Italy's Greatest Hits, Naperville Edition
Hotel Arista / CityGate Centre · Naperville · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 2, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Che Figata arrives looking like a love letter to Italy — pan-regional, producer-forward, and longer than most suburban Italian spots would bother with. It's the kind of list that signals someone actually cares, even if the pricing occasionally makes you wince. Hotel-adjacent restaurants rarely clear this bar, so credit where it's due.
With 100+ Italian labels spanning Tuscany, Piedmont, Veneto, Abruzzo, and Sicily, this is a genuinely committed Italian program — not a token Chianti-and-Pinot-Grigio situation. The Sicilian presence is a bright spot: Planeta's Etna Rosso shows up and it's worth ordering. Piedmont and Tuscany anchor the list with recognizable heavyweights like Pio Cesare Barolo and Tignanello, which will satisfy the table that orders by label recognition. The gap is anything outside Italy — if you want a French or domestic option, you're mostly out of luck, but given the restaurant's identity, that's a defensible call.
Estimated 10-16 by-the-glass options at $12-$18 puts this in a reasonable range for an upscale hotel-adjacent spot, though we'd love to see more adventurous pours beyond the Ruffino Prosecco and Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio that are doing a lot of heavy lifting on that list. If they're rotating the glass program with any intention, that's where this list could really shine — right now it feels a bit static.
Ca' del Bosco Cuvée Prestige Franciacorta NV — $78
Yes, it's marked up, but Franciacorta this good rarely appears on suburban Chicago lists at all. At retail this runs $40, so you're paying a premium — but it's a genuine alternative to Champagne and one of the most interesting bottles on the list. Order it to start and don't apologize.
Planeta Etna Rosso
Most tables here are ordering the Barolo or the Tignanello, which means the Etna Rosso from Planeta sits quietly on the list waiting to be discovered. Nerello Mascalese from the slopes of an active volcano in Sicily is nothing like what you expect from an Italian restaurant in Naperville — it's lighter, more mineral, and genuinely exciting. Don't sleep on it.
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio Alto Adige NV
At $42 a bottle for something that retails at $19, you're paying a 121% markup on a wine that has coasted on reputation for decades. It's fine. It's also the most boring, overpriced order on the list. There are better options for less money sitting right next to it.
Masi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico + Pappardelle Bolognese
Amarone's dried-grape concentration and dark fruit intensity meets a slow-cooked meat ragu and the two basically complete each other. It's a big wine that needs a big dish, and the Bolognese here earns it. Classic for a reason.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Che Figata is the rare suburban hotel restaurant with a wine list worth actually engaging with — Italian-focused, sommelier-guided, and broad enough to reward exploration. The markups sting on a few bottles, but the range and program depth make this the best wine bet in Naperville's CityGate orbit.
Downtown Naperville · Naperville · American pub / burgers
Jackson Avenue Pub is not a wine destination, but Wine Wednesdays at half-price make it a legitimately smart stop if you're already there for a burger and a game. Come for the beer, stay for the deal.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
Freedom Commons / I-88 Corridor · Naperville · Seafood and Steakhouse
Hugo's Naperville is a reliable, well-run steakhouse wine program that will not let you down and will not excite you. Come for the prime beef and oysters, order the Jordan or the Duckhorn, and don't look too hard at the markup on the Pinot Grigio.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Naperville · Naperville · Mexican
Fat Rosie's is a genuinely fun taco and tequila spot that has no business being reviewed for its wine — and that's kind of the point. If your table wants wine, order cocktails instead and save everyone the disappointment.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Naperville · Naperville · Mediterranean
Vasili's isn't trying to be a wine destination, but the Greek-focused list has enough genuine producers and interesting grapes to reward curious drinkers — especially on Tuesdays when the bottles go half-price. Watch the markups on the Agiorgitiko, lean into the northern Greek reds and the Malagousia, and you'll eat and drink very well along that riverwalk.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Naperville · Naperville · Chicago-style pizzeria / Italian-American
Lou Malnati's is a legitimately iconic pizza destination — but the wine list is an afterthought, marked up on cheap bottles with zero curation or ambition. Come for the deep dish, drink beer, and save the wine night for somewhere that cares.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Naperville · Naperville · Casual Dining Seafood
Bonefish Grill is a perfectly fine place to eat fish in Naperville — the wine list is just furniture. Order a cocktail or a glass of Kim Crawford, enjoy your Bang Bang Shrimp, and don't overthink it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Flowood · Jackson · Italian
Amerigo Flowood is exactly what it is: a reliable neighborhood Italian with a wine list that won't challenge you but won't fleece you either. Show up on a Wednesday, grab a half-price house bottle, and let the lasagna do the heavy lifting.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
East McAllen / Expressway 83 · McAllen · Italian
Macaroni Grill McAllen isn't a wine destination, but Thursday's half-price bottle night makes it a reasonable call if you're already going for the pasta. Show up on a Wednesday and order cocktails instead.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
North End · Bridgeport · Italian
Capri is doing the right things in the kitchen, but the wine list is coasting on name recognition and comfortable margins. Come for the Chicken Parm, order the Riesling, and keep your expectations in check.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.