Best Contemporary Italian Restaurants in Lake Bluff

CJ was a fantastic waiter and the salad and pizza so flavorful

Our server, Angela, made our dining experience go from a 10 to an 11! Her drink and appetizer (Burrata di Stefano) suggestions were delicious. My burger came with a side of fries and Angela offered a garlic dip for said fries. 2nd best decision I made that night. The first was dining at this location for Valentines! Everything from the food, service, and seating was lovely. This was our first visit and will not be the last! Dinner is calling our name.

Amazing food and vibe. First time, on Valentine’s Day. Staff was pretty busy but the staff handled it well. Kitchen, waiters, bussers all on point. 8oz filet cooked perfectly with flavorful garlic crust, my lady had the skirt steak which was equally flavorful! Wanted the tiramisu but they sold out, will be back! Owners and their friends made us feel like family!

It was Valentines Day and they ran a tight ship!! We were sat right by the kitchen door upstairs and it did continuously slam against the wall inches from my date and had her on edge the whole night. Other than that, service, food and ambiance were perfect for a romantic date!!

Our experience at Mano A Mano was fantastic! We went right as they opened on a weeknight and it felt so intimate. I was really smitten with the dim lighting and all of the furnishings--really beautiful space. Our server was sweet and had a very contagious energy, and everyone we spoke to was amicable and warm! The happy hour deal is the value play, for sure--the pizza you get when you order a bottle of wine is the best in the area (and there's TONS of great pizza a stone's throw away). It's chewy without being tough, the salt level of the cheeses was perfect, and the crust was perfectly crispy on the bottom. We also ordered two entrees and while everything tasted AMAZING (the bone marrow and short rib agnolotti were unique and perfectly al dente), we're big eaters, so we felt like the portions were a little small for entree prices. We were grateful that we'd eaten the pizza before our entrees! The tiramisu was fluffy and creamy, and the gelato we sampled for our birthday treat was delicious and custardy. The meal was very leisurely paced (in a good way) where I never felt rushed with too many plates on the table. We didn't have a single bad bite of food here, and we'll come back to take advantage of that happy hour deal again. Thanks for a memorable experience!