In Des Plaines, Via Roma brings a little piece of Rome’s Trastevere neighborhood to a warm, intimate Illinois dining room. 🍝
Chef-owner Alessandro Forti and his wife, Lisa, serve regional Italian cooking rooted in fresh ingredients, family spirit, and no-fuss hospitality.
For diners seeking a memorable Des Plaines Italian restaurant, this locally loved spot offers a deliciously personal escape.
How Via Roma won Des Plaines’ hearts
Via Roma’s popularity begins with an unmistakably personal story. Chef Alessandro Forti was born and raised in Rome’s Trastevere district, where neighborhood restaurants, family recipes, and ingredient-led cooking shape daily life.
After more than 20 years refining his craft, he and Lisa created a restaurant that brings that sense of Roman warmth to Des Plaines.
Every meal feels connected to a real point of view: simple regional Italian food made with care, confidence, and genuine affection for the people at the table. 🇮🇹
With an intimate dining room, Via Roma feels less like a generic Italian restaurant and more like a place where guests can settle in, bring a bottle of wine, and let dinner unfold at its own pace.
Lisa welcomes and speaks with diners, while Alessandro oversees the kitchen during busy service.
That hands-on, family-operated rhythm gives the restaurant its special energy, turning a plate of pasta or seafood into an experience that feels much more personal.
Pasta lovers can explore carbonara, risotto, ravioli, gnocchi, and seafood linguine; diners looking for a larger plate can choose salmon, cod, chicken, or mixed seafood stew.
Via Roma succeeds because it blends old-world Italian comfort with the warm flexibility of a true neighborhood restaurant.
Food Highlights
- Beef Lasagna: A classic, hearty choice for diners craving a comforting Italian baked pasta dish with savory beef and a vegetable finish. 🍝
-
Risotto Crema di Scampi: Arborio rice is cooked in a creamy vodka sauce with shrimp.🍤
-
Baccalà Sorrentina: Two wild cod fillets come with penne pasta in a light tomato-pesto combination sauce. 🐟
- Zuppa di Pesce: A mixed seafood stew is served with fresh crostini. 🦐
-
Salmone Limone: An Atlantic salmon fillet is served with asparagus, potatoes, zucchini, and roasted red peppers.
-
Pollo Carciofi: Chicken breast is sautéed with artichoke, sun-dried tomato, spinach, goat cheese, and potatoes. 🌿
- Capricciosa Pizza: Egg, mushrooms, artichoke, prosciutto, and olives create this classic Italian-style pie. 🍕
-
Gnocchi Filo Fumo: Potato gnocchi is baked with mozzarella, Parmesan, fresh basil, and fresh tomato sauce.
Atmosphere
Via Roma feels intimate, relaxed, and full of old-school Italian hospitality.
The small dining room and chef-led service create a setting made for lingering over pasta, conversation, and a favorite bottle of wine. 🍷
The restaurant does not take reservations, which adds to its spontaneous neighborhood feel.
For a Chicago suburban Italian dining experience with personality, it offers a welcoming break from large, impersonal dining rooms.
Bottom Line
Visit for Roman-inspired cooking, fresh pasta, seafood entrées, family-led hospitality, and BYOB flexibility. Via Roma turns a dinner in Des Plaines into a cozy Italian escape, complete with thoughtful ingredients, comforting recipes, and a true neighborhood-table feeling. ✨
Address:
464 East Northwest Highway, Des Plaines, Illinois 60016
📞 (847) 768-7461
🕔 Open Tue–Thu, 11 AM–9 PM; Fri–Sat, 11 AM–10 PM; closed Sun–Mon