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 are traveling as a couple.
Why
- 01
Warm, polished, and centered on handmade pasta you can watch being rolled.
Our read - 02
A reliably excellent special-occasion-lite room that doesn't tip into stuffy.
Our read
Is it a fit?
Go if
You only have one day
Even on a tight schedule, Monteverde earns the hours.
You are traveling as a couple
As a couple, Monteverde works.
You are traveling solo
Solo, Monteverde works.
Food is a reason to travel
For food & drink, Monteverde delivers.
Think twice if
You are watching the budget
On a budget, weigh it — Monteverde isn't cheap for what it is.
You are traveling with kids
With kids, it depends on the day.
You are planning for two
For romance, Monteverde is hit or miss.
You care about the visual experience
For beauty & photography, Monteverde is hit or miss.
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 ↗