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Low-key, wood-trimmed cafe with a Northern Italian menu of pasta, meat & seafood.
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Reservations: basilleaf.com
Order: Order online
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Italian Restaurant | Basil Leaf Cafe | Chicago
Located in Lincoln Park Chicago, BASIL LEAF CAFE is the happening Italian Restaurant where the locals go to dine, drink, and socialize.
Book a Table – Basil Leaf Cafe | Chicago
Reserve your table at Basilleaf.com. Accommodations for parties of any size can be made to suit your event.
Basil Leaf Café (@basilleafcafechicago) · Chicago, IL – Instagram
1174 Followers, 768 Following, 189 Posts – Basil Leaf Café (@basilleafcafechicago) on Instagram: “Check out our website for carry out & delivery, …
Reviews
Donna Crocker
If I walked past this place once, I’ve walked past 100 times. Basil Leaf is a fav of our neighbors so we wanted to try it with them.
The atmosphere is welcoming, spacious and clean. It’s very relaxing and not at all loud. We enjoyed a window table. But honestly, there isn’t a bad table in the place. The entire staff was attentive and friendly.
You must start off with the hot rolls and herbed olive oil. It is an amazing way to wake up your tastebuds. The food was well timed between courses allowing us time to visit. To top it off, it was cooked to perfection. From the fish to lasagne, all were bursting with flavor. My fettuccine alfredo with chicken and broccoli was the best I’ve ever had. The chicken was tender and flavorful. I like cooked veggies and the broccoli did not disappoint. Beautiful smaller bite sized pieces mixed in the pasta and exactly the right amount of sauce.
We were able to enjoy a yummy dessert because it was just the right size so it didn’t cost an arm and leg or wasn’t enough for 6 people.
This fettuccine dish is my favorite so I am definitely returning!
… moreThe atmosphere is welcoming, spacious and clean. It’s very relaxing and not at all loud. We enjoyed a window table. But honestly, there isn’t a bad table in the place. The entire staff was attentive and friendly.
You must start off with the hot rolls and herbed olive oil. It is an amazing way to wake up your tastebuds. The food was well timed between courses allowing us time to visit. To top it off, it was cooked to perfection. From the fish to lasagne, all were bursting with flavor. My fettuccine alfredo with chicken and broccoli was the best I’ve ever had. The chicken was tender and flavorful. I like cooked veggies and the broccoli did not disappoint. Beautiful smaller bite sized pieces mixed in the pasta and exactly the right amount of sauce.
We were able to enjoy a yummy dessert because it was just the right size so it didn’t cost an arm and leg or wasn’t enough for 6 people.
This fettuccine dish is my favorite so I am definitely returning!
Glori Marchiori
If you’re looking for a cozy spot with exceptional Italian cuisine in Lincoln Park, Basil Leaf Café hits the mark. We had welcoming staff and felt “invited” from the start. We started with Lamp Pops and they were spectacular – a perfect balance of lemon and herbs and a light touch. If you like lamb, you will LOVE it. For my main course, I had Chicken Vesuvio, and wow—so tender and flavorful. Their gluten-free pasta options were also a huge plus for my hubby, and they’re done right—he didn’t feel like he was sacrificing a thing. The real showstopper? The Tiramisu. Light, creamy and perfectly layered (though it could have used a little more liqueur for my taste). It’s honestly one of the best I’ve had in the city and I’m a third generation Chicago Italian-American.
Service was attentive without being overbearing, and the staff clearly care about the food and the experience. Basil Leaf delivers on all fronts. Highly recommend! This place has all the charm of a family-run trattoria with the quality of fine dining.
… moreService was attentive without being overbearing, and the staff clearly care about the food and the experience. Basil Leaf delivers on all fronts. Highly recommend! This place has all the charm of a family-run trattoria with the quality of fine dining.
S. D.
Recommend: the pasta dishes were great, really enjoyed the linguine carbonara and the tortellini prosciutto. Also, would recommend the bees knees cocktail. I was was looking forward to try the braised octopus appetizer but unfortunately after trying it cannot recommend – something about the flavour did not go well for it, I think the sauce was to thin and acidic, maybe for my party’s taste.
The service was nice, the vibe overall was okay inside, feel like needs a bit of refreshment. Overall though I enjoyed most of my meal and drink and will be back to try other dishes.
… moreThe service was nice, the vibe overall was okay inside, feel like needs a bit of refreshment. Overall though I enjoyed most of my meal and drink and will be back to try other dishes.
Isabella Gomez
Anytime I am in Chicago, I always find myself coming back to basil leas cafe . I love the atmosphere the restaurant offers; really delicious food , my all time favorite has to be the linguine carbonara and the NY strip steak . Not to mention the servers are very attentive and very friendly people . When it’s nice out they have the crystal doors open and one can admire the city life , and they also offer outdoor sitting . This place is truly one of my all time favorites . Highly recommended.
… moreg kurth
We had my daughter’s bridal shower here in the private room and would highly recommend. The food, service and atmosphere was perfect. Manager Sean and waitstaff(Albert) were extremely helpful. 5 star!
… moreJason Payne
This is an upscale Italian restaurant right on the sidewalks of Chicago. It’s an easy review to write when everything was top notch. They got us right in on a Sunday afternoon. Staff was so pleasant. Appetizer came out so fast. Didn’t have to wait long for the entree. So good.
The ambiance is nice. We sat at a table inside, but right inside some French doors that open up to the sidewalk. It was so refreshing. The soundtrack of easy listening jazz standards really added to the experience to me.
The food was excellent. I thought about giving the food four stars instead of five. But I think my palette just isn’t used to this level of authentic Italian. I could tell that all the ingredients were fresh and prepared with care.
Couldn’t have asked for better service. It was a wonderful meal after a day at the zoo.
… moreThe ambiance is nice. We sat at a table inside, but right inside some French doors that open up to the sidewalk. It was so refreshing. The soundtrack of easy listening jazz standards really added to the experience to me.
The food was excellent. I thought about giving the food four stars instead of five. But I think my palette just isn’t used to this level of authentic Italian. I could tell that all the ingredients were fresh and prepared with care.
Couldn’t have asked for better service. It was a wonderful meal after a day at the zoo.
Janae Thornton
Lovely place to grab a hot Italian meal! I ordered the gnocchi with vodka sauce and an amaretto sour. My partner got the tortellini and sauce in both of our dishes were a bit drippy and reminded us of soup, but the flavor was great! I think I would rather too much sauce than too little so no complaints!
… moreLauren H
Some friends and I came to Basil Leaf Cafe after visiting the Lincoln Park Zoo. The inside of the restaurant is inviting and comfortable, and our waitress was welcoming and extremely knowledgeable. As for the food, I ordered the Angel Hair Chicken. The dish was light and fresh, but lacking flavor. The portion was large so I was able to take half home. The most impressive aspect of Basil Leaf Cafe is their gluten free options. Every pasta dish can be made with gluten free noodles and they are very careful about cross contamination which was essential for one my friends. Overall, it is a nice place but my dish was slightly disappointing.
… moreKaiz V
The atmosphere is great for dates, groups, and solo diners, the restaurant is clean, beautiful and well organized
The service is on point. Quick refills of drinks and polite servers.
Food was great
Quality and temperature were great
Portions were huge
Flavor was great, it was a milder flavor, but the quality of the al-dente pasta totally made up for it
Highly recommend if ur in the area
Items : Ceasar salad and Rigatoni Bolognese.
… moreThe service is on point. Quick refills of drinks and polite servers.
Food was great
Quality and temperature were great
Portions were huge
Flavor was great, it was a milder flavor, but the quality of the al-dente pasta totally made up for it
Highly recommend if ur in the area
Items : Ceasar salad and Rigatoni Bolognese.
Selena Alvarado
amazing amazing amazing! i don’t think there was a single thing they could’ve done better. i loved the service (absolutely perfectly done), food, and portions! will definitely be coming back and highly recommend to my gluten free gals. (calamari was so good we forgot to take a photo first)
… more