Restaurant Review: Dog-friendly Siena Tavern in River North celebrates your furry friends
In celebration of this week’s National Dog Day, Dean’s Team Chicago is featuring a restaurant that not only allow dogs on their patios, but cater to their needs with their own special menu.
Last year, we featured Wicker Park’s The Perch Kitchen & Bar. In 2025, River North’s Siena Tavern’s dog-friendly experience and ‘Puppy Ciao’ menu captured our attention.
The restaurant offers sophisticated Italian dining, emphasizing classics with a modern twist, for an all-day dining experience in the heart of River North.
Despite its casual-sounding name, the 10,000 square foot space bridges old world hospitality with a contemporary menu and design. That’s the strength of the partnership between Executive Chef/Partner Fabio Viviani (a former Top Chef, Season 5) Luke Stoioff and David Rekhson.
People Food First!
In order to keep up with our furry babies, we need our strength! At dinner, you can start with Siena Tavern’s Antipasti selections, including a Burrata with tomato jam and basil oil. Coccoli is crispy dough with stracchino cheese, prosciutto di parma, and truffle honey. Grilled Octopus is served with crispy heirloom potatoes, celery, red fingerling chiles, white wine, and aged balsamic.
Plates at Siena Tavern include a Brick Chicken with sticky parmesan potatoes and roasted garlic lemon pan jus. Roasted Salmon has a celery root purée, new onion, fava beans, turnip chicory, and salsa verde.
Belly up to the Pizza Bar and choose a Truffle Mushroom with roasted wild mushrooms, garlic cream, mozzarella, and white truffle oil. Margherita is made traditionally, with mozzarella, tomato, and fresh basil.
But it’s their Housemade Pasta, made from scratch daily, that draws a crowd. Squid Ink Linguine is served with grilled lobster tail and a spicy lobster cream, while Rigatoni Alla Vodka delights with parmesan, burrata, and bread crumbs. Bucatini “Cacio E Pepe” has pecorino (sheep’s milk) cheese, black pepper, and tangy, savory belper knolle cheese. Orecchiette has prosciutto sausage, watercress, chili flake, and pecorino cheese. Baked Lasagna is made special with bellwether ricotta, meat ragu, and parmesan cheese. Strozzapreti had pesto, aleppo chili, pecorino, and fried shallots.
As we say here, save room for dessert! Chocolate Gianduja Bar is a chocolatey brownie with a hazelnut ganache, milk chocolate mousse, and hazelnut praline. Orange Olive Oil Cake has a vanilla anglaise, candied orange, and vanilla gelato, while Tiramisu upholds tradition with ladyfingers, espresso, coffee liquor, mascarpone cream, and enhances tradition by using chocolate shortbread. CON LIQUORE selections include a Sorbellini with your choice of sorbetto with a prosecco float. Affogato Liqouré has a vanilla gelato, espresso, and tuaca vanilla liqueur.
Or, you can “Sit back and Forgetaboutit.”
For $85.00 per person, Siena Tavern’s four-course tasting menu of Chef Fabio’s favorites are a delectable introduction to their “biggest cravers,” as their website says.
Puppy Ciao!
Your beloved pooch has a choice of a Burger Patty or Chicken Breast, grilled in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO).
Follow that with a special dessert like a dairy-free Woof-Cream, a choice of dairy-free Gelato, or, PAWSIBLY THE BEST SUNDAE EVER.
Siena Tavern is located at 51 W. Kinzie Street. They are open for brunch on the weekends and lunch and dinner Monday-Thursday, 11:30am – 10pm, Friday, 11:30am –12am, Saturday, 11am–12am, and Sunday, 11am– 10pm. For reservations and information, click here.
Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago
