About Forza

When translated from Italian to English, “Forza” is defined as “force” or “strength” which is exactly what the owners had in mind when naming Lincoln Park’s newest restaurant and bar. As fate would have it, when the soon-to-be-co-owner of Forza Bar-Restaurant came to Chicago from Australia, he had intended on being in the States for a three week vacation. He met Mario Giuseppe Mentesana, a chef striving to open his own restaurant, at a bar in Chicago and the two instantly became friends. One year and a friendship later, these co-owners have come together to create the latest “force” in the arena of craft cocktails and Italian cuisine.

When walking into Forza, you’ll be transported to an Italian bar in southern Italy bustling with cocktails being shaken and swirled behind the bar with the wafts of fresh pasta and pizza warming the restaurant. The dark woods are illuminated by the beautiful cream light shades and the assortment of bottles behind the bar. Take a seat on an old fashioned stool at the bar or slide into the leather banquet and make yourself comfortable for the night.