The ambience and service is amazing. They treated our dog as if she were a VIP guest, gave her a blanket and water. The fire is comforting and nostalgic if you decide to eat outside. The desserts were our favorite: the Sunflower Parfait and the meringue cone were great. read more

Elske means "love" in Danish, and that is how I would describe my experience here. I was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. So, when I heard that a Danish-inspired restaurant opened in Chicago, I knew I had to give it a try. I went with the 8-course tasting menu ($85) and we brought a bottle of our own wine ($30 corkage fee). Smoked Tea of vegetables: I was not a huge fan of this dish, but the Danish open sandwich was interesting. Though it's not really like a real Danish smorrebrod, it was a cool concept! Lentil Crepe: this was probably the only dish I did not particularly like. A little too much cheese and it masked the flavors of everything else. Mint Fennel candy: interesting jelly chew. Very small portion to count as a "course" but still delicious. Duck Liver: this was one of my favorites. I really liked how the flavors blended together here really well. Surgeon: one of the best fish dishes I've had in a while. Perfectly prepared--the fish was tender and the flavors were just right Yogurt dessert: this is THE best dessert. It was light and not overwhelmingly sweet, yet it was so flavorful and deep. The aroma of the yogurt and the meringue went together perfectly. I want another one!! Birthday cake: this was at the compliments of the kitchen for a birthday. Again, delicious. Highlight of the meal: the desserts Do your tastebuds a favor and pay Elske a visit soon! read more

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Beautiful looking food and the taste is modern, clean, delicious and inventive. Coconut soufflé with beet fluff anyone? The atmosphere /décor is fine dining, but never pretentious or stuffy. On both visits, it seemed to be bubbling with people celebrating big occasions (anniversaries, bdays, graduations, etc.) read more

Made the mistake of trusting Michelin guide over past Yelp reviews of Elske, don't make the same mistake. The only reason I'm not leaving 1 star is because the wait staff was great. I highly recommend not making that reservation deposit. We went ahead with the tasting menu, and things started out medicore. Of the first three items, duck liver, hamachi, and sweet potato tempura, only the tempura was mildly worthwhile. The Marigold cracker was good, but it's nearly impossible to make a cracker taste bad, so I'm not about to give them credit for that win. Next out was the charred squash, perfectly undercooked is all there is to say. The poached hake was absolutely unbearable, mine had an overwhelming fishy smell, while my partners was not as fishy, but so salty as to be tasteless. While my partners overly salty hake could be loosely considered edible, I set mine aside after two bites, the amazing wait staff immediately noticed and offered another dish - I got the risotto, which was also incredibly salty. The main course, the beef coulette, was as other reviewers have stated, overly salty, so much so that I question the quality of the meat, as the saltiness was so strong it felt like they were intentionally trying to mask the flavor of the beef. I'm not sure how Elske has a star while Giant, Longman & Eagle, and others with much better menus and food do not. You will be disappointed if you eat here. read more

Great restaurant Our server was incredible he was knowledgeable with wines and with the food that he was serving every course was better than the next but my favorite dish what is the duck pate read more

My boyfriend took me here for my birthday. It was a truly unique experience. Service was spectacular. They cleaned up all of the crumbs I'm not even sure how I spilled. Breakdown of the food we got: 1. Squashes: I've never thought about the plural of this word. it was in rich, creamy sauce. very interesting flavors. 2. Pork sausage: Tasted like sausage... 3. chanterelle: This was one of my favorites. It was rich and warm and great for a winter day. 4. Quail: This one was comical to me. I've had quail before, but this quail is what my quail could have eaten for dinner. By the pound this quail cost more than wagyu...and the weirdest part was how it was splayed on the plate. It looked like it had just fallen out off a building. 5. Sunflower dessert: by far the best part of the meal. Tasted like PB mousse + graham cracker crust. It was nice to eat something familiar. Overall, I prefer foods i can relate to/ that evoke memories. The food was very interesting..but i think just a little too highbrow/ out there for my taste. Nonetheless, glad i went! read more

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I had the set menu with the wine pairing. Everything was very good. I sat at the bar, which I would not recommend because it's right next to the door and it was very cold. Also people kept coming up behind me to order drinks which was very distacting. read more

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I love everything about this restaurant, from the cozy patio (love the plants & fireplace), to the kind wait staff (Kyla & Bridget are sweethearts), to the decor (I mean even the bathroom soap dispensers are cool), to the amazingly flavorful food. Even my husband, who certainly doesn't do the whole Michelin star restaurant thing, was super impressed by how delicious every ingredient of every dish was. Our favorites were the Potato culurgiones, White pepper rigatoni and the Grilled wagyu flap. And for dessert the Sunflower seed parfait with sour honey, licorice, and bee pollen was so unique and delicious! Not sure how the pastry chef even imagined that one--she's a genius! I also just love that the head chef and pastry chef are the most adorable married couple. Elske will be our go-to birthday/anniversary spot for the foreseeable future. read more

I Should Have Known This Restaurant Was More Pretense Than Substance When I Heard The Arcade Fire This is not a knock on Arcade Fire by the way, which is one of my favorite bands. Elske on the other hand, managed to enormously disappoint me in a way that I've rarely experienced, especially for a michelin star restaurant with such hype. When I initially came to Elske, I was extremely excited. Romantic ideas of Nordic Cuisine, spread by Rene Redzepi and Magnus Nilsson of Noma and Faviken respectively, and glamorized by fanciful ideas such as hyper-locality have long stood firm in my brain and I came in Elske with perhaps unreasonable expectations. After all, its hard to compare Elske with a restaurant such as Noma which receives actually government support in its pursuit of culinary glory. On the other hand, I can be immensely shocked when a restaurant I eat at serves me food which is literally inedible. For the $90 I paid for the tasting menu as well as the $25 non-alcoholic drink pairing I would at least expect dishes and drinks that I could eat. Alas, this was not the case. The slices of venison loin I received were so overly salted, I couldn't finish them. A drink of turmeric was legitimately so strong, that the odor was offensive, and the taste repungent. We received a drink that was essentially distilled beet juice that I could have just as easily swiped for $5 at my local Jewel Osco. Overall, I found most of Elske's dishes to be perplexing, poorly garnished and simply lacking in flavor. Of the dishes I could eat, I found myself mostly confused at their composition as opposed to enjoying their taste. A tea of smoked fruit and vegetables tasted simply confusing, and a delightful piece of poached sturgeon was dragged down by a disgusting composition of creamed wax beans. A green garbanzo fritter tasted like a piece of falafel that I could have grabbed at Chipotle, and made my dinner seem like a confusing confection of grocery store ingredients instead of the delightful nordic dinner I was looking forward to. The highlights of the meal, few as they were, did make an impression. A delightful tart of duck liver was both light and incredibly flavorful. A delicious tart at the end of the dinner made an impression, and I was extremely fond of the texture of the frozen fennel jelly. Overall though, I left this dinner not only disappointed, but with every romantic conception I had of Nordic cuisine absolutely trashed. read more

My husband and I fill the dreariest months of the winter with a few exciting reservations that we can look forward to. We had been seriously disappointed by three we visited and were feeling pretty jaded before the Bar at Elske turned things around for us. We arrived on time for our reservation, but when we saw the cozy fire and blankets we asked if we could enjoy some gluwein outside first and they obliged. That experience was really lovely. We got two tasting menus with wine pairings and got another bottle on top of that and after tip totaled just under $400. So, the price point is ultra-special-occasion, but I recommend going all in. It's worth it. The steak, pate, and bread course really stood out to us, but everything was truly excellent. read more

I took my boyfriend here over the weekend for his birthday, and I have to say that I am extremely, extremely disappointed with our experience at Elske. I made this reservation just about 3 months ago and was SO excited to tell him about it. While the service was great, I can honestly say that neither of us walked away thinking that any of the 12+ items that we tried on the tasting menu were exceptional or outstanding. For a Michelin star restaurant, and especially at that price point, I find that shocking. The lighting / ambiance is also not exactly the best place for dinner or a romantic evening - it is extremely bright and the lighting is super odd. I appreciate the Danish minimalism concept, but I think they could do a much better job with the lighting. I also was really annoyed about the fact that the waitress was not very honest about the size of the tasting menu. I had heard from a friend who came here over a year ago that the tasting menu wouldn't leave you super full, so since we were both very hungry I asked the waitress if it would be a good idea to get the bread & cheese appetizer before the tasting menu, and she said that it was a good idea and that it wasn't that much food all together. The tasting menu ended up being a ton of food, which we didn't even want to finish because we had stuffed ourselves with the appetizer. Again, especially at a high end restaurant, I expect transparency from the staff and this was especially annoying because it's not like you can get the entire second half of a tasting menu in a box to go. In terms of the food itself, the presentation was great but everything seemed very salty. The fish was so bad I thought I was going to get sick. I was also not impressed by the wine list and drink options. I really don't like posting scathing reviews but Elske is definitely the biggest disappointment I've ever had in a restaurant. It wasn't great walking away with a $300+ bill for a meal that was so bad that I couldn't wait for it to end. read more

I had a fabulous experience at Elske for my birthday! As a heads up, parking here is pretty easy to score on the street. The restaurant itself has a nice ambiance and cozy vibe. On my way inside, I walked through their outdoor area which had plenty of seats and a roaring fire. Inside, you they have seating at tables or at the bar. I sat at the bar waiting for my friend and the other guests there were super nice and chatty. The actual food here is superb. I loved my swizzle drink and was blown away by the small bites of duck liver tarts, tempura sweet potato, and a divine cup of tea with a marigold cracker. I enjoyed the fish dish I ordered as well as the egg dish, but wasn't as into the other entrees I had (chicken roulade and lamb). The last two entrees were pretty heavy on the salt. Nonetheless, dessert here is INCREDIBLE. We tried them all and loved them--especially the fried bread and bay leaf ice cream. I will definitely return! read more

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The food here is overwhelmingly "meh." We ordered 5 small plates, and the best one was the bread...if that tells you anything about the quality of the main dishes. The grilled chicken wings were so salty they were barely edible. The pork shoulder gravy was gritty. The other dishes were not memorable. The part that irked me the most about our experience was the fact that our server never once asked us how the food was. It wasn't until the hostess was handing us our coats that we heard, "How was everything?" The cocktails (milk punch and champagne cocktail) were good, and the dessert (meringue and the cake they served for my husband's birthday) was very good. Kudos to the bartender and pastry chef, but the main dishes need some work, especially at these prices. If I pay $200 on a meal, I expect the be satisfied, and Elske left a lot to be desired. read more

Finally had the opportunity to check out one of the newer additions to restaurant row and had a great time exploring the Scandinavian influenced menu... Came in with the group so was able to order the whole a la carte menu (including desserts) The great: Octopus - one of my favorites, tender with a delicious beurre rouge Salsify dumplings - creamy and flavorful with oysters and salty bite from capers Soft scrambled eggs - by far one of the prettiest dishes although the outside was an omelet, I'm assuming the filling was the scrambled part with confit chicken Veal sweetbreads- surprising with a burst of sweetness from grapes Rabbit- came with a side of garlic panisse that was craveable Bread service- sucker for warm fresh bread Coconut sorbet with beet hibiscus fluff- so definitely didn't think this would be the favorite dessert since there is chocolate with speculoos on the list, but this was surprising, light with bites of mochi, definitely unique end to the meal The rest of the dishes were all good, would have a second pass on any of the entrees (and definitely had extra bites of the other desserts :) Look forward to heading back to try the tasting menu, it had a completely different list of entrees... read more

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This restaurant is definitely unique. If you like to experiment with textures , color and flavors of your food, you will become a devoted follower of Elske . I am ! . If you are more like my husband who prefers his meal in a hearty portion with a side of breadsticks and no judgement for using ketchup as a gravy - you will find yourself charmed by the setting and presentation but hungry and frustrated with the experience of tasting instead of eating your dinner. So, our opinions differ on this one . We ended up getting beer and burgers at the brewery down the street . I was cheerfully talking about the most thoughtfully prepared dinner we've just had at Elske on our way home , meanwhile my husband was absolutely thrilled with the particular brand of beer he accidentally discovered at the brewery. This polarization in our family is nothing new . We were invited for a dinner once to Acadia and my husband began falling asleep somewhere between the third and fourth course. Michelin stars mean nothing to him if you can't freely pass ketchup around the table. read more

There aren't very many places in the city that offer a synesthesia experience like the one that i had here. I've been wanting to try Elske out for some time now and haven't had the chance until tonight. The unassuming facade of the restaurant gives way to a wonderfully modern garden complete with fireplace. It's a very pleasant walk to the front door where I was greeted by the hostess and quickly brought to my table. The restaurant was busy as it was Friday night and while exciting, a bit loud for my taste. My server was wonderful and knowledgeable. She walked me through all the a la carte options as well and the pre fixe which is what I decided to go with. I can say that the food was wonderfully honest, pleasing and edgy. Each time that a new dish came I found new and unique combinations of flavors that I hadn't experienced before. At the same time, everything was subtle and not overpowering in the least. Many of the dishes provoked nostalgic memories of my youth and really brought the meal a touch of familiarity that I wasn't expecting. The dessert rounded out the experience and left me quite satisfied. read more

It's too difficult to go into detail about each dish in the meal but I would suggest to just come in with an open mind and an appetite! We had the tasting menu which I would highly recommend. We were able to request an item each (just because it sounded really good on the menu and we wanted to try it). I really wanted the octopus and the BF wanted the skate. Overall the meal consisted of lots of delicious flavors with interesting textures, and everything from fried fritters to savory tarts to hot soups. Service was warm and friendly. We had a fun time on this foodie adventure! read more

So I was disappointed at first that they would not let two of our four people get the tasting menu which would have made the restaurant more money. However, after several appetizers and different menu options, all the food was excellent and I would say it does deserve its Michelin Star. I personally had Guida cheese, anchovies, bread, and a pork loin main course. Everything was excellent. read more

Elske was absolutely fantastic. Top three restaurants I've been to in Chicago. We opted to go a la carte since many of the dishes were appealing to us. The standout dish was the dumplings with oyster sauce and broccolini. Delicious! Everything was amazing, but that dish stood out. We also had the mushroom, skate wing, octopus and grilled lamb. Great service, cocktails and ambiance as well! read more

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As Chicago-philes and erstwhile dwellers, we traveled a great distance to Elske and with great anticipation. Sadly, worst high-end prix-fixe meal, period. The main course of duck was underdone. The small plates (carrots, pate, asparagus done two ways) were reasonable but short of notable for a $90 per person meal. The wine flight was pedestrian with a few interesting touches (scandinavian white) but largely known geographic nuances. The one bright spot was the non-alcoholic pairing of 'simulated' wine tastes. I'd say the best non-alcoholic wine pairing we've had. We were enviously looking at the a la carte options that went by, which looked substantially more apropos. Overall, Blackbird's lunch was more imaginative and better executed. Elske needs a Boarding House style reset-and-relaunch to enter the major leagues that it is purported to be. Sorry Elske, I so want to be a fan, but you need to perform. read more

We have not dined at Elske several different ways, on their patio with kids, without kids and a pick-up take-home option during the COVID times. We have loved every experience. First, it was so wonderful that they allowed us to bring out kids and treat them so nicely. We did not have to purchase a meal for them as they were pretty young. As you know their menu will change frequently so I do not want to elaborate much on the food expect that it's pretty good. You'll have something more organic and cold, a fish and a meat most likely. We share a wine pairing and so far they have all been well described to us and paired nicely. I hope you are able to open up again soon! We'll be back! read more

We took the set menu with wine. Great food journey with small plates with taste explosions. Wine was also nice companion for each course. In the end it makes you fussy to drink every glas to last drop...nevertheless it is worth the headache on the next day ;-) read more

Incredibly underwhelmed, especially for a Michelin star experience. We celebrated our anniversary dinner here with the tasting menu + wine pairings. Service and timing were just a huge miss which was super unexpected. It started strong, but lacked follow up (e.g., things we discussed adding on at the start of the meal were never revisited and as the meal went on we received less and less attention). About halfway through we had a 20 minute wait in between two of the courses with no one coming by the table. When the course arrived we checked in on timing for the rest of it - and the next three courses literally all landed on the table at the same time. Then when the bill was dropped off no one ever spoke to us again- so we just got up and left once we paid. The food was pretty good but did not make up for the lackluster experience and service for the second half of the meal. When you don't get out for many kidless date nights (and especially not special occasions) you get pretty excited for a great experience and this was not it. read more

I enjoyed Elske a lot. The restaurant's atmosphere is a lovely balance between casual and elevated with indoor and outdoor space to sit, the tasting menu I had bounced around between classic dishes done well and more unique and creative plates, and the price is pretty reasonable (relative to other restaurants in this caliber especially.) Worth a night out for sure. read more

Decent restaurant with good service. I feel full with the set menu (bread, 2 appetizers, 1 soup, 1 salad, 2 entee and 1 desert). Wine pairing seems alright, but the duck liver and arctic char are my favorite. Seems a little overpriced considering the food ingredients and overall amaze read more

We came here for my birthday dinner. Love the ambiance and coziness of the place. We sat outside in this enclosed courtyard with a fireplace. Tip: use the blankets to make the chair more comfy. We did the tasting menu which is highly recommended for your first time. The menu is different and unlike anything I've had. I'm not sure I really knew what some of it was, but all the food was delicious. The first 3 dishes came out on one plates as small bites. The duck liver tart was the standout and delectable. The tea of smoked fruits and vegetables was most surprising. It was like a light brothy soup with mushrooms. Sooo yummy. For more of the main courses, both the poached halibut and stuffed quail were excellent. The wine went really well with the courses. It was also the right amount of food - left full but not stuffed. Service was excellent. They coursed everything out well and explained the good and wine with each course. It's expensive but a more "reasonable" tasting menu than some ($135/person for the tasting with wine pairing). I definitely want to return to eat more of their regular menu. Highly recommend. read more

Came back for our one year anniversary and this place is still one of our faves in the city. Sure enough, this time the french windows to the courtyard were all open and the view was gorgeous. Their price for the tasting went up slightly but judging by the food at the table next to us, it's still a great deal. We however, ended up ordering a la carte again because there were things that looked really interesting. Started with smoked trout & beets, such a beautiful summer dish. The sweet crisp beets were the perfect juxtaposition to the lightly smoked tender trout. The fermented black beans agnolotti with crispy morels and sweet peas was delightful - agnolotti were pillowy little puffs and the morels a burst of flavor. Softshell crab was delish as well, though I would've liked something more crispy than the wimpy spinach leaves, maybe try kale chips? The porcheletta was a beautiful dish - a piece of perfectly round slice of rolled pork belly adorned with edible flowers and caramel sauce. What really surprised me was the sweetness of grilled kohlrabi that came with the tender wagyu flatiron. I know what I'll be grilling next. Our server recommended an excellent wine for our dishes, a tad pricey but hey we're celebrating! We ended with the sunflower parfait which had the most interesting flavor. Love how they showcase fresh produce so beautifully. Next time I'm taking my dessert to the fireplace in the courtyard! read more

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Had the opportunity to dine at Elske a few weeks ago on a Saturday night a few weeks ago. We decided to go with the al la carte menu. Dishes main dishes that particularly impressed me were the octopus and mushroom. Excellent: Whole maitake mushroom: everything about this dish was great. Presentation, the plating, and most importantly the taste. The mushroom itself is roasted and dry adding excellent texture of the brittleness with the mild malleability of a mushroom. The pear cream sauce added a nice sweetness to the dish and mixed with the texture of the mushroom perfectly. Highly recommend this dish. The octopus was smoked and grilled was extremely tender. Hard to get everything in one bite but an excellent dish over all. The octopus comes hot hidden in a dome of purple trevisso. If you like octopus, you ll love this dish. The octopus is really elevated and transformed in this dish just based on it's texture. Chocolate tart with black/white sesame cream: salty sweet and chocolate with crumbly texture of the tart. Get it. Good: Fried skate, dumplings, rye bread dessert, riscotto The fried skate: Dish went really well together. Sweet/sour of the grape fruit and salty of the skate itself and slight bitterness of the fennel Rye bread dessert: different innovative, but didn't really blow my mind. popcorn added texture but it felt like 2 seperate deserts just in the same dish Riscotto: I was expecting great things from the riscotto but the celery fell flat of my expectation. In addition, the truffle really didn't add any pungent flavor of aroma to the dish. maybe it was the more kind of wet less brittle texture of the celery that made me not like it as much. Still an enjoyable and beautiful looking dish. OK but had flaws: The rabbit with escargot was a bit on the salty side, but the rabbit was very tender. The dish had a little bit of heat which was a nice addition but I really couldn't get past how salty it was. Would've passed on this to try something else Servers were friendly and attentive but our main waitress was a bit strange. When I ordered both the dessert she recommended and our choice, she later seemed to take it personally that we liked the tart over the rye porridge. She also proceeded to misplace my credit card after. Overall great experience, would come back if the menu changes or for the tasting menu. Come by and try it for yourself. read more

I can't say enough great things about this restaurant. First impressions are huge and the minute we walked into the gate to the wood burning outdoor fireplace with seating around it and fur blankets for your comfort, we knew we were in for a treat. The decor is very simple, minimalist, with clean lines and I love the bathroom! Maybe I am weird, but I always love to check out the bathroom(cleanliness) and I like to smell(and use) the hand soap. Elske's soap dispenser is really cool and I am now on the hunt for one in my house. Back to dinner....after reviewing the tasting menu, a la carte choices and considering my fellow Yelpers insight, we decided on the a la carte menu and we were extremely satisfied with the choice. We went with the following: -publican quality dark rye bread -cured hamachi -pan roasted cod -fermented black bean agnolotti -confit hen of woods The presentations were beautiful and every single bite was delicious. We also wanted the Yukon and spring onion terrine, but Jake (great bartender) felt we had ordered the perfect amount of food if we were also going to have dessert, which of course is a must! We ordered the sunflower seed parfait and smoked walnut pudding. Neither dish was what we expected and while both were amazing, I see why the sunflower seed parfait has been on the menu since day one....it's like nothing you have ever had before and I'm just going to leave it at that. But you MUST try it! Oh, I can't forget the craft cocktails of Sour and Stirred....Sour was the winner for me. Stirred was good but way too strong for my liking. read more

Came here for our anniversary. Very happy with the choice! We tried the set menu. They were very accommodating to hubby's dietary restrictions and the alternative for him were well crafted and delicious as whats on the original menu. Service was fantastic. Their ingredients sourcing is outstanding. I had the best kohlrabi in my life. Highly recommended! read more

Fantastic. This was the best meal we had in a week of Chicago dining. We did the tasting menu with wine pairings, and every dish was exceptional. I would recommend to anyone. read more

We enjoyed excellent food and excellent service at Elske. The restaurant was a sleek Scandinavian style. The dishes were so unique and innovative. Our first dish was a thin flat bread with a wonderful aged Gouda cheese which was served with a bit of raw honey comb and rhubarb sauce. It was a beautiful flavor combination. We ordered their sourdough rye bread which was crusty and delicious. Then we had an endive salad with walnuts and hearts of palm and a mysterious yet delicious white sauce. We had wagyu beef which was extraordinary. Any other words are unnecessary. We had veal stuffed dumplings which were beautiful, and risotto with extraordinary flavors and the occasional crunchy, toasted hazelnut. Many unexpected yet beautiful flavors melding together. This restaurant is a winner. If you go, you will congratulate yourself for great judgment. read more

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We came here for our anniversary meal. The outside has an open fireplace which smells delicious and sets the tone. We were sat right away. Our waitress took a little while to come by and then was awkward asking if we wanted to champagne. Of course we want champagne! The waiter at the next table definitely had a better just bring it approach. Then we ordered the endive salad which I was skeptical but was actually amazing with really nice balance in crunch, sweetness, freshness and bitterness. We then had the charred Leeks which were frankly a little too much with conflicting flavors that us both a little too overwhelmed. We then shared the risotto which was extremely rich and huge portion for how heavy it was. It was good but they can easily half the portion. Lastly we shared the seed parfait which tasted like a really amazing halva. I really enjoyed it. But then just saw another diner and her partner got a free dessert for their anniversary. So yes I want to like it, the vibe and a couple of the dishes are really amazing. However the service is hit or miss and we missed. Dear Elske treat people the same way, either give them all free champagne and dessert or don't give any of them either. Still for the quality of the food and the vibe giving them 4 stars. read more

I'm very confused by the reviews that are less than 5 stars for this restaurant. We came here on a chilly, rainy Friday night in June and started with cocktails at the patio fireplace. The fireplace was blazing and warm, the hostess wiped down the seating area for us and offered us blankets. We ordered our cocktails at the bar and the bartender insisted he take them outside to us and to enjoy the fire....I mean, really?! I felt like I was at someone's house! We then moved on to a table by the window. The restaurant was bustling. The space is beautiful and the aesthetic is set apart from typical restaurants in Chicago - Floor to ceiling glass, lofted, and a prairie style cantilever entry. We ordered the prix fixe menu with the wine pairings. It's not cheap, to be sure, at $135/person. It started with pickled radishes on a toasted..well, toast...of some kind on top of a bowl of spiced tea. You drink the tea with every bite - absolutely delicious! Each dish was tasty and eclectic. The rabbit was cooked perfectly rare end to end with a sear underneath. I mean, c'mon. If you're looking for a predictable, traditional wine pairing, then forego that portion and carry on with your own selections. The first wine we enjoyed wasn't on the menu. Another was orange. One white tasted like red if you closed your eyes after a bite of the food. While the wines weren't the BEST we ever had, they certainly added to our experience. This place is awesome. Take the nay-sayers with a grain of salt. They are being overly critical of this thoughtful, creative, delicious restaurant with exceptional service. read more

We dine at Michelin restaurants quite often, and this dinner was more eclectic than we had expected. A hybrid of American & Scandinavian cuisine that was a little too eccentric for our taste. The flavors and textures were interesting to say the least. Surprisingly, the dessert was the best that night even though it looked the worst. The server recommended the Sunflower Parfait with Sour Honey. It was good because everything else we had paled in comparison. We opted for the à la carte menu, but perhaps the tasting menu may have been the better choice. They join the Chi Michelin Star list for 2018 for their unique and risky fabrications. #1Michelin. Congrats anyhow! read more

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Just a fantastic restaurant! We went for my girlfriends father's 60th and had the top room to ourselves. Every course was very creative, and did an amazing job of throwing flavors together that we would never have expected. This is probably above the price point of a normal weekend stop, but for a special occasion it's amazing. read more

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Elske is New American restaurant tucked away in the West Loop offering beautiful Danish inspired cuisine. I was very excited to try Elske having been to Copenhagen this past year. The decor definitely brought me back to Copenhagen as it's minimal and all about the mid-century modern vibe. They also have a lovely outdoor area with a fireplace for when it will eventually be warmer outside. We were here for a celebration so it was a bourgie kind of night. We were seated right away upon arrival as I made reservations well in advance. The hostesses were nice and everyone was on top of cleaning up the plates and table throughout the course of the meal. The main reason for this review being 4 stars rather than 5 stars was because of the chaotic service from our server. Our server was a bit frazzled and stressed out. She also conflated pescatarian with vegetarian and I was a bit nervous since it was a major dinner that was a surprise. I had to be very clear that we eat fish since that is pretty much all over the menu here and is a staple of Danish cuisine. We started off with some delicious cocktails. They were fabulous cocktails, a bit pricey at about $13 each, which is pretty typical for nice restaurants in the West Loop. I had the Glogg, which was soothing and complex with almond, red wine, brandy, and spices. It also came with a cute little ginger cookie. My dining companion had the Scotch cocktail which had a cranberry grenadine and lemon. It was quite intense to drink, but also refreshing. Their cocktail menu is pretty small but they offer high quality drinks. Since we were at Elske for a celebration, we decided to do the tasting menu at $85 per person. It includes 8 courses, so while it is expensive, it was worth it for how unique and beautiful everything was. You do have the option of the wine pairing for an additional $45, but that was a bit too much for me. They were able to make a couple of changes to their tasting menu to make it pescatarian friendly, which was highly appreciated (otherwise we wouldn't have gone there). Most of the tasting menu is pescatarian friendly (not vegetarian though as it's fish heavy) and they just switched out the two duck dishes. I really enjoyed how they had the chefs bring out their dishes and present it to the table. It made the experience more intimate. We decided to add the dark rye sourdough with the cultured koi butter for $7. It was absolutely scrumptious but I thought it should've been a part of the tasting menu already. The tasting menu felt very customized and it was endearing to be able to meet the chefs who created such a unique dishes. The opener was a a light caviar toast served with a tea of smoked fruits and vegetables. I really loved the smokiness of the tea, but it wasn't overpowering at all. The toast had a little caviar, dill, and radish creating a nice, salty crunchiness. I have never had anything like it before and I enjoyed its novelty. The next dish was a little mushroom tart with a caramelized top layer and a buckwheat crust. The texture was incredibly smooth with umami flavors. It was a perfect two-bite tasting portion. One of my favorite parts of the tasting menu was the sprouted lentil crepe with a smoked whitefish salad and tarragon. The crepe was so flavorful and the smoked whitefish really complemented symphony of flavors well. I love crepes and would like to see more on restaurant menus. It was also a perfect little portion. For our fourth course we had the salsify and endives with a mild cream, burnt bread, and black truffle. Mild flavors, but an incredibly unique dish. The endives had a refreshing crunchiness on the firmer rye bread. While I saw the black truffle, I didn't really taste the truffle, which was slightly disappointing because who doesn't love truffle flavor? As the courses progressed throughout the night, they got slightly heavier in a very gradual manner. For our fifth course, we had the roasted monkfish with an onion soubise, parsnip, and preserved lemon. The fish was perfectly made and I loved the onion soubise. The lemon drizzle had a mustard-like flavor, which added some zest to this dish. It was mild and all of the flavors blended seamlessly together. The sixth course was supposed to be an aged duck breast and we substituted it for the confit hen of the woods mushrooms and their celery root risotto. These were definitely the stars of the night. The hen of the woods mushrooms came with a chestnut, pear cream, and thyme. Hen of the woods mushrooms are such remarkable mushrooms. They were crunchy, savory, and provided plenty of umami flavor in contrast to the more subtle pear cream sauce. I did enjoy the light chestnut flavors. But my absolute favorite dish was read more

Some of the best and most unique food in America. The vibes are comfy but elevated. Excellent front of house makes you feel at home, and the outdoor fireplace glows strong enough to liven up the inside. The sourdough bread comes out perfectly warm and is delicious even without the tangy cultured butter. The leeks with cheddar and hollandaise foam is one of the most creative dishes I've had and has an evolving taste that never gets boring. The celeriac risotto has all the rich tastes of the rice version but eats lighter and is a textural marvel. The chicken was perfectly stuffed: juicy, tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. The sauce was immaculate. The desserts shine with delicious novelty. The lemon myrtle pot de crème contains layers of melon and herbal flavors under perfectly smooth sorbet, with juicy and delightfully chewy textures against the smooth and creamy bottom. The sunflower parfait is perfectly balanced in flavor and texture. The nutty parfait works beautifully with the pollen covered crumble and the sour honey topping. Highly recommend. read more

Decor spot on. The tasting menu was awful! The desserts was luscious however. Spent $445 for a party of 3 that left hungry and very very disappointed .very underwhelmed. read more

Went here with my husband for a drink at the bar after work and ended up trying half the menu. I'm not sure where the bad reviews came from because this is one of my new go-to's in Chicago. The cocktail menu was small but we tried three of the drinks and they were all delicious and used really interesting ingredients. For food we tried the bread and butter, which is simple but so tasty. We also ordered the gouda and crackers which I have been thinking about for the last two days. Also the agnolotti with morels was insane! I would come back just for that. Of course after a few drinks and some food, we had to get a dessert so we ordered the fried bread with chocolate sauce. We were so full but it was worth it. The staff was so friendly and attentive even at the bar. We sat by the fire with a drink at the end of the night. Definitely coming back here as often as we can! read more