What a refreshing experience after the more and more standard looking tasting menus elsewhere. The…read morefood was thoroughly original and excellent, especially the savory. A true tasing menu. You gotta cut through the shitty entrance, the lack of decor and dress code and the distractingly loud music and focus on the food. Then it will all make sense. Definitely worth a repeat visit. This may well become my favorite Chicago restaurant.

Memorable experience for sure. The best dishes were the "simplest." The ravioli, sablefish and…read morewagyu. Appreciate the interesting flavors and bold creative direction each dish takes you even if it didn't always quite land.I like the irreverent punk rock vibe this experience was going for reflected by the graffiti like paint on the walls, the all-over-the-place playlist (in a good way), the unassuming entrance and they way the staff dress.

It's a bit hidden I love the way it feels when you come in. You walk into a stanch, give them your…read morename and they escort you to your table. Love the Wall Street 80s theme along with the 80s music. Each dish was presented very well by all the different servers. The food was beautifully prepared and tasted incredible. Really enjoyed it.

On our anniversary trip to Chicago the first nights meal was at Next. The Michelin Starred…read morerestaurant that's part of the Alinea group. Next changes up menus several times a year, and our menu was 1987 Manhattan. Bottom line - 5 star review - From ambiance, to service and most of all to the quality of the food. That differentiated this meal from the one we had at Alinea in 2018 was that there were no molecular gastronomy, just good quality cooking, some of it reimagined in innovative ways (Shrimp Cocktail & Oysters Rockefeller for example). It was a great progression. We didn't get the actual menu until the end but it was very thought out. Everything was very good, not a single miss in the 10 courses. My wife and I both agreed that the Pasta Primavera course was the best of the bunch. Beautiful plating, a fresh respit from the previous rich dish - the Oyster Rockefeller, and just very flavorful. My second favorite dish was most likely the Turbot. The Chorizo-Mussel Veloute served with it was intensely flavorful. Both animal proteins - Chicken and Wagyu were perfectly cooked and moist. The Chicken was a play on Chicken Kiev and had its sauce on the inside that poured out when the chicken was cut. The dessert was flamed with some sort of alcohol, sort of like a baked Alaska, but there was no ice cream in it. It tasted like a strawberry and cream dessert to me. This is the only thing that my wife had criticism for. She said hers tasted like some of the alcohol had not burnt off, maybe with a little petroleum aftertaste. She was also very full by then. Next did really well with the pairings. I have to admit that I love wine, but am not a deep expert. My wife and I enjoy all varietals. When we dine a la carte we often order things we haven't had before rather than old faithfuls. So my comment on the pairings is that I enjoyed each of them. I'm very glad the traditional gin martini was included with the shrimp. And it was a good variety of wines. If you didn't tell me I wouldn't have known if they were higher end wines or ones that are more affordable. One thing that our palates aren't really built for is the older aged reds. Just not our thing. I think you need to drink more of those kinds of wine to really appreciate them. The pairings did enhance the meal however. All in all in all if we lived in Chicago, next would be on our agenda each time they changed their menu. But, since we don't live there, I'm happy we got to experience their 1987 Manattan Menu!!

Wow. Wasn't sure what to expect walking in. Didn't read any reviews, just saw that it was a…read moreformer chef from Oriole. In any case, food was excellent. Really interesting dishes with great flavours. It's a fixed menu where you have options at two of the courses. My friend and I shared everything so we go to try different dishes. But there was a third main we wanted and they let us add it on. Our server Larry did an excellent job. Checked in us enough without making it feel like he was hovering. He also had a good sense of humor which is always appreciated. Drinks were tasty. My only issue was I pressed two drinks, and the first was the old fashioned and it was like three sips. The second drink was a super heavy pour and I was feeling it after drinking it. So they need some consistency there. Will for sure go back. I do expect this place to get popular, and it's not big, so go while you can.

Wow! I had a great experience here for my 1st wedding anniversary dinner. They just opened not too…read morelong ago but I have a feeling they will do good in West Loop. Dining area offers a pre-fixe 5 course menu for $145 or a la carte. 2/5 courses are chosen by you so there is room for choices. The bar area is for walk-ins with a different menu offered. We were greeted with a card wishing us a happy anniversary signed by staff which was very thoughtful. I got the Mallorcan highball to drink. Their drink menu goes from lowest to highest spirit which is helpful. I wanted something light and fruity to drink and the Mallorcan highball is exactly that! Def recommend for the girlys. Course 1: The first bites come on a wooden lazy susan which was so cute. I could've eaten like 20 of those bites. Our fav was the sweet corn bite - tastes like an elote. Course 2: We both chose the Hokkaido scallop. Very light and refreshing. Came with more pieces of fish than I thought. Presentation was great! Course 3: This was a pasta dish with a chicken broth. Came with a grain toast which was great. The pasta paired perfectly with the broth. Very savory. Course 4: My husband chose the ribeye and I got the quail. Both were delicious! The texture and flavor of the quail was top tier!! This course also came with a side of white beans from Italy. Course 5: This was a blueberry cheesecake dessert with a corn cookie and yuzu ice cream. Amazing!! They also brought out mini strawberry cookies. To end the night, we got sent home with some miso sesame snickerdoodle cookies. Such a treat!!

There are dinners and then there are experiences. Oriole was definitely an experience…read more It starts before you even walk through the door. The entrance is unmarked and honestly, if it wasn't for the confirmation phone call explaining where we needed to go, I'm not sure I would have picked the right door. Once inside we were greeted and brought into an old freight elevator where we sat and were served tea. After the tea, the big elevator doors open horizontally and you're escorted to the bar. Pretty cool way to start the night and right away you know this isn't going to be a normal dinner. At the bar we were served bunches of fresh greens with different sauces for dipping, along with a perfectly paired drink. Sounds pretty simple. Greens and dips. But it was refreshing, flavorful and just worked as a way to start the meal. From there we were escorted right into the kitchen for our next course. We had reserved the Kitchen Table, so instead of being seated in the main dining room, we were right there in the kitchen watching everything happen just a few feet away. For a food lover like me, this was probably the best seat in the house. I probably spent way too much time watching the kitchen. The organization, timing and how everyone moved around each other was pretty amazing. There is a lot going on, but it never felt chaotic. Everyone knew what they were doing and where they needed to be. The tasting menu was around 14 courses and I'm not going to try and describe every one. The menu changes anyway, and honestly I don't think listing 14 dishes really tells you what Oriole is about. For me it was the whole experience. Moving through the different spaces, the pacing of the meal, watching the kitchen, talking with the staff and of course the food. The presentation was incredible. Some courses were delicate, others playful and some you just looked at for a minute before eating. Food served over ice, beautiful little bites, different plates and vessels. You really didn't know what was coming next. But as beautiful as everything looked, it still came down to flavor. And the food delivered. Service was excellent. Very knowledgeable and polished without being stuffy. That's important to me. I want to enjoy a meal like this, ask questions, talk about the food and not feel like I'm sitting in a museum afraid to touch anything. Is Oriole expensive? Yep. No getting around that. But you're also not going there just because you're hungry. You're going for the food, service, presentation and the whole experience. Having the Kitchen Table made it even better. Sitting there eating this level of food while watching the people making it right in front of us was pretty damn cool. One of the highlights of our Chicago trip and a night I won't forget.

We began with tea by the elevator, moved into the cocktail lounge for cold bites and drinks, then…read moreinto the kitchen before finally being seated in the dining room. It felt like you were being welcomed into the chef's home. The ambiance was incredible. Modern black-and-white interiors, exposed brick, candles everywhere, and quiet, intimate atmosphere made it one of my favorite fine dining spaces. 9.8/10. Service was fantastic. 9.7/10. Water was constantly refilled, cocktails were offered as soon as we finished our drinks, silverware and plates were replaced immediately after every course, and the staff even walked us to the restroom. The lounge bites were all solid. The Uni was the best I've had, sweet with an amazing crunchy base. 7.5/10. The Bluefin Tuna was my favorite thanks to the crunch of the fresh nori. 8/10. The Dungeness Crab was good but didn't stand out as much. 7.5/10. The paired cocktail was bright, refreshing, and beautifully foamy. 8.7/10. The Foie Gras Toast was another great course. The buttery brioche paired perfectly with the sweet foie gras cream. It wasn't revolutionary, but it was executed really well. 8.7/10. The champagne pairing was one of my favorites, especially with the giant popping boba-like sphere at the end. 9.5/10. Once we moved into the dining room, the seafood courses were refreshing but didn't wow me. 7/10. The Carabineros Prawn served over steamed egg had an interesting flavor combination that didn't completely land for me. 6.5/10. The main courses were where Oriole really shined. The Turbot was phenomenal with perfectly cooked fish and an amazing crunch from the toasted genmai. 9.7/10. The tiny milk bread was adorable and paired well with the creamy koji butter, although the bread itself was pretty standard. 6/10. The Squab was incredible. It reminded me of a really flavorful sausage, and the rye & black cardamom canelé was one of the best I've ever had with its crispy shell and chewy, rice cake-like center. 9.7/10 and 9.6/10. The A5 Miyazaki Wagyu was the best steak I've ever had. The inside practically melted in my mouth while the outside had the perfect sear. Combined with the rich sauce, every bite was delicious. 9.9/10. The Habanera palate cleanser was refreshing but the flavor didn't work well for me. 4/10. The Fennel Pollen Pavlova was well crafted, especially considering how tiny it was, but I wasn't a huge fan of the herbal notes in the dessert. The caramel sauce definitely brought everything together. 6.5/10. The final Cacao course had my favorite presentation. The pâte de fruit gummy was fun. 7/10. The candied cacao nib custard had an incredible mousse-like texture with a delicate shell and was one of the best chocolate desserts I've ever had. 9.8/10. The bonbon was delicious, but more of a classic chocolate bonbon. 8/10. Cocktails were excellent. Love Me Or Leave Me was fruity, smooth, and easy to drink without much alcohol burn. 9/10. Love Potion No. 9 had a little more alcohol flavor but was still fruity and refreshing. 8.5/10. Overall, Oriole delivered an incredible experience with some of the best service and ambiance I've experienced in Chicago. The cocktails were fantastic and the main courses were outstanding. I was just expecting a little more from a restaurant that's often considered the best in the city, but it's still my no. 2 in the city right now!

Great service and intimate dining room. Good variety of food and appreciated the use of seasonal…read moreingredients in new ways.

Tasting menu- 3.0 - I hate to say this because maybe it was just the menu I don't mesh well with…read more Service- 4.0. It was expected for a Michelin. First and foremost the service was impeccable and I know the kitchen worked hard to execute these dishes. But to be honest this menu was just a miss for me. We also did the wine pairing and I unfortunately maybe enjoyed half the pairings. I understand when you get an award it puts on the pressure, but overall I was disappointed. I have looked at other menus at different times of the year and it did seem more intriguing. No menu item really stuck out to me besides the agua chile so maybe because that was at the top of the menu it made other dishes underwhelming? I can see that the sommelier tried to make a unique pairing, but I think it was a bit overboard and we found us reaching for the water more. I do appreciate that you can do a split tasting because sometimes we don't want all that liquid along with the meal. It was a good amount to be shared with two people so consider doing that if you aren't much of a drinker. Would I come back? Maybe. But I would want to see the menu line up first and we know how hard it is to get a reservation so booking in advance could prevent my decision in coming back.

Boka was a special dining experience. The restaurant offers an intimate, cozy atmosphere, and the…read morestaff were wonderful. They were attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely helpful with their recommendations. We opted in for the vegetarian tasting menu. Each course was thoughtfully prepared, beautifully presented, and full of flavor. Nothing felt like an afterthought, and the menu offered an impressive variety of flavors and textures. We were super full at the end. The restaurant also prepared a special birthday menu with all the great dishes the chef made for us that day. Some of our favorites included the Cherry Tomato Tart, Smoked Turnip, Chestnut Ravioli, and Roasted Maitake Mushroom with Meyer lemon and black truffle. The Chocolate Tart and Elderflower Panna Cotta were the perfect finishing touches along with the birthday ice cream popsicle. Overall, Boka felt intimate, elevated, and impeccably executed. It was clear that tremendous thought went into every dish. This was a truly memorable meal, and we will be back :).

I got a bar seat reservation for the missus and I (two) at 7:15pm on Sunday, September 6, 2026. The…read morefront desk was courteous - they give you a key for your bags (looks like an ancient key) as part of bag check, and led us to our table at the leftmost side of the bar. The bar seating itself wasn't super crowded - but every booth and table looked like it was taken, so that was interesting. On my way to the bathroom I saw their numerous michelin years of guide and stars. It's noticeably missing 2026 - and after having dined here, I kind of get why. For a drink I got the local Eris Pedestrian cider. We debated getting the chef menu ($195/each) , but we ended up ordering a la carte: chicken liver mousse ($9/each, we ordered two), roasted veal sweetbreads ($30), black truffle chicken ($43), and roasted dry aged pork loin ($51). We later ordered a financiers for dessert (forgot the price). We were full after eating everything that we ordered, but given the lack of quality of the cuts of meat, the small portion sizes, and the extremely high cost, it's hard for me to recommend this place. If this is what Michelin star-quality food tastes like (at least in Chicago), the Michelin evaluators here have either no actual taste buds, or are awarding stars for "vibes" only. The vibes are fine - don't get me wrong - but the food here isn't anything worth writing home about. Dish by dish: mousse was decent, the veal was kinda dry, the chicken was very dry, and the pork loin, while decent, wasn't as special as we thought it'd be. Financiers was kinda sweet but it was actually the only part of the meal I truly enjoyed the bites of. The post-meal truffle thing was too sweet for the missus so I ate both. The cider was... Pedestrian, as the name implies. Definitely the most fitting name for the drink. The bathrooms are down the stairs - so it's terrible for those in wheelchairs or that are mobility challenged. The bathrooms themselves are high-quality - which is part of the experience, but idk if it's "worthy" of adding stars to a mediocre food experience.

This new restaurant was in a very high ceiling modern space and faced a small park. The food and…read moreservice was excellent Menu was heavy on sea food which was wonderfully prepared. I had a roast chicken that was beautifully done. Noise levels were tolerable and easy to have conversation. Each of the four of us really enjoyed the meal and considered it superb.

What remarkable place hidden on N. wells. The food is adventurous with a French twist and seafood…read moreforward. The wines are interesting and we tried a couple by the glass. We particularly liked the Domaine Taillandier. We started with a half dozen of Chesapeake oysters which were perfectly shucked. The Pain au Fromage is a must which is a baguette stuffed with cheese, sumac, and pomegranates. The pomegranates cut thru the richness of the cheese. This is almost its own meal. The ocean trout was smoked and in a delicious sauce. The Turbot en Brioche was also a star! We saved room for dessert and shared the chocolate Granache with salt and olive oil. The service is outstanding and helpful particularly our server Cpooh. The menu draws us back to try other treats!

Good value compared to other Michelin star menus. Nice portion size, leaving full but not…read moreexploding. Excellent cocktails. Intimate setting with just 7 seats at the chef's counter and 12 in the dining area. 9/13 dishes were great. There's no "smoke and mirrors" at the chef's counter. For an additional $20, we received two extra courses and an intimate look at a high-functioning, high-pressure kitchen. Chef Norman Fenton's exacting expectations are on full display. It's a masterclass in attention to detail, though the transparency comes with a side of tension. I loved the honesty of the experience, but if your goal is a serene conversation over dinner, the main dining room is the play. 5/5 Would be sad to never have again (1) * Chamoyada: Palate cleansers are always refreshing, but this was next level. Fruity and fresh heaven. 4.5/5 Great (8) * Chips and Salsa: Impressive to finish like a true salsa and chip. My wife loved * Chicharron: Rich corn and cheese dip. * Aguachile: Stunning visually. Lovely chile broth. * Quesadilla: Truffle uses well to round the dish. Super rich with black garlic. * Lamb: Super rich glaze. Great accompaniments from the beets and sauces. * Pineapple dessert * Horchata chai: Banana pieces were incredible. Good sweetness level. * Finishing bites: Nice 33% and 66% chocolate. Fun little bites. 3/5: OK (3) * Ravioli: Ravioli inside was rich, but overly so. Nice corn sauce but there was a corn component on the outside of the dish that had an unpleasant chewy flavor. * Tacos Dorados/Bluefin Tuna/Toasta: Love the idea of taco flight, and a great mix of textures. But none of the taco flavors hit for me. * Black Cod: Great components, but a sum that added up to less not more. Ultracrispy kale, but it tasted far better on its on. Nice green sauce and cod. Chayote texture felt out of place for me. 2/5 Not good (1) * Michelada: The Modelo beer foam dominated what I'm sure was lovely oyster.

Let me start by saying that curated Chef experiences are new to me and realistically outside of my…read morecomfort zone. I've never been a fan of someone else telling me what and how to eat. Wow... what a great experience. From the first course, a zesty oyster to dessert the experience was not what I expected and in a good way. I won't do the Chef a disservice by trying to describe what we were provided but know this the Taco Omakase is well worth the trip. Seriously, if you can make it in you need to do so It is well worth the effort.