Monteverde

Monteverde is chef Sarah Grueneberg's Italian restaurant on West Madison Street in the West Loop. Her cooking blends traditional Italian dishes with ingredients and techniques picked up on her travels and from her family background, and the result is a menu that feels familiar but rarely predictable.

The heart of the restaurant is its pastificio, a pasta-making area where the team makes fresh, hand-made pasta throughout the day in many shapes, sizes and textures. Watching the pasta being rolled and shaped is part of the experience, so ask for a seat with a view if you can. Pasta is the obvious focus of any order, and sharing a few different shapes across the table is a good way to explore the menu, along with starters and larger plates. The menu changes, so check what is being served on the day.

Opening hours listed on the website are 11am to 10pm from Tuesday to Thursday and 11am to 10:30pm on Friday and Saturday, with an aperitivo hour between 2:30pm and 4:30pm from Tuesday to Saturday. The afternoon aperitivo is a relaxed way to try the restaurant without a full dinner booking. Check the website for Sunday and Monday, which are not listed with the other days.

Reservations are taken through Resy, linked from the restaurant's website, and are recommended for dinner, especially at weekends. Lunch and the aperitivo period are usually easier for walk-ins. Prices are mid to upper range, with the total depending on how many dishes you share.

Monteverde suits couples, small groups and pasta lovers, and it works for a long lunch as well as dinner. It is a sensible choice for a special meal that feels warm and lively rather than formal. Allow around two hours for dinner. If you are planning around a particular dish, look at the current menu on the website before booking, as the pasta shapes and sauces change with the season and with what the kitchen is making that day.

For enquiries, call +1 312-888-3041 or email [email protected]. The restaurant is in the West Loop, one of the city's busiest restaurant areas. Girl & the Goat and the restaurants of Randolph Street are a short walk north, and the Fulton Market District, with The Hoxton hotel and its rooftop, is a few blocks further.