Bar Umbriago

I ordered the anti-​pasti. The octopus and bufula mozzarella are great. The atmosphere is fantastic. Overall a solid choice.

My friends and I, all visiting Chicago from out of state, stopped in for a casual brunch one Sunday afternoon. After having our coats checked, which we were all not used to being from LA and Texas, we were met by our very sweet and helpful waitress. We order, the food comes comes and we eat to our heart’s content. Towards the end of our meal, the manager Chris H. comes over to check on us. Upon discovering we were from out of state and looking to soak in as much of Chicago as we could, he pampered us! Chris proceeds to treats us to complimentary cider beer and glasses of wine! He then physically prints off directions to a few destinations we were looking to visit. He does all of this while entertaining us with interesting conversation and helps us understand the city a little better. Astounding!
Bar Umbriago. Great environment. Delicious food with healthy portions. And out-​of-​this-​world customer service! After eating at approximately 12 of Chicago’s more notable eateries, I put Bar Umbriago at the top of the list!

Italian tapas? How good was that going to be, I wondered as my expectation of Italian food is big heaping plates that live on as leftovers for a week!
But Italian tapas turned out to be a great thing! Perfectly sized portions that are shareable and the atmosphere here is conducive to sipping some great wine, enjoying a few bites and catching up be it for a date or a night with the girls.
I met a friend here on a weeknight. His pick, which surprised me, but then he always seems to know what I will like. As I entered the space, I was impressed with how different and cozy it was from the last place that had inhabited this space. The hostess directed me to our table and soon I was immersed in the menu and in catching up with my friend.
The menu changes often so don’t get too attached to what I am going to list here as it may not be there on the day you visit. We started with some chacuterie and some grilled octopus. Delicious!
My friend is a gnocchi nut (and I just don’t care for it) so he had that has his second course while I nibbled on some cheese.
For our entrée we split the pork chop which was a good choice as both of us were full at this point.
Our server was attentive without ever being invasive and our wine glasses were always full. This was a nice night out without being expensive.
If you drive– there is valet available out front on Hubbard for about $ 12 or you can park in the garage just up on State but it will cost you more.
All in all a nice, casual place to grab a glass of wine and to catch up with friends.

We have had a mixed experience with Bar Umbriago. I have been twice. The first time, we waited a VERY long time for our table but ultimately had a fun meal. The second time, our entrees came just minutes after our salads. And they just put them on the table and said they hoped it was okay. We were in a hurry (though not that much of a hurry) so I didn’t want to run the risk of them taking them back and then not bringing them to us for a long time, but I wanted to say that it was not okay. It is never okay to get the entrees basically with the salads!
One FAIL is that their waiters don’t write down what you order. If you have a special skill, sure, don’t write it down. If you’re like most people and you forget something on occasion, then just write it down! It’s easier than messing it up or having to come back and ask, both of which have happened to us there.
So, why do I give it three stars? Fun atmosphere and to die for breadsticks;-) By the way, the salads, pizzas and appetizers are better than the pastas. You can get a lot better pasta at a Francesca’s.

So I write this review as part of visiting Bar Umbriago as part of a Unilocal event. so it could be biased/​slightly slanted.
The restaurant is dark and cozy, and the staff are warm and friendly. I think a lot of times you can tell a lot about a place upon the first people you meet. The greeter and the person who checked my coat were more than happy to help me get settled in which I truly appreciated.
The event I attended was full of holiday cheer, conversation, and food on deck!
I had two wines a Red and a White Blend. The blend was fantastic. Then I walked over to house infused vodkas made with tito’s. They were tasty but overly infused for me for a ‘school night’. I opted for the white blend all night. The best part of this experience was the super knowledgeable AND patient staff. They answered all of our questions, let us sample before trying, and were always welcoming all night.
Then I made my way down to the food. There was a huge spread of charcuterie, a whole roasted stuffed pig, and a 90+ pound piece of meat goodness (for some). Then they had some nice vegetarian options including this mushroom risotto. I mean it’s guilt on a plate, but I had no remorse and opted for seconds.
When I come back for myself, I can comment more about the seafood/​chicken options. I would come back to give it a whirl though and update as appropriate!

This place is excellent for the price and location. Three women with appetizers, entrée, desert and drinks had a final tab sans tip under $ 90.
I had butternut squash ravioli and a salted Carmel gelato for desert.
The entrees are not super large. I usually can not finish my dinner but this was exactly the right portion. My desert was just the right size as well.
Atmosphere is cozy and not pretensions.
We took a cab here, I’m not sure if they have vallet but parking is slim in this area costly.

Had a really great X-​Mas Eve dinner at Bar Umbriago. We started off with some wine (of course) and a few different types of cheese. The mozzarella cheese blew my mind! Talk about fresh, you can watch them knead it and stretch it as its made to order. I have never tasted anything like it. I would go back for that alone.
My friend had the Quattro Pizza, which had Ricotta, Goat Cheese, Parmigiano, Mozzarella. He really enjoyed it, probably because there was more mozzarella on it. I had the Tagliatelle di Grano, Wheat Tagliatelle (home-​made pasta), Mushroom Ragu, Truffle Oil. It was super tasty!
Then the Chef Michael came to our table and decided we needed to try one of his meatballs. He failed to mention the meatball was bigger then my dog. Not even kidding.
Besides the meatball being HUGE, it was really delicious. He said they cook it in a neckbone sauce… yea never heard of it or had it, but it was really really good.
I will definitely be back because I need more mozzarella and really want to try some other items on their menu. Service was also on point, which always makes the dining experience that much better.

Came here for a Unilocal event:
So far, my 2^nd to the top most favorite Unilocal event since my first one (which was Sullivan’s last year). Thank you Danny and the team! So sad to see you leave Yanyao but happy to have met the new marketing assistant, super friendly!
Happy to have donated a children’s book and find a spot at the table, my eyes couldn’t stop wandering around the bar! How great to have a huge pig and beef being freshly cut and served in huge portions! Fresh risotto– I will one day master how to cook that. Sports TV for crowds of all types, one way for me to enjoy my wine, and my fiancé to watch a game. :)
Romantic dimmed lights, a great private room in the back. Full service bar. Professional looking waiters. Wine glasses with «BAR» written on one of them. I wonder if they would ever let me purchase one?
A great night to mingle and catch up! Really amazing wine, cute center pieces with large pretzels which were fun to nibble on. Addicting meat table. A wonderful people watching spot in RIver North, like a secret gem! Will encourage more of my friends to visit.
Overall, great event and will definately be stopping by again!

This review is based on a private party that I attended — it was fantastic! I would be proud to throw a party here based on the spread that they put out! A giant table of cured meat and antipasto, a whole pig, a huge leg of veal, and a pasta station. This setup would definitely «WOW!» your guests. Service was great, too. Big shouts to TAMMY, who kept refilling our wine glasses so that we didn’t have to take a break from shoveling all that amazing food in our faces. Will definitely return for dinner!

Went here for a weekday lunch with a few co-​workers and the place was EMPTY, but in that creepy way where you don’t really want to go in. We were seated by the window and our waitress immediately tried to sell us on wine before I had even caught my breath. I get it, she wants us to drink, but was clear we were there during a workday and not to kick back with a glass of pinot.
My friend and I split the caesar salad and margarita pizza. The salad was wilted, overdressed and too salty. The pizza was limp, the crust wasn’t even remotely crispy and cheese was scarce. My other friend’s caprese salad had HUGE thick slices of tomato that were nearly impossible to cut and were not in proportion to the cheese on her plate. Just a hot mess of a dish.
I won’t be back here for lunch again, even though I work right around the corner. There are so many other better places within a block of this spot that it’s not worth it at all. Go to Sable, Hub51, Rockit or Quartino (if you want Italian).

This was a pretty good spot… a friend from out of town and I visited recently when another local spot was packed to the gills…
We stopped in, and though there were no seats at the bar, we were offered a table though we were only there for drinks.
I was pleased with the wine selection and, after glancing at the menu, will say that the food sounds good. However, once our server found out we were only having drinks, he basically vanished… I had to call someone over to order another drink. This would have been more understandable had the place been busier, but there were plenty of open tables and it was still early on a Saturday. I realize that they probably wanted us to order food, but drinks can get pricey and we paid a fair amount of money while there.
So, the spot is pretty, though it leans a little ‘generic’ based upon the décor as I’ve been to a few spots recently that have a similar vibe. Even so, it’s pleasing to look at, and has some good food an drink options.
Worth a stop in, just be prepared for inconsistent service.

After reading the reviews of other Unilocal folks and receiving a stellar reco from my hotels concierge I figured that brunch at Bar Umbriago on American Thanksgiving was going to be an easy win.
I admired the look and warm feel of this place and I even made specific mention at how the staff had an amazing sense of style. Impeccably dressed, and coiffed to perfection. A strong start to say the least! We were impressed.
The breakfast/​brunch menu was reasonably priced and the items on it seemed amazing! and what more, bottomless mimosas for only $ 15, can I toss it back to Charlie Sheen for a moment and say #winning?
Alas, those three stars would be the last three I would be able to hand out to BU this day as the remainder of my experience fell a touch short. With the cornucopia of breakfast options this fine thanksgiving day and a moderate crowd I expected the food and service to be slightly better.
While my breakfast order of the Bacon and Egg Breakfast wrap was substantial (like seriously that sucker was HUGE — easily 4 – 5 eggs scrambled), it was tasteless and dry. The cheese had melted and gotten hard again before I could get to it and the only flavour came from the thick cut bacon. A little sauce might have helped this out a long way.
The biggest miss was the service from our server. Past taking the order and checking in with us once. She never appeared again until cheque time. In fact she was no where to be seen anywhere on the dining floor for our entire meal. Hard to make those mimosas bottomless with no one to refill them. I flagged down other staff after awhile and they were much more attentive after they realized our server had gone rogue.
I’m going to chalk this experience up to a bad day and not a reflection of this place’s food or service on a regular basis as other trusted Unilocal friends have dined here and they appear to have had a great time. Next time I’m in Chi-​town I’ll stop by for lunch/​dinner and drinks.

A new place some of my Chicago friends wanted to check out. The atmosphere was nice and romantic and you can dress trendy casual or trendy. Prices were reasonable. I just had a glass of wine so I cannot comment on the food. The service was decent but not the best and the cocktails were very creative. This is a good place for a fun girls night out or groups of guys and girls. Not sure if this would be a place for a boys night unless their are from Europe. ;)

If the prices weren’t so high and the portions larger and the service better, I would have given this place a 4 star.
We were in a large party and i was able to taste a lot of the foods that hit the table, here’s what I tasted.
Polpette, Veal Meatballs; These were good, very tender and flavorful. I think the order had three decent size meatballs.
Margherita Pizza: great size for an appetizer for 3 people. The pizza was delicious and highly recommended
I had a side of prosciutto that was absolutely amazing. Perfectly thin sliced, not too salty. Just really good.
Feta spread. I’ve had some really good feta back home. However, this was probably the best feta I’ve ever tasted. It only came with two piece of bread, so we weren’t sure what to do after with the feta after the bread was finish. I found myself eating it straight up.
There was some sort of chili dish that was ordered as an app that I didn’t get to try, but the table said it was very good as well.
Bistecca, Cap Steak w/​bone marrow ravioli; this was ok. The pasta was kind of hard and the steak overcooked (even though I ordered it medium).
Overall, this place was pretty good. I’d rather try other places in chicago, before coming back, however you can’t really go wrong with the choice. They do need to work on their service a bit though.

Delicious! Great variety of unique dishes made with very flavorful spices. Very much enjoyed the appetizer selection of grilled octopus (the only problem being too burnt). Along with the short rib tartare and the tuna, we also shared the ricotta cheese plate which were all amazing!
So amazing were the apps that we didn’t have room for entrees, but got in many drinks from the special flavor-​infused vodka section. They were all so tasty and different my personal favorite was the fig vodka with ginger ale. The pumpkin pie martini was also great.
For dessert we enjoyed the tiramisu made with pumpkin cake which was absolutely AMAZING. Paired well with a glass of moscato.
Definitely a great new restaurant, looking forward to new menu changes.

Why would you be playing music when you also have a live performer. Just to create a chaotic noisy unsettling environment?
Service was mediocre — food was horrible.

Good food but buyer beware. The portions here are small and can be pricey so the tab can add up quick!
We tried the following:
— cucumber feta spread (a steal for $ 6!)
— seafood frito misto (average)
— escarole salad (very refreshing!)
— orecchiette (nice spicy sausage pasta)
— an off the menu scallop dish with a buttery cauliflower sauce
— another off the menu sashimi dish with pomegranate and tangerines
Nice patio. Nice ambience. Good location in downtown. I have no problem recommending this place for out of towners who may be staying in the area.

Whenever I hear «Italian tapas» I imagine some big fat fictional mobster guys sitting in a dimly lit room passing around small plates and it makes me laugh. I’ve always been of the impression that Italian food should served one way and one way only. In large portions.
As much of an oxymoron as I think the concept is, Bar Umriago does it very well. Ate with my pops and we had squash blossoms, scotch eggs, Veal Agnolotti, Goat Cheese Gnocchi, Whole Wheat Tagliatelle, and a few other things from the menu which doesn’t really matter if I share them as their menu changes daily.
All fantastic, we just wished the portions were a little bigger. Just realize what you’re getting yourself into. It’s Italian tapas so don’t expect big fat mobster portions.

This restaurant was amazing! Being in from out of town, my hotel concierge told me about this place. She described it as a «farm to table» place with super fresh food. The food was incredible, and they had really interesting combinations of flavors that I cannot wait to try to make in my own kitchen.
They also had half off bottles of wine on Wednesdays, so we were able to get a bottle of Apothic White wine for $ 15/​bottle. That is absolutely unheard of in downtown Chicago. The crostini spreads were awesome. We tried the whipped ricotta with tomato and pistachios and the feta/​cucumber ($ 6 each). The ricotta one was better.
Our waiter was hysterical and made us feel very comfortable relaxing and taking up his table for quite a while, since I was catching up with old friends. He suggested a goat cheese gnocchi for dinner. I didn’t care for the gravy-​like sauce it was served in, but that’s just me.
This prices for the food were very reasonable and tasted great. Definitely would suggest checking this place out before everyone finds out about it and it’s impossible to get a table.

Gourmet food in a casual setting done well! Very noisy inside, but great outdoor seating.
Charred octopus and veal agnolotti were the standouts; risotto nero and summer salad also good.
If you like sweet and fruity drinks — get the Tacco Rosso
If you like fruity drinks on the dry side — get the Summer Social
If you want bread to soak up the delicious juices of your plates, you gotta ask for it, but the poppy breadsticks, lingering in a bit of extra virgin olive oil, are a delicious (and addicting) alternative to bread and butter!