INCREDIBLE food! Wow! Met up with my friend for happy hour at the bar and we both were pleasantly…read moresurprised by all the food! We ordered the white pizza, arranchi, meatball sliders and goat cheese platter on the HH menu. I had wine and my friend had a French martini and a lemon martini. Both were amazing! Our bartender, Sergio was hands down one of the BEST bartenders I've had in YEARS! So personal and attentive! Great conversation! It's old school Italian, low lights, white linens and a great vibe! Definitely worth a visit!

My colleagues from Los Angeles chose this place for us to have dinner on the first night of our…read moreconference. They were there well ahead of me, but when I arrived, I stood in the front waiting for someone to come and get me. I was never greeted or even acknowledged as I stood there. After I walked over to the table, I noticed they had already had drinks and an appetizers, so I quickly ordered bruschetta, which came with spinach atop. I must say it was excellent and liked it much better with the spinach. Later on, they ordered entrees, which mine was supposed to be penne with vodka sauce. However, I got rigatoni. The servers didn't even know which items belong to which person. I found this tremendously unorganized. Despite the service that needed improvement, the food was great. The pasta could have been cooked a little more but I did enjoy both of my items. My colleagues enjoys their food, especially one of the dessert.

We come into Chicago every Labor Day weekend to watch the volleyball tournament. We'll visit Doc…read moreB's twice in a weekend because there are so many different things on the menu. The prices are great, and the servers are amazing! It is also nice to have a choice to eat indoors or outdoors.

Stopped here while visiting Chicago. After sifting through Yelp, we found this place. Our friend,…read morewho is a local, mentioned that she'd been there once and it was pretty good. The first thing I noticed walking in was the ambiance. Nice decor with a city hotspot feel. We had a teen and tween with us and both found something on the menu. Most of us ordered bowls with sesame sauce which were delicious. We each ordered different meats with our bowls and no complaints. My son had a crispy chicken sandwich which he devoured and my daughter had a quesadilla which they prepared especially for her without any sauce. Everything was tasty. We had a problem with our order when my daughter found a small piece of plastic wrapper in her food. We told our waiter and he immediately informed management. The manager came over and offered a new plate but my daughter was fine having the current plate. So instead, she comped her meal and gave her a choice of dessert with a gigantic milk. Despite the minor glitch, this place deserves 5 stars for the way they handled this issue. We feel they went above and beyond to remedy the situation. If only all restaurant management were like this. If we are ever in Chicago again, we will be back.

Food was amazing! I'm still thinking about that soup…read more Service was excellent. Our server helped us through the menu and suggested some good items for us to try. Ambiance is dimly lit on the dine in side, but they do have windows on the cafe side and a cute patio !

What a wonderful place! Charming location and even more charming staff. Visiting Chicago for the…read morefirst time and with an hour to my appointment in the Hancock Tower's 360 feature, I had plenty of time to get a quick bite before the Chicago 360. So searching in Yelp I see a Cuban restaurant, and that's my fav, so I went in and I had a great early dinner. Cafecito would be at home in a pre-revolutionary Cuban building, when Art Deco architecture permeated much of Havana and the other major cities in Cuba. Plenty of outdoor seating, but I chose to eat in the cafe area due to time constraints. I had the Vaca Frita which I haven't had in over 60 years and wow, it was amazing. It came with the proverbial white rice, black beans with plenty of condiment, and maduros. Oh yummy. My Cuban grandma would have been pleased... The waiter was indeed, a Cuban American who had come over during the early Cuban diaspora. We chatted a bunch about the old country and had a pleasant conversation about being from the same province in the island. Great reminiscing, great food, great service. Yum.

Great Brunch! Everything we ordered was delicious…read more Steak and eggs were amazing. Breakfast quesadilla Lemon pancakes. Very comfortable seating also.

This was a nice place that was across the street from our hotel. The menu seemed to have a lot of…read moregreat options we were interested in, so we were thinking about coming back more than once on our weekend trip to try multiple things, but after not liking the first dish we ordered, we decided not to come back. They do have a little dessert/coffee counter in the front of the restaurant where it connects to the hospital, which is kind of convenient if you want something sweet after dinner. We didn't try anything, but the cookies were huge. My husband and I both ordered the wild mushroom teriyaki bowl. I added shrimp to mine and he added chicken. The bowl didn't have much flavor and the vegetables were really hard and barely cooked. The kids got the chicken strips and fries. They were ok as expected.

I really enjoyed my visit. The ambiance was good. And the food along with the service was great…read more Please note that they specialize in small plates. So the prices you pay isn't designed to have piles of food hanging off the plate. It's not that type of establishment before you rate it negatively. You should know that beforehand. The Half Duck was to die for. And I don't even eat duck like that. I'd recommend & will certainly go back.

The steak melted in my mouth and was paired so well with the sauce…read more Tiramisu was a must-try! It was so flavorful, the chefs know what they are doing. Glad we discovered this restaurant!

If I were to pick one bar to go to every time I'm in Chicago it would be Arbella! Drinks were…read moreabsolutely phenomenal. Everyone enjoyed their drinks and they had a fun menu by the chef and we ordered off of both menus. Drinks were reasonably priced. Bartenders were great and explained what was going on. They were chill and the booths were comfortable. They had music on but not too loud so we could converse comfortably. Best bar I've been to in the city! Also wish I had taken picture of all the drinks.

October 1, 2026 TL;DR: Arbella was this close to a five-star…read moredate-night experience. The atmosphere was fantastic, our server struck the perfect balance between attentive and giving us space, and both cocktails I tried were creative and delicious. The truffle fries were pretty mediocre, but even that wouldn't have stopped me from giving Arbella five stars. What did? Discovering afterward that a 5% "service charge" had been added to the bill. I really dislike this growing practice of restaurants and bars adding percentage-based fees rather than simply pricing their menu accordingly, and it was enough to cost an otherwise excellent experience two stars. Ambiance: 5/5 Arbella absolutely nails the atmosphere. I came here on a date, and it was a great choice for that. The music was good, the lighting and decor created a really intimate vibe, and our booth was comfortable enough that we could settle in and actually enjoy the evening. There was energy in the room without it being so loud or overwhelming that we couldn't have a conversation. Even the menu design and presentation fit the experience. If you're looking for somewhere that feels elevated, interesting, and still comfortable for a date, Arbella definitely checks those boxes. Service: 5/5 Our server was fantastic. This was one of those rare occasions where someone found exactly the right balance between being attentive and not constantly interrupting our date. We never felt forgotten about, but we also had plenty of space to enjoy ourselves and talk. I especially appreciated the recommendations. Whenever we had a question or wanted guidance on what to order, our server was knowledgeable and genuinely helpful rather than simply pushing something on the menu. Excellent service from beginning to end. Drinks & Food: 4/5 The cocktails were easily the highlight. I tried the First You Take The Graham and the Trankilo Melon, and both were really good while also being different enough from what I would normally order to make the experience more memorable. This is exactly what I want from a cocktail bar: drinks that make me curious enough to try something new and then actually deliver. The truffle fries, however, were mid at best. They weren't terrible, but compared with how impressive everything else felt, they were forgettable. I'd absolutely come back for the cocktails, but I'd choose something different to eat next time. About That 5% Service Charge... This is unfortunately where Arbella lost me, and ultimately why I cannot give the experience five stars. I didn't notice until reviewing my bill afterward that a 5% service charge had been added. I strongly dislike this increasingly common practice of restaurants and bars adding percentage-based fees to the bill. If operating costs have increased, I would much rather an establishment incorporate those costs transparently into its menu prices so I know what I'm agreeing to pay when I order. Calling it a "service charge" also creates unnecessary confusion, particularly when customers are still expected to decide what to tip their server. At a cocktail-focused establishment, where you may be ordering multiple drinks throughout an evening rather than paying attention to every line of the check, I think fees like this need to be extremely clear and prominent before ordering, not something a customer discovers afterward. For me, it feels like an extra charge for simply using the establishment in exactly the way it was intended to be used. Overall: 4/5 The frustrating part is that without the service charge, this probably would have been a five-star review. Arbella gave us a genuinely great date night: beautiful atmosphere, excellent service, creative cocktails, and a space I otherwise would have happily recommended and returned to. Instead, that 5% fee left a sour final impression on what had been an excellent evening. It may seem small, but transparency around pricing matters to me. Arbella did so much right that I want to come back, but the service charge is significant enough that I would think twice before doing so.

Flavors were amazing and portions were large. I got the tagliatelle, fries, honey bee, and espresso…read moremartini. Outstanding ambiance. Service was extremely attentive and prompt.

Really cute place. Appetizers were good (whipped feta, butter chicken meatballs, and steak tar…read moretar). The presentation of the entrees was really nice, but they were mediocre. My biggest gripe is that the pesto pasta was really salty. The short rib bucatini was delicious, although the sauce was a little watery when it was presented. I let the pasta sit for a few minutes and it got better. The steak was good too.

I LOVED my meal here! Ēma (Ay-mah) brings some glamour and glitz to the Mediterranean dining scene,…read morewith an airy, elevated hotel-lobby feel that still doesn't demand a dress code. Dresscode: Smart Casual / Casual Noise Level: Medium (it gets buzzy after 5:30pm) Thursday night Happy Hour was lively, so it took about 10-15 minutes for someone to come around, but service was attentive once we got going. The food is where Ēma really shines. From the Happy Hour menu, the Charred Eggplant Hummus and Crispy Potatoes were generously portioned and great for sharing. On the main menu, the Indian-Mediterranean fusion Bhel Hummus was a party for my taste buds, while the Hot Honey Halloumi and Chicken Kefta rounded out the table nicely. The halloumi is more of a side than a main, but that sweet-and-salty hot honey combo was chef's kiss. For our finisher, the Chocolate Torte knocked us out. Decadent, delicious and chocolate with lots of depth. Overall, Ēma is an excellent spot to order a bunch of dishes for the table and get an elevated meal without feeling stuffy, and delicious without taking itself too seriously. DO's: - Make a reservation ahead, especially for happy hour 4-6pm - Treat apps like small plates, order 2-3 to sample - Entertain their wine list, they have a lot! - Bring vegetarians here, there are plenty of options DON'Ts: - Dismiss the desert menu. It's fantastic and shareable! - Forget to ask for extra pita with the hummus! - Miss out on the LettuceEats loyalty points (check-in with your server before paying your check)

Mixed feelings on this place. Really pretty decor and nice vibe, but portions have greatly…read moredecreased in the last few years. The food is good, but I don't like that the portions have gotten smaller with the price staying the same. I've added pictures to show the difference. Their spicy hummus is probably my favorite hummus I've gotten from a restaurant, but it isn't always on the menu. The Kefta kabob is always good.

I got the crunchy craze bowl which has steak (which for the record I never eat) but it was cooked…read morenicely. Despite being hungry, the bowl was so packed I couldn't finish it all. Very casual environment with great service, wouldn't say fast by any means but they were kind. Would recommend for anyone who enjoys a "corporate slop bowl"

I love Brightwok but today they really disappointed. We came here early so we could be ready to…read moreorder, bounce, and make a broadway show. With their noon open time it only left 30 mins of flex. We waited and waited. I finally went to the open window and asked when the worker when would open. The worker yelled at me to they would be open when "the lights were on and the door was open". At that time we had been waiting 30 mins- 15 mins past opening and we gave up and went to tru food across the street. There are so few places we can eat it just crummy when the one place you rely on is not only unpredictable but just rude. Also- a 12pm opening for lunch is late. Do better Brightwok.

Upscale food hall located in a gorgeous mall…read more We loved hanging out here with our little family and my friend's family. We had a great time eating all the foods and hanging out! I loved the different options available. We all got to get whatever our hearts desires. Small Cheval for me was fantastic! Definitely recommend stopping here if you need a bite and rest in the middle of your Michigan Avenue stroll!