Happy Hour is a decent deal. We were the only people at the restaurant when we arrived and were seated at a table. We asked about Happy Hour and were told it was only at the bar. So, we moved to the bar. Eventually another group came, sat at the bar for Happy Hour and then were offered a table. They asked if they could do Happy Hour at the table and were told yes. Confusing Anyway, our bartender was lovely and the food was very good. Highlights were the lamb meatballs, the onion and goat cheese tart, and the taquitos. The crab cake wasn't great and definitely not worth the price. The space is cozy and you don't hear the train at all. Drinks were fine - mine seemed very light on the gin. read more

Our daughter got us a gift certificate for dinner here. Sorry it took that to get us to try this absolutely great restaurant. We celebrated the end of Dry January here. So started off with th Prosecco and the pink City (?) a great refreshing cocktail. We started with the crab cake and the pork belly. Both were fabulous. The latter had some greens and what seemed like a truffle sauce that i used the bread to get every bit of. We had the Chilean sea bass and the duck breast for entrees. They were superb. The sea bass was huge, and the breast served on a bed of charred veggies and shallots. Unbelievable. We finished with the lemon mousse Napoleon. Just wonderful. The service was perfect. water filled, more wine .very attentive. We'll definitely be back. One of the best dining in Evanston. read more

Four of us had dinner here tonight. What a jewel of a restaurant in the most unlikely place -- under the train station in Evanston. Don't let the outside fool you. The inside is high quality fine dining decor with the most comfortable chairs I have ever sat in. Soft music in the background and so quiet you don't have to shout to be heard. The wait staff is attentive without being annoying. And the food ... WOW! The appetizers are great, main courses are great, and deserts are delicious. Can't wait to come back. read more

Great food, Happy hour was from 4-6 M-Thu, only at small bar. Bartender was very accommodating and nice. Food was excellent and perfectly prepared. Would love to come back. read more

We rediscovered Alcove! The food was delicious! Amazing service and atmosphere and even w a table of 8 we could hear each other talk. Can't wait to come back soon. read more

This place is very tucked away underneath the metra. Was not expecting such a peaceful and relaxed atmosphere inside. Service was straight forward and very attentive. Silverware was changed out and empty plates or glasses vanished quickly. The food was incredibly well executed and expertly prepared. Loved the octopus, beet salad and halibut. read more

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Go to this restaurant! Great food, terrific service, good atmosphere, nice setting. High recommended!!

Best restaurant ever. Had dinner last night. Consistently great menu, service and ambiance. It is on the pricier side, but here its worth it. Ordered scallops in lemon caper sauce over risotto. Great wine list and luscious desserts. read more

The food, service and ambiance were great! The waiter kept our water full and made good recommendation for dessert. Do not skip dessert.

Brought my daughter here as her celebratory start business school kick-off! It was very good. We sat outside, which surprisingly wasn't too loud even with the train. Food and service were good. Expensive with not the largest portions, but tasty and the sorbet to cleanse our palates was a nice touch. read more

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Cozy, delicious food, exceptional service... Dine at the Alcove for special occasions and white glove service! From the moment we arrived, we received a warm welcome, fantastic service and enjoyed our cocktails as well as all entrée selections. The palate cleanser between courses was a nice surprise! We didn't feel rushed and enjoyed our two hour meal. Will definitely make a trip back to Evanston again soon, when looking for a special dinner! Go! read more

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I really wish alcove lived up to its Yelp rating, but both times I've gone I've found issues with the service and even some of the food. On my most recent visit (mid April) I was celebrating a friend's birthday. We had an 8pm reservation and called the restaurant telling them we were running a couple minutes late. The hostess was incredibly rude and cold. Not a good start. Then we arrived at the restaurant and met the rude hostess in person -- I don't know what was going on but she didn't say hi, smile, or greet us. She just said "come" and then threw the menus on our table. The food itself is good but overpriced. I loved the octopus and my fish dish in lobster bisque. Absolutely delicious. However, the tuna tartare isn't very special and is a TINY portion. The beef tenderloin was also a bit tough and nothing to write home about. Our server was a nice British lady who was kind and attentive. The ambiance here is so weird, though. Both times I've been it feels eerily quiet, super stuffy and pretentious, and not very welcoming. I hope to try it again and improve my rating, but both times I've been the service has been lackluster and the food -- while some of it fantastic -- generally overhyped. read more

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This is one of the best kitchens in Illinois! Always surprising & always delicious. No tables are spaced close to another. After you pass the unattractive entranceway, in inside is very pleasant. read more

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Enjoyed our meal this past Saturday. Been here before. Interesting spot, underneath the metro tracks. Our waitress was wonderful, Greta. Very comfortable, no feeling rush or anything. Definitely worth checking out. read more

We had one of the best meals in a long time at Alcove's Easter Brunch. Each of the three courses was delicious. The service was attentive but not intrusive. The environment was quite pleasant. We will be back for sure. read more

We had a dinner reservation for 7pm and upon arrival, they gave us the table rather quickly. The restaurant was busy as expected (day after Velentine's) and the restaurant appeared to be well staffed. However, the service was extremely slow. It took a good 15-20 minutes to bring our drinks and 30-40 minutes to get our appetizers. For our main courses, it took more than one hour after we ordered them. We would like to go back as the food was great. The baby octopus was amazing as well as our main courses, lamb chops and bone-in prime rib. The desserts were superb as well. We were wondering if the slow service was par for the course or if there was a special circumstance causing the issue. We wish somebody in the restaurant would have told us. read more

if you can stand the substandard service, the food is palatable. I walked out after waiting 15+ minutes after others in my party of 7 had already been served their souffles. the server spent most of the time in the kitchen with back to the window doing nothing for us Bob Regan read more

I would've posted zero stars if allowed. We never got to eat dinner, and this rating also applies to the incompetent management. I was also part of the 7:00 Valentine's dinner reservation group that others have posted about. We were not about to wait 35-40 min even though our reservation was made 3 weeks in advance. No manager communications about their issues, apologies, nothing. We were fuming about the situation... Well the story didn't end there. I got a call from the General Manager the following week to apologize for their complete mismanagement of the situation. He offered to pay for dinner for me & my wife to come back to the restaurant which was the right thing to do. We decided to accept his offer since they wanted to "make good" on our terrible experience. I followed up with the GM the next week about scheduling our free dinner. He actually had the gaul to rescind his offer! I'm including the text exchange below for full transparency since it's hard to believe that this really occurred. I can't make this up. It's incomprehensible that a restaurant could make such a bad situation even worse. We will never go back. read more

Alcove Evanston - New American Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

This is a follow-up to my review from yesterday (Valentine's Day). We were finally seated at 7:55pm. The only option was a fixed price menu - no a la carte menu. After 15-20 minutes, we flagged down a member of the wait staff for water and a wine list. I noticed a number of annoyed guests kept looking around them, looking for anyone to wait on them which was odd since there were several tables available due to people walking our before being seated. Finally, a kind waiter (tall, short hair, glasses) asked if anyone had taken our drink orders. He apologized several times during our meal for the huge delay and inconsistent service. The food was very good at times. Was it worth the $400 price tag? No way. Every member of the front of house staff at The Alcove needs better training. They looked somewhat inexperienced and seemed disorganized and stressed by the situation. The bearded man seating guests (maybe he's the manager or owner?) needs to develop basic customer service skills. He ignored people who asked him questions, had a haughty demeanor and offered no apologies for the crappy experience they provided to their guests. We learned from another guest that service at the Alcove is always slow, but even more so during holidays or when special menus are offered. That's excellent feedback. We're still never coming back. read more

ATTENTION: this is not a review of the food, we've never eaten there. I made a reservation for a family of 5 after checking out the menu on line. I thought I saw enough pescatarian/vegetarian offerings to merit a visit. However, when we got there, we saw only a vegetarian risotto and two fish offering... they were out of 1 of the fish dishes and both were served with shrimp, the special seafood was scallops, we don't eat shellfish. Almost all of the appetizers met our dietary requirements. It is such a lovely space that I'd love to dine there, I so wish they had more pescatarian/vegetarian options. read more

Love the tuna tartare. This place is definitely a fancier type of joint. Maybe once a year type deal. Definitely will come in whenever celebrating my next birthday. The ambience is very calm luxurious. The service could be a little bit better being as the ticket prices are fairly high. Aside from that can't complain great spot awaiting my next visit. read more

Hidden under the L, this is a real gem. Excellent service with a simply stocked bar. Wines are the winners. Top three entrees from last night were the duck, the steak and the lamb chops. All were great. A special callout for the monkfish and risotto. So good! Best salad was a perfect share before dinner. Highly recommend for fine dining. Food and service! read more

Talk about a hidden gem underneath the metra station! Walking into the restaurant we were welcomed into a relaxing ambience and a beautifully decorated interior. From start to finish, I would have to say the service was outstanding and the food was impeccable. For our appetizers, we ordered the grilled baby octopus that just melted into your mouth with every bite, from the sauce to the way it was cooked was incredible. The soup of the day was a tomato soup with butter poached crab, that paired so well together. Would highly recommend asking for some bread to dip into the soup. I would have to say that the seafood here is very fresh and tastes like you're by the coast! For our main entrees we got the seared halibut and duck breast which were also delectable! To end the night we had a goat cheesecake which was interesting but the raspberry paired very nicely with. Hats off to the head chef/owner for truly providing an excellent fine-dining experience! We will definitely be back again. read more

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This hole in a wall restaurant is very easy to miss as it is located below the train tracks but I would recommend checking it out. For being below the tracks you could not hear the train as loud as I expected. The place was buzzing for a Thursday night but since we made a reservation we got seated immediately. We started off with wine and some house bread and a crab corn soup to follow which was super delicious. For apps we got the octopus and meatballs. The octopus was very soft, flavorful and melted in our mouths. The meatballs was alright and we could have honestly skipped ordering it. They also served us matcha gelato as a palate cleanser before the main course. For main course we shared the Duck breast. I would say it was very delicious and came with a sauce and veggies. We shared all the meals among two people and left with a happy belly! The staff here is very friendly and great service overall! read more

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Once again I found Alcove Evanston to be charming because of the location and the atmosphere. This hidden gem offers so many wonderful surprises. I dined the other night with friends who live nearby. We all ordered something different to drink and eat and we all loved everything. From wine to cocktails to martinis, the beverages were delicious. The roasted pear salad and goat cheese tart were a great way to start our meals. My arctic char was incredible. The fresh veggies and light broth really brought this dish home. My friend loved her mushroom risotto. The rack of lamb looked great and my friend said it was delicious. To finish our meal we shared a giant sundae. It was creamy and satisfying. The service was good - not exceptional. Our server was efficient but did not offer a personable element. I had a ticket for coat check. The manager saw we needed our coats and said someone would come and assist us in a minute - even though he was literally standing between us and the coat check closet. That's ok, the cuisine made up for the lack of gracious service. I will still return but hope service gets a touch better. It can make a huge difference in the diners' experience. read more

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Today was second time visiting Alcove. My fiance and I love this place. The atmosphere and service is outstanding. Food is out of this world. All the food we have ordered has been "wow". We compare meals from Alcove with other restaurants we visit. The staff makes you feel so special when you are there. It is truly a gem of a restaurant. The staff is truly well versed in the choice of wines you like. Today I ordered oven roasted branzino filet and my fiancé ordered cod. Just wow. For appetizers we had roasted beet salad and their soup of the day (potato onion soup). Best food I've ever had. For desert we had the warm flourless chocolate cake and butterscotch and honey crisp apple bread pudding. Just amazing. It goes without saying Alcove is our favorite restaurant ever. read more

7pm reservations for Valentines Day. It's 7:35pm and we're still waiting (along with 30 or so other people with 7pm reservations) to be seated. People leaving left & right, getting seated at other nearby spots. They're the smart ones. No apologies, no explanations, no accommodations from the front desk. Piss poor planning. Never coming back. read more

This is place is literally a hidden gem in Evanston, booked a reservation to celebrate a birthday. The entrance is hidden passed the train station, very discreet, very cozy and romantically lit on the inside. Our server, I forget her name but she was a wonderful young English (?) woman who was very attentive to us, cleared the plates efficiently and made sure we were doing well periodically, brought us new silverware with each course, she also made great recommendations. She even brought us an apple sorbet by surprise- it was delicious tasted like fresh apples. we also got the quail, cauliflower soup and the GOLDEN NECTAR cocktail, I didn't photograph these dishes/drinks. - the portions seemed small but it was honestly perfect , we left full but not sluggishly stuffed! The cauliflower soup is delicious. The experience was great. I would definitely come back to try the rest of the menu with more friends. This place seemed great for romantic dates as-well as business meetings. read more

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I can't even rate them on the food because we never got to eat. This place is a joke of a restaurant and I will never return. Had reservation for 7:00pm along with 30+ other people. The 5:00 seating was way behind and we were never told by management what the deal was. I only overheard that the earliest we would sit would be 7:40. I could go on about the rudeness of the workers, hostesses, and the manager, but it's just not even worth any more of my time. Many other great restaurants out there! I suggest going to Campagnola instead where they are beyond nice. read more

I went here with excitement after reading the great Yelp reviews. The entire staff and management need to shut down for a week and binge watch The Bear and reboot. It's hard for me to fathom that this place can do better; so much was wrong with a place with prices that posture as a fine-dining establishment but performs worse than places half the price. Starting with the food failures: the "medium rare" meat was at least two notches overcooked. One might be forgiven, except for the fact that it's served sliced. Multiple people from the cook to the server had to look at the $50 entree, and think "yup, good enough for government work!" or worse, not look at it at all. The seafood was sadly no better. Overcooked and bland, I felt like I was eating hospital food. The service is incredibly amateur, from the bussing staff splashing while filling the water glasses, replacing silverware for my partner, but not for me? The server, while very nice, seemed like a distracted college student and couldn't even remember the details of the two specials they were trying to recite. The drinks weren't bad, except that they were about 30% smaller than typical, and they weren't poured into chilled glasses and were warm within 10 minutes on a cool day. Even more than I wish for my money back, I want my meal back. Anyone have a time machine? Nearby Sophia Steak in Wilmette offers a fantastic experience for someone looking for competent food and service at similar prices. read more

What a great place! The menu has lots of interesting selections -- the kind of menu that would draw me back over and over again to keep trying things -- if only I lived in the area! And for even more options, there's some specials each day that are tempting! The restaurant pays attention to details -- especially in the food. All items ordered were excellent and seemingly prepared without cutting costs. Additionally, the bread service is very good and they provide a sorbet intermezzo before the entrée, which is a very thoughtful touch that isn't done often enough at nice meals. The goat cheese tart and yellowfin tuna tartare were both excellent as starters. My braised beef short rib was rich and outstanding. Others in my group had a couple of fish entrees and one had lamb, and all loved it. The wine list has a lot of great selections and most bottles seem priced reasonably for what they are. The service was professional and super accommodating, with the kitchen happy to creatively work around a food allergy. The ambiance is comfortable and nice. Lighting decent. Noise level was low, though it wasn't terribly busy at the time of my visit. My only gripe is the 3% service charge for paying a card (they're very transparent about it though). Actual costs for most businesses are 2% or barely over, and for a fine dining restaurant where $75 - $100 person isn't uncommon, this should be a cost of doing business that's built into the pricing. read more

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Exploring Evanston, we came upon Alcove. Menu looked interesting, but not inexpensive The place has been around for over 20 years but rebranded Never mind paying up for an exceptional meal/service, but this wasn't it Food wasn't great and service was kind but amateurish For over $100pp, I would not go back read more

Let's do parallel: two good and two bad things about this place. Good first. The quality of octopus and monkfish was superb! And the place does look like an alcove: underneath the train station, with a fancy corridor leading to a cozy inviting room with refreshingly minimalist stylist decor. Now bad. When I order fish and octopus, and pay almost $70.00 for the two, I expect a large octopus, and a large chunk of fish (maybe even the whole) on an elongated plate with at least four or five sizable extras. Thinly cut five slices of octopus, and a piece of fish the size of an espresso cup leave me wanting more... But the quality was good, a European seaside restaurant good! read more

We had the most wonderful cocktails and dinner at Alcove Evanston last night. It's located under the Metra tracks, and we had no trouble with street parking. We each started with a delicious craft cocktail (and told the bartender so on our way out). We shared the romaine salad and ordered the short rib and branzino. Portions were generous, and we were too full for dessert. But we will be back! Very excited to find this restaurant! Thank you for a great evening! read more

Definitely a 10! Although I miss Chef's Station, Alcove is a continuation of the same ambiance, wonderful wine list, excellent service and lovely menu items. Celebrated a special occasion on Christmas Eve for a party of 2 with their limited seating prix fix menu. Excellent all around and so glad we still have Alcove in Evanston for those very special occasions where you can be sure food, service and wine will be perfect! read more

Ate here tonight after hearing some great things about the food. Well, it lived up to the hype. The food was excellent as well as the service and it is quiet and cozy. We had group of 8 and it was a great setting for hearing everyone and we all loved what we ordered - especially the artichoke soup! Great elevated dining in Evanston. read more

This is a very hard review to write. My friend and I have been having our Christmas Eve Dinner here for the past 4 or 5 years. We keep going back because: the food is excellent; the atmosphere is refined and relaxed; and the service is usually excellent. However, we had mediocre service last evening. The server took away the wine list after we ordered cocktails and we had to ask to see it again when he brought our entrees. When we were done eating our entrees, we sat waiting for our plates to be cleared and the desserts brought out. When there was no service, we flagged the server and had to ask for dessert. We were told that he thought we wanted our dessert to go. We still had wine in our glasses! He brought the desserts and we asked for decaf coffees and were told they were out of it for the night. Such a shame to ruin the usual excellent experience we have had. I am sure we will go back but will not assume that the service will be first rate. We know the food will be! read more

Wow. 7 out of 8 of us loved our food. The holdout said needed more salt. Definitely the most professional restaurant in Evanston. Perfect for a business lunch/dinner, gathering with friends, date night with friends. Easily the quietest restaurant for those of us that are trying to escape the hustle and bustle of other restaurants. Drink menu was terrific and cocktails were 10/10. Very impressed. Our group of 8 enjoyed the friendly and attentive staff. Bread was amazing and we branched out into salads and then entrees. What it lacked in quantity was made up in quality. Our favorite dishes were the lamb, risotto and salmon. Menus change regularly to reflect the freshest ingredients. I would eat there once a week if not for the price point. Very cozy indoor atmosphere, just all around great adult setting. Thank you for accommodating our group! read more

We had the pleasure of discovering ALCOVE for the first time last night -- and it was scrumptious! Very cool, romantic "hidden" location under the Metra tracks, beautiful intimate atmosphere, lovely service and the food! OMG! What a surprise. I had a scrumptious tartar and a monkfish to die for and my husband lost himself in the short ribs.. The raspberry sorbet feta cheesecake (frankly, I don't know what to call it..) was in my dreams last night. Everything perfection. Just outstanding. I WILL BE BACK! read more

Visited yesterday for an anniversary dinner for my nephew and his bride of 8 years. Lovely atmosphere, congenial staff, great ambiance. Alcove Old Fashion x2 was quite nice. Great wine list and seasonal cocktail choices. Tuna tartare ( a tich heavy on the sesame oil per the brother), steak tartare, goat cheese tart quite good. Scallop special very well received by 2 attendees. Duck breast was cooked to perfection and nicely seasoned per nephew. Striped bass was great, until it wasn't. Lobster tortellini, sugar snaps and cauliflower florets served with a delicious, delicate saffron sauce was wonderful. Wish I had bread to absorb the lovely sauce. The fish was cooked very nicely. The issue that I had was a pocket of fish bones towards the final bites. Hoping this was a one time oversight. Needed to clean the filet up a bit prior to cooking. Shared desserts were grand. Crème brûlée, flourless chocolate cake and bread pudding, delicious. Interesting location, could not hear the trains/purple line arrivals./departures. Pluses - handicap parking. Minuses c- no valet parking. First time eating there. Hope to return soon. read more