Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Apolonia

    4.4 (325 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM

    Apolonia Photos

    APOLONIA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Hipster
    Casual
    Trendy

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Apolonia

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Black truffle risotto
    Suhani A.

    I went here for restaurant week and thought the food was really good! I especially loved the hummus and thought the tiramisu was really unique. It didn't taste like tiramisu at all, but was still very good. Overall, I loved the food!

    Sunny P.

    Tried here for the first time and the space is so nice and classy. It was open concept with a modern feel and an open kitchen so it kind of looked like an LA mansion haha! One funny thing I noticed was that every plate had a little chip in it. At first I thought it was part of the aesthetic but I asked the waiter and he said nope just a coincidence. The waiter was super friendly but I do wish he checked in more often. It was hard to flag him down when we wanted to order more or grab another drink and it wasn't even that busy. We were there during dinner and there were maybe 7-10 people total in the restaurant. The food was great!! Highly recommend the fluffy bread, octopus appetizer (so buttery and yummy), any of their pastas, and the pistachio dessert!! I would definitely come back to try the chefs tasting menu!

    Dorothy W.

    My first time trying this restaurant. My girlfriends raved about how good the food is and it does not disappoint. I'll be back again! My favorite is the truffle pasta, branzino, the octopus is delicious as well!

    Gambas al Ajilio
    Shruti Y.

    TLDR : lovely meal! A must visit in Chicago. I made a reservation on a whim while trying to find a nice meal for me and my team visiting the convention centre for a conference. How lucky for us! The place is nice and inviting with simple, nice interiors. The servers were super nice, ready with recommendations and just generally pleasant. I started with a spirit free drink : the honeybee. Honestly, one of the better non alcoholic drinks I've had in a long time. The tartness of the olives combined with yuzu was just weird but delish! The team and I shared a bottle of wine, and the food kept on coming, each dish better than the one before. We tried the : 1. Gambas al Ajilio: ooof, what a delicacy! Brought me back to my time in Spain! 2. Black truffle puff bread: another great item. The bread was fluffy, the crust wasn't too hard and the loaded black truffle on top was just phenomenal. 3. Yellowtail crudo: melt-in-your-mouth goodness. So simple, nicely seasoned. 4. Kale and Brussels sprouts salad: had to add a 'healthy' item and everyone loved it. 5. Slow roaster pork collar: I usually try to avoid red meat, so I just had a couple of bites and I wasn't disappointed. 6. Confit chicken thigh: nice and juicy meat, gnocchi and veggies were a nice addition. Huge portions! We tried the tiramisu and a couple gelatos as well. All in all, lovely food!

    Pistachio ice cream
    Bre M.

    A really beautiful restaurant with some cool ideas that unfortunately didn't live up to the hype flavor-wise for me. I tried the mushroom bed which was covered in a truffle sauce. Which yummy I found it a bit oily and heavy. I then had the short rib pasta which was filling up lacking the richness I was anticipating. The standouts were the desserts. My friend and I tried the pistachio ice cream which was yummy and lightly nutty alongside the lemon cheesecake which was the perfect balance of sweet and tart. A great spot for dessert and wine!

    Brunch menu. 10-3 PM every weekday
    Saadia S.

    Stopped here for brunch and the food and service was impeccable. The portions are huge and if you live in Printer's Row, South Loop or Bronzeville this is a neighborhood gem so please Come in and support! Also love the minimalist Scandinavian interior and laidback ambiance.

    Black Truffle Puff Bread
    Gabrielle B.

    When you walked in, you are stunned by the beautiful, modern simplicity of Apolonia. After only the truffle puff bread and the mussel toast, my friend and I declared that we would definitely be returning to Apolonia because w-o-w that was a flavor explosion. We shared the bronzino and saffron pasta as our entrees. Both were delicious! Charred fennel with the branzino was unique and tender yet crisp, and a great compliment to the flaky fish. The pasta was very fresh and had a bright saffron flavor. Next time I go back, I look forward to trying more small plates and desserts!

    Mussel toast
    Lilian T.

    Food was decent. The tasting menu definitely worths the price. My favorite is the mussel toast. The garlic bread is soaked with the tomato/onion sauce, and with the mussels, so tasty! I liked the slight spice added to it, kind of opened up your sense of tasting. One thing to be noticed: the seasoning style from the chefs are on the sour side (which I personally enjoy) and also each dish (except the dessert) contains a tiny bit of spiciness (which I also personally enjoy). I may have some "bias" based on my personal taste for my following comments. The sauce on salmon crudo actually tasted very much like a Chinese sauce - the red oil sauce on Sichuan chicken, if you know what I mean. Especially with the peanut crunches lol. It's a bit weird but actually tasted ok. The texture of the pasta was actually some of the bests I have had in the Chicago area, very well al dente. (Most of the Italian restaurants in the area either have it too soggy or too chewy that's almost half-raw. ) Sauce was fine. Branzino was good. I liked the sourness of the green olives mixed with lemon juice. I was surprised by the fennel! It was so good, like its natural aroma mixed so well with the char and the sauce. I think the pistachio flavor was rich for the dessert. There's a certain taste of almond syrup (?) that's kind of strong which I didn't personally enjoy, but if you enjoy Marzipan chocolate, you probably will like it because it's the same flavor of the filling of Marzipan. I ordered honeybee as a non-alcohol drink. It was fresh! Again I like sour flavors, so. Service was very attentive and they changed cutleries for each dish. Water was filled several times and the plates for hot dishes were warmed. I came in around 5:45pm at a Saturday night. There weren't many people at all. It did get a little more crowded but I don't think you definitely need a reservation unless it's a large party. I personally like the ambiance a lot. The music choices are light but relaxed, so I think it's a good dating spot or if you prefer somewhere chill but not too "clubby".

    Chocolate tart
    Johanna V.

    Amazing experience on Valentine's Day. The food was great I would highly recommend you get the black truffle puff bread. The gnocchi was next level good. The ragú sauce was so hearty and delicious. The gnocchi was long which added a fun texture to the dish. The steak was delicious as well, cooked to a perfect medium rare. The sauce was bit overpowering when paired with the streak. Not in a bad way, but if the streak was smothered in the sauce, I could only taste the purée. Desert was the highlight of the night. I highly recommend either the chocolate tart or the baklava cheesecake. Both my boyfriend and I agreed that this was some of the best desert we have had in a while.

    Calamari
    Liz W.

    TLDR: food was good, service was confused and coursing was terrible. Food 4 1/2 stars, service 2. If you don't mind eating everything you ordered at once, you'll be fine. We were told to eat here by a food-loving Chicagoan. He was right about the food. Except for some minor issues, the cocktails and the food were excellent. Our server was new and could not answer even basic questions about the menu. We finally just asked other servers. Even though the restaurant was half empty, the cocktails took a good 20 minutes to arrive. The truffle puff bread was like crack. Whatever they put on top was delish. The kale and brussel sprout salad was nicely balanced with texture and flavor, though it could have used more grapefruit. They seem to have forgotten to marinate the harissa lamb. All three of those items came at once. The calamari calamarata was interesting with pasta and calamari cut to look the same, and charred allium on top. But we had only had one bite when they brought our entrees. No one seemed to notice and our server did not even check until more than 10 minutes later. The table was crammed with food and we could not enjoy any of it as flavors clashed. It seemed they wanted to rush us out, but really I think they were just clueless. The steak was well cooked with a flavorful sauce and the branzino was as good as everyone says. If they had coursed it out and let us take our time, we would have ordered dessert. But since they forced all the food on us in an hour, nope. Hopefully just an off night for service. Edit: the restaurant reported us to Open Table as a no show. Thankfully we had pics and a review (and a large check) to demonstrate otherwise. But seriously. What is going on with front of the house there?

    Pistachio ice cream
    Priyanka K.

    The warm seafood salad offered on Saturdays is excellent! I returned on a weekday and enjoyed the yellowtail crudo, prawns in oil and the pistachio ice cream which were fresh and delicious!

    Pistachio
    Vivi Z.

    Oh my god, I cannot say enough about this place! The food is so good. The ambience is amazing. The service is like top notch! Words cannot describe how much I love this place! I immediately wanted to go back the next day and order the same stuff! Everything was perfect and I couldn't ask a better anniversary celebration! The pasta wasn't heavy at all and if anything, I felt like I could eat keep eating even though I was stuffed! The lamb skewer was just bursting with flavors paired with the amazing tzatziki sauce. My partner and I were shook at how the branzino was so crispy on the outside but so soft/smooth no the inside. The pistachio dessert was freaking amazing and a must order if you see it on the menu! This place is such a hidden gem. I plan on taking my parents after they're back from vacation. I've told friends about this place and they also agree that the food is insanely good at a super reasonable price. This place literally became one of my top restaurants in Chicago after one visit.

    The Pistachio
    Frances B.

    Came to Apolonia to celebrate my graduation, and the experience was exceptional! For starters, our table shared the black truffle puff bread and lamb skewer. The puff bread was nice and crispy and had a generous amount of black truffle. The lamb skewer was nice and tender paired nicely with a tzatziki sauce. My mom and I each got the crispy chicken confit. It had a nice crispy top with juicy and tender meat. The sauce was very flavorful and brought the whole dish together. The potato gnocchi was soft, with the sauce being well-balanced. The slow roasted pork collar was nice and tender, and the strawberry sauce surprisingly complemented the dish well. , For dessert, our table shared a few desserts, and the Pistachio stood out to me the most, it had the perfect sweetness with a wonderful flavor. My sister has a sweet tooth and loved the sticky toffee pudding. The limoncello pound cake had a strong lemony flavor and was my dad's favorite. Our server was well-attentive to our needs and ensured that we all had a good experience. The dining experience was exceptional, and the food did not disappoint.

    Ocean Trout butternut | vadouvan | apricot 'ravigote'

    See all

    Photo of F M.
    0
    29
    0

    10 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2

    5 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    26 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Vivi Z.
    281
    307
    1021

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Linh L.
    0
    71
    170

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Chris V.
    15
    610
    2360

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Evan S.
    25
    162
    27

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Lisa L.
    0
    75
    138

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Carl S.
    94
    14
    8

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Aileen P.
    605
    69
    8

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Vidya K.
    181
    12
    0

    6 months ago

    Good service. Nice location for conference center. The calamari dish was a bit oily.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2

    Page 1 of 9

    Apolonia Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Apolonia

    Do they allow BYOB like S.K.Y.?

    No. They have a bar.

    View All 3 Questions

    You might also consider

    Woven + Bound Restaurant

    Woven + Bound Restaurant

    (56 reviews)

    $$$

    Near Southside

    This is inside the Marriott Marquis in downtown Chicago. As soon as we checked into the hotel, we…read moredecided to go downstairs and get some food to eat. I ended up getting a grilled cheese sandwich and my date got the burnt pork belly ends. I believe it was called. We ate there about midday on a Monday. It wasn't too busy as most people hadn't gotten in for the huge convention yet for Ace Hardware. The tomato soup was very delicious. I wanted croutons and they had some sort of croutons, but they were a little different than when I was used to. They only have Pepsi products and I'm more of a Coke girl. On her last night there we returned there as well for dinner. I will post pictures of the food. My date had the burger which he said was super delicious and it was very big and I had the chicken Caesar salad, which was pretty good. The bar was very bustling with a lot of business folks. It was so convenient just to walk downstairs and go have a meal and not worry about going anywhere on our last night since we had early flights the next morning. The only thing I had an issue with was the fact that our waitress had left for the evening and did not notify us and we sat there for a bit before we got a check and I was told that she had given her duties to another server which we had no idea . Poor communication on her part. We did have margaritas the first time we got there and they were pretty delicious. The truffle fries were good as well. Our first server was pretty attentive, but that might've been because it was not quite busy. The first time we went. If I was to stay in that hotel again, I would stop by for some food.

    We were able to get seated here as a party of 4 without a reservation on a weekend which was nice…read more The restaurant is in the hotel and there's lots of tables. View is also decent with big windows and good natural lighting. To start we got the fries and Brussel sprouts. Both were super good. The brussel sprouts came with jalapeños in it which went well together. I love that there are so many vegetarian options here. I got the mushroom steak which was a cool unique dish. The gravy it comes in was yummy. For sides I got the Mac and cheese and garlic mashed potatoes which were both delicious. I got the mule cocktail twice and it was so good I would definitely get it again. Could barely taste the alcohol. For dessert we got the strawberry tres leches which is again a unique dish and a very vibrant color. The only thing I'd say is that the service here wasn't too good. They also brought out our bill prematurely when we weren't done ordering more food and drinks.

    VU Rooftop - Brunch buffet + bottomless mimosas at VU!

    VU Rooftop

    (387 reviews)

    $$

    Near Southside

    Visited a few times for happy hour during my stay the…read moreambience is fantastic especially on the deck the fire pits are warm and cozy, food average bar food with the exception of the shrimp- big juicy and delicious from the hostess to the servers everyone was plant and accommodating if your are looking for a good happy hour experience on a beautiful day - make it a stop

    Here's a revised version with the view included:…read more I've visited VU Rooftop several times and it's always a great experience overall. The ambience is one of my favorite things about this place -- the atmosphere, the music, and the beautiful view from the 22nd floor always make it feel like a special night out in the city. The service during my most recent visit was great. Sarah, our server, was amazing -- attentive, friendly, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout the evening. Unfortunately, this was the first time I didn't enjoy my food. I ordered the grilled chicken skewer appetizer, and while it looked good, something about the flavor just didn't sit well with my taste buds. It may simply come down to personal preference, but it wasn't something I particularly enjoyed. One thing I do appreciate about VU Rooftop is that their menu changes seasonally, which always allows for a new experience each time I patronize. Even though the food didn't quite hit the mark for me this time, it won't stop me from returning. The ambience, service, and those 22nd-floor views of the city are always worth the visit. I'll definitely be back -- I'll just probably skip the grilled chicken skewer appetizer next time.

    Brando's Speakeasy - Karaoke bar

    Brando's Speakeasy

    (656 reviews)

    $$

    The Loop

    Such a fun vibe and a great crowd! I went in on a Sunday evening and it was decently packed. The…read morebar itself is dimly lit and moody. There's plenty of booth seating, as well as tall chairs at the bar. Once it was karaoke hour, I put myself on the list and started singing. Everybody is fun about it, whether the performer is conventionally a great singer or not, and I absolutely love it! There was even a group of 4+ girls who sang together on stage, and the energy was so infectious, it got the whole bar yelling the lyrics along with them. Would highly recommend!

    Stopped in with friends and ended up having a much better night than we expected. The place has…read morethis fun mix of old-school charm and lively energy, and it really comes alive once the crowd settles in. What surprised me most was how welcoming the atmosphere felt -- people were cheering each other on during karaoke, and it created this upbeat, easygoing vibe that made the night even better. Drinks were well-made, the music kept the room energized, and there was always something going on that pulled everyone into the moment. Even with the place getting busier later in the night, the staff stayed attentive and kept everything running smoothly without making anyone feel rushed. I also loved how organized the karaoke setup was. Being able to add songs without waiting around made the experience feel seamless, and it helped keep the energy flowing. It's the kind of spot where you can unwind, have a laugh, grab something tasty, and forget about your week for a while. All in all, it turned out to be one of those unexpectedly great nights out. I'd absolutely come back and recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, relaxed place to hang out and enjoy some good music and good company.

    Apolonia - modern_european - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...