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  • Vinny Vanucchi's 'Little Italy' - Galena

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Reserve at Vinny Vanucchi's 'Little Italy' - Galena

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Vinny Vanucchi's 'Little Italy' - Galena
Vinny Vanucchi's 'Little Italy' - Galena

Vinny Vanucchi's 'Little Italy' - Galena Details

  • Dining Style: Casual Elegant
  • Website: http://www.vinnysgalena.com
  • Email: vinny@vinnysgalena.com
  • Phone: (815) 777-8100
  • Hours of Operation: Sunday-Thursday: 11 a.m.- 9 p.m.
    Friday & Saturday: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
  • Payment Options: AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
  • Cuisine: Italian, American
  • Executive Chef: Robin Fleetwood
  • Dress Code: Casual Dress
  • Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
  • Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Fireplace, Full Bar, Gluten-free Menu, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Smoking Area, Takeout, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Private Party Facilities: The unparalled views of the city afforded by the fourth floor Bistro with its red-tiled pathways, black wrought-iron railings, inviting chairs, and white-striped awnings-provide breathtaking panoramas of Galena's historic downtown. For a virtual tour and photos of Vinny's Bar and Corner Bistro please go to www.vinnysgalena.com.
  • Private Party Contact: Corey Lugrain (815) 777-8100

Getting there

  • Cross Street: Washington
  • Parking: Street Parking
  • Parking Details: Street parking is available along Main Street or Bench Street (Vinny's is located between the 2 streets) and the connecting downtown Galena streets.
A word from Vinny Vanucchi's 'Little Italy' - Galena
From the moment you enter Vinny Vanucchi’s ‘Little Italy’ in Galena, IL, we’ll welcome you with open arms and make you feel like part of the familia. Perched halfway up a cobblestone street, Vinny’s charming Galena location is complete with an Old World Deli and Import Store, artifacts, signs and… vintage family portraits, and four distinctive dining areas. Each dining room has the feel of an authentic trattoria with native wood, Galena brick and checkered tablecloths.



You’ll find Vinny’s ambiance is, at once, both casual and elegant.



• Family Recipes Passed Down 5 Generations

• Extensive Wine List & Private Reserve

• Outdoor Cappuccino GardenContinued
Foodspotting photos
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Awards voted by OpenTable diners
  • Diners' Choice WinnerMost Booked
Diner Reviews
  • "You got is in right on time & Sam, our waiter was great. Sald & bread were good & entree was OK, but it was very loud and not the nice relaxing dinner we were expecting."
    Dined on 2/22/2014
  • "So many Italian restaurants, so little time. But since my wife got a gluten allergy finding one that caters to this need requires diligence, and when we do we try it. Congratulations, Galena, you have a fine one and we will be back."
    Dined on 2/16/2014
  • "Been here several times before, the food is good not great, but consistent."
    Dined on 2/14/2014
  • "Highly Recommend! This will always be our favorite restaurant, have been dining here for over 10 years. Beautiful décor, romantic, excellent food, and a quaint bar as well on top floor. Plenty of seating. Bathrooms could use a little upgrade, but this is a minor complaint."
    Dined on 2/15/2014
  • "We had a wonderful Valentine's Day dinner. Great meal and very good wine."
    Dined on 2/14/2014
  • "We were a group of 8 and were given a private room for dining. Our waitress, Kayla, was very pleasant and took care of all of our needs. She made suggestions as to menu items and was very helpful to some in our group that are not too familiar with certain Italian dishes. Overall a great dining experience and we will return."
    Dined on 2/8/2014
  • "Carmen our waitress was very good , food was awesome. Love the atmosphere! Very old Italy ,Will definitely visit again."
    Dined on 1/24/2014
  • "My husband and I were there for our 31st wedding anniversary and had a wonderful time. The décor and general atmosphere were so Italian European; very nice. The food was excellent. We both had pasta and meatballs. We're certainly go back again."
    Dined on 1/19/2014
  • "Really good local restaurant with tastey Italian fare. The food was freash and well prepared. The service was excellent. I'd definately go back!"
    Dined on 1/19/2014
  • "Great place for family-style Italian cooking. Great for big groups. Dowtown Galena in a historic building."
    Dined on 1/11/2014
  • "We dined here as a group of 10. Upon being seated we noticed it was quite dark, enough that a we were not able to read our menus. Instead of moving us (there were other open tables to seat 10 of us) they simply told us the light had burned out and moved along. We had to use the candles at the table and and flashlights on our phones to read the menu. It was a very disappointing start to an okay meal. The situation could have been easily fixed, and for the amount of money we spent there I feel we should have been taken care of a little more than we were. Many at the table loved their meals, I had the Seafood Fettucine and it was just okay. I have had better elsewhere. The bread before the meal was great, and so was the Brushcetta."
    Dined on 1/4/2014
  • "The food was excellent, the service was great. Our group of 8 makes a point of returning to Vinny's every year and we are never disappointed. Like many places in Galena it is tough for access but once inside the trip is well worth it."
    Dined on 1/1/2014
  • "Always enjoy the food and ambience of Vinny's. Excellent dinner specials- reasonable prices through out the entire menu. Wine list shows thought was put into it, and the prices are not unreasonable. The owner is accessible and always happy to stop by the table and chat up the meal. Great personal touch!"
    Dined on 12/31/2013
  • "This time I went to eat with my husband and my daughters. This is not our first time here. We are sure to go at least once during our yearly trip to Galena. We love the food, the atmosphere, and staff."
    Dined on 12/28/2013
  • "Excellent restaurant with great ambiance and service. Not expensive, adequate wine list and I recommend the seafood millennium entrée. Outstanding!"
    Dined on 12/27/2013
  • "The best italian restaurant in the tri-state area. Authentic Italian look and feel with great italian food."
    Dined on 12/14/2013
  • "Great dining! Have been there many times and will continue to go."
    Dined on 12/15/2013
  • "Our family heads to Galena the middle of December each year for the weekend. We bring the kids along, but we still find ways to do more adult things with the kids. That includes our annual stop to Vinny's. My comments should not be misconstrued that Vinny's is not kid friendly. Just the opposite. A nice/light kids menu is offered. I don't think I have ever been to Vinny's on a Friday night. Restaurant was perhaps 1/3 full, with our reservation at 6:30 PM. I think the crazy bad weather had something to do with that, as downtown Galena was a bit more quiet than usual all weekend. All of our meals were delivered timely and were delicious. Kids liked the fact we were seated next to a Christmas tree. Can't wait to come back!"
    Dined on 12/13/2013
  • "My Fiance and I have eaten here twice and can't wait to go back next year! They do not have one large dining room, but instead a maze of smaller private areas with 5-10 tables, which provides a very unique dining experience every time you visit. The food is delicious as well!"
    Dined on 12/14/2013
  • "We arrived early and were seated right away. That was nice considering we were there for the Luminaria and expected the restaurant to be completely full. Our server was polite, but had no knowledge of any beverages from the bar. No recommendations, no menu- thats a minus..... We asked if they had this or that and our answer was a constant no or I don't know, let me go check. Ok after her third trip down, I was annoyed and said forget it, just bring me a water, and our bottle of wine. She obviously has not poured wine before - as that did not go well. Her recommendations on food were poor as well. Cappucino machine was broken. Really??? You have an Italian restaurant that is supposed to be the best. Forget it, not worth the trip."
    Dined on 12/14/2013
  • "We really enjoyed the cute atmosphere. Best garlic bread ever!"
    Dined on 12/7/2013
  • "At at Vinny's on Saturday night with a group of 8. We were sat right on time, even though the resturant was packed. My wife and I both had the Seafood Italiono, which was spectacular. Everyone in the group enjoyed their meal except for someone who ordered the Lasagna. It was dry and cold inside. I would not recommend that entree. Over all a very good meal"
    Dined on 12/7/2013
  • "Quick service, but never felt rushed. Decor is nice, view from the bistro was beautiful at night. We always make it a point to dine here when we are in Galena. Have never been disappointed."
    Dined on 12/7/2013
  • "We ate in the bistro upstairs. It was so cute. A little chilly by the window but not terrible. The food was excellent. Our server was very nice but we could barely hear him and it wasn't loud in there at all."
    Dined on 11/30/2013
  • "I had been waiting years to get into this restaurant, as every time I visited Galena it was at the height of tourist season and the wait was always over an hour. I had always heard good things about this restaurant and the food tasted good, but the service was slow and my and one of our guests lasagna was lukewarm when it was served. Since, we had four people in our party, I did not want to send my food back and hold up the rest of the party, as we had plans for the evening. I would suggest that when you put a new waiter on the floor by himself, as our waiter did admit he was new, that you have an experienced server shadowing him/her so the food gets served promptly before it has a chance to get cold."
    Dined on 11/29/2013
  • "Very good food very nice ambience and outstanding service"
    Dined on 11/9/2013
  • "Very tasty Italian good portions and quick service. Even though they were busy out waitress did a good job greeting us, taking our order and delivering the food. The food was very good and we enjoyed all that we had!"
    Dined on 11/3/2013
  • "I went to Vinny Vannuci's with a group of friends. My friends and I sat at the bar while we waited for a table. We asked the bartender for a drink list and he told us they didn't have any but he could make anything. So...I ordered a mojito and he told me he couldn't make it because he didn't have any mint. A few minutes later a server approached him and asked him if he could make 7 cosmos for a group and the bartender just stared at him. The server asked him to do his best and walked away. Needless to say, we weren't very impressed with the bar service. When we got our table, our server was attentive and friendly. I ordered one of the specials, the eggplant parmigiana. The eggplant was good, the pasta was okay, the sauce was pretty bland."
    Dined on 10/27/2013
  • "Food was very good. Service was very good. Nice all around will come back for sure. Keep up the good Food and Service"
    Dined on 10/26/2013
  • "I was very surprised that this restaurant is not actually on Main Street in Galena. You have to walk up stairs (which are on Main Street) to reach the entrance. Once inside you again walked up stairs to the first level of the restaurant and then up more stairs to the second level. We were seated on the second level which meant we walked many stairs - we are not young. The place was packed as it was during the Halloween Parade. I ordered the Chicken Marsala which was just OK. The chicken was tender but the sauce was almost black and not very tasty. My husband had the Veal Parmesan which was tough. The service was excellent even though the young female server had to carry tray after tray up the stairs. Will try again when not so busy"
    Dined on 10/27/2013
  • "The salad, bread and wine list are great, the prices are reasonable and the portions are good sized. They have a good, if not confusing (multiple floors and entrances that aren't all connected) location. During this visit my only complaint was the slow service. It appeared that they were understaffed. It wasn't until 10 minutes after we were seated that our waiter acknowledged us. Once I made him aware of our displeasure, he was more responsive. Overall Vinny's is good and I will return, providing I'm not in a rush."
    Dined on 10/27/2013
  • "The food was just ok. Not really any hreat taste to it. I had the chicken vegtabke soup that had one piece of ckicken and some carrots in it. We ve been here before and it was great this time just ok."
    Dined on 10/26/2013
  • "Was not impressed with ambience. We were at a table where there was only two tables in the little room by the stairs. There was a lot of traffic from the waiters back and forth from the kitchen to the upstairs. The food I ordered was good, but not real hot and the menu choices were not the best."
    Dined on 10/18/2013
  • "I have eaten at this restaurant in the past and loved it. I was very disappointed with the seafood alfredo. It came in 2 dishes-one with the seafood and white sauce and one with the pasta noodles and red sauce. I do not like red sauce. I did not order red sauce but evidently now that is what it comes with. The service was excellent!"
    Dined on 10/20/2013
  • "Repeat customer of this little hood gem. Great food, cool venue, and wonderful service."
    Dined on 10/20/2013
  • "The restaurant was cozy and the wait staff very accommodating, pleasant, and friendly. The food was delicious and reasonably priced, as were the wine selections. The décor provided a very "family" oriented atmosphere. The restaurant reminded you of a family get-together at grandma's house in Italy. Whenever we are in Galena, we always dine at Vinny's."
    Dined on 10/13/2013
  • "I was a little worried since we've had two totally different experiences at this Vinny's. Long ago it was fantastic and the food was great and then not too long ago it was just so so. I brought ladies to Vinny's this past weekend for dinner and EVERYONE loved their meal, loved the restaurant & loved the atmosphere."
    Dined on 10/12/2013
  • "I have been visiting Galena for years with my family and we always have dinner at Vinny's. The food is consistently well made and the service is friendly and efficient. The menu is varied and the specials are always interesting. The never ending garlic bread and salad are nice added touches. We were there during the annual County Fair which makes getting reservations ahead of time is a must."
    Dined on 10/13/2013
  • "Food was good as usual -- service was not up to par, but understandable since it was a big craft fair weekend in Galena"
    Dined on 10/13/2013
  • "Our group of 8 had an outstanding experience on Saturday night, after a day of wine touring. The food was exceptional, and the service was beyond our expectations! Tyler, our server, was outstanding and very personable. He had a knack for making us comfortable and affording us the outstanding experience we had, as well as knowing our every need and making sure we were happy. The food was amazing! Thank you, Thank you for a great time, we will be coming back!"
    Dined on 10/13/2013
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