Monteverde
Sarah Grueneberg's modern Italian in the West Loop with a glass-walled pasta lab.
The call
Worth it if you only have one day and you're traveling as a couple.
Short answer
Is Monteverde worth it?
Monteverde deserves a place on most first itineraries.
The answer depends on your budget, time and travel style; the breakdown below shows who gets the most value.
Why
- 01
Warm, polished, and centered on handmade pasta you can watch being rolled.
- 02
A reliably excellent special-occasion-lite room that doesn't tip into stuffy.
Is it a fit?
Go if
You only have one day
Short trip or not, keep Monteverde.
You're traveling as a couple
As a couple, Monteverde is an easy yes.
You're traveling solo
Solo, Monteverde is an easy yes.
Food is a reason to travel
Monteverde rewards a trip built around food & drink.
Think twice if
You're watching the budget
Monteverde can strain a tight budget. Go only when it is a priority.
You're traveling with kids
With kids, Monteverde needs the right timing and tolerance.
You're planning for two
Monteverde offers some romance, but not enough to make it the reason to go.
You care about the visual experience
Monteverde offers some beauty & photography, but not enough to make it the reason to go.
The plates that decide it
- Cacio whey pepe — the now-legendary fusilloni riff on cacio e pepe with pecorino and lemon-ricotta whey — the dish the room is built on
- Tortellini en brodo — hand-folded prosciutto-and-duck tortellini in broth; a year-round staple
- Skipping the pasta course — the pasta lab is the whole point — don't fill up first
Plan it well
- Cost
- $$$ — mid-to-upper, pasta-forward
- Timing
- Earlier weeknight seatings are calmer
- Booking
- Reservations strongly recommended
- Allow
- 1.5–2 hours
- Accessibility
- Counter seats face the pasta lab; veg pastas available
Sources and method (3)
- Chef-owner Sarah Grueneberg won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Great Lakes in 2017; Monteverde opened in the West Loop in 2015 finedininglovers.com ↗
- Signature cacio whey pepe uses fusilloni with pecorino and lemon-ricotta whey, with whey replacing water in the dough; pasta is made in an open pastificio blog.resy.com ↗
- guide.michelin.com ↗