the patio for 4 people. We sat there for 20 minutes unacknowledged before my husband had to get a manager to find a waitress. He sent out someone that I'm pretty sure has never waited before. She first brought us the wrong bottle of wine and then argued that it was correct when clearly it was not the same name on the label as on the menu. She had no knowledge of anything on the menu and was rude with every interaction. The topper was when, at 9:30 we tried to order another glass of wine and she said, "You realize we close at 10 right?" When we acted shocked and annoyed she then was seen through the glass laughing inside with the manager while looking at us. I've never felt so disgusted after an eating experience and it was solely because of this awful service. The servers assistants also tried to take our plates incessantly during every course while we were clearly still eating. I am trying one more time to go there because I do enjoy the food, but that experience may have ruined it for me forever.
(1)Kate N.
We have been to this location twice. The first time was a Saturday night. The restaurant was really crowded, but we had a reservation and were seated immediately. The food here, like the Taylor St. location, is excellent. We had the veal/prosciutto meatballs (delicious!) and the ragu/polenta board (I have to get this every time....I literally scrape the board). We also had a pizza (great crust) and dessert (decent but not memorable). We came the 2nd time with friends, again with reservations, and were seated about 15 minutes late, but as it was prime-time Saturday ngiht, I'll cut some slack. Food was, again, great. Service, both times was pretty good. Food arrives quickly, but if you try to stagger your order so that food doesn't arrive all at once, it can be difficult to find your server to order more food! Our first visit I was sitting with my back to the wall, which doubles as their wine storage. At one point I had two people looking for a bottle of wine - they were standing on either side of me, rummaging above my head for at least 5 minutes - it was very annoying, and I finally had to ask them to move away because I was feeling overwhelmed (they apologized and moved immediately). The noise level is also pretty loud, so it's hard to have any kind of intimate conversation. I'm interested to go when they aren't quite as crowded (I'm not sure when that would be....) to see how the noise level is then. But, the food wins out, and we'll be back.
(4)Carol T.
We enjoy their restaurant downtown so were delighted to see they had opened a place in the western suburbs. We made reservations there for a family celebration on a Saturday night. Unfortunately they seated our family at a communal table with a very loud group of young women. We couldn't hear each other and were not pleased with the seating. I approached the manager and explained our situation and they literally could not have been more accommodating. As soon as some other diners left, they moved us to our own table, stopped by to make sure we were satisfied and sent a complimentary dish during dinner. Just a great reaction to our situation. Both of our waiters were very good and the manager who handled the situation was terrific. We all enjoyed our meals and wine, the recommendations of the servers were spot on, and we're thrilled to have such a delicious option this close to home. We're going back and taking friends there this week and look forward to the outdoor space opening up this summer.
(4)Tricia T.
Hosted my sisters baby shower at Davanti and it was an amazing event. The venue worked with us to customize a delicious brunch menu, complete with an expansive Bloody Mary bar and mimosas. The brunch was out of this world. Lemon ricotta pancakes, poached egg with pork belly hash and egg white with arugula just to name a few. Service was outstanding. Would definitely go back for lunch or dinner. Great play with flavored on Italian dishes.
(5)Candice G.
After a long (but glorious) day of being rained on at nearby Brookfield Zoo, we decided to dry off at Western Spring's newest Italian tapas bistro, Davanti Enoteca. My dining partner had been to the location on Taylor Street and enjoyed his lunchtime layover there and my Dad had mentioned that the Taylor Street location was also Steve Dahl's pick when he appeared on Check Please, not that I'm a die hard Steve Dahl fan (I'm rarely up *that* early and radio ready) but I enjoy listening to his show, even going back to the era when he shared airwaves with Garry Meier and there's some nostalgic value in there from when my Dad would drive me to school super early and I could smell his (probably melting) plastic cup of coffee with creamer while Steve and Garry played on the radio. I guess what I'm trying to get across here is that I'm not a Steve Dahl groupie or anything, but I've got respect for the man's opinion, so why not give Davanti Enoteca a try. It was Sunday around 3pm during Labor Day weekend and the place was packed. We walked in basically looking like drowned rats after being drizzled and dampened during our daylong walkabout at Brookfield, while everyone else here looked like they were straight out of Forbes. We had to wait a few minutes before being seated at a small 2-seater high-top in the bar by the window, and it appeared as though we'd beat the rush as not even 10-minutes later the waiting area was crammed full of people and poured over into the dining room and didn't clear out until we were almost done with our meals -- if you can, make a reservation. The menu is tapas-style, but some of the items are still on the small side for sharing plates. As mentioned earlier, the regular clientele didn't seem to be folks on a budget (as you could tell just from most of the patron's attire and overly tanned old-men with wives reminiscent of Lucille Bluth), but I was determined to make this an affordable meal as I knew if it were not, I likely wouldn't be rushing back. The first step to having an affordable meal, is to not do drinks. I was very tempted by their cocktails, but they were definitely going to push the bill up a good $10-$15 per drink, so I stuck with water, though they did have a few $8 glasses of wine and $4-$6 bottles of beer, but I opted to not go in that direction as the only beer I was interested in was the draft Matilda, but I felt the $9 price tag was a few bucks above the market value you'd see posted at other bars. So we stuck with water and the server was nice and didn't judge us like some other places do when you opt for the free or cheapest thing on the menu. We started with: **Marinated Olives - $6 - served warm in a mini cast-iron pot. I'd never had hot marinated olives before, and these were really something. The mix of olives was pretty good, although there was one olive that my partner proclaimed as his favorite, but when we fished around the pot we saw that the one he'd already eaten was the only one that was in there, so I didn't get to try it, but the other olives were meaty and delicious and that was good enough for me. I'd definitely get this dish again on my next visit. **House Bruschette - $5 -(Sunday daily special price) Davanti runs some really great daily specials so we decided to take advantage of the $5 offer even though I pretty much hate bread, especially crusty, because my partner pretty much lives and breathes for this carb-y concoction. The $5 bruschette special was good on the chef's special bruschette but we went with the meat-free house bruschette with traditional basil, EVOO, mozzarella, etc and it was pretty mind-blowing -- and that's coming from a person who generally detests bruschette. It made me wonder if I'd just never had good bruschette before and we were glad it was cut into an even amount of pieces so we didn't have to fight for the oddball slice. My favorite part was that the bread wasn't hard. It had a lightly crusted outside, but inside was soft and warm and tasted like heaven. For our main courses: Gnudi Pomodoro - $14 - (ricotta dumplings, San Marzano tomato, mozzarella di bufala, basil) This dish was delicious, albeit comically small. It's served in a teeny tiny bowl with an absolutely giant brim for presentation. It's hard to tell from the pic I added, but there's only 5 pieces of the ricotta dumplings in there and the spoon is a good reference for the size. The flavor was outstanding, but even if I were just eating for myself and not sharing at all, I think I'd need three orders of this $14 dish to fill up. Pizza della Terra - $14 - (wild mushrooms, braised leeks, taleggio, truffle oil) Super rich and was proclaimed by my boo as possibly the best pizza he's ever had. It was very rich, but excellent nonetheless. Our bill came to just under $50 and while I could've taken down another plate or two, the experience overall was a great one and I'm excited to return when the weather warms (for real) and the patio opens.
(4)Toni F.
We had a really wonderful dinner here with friends a few months ago. It was my first time at Davanti but we've been to the location before when it was another restaurant. The decor is very rustic, Italian countryside - warm and inviting inside but we ate on the patio outside for this dinner, which was also very comfortable. The service from the waitstaff was just so-so...it took forever for her to finally take our drink order and then appetizer and main course orders. I get the idea that they might be encouraging you to linger and savor and enjoy your food without rushing but she didn't even check in during the lengthy lulls. I would have said that Davanti was a five-star experience if not for this. The food more than made up for the lackluster service - everything was fresh and delicious and the portions were fairly generous and suited for sharing. We thoroughly enjoyed everything we ordered, including the cocktails, wine and then desserts (which we had indoors because a wicked thunderstorm blew up during our al fresco dinner and the management wanted us to move for our safety). We're really looking forward to coming back here - very soon.
(4)Christina H.
Obsessed with Davanti. Their food is amazing and their restaurant build-out is really great as well--very industrial, wine cave-esque, but cozy, and the music sets a nice mood too. We could easily sit here for hours just enjoying the ambiance. They have a different Bruschetta every night which my fiance and I always order right away with our drinks no matter what it is--because it's always phenomenal. We also really love that their whole concept is "small plates". Their appetizers and salads are what I would consider 'large' small plates, but their "entrees" do seem to be truly small plates, so whenever we have actually made it far enough into the menu to get entrees we usually get a few of them. We also really like that the food is not heavy at all--the salads are delicious, but lighter, and the same for the rest of their plates. It's so hard to find yummy but relatively healthy food in this city but you definitely can find it at Davanti! Davanti does get pretty crowded for dinner...it seems it doesn't really matter what night of the week it is, but we have never had a problem getting a table, and the longest we have ever had to wait is maybe 10 minutes...if that--we do prefer to sit in the bar area, but we've never had a problem getting a table in the dining room either. The service is also always fantastic! And location is great! Being right across the street from the tracks sometimes my fiance will just hop off the train from work and we will just meet there. Oh and Saturdays and Sundays they have Glazed and Infused doughnuts...which are just absolutely incredible......
(5)Nicholas L.
There's really not a lot to say other than everything I've eaten here was phenomenal. Burger, salmon, warm kale salad, pizza and a few other things that I can't remember due to posting this review a few weeks late. The decor is also great. Oh and the staff was very nice. This will be a place my wife and I frequent.
(5)Dan M.
One of me new favs. Think italian tapas. Small plates. Not cheap but worth it. Not just a special occasion place but certainly expensive enough to keep it to every so often.
(4)Tina N.
So, the hubs asked me where we were going to dinner... Hmmm... Let's check the bookmarks. . . Well, although this location wasn't bookmarked, I saw the name & knew my Yelp! friend, Susan H. has been to the same name in University Village (not certain if they're the same but it was worth a shot!) and I knew we had to try this place... that girl has pretty good taste. Seated (with reservations) & greeted immediately by a very knowledgeable and friendly server. I told him my wine preference and he suggested the perfect one. What I loved the most was, the other wines he could have chose were more expensive, but instead of going with price, he went with quality. Right on man! Here was the menu: Bruschetta: asparagus, goat cheese, onions & peppers Ricotta & honeycomb mason jar Veal meatballs Bistecca con funghi e fonduta: steak & mushrooms Davanti burger: bacon jam, roasted tomato,cheese curd, arugula, roasted garlic mayo, shoestring fries I can't say anything we had was bad necessarily but some things could have been done slightly better. The Bruschetta was simply mouth watering, delicious & I can't wait to have more. The ricotta mason jar was, well I guess it was okay but they need to infuse just a little more flavor into that jar (sorry Susan!). The veal meatballs were delish, but nothing spectacular. The steak and mushrooms were probably my least favorite of the night. The dish was flavorless, overcooked and something I definitely will not order again. The burger. . . welp, what can ya say about bacon jam, cheese curds and garlic mayo?! YUM! That burger was pretty awesome! All in all it was a pretty successful trip & to be quite honest, I am excited to go back and try some things the table next to us had. Cheers!
(4)Suzanne Z.
A must try!! I came here on a date, felt immediately at home. The place has a cozy feel, has a strong emphasis on wine (I loved the wooden wall pieces made from wine crates!), and delicious food. What's unique about Davanti, is that it seems like they keep the menu pretty consistent, but the way they make something might change, based on what's in season. It's a cool concept instead of revamping a menu every few months. We had a bruschetta to start- garlic toasted bread with a gorgonzola cheese spread, mushrooms, and sweet onions. It was a fantastic sweet and savory mix. I loved it! For entrees, I ordered the rigatoni/pasta dish, my date had a seafood pasta. Portions are not huge, if you come very hungry you can easily eat it all. I did go home with some leftovers though. The seafood pasta was rich, but not overly so. My pasta was good, not over cooked, but wasn't super memorable. I think I'd pick something else next time. Service here was wonderful. We arrived without a reservation, and they told us it'd be a 30 minute wait (on a Friday). We were seated within 10. Our waitress was attentive and made wine suggestions to accommodate both of our differing tastes. Her suggestion was a winner for us both! I'm happy this place is so close to home. I will be back!
(4)