During one visit to Tre Dita in Lakeshore East’s St. Regis Hotel, our server pointed to the menu’s pasta section and said, “This is what we’ll be famous for.” And for good reason—one taste confirms that this Tuscan-inspired spot (from the team behind LA’s pasta powerhouses Felix and Mother Wolf) takes their pasta very seriously. Throw in a glitzy interior, a gorgeous riverview, and more servers in suits than a James Bond casting call, and this fancy hotel restaurant should be your first choice for a Big Pasta Night Out. The Tre Dita Experience begins in a hallway that’s basically the menu’s hype man, showing off staff in the “pasta lab” artfully rolling, slicing, and shaping dough, while dramatically lit beef sits pretty in a dry-ager like it’s posing for GQ. Ultimately, those steaks are fine and other large proteins are forgettable. But the pasta is pure saucy luxury. When you’re diving into meaty duck ragu, creamy cacio e pepe, and buttery taleggio-filled tortelli that all have a harmonious balance of flavor and a perfect firm-yet-tender texture, it’s euphoric. Despite the fancy hotel packaging, Tre Dita isn’t just a utility player for metal-credit-card-wielding business people or tourists chatting about European summer homes. Equally fun for locals, it’s the ideal setting for a celebratory meal, a leveled-up date night, or just a random Tuesday night when you want to feel like a VIP—minus the $800 hotel room. If the main space fills up with anniversary dates and birthday dinners (reservations drop a week out at midnight), try walking into the more casual bar area. The smaller menu still has the greatest pasta hits, and sipping an excellent (though pricey) $24 garibaldi with a plate of spicy rigatoncini feels just as luxurious from a bar stool.