Coco Pazzo

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Love of Tuscany, Planted in Chicago

In 1992, Jack Weiss opened Coco Pazzo at 300 West Hubbard and introduced Chicago to something then uncommon: the straightforward, seasonal cooking of Tuscany. More than three decades later, business professionals, politicians, celebrities, and guests marking a special occasion still return — a quiet testament to what the restaurant has consistently delivered.

Gambero Rosso, the authoritative Italian food guide, recognizes Coco Pazzo in its 2026 edition, confirming what loyal regulars have long known: this is one of the most serious addresses for Tuscan cuisine in the United States.

The Room

The setting earns its reputation on its own terms. Coco Pazzo occupies a loft building more than a century old, where timber beams, brick walls, and cypress floors meet an antique bar and blue velvet drapes. The drapes do practical work — carving out privacy for larger parties and adding warmth through winter — while the whole space reads as rustic and urban at once. When summer arrives, the restaurant extends outdoors for alfresco dining or a quiet glass of wine in the sun.

Forbes called it "a first-rate dining experience" with "a more clubby, contemporary look." Anthony Freud, CEO of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, put it more directly: "exceptional Tuscan food in an elegant and calm dining room."

The Kitchen

Chef Eric Hammond leads a menu built on the integrity of ingredients and the logic of the seasons. Spring brings pea tendrils and lamb; autumn shifts to wild boar, house-made duck prosciutto, Piedmontese beef NY strip, and wild-caught salmon. The kitchen makes pasta by hand — stracci, malfatti alla Fiorentina, ravioli di cinghiale (wild boar ravioli) — and a wood-burning oven turns out Pizza Coco Pazzo alongside a seasonal vegetarian cartoccio. The cacciucco, an Italian seafood stew, rounds out a menu that stays anchored to Tuscan tradition without becoming predictable.

An antipasto table sets the tone from the moment guests sit down, and the wine program is substantial enough to warrant its own section of the restaurant's offerings.

Beyond Dinner

Sunday brunch draws on the same commitment to freshness, pairing Tuscan-inspired dishes with Prosecco and Champagne. The restaurant also accommodates private events and large parties, with the room's flexible layout well suited to the task.