Cafe Spiaggia

On the corner of Oak Street and North Michigan Avenue, Cafe Spiaggia occupied a position that most Chicago restaurants would envy — ground-floor proximity to the Magnificent Mile, with a brief that deliberately ran counter to the formality of its upstairs sibling. Where Spiaggia earned a Michelin star across twelve consecutive years and built a reputation on white-tablecloth ceremony, Cafe Spiaggia was conceived as the more relaxed counterpart: casual, rustic, and rooted in regional Italian cooking rather than modern fine-dining architecture.

Chef and co-owner Tony Mantuano described the approach in terms of restraint — fewer ingredients, first-rate sourcing, and a room that felt less like a destination restaurant and more like a piazza in a mid-sized Italian town. That philosophy shaped a menu priced in the $31–$50 range per person, placing it firmly in the mid-to-upscale bracket without the investment required for a meal at the main Spiaggia counter. The gelati and espresso program drew particular attention as anchors of the Italian-neighborhood experience the venue was aiming for.

The relationship between the two restaurants was always the defining context for understanding Cafe Spiaggia. Spiaggia's Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence and its sustained Michelin recognition established the broader operation's credentials, and Cafe Spiaggia inherited the same sourcing standards and kitchen culture without the tasting-menu formality. For diners who wanted the Mantuano kitchen's commitment to Italian ingredients without committing to the full Spiaggia experience, the café format served as a practical and well-executed alternative on one of Chicago's most trafficked dining corridors.