Private Dining Rooms of Spiaggia

Spiaggia was the perfect venue for our daughter’s wedding! The food, the view, the service, and Marlee, wedding coordinator, all added to the outstanding perfection we experienced!
The location was perfect and we highly recommend!

We had our wedding at Spiaggia just less than 2 weeks ago. Words cannot express how happy we were to have chosen Spiaggia for our wedding. Although it was a rocky start with Marlee we were blessed to have Cyndi coordinating our wedding in the end. She was absolutely wonderful!!! She was quick to respond and answer any of our questions, recommended the best solutions and went ahead and organized everything with the help of her amazing team! Cyndi was so very professional, responsive, on point, accommodating and personable not only to us but also to our guests. The majority of our guests came from Italy and we wanted to make sure they had the best in terms of service, professionalism and of course the food! This is exactly what we got at Spiaggia! Our guests were so pleasantly surprised how well they ate and how elegant everything was! Cyndi and her team did a superb job in fulfilling our dream wedding. Everything was absolutely gorgeous and just how we dreamt it to be. Our guests raved about their meal and how elegant yet simple everything was. Our wedding really represented us as a couple and how we are and Spiaggia did an amazing job in executing it with the help of her fabulous team! Grazie di cuore Spiaggia siete stati meravigliosi!!!

When can a bride and groom say that they would not change a thing at their wedding from the moment they arrive until the last minute of the event? When Spiaggia caters it, Cyndi executes it with her team, and Chef Tony and staff deliver the perfect dining experience. From the appetizers to dessert, one cannot compare the food that comes from Spiaggias kitchen one floor below. It was wonderful truly being a guest at our party. Thank you Cyndi. They have a gem in you overseeing the events.

We just held our wedding reception at Spiaggia. It is a gorgeous venue with amazing food for a wedding of 140 or less. The wedding reception I would give a 5 and the pre planning I would give a 2. You expect a level of luxury hospitality with the name Spiaggia and while they are more creative than most wedding venues, they are still very accustomed to basic weddings where you choose a package and don’t deviate from it. We worked to customize our reception and while they did accomplish our objectives it wasn’t an easy process. The one area that really needs improvement is the seasonal menu. Of course you want the freshest items available, but when you must give your menu selections in advance, you need the seasonal menu before invitations go to print (about three months out). It is so backwards to not be able to have a tasting and select your entrée choices before you ask your guests to choose. Overall it was an amazing evening, but the pre planning could be stronger.

I just held my parents’ 50^th anniversary dinner at Spiaggia. Everything was excellent. Food was wonderful, service was attentive. Marlee Schuster was great to work with on planning the event. I would definitely do it all over again.

Hadn’t been here in 18 yrs. It was as I remember it. The special seasonal tartuffo bianci menu is something to be tried. Gnocchi were great, food gras was really really good. The steak was a pleasant surprise. Zepolli were a real treat. The wine list is do extensive, it takes 30 min to search through

Company dinner in the private dining room. Pork was over-​cooked Ravioli was burned. The dessert was inedble — chocolate mousse and nuts — too processed to be edible. Yuck!

I was invited to spiaggia by my friend a couple weeks ago. Our group had a 6:30 reservation, we were running a little late due to chicago traffic and when we arrived it was about 6:40. Despite the restaurant being almost half empty, the maître d’ insisted we wait at the bar until the staff could «squeeze us in somewhere» and he insisted that the restaurant was «very busy,» he also reminded us that it’s always important to be on time when coming to such a lavish place… He was very snobbish. For dinner we had the standard tasting menu, it was good, but not spectacular.
During dinner I was feeling a little hot so I took off my suit jacket, less than a minute after I took off my jacket, I was told by a waitress to put it back on even though the table next to us had three men at it, none of whom were wearing their jackets. Just to elaborate on this a little more, I was in a very nice three piece suit, which means under my jacket I was still wearing a vest and a tie, I certainly did not look «too casual.»
After the dinner courses had finished, we were sitting at our table, chatting, and enjoying a few after dinner drinks when a hostess approached our table and informed us that if we were no longer eating, we had to move to the bar. Really? My friend just spent a thousand dollars on dinner for four and we have to put up with being shooed out of the dining room because we’re taking our time and relaxing? Give me a break.
Good food, but this place needs to work on their service. A big part of being a quality restaurant is being hospitable, which this place is not.

I just went to a fantastic wedding here. Great views, every bite was delicious and the wait staff was class but fun. They know what they’re doing with truffles.
I typically devour my food quickly — I took about 10 minutes to eat my truffle dish because I kept stopping just to breathe in its aroma. I want it again. now.

I had my wedding here two weeks ago, and it was PERFECT!!! The staff, service, and food was all amazing. I had at least 20 guests tell me it was the best wedding food they’ve ever had. Meghan was our coordinator and I can’t speak highly enough of her. She literally responded to all of my emails within one hour throughout the entire planning process. She was always friendly and worked with us to create the perfect event within our budget. We had several children at our event and the staff was amazing with them. During the cocktail hour my nephew was hungry and wouldn’t eat the appetizers, and one of the waitresses went back to the kitchen and got him some bread and juice. There were a lot of examples like that where the staff blew me away. The view was also stunning. It was a sunny day, so the room was so bright and cheerful and definitely had that «city» feel. I don’t have a single complaint… I’m almost sad the wedding planning process is over just because I enjoyed working with them so much!

best restaurant i have ever been too… made my night, my week, and my year!
After the appetizers and main course, thought it couldn’t get any better… boy was i wrong. Homemade pastries, pasta, and palette pleasers I recommend this italian eatery to all food lovers and epicureans alike. A must try!

White truffle tasting menu back around Christmas time. Luxurious, pure decadence. At the time the best meal of my life. Not much else to say.

My husband and I had our wedding here on the 18^th of January. As it was off season and there were only 40 people they were very flexible with the menu (always good) and format. The day went really smoothly and we were really pleased with the professionalism of the team. The view is stunning and we got more than we expected with the food and drinks which is always nice. Highly recommended for any of your private events.

Unique food, beautiful view and great service. Happy to see such a successful WI chef!
Loved the interesting items like popcorn! Freshly grated parmesan and blend of Italian seasonings. Not what I expected in a place like this.
Pastas are incredible. Some of the best hand made pastas I’ve ever had.
Pizzas are nice; a bit upscale with definately kicked up ingredients. Too many smoked flavors that I’m not a big fan of though.

Attended a wedding here on 3÷3÷12; beautiful views, excellent service — every part of the meal was thought out, and presented perfectly — definitely a wedding to remember!

We had our wedding here on September 30^th, 2011.
Was… incredible. This was the most wonderful experience for us and we were so happy with how EVERYTHING turned out. Wouldn’t have changed a thing.
Thank you, Spiaggia!

*Gasp* How could I give three stars???
Very pretty event space with a great view overlooking the lake. Our group was around 90 people, so it worked perfectly for our size.
The menu? Prix fixe. Caprese salad then a mid-​course (releve) of ravioli wtih ricotta, Swiss chard and spring pea pesto. For entrée, I sent with the roasted trattoris steak (medium), Yukon potatoes, arugula, and Parmigiano. A chocolate tart with various assortments of gelati and sorbetti provided the perfect finish.
The meal overall was very good, although I was not WOWED. That’s part of the reason for the three stars. I’d like to give this place another try in the regular dining room.

My husband and I had our wedding reception here this May, and couldn’t be happier!
The space is absolutely gorgeous! I think the U-​shaped space could be a bit awkard for a larger sized party, but it was perfect for our 130-​guest event. Our package was reasonably priced (by downtown Chicago standards) and included a lot — even the wedding cake! All our guests raved to us about the delicious food, and I only regret that I didn’t have time to eat more!
Perhaps most importantly, I had a great experience with the staff. My event planner was organized and responsive (even when I sounded like a crazy woman a couple of weeks before the big day). The service was friendly and attentive. My only complaint is that dinner took a little bit longer than expected (2.5 hours instead of 2). In the grand scheme of our 6-​hour event, this was not a big deal.

I celebrated my aunt’s 60^th birthday in a private dining room. The experience was impeccable; food and setting was great. The meal was luxurious and oh so decadent. The surroundings plush with a backdrop of Lake Michigan.
The service was just as outstanding. Our servers were on hand and provided us with anything we needed. At the end of our meal, the dining room’s host personally handled our parking fees with the valet service.
I was a little wary of taking Baby D to the dining rooms at Spiaggia, as I was concerned the venue wouldn’t cater to infants. But my fears were allayed, somewhat. The host was able to provide us with a high chair. Unfortunately, the ladies’ restroom did not have a changing table for our use. The alternative was a marble vanity; albeit the counter was beautiful, it wasn’t very conducive for changing the diaper of a wriggling 2-​month old. Hence my subtraction of .5 star. The subtraction of the other .5 star was due to the fact that the bar staff was unable to make a decent dirty martini for my husband. With the prestige of Spiaggia, I would hope their bartenders could mix better cocktails.
Normally these drawbacks would bring down my rating further. However, the great service and extremely tasty dinner made my experience at Spiaggia and enjoyable one.
I am looking forward to attending future private events in the dining rooms and visiting the restaurant proper for that matter.

Christian and I had an absolutely dream wedding at The Private Dining Rooms at Spiaggia on 11.22.08. We picked Spiaggia because we wanted an intimate wedding with incredible food in a beautiful location — the view was the icing on the cake. The evening began with private photos in a sectioned-​off area of the venue, where we were served soda and water. We were not especially thrilled with the photography potential of this room, as the curtains are not pretty, the lighting was off, and the rest of the room was a bit dull for formal photos with our family. The tables were already set up for dinner in the other sectioned-​off area, and all of our flowers were arranged, including our bouquets and boutonnieres. Guests were allowed to arrive early and were seated before the ceremony, while our strings played.
For the ceremony, the center room with the short aisle provided a very intimate, warm setting, with a fantastic view for our guests. The spot lights coming from the parade below made it even more fun! The guests seemed very comfortable. We were allowed some leeway in being able to take some magical shots with 50 lighted votive candles with our guests. As we ran out of the ceremony, there were waiters immediately outside the door with tray-​fulls of wine and Prosecco. Within minutes, everyone had a drink and the appetizers were flowing generously. All of the wait staff were very pleasant and accommodating. I truly felt like they were watching out for our best interest.
Dinner was nicely timed. We were allowed plenty of time to give our speeches, cut the cake and talk to guests in between courses. The food was delicious, and the wine was poured generously. We did, however, have our cake taken away while we performed our first dance, which did not seem necessary. The room lighting was good, not exceptional, and it was a bit warm.
The dance floor was just the right size. Our guests were served drinks quickly and generously. We were not rushed out, even though our DJ played until 2:00 AM. Then, someone obtained a cart and helped us gather our gifts and flowers and other items onto it, and then pushed it to our hotel a block away. That was so helpful!
While everything ended up working out wonderfully, I felt somewhat under-​appreciated by Robyn during the planning process. Many of my questions were either ignored, not fully answered to my liking or were answered differently at separate times — this was especially frustrating since we were planning the wedding from D.C. I would suggest developing a thorough Q&A for brides, as I imagine the same questions must come up again and again. This is not a cheap venue, and I had hoped for a little more coddling and professional materials geared specifically to a wedding. We also would have appreciated one or two hotel partners.
In the end, despite some of the shortcomings, we would highly recommend Spiaggia.