Balena Italian - Temporarily Closed

4.4

2160 Reviews

$30 and under

Italian

Romantic
Innovative
Good for special occasions

Balena has been executing honest, Italian cooking in Lincoln Park since 2012. Led by Executive Chef/Partner Chris Pandel, the restaurant is the first collaboration between Boka Restaurant Group and B Hospitality. Balena's many accolades include Best New Restaurants in America by Gayot and Bon Appetit, 3 stars by the Chicago Tribune, and a James Beard semi-finalist nomination for Best New Restaurant at the James Beard Awards. In addition to its 150 seats, Balena contains a chef's table right across form the hearth of its brick oven. as well as a gorgeous 18 seat leather topped bar, and a section dedicated to walk-ins.

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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Italian, Pizzeria, Wine Bar
Hours of operation
Monday: 5:00pm-9:00pm Tuesday-Thursday: 5:00pm-10:00pm Friday: 5:00pm-11:00pm Saturday: 4:30pm-11:00pm Sunday: 4:30pm-9:00pm
Phone number
(312) 867-3888
Website
http://balenachicago.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Chris Pandel
Private party facilities
Please reach out to us to inquire about our private wine cellar for your next special event!
Private party contact
Skyler Harrah: (312) 867-3888

Location
1633 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614
Neighborhood
Lincoln Park
Cross street
North Ave
Parking details
$14 cash
Public transit
The North/Clybourn Red Line stop is one block SW
Additional
Banquet, Bar Dining, Beer, BYO Wine, Chef's Table, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Wine

What 2,160 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

4.4

4.4 based on all time ratings

4.3Food
4.3Service
4.4Ambience
1.1Value

Noise • Energetic

2,160 Reviews

TG
TerryG
Tampa
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on August 8, 2017
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Great food, but a bit pricey. 2 pasta entrees, 2 beers, 1 wine, 2 desserts $120
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J
Janine
Detroit
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on August 6, 2017
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent! Would highly recommend
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Chicago
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on August 6, 2017
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Wasn't impressed with the food. Expected more. Great ambience and decor.
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N
Nikki
VIP
Orlando
79 reviews
3.0
79 reviews
Dined on August 6, 2017
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 5
This place is beautiful. Food could use some improvement. Pizza was just ok, pasta was alright. Food does not match the grander of the decor!
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S
Stephen
Chicago
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on August 6, 2017
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
My girlfriend and I had a wonderful meal at Balena. Compared to other restaurants serving similarly high quality food, the value is good. The pasta is clearly made in house and is delicious, as were the vegetables and the spicy lamb meatballs. Great place to visit for great Italian food!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Chicago
29 reviews
5.0
29 reviews
Dined on August 4, 2017
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I think Balena is my favorite Italian restaurant in Chicago. Everything we ordered was great. I loved the pasta especially the tagiolini nero and orecchiette. The spumoni inspired dessert was also excellent. Can't wait for it to reopen!
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SA
StevenA
Chicago
12 reviews
5.0
12 reviews
Dined on August 2, 2017
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We had a delicious meal with great service. Highly recommended Italian fare.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
New York City
11 reviews
5.0
11 reviews
Dined on August 2, 2017
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great decor. Attentive server. Great food recommendations. Courteous staff and updates. Superb.
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CK
ChicagoK
Chicago
15 reviews
3.0
15 reviews
Dined on July 30, 2017
1. Overall 3
2. Food 2
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
It's no where close to what it used to be. but it was decent.
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F
Foodie
Toronto
25 reviews
4.0
25 reviews
Dined on July 29, 2017
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
The menu was very interesting. Food fresh but way overly salted. Wine selected by waiter was very good. A little noisy due to high ceilings.
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FAQs

Balena Italian - Temporarily Closed is rated 4.4 stars by 2160 OpenTable diners.

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

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable booking network. To check availability, please contact them directly.

Is this your restaurant?

Claim this listing

Google Map for Balena Italian - Temporarily Closed

1633 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614

Additional information

Cross street
North Ave
Neighborhood
Lincoln Park
Hours of operation
Monday: 5:00pm-9:00pm Tuesday-Thursday: 5:00pm-10:00pm Friday: 5:00pm-11:00pm Saturday: 4:30pm-11:00pm Sunday: 4:30pm-9:00pm
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Italian, Pizzeria, Wine Bar
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
$14 cash
Public transit
The North/Clybourn Red Line stop is one block SW
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Chris Pandel
Additional
Banquet, Bar Dining, Beer, BYO Wine, Chef's Table, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Wine

Website
http://balenachicago.com/
Phone number
(312) 867-3888
Private party facilities
Please reach out to us to inquire about our private wine cellar for your next special event!
Private party contact
Skyler Harrah: (312) 867-3888

Balena Italian - Temporarily Closed

Not available on OpenTable

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Menu

What 2,160 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

FAQs

How is Balena Italian - Temporarily Closed restaurant rated?

Is Balena Italian - Temporarily Closed currently accepting reservations?

Not available on OpenTable

Additional information