Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna

Name: Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna
Address: 531 N Wells St, Chicago, IL, United States, 60654
Telephone: (312) 470-0250
Price range: $30 and under
Rating: 4.8

4.8 (190)

$30 and under

Pizzeria

531 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60654

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 1, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 204 times today

About this restaurant

Neighborhood gem
Lively
Hot spot

Zarella, a neighborhood pizzeria and taverna from Boka Restaurant Group, is located on the bustling corner of Grand and Wells in the heart of River North. Chef Partners Chris Pandel (Swift & Sons, Cira, Swift & Son’s Tavern) and Lee Wolen (Boka, Alla Vita, GG’s Chicken Shop) have come together to craft a menu featuring a mix of tavern-style and artisan pizzas, an array of entrées and small bites, as well as fresh salads, alongside an ever-rotating menu of Italian specialties, promising a dining experience that is both nostalgic and unique.
‍
Reminiscent of a classic Italian eatery, the space exudes a timeless charm that makes it feel as if it has been a beloved corner spot for generations. Whether guests are at a large table enjoying a meal with family and friends; having a bite and a beer while watching the Bulls or Bears; or retiring to the downstairs taverna for expertly crafted cocktails, Zarella promises to be a neighborhood favorite.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Pizzeria, Italian, Pizza Bar
Hours of operation
Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:00 am–11:00 pm Sun 11:00 am–9:00 pm
Phone number
(312) 470-0250
Website
https://www.zarellachicago.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress

Location
531 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60654
Neighborhood
River North (Chicago)
Cross street
North Wells Street and West Grand Avenue
Parking details
Street Parking
Public transit
Merchandise Mart Brown Line Stop
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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Our AI assistant, Concierge, is here to answer your questions about this restaurant.

Gigante Beans$6.00
calabrian peppers, lemon, fennel pollen
Marinated Artichokes$10.00
lemon, mint, sea salt
Grandma's Eggplant$7.00
mint, olive oil
Fried Zucchini$16.00
basil aioli
Crispy Calamari$17.00
fried peppers, calabrian chili aioli
Mozzarella Sticks$14.00
pomodoro sauce
Roasted Carrot Dip$14.00
crudite, crackers, sesame
Baked Feta$17.00
agrodolce, toasted garlic
Italian Sausage & Peppers$17.00
roasted pepper & garlic ragu

Salads

Kale Caesar$14.00
caesar vinaigrette, garlic breadcrumbs, anchovy
Buffalo Mozzarella$19.00
cucumber, marcona almond salsa verde
Sunday Salad$14.00
little gem, salami, dialini, all the veggies, Italian dressing

Pizza

Standard Toppings$2.00
Green Peppers, Black Olive, Red Onion, Basil, Fresh Garlic, Giardiniera, Pickled Peppers, Calabrian Chilis
Fancy Toppings$4.00
Ezzo All Beef Pepperoni, Soppressata, Italian Sausage, Smoking Goose Mortadella, Artichoke, Mushroom, Spinach, Arugula, Smoked Pancetta
Dips, etc.$2.00
Calabrian Chili Oil, Zarella Garlic Ranch, Hot Honey

Specialty Pies

Soppressata & Mortadella$24.00
calabrian chili honey, arugula
Spicy Vodka$21.00
spicy vodka sauce, pickled peppers, mozzarella
Mushroom & Truffle$27.00
white sauce, taleggio, mozzarella, red onion
Spinach & Artichoke$25.00
white sauce, chili flakes, pickled peppers, mozzarella
Carbonara$28.00
fra'mani smoked pancetta, pecorino, egg
Margherita$23.00
fiore di latte, basil, pomodoro

Large Plates

Chicken Parm$25.00
pomodoro, mozzarella
Eggplant Parm$26.00
slowly baked, pomodoro, mozzarella
Radiatore Alla Vodka$19.00
calabrian chilis, pecorino
Ricotta Gnocchi$19.00
basil, toasted garlic, tomato
Chicken Piccata$25.00
caper, lemon, parsley
Prawns Ala Plancha$32.00
dijon butter

Sweets

Coconut Soft Serve$9.00
cherries & chocolate
Lazy Tiramisu$11.00
mascarpone mousse, lady fingers
Brown Butter Cake$11.00
pineapple, lime cool whip

Signature Cocktails

listed from most crushable to most boozy

Zarella Handshake$13.00
Soda Rossa$13.00
Cassis Soda$16.00
Suze Sbagliato$18.00
Avia Zione$15.00
50/50 Martini$15.00
Zarella Martini$18.00
Chicago Gold$16.00
Day in Bologna$18.00
Jet Setter$18.00

Wine

by the glass or the bottle

Prosecco Brut, Santomé, Treviso DOC NV$14.00
Rosé Brut, Scarpetta, Timido, Friuli-Venezia Giulia NV$15.00
Lambrusco dell’Emilia, Alberici, "La Fogarina" Emilia-Romagna NV$15.00
Moscato d’Asti, Fontanafredda, Piedmont 2022$14.00
Pinot Grigio, Dalia, Veneto 2023$12.00
Sauvignon Blanc, Ca’Bolani, Friuli-Venezia Giulia 2023$15.00
Pecorino, Jasci, Abruzzo 2023$14.00
Chardonnay Blend, Luigi Baudana, "Dragon," Piedmont 2023$17.00
Nero d’Avola, Stemmari, Sicily 2023$13.00
Chilled Nebbiolo, Chiarlo, Langhe, Piedmont 2021$18.00
Montepulcino, Cirelli, Abruzzo 2022$14.00
Chianti Classico, Bibbiano, Tuscany 2022$16.00
Primitivo, San Marzano, Puglia 2022$13.00
Cabernet Blend, Querciabella, Mongrana, Tuscany 2021$19.00

Spirit Free

Garden Party$10.00
Orchard Mule$10.00
Peachy Keen$10.00

Ice Cold Beers

PBR Draft American Lager 4.7%$6.00
Off Color Beer for Pizza Italian Lager 5%$12.00
Revolution Hazy Hero Hazy IPA 7.3%$12.00

Bottles and Cans

Peroni Bottle Crisp Lager 5%$9.00
Melvin Can West Coast IPA 7.5%$10.00
Revolution Anti Hero IPA 6.7%$12.00
Matilda Belgian-style Pale Ale 7.8%$12.00
High Noon rotating 4.5%$12.00

N/A Brews & Soda

Peroni 0.0$9.00
Green River Soda$6.00
Sprecher Soda$7.00
Acqua Panna Still$13.00
San Pellegrino Sparkling$13.00

What 190 people are saying

Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8

4.8 based on recent ratings

4.7Food
4.7Service
4.8Ambience
4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Chicago / Illinois
Pizzeria
Chicago
Pizzeria

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna is highly praised for its "amazing tavern style pizza" and "outstanding service." Guests love the vibrant atmosphere and friendly staff, making it a go-to spot. The menu offers diverse options, including "the best gluten-free pizza," and creative appetizers like fried zucchini. A "great addition" to Chicago's dining scene!

190 Reviews

L
Lourdes Jazmin
Chicago / Illinois1 review
5.0
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Tavern pizza was delicious. Nice and crispy! Service and atmosphere was excellent.
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M
Matt
Chicago / Illinois14 reviews
5.0
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
3rd visit. Everything is phenomenal. Food, atmosphere, service top notch.
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J
Jennifer VIP
New York City1 review
5.0
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 4
Our server was pretty obnoxious and condescending. Ryan. Otherwise it was excellent!
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J
Jodi VIP
Chicago / Illinois3 reviews
5.0
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 5
Timing of the food was off we ordered a bunch of appetizers and salad they came out together . We enjoyed that . One pizza came out and 15 min later the second pizza came out . Our pasta came out after we finished the second pizza . We ended up taking it to go . The food was amazing ! Best pizza ever !!
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r
ryan
Grand Rapids / Western Michigan1 review
4.0
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Tried the tavern and Artisan pizza. Artisan had a little flop and little greasy but a pit with the crust and it was very good. Also a solid Chicago tavern style. Server was very good
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V
Vanessa VIP
Las Vegas12 reviews
5.0
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Margherita pizza traditional style was amazing. Cheese stick appetizer was pretty good, too (not greasy at all)! I would skip tavern style though and go with the traditional style. The service was great, as well. Our table wasn’t ready immediately, but they were very attentive and offered us a drink and waitress was great! Would recommend and return.
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C
Christopher VIP
Chicago / Illinois8 reviews
5.0
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The tavern style pizza is amongst the best in the city and possibly the top dog. Great ambiance and service. Will definitely be back.
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J
Joseph VIP
Chicago / Illinois8 reviews
5.0
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
10/10 The tavern style pizza is the best I've ever had. Sauce, cheese, crust ratio was prefect. Less is more. Simplicity at its best! Sunday salad, cheese sticks, and pasta alla vodka didn't miss either. I can't wait to go back.
Zarella Pizzeria & TavernaResponded 2 days ago
Wow — thank you Joseph so much for this incredible review! We're absolutely thrilled to hear that our tavern-style pizza was the best you've ever had. We put a lot of care into getting that sauce, cheese, and crust ratio just right, so it's wonderful to know it stood out. We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your experience, and we can’t wait to have you back again soon for another fantastic meal. Warmly, Deanna
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L
Lenny VIP
Chicago / Illinois20 reviews
4.0
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Calamari an Zucchini and pizzas were good. Cocktails and ambiance were the scene. Wait staff service is a bit disjointed for the time they've been open and the outstanding Boka reputation.
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N
Nathan
Unspecified1 review
4.0
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
Overall a good experience. The dining room is beautiful with a lively bar, packed with people enjoying their great food. We had seven people in our party and the restaurant team was gracious enough to provide additional seating for our table (originally a part of five). There were a couple of small issues with service. Server rang the wrong pizza, forgot the water for two of our party and never pre- bussed a single dish. The fried zucchini was amazing, crispy and perfect. Fried mozzarella was good, large portion and perfectly cooked although I wouldn’t order it again as it’s just another fried cheese stick. The gigante beans were good and tasty. Little gem salad was a treat with a slightly sweet vinaigrette, crispy fresh lettuce, little cubes of cheese and meat and the surprise hit some small macaroni tossed in. Excellent! We ordered three tavern style pizzas. The sorpressata, mortadella, the mushroom and the carbonara. All three were great. The sorpressata was very hot and spicy and we would have preferred a little less honey. Still tasty though. The mushroom was a hit and finished with a little bbq sauce that landed well. The carbonara was salty, crunchy, cheesey and delish. We were expecting egg and didn’t see that so not sure if we just read the description wrong or if it was a miss from the kitchen. The crust was paper thin and delicious and overall the pizzas were delicious. Well done! I’ll be back to try some more flavors and the other style of pizza as we saw several go by the table and they looked amazing. Thank you.
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FAQs

Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (312) 470-0250.

Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna is rated 4.8 stars by 190 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 1, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 204 times today

Google Map for Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna

531 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60654

Additional information

Cross street
North Wells Street and West Grand Avenue
Neighborhood
River North (Chicago)
Hours of operation
Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:00 am–11:00 pm Sun 11:00 am–9:00 pm
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Pizzeria, Italian, Pizza Bar
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Street Parking
Public transit
Merchandise Mart Brown Line Stop
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
https://www.zarellachicago.com/
Phone number
(312) 470-0250

Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

To Start

Gigante Beans$6.00

Marinated Artichokes$10.00

Grandma's Eggplant$7.00

Fried Zucchini$16.00

Crispy Calamari$17.00

Mozzarella Sticks$14.00

Roasted Carrot Dip$14.00

Baked Feta$17.00

Italian Sausage & Peppers$17.00

Salads

Kale Caesar$14.00

Buffalo Mozzarella$19.00

Sunday Salad$14.00

Pizza

Standard Toppings$2.00

Fancy Toppings$4.00

Dips, etc.$2.00

Specialty Pies

Soppressata & Mortadella$24.00

Spicy Vodka$21.00

Mushroom & Truffle$27.00

Spinach & Artichoke$25.00

Carbonara$28.00

Margherita$23.00

Large Plates

Chicken Parm$25.00

Eggplant Parm$26.00

Radiatore Alla Vodka$19.00

Ricotta Gnocchi$19.00

Chicken Piccata$25.00

Prawns Ala Plancha$32.00

Sweets

Coconut Soft Serve$9.00

Lazy Tiramisu$11.00

Brown Butter Cake$11.00

Signature Cocktails

Zarella Handshake$13.00

Soda Rossa$13.00

Cassis Soda$16.00

Suze Sbagliato$18.00

Avia Zione$15.00

50/50 Martini$15.00

Zarella Martini$18.00

Chicago Gold$16.00

Day in Bologna$18.00

Jet Setter$18.00

Wine

Prosecco Brut, Santomé, Treviso DOC NV$14.00

Rosé Brut, Scarpetta, Timido, Friuli-Venezia Giulia NV$15.00

Lambrusco dell’Emilia, Alberici, "La Fogarina" Emilia-Romagna NV$15.00

Moscato d’Asti, Fontanafredda, Piedmont 2022$14.00

Pinot Grigio, Dalia, Veneto 2023$12.00

Sauvignon Blanc, Ca’Bolani, Friuli-Venezia Giulia 2023$15.00

Pecorino, Jasci, Abruzzo 2023$14.00

Chardonnay Blend, Luigi Baudana, "Dragon," Piedmont 2023$17.00

Nero d’Avola, Stemmari, Sicily 2023$13.00

Chilled Nebbiolo, Chiarlo, Langhe, Piedmont 2021$18.00

Montepulcino, Cirelli, Abruzzo 2022$14.00

Chianti Classico, Bibbiano, Tuscany 2022$16.00

Primitivo, San Marzano, Puglia 2022$13.00

Cabernet Blend, Querciabella, Mongrana, Tuscany 2021$19.00

Spirit Free

Garden Party$10.00

Orchard Mule$10.00

Peachy Keen$10.00

Ice Cold Beers

PBR Draft American Lager 4.7%$6.00

Off Color Beer for Pizza Italian Lager 5%$12.00

Revolution Hazy Hero Hazy IPA 7.3%$12.00

Bottles and Cans

Peroni Bottle Crisp Lager 5%$9.00

Melvin Can West Coast IPA 7.5%$10.00

Revolution Anti Hero IPA 6.7%$12.00

Matilda Belgian-style Pale Ale 7.8%$12.00

High Noon rotating 4.5%$12.00