A Mano: User Reviews

Very disappointing
By Roni from River North, May 8, 2008

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Went to this place with two family members last night with high hopes. A new italian restaurant is always something exciting. From the time we walked in, we were disappointed. The tables are very close to each other. The chairs are very uncomfortable. The antipasti is good but how hard can that be to do. We ordered a chicken, lasagna, and rabbit gnocchi entrees. All were tasteless and bland. The chicken was very dry. The lasagna was okay but the piece was so small and sides are additional. The rabbit gnocchi looked like something my dog could have put together. Will definetely not go back. Spread the word!

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Fresh menu and great food
By Hyperion from Highland Park, March 14, 2008

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I have eaten at A Mano on several occasions and return because of the interesting menu and great food. Service is just okay. Their crudo is fresh tasting and the sauces are original and refreshing. Some of the salumi are terrific. I recommend the fennel and culatello. At lunch I usually go for the buffet and when available a glass of the D & S wine. At dinner, I think the fried soup is terrific, the margareita pizza is one of the best in the city. I like that it is crisp and doesn't bend when I pick it up like at other restaurants where it just sags at the end. The whole fish and pork chop are excellent. The bow-tie pasta with the boar meat is good as is the pasta with the bread meatballs. It is robustly flavored and I enjoy that the chef doesn't dumb down the spice. Their gelato is out of this world. I think that it is fairly priced. We had our company party in the lounge area behind the bar. We had over 100 people. The food was great and the fact that we could watch the kitchen turning out food, making pasta, etc. was pretty interesting.

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Poor Food - Waste of your money.
By mingo from river north, March 11, 2008

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I went to this restaurant as a first timer to find the food over priced and not tasty. If the service was poor and the food was good then I would continue to return. The servers are friendly but seem limited in their knowledge of food and beverage. I reccommend an alternative restaurant.

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Good wine, awful food.
By Melissa from Lincoln Park, February 19, 2008

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I have eaten at A Mano twice in the past few weeks. The first time we had wine and pizzas. The wine was great and the pizzas were fantastic - crispy and chewy, just the right amount of toppings. I would eat one every day. I went back last weekend and while the wine was still great, there was nothing I liked about the food. I started with the baby octopus/calamari which all had an overpowering taste of salami (to my knowledge there was no salami in it and if there was, there shouldn't have been) and was very salty. Then I had the spaghetti. The "bread balls" are not an adequate substitute for meatballs (they're kind of soggy and watery) and the spaghetti itself had the worst consistency - possibly undercooked (not al dente, actually undercooked) but also somehow rubbery. The space is beautiful and the atmosphere is good, but I would stick to the pizza and wine.

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Cool atmosphere, inconsistent food.
By cbsma from old town, January 23, 2008

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I ate at A Mano on a Saturday night. The room was very cool. I liked the open kitchen, but the servers kept yelling out their orders, even when the restaurant was completely empty and quiet, which was a little jarring. The food was inconsistent. Antipasti (marinated mushrooms and caponata) were flavorful and delicious. Risotto and Gnocchi were fine. The fettucine with truffles was fantastic. The main courses were pretty lousy. The special grilled fish didn't taste fresh. The mixed grilled meat was bland. The hostess was friendly to the point of being a little scary. Our server was also a bit overbearing, but competent. A decent experience, but you can get better Italian food for the price.

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Now That's Italian
By snacky girl from west rogers park, January 19, 2008

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A friend and I went to A Mano last night for the second time and had a wonderful time. I have been to all of the BIN 36 team's establishments and enjoyed each for different reasons, but I think this is my new favorite. We sat at the bar for a quick drink and a snack.....this turned into a delicious meal. The salumi is incredible...each distinct and delectable. We then shared some pasta with truffles...the pasta silky and light, cooked to perfection. Then came the pizza..fennel sausage with fingerling potatoes and baby arugula. The crust is the best I've ever tasted...the perfect balance of crunch and chewy with just the right amount of salty tang! While enjoying our tasty treats we were already planning our next visit. As always the wine selection was full of interesting options perfectly suited to our dishes. The service was friendly and not pretentious in any way.
Well done! Oh...and the open kitchen makes for some fun watching...The staff is heavy on the cute!

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Breath of fresh air
By Jen from Jen, January 13, 2008

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New personal favorite. Spacious and bright gives it a fun, not-on-top-of-the table-next-to-you feel. Fabulous service and superb wine list with choices such as Emilio Bulfon. Will definitely be going back. Just what Chicago needed!

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Drinks fine but food and portions are a joke
By paulina from wicker park, January 8, 2008

Nice concept and decent service but we spen 110 bukcs on 4 appetizers and two modest glasses of wine in the bar plus tip. We are by all means used to and willing to pay for the goods but this place will never last...

There are many other places that are so much better where there is better bang for the buck!

A Strange Start to a Decent Meal
By Ginger from lincoln park, December 18, 2007

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Our experience was good overall, but we had the strangest interaction with one of the hostesses. We walked in on a Saturday night at 6:40pm without a reservation. There were at least 10 tables open. As the hostess led us to our table she told us we were really lucky to get a table without a res. She said she was SOOOO HAPPY for us that we got a table. Odd, considering that there continued to be at least 5 open table throughout our two hour dining experience. Despite that weird interaction, we enjoyed the pumpkin ravioli and pizza. The apple/cranberry crostada was too tart and too small. The wine selection by the glass was not nearly as extensive as the one upstairs at Bin. But the decor was nice with tables spaced far enough apart that there was a semblance of privacy.

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