Siena TavernBest Gnocci Ever!This meal made my whole trip to Chicago! I loved the atmosphere and the cool plants behind the bar. The Gnocci was like eating a heavenly cloud! The service was a little relaxed for my taste, but overall the staff was very friendly. I will be back the next time I am in the area. The friend that I was with who lives here can't wait to return!5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMItalian delightAll entres individually prepared and it shows. Perfectly cooked pasta! Kobe meatball comes with a fresh tomato sauce that is simply outstanding. Octopus appetizer was equally special. Diverse menu, reasonable prices. Table bread outstanding. Service staff friendly and engaging. Limited time so only ate there twice for lunch, but would go back in a heart beat.5/14/2013 12:00:00 AMSmall but goodThe food was really good but very small portions, left hungry.5/14/2013 12:00:00 AMAwesome, AgainSecond time at Siena Tavern, loved it even more than the first. Can"t wait to return.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMPleasantly surprised!Afraid it was going to be one of the many "over-hyped" restaurants, but we really loved it and will definitely be back! Gave up trying to get a reservation for a Friday/Saturday night, so we went for lunch on Saturday. Food was excellent! Pastas are yummy. Meatball appetizer is great! Great attentive service - at least on a Saturday afternoon. Not sure how it is when the place is packed. Nice warm, relaxing atmosphere. Lots of variety on the menu. High quality ingredients. Can't wait to try it again!5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMNot your typical ItalianThe restaurant was nicely appointed. With a cool vibe. The servers were very attentive and made sure our drinks were to our liking. The Menu had many different parts to it. Giving you a little bit of everything. In particular the Mozzarella bar, we ended up having some of the Bufala mozzarella. For dinner we tried to the Tortellacci stuffed with carrots and the 12 hour braised ossobuco. The Tortellacci had a very rich sauce that came along with it, very tasty, very filling. The ossobuco nicely peeled off with the fork , combined with the risotto made for a very tasty plate.
Overall the portion sizes were just right and the food was very tasty. Living up to my expectations of taste from a Top Chef favorite.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMIn love with Siena TavernEverything - from the moment we walked in - was fabulous! We were early for our reservation so we checked in and then sat at the bar for a drink.... but we never felt rushed to get to our table by the staff. Our server was absolutely fantastic and so knowledgeable about everything (totally love that!). We tried dishes from different areas of the menu and shared everything and absolutely everything we ate was delicious. The short rib ravioili was AMAZING. We nearly licked all the plates clean and there was nothing to take home at the end of the meal.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMI highly recommend this restaurant.I highly recommend this restaurant. Our group ordered a variety of items and we were not disappointed. I particularly liked the Kobe meatball appetizer, the pear and prosciutto pizza, the squid linguini with lobster and the brick chicken. I also enjoyed the bone marrow appetizer. The oysters were small and nothing special. We had a wide variety of desserts as well and they were all good, but my favorite was the tiramisu. I will definitely be back.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMNice spotWe went on the advice of friends and weren't disappointed. The food is great as is the service. There is a good buzzy atmosphere there. We had a drink at the bar area before sitting down. I'd recommend the ahi tuna...amazing.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing!!!This place was amazing! Everything was so fresh since it is all made in house. Atmosphere is great, food is great, prices are great. Perfect for a small group or date. Huge space, friendly staff, all around awesome!5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food - great service!A great first experience & would return again! Recommend by a friend & now would recommend to our other friends to dine at Siena Tavern! Thank you!5/5/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat new restaurantWhat an awesome place to eat. We were there to celebrate Mother's Day a week early and had a great experience. Really enjoyed how fresh and well prepared everything tasted. Our server was excellent, very attentive and helpful. We will be back soon. Thanks for a great meal.5/5/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent lunchHad a wonderful leisurely Saturday lunch...spaghetti with crab was heavenly, as was hamachi crudo...5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMTerrific place to meetWe were all in from out of town and met at Sienna Tavern for lunch. Our Server, Adam Devers was great--
He recommended terrific options from the menu and was spot on. We're still talking about the amazing salted caramel gelato! We are still talking about that!5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMFantastic place to go with a group!Siena was a wonderful place to try a lot of different plates. The spagetti was fantastic and was recommended by our very knowledgeable waitress. The mozzarella bar is a must try and so are the fabulous pizzas. I would recommend Siena Tavern to anyone. It was a great experience, and definitely made us want to come back and try all the things we didn't get around to!5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMSO goodThis restaurant is so good that I had to go back for dinner after having lunch there! A must try restaurant!!5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat new spotso me and a few friends went there and we did a tapas style with a pizza, few apps, soup, drinks, and dessert. Everything was wonderful! The foccacia bread was pretty bland, but everything else was exceptional. They had some complex flavored dishes while keeping it simple. I will definitely come back5/1/2013 12:00:00 AMFabulous foodWe had the gnocchi, Kobe meatballs, octopus, and focaccia, and an excellent red wine. The service was friendly. The decor is trendy. The chairs are comfy.4/30/2013 12:00:00 AMDefinitely want to come forDefinitely want to come for dinner. Had a salad at lunch and our group shared one pasta plate. It was delicious.4/29/2013 12:00:00 AMThis is our 4th visit sinceThis is our 4th visit since opening a few months ago - We have experienced dinner and lunch - The staff is fantastic, energetic, friendly but most important they look happy to work at a great new top spot dining/bar venue in the windy city. As we are fortunate to visit Italy often, the owners and chef offer a wonderful selection of fine and casual dining dining from many regions. Appetizers, pizzas that offer a choice from Chicago's mainstay pizzerias, to wide selection of sandwiches --- all have wonderful individual flavors that last for hours after you leave. Run do not walk and experience a new Chicago gem. Great place for lunch pre-theatre and easy 3 block block from most theatres - Goodman, Broadway in Chicago etc.4/28/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat bday celebration!Just had my birthday there and the staff made the occasion very special. Very accommodating, sweet and serving with a smile! The food our waitress recommended was perfect. Thank you Siena Tavern for making my bday special! My girlfriends and I had a great time! :)4/28/2013 12:00:00 AMI was excited to go a checkI was excited to go a check out a "Top Chef" kitchen as was the rest of the city as it was so busy. Our reservation was for 9:30 pm and that was the earliest that we could get and when looking at open table it is going to be like that for months. It was busy and crowed and loud. Unfortantly our table was right by the bar and we had a lot of people standing almost over our table or leaning into our side of booth. It was a little distracting.
The food was awesome and well recommended by our waiter, Justin. I had gnocchi and if I had some bread I would have been lapping up the sauce. My husband loved the meat pizza which had just the right about of favor. It was great experience and I will excited to go again.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMThis was the second time IThis was the second time I ate at Siena Tavern and it didn't disappoint. The service was great, the ambiance was awesome and the food delicious!4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMJust one word...Unbelievable!Everything from food to ambiance was outstanding. Great for lunch, dinner, or as a late night bar scene! We had an early dinner before a show and then returned late in the evening for a drink. The place was hopping! Will definitely go back. :)4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMsiena taven is ejoyable affordablesiena taven is ejoyable affordable and casual . awsome italian wine list was able to enjoy bottle that I once drank in italy,With each bite of pasta it was taste of heaven in your mouth. amazing dounuts . definitely returning for flavorful food .4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing - perfect combinationAmazing - perfect combination of design, interior ambiance, and great food.4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMLunch before the theatrePortions were small for the money.
Wait staff was dressed very casual and our waitress in particular was not friendly. Perhaps she was having a bad day, we've all had them.
Beautiful restaurant, food was exceptional, love Fabio Viviani!!!4/21/2013 12:00:00 AMThere is a nice variety ofThere is a nice variety of seating available - we didn't want to sit at a high-top or in a booth, and were offered a 4-top next to the front windows where the chairs are sooo comfortable. We enjoyed the burrata which was smooth & creamy. The light-as-a-cloud gnocchi was amazing. Farro risotto w/Ossobucco was a real treat and a great surprise. We weren't fans of the bone marrow antipasti, as it was served with so much balsamic vinegar that we couldn't taste the marrow. Tiramisu was just OK - the dessert to order is bomboloni (fresh sweet warm dough that comes with three sauces)!4/21/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was great. Service wasFood was great. Service was pretty good. Definitely a place to go on a date or with a group of friends.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMPizza + Wine + DessertI was excited to try this new restaurant, but perhaps my expectations got the best of me. The host/hostesses were wonderful when walking into the venue & our friendly server who explained the menu in detail. I loved the atmosphere - quaint and cozy for either a small table or large group with a trendy feel and rustic touches. Food: started out with wine and the pizza special which was fantastic then moved to two pasta's (short rib ravioli and baked lasagna). The pasta's were just ok and were missing something and the portion sizes were small compared to the price per dish. Finished the meal with the milk chocolate mousse and chocolate spice cake and two gelatos. LOVED the cake (not the mousse - it wasn't creamy) and the gelato!!!!4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMI love that everything isI love that everything is made in the morning because you can really taste the difference. Everything was really good especially the Bellwether from the Mozzarella Bar. I am coming back to try to the pizza because it look amazing. Our waitress was really nice and energetic.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Food and a Beautiful Place!Our entire meal was fabulous! When you combine amazing food and good service with a beautiful restaurant... it is definitely a winner! I have my next reservation scheduled already!4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMThe wait staff was wonderfulThe wait staff was wonderful and offered a number of great suggestions. We started with the Coccoli which was incredible; the stracchino cheese was a rich buttery cheese that and the truffle honey was unexpected. I then had the lasagna which was incredible, while other members had the ossobucco and the papaarelle bolognese as well as the parmesan sage fries, all of which were equally as good. It was a great and worth going back for.4/16/2013 12:00:00 AMVery good but not yet greatDelicious food, friendly staff and attractive room: Siena Tavern has lots of potential. The grilled octopus was perfect, but also led us to our main glitch: the sauce is so good that we asked for some bread, and only when the bill arrived did we learn we were being charged $7 for the bread. Yes, the polenta bread and the focaccia are tasty, and are probably worth the money, but not without being alerted first (especially since our bill was about $100 anyway; you can't afford some comp bread?). Chianti poached pear with arugula salad, gorgonzola dulce and caramelized walnuts was excellent. Short rib ravioli had some of the most amazingly silky pasta ever. Truffle mushroom pizza had awesome flavor but was definitely on the soggy side.4/15/2013 12:00:00 AMFirst time - pre-theater meal.First time - pre-theater meal. Made sure we told server that our time constraints. She remained on top of our service to ensure we had appropriate time to make our show.
Food was executed well - portion size is not over the top. All in all a favorable experience.4/14/2013 12:00:00 AMTook my son for his birthdayTook my son for his birthday and was not disappointed. The bar was lively and the food was fabulous. This is a great place.4/14/2013 12:00:00 AMCelebrating daughters birthday.Celebrating daughters birthday. When I called to confirm,I was told they do nothing special for birthdays. Our server was very energetic and attentive. She surprised us with a candle on the dessert we had ordered. We had a very nice experience at Siena Tavern. We ordered Kobe meatball and buratta with tomato jam as apps.Both delicious! This was followed with gnocchi and brick chicken. The gnocchi was very good but too rich for my taste. The brick chicken did not disappoint. It was moist flavorful and the potatoes wre yummy! For dessert,although we were quite full, we ordered the bobolini and apple fig tart with gelato The bobolini were warm puff off donuts covered in sugar with three small bottle of fillings. Go enjoy!4/14/2013 12:00:00 AMFabulous food!Glad there were four of us as we were able to try many dishes. All were very tasty.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was fantastic. NotThe food was fantastic. Not the normal italian menu which was refreshing. Dessert was out of this world !! Had the bombolini!! Great drinks!
Our waitress was very informed, helpful, energetic and accomadating! Will definately be back. So many items to try in one evening!4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMPopular Dinner Spot & Vibrant BarFour of us went for dinner (our reservation was made 2 months ago ~ that's how busy they are). We were seated at a round booth as we requested. We started off with the meatball (huge) & fresh mozzarella/jam/bread which were both delicious. We ordered several pizza's, gnocchi, ahi tuna, Parmesan potatoes & Parmesan fries with aioli. Everything is seasoned well & fresh. They have a nice wine selection. For dessert we had coffee (strong/rich/hot) & tiramisu which was a little different version than the basic tiramisu. Our waitress made some recommendations & gave us plenty of time between courses to enjoy our food, drinks & visit. Our reservation was for 5:45 but by the time we were done eating, the bar was packed & loud. We will go back.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMSiena Tavern was the perfectSiena Tavern was the perfect spot for our Saturday night date night. Every single item that we ordered was perfectly cooked and tasted delicious. Specific stand out menu items for me were the coccoli (fried puffs of dough with cheese, prosciutto, and truffle honey), the burrata, and the tuna from the crudo bar. I could eat the burrata every day. The grilled bread that was served with the burrata was the perfect compliment to a creamy house made cheese, that is served with a sweet tomato jam that has a hint of sea salt and olive oil. The flavors could not compliment each other any better than they do. This is definitely a winner! I only wish it was easier to make a reservation!!4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMEveryone in our group of 4Everyone in our group of 4 loved this new restaurant. We were celebrating my birthday and it was indeed a special lunch. It wasn't noisy but seemed vibrant - I could barely hear music in the background which was nice. The food was really good - the pizza, baked lasagna, lobster pasta and the gnocchi were all very tasty. It's a great new restaurant in the River North area.4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMTerrific!Really great dining experience. Service was outstanding! Food was amazing - grilled octopus, shaved brussel sprouts, carne pizza, ramps risotto (special), and brick chicken were highlights. Tiramisu and bomboloni were brilliant final touches for dessert!4/11/2013 12:00:00 AMLove it!Not very noisy at all at 2 pm but I'm sure it revvs up a lot at the dinner hour and afterward. Great food, great server, I'd go back in a heartbeat!4/11/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was excellent. The ButternutFood was excellent. The Butternut Squash was heavenly. You will not be disappointed.4/10/2013 12:00:00 AMHats off to Chef Viviani andHats off to Chef Viviani and Chef Blonsky. There are so many great things to choose from on the menu that it warrants many return trips!4/10/2013 12:00:00 AMGo to listThe inside was beautiful. The drink and food was wonderful! I will be back. This will be on my top 10 go to list when I'm in Chicago.4/9/2013 12:00:00 AMgood time and good foodWe shared several dishes, my favorite was Coccoli. My husband loved the Chianti poached pear salad, a little too sweet for my taste. The gnocchi was the big star of the night, delicious! We also tasted the Kobe meatball and Lasagna, good but nothing special. We shared Bomboloni for desert, what fun and yummy. Hot sugared donut balls served with little squirt bottles of sauce. When we got there at 4:30 we could hear music and talk easily but by 6:30 when we left it was packed and loud with just a bass beat in the background. We also had a couple really good specialty drink and sampled a few glasses of Italian red wine. We will definitely dine here again. Our server was marvelous.4/9/2013 12:00:00 AMWe arrived early for our dinnerWe arrived early for our dinner reservations. The hostess was very nice and offered to seat us right away but we decided to wait for our party and have a cocktail at the bar. The #11 with Patron was excellent. It had just the right amount of Patron for the mix. When we sat down the waitress did a great job at going over the wine menu, she offered a tasting, and she new the plates well enough to recommend based off the spices. The only reason it gets four stars for food is because our friend's butternut squash pasta was sweeter than it should have been. Otherwise, the pizza we shared, gnocchi, and squid ink linguini were perfect. The gnocchi melts in your mouth. From the desert menu, we highly recommend the tiramisu.4/7/2013 12:00:00 AMfood, wine and service werefood, wine and service were all very good. Great atmosphere.Tiramisu and bambolinos were a hit.l. Flavors were very good. I would come back. we loved the snake decanter.4/7/2013 12:00:00 AM