Acanto

Name: Acanto
Address: 18 South Michigan, Chicago, IL, United States, 60603
Telephone: (312) 578-0763
Price range: $31 to $50
Rating: 4.8

4.8

3136 Reviews

$31 to $50

Italian

Top Tags:

Across from Millennium park and along Chicago’s Cultural Mile, Acanto Restaurant + Wine Bar is a treasured destination for those who appreciate authentic and approachable Italian food in a conversation-friendly atmosphere. Acanto serves seasonally-driven Italian cuisine from both regions of Italy utilizing artisanal ingredients from Midwest farmers and producers. Acanto boasts one of the most lauded wine programs in the US, including a 3-star rating by World of Fine Wine and a two-glass “Best of Excellence” rating by Wine Spectator. The libations menu is rounded out by Italian classics including spritzes and negronis along with craft cocktails, beer, and spirits.

The word Acanto is the Italian translation of Acanthus, the flowery leaf featured prominently in Roman architecture. Famed architect Louis Sullivan used Acanthus in his distinctive terra cotta ornamentation found on the facade of the historically-landmarked building that houses Acanto.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Apr 1, 2023

7:00 PM

Booked 46 times today

Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

Takeout

(312) 578-0763

Other options

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Cuisines
Italian, Wine Bar
Hours of operation
Dinner Mon–Wed 11:00 am–9:00 pm Thu 11:00 am–10:00 pm Fri 11:00 am–11:00 pm Sat 4:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm
Phone number
(312) 578-0763
Website
http://www.acantochicago.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Executive chef
Chris Gawronski
Private party facilities
The intimate dining room is ideal for rehearsal dinners, engagement celebrations, showers and post-wedding brunches, while Acanto’s patio on Michigan Avenue is a dream setting for cocktails. Up to 75 (seated) or 100 (cocktail) guests, inclusive of outdoor space.
Private party contact
events@acantochicago.com: (312) 372-4001

Location
18 South Michigan, Chicago, IL 60603
Neighborhood
Downtown / Loop
Cross street
Between Madison St. and Monroe St. across from Millenium Park.
Parking details
The nearest self-park garage is the Grant Park North Garage. Enter from Michigan between Randolph and Monroe Streets. Every day we offer a discounted parking rate of $18 rate for parking for up to 12 hours. Please see our host stand for parking discount vouchers. $32 valet parking is also available at the University Club, 76 East Monroe Street.
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

Learn to Speak Italian - Sicily Pt 1 Regal Etna
$30.00 per person
Apr 5, 2023 only
Il Passaporto d'Acanto is excited to escape frigid winter and head to the sunny shores of Sicily - We begin in the most austere and lauded sub-region, the slopes of one of the most active volcanoes in the world: Mount Etna! Come experience the unique combination of Burgundian panache and Sicilian rusticity and discover the "hot new region" for fine wine that all the Sommeliers rave about.
Learn to Speak Italian - Sicily - Southern Perfume
$30.00 per person
Apr 12, 2023 only
We continue our trip across Sicily to the breezy bays of the southern tip of the Island, and the regions of Vittoria and Noto. In stark contrast to Etna, the wines get riper and more aromatic, with unique varieties and fascinating history. Our favorite summer-patio-wines come from these cliffs, so join us to find some new favorites for the season!
Learn to Speak Italian - Sicily - Western Wonders
$30.00 per person
Apr 19, 2023 only
Wandering Westward across the hot hills of central Sicily, we take our class this week to the farthest coasts, discovering fine wines from some of the most respected vineyards on the island. Discover traditional native varieties as well as Sicilian renditions of high-end international wines with exceptional food-pairing capabilities.

Popular dishes

Mixed Olives$5.00
garlic, rosemary, orange
Tomato Bruschetta$5.00
fior di latte, basil, balsamic, olive oil
Prosciutto Bruschetta$7.00
truffled ricotta, balsamic
Margherita Pizza$12.00
fior di latte, marinara, basil
Spicy Calabrese Pizza$14.00
fireball sausage, fior di latte, chile pomodoro sauce
Mushroom Pizza$14.00
truffled ricotta, roasted garlic, parmesan

What 3,136 people are saying

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

4.8Food
4.8Service
4.8Ambience
4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Chicago
Italian

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Filters

NV
NorthfieldVic
Chicago
65 reviews
vip
5.0
65 reviews
Dined 2 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
My favorite restaurant in Chicago - hands down. Love the food and the room and the cocktails/wine and the service. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!
A
Allan
Kansas City
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined 2 days ago
overall4food5service4ambience5
A small menu, but great food. Very convenient to theater, symphony and shopping in the Loop. Romantic.
SM
SheilaM
New York Area
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Perfect choice for excellent dining before concert or theater. Service is the best, only equaled by quality of food.
H
Happy
Chicago
145 reviews
vip
5.0
145 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
What can I say? I love Acanto, especially for lunch. The new cocktail list is inventive. The bruschetta is delicious. The pizzas crisp, crunchy, made with fresh ingredients. The pasta is cooked al dente and made in house. I have the bartender select our glasses of wine which change and are always first class. The cheese plate is perfect for two. The gelato makes for a wonderful finish to the meal.
A
Amanda
Chicago
32 reviews
vip
4.0
32 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
overall4food4service2ambience3
Food was delicious as usual, especially the meatballs! Service was not good; had to ask twice for drinks refills.
RB
RonaldB
Las Vegas
1 review
vip
5.0
1 review
Dined 3 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
We had not been to Acanto in several months and the experience was just as excellent as we remembered. Excellent, warm, inviting service coupled with outstanding food. My wife had the Branzino and I had an old favorite, the chicken piccata. We shared the burrata and beet salad. Acanto's tiramisu is the best we've had in Chicago. We won't let months go by without a return again.
F
Fvineyards
San Francisco
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 4 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent experience. Highly recommend it for small groups and couples. The service was amazing topped off by perfect pasta and wine.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Milwaukee
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 5 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Everything was delicious. We have dined here 2x and will certainly come back. Delicious, service was excellent, and great location. Thank you!
T
Toujourslacuisine
Chicago
55 reviews
vip
4.0
55 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
overall4food4service4ambience5
Lovely restaurant, with indoor and protected sidewalk seating. Great for dinner after the Symphony. Food and service were excellent.
k
kirstinh
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 6 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent! Ambience is romantic, intimate, fun. Food was top-rate. Phenomenal service. Would go back in a second!
T
Tannedlegs
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 7 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Classy place - gorgeous ambiance, attentive staff, tasty food.
TS
TimS
Vancouver
13 reviews
5.0
13 reviews
Dined 7 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Stellar service combined with great food and wine added up to our favorite meal in Chicago this visit. Food is authentic and well prepared, and tasty because it's done properly, not simply drenched in garlic or parmesan. Winelist is well thought out and organized in a useful way, but do talk to the sommelier as he is engaging and has deep knowledge of the list which WILL include wines you have never heard of but should try. He, and the rest of the team, is friendly and helpful and will work hard to make your evening memorable for all the right reasons.
J
Julie
Chicago
11 reviews
vip
5.0
11 reviews
Dined 7 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Celebration dinner with family and friends. The service was impeccable, and the meal was amazing. The sommelier, Greg, picked the perfect wine. I’ve been to Acanto several times and the current menu is not to be missed - creative, beautiful and delicious! Always a great spot for a work dinner or an outing with friends and family.
J
Jules2
Chicago
33 reviews
vip
5.0
33 reviews
Dined on March 22, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
First time here and we were thrilled the the food and the service. Both were fantastic!! Would highly recommend and we will be back when in the area again!
OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on March 21, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Best spot ever!!! Loved it so much I visited three times in one week. Consistent good and service all around. Couldn’t say enough good things about Acanto.
LR
LauraR
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on March 19, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
That atmosphere was very nice and great for a romantic dinner! The meal we had had a lot of flavor and was not that expensive.
s
sangeetar
New York Area
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on March 19, 2023
overall3food3service4ambience5
The appetizer was fabulous. The entrees medicre. The wine was terribly overpriced, just terribly. Dessert was fabulous. Ambience was terrific. Service was okay.
M
Maryp
Detroit
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on March 18, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
One of the most amazing dining experiences and most delicious food we have ever had!! We will definitely be back next time we are in Chicago!!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Ecuador
11 reviews
5.0
11 reviews
Dined on March 18, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Dining with my two sons was great, good food, great service and nice/safe location. Good place to visit!
AC
AmyC
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on March 18, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
We had a very nice dinner and were able to chat...it was lovely. We never had to ask for water or other things because our waiters were all so attentive. Thank you all so much!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Minneapolis
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on March 18, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Delicious and has an incredible atmosphere. The food and wine list was excellent—a perfect night with parents and friends, & showing them delightful food in Chicago.
L
Lynnn
Denver
24 reviews
vip
5.0
24 reviews
Dined on March 17, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Divine! One of my fav restaurants in the country. Delicious every time. Staff is incredible: thank you Hannah! Halibut, apps, tiramisu. Warm and cozy environment.Madeline the hostess: lovely gracious helpful.
KH
KathrynH
Chicago
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on March 17, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Outstanding food; cheerful, attentive service; convivial atmosphere; great people watching along Michigan Ave. Nice date night spot for us (we live outside of city)
M
Marie
Chicago
3 reviews
vip
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on March 17, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
An excellent Happy Hour and I enjoyed the bar seating area.
MH
MaryH
Chicago
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined on March 16, 2023
overall3food4service5ambience2
Food was good, service was great, but we were packed in like sardines and the place was far too loud. At least turn down the bad music!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Chicago
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on March 15, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
We attended the 3rd and final class in our wine class series. It was once again very engaging and informative. Torrence is a great teacher, and we especially appreciated how he brought in Greg to demonstrate the concepts we learned in class and tie everything together in a very tangible way. Our server, Allison, was excellent. She made great recommendations, and we really enjoyed our food. We will definitely be back for future classes/meals.
t
tcmman
Chicago
18 reviews
vip
5.0
18 reviews
Dined on March 12, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Such an amazing place after the symphony – warm and cozy, delicious food, and stellar service. This is a regular place for us after any sort of cultural event downtown and we love it.
JE
JohnE
New York Area
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on March 12, 2023
overall4food4service4ambience4
Really personal and friendly staff and the food and wine was very good. It was really nice to have an old fashioned candle on the table and to have such lovely conversations with staff.
J
Judith
Indiana
5 reviews
vip
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on March 12, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great food and great service. Definitely worth the trip
JS
JamesS
Central Coast
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on March 12, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Outstanding food, excellent service, delightful ambiance.
I
Inas
New York Area
4 reviews
vip
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on March 11, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent food, attentive staff, will be back for sure!
h
hcriii
Chicago
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on March 10, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent service (my waitress's choice of wine was perfect). All the food was good and perfect for a cold, blustery night.
T
Tiffany
Chicago
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on March 10, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great food, excellent location for doing all things downtown. Friendly and efficient staff.
T
Trashpanda613
Chicago
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on March 10, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
What a delightful restaurant. Such a warm, beautiful space and the service and food were both perfect. We had the good fortune to have the sommelier help us pick out a bottle of wine and, not only was it delicious, a rare find and perfect for our tastes/ food, but the story he told and the warmth and humor he exuded made it really special. Our server was excellent, present whenever we had questions or needed anything, but generous/tactful about letting us enjoy the meal and eachother without interruption. The food was excellent! Beets and burrata balanced by the right amount of acidity and texture of the nuts/ greens, elegant pasta, perfectly-cooked fish, classy and flavorful olives. Overall, a gem of a spot and a good reminder of why dinner out can be so worthwhile.
OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on March 10, 2023
overall5food5service4ambience4
Worth a visit!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Chicago
17 reviews
vip
5.0
17 reviews
Dined on March 9, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Love Acanto
D
Dree
Chicago
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on March 9, 2023
overall4food4service4ambience4
Intimate setting is perfect for a client lunch. Attentive service without hovering. Every single thing we ordered was delicious. Only issue I had was that I was hosting two clients, one was a man. Waiter assumed the man would choose the wine and focused on him to choose and to taste etc. Not a huge deal but awkward in the setting of hosting clients as I had less control over the purchase price than I would have liked.
T
Tony
Chicago
10 reviews
vip
4.0
10 reviews
Dined on March 9, 2023
overall4food4service4ambience4
Always an enjoyable dining experience! Thank you.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Chicago
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on March 8, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
We came for the 2nd week of a 3-week wine tasting class. The class was once again very informative and interesting, allowing us to learn about the various elements of wine and how to use them to do blind tasting. Torrence, the sommelier, was very engaging and made the learning experience fun. We had a salad and two pastas while we attended the class. Service was great and the food was fantastic. The pasta was nicely al dente and also very flavorful.
AC
AndrewC
Milwaukee
8 reviews
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on March 8, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent lunch! Great to be there with a friend!

FAQs

Acanto does offer delivery in partnership with Chow Now. Acanto also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (312) 578-0763.

Acanto is rated 4.8 stars by 3136 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Apr 1, 2023

7:00 PM

Booked 46 times today

Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

Takeout

(312) 578-0763

Other options

18 South Michigan, Chicago, IL 60603

Additional information

Cross street
Between Madison St. and Monroe St. across from Millenium Park.
Neighborhood
Downtown / Loop
Hours of operation
Dinner Mon–Wed 11:00 am–9:00 pm Thu 11:00 am–10:00 pm Fri 11:00 am–11:00 pm Sat 4:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm
Cuisines
Italian, Wine Bar
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
The nearest self-park garage is the Grant Park North Garage. Enter from Michigan between Randolph and Monroe Streets. Every day we offer a discounted parking rate of $18 rate for parking for up to 12 hours. Please see our host stand for parking discount vouchers. $32 valet parking is also available at the University Club, 76 East Monroe Street.
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Executive chef
Chris Gawronski
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.acantochicago.com/
Phone number
(312) 578-0763
Private party facilities
The intimate dining room is ideal for rehearsal dinners, engagement celebrations, showers and post-wedding brunches, while Acanto’s patio on Michigan Avenue is a dream setting for cocktails. Up to 75 (seated) or 100 (cocktail) guests, inclusive of outdoor space.
Private party contact
events@acantochicago.com: (312) 372-4001

Acanto

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Takeout

Other options

Additional information

Learn to Speak Italian - Sicily Pt 1 Regal Etna

Learn to Speak Italian - Sicily - Southern Perfume

Learn to Speak Italian - Sicily - Western Wonders

Classic Tiramisu

Burrata & Beets

Bruschetta

Wine

Sparkling - Brut Carricante - Planeta, Sicilia

White - Orvieto - Castello Di Titignano, Umbria

Red - Monica - Argiolas "Perdera", Sardegna

Draft Beer

Menabrea "Ambrato" Piedmonte | Amber Lager | 5.0% ABV$6.00

Peroni | Lombardia | Premium Lager | 5.1% ABV$5.00

Snacks

Mixed Olives$5.00

Tomato Bruschetta$5.00

Prosciutto Bruschetta$7.00

Margherita Pizza$12.00

Spicy Calabrese Pizza$14.00

Mushroom Pizza$14.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Sort by

Filters

FAQs

Does Acanto offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Acanto restaurant rated?

Is Acanto currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Takeout

Other options

Additional information