This spot is super sweet in the cute Andersonville neighborhood with other good lowkey restaurants. I went on a Thursday night in late July and they were clearly understaffed. However, that wasn't too much of an issue as we never waited too long for anything. The cocktail I had was gin with watermelon and mint and it was extremely refreshing- made me want to be on a beach. You have to get the hummus and pita starter with a protein of your choice. Wasn't the best pita I've had but still good and the falafel we got was fluffy, soft and stayed together nicely. FIYA is a fun place to split small plates and/or a good weeknight spot. P.S. Their patio seemed super nice but we didn't sit out there read more

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Truly one of the best restaurants in the city. And the most original. And now that they're open for breakfast and lunch an even wider range of flavors has opened up. We just had lunch there and lordy it's good. Around here we're used to calling this type of food Middle Eastern--and you will get the dishes you love like hummus a babaganoush, though your head will explode at how much better they make it. But their cuisine encompasses a wider range of Mediterranean and near east cooking so you'll get combinations of flavors that will blow you away. Like the Haloumi--salty and sweet and so darn yum! You think you know what a falafel tastes like? Nope. You don't. And what you think of as pita, they call laffa. I call it pillows of heaven. t's summer. They have a patio that makes you feel like you've stepped into the very place this food was born. read more

FIYA was a great find on a spontaneous trek to the Edgewater/Andersonville area. We had an early, light dinner with cocktails here and would have given them five stars had it not been for a couple shortcomings in execution. FIYA has a lovely patio in the back for outdoor dining, but also the ability to open the front of the restaurant wide - both very welcome for pandemic dining. Since the patio was nearly at capacity when we arrived, we chose a single table right at the front which had no other tables nearby. The staff wore masks properly, and QR codes were out for online access to menus. FIYA has a small but well-curated dinner menu, and I think most would find something to enjoy. FIYA is in reference to the gorgeous wood oven in the center of the restaurant, so we made a point of ordering the wood fired cauliflower as one of our dishes. It was beautiful and came with creme fraiche topped with zhugg - it was nicely browned on the outside but not quite cooked through, leaving the interior a little too crunchy for our taste. We also had the Moroccan cigars filled with tilapia, which were absolutely delicious, with nicely spiced fish inside a wonderfully crunchy crust. If we were more hungry we definitely would have ordered another batch. We each had a cocktail, and both were excellent: the grapefruit gin and tonic was very refreshing, and the blood orange sour was delightfully fruity and sweet (but not too sweet). We also ordered the olive oil cake with figs to go - thrilled to learn we snagged the last piece. Unfortunately it was a little dense for our taste. Others have mentioned service issues, but we had none. Our server was very welcoming and friendly, as well as happy to answer all our questions about the food and the restaurant itself. All in all, we had an enjoyable evening. read more

FIYA - Wood fired whole cauliflower with creme fraiche and zhugg. Stunning presentation! - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Been here many times over the years and never had any problems until this past Friday. The wait person and especially the hostess acted unprofessional and Ill trained. I will never be back. There are many good restaurants in the area with professional kind service that I'll go to. Came in around 4:30 to meet a friend during happy hour and for dinner afterwards. Asked the hostess if it would be okay to sit by the bar area and she said it was fine. Ordered a few drinks and a large appetizer type platter for us to share. My friend was running late and I told my waitress when I flagged her down. She never mentioned any issues with it. My friend ended up being really late, but we were still planning to have dinner. They told me I had to leave because they needed the table in the bar area around 6:45. I've been here many many times staying 3-4+ hours and never had an issue. Other people in the bar area were there just as long or longer. There were other seats in the bar area that were empty. I was so shocked that this happened that I just paid and waited for my friend inside the front entrance. I still had his glass of wine that I ordered. He shows up ten minutes after that and we decided to go to Uvae and had an amazing time, $400.00 amazing time. The next day, I looked at my receipt and they charged me full price instead of happy hour pricing. The owners really need to retrain these people. read more

Are you kidding me with this chicken schnitzel?? So good! And everything that's pickled - we enjoyed too. Divoon!

Walked in and the man behind the bar waved menus at us and said "Here". I didn't even understand what he meant at first because he literally barked the word. Ordered the eggplant sandwich: four pieces of eggplant on top of a piece of pita barely moistened with hummus and four small pickle rounds. The salad was so drenched with vinaigrette that I couldn't eat it. Will not go back. read more

Restaurant says it's modern Israeli cuisine. Food was ok, but ambience was better.. there are def more authentic middle eastern food spots in the city. read more

I was looking forward to this evening as I was meeting a friend I had not seen in over 3 years. Unfortunately, FIYA disappointed big time! We ordered the lamb humus which was good. However, my Moroccan fish (salmon) tasted old and was not edible! My friend ordered the chicken and he was unimpressed. The service was lacking. At one point we had used plates from the appetizer when the main course arrived. The server placed the two main course plates at the opposite end of the table and did not remove our used plates. We had to moved our used plates and reach for the main dish (I actually burned my hand because the dish is served on an iron skillet. The drinks we ordered were sweet and did not taste like they had any alcohol in them. While the setting was very nice (we sat in the patio) everything else was very disappointing. read more

Nice atmosphere, attentive waitstaff, food good but overpriced for what you get. Definitely not for the budget conscious with large appetite! read more

Wow wow wow I've had Mediterranean cuisine but never like Fiya! Hands down THE best hummus and I'd go back just to eat that. The vibe inside and on the patio is a thing- a must check out place in Andersonville. Bring some friends and share a bunch of different things so you can try everything (isn't that the way to do it??) Don't forget the hummus! read more

Reservation-less on a Saturday evening, we arrived at 5pm to try to get a spot on the patio, to no avail. However we did have a fun table by the sidewalk with the front doors open and were able to enjoy the lovely evening there. We shared the hummus with lamb and fresh house made pita. Yumm highly recommend. We brought an extra order of pita home to finish up the hummus the next day for lunch (and excellent choice since the bowl of hummus is a lot). Next we shared the cauliflower balls. I can't remember what they are called on the menu but they were unique and yummy. The Moroccan fish and beef kabobs rounded out our meal. We were happily full and satisfied with our meal and service. Recommend. read more

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I've been FIYA thrice already, and it is fantastic. My go-to when in the Andersonville area. Highly recommend the hight-top counter area, from where you can watch food being baked/roasted in the fire pit oven, if you can snag seats. You cannot go wrong with the hummus and pita here. The chargrilled flavors of the soft pita complements the tangy, nutty hummus with absolute perfection. As far as entrees go, I would recommend the crispy potatoes, cauliflower fritters, and shakshuka for brunch; and the whole roasted cauliflower and whole roasted chicken for dinner. Drinks could be better, but hey, you're not coming to FIYA for cocktails or happy hour, so it's a happy compromise in exchange for the great food and atmosphere. read more

Food was good. Service was ordinary. The room was nice. Will probably return. Plenty of street parking. read more

The patio is super cute! I recommend this place for a brunch or a light lunch. The kabob was delicious.

FIGHT FIYA WITH FIRE... Was absolutely heartbroken yesterday. Aside from Piccolo Sogno my FAVE courtyard for dining is at Fiya in Andersonville. Owned by Mindy Friedler and her hub --who totally upped the sandwich game when they came to Skid Row West Loop where I lived for 30 years--this stunning, modern mosaic molded plastic "Moshe Ssfdie-esque" space spirts s glorious modern sculpture of an oven that warms my heart & churns out the savory cuisine that is my heritage snd the balm of my soul. : (Before I became too ill to cook and had to disassemble my home chef kitchen. I baked daily batches of pita...katchapuri...koulourakua atop flat river stones in cast iron sheets in ocen i tempered with armloads of fresh grown dried zaatar. ) I have twice dined with others at Fita -- once in the courtyard and , on another occasion, in the front open window and was served royally. HOWEVER each of the four times i've shown up solo-- my usual state( ALWAYS WITH RESERVATIONS) u am treated with INDIFFERENCE, DISDAIN, DISREGARD & OUTRIGHT DISRESPECT... kinda like shit on a shoe. I awoke yesterday morning with a plan. The weather was stupendous. The Andersonville Art Fair was in full swing. I decided to do my mile swim in the morning at Lakeview Athletic , then head straight to Andersonville for the Fair & dinner at Fiya (As my friends know, I'm doing my farewell to Chi flaneuring; while i prepare to relo to the Coachella this winter in the hopes of improving my flagging health). Since its difficult for my blind eyes to navigate online anything, i poked my head in into Fiya's open windows around 2; corralled a manager type and booked a solo in the courtyard for 5PM; telling him I'd go walk the fair and show up about 5:15. . Though in pain flateup from my rigorous exercisectherapyv ( hence my need to flee the Midwestern climate ) i meandered the sidestreets... managed to add a few items to my wardrobe...abd parked myself on a bench for 2 hours to wait for garden grubtime. I was the very first person to arrive at Futa. I killed about 10 minutes thumbing through the great collection of cookbooks on the bar which I can no longer read, though I can still see the pictures At about 5:35 i was followed by three beautiful young women. The Maitre welcomed them cheerily snd abswerwd questions before offhandedly motioning me to join them as they headed to the back I reminded him about the paper menu -(white cane moi can't do Q-codes unless the venue has an ipad they can lend me). He brought us all into the back courtyard together ...seated the 3 beauties FIRST at a glorious umbrellaed table ...and offhandedly waived me over to a miserable, bare, unadorned 2top against a bare fence under a speaker. ( did not produce a printed menu and didn't even pull out the chair or perform any nice cities one usually expects when dining in a place that doesn't use red solo cups...and then dusappeared) at first I cut him slack figuring he had gone to get the water pitcher NOPE. GONE. After 5 minutes watching every other table, beswooped upon by Obsequious waiters, explaining all the fabulous fare , i stood up; flagged down a random server & began heading toward an EMPTY beautiful twotop overlooking the second level. As i explained the reason for my move i saw him go and buttonhole Maitre D who came running into the courtyard shouting how THAT lTABLE was for people with RESERVATIONS ---causing the heads of everyone at the five or succeeded tables to swivel and look at me as though I were a street person who'd walked in from the alley to squat in bparadise. . When I responded that I HAD a reservation which HE had made; he gruffly pointed to a 4 top adjacdnt to the crappy table I had left and announced in a very loud voice,: "...YOU CAN SIT THERE..MA'AM( grrrrrr) BUT YOU HAVE TO BE OUT OF HERE IN AN HOUR!!!" Against my better angels i lowered my tush. However; after 15 minutes SANS WATER SERVICE OR MENU, I GREW A " SET" & UP & LEFT... I hied myself down the street to Lady Gregory's--a pleasant, if ubiquitous, pubgrub joint w street seating. Where I was welcomed by a friendly server who did not attempt to move me from my four top, even though the others were swiftly filling up. There i ordered a Killarney double whiskey which I gulped to soothe my frazzled nerves and temper my disappointment . And an Old English Cheddarburger on special; which I had packed up after 20 minutes-- the limit my painful broken body can sit at a high top. Sadly i will leave town without the sweet n szvory & yeasty & charred flavors of Fiya in my mouth n belly. Bad on them for making ne feel small and unworthy every time i e passed through their portals. .Not only bad restauranteuring but anathema to the Middle Eastern tradition of simultaneously welcoming everyone either whom you break bread as family and honored guests. read more

Came here for my birthday. The staff made the process of making the reservation particularly difficult and demanded a minimum 2 days out from the reservation. At that point it was too late to change locations. They stuck us in the back indoor room and refused to accommodate being seated outdoors. The service was inattentive, and the food was extremely overpriced for the experience. read more

I really wanted to love this restaurant because I'm a local and love Mediterranean food. I was disappointed when we were asked for a phone number for contact tracing immediately upon entering (not optional). I brought my parents from out of town here and they felt uncomfortable at the lack of hospitality from the hostess even though we each showed vaccination cards before being seated. We ended up having a very nice young waiter and he had a great sense of humor. Overall the food is good, a little higher price than I expected. They only serve one pita with a huge appetizer so it's hard to share, and charge extra per pita.The wood fire grill is the most interesting element here. I would only come back if a friend wanted to try it out, but won't be a regular since there are better places in the neighborhood. read more

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Food was wonderful. Ambience was wonderful. The owner was so nice, friendly, accommodating and personable. We especially appreciated the spontaneous Israeli birthday treats. read more

This review is for the customer service not the food. I meet my friend for Happy Hour this week. She arrived before me and ordered a few appetizers. Once I was situated, I noticed that the table was wobbling and was going to ask for something to put under the base to level it. I soon realized the table top was broken as not attached property. I brought this to the server's attention and she agreed ,move us to another table in a different section. Turns out that section doesn't have Happy Hour pricing. The manager who I believe is the owner told her to inform us after we were seated and ready to order. I pointed out that our table was broken and there was not another available in that section. I was told we could sit at the bar. There's a nice family-owned Italian restaurant with great customer service down the street. Next time! read more

Fancy cocktails, interesting variety of Middle Eastern foods. Ok service but fantastic hostess. Worth checking-out. read more

FIYA - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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A lot of Mediterranean food can come across as more of the same but this is the first such restaurant I've come across in some time that stands out. I had the Salatim, which included labneh, Jerusalem salad, roasted corn, a baba ghanouj-like spread, matbucha (tomato jam), and charred pita. The flavors were subtle and robust without overwhelming, and the presentation was very appealing. Our server was thoroughly knowledgeable, thoughtful, and engaging--checking in at all the right times. All in all, a great experience! read more

FIYA - Decent selection of beers on tap... - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

excellent food, very roomy space, friendly staff, they have a big patio in the back too. while having an oven in the middle of the interior the space is very breezy. makes dining a pleasant experience. loved every dish we were served. the hummus is soooo good. so is the freshly baked pita bread. changed my opinion on hummus lol really enjoyed the lamb sausage too. will definitely be back to try the jerusalem lunch for 2 read more

FIYA - hummus - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Some of the best falafels I've ever had. I would sell my kidney for those falafels again. Also good hummus and pita, but not organ donation worthy . Both times I've been the waiters have been great. My only complaint is that sometimes it's a bit cold inside, so bring a jacket. read more

FIYA - Falafel - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food was incredible! My entire party enjoyed everything we ordered! Stands outs were the Khachapuri, Heirloom Carrots, Steak Hummus, Whole Chicken, RainbownTrout and Za'Atar. Just take all the sauces and dip away with the amazing pitas! read more

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I've been coming to Fiya for a while & have really loved the food in the past. I've found that the menu has had some changes in the last several months - making some items available for only lunch & some for dinner. Something has been a little 'off' the last few times I have gone, but I'm sure that has to do with everything surrounding COVID & small businesses being effected. The katchupuri shakshuka is solid & great for splitting. I like the chickpea hummus as well - the last time we went, our pita was not cooked all the way through but we ate around it. The schnitzel dinner was solid - I would go back for that. The star of the night, though, was the Za'atar fries. I don't think they're listed on the dinner menu anymore but they are my absolute FAVORITE part of eating here. (not pictured because we ate them way too quickly) read more

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Amazing place! Rate 10/10. Food was so delicious, very authentic and sooo fresh. Tried a few stale options including the steak pita and steak hummus. And the Moroccan fish which was a tilapia. Everything was so so good. They have a fun variety of drinks and cocktails too. Definitely one of the best Mediterranean restaurants I've ever been to. The vibes were also in point. Loved the spacious seating area and the design of the place made it a very nice experience. They also have a gorgeous patio in the back but it was full so we didn't sit there. The service was also very good. We definitely felt taken care of. Definitely a place that we're excited to come back to and bring our friends to. Thank you for that awesome experience. read more

FIYA - Israeli food - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Wow! My husband and I stopped in for dinner tonight (around 6 on a Saturday night) and they sat us immediately even though we didn't have a reservation. We were SO impressed with everything! The service was amazing from everyone. Our server was helpful and explained their menu to us but gave us plenty of time to decide. After we each for a glass of natural wine, we ordered the hummus with falafel, sweet potatoes, and skirt steak to share. This is some of the best food we have had in SUCH A LONG TIME! I regret not taking a picture, but it was so delicious we just forgot. We finished the meal with the orange olive oil cake and a glass of the Zachlawi Arak, which was the perfect end to the most amazing meal. We came on a whim and had a lovely experience. I wish we had gotten our server's name, they were wonderful. The ambiance was great and the whole meal was top tier. I cannot recommend this enough for date nights or groups willing to share meals family style! read more

FIYA - Orange Orange-Olive Oil Cake - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We came here for Valentines day which was a set menu. The restaurant was taking appropriate safety precautions, with tables well spread out and sanitizing liquid available upon arrival. Our server was attentive, but not intrusive, which was great for Valentine's Day! But the star of the show is THE FOOD!!!! So tasty and flavorful and perfect portion sizes for a three course set menu. This is a great addition to the Andersonville neighborhood!!! read more

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With the restaurant week menu we didn't try many entrees but everything we had was really good. Our favorite items were the starter that included several appetizers, the chicken schnitzel, which doesn't sound very Levant but was a unique presentation and delicious, the Khachapuri, and a unique and flavorful pistachio martini. Also, the dining room is comfortable, the staff is fantastic, and they have a surprisingly varied beer list. Maybe it's a bit pricey but what restaurant in the neighborhood isn't. Our experience was definitely better than their current rating suggests. read more

Really great pitas and lots of dips!! I loved the whipped feta and chicken pitas. I ordered the dips platter, which was great to try the different options. Very cute inside area and great service! read more

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we came here a few months ago and dined in one of the outdoor spheres they have on their back patio. The food was okay, service okay but it just did not hit the spot for us. read more

Food was oustanding! Jerusalem brunch and lamb bacon were phenomenal . The Moka pot coffee was spectacular. We will definitely be back read more

FIYA - Jerusalem Brunch - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Order both hummus. A must. Freshly made pitas were A+. Ordered both lamb sausage & lamb bacon. Loved it. Not for everyone. Turkish Eggs? Sounds funky, but it was the best entree we had. read more

Had a fabulous meal here with a friend. Hannah was our server, and she was really on top of things, and never intrusive. The food was fabulous. We had the lamb, hummus, the eggplant, and the schnitzel, I enjoyed the ambience, and I thought the price point was very reasonable. I highly recommend it! read more

Secret gem of a middle eastern spot! Delicious and authentic foods true to the region, lovely outdoor patio.

First time at what looked very appealing from the outside. I walked in at 8:35pm and the waiter/host were confused or at least seem confused as to where to sit me. I didn't understand why or what was going on but later learned through the bartender that last seating was 8:30pm. However they sat me at the bar and immediately noticed behind bar staff cleaning and prepping to close. Definitely felt uncomfortable and addressed it to the bartender. We all hate being that person. He was kind and said it was okay. However as I'm waiting for my food, I over heard staff behind the bar complaining at someone that was ordering drinks ( lemon shots to be exact) this definitely made me feel uncomfortable thinking they are actually upset I got seated. Later the someone came and just threw my food and didn't even acknowledge me. I felt I almost knocked my over. It's unfortunate that the food was good yet the service wasn't to its tasting level. If staff is that desperate to leave, perhaps the restaurant should consider NOT sitting customers an hour prior to closing. I order the Roast Chicken, pretty good. read more

The patio was lovely and the waiters were incredibly helpful and funny. The salatim was delicious. The hummus was incredible and so were the olives and feta dip. The drink was sweet and refreshing and not very strong. Forgot to take photos of the halloumi and khachapuri. Both were good ( there really wasn't any bad food) BUT the fries were incredible. The seasoning was phenomenal and the mayo paired perfectly. read more

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If you're in Andersonville, do yourself a favor and experience the fine Levant cuisine at Fiya. The service, food and setup were all legit. The only thing I didn't like was the bread pudding dessert... But I'll give them a pass because everything else was stellar. The steak pita and fries were quite good, and so was my sausage patty appetizer. 5 stars read more

FIYA - Sausage, steak pita, and hazy IPA. #legit - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We had such a great time here! They have the perfect patio in the back that is cozy, but lots of room between tables to keep up with this COVID era. The front looked to have great seating, too, with their front doors opened. For the food: Getting a full bowl of their chummus is a must. It tastes as if you flew all the way to Israel and got a fresh bowl. It's light, creamy, perfect amount of toppings, and paired with the most delicious and fresh pita. The beef was our pick and we loved it. We also got the khachapuri and za'atar chicken schnitzel sandwich. Both were very good and full of flavor. The schnitzel came with a side of za'atar fries, which is the first time I've had them presented in this way. They were shaped similar to chips, but crispy on the outside and soft and airy on the inside. They were so good! Pro tip: get a side of amba (pickled mango) as another dip for the fries. Also, the food was prepared and out on our table very fast, which we appreciated as we came hungry! Our waiter was very attentive, which is always appreciated! And dog friendly patio! Cannot recommend Fiya enough! read more

FIYA - Khachapuri - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Oh my god. Israeli. Cheesecake. Insane. AND THEN baklava. Wow. Will be going back for sure.