Truly excellent service and the food was excellent! Start to finish a outstanding evening!
J T W.
I just dined here for the 3rd time (Tues. 3/26)! My favorite server --Kevin (formerly the #1 most-requested server at nearby French bistro, D&J) -- did a great job, once again, with taking care of me! For appetizer, I had the Kaluga Caviar again! For entree, I had the 22 oz. Bone In Ribeye (DELICIOUS) with side orders of creamed spinach and polenta -- all were spectacularly DELICIOUS!!! For dessert, I had the Key Lime Pie to go (I was so very stuffed by then)! Overall, my 3rd time here was an EXCELLENT experience! I definitely plan on coming back, of course!!! *****
Alena P.
Flawless experience from the moment we made a reservation to the moment we got our car back from valet. We went out on a Tuesday night (early) and the restaurant was packed. Nice crowd, great ambiance. Just the perfect amount of background noise where you can talk to your party and hear each other perfectly. The food was absolutely next level. Foie gras is not something we'd normally order, but I think it was the star of our dinner. Steak and eggs and the wagyu tartar were amazing. The octopus was so tender, I could have had 4 orders. Pork chop (again, not something I'd normally order) was hands down the best pork chop I have ever had. Our server Kevin was wonderful, so friendly and attentive. Valet brought our car back within seconds. We can't wait to come back already! The best restaurant in the area without a doubt. Must try! Couldn't fault a thing.
Andrew K.
Excellent food and service. I had the octopus appetizer, the filet, and the tiramisu. Oro puro to drink. Our friend had the dry aged bone in rib eye and it looked perfectly done. Prices were high but I think it was worth it. The music was loud but it had a fun, energetic vibe. We were not young or rich enough to fit in with the crowd but it was good people watching.
Alison Saiki
Server Kevin was outstanding! He was well versed on the menu and so helpful with our menu choices with my dietary concerns. We also met the Manager and Sommelier. It’s definitely a Wonderful Place to enjoy a fabulous dinner. The only drawback is the tight seating area with too much noise for our taste. We needed to sit outside in the heated area which gave us more privacy and a quieter dining experience. When we go out for dinner, we so enjoy a quiet environment to enjoy being with each other.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tiramisu
Jeff Koszuta
LAGO is a great restaurant and a great new addition to our Lake Zurich area for a fine dining experience!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The ambiance is fantastic, the service was professional, friendly very helpful and quick & attentive!!!!!!It was a great dining experience with my wife & two daughters!!!!!You leave wanting to do it again soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you Fabio for creating a great new restaurant for everyone to enjoy!!!!!! Be back soon!! Jeff Koszuta.Vegetarian options: My daughter is a vegetarian and she enjoyed the wide selection of options for her to dine on!!!!!!!!Great fish options along with pasta & vegetable side options!!!!!!!!
Recommended dishes: French Onion Soup
Susie R.
I have been anxiously awaiting the opening of the restaurant and joined the VIP list so we could get reservations. Went last Saturday night to celebrate my husbands birthday. Made reservations a month in advance. When we arrived, the hostess seated us right in front of the patio doors which were wide open. There were people sitting out there with coats on and heaters lit. A large cold wind was blowing in. When I asked her if we could sit somewhere warmer, she informed me that it was the last table left in the restaurant. I requested that the large open doors be closed and was told that they needed to stay open for the serving staff to go in and out. We complained several times of the cold wind. The manager at one point closed the doors, but they were immediately opened again by the staff and left open. Upon leaving, I complained again to the manager. He apologized but made no attempt to make amends. Our check was several hundred dollars and we should have not been forced to eat with our coats on and freezing. I reserved a table IN the restaurant, but had to endure the temperature as if I was on the patio. This is not the service and treatment that one would expect in a high end restaurant such as Lago. I know they have only been open a couple of weeks, but staff needs to be better trained on customer service and damage control. We should at least been offered a discount on our check! Food was good, but very pricey and we could not enjoy it under the uncomfortable seating conditions. Very disappointing .
Jessica C.
Review is based off single visit on a Friday in March 2024. 5 stars for service and drinks, 3 stars for food. To start- the service was excellent. Very attentive server and my water never dropped below half a cup (my dad's marker for good service). Our general impression of the food was that it was overpriced. The lobster bisque was well seasoned but the proportion of stuff in the soup made it seem like a mistake. Was it supposed to be smooth or was the corn intentional? There were definitely no lobster pieces. The French onion soup was okay but expected more flavor. Chopped salad was okay- hard to taste the components given the very acidic, heavily poured vinaigrette. The steak was okay. Could be better seasoned. The halibut was delicious but, given the thinness, was slightly overcooked. For the price of the meal, would expect perfection in seasoning. I don't add extra salt to food but was looking for the salt at a few points during the meal. Definitely skip the steak and save room for dessert! We had gotten the carrot cake cheesecake to go. Glad we did! This was definitely a high point of the meal. Drinks - great. Good wine recommendation from our server. Overall- I wanted to love it but would go elsewhere for steak. Will be going back for drinks and appetizers.
Lauren Neal
We had Elena as our waitress and she was phenomenal. The service was excellent and the food/cocktails 10/10. We also want to thank the Director of Hospitality.. I think his name is Fabristco (I'm so sorry if that's not correct lol) he was so helpful on getting our tables switched. You can tell he really cares for the restaurant and his staff. We can't wait to come back and bring all of our friends!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jose Tolentino
Came in for a late (10:15 pm) dinner on Saturday 3/16! It was GREAT! They had EDM cranking overhead plus a strolling saxophonist working the room in sync with the music! (For the diners who needed a quieter setting, the enclosed heated patio next to my table provided that calmer, non-clubby ambience!) This night, I had for appetizers, the Kaluga Reserve Caviar and the Filet Mignon Tartare--both so excellent, I forgot to snap a picture of them because they both looked so hella-tantalizing!!! For entree, I had the Neptune's Halibut Schnitzel with a side of broccolini; both were EXCELLENT, too! For dessert, I had the Strawberry Tres Leche--- spectacularly delicious! My server Kevin had actually recommended this past night's dinner selections, so, I'm VERY glad I listened to him! Spot-on recommendations as always!!! I'll definitely be coming back!*****Dined here for the first time ever this past early evening on 3/4! YES: I would definitely RECOMMEND and RETURN to Lago! The menu was huge, lavish and mind-blowingly DELICIOUS! I couldn’t make up my mind, so I ordered 3 appetizers— “Steak & Eggs” (wagyu tartar with caviar on top), Grilled Bone Marrow, and Goose Foie Gras! (I was also going to order the Kaluga Caviar, but they did not have caviar service this night.) For entrees, I had the Lobster Linguini and the Ribeye “Cap” Filet Butchers Cut, with a side of broccolini! For dessert, I had the carrot cake cheesecake! For drinks, I just had a cocktail— the Romeo XXIII. My AWESOME server - Kevin - did a spectacular job giving me his invaluable and detailed input and recommendations on the huge, varied rock star menu selections! (FYI: He was my FAVORITE (and the most-requested server— at nearby venerable French restaurant, D&J Bistro, by the way!) So, it was for me, a GREAT (and telling) sign that he switched over to Lago, since he has been in the restaurant industry for about a decade or so, and has very high standards when it comes to food and service! Kevin, along with Lago’s bussers and overall team members, spoiled me silly this past night with their professional, attentive and efficient service! Lago’s ambience was dark, cosmopolitan and sexy as all get-out! The restaurant is immaculate, plus well-appointed: they’ve got an incredible bar and outdoor patio. In addition, they’ve got about 5 or 6 individual gender neutral bathrooms which were clean and private! As for the restaurant’s ambience: Picture yourself in a high-ceilinged, industrial loft-type setting with fantastic EDM playing overhead! (It was at the right volume, so it did not drown out any conversations!) Overall, I would DEFINITELY come back to Lago! I think I’ve found my new FAVORITE restaurant!
Overall, food was excellent and atmosphere was awesome with the live DJ and the trumpet player.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 2
Bally T.
Had high hopes for this new place, but we were quite disappointed and wished we went elsewhere. Had 2 cocktails.. both were not like the description and just okay (the jalapeño drink was too sweet). Ordered the Octopus appetizer, NY strip, and Miso cod and a side of fries. The octopus was too salty with no depth of flavor and the fish was bland and undercooked in the middle. Steak was good. Nothing was special or stood out. Our waitress was nice but seemed like a complete newbie. She spilled some of our drinks while setting it down. The next table ordered a bottle of wine and she struggled for quite some time to get it open. The tables for 2 at the front were so close together that we could hear everything that was discussed. It was also close enough to the front door that there would be a gust of cold air everytime people came in/out. Also, we mentioned our anniversary on our reservation and there was no acknowledgment to the celebration. There is more of a lively and loud vibe to the place and the bar area looked nice. For the same price point, there are other choices in the area that are far superior. It's a one and done place for us.
P M.
We had a terrific birthday dinner evening at the new Lago restaurant by Fabio Viviani in Lake Zurich. It is a splurge special occasion pricing place but they deliver on service and quality preparation of food offerings. Our waiter Juan, was so personable and efficient we wanted to have him join us! This place is going for high energy buzz ambiance and it delivers. It will be too loud for many but we enjoyed a nice night here! We tried the foie gras toasts and ricotta bruschetta appetizers---very tasty! We shared a beet salad that could have delivered more beets. My husband chose the purses pasta dish which was so yummy. I chose the strip steak on Juan's advice and it was done to perfection! The tastiest strip ever! We shared our entrees so we had a bit of both. It would seem that the steak should have come with some side on the plate besides a half head of garlic. We ended the meal with their version of a tiramisu in a balloon glass. Super yummy and unique. We tried 4 different cocktails and an espresso martini to finish. The best was the Chianti Americano. Their version of an old fashioned. A terrific new happening place for a special night out!
Denise Hoffenberg
The food was excellent, but the price point was high. I hadthe Rigatoni and my husband had a filet. Everything was ala cart, even the rolls!The atmosphere was not what we expected, so noisy we couldnot hear each other across the 2 foot table we were seated at.I have had more comfortable seating at Culvers!Very disappointed.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 3
Brian Stonecliffe
Great food and great cocktails. It’s open concept so atmosphere is very noisy and voices travel. Additionally, parking lot is about half the size it needs to be. We were advised to valet or park at lifetime and cross the street.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Maine Lobster Bisque, French Onion Soup, House Made Rigatoni Alla Vodka
Truly excellent service and the food was excellent! Start to finish a outstanding evening!
I just dined here for the 3rd time (Tues. 3/26)! My favorite server --Kevin (formerly the #1 most-requested server at nearby French bistro, D&J) -- did a great job, once again, with taking care of me! For appetizer, I had the Kaluga Caviar again! For entree, I had the 22 oz. Bone In Ribeye (DELICIOUS) with side orders of creamed spinach and polenta -- all were spectacularly DELICIOUS!!! For dessert, I had the Key Lime Pie to go (I was so very stuffed by then)! Overall, my 3rd time here was an EXCELLENT experience! I definitely plan on coming back, of course!!! *****
Flawless experience from the moment we made a reservation to the moment we got our car back from valet. We went out on a Tuesday night (early) and the restaurant was packed. Nice crowd, great ambiance. Just the perfect amount of background noise where you can talk to your party and hear each other perfectly. The food was absolutely next level. Foie gras is not something we'd normally order, but I think it was the star of our dinner. Steak and eggs and the wagyu tartar were amazing. The octopus was so tender, I could have had 4 orders. Pork chop (again, not something I'd normally order) was hands down the best pork chop I have ever had. Our server Kevin was wonderful, so friendly and attentive. Valet brought our car back within seconds. We can't wait to come back already! The best restaurant in the area without a doubt. Must try! Couldn't fault a thing.
Excellent food and service. I had the octopus appetizer, the filet, and the tiramisu. Oro puro to drink. Our friend had the dry aged bone in rib eye and it looked perfectly done. Prices were high but I think it was worth it. The music was loud but it had a fun, energetic vibe. We were not young or rich enough to fit in with the crowd but it was good people watching.
Server Kevin was outstanding! He was well versed on the menu and so helpful with our menu choices with my dietary concerns. We also met the Manager and Sommelier. It’s definitely a Wonderful Place to enjoy a fabulous dinner. The only drawback is the tight seating area with too much noise for our taste. We needed to sit outside in the heated area which gave us more privacy and a quieter dining experience. When we go out for dinner, we so enjoy a quiet environment to enjoy being with each other.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tiramisu
LAGO is a great restaurant and a great new addition to our Lake Zurich area for a fine dining experience!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The ambiance is fantastic, the service was professional, friendly very helpful and quick & attentive!!!!!!It was a great dining experience with my wife & two daughters!!!!!You leave wanting to do it again soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you Fabio for creating a great new restaurant for everyone to enjoy!!!!!! Be back soon!! Jeff Koszuta.Vegetarian options: My daughter is a vegetarian and she enjoyed the wide selection of options for her to dine on!!!!!!!!Great fish options along with pasta & vegetable side options!!!!!!!!
Recommended dishes: French Onion Soup
I have been anxiously awaiting the opening of the restaurant and joined the VIP list so we could get reservations. Went last Saturday night to celebrate my husbands birthday. Made reservations a month in advance. When we arrived, the hostess seated us right in front of the patio doors which were wide open. There were people sitting out there with coats on and heaters lit. A large cold wind was blowing in. When I asked her if we could sit somewhere warmer, she informed me that it was the last table left in the restaurant. I requested that the large open doors be closed and was told that they needed to stay open for the serving staff to go in and out. We complained several times of the cold wind. The manager at one point closed the doors, but they were immediately opened again by the staff and left open. Upon leaving, I complained again to the manager. He apologized but made no attempt to make amends. Our check was several hundred dollars and we should have not been forced to eat with our coats on and freezing. I reserved a table IN the restaurant, but had to endure the temperature as if I was on the patio. This is not the service and treatment that one would expect in a high end restaurant such as Lago. I know they have only been open a couple of weeks, but staff needs to be better trained on customer service and damage control. We should at least been offered a discount on our check! Food was good, but very pricey and we could not enjoy it under the uncomfortable seating conditions. Very disappointing .
Review is based off single visit on a Friday in March 2024. 5 stars for service and drinks, 3 stars for food. To start- the service was excellent. Very attentive server and my water never dropped below half a cup (my dad's marker for good service). Our general impression of the food was that it was overpriced. The lobster bisque was well seasoned but the proportion of stuff in the soup made it seem like a mistake. Was it supposed to be smooth or was the corn intentional? There were definitely no lobster pieces. The French onion soup was okay but expected more flavor. Chopped salad was okay- hard to taste the components given the very acidic, heavily poured vinaigrette. The steak was okay. Could be better seasoned. The halibut was delicious but, given the thinness, was slightly overcooked. For the price of the meal, would expect perfection in seasoning. I don't add extra salt to food but was looking for the salt at a few points during the meal. Definitely skip the steak and save room for dessert! We had gotten the carrot cake cheesecake to go. Glad we did! This was definitely a high point of the meal. Drinks - great. Good wine recommendation from our server. Overall- I wanted to love it but would go elsewhere for steak. Will be going back for drinks and appetizers.
We had Elena as our waitress and she was phenomenal. The service was excellent and the food/cocktails 10/10. We also want to thank the Director of Hospitality.. I think his name is Fabristco (I'm so sorry if that's not correct lol) he was so helpful on getting our tables switched. You can tell he really cares for the restaurant and his staff. We can't wait to come back and bring all of our friends!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Came in for a late (10:15 pm) dinner on Saturday 3/16! It was GREAT! They had EDM cranking overhead plus a strolling saxophonist working the room in sync with the music! (For the diners who needed a quieter setting, the enclosed heated patio next to my table provided that calmer, non-clubby ambience!) This night, I had for appetizers, the Kaluga Reserve Caviar and the Filet Mignon Tartare--both so excellent, I forgot to snap a picture of them because they both looked so hella-tantalizing!!! For entree, I had the Neptune's Halibut Schnitzel with a side of broccolini; both were EXCELLENT, too! For dessert, I had the Strawberry Tres Leche--- spectacularly delicious! My server Kevin had actually recommended this past night's dinner selections, so, I'm VERY glad I listened to him! Spot-on recommendations as always!!! I'll definitely be coming back!*****Dined here for the first time ever this past early evening on 3/4! YES: I would definitely RECOMMEND and RETURN to Lago! The menu was huge, lavish and mind-blowingly DELICIOUS! I couldn’t make up my mind, so I ordered 3 appetizers— “Steak & Eggs” (wagyu tartar with caviar on top), Grilled Bone Marrow, and Goose Foie Gras! (I was also going to order the Kaluga Caviar, but they did not have caviar service this night.) For entrees, I had the Lobster Linguini and the Ribeye “Cap” Filet Butchers Cut, with a side of broccolini! For dessert, I had the carrot cake cheesecake! For drinks, I just had a cocktail— the Romeo XXIII. My AWESOME server - Kevin - did a spectacular job giving me his invaluable and detailed input and recommendations on the huge, varied rock star menu selections! (FYI: He was my FAVORITE (and the most-requested server— at nearby venerable French restaurant, D&J Bistro, by the way!) So, it was for me, a GREAT (and telling) sign that he switched over to Lago, since he has been in the restaurant industry for about a decade or so, and has very high standards when it comes to food and service! Kevin, along with Lago’s bussers and overall team members, spoiled me silly this past night with their professional, attentive and efficient service! Lago’s ambience was dark, cosmopolitan and sexy as all get-out! The restaurant is immaculate, plus well-appointed: they’ve got an incredible bar and outdoor patio. In addition, they’ve got about 5 or 6 individual gender neutral bathrooms which were clean and private! As for the restaurant’s ambience: Picture yourself in a high-ceilinged, industrial loft-type setting with fantastic EDM playing overhead! (It was at the right volume, so it did not drown out any conversations!) Overall, I would DEFINITELY come back to Lago! I think I’ve found my new FAVORITE restaurant!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Overall, food was excellent and atmosphere was awesome with the live DJ and the trumpet player.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 2
Had high hopes for this new place, but we were quite disappointed and wished we went elsewhere. Had 2 cocktails.. both were not like the description and just okay (the jalapeño drink was too sweet). Ordered the Octopus appetizer, NY strip, and Miso cod and a side of fries. The octopus was too salty with no depth of flavor and the fish was bland and undercooked in the middle. Steak was good. Nothing was special or stood out. Our waitress was nice but seemed like a complete newbie. She spilled some of our drinks while setting it down. The next table ordered a bottle of wine and she struggled for quite some time to get it open. The tables for 2 at the front were so close together that we could hear everything that was discussed. It was also close enough to the front door that there would be a gust of cold air everytime people came in/out. Also, we mentioned our anniversary on our reservation and there was no acknowledgment to the celebration. There is more of a lively and loud vibe to the place and the bar area looked nice. For the same price point, there are other choices in the area that are far superior. It's a one and done place for us.
We had a terrific birthday dinner evening at the new Lago restaurant by Fabio Viviani in Lake Zurich. It is a splurge special occasion pricing place but they deliver on service and quality preparation of food offerings. Our waiter Juan, was so personable and efficient we wanted to have him join us! This place is going for high energy buzz ambiance and it delivers. It will be too loud for many but we enjoyed a nice night here! We tried the foie gras toasts and ricotta bruschetta appetizers---very tasty! We shared a beet salad that could have delivered more beets. My husband chose the purses pasta dish which was so yummy. I chose the strip steak on Juan's advice and it was done to perfection! The tastiest strip ever! We shared our entrees so we had a bit of both. It would seem that the steak should have come with some side on the plate besides a half head of garlic. We ended the meal with their version of a tiramisu in a balloon glass. Super yummy and unique. We tried 4 different cocktails and an espresso martini to finish. The best was the Chianti Americano. Their version of an old fashioned. A terrific new happening place for a special night out!
The food was excellent, but the price point was high. I hadthe Rigatoni and my husband had a filet. Everything was ala cart, even the rolls!The atmosphere was not what we expected, so noisy we couldnot hear each other across the 2 foot table we were seated at.I have had more comfortable seating at Culvers!Very disappointed.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 3
Great food and great cocktails. It’s open concept so atmosphere is very noisy and voices travel. Additionally, parking lot is about half the size it needs to be. We were advised to valet or park at lifetime and cross the street.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Maine Lobster Bisque, French Onion Soup, House Made Rigatoni Alla Vodka