I have been to Avec maybe 30 times during the 5 years I have lived in Chicago. The food has always been excellent. My favorites are bacon wrapped chorizo dates and focaccia which always tastes delicious. The special roast they do is seasonal and I tried both pork shoulder and lamb neck and I always loved those too... The wine card always has something new and special always demonstrating unique regions and varieties from the Mediterranean. Can't praise Avec enough! 5 stars! read more

after trying paul kahan's blackbird next door for dinner a couple months ago and just thinking it was a-ok, i am happy to report that my brunch experience at avec was leaps and bounds better. while you can't really compare the two since it isn't apples to apples, my overall impression was that the weekend brunch menu at avec was much more creative, inspired and accessible than blackbird's dinner menu. onto the good stuff - between the two of us we shared 2 small plates and 2 sides. you wouldn't think this sounds like a lot of food, but let me tell you, we could've made do with one less dish and still been totally and completely stuffed. avocado toast - deeeelicious! how did they get the avocado to have such a buttery consistency?! butcher steak - they are serious about their medium rare steak, cooked to absolute perfection. kale, celery root and butternut squash are probably some of my least favorite standalone vegetables, but somehow the genius of chef perry hendrix thought to combine them in a way that blows my mind. pork belly - wow, in one word - decadent. this rich side dish alone would've been enough to fill one person's stomach. papas bravas - thought this would be a nice throwback to our spain trip last year, but this lukewarm dish faltered a bit and was our least favorite of the bunch. my only gripe is about the seating space - while i love the wooden tables and bar seating, they really weren't kidding when they said intimate setting. the tables are made for parties of 6, so often you'll find parties of 2's and 4's squeezed in next to each other. i'm all for cozy and saving space a la nyc style, but it does make getting in and out from the table to be somewhat inconvenient. but as you can obviously see, this didn't affect the 5 stars they received from me one bit. read more

See all

My husband and I were celebrating our 33rd anniversary and wanted to go somewhere special. I've had good experiences at Avec and thought it would be a nice treat for my spouse. We are also big fans of Paul Kahan and his restaurant group. Sadly we were disappointed. The 3 stars is for the person that took our reservations. He asked if it was a special occasions and I said yes and why. We get to Avec and neither or host nor our server greeted us for our happy occasion. Our first 2 appetizers and cocktail came out at a nice clip and then nothing. Our server never checked in to say what was happening, apologize for any delay etc. We finally asked her for a status update and she gave excuses about how they only had one oven and orders were backed up. Finally she agreed to check on our order. Shortly after that, our focaccia and roast chicken appeared. However, my husband's cocktail never came. We decided to bail on dessert. The dining experience was just too painful. When we asked for the check I requested that the 2nd cocktail be removed from our bill because it never came. The server said - oh that's on me because I forgot to order that. Seriously? Life is hard right now and we still left a generous tip. Either Avec is experiencing Covid pains or it is sitting on its past reputation. Whichever it is, it would be a shame if it went the way of Blackbird. read more

Overpriced average taste small portions extremely loud cramped stupid communal table concept

First of all, the menu on their website is outdated. Please fix that. We were super disappointed to find out the butternut squash pizza wasn't an option. We were seated at the end of a table where another guy was sitting in the middle. He had to get up any time any one from our table got up. Poor guy.. horrible seating. Their cocktail section is limited in terms of type of liquor. However, they were nice enough to make me a vodka cocktail. I didn't care for it, but glad it exists as an option. Boyfriend didn't love his either. For food, we started with the brussels sprout panzanella, which was delicious. Shaved Brussel sprouts tossed with bread and onions and cheese. Yum! Def the highlight of our meal. Next we got the deluxe foccacia and holy crap it was SO salty. Half of it was covered in salt and inedible. The second half was alright. It needed more flavors like honey or arugula to balance it and lighten it. (aka like Bar Siena.. best thing ever). I'd skip or have at least 4 ppl sharing it. We also tried the calzone, which again holy crap on the salt!!! The middle section was inedible because of all the salt. The edges were great and had delicious flavor. Lastly, we got the chocolate cremeaux and it was alright. Whipped mousse with whipped cream. Nothing mind-blowing. Wish they had another warm chocolate dessert option. Overall, we were very underwhelmed by the food based on all the hype. Most of it was SO salty that it was inedible. On top of it all, it has a serious price tag that is completely not worth it. The seating only continues to make it worse. Skip. read more

I was in Chicago for the day heading to the airport to go back to Atlanta and I met some friends for Brunch at Avec. What a fantastic vibe at this restaurant. We ordered several things from the brunch menu and everything was fantastic. Please go and enjoy great service and great food. read more

Amazing meal! I thought the plates were a great size for the price. A lot of tapas-style places have the smallest portions for the same price as Avec. My favorite was definitely the bacon dates. My friend doesn't care for dates, but thought they were great. We also had the focaccia (see pictures on Yelp because it's not what you'd expect), pork shoulder, and prawns with naan. The sauce of the prawns with naan was super flavorful. Pork shoulder had so much meat we couldn't finish. The focaccia was good but just too much for two people. A great sharing restaurant for groups of 3-4. (They don't give out free dessert on birthdays unfortunately.) read more

I have been to Avec once before in the past for dinner and I remember that I was not the biggest fan. I decided to give Avec another chance and returned once again, but this time it was for brunch. I can safely say that the second time was much more enjoyable for me. For Father's Day brunch, my family shared orders of the Avocado Toast, Carrot Cake, Medjool Dates, and Pizza Carbonara. I laugh because the Avocado Toast (with the addition of an egg) was a whopping $12 (what did they say about millennials and avocado toast again?), but it WAS good. The bread was nice and fluffy and all of the vinaigrette really brightened the flavor. The Carrot Cake was extremely delicious! I recently discovered that I am a huge fan of carrot cake in general and I must say that this was one of the best I've had. The cake was packed with tons of spices and the cool cream on the side provided a nice, refreshing touch. The Dates are probably the most popular item on the menu and after eating them for the second time, I will have to say that they have grown on me. I liked the sweet and savory flavors with every bite provided by the dates and chorizo stuffing. My least favorite dish that we ordered would have to be the Pizza Carbonara. The entire dish was way too salty in my opinion. I appreciate how the dishes at Avec are reasonably priced. Avec has now made its way onto my list of restaurants that give you the most for your money. The small, cozy interior makes walk-ins somewhat difficult, especially if you have a larger party. I would definitely recommend making a reservation ahead of time. I will most likely be back in the future to explore more of the menu. read more

See all

Came here for the friends of Avec brunch series with Cellar Door Provisions. We got the carrot pastry (Sunday morning pastry), pizza carbonara, and bone marrow quiche (CDP special). The pastry came with an amazing apple-coconut butter that matched the slightly sweet carrot bran cake perfectly. Next came the pizza carbonara, topped with a runny egg. I thought the guanciale was on the salty side, but I was still a huge fan of the dish. We ended brunch with the bone marrow quiche, which was nothing short of excellent. It's amazing how the quiche can be so fluffy. The bone marrow gave it a great, rich taste. I'm looking forward to coming here again for brunch and also trying their dinner menu. In particular, I aim to try the Avec burger and medjool dates. read more

Great food and service!! Went on a Tuesday and they had half off all wine bottles, got two bottles of natural wine, both great

We were able to snag a last minute reservation for a birthday dinner. Juan worked us in and put us upstairs and personally cared for us. Food and service were amazing. Juan demonstrated true, caring service. Fantastic evening. read more

We ordered the rotisserie dinner, and it was as expected - a good size for 2 people, flavors were nice. I thought there would be some sort of more traditional tahini or yogurt sauce, but the white sauce we got was more like ranch or halal guys white sauce. that's not a bad thing, just not what we expected. the beets on the labneh(?) were huge and just...a lot of beetiness. the little peppers with the chicken were absolutely great, as was the pita (as always). I'm writing this review, though, because we went ahead and ordered one of the $25 bottles of wine to go with our meal. We know that a lot of places are using this sort of wine grab bag to get rid of back inventory, and we're certainly not wine snobs! this bottle was so far past it's prime, though, that it was vinegar. $25 just down the drain, literally undrinkable. read more

The food was amazing,the customer service was 10/10,love the new location in Rivernorth.such a long quarantine!

For such a small kitchen, this place amazingly produces very hearty and flavorful dishes. The dates as everybody has mentioned is absolutely delicious. The pork shoulder was also one of my favorites. read more

Avec - Chicago - Pork Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Love this place! Food is just amazing! You have to try chicken liver crostini and chorizo-stuffed medjool dates!! Mouth-watering! FYI they don't take reservations! They get really busy on Saturdays... But it is really worth it to wait! read more

Avec - Chicago - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Incredible. One of the best meals in all of Chicago. The bacon-wrapped, chorizo-stuffed dates and the taleggio focaccia are the stuff of dreams. The wait was about two hours on Friday night, which wasn't bad considering you drink somewhere else while waiting and they text you when your table is ready. The decor and atmosphere were simple and rustic. It was a wonderful night with friends and fabulous food. Go. You won't be disappointed. read more

Avec - Chicago - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I mean what to say about this place that hasn't already been said. Came here on a Friday night right after work, and a group of 4 was easily able to slide into one of the communal tables and get right to it. Super extensive wine list (didn't even read it to be honest) and very short cocktail list. Ordered an old fashioned which wasn't on the menu but turned out very well. Girlfriend ordered a tea and gin inspired drink, which actually arrived after our first plate of food - the only downside to the meal. Food order included the dates (they are everything that other reviewers have mentioned and more. you need these in your life), mussels with fresh naan and flavorful lemony broth, greens with feta and fennel (needed something green.. right?), focaccia bread which was more like dry flatbread with creamy cheese in the center (wouldn't order again), lamb shank with calabria chili sauce and apricots (wow!), fresh yogurt and berries, and finished with olive oil chocolate cake. Dates were easily my favorite thing, followed by the lamb and mussels. The place is loud and busy (rightfully so) so expect that going in. You'll sit in close quarters and stare at the surrounding plates wondering - hm should we order that? Yes. Yes you should. Order as much as you can eat as the menu rotates a bit and make sure if you take guests they are comfortable with communal seating. Not as pricey as the neighboring blackbird makes Avec a great spot with high repeat potential. read more

Avec - Chicago - Lamb - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great food, cool atmosphere and fantastic service! If you are looking for different this is your place, but you leave knowing you'll go back. read more

Avec - Chicago - Yogurt dessert - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

LOVE this place! We've heard so much about this place since moving to Chicago, so we had to give it a try. And it totally lives up to its hype! It's a very dark, modern and small venue with a few giant tables meant to be shared with strangers. If you like your personal space, this may not be the best restaurants for you. We started off with the whipped brandade with some awesome garlic bread. The brandade is basically a dip made from chunks of cod and olive oil. It was really delicious and pairs VERY well with the crispy garlic bread! We also got the slow roast pork shoulder. This was probably the BEST pork shoulder I've ever had! It is suuuper tender and every thread of the pork was soaked in so much flavor. We finished off with the pesto lamb calzone. This thing was HUGE and totally worth the price! I seriously would order every one of these items over and over and over again! Despite the three $$$ signs, everything was very reasonable and portions were larger than expected! Will definitely be coming back here! read more

Food is awesome. The cauliflower is sooo tasty. The focaccia is crunchy and cheesy. The shakshuka is outstanding. Waitstaff is very attentive. The restaurant is way too small. Your neighbor sits in to of you literally. Saying all of that, I highly recommend!!! read more

Felt like the environment was a little bit cold and not inviting ... the mussels were okay. Not impressed.

This meal was pretty much just stellar all the way through. Every dish was spot on. Amazing flavors throughout. Tight space, but so worth it. 11 of us, so pretty much tried most of the menu. So many good things about all these dishes. I won't go into detail, just go and try them for yourself. Highlights - Burrata Bruschetta Lemon Bucatini Pasta Chorizo stuffed Dates Roasted Salmon Charred Cabbage Deluxe Foccacia Paella with Confit Chicken and Prawns Slowed Roasted Pork and Clams Thank you Avec. Looking forward to next time. read more

I came here for lunch, so my experience is entirely based on the Lunch Menu. I ordered the Duck Cofit Paella and (luckily) was immediately offered half ration (because of the size), also the waiter advise on having a small appetizer because of the 15 min minimum wait for the paella... which I took (Chorizo filled Dates)... everything was delicious and still I could have split everything in two... that's a good thing! For dessert I ordered (and highly) recommend the Panna Cotta. The only downside is that my cup of wine was a bit acid (seems like the bottle has been open for a while). Thank you guys for such a great meal read more

We got the chorizo - stuffed medjool dates, chicken shawarma roti, and smoked salmon hummus. I was hesitant to get the chorizo stuffed medjool dates because I'm not usually a big fan of dates, but it exceeded my expectations in every way possible! The date itself is very small, it's mostly chorizo which helped balance it out. The sauce that it came in was delicious. The chicken shawarma roti was also wonderful, perfectly cooked to a fall off the bone point! The flavor was strong and went great with the naan that we ordered. The naan itself was fluffy, warm, and doughy, not like other naan I've had but amazing nonetheless. We did not eat much of the hummus and 2 different staff asked us what was wrong with it, which was nice of them but a little awkward. I think the flavor combination just wasn't for me, and since it came out last we were pretty full by then. The staff filling up waters were very prompt but hovered a bit. The seating area outside is crowded, it was hard to have a conversation over the group next to us. read more

See all

Pretty good food, if a bit salty. and good people watching. BUT, and it's a big but, so loud it hurts. Why pay money to get hurt? read more

We were seated a little early for our reservation and chose to sit at the bar instead of one of the shared tables. The chairs at the tables looked uncomfortable and were very low to the ground, and they certainly don't look suitable if you're taller than 6 feet. Unless you're sitting against the wall at one of these tables, you will not have a backrest. When we ate at the bar, it required staring straight at a blank wall 2 feet in front of our faces for the duration of the meal. I think no matter where you sit, Avec is simply not a comfortable or particularly welcoming restaurant. Food: Chorizo stuffed bacon wrapped dates - I can see why these get so much hype. They were absolutely delicious. But if I had one complaint it would be that they were not very hot when served. My guess is that these get ordered so often they make them in batches and you are at the mercy of the cook. The delicious hunk of bread they came with was piping hot, however. I think I would order this dish to myself and eat all four dates next time. Salmon - The fish had a great crust and came with unique sauce. However, halfway through eating the salmon we found a massive hair embedded in the food that certainly was not one of ours. We politely pointed this out to a waitress and she offered to make us a fresh dish. When it came out again the thicker half of the salmon was under cooked. I certainly don't want my salmon dry, but this was raw. Perhaps the chef rushed it since it was a replacement dish. Butcher's Steak - Very tasty dish, but a bit too random and unfocused. The spiced squash puree acted like a sauce for the steak and it was very good. The steak itself was tender and cooked a nice medium/medium-rare. And although the pomegranate was good, throwing that and pistachios on top of the steak just seemed out of place and random. It was like when you watch Chopped and someone just throws truffle oil on a dish at the end and all of the judges groan. Drinks - I had a nice pilsner from France and my wife enjoyed her glass of French red wine. Overall because of the inconsistency of the food (and the hair), and the overall lack of a welcoming environment I have to give Avec three stars. Certainly less than I was anticipating giving before my visit. read more

We had the delicata squash, Medjool dates, and whole roasted fished. The squash and Medjool dates were pretty good and had a nice flavor, but everything was way too salty. We drank a lot of water during our meal, and when we got home we had to drink some more. I just woke up from our dinner last night, and I am still so thirsty and had to immediately drink more water when I woke up. This shouldn't be ones experience when spending $80 on a nice dinnner. My advice to Avec: Less salt and more flavor, especially in the fish which was very underwelming. read more

What do you do when you are having a shitty week compounded by international political/ bureaucratic drama, and a boss that looks and acts like a homeless person? Well, you say "fuck all of you" and go to a nice dinner/ drinks with wonderful company. That is what I did, and Avec was the right spot to get away from a shitty work week. A lovely friend and fellow yelper suggested we go to Avec. I have never been there, I heard about the bad wait times. I am not a fan of waiting, no matter how good the place is. When my dinner companion assured we will not wait for long, I jumped at it. Perfect. The interior looks like an upscale Finnish sauna. I have seen enough of them in Scandinavia to tell the upscale ones from the cheap ones. I was tempted to take my clothes off, wrap a towel, and sweat out. Don't worry, my clothes stayed on the entire time. I am well behaved in public, and company of women. You see sir, I am a gentleman, after all! We were greeted by our server Josh with two glasses of Gran Sarao Rose while waiting to be seated. Nice! The bubbly was perfect for the gloomy weather and delectable food to follow. We started with the frog legs. The combination of flavors was outstanding. Crispy fried fennel goes very well with paprika aoili, and proscuitto. Having never had frog legs before, my dinner companion was thoroughly impressed. A perfect start to a wonderful meal to follow. We moved on to the focaccia with truffle oil and herbs. It was a pure delight. I ate most of it within 2 minutes (not appropriate when you are sitting next to a lady). Josh kept refilling our wine glasses and we were enjoying our dinner and conversation. The experience till this point was 4 star. That is when we ordered the medjool dates. Stuffed with chorizo, wrapped in bacon, with a piquillo pepper-tomato sauce. Holy slut of Jesus, I just had a memory bitchslap. You know when you eat something so good that you remember past memories? No? You say I am the only weird one that has memory flashbacks when I eat amazing food? Whatever, let's get to the review at hand. I got on the bar counter, took off my pants, and asked the chef to "take" me right there.... on the bar counter. Fuck yeah! You deserve some kind of a sexual favor for making dates taste this good. The sweetness of a date balanced out with the smoky flavor of bacon and peppery tomato sauce. Fuck me God, right now! And give it to me gooood! Oh yeah!! No, that did not happen. Remember, I am well behaved in public and the company of women. So, I secretly wished my "bar counter" fantasy would come true. I didn't say a word for a good few minutes while enjoying the dates. I am sure my companion was wondering why the hell I suddenly muted myself while I have been yapping about my international healthcare drama until a minute ago. Well, I was silent because I was having my "bar counter" fantasy, induced by the medjool dates. I lived in the Sahara desert for 4 frickin' years. I was surrounded with all kinds of dates, yet never liked them. My mom tried to feed me that shit for lunch and dinner. Mom: here beta (beta = son, in Hindi) have some dates. They are good for you... and they are fresh from Dr. Merzouk's garden (Dr. Merzouk = my dad's colleague) Me: wtf? This shit is nasty *inside voice* Mom: It's either dates or (horse) milk, what do you want? Me: *gobbles up the dates* It took a restaurant in Chicago to make me like them. How strange is that? After having a barrage of inappropriate thoughts, I realized it is rude to stay silent with a boner in my pants. Times like these I am glad I went to Avec in my work attire, a monkey suit. In order to come back to reality I decided to take a look at the dessert menu. We ordered the vanilla crepes with kumquats. Two crepes filled with cheesy goodness surrounded by delicious kumquats. It completed our evening of extraordinary food journey. We sat by the bar counter instead of getting a table. I like communal seating, and Avec does a good job at keeping the communal seating in order. It is not an ideal date location because it is loud. As with any communal seating restaurants the vibe is casual, and everyone was well dressed. Josh did an excellent job taking care of us, my wine glass was always full. Thanks to my dinner companion for the lovely company and introducing me to Avec. I will definitely go again. And this time, my pants are coming off!! read more

This is kind of embarrassing to admit to all of cyberland, but up until recently, I'd never actually dined at Avec's. It's not for lack of trying though. On more than one occasion, I've gotten through the entry to be greeted by the throngs of washed masses and a hostess quoting hour-plus wait times. The entryway/waiting area is very small, however, and due to my diminutive stature, I'm easily pushed around by others trying to pass. This, combined with a low-grade claustrophobia (resulting from the time I got stuck in a hula hoop), makes waiting at a crowded establishment that doesn't accept resos a bit unappealing for me. In honor of a new facebook friend's arrival from The Angels, CA, I decided to suck in my gut and brave the crowd in search of one of Chicago's more lauded dinners. Despite the unreasonably cold weather and the fact that it was a Monday night, we still waited over an hour for our party of 8 to be seated. The beer list, while limited, was very very nice, composed mostly of foreign beers I haven't heard of, but I'm sure are better because they're from a different country. The food menu was pretty much what I expected. Not a whole lot of veggie options. I think everyone in our groups' eyes quickly fixated on one thing - the whole roasted foie gras. The foie is listed as M.P. Now, I'm not a purveyor of organ meats, but I know someone who very regularly purchases whole lobes, and he says the price he pays hasn't fluctuated in over a year. Granted, Avec's duck liver is from a specific region and perhaps a specific farm, but I've heard other diners say they paid $86 for the same dish we were lucky to acquire at $70. What's up with that? The foie was glorious, as was most of the food we received. The focus seems to be on taste, far more than presentation. I personally don't care too much about presentation, since everything looks the same on the way out, but I was actually surprised that most of our dishes arrived looking like Jan, yet tasted more like Marcia. Upon leaving, it occurred to me to take a quick look at the open kitchen. My name is Matt, but let me be Frank with you.... The kitchen area seems tiny. I saw a wood-burning oven and maybe a couple burners, but not a whole lot more. I have no idea how they crank out that much food there. When you go, you should check it out, it's rather impressive. Now, to my 3 loyal readers: Sorry for this review that some may actually find useful (and ROTD-worthy). If you defan me, I'll understand, but I promise I won't do any more snoozers like this for the time being. read more

If you ever wonder if your review ratings are skewed, book your next trip to Chicago and dine in Top Chefville. If you consider yourself a true foodie, then save your next trip for Chicago and eat here. If you want to enjoy a perfect meal--and you do nothing else--reserve now. If you've heard about the Publican and Blackbird group, then put this one at the top of a well-respected list of places to visit. I think you get the point. We could not get a reso. last minute, but we arrived around 9 and sat at the cool, modern bar. A quick glance to the end of the bar and we recognized another Top Chef who was dining on her own. At that point, we knew we had chosen the perfect place. The hostess was pleasant. The waiter/bartender was efficient. The pours were generous. And the bar help was absolutely outstanding. Everyone was great. Order: 1. chorizo-stuffed medjool dates with smoked bacon and piquillo pepper-tomato sauce-amazingly good. A hit. Just as good the next day. 2. wood-fired flatbread with roasted mushrooms, spinach, bacon and goat cheese -our least favourite dish; but we've been spoiled with Neapolitan in Vancouver. Still pretty good. 3.marinated hanger steak with shaved artichokes, crimini, pine nuts, parmesan and kale chips-amazing; our second fave. dish. 4 housemade chocolate crisps- (milk and dark). Did not look like much but they tasted outstanding. The complimentary "chips" made up for my lack of bday fun at another famous Chi-town establishment...and this one was probably better. It was so delectable that I wish I could save up the money, points and calories to go there again soon. And now that the heat wave is over, maybe I won't die of humidity walking back at 10 at night. I can't speak highly enough about this lovely little gem. read more

Love this place! Went here for dinner w/ a friend before she left Chicago, and I had been wanting to dine here so I'm glad she picked this spot. We came on Thursday night around 7 and the place was packed, but we were lucky enough to grab a seat immediately at the bar. They have a nice wine list and we settled for a bottle of red from Spain (I forget which). The real star, though, is the food. We got: -Seared trout with red pepper-almond romesco and rock shrimp escabeche: the trout was cooked perfectly and had a great sear. I think this was my first time having a romesco and I definitely loved the sauce and flavor that it added to the dish. -Chorizo-stuffed medjool dates with bacon and piquillo pepper-tomato sauce: THESE ARE CRACK. I really don't know how else to describe them. It had the perfect amount of sweet and savory from the dates and chorizo, respectively. Anytime you have bacon, that's a plus. The sauce compliments the dish very well. Also, I've had bacon-wrapped-anything before, but the way they wrap the bacon here is some sort of witchcraft. Normally, whenever you cut into something wrapped in bacon, the bacon sort of falls apart or falls off whatever it wrapped. The bacon here, however, stayed wrapped tightly around the dates. I know this is a weird thing to get excited about, but it made eating the entire dish easier and not as messy. A must-get! -Slow roasted pork shoulder with piri piri broth, cracked wheat, snow pea, smoked yogurt and clams: tender and packed full of flavor. The yogurt was a great accompaniment to the dish. Also, the clams were a welcome surprise (I don't think I've had pork + clams in the same dish before). Another must-get! It's a pretty lively spot. If you're seated at the tables, you will probably be right up next to a stranger, so be prepared to make friends. It can get pretty loud here, so you definitely won't be having any intimate, quiet conversations here. Also, they don't take reservations, so come in really early or really late, as I've come here before during primetime and was quoted a wait of 2 hours (or...just get lucky like we did and hope to grab a seat by the bar). Do yourself a favor and dine here. Your taste buds will thank you for it! read more

This place had this chicken paella dish a while back that was single handedly one of the greatest dishes in the Chi. They got rid of it for some lame vegetarian version, and that since event has ruined my entire life. I love this place, I just can't go back there until this dish is back. read more

I'm good for a Chicago trip once a year and Avec is always at the top of my list for go-to restaurants. No matter how many times I've been there before, I'm always impressed with how consistently amazing this place has been for 10+ years. Seriously, it's dumbfounding. In my most recent visit to Chicago, Avec was my first stop directly from the airport. The long bar is most welcoming to travelers, locals and anyone who is looking for a casual yet elegant meal. I'm a huge fan of eating at the bar because it's lively and you get perspective from the servers who handle food the most. Plus, I love geeking out about wine lists and bar menus :) I ordered the kale, radish and tabbouleh salad to start which was perfectly seasoned and had just the right amount of acid. The crispy quinoa added a nice little crunch and the beets a proper amount of sweetness. It was really good. For my main course, I ordered one of the specials; the seared albacore with fennel, tzatziki, and apricots. It was a nicely sized piece of fish and cooked only over seared, which I appreciated. If you're visiting Chicago, this place should be at the very top of your list. Seriously, it's impressive. read more

Avec - Chicago - Special of the night. Albacore, fennel, apricot - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Oh, Avec... you're still packing heat like a sauna! And you look like one, too... but with much more posh. Though I can't comment on the tapas-style offerings (we came for cocktails), we did enjoy a nicely-constructed plate of cheese. And a beautiful bottle of Pinot Noir. I also had the opportunity to try the Saison Dupont "Vielle Provision" farmhouse ale. Simply delicious! It's easy to enjoy your companions in such lovely confines. The service was exceptional, and we were ecstatic to receive such spot-on guidance! I'll definitely return to sample more of the menu, specifically those chorizo-stuffed Medjool dates. Until then, Avec... it's been a grand courtship so far. read more

Oh God. Avec. Mmmmm. (1) The wait will be long. Put your name in and go nearby for a drink. We checked out Lone Wolf (delish for a drink!) We were told the wait would be over an hour. We waited AT MOST 40 minutes. Totally do-able. (2) Get a bottle of wine. They have a few very reasonable, delicious french reds at or near the $40/bottle mark. Can't go wrong. (3) GET THE FOCCACIA. It has Ricotta and truffle in it and it is AMAZING. It's totally exquisite and delicious and I would bring it to work everyday for lunch if I could. Oh man. [[ On a recent visit, we also tried: snap peas (so good we ordered a second round; steak (delish); shrimp pizza (AWESOME); pasta with mushroom bolognese (awful, tbh, oh well); charred asparagus (very very good); labneh cheese with apricots (good but not enough bread); and a sorbet (tasty!) ]] (4) GET THE NUTTER BUTTERS. I went with a friend who is OBSESSED with these things. We ordered, I'm not kidding, 5 orders (so, 20 little bite sized pieces of heaven). We ate them all. There were three of us. We are disgusting. We left totally full and happy. Some people complain about small plates. Dummies. Ask your server for some advise--they are there to help you! They will be happy to point you in the direction of a more substantial plate. You'll leave happy and satisfied. AND, for the delicious quality of the food, you won't feel like you're getting ripped off. Alll that food for three people came to ~180.00 total. Not awful! read more

Due to a conflict of interest, I can't say too much BUT I can say this: Friendly staff Get the dates Try every salad they have Give up your seat as soon as you're done eating Five stars, well deserved. read more

Flavors that aren't typical or ordinary so go if you are seeking a new experience on tapas! read more

See all

After a long day of plenary sessions, breakouts, talking too much and sleeping too little, my friend and I came here to meet the lovely and talented Rob. Who had HAIR! I had conversed with Rob before I arrived, so he could find a place that would satisfy both my and my friend's appetites. Basically, my friend will eat pretty much anything...and me, not so much. As I love trying new restaurants, especially in towns I rarely get to visit, this can present a problem, but I surrendered myself completely to Rob and his suggestions when it came to Avec. They have a fantastic and unusual wine list, which as a long time bartender, I can especially appreciate. My friend got a glass of white, but as I think that white wine is for sissies and was also trying to recreate my own DYL (it was a Friday, after all), I convinced Rob that we should share a bottle of red, his choice. We discussed the menu, and because it was all about sharing, my friend and I offered our suggestions and let Rob take over. Again. Man that kid is bossy, but my friend and I were also brain dead. We were not disappointed, and in fact very impressed. The menu is innovative without trying to hard, and everything was DELICIOUS. My favorites were the hanger steak and the flatbread, but the dates, although a wee too spicy for my taste, were quite delectable as well. The decor, although at first glance might be cramped, is quite cozy and welcoming, which is a must have in my men and my restaurants. I would recommend this as a great date spot. If I lived in Chicago, this would definitely be a repeat place for me. read more

This place was the first rated restaurant in chicago according to yelp when I searched for restaurants. It was also recommended to me by a friend. But lord was it one of the WORST dining experiences that I have had to date. The easiest thing I can think of is this: It's a place that got famous and subsequently tried to doop its customers by slowly degrading the menu and the ingredients over time. This is the only way I can understand why this place is popular. Hearsay and not good hearsay at that. So here are some more details that you need to know: The Seating We tried to be nice about this at first. Jam packed between a group of four and a loud couple - at the very same table no less - we tried to see the bright side of things. But I simply could not hear A WORD my dining partner said. We moved to the bar, fortunately, but it's simply shitty to have people sit like this and emphasize the virtue of 'sharing' when all you're really trying to do is fit as many people into a small space so you can make the most money. Sorry, you didn't pull that one on me! The Service: Never in my life have I waited so long to order a drink and food. Not only that, but the service was simply snobby. This improved at the bar, the guy serving water was really nice and a breath of fresh air to this establishment, but everyone else was less than disappointing if there is such a thing. Being from San Francisco and moving to New York, I don't really think that these folks have a leg to stand on and whatever they think they have..well let's just say this, you should always be nice to everyone. I feel like this establishment has forgotten this essential fact of service. The Food: We got everything the server recommended. We got the chorizo stuffed medjols, the foccacio, and the pork belly. All of them were just not hitting it for us. They were simply OK. That's all and good but when you want to cram me on a bench next to other people, I don't know your food better be damn good. All and all, I felt like none of it had any real flavor. Looking around the loud, crammed dining room I felt sorry for people who thought this was a great dining experience. The Wine: We got a primitivo. I overheard the bartender telling the people next to me that this was fruity and spicy. We got that bottle and there was nothing spicy about it. It was truly a corner store type of wine. It reminded me of Yellowtaiil. We get that in San Francisco for less than $10 a bottle.......... You would think that with such an extensive wine list that they would have a someone who could help customers with wines. Saying, "Sure we have a very nice primitivo," after we already suggested it isn't very convincing. Please, have some confidence in your product people. Food and wine are some of the most amazing things we have been blessed with in our time on earth. Treat them with respect and artistry! read more

People are deluded with the reputation that this restaurant built for the past 15 years. The original star chef, Coren, left and the artful delicacy of small plates went with her. All the fools bellowing praise below are the same ones who would be deceived by atrocious wine masked in a high price. Whoever this new chef is has trashed this place like a toddler scribbling all over a Picasso. The grilled bass, bland to perfection, is sloshed into soupy onion water...why would a chef fry a crisped fish and then toss it into watery soup? Adorning this tasteless waste are second hand clams still in their shells but pitifully spongy and retired. At least the chef could have humored his clams with a buttery garlic concoction or something appropriate, but even that was denied. The squid dish is another offensive presentation of over-fired in soupy, over-spiced Prego sauce. It is complete with a topping of melted government cheese. Next, the large prawns. Paired with what this chef thinks is a brilliant green sauce but is in fact a wilted spinoff of wasabi. Then of course there is a small vegetable dish, but even that was cheated out of decency and resembled late night stir fry from Mr. Chen's Chinese. Congratulations new chef, Wu Bower, you have ruined a gem that used to add value to the city of Chicago. Ghetto hip hop music and red sports jerseys are the new wait-staff uniforms. Couldn't think of better finishing touches. Enjoy!! read more