Everything was great! Food, service, ambiance…read more Took my son and his girlfriend there for his birthday. We all loved it and definitely coming back. Don't miss this gem!!

Dined here with the hubby during Valentine's Day weekend. They had a special Valentine's menu…read morecurated for guests to order from. I was so excited for this meal cause Amaru has been on my list for so long! Piononos: They had me at chorizo stuffed plantains. A nice latin twist from the usual bacon wrapped dates. Highly recommend! Pulpo gallego: I don't think I've ever had octopus with beans before but it surprisingly paired very well together. Love me a nice charred octopus and this one was delish. Cuban oxtail: I still dream about this unique pasta dish!!! Great flavor. Wish there were more agnolotti because I had a lot of oxtail meat leftover by the end of the meal. Lomo steak: Such a pretty delicious dish! 5/5 stars all around! Highly recommend to share. Guava cheescake: I LOVE anything guava. The cut and presentation of the dessert gets a 5/5 for me. The slice was as long as the plate! Great way to end the meal. Overall, everything was great - the service, food, vibes, etc. I would love to dine here again :)

Items ordered:…read more Tetela (stuffed triangle-shaped corn masa, chicken tinga, sour cream, creamy chipotle, queso fresco) Costillas De Res (braised short ribs, tomato, onion, charred avocado, brussels sprouts, blend of guajillo & ancho chiles) I was in Chicago on a work trip, and had a rare off night with no plans. I decided to check out Tzuco, one of the restaurants of chef Carlos Gaytán, who competed on Top Chef. The style of cuisine here could probably best be described as contemporary Mexican. It was incredible, and I only wish I got to try a few more of the dishes. I booked a spot at the Kitchen counter. This is already a unique experience, as it's right next to the kitchen, and I had a view directly into seeing the preparation of all the food. I could clearly see the various stations, with one chef focusing on salads and ceviche, another two just focused on cooking proteins, and the one right in front of me finished and plated all the dishes. Because the plater was so close, I got a firsthand view of pretty much every single dish that the restaurant serves. The chefs were incredible, working at a breakneck pace. Every dish looked absolutely perfect heading out to the tables. The one dish that looked absolutely stunning, but I didn't order, was the mussels. It had a beautiful looking saffron-based broth, and all these little accoutrements like sautéed onions and pickled jalapeños. I was wearing slightly fancier clothing, and I didn't want to get that broth all over my shirt. The server was very friendly, and gave me a rundown of the menu. She politely tried to dissuade me from ordering both an appetizer and a large main, but I told her I had been fasting all day, and I was ready to take in some calories. She ended up talking me into the Tetela, a stuffed corn masa, and the Short Rib. Apparently the other proteins that the restaurant is really known for are the Cochinita Pibil (pork shank) and Barbacoa (lamb neck). My second choice was the pork shank, but ultimately I decided I'd rather have a beef main than a pork. Also, I regularly make slow cooked short rib, so I was curious how an elite restaurant would treat it. The Tetela was served first, and, oh my, it was just a total flavor bomb. I normally don't like queso fresco and sour cream, but I decided to just eat everything, including the sauces, the corn shell, and the chicken filling, in one bite, and it was heaven. I completely cleaned the plate. The red chipotle sauce was probably the best part of the plate for me, although the masa itself was really good too. The main was the short rib, which was absolutely stunning. First of all, I got to see the protein by itself resting in the kitchen prior to them plating it. It is a HUGE piece of meat. It was accompanied by some flour tortillas, charred avocado, a tomatillo-based salsa, some pickles, fresh herbs, and a pinto bean puree. I wanted to get everything into one bite, so I made tacos for everything. It was some of the best tasting food I've had, but with more acidity and more spiciness than I'm used to (in a good way!). The short rib was so tender and unctuous, the best kind of fatty. And every little thing served its purpose. The green salsa was really good, and the charred avocado in particular just added another layer of richness and fattiness to the short rib. I cleaned the whole plate for the short rib also, and at that point, I was probably pushing 3,000 calories. I didn't even look at the dessert menu, although I'm sure it would've been good also. If given the chance, I'd love to come back and try a few other dishes, especially the mussels and the lamb neck barbacoa.

It was so lovely to make it back to Tzuco! The last time I ate here was in 2022 so when I was back…read morein Chicago for work this month, I knew I had to make a reservation. I sat at the chef's counter (one of my favorite things to do especially if I'm dining solo) and took in the sights, sounds, and smells of the kitchen. I started with a ÚLTIMA PALABRA and it was fantastic! Honestly this should have been my drink of choice all night. For food I ordered the tuna ceviche and pulpo enamorado. Tuna Ceviche: incredibly delicious and fresh with a smoky kick. The yuzu cut through the fattiness of the tuna so well and it was my favorite dish of the night Pulpo Enamorado: I wasn't sure about it after my first bite as I thought the octopus had too much of a char. After sharing this thought with the manager when he checked in on my meal he let me know that taste was due to the salsa macha. HOWEVER, once I pairs the octopus with the pickled carrots, peas, potato tonnato aioli it was a match made in heaven. The octopus was cooked well and was super tender I ended with the Maiz for dessert which was such a delight to eat! The charred corn ice cream was encased in a candied (?) corn mold, caramel, toffee, orange purée, honey gelée with caramelized popcorn. I also had a Michelin-starred Chef Carlos Gaytán sighting! This trip solidified Tzuco as one of my favorite Chicago restaurants.

I have had this place on my wishlist as a follower of Chef Sandoval. Fortunately, Toro was RIGHT…read moreacross the street from our friend's wedding venue at the Radisson Blue Aqua in Chicago so we had a nice Ftiday lunch in April of 2026. First of all, it is absolutely gorgeous inside! I am in awe of the fine details and want to meet the interior designers! Our waiter, Moe, was personable and friendly and offered us great recommendations. It was about half full at the time we were here - I saw a lot of people ordering the plantain chips! They must be good! We didn't order them, however. My boyfriend and I each got the weekdays meal deal where, for $29 a person, we get our choice of a salad or soup, then our choice of the entree, and a drip coffee and dessert. Since half the entrees cost nearly $29 to begin with, this is a great deal! I chose the kale salad with dressing on the side. My boyfriend chose the butternut squash soup. In our relationship, sharing is caring! So we each tried each other's food. My salad was unique - I liked the dressing and I LOVE when fresh fruit are in salads! We both liked the soup as well and finished both our appetizers. As is my tradition, I had to get their cubano. It is a very large portion, but I love cubanos! The pulled pork was pretty fatty but like, the perfect amount of fatty for the unhealthy sandwich that is a cubano! My boyfriend got the kimchi salmon entree. I'm not big into salmon, but he liked it! The dish is gorgeous, by the way. Chef Sandoval is a master in the art of making a dish very colorful. Look at that avocado! So fresh! The drip coffee was fine. And my side of French fries were the least interesting part of our meals. We didn't feel the need to finish the fries. Our meal deal dessert was a large chocolate chip cookie. My boyfriend ate his chocolate chip cookie right away. I had a bite to see how it was fresh, learned it tasted fine, and saved the rest of my cookie for later in the day for a nice afternoon treat! In all, after tax and tip, we left full and happy for about $75! Not bad for Chicago!

Solid hotel spot! This was a nice place to grab some drinks and snacks pre-dinner. We were able to…read moresample a few of their tacos (happy hour) and a margarita tower. The food took a bit to come out and they graciously provided us with free guac, which was a nice bonus and a testament to service! The food was good, nothing I'm craving days later but a nice place to grab a bite. The atmosphere was nice as well, the place felt warm even in the very cold wind. Overall a good spot especially if you're a hotel guest, or you're heading for their great happy hour deals.

We were late for our reservation, but they were able to accommodate us anyways at the bar. We came…read morefor happy hour appetizers and drinks. All of the appetizers we had were absolute dynamite. Both of the cebiches were fresh, well balanced, and offered different experiences than each other. The bao was straight up delicious, sometimes baos can be a miss and this is something I'd definitely order again and recommend. The pork belly wasn't all fat either which was my favorite!! Anticucho de Pollo was also very yummy. Cocktail I had a Chicha Punch which wasn't exactly my favorite but it's because it's a red wine and tequila mix, the red wine didn't do it for me. I tried my husbands pisco cocktail though and that had something to offer! The bathroom is down some stairs, so keep that in mind. The ambience is very cool, you could do upscale or casual here for sure.

Went for an early dinner on a Sunday, it was not busy at first but filled up pretty quickly. Hip…read moreand fun ambiance inside. Some tables are pretty tight together, so be sure to ask for separated table and seats if you wish to have more space. Staff were friendly, however not very attentive throughout our meal, hence the 4 stars. We ordered a little bit of everything to share and try: cebiche, empanada trio, lamb chop, arroz marisco and desserts. Portions were generous and goof for sharing, we ended up with some leftovers to take home too. Overall a delicious experience and would recommend!

I was curious about this spot mostly because it confused me. After eating there, it still confuses…read moreme. I got the empierogis (what a cute portmanteau). I thought it would be like a pierogi with Colombian spiced filling. After waiting for some time, I got a plate of pierogis topped with braised beef. What I got what very meaty and good, but not all what I was expecting. The portion was ample and the pierogis themselves were quite good. I don't love huge portions of just meat, but for someone who does, this spot delivers in spades. While the service was friendly and helpful, they were quite slow, especially for a lunch spot in a food hall.

I gave it another try and it was better this time. To compare to my previous review I tried the…read moreKielbasa Perro again. It was pretty much the same but a bit warmer. Mainly the service was a lot faster this time around. I'm planning to go again and try something more exotic.

I went here with my best friend and my hubby to celebrate my birthday with a great birthday dinner…read more We were in the Chi already visiting Atlas Stationary as a self-proclaimed station and fountain pen freak so we figured why not?!? I had heard great things about Carnivale prior to so please note that prior reservations were already made but regardless, it was all our first times there and we were stoked to finally try this place out. When we first got there, the outside was very unassuming. Some awesome graffiti on the wall (yes, angel wings included) and lots of color which made me so happy! As we entered, we were greeted by lots of colored flora on the walls and the floor. It led to a beautiful lounge where we checked in. The hostess was quite kind and they escorted us to another room that had multiple floors, two I believe. We were sitting in the main dining area where dining tables were set up and the ceiling lights and decorations were super-duper colorful. It was brightly lit and festive. Seriously, the colors alone could make anyone happy and do a serious dopamine overload which was fine with me. We sat down, was introduced to our server, Oscar and then given menu's. I genuinely thought that this place was pretty small initially because it looked small from the outside but boy was I wrong! This place was MASSIVE. But! I digress, now that we had our menu's-- Let the party begin!! We started with the ceviche tasting which included four types of ceviche; shrimp, Yucatan style hamachi, salmon and tuna. All were really good with their own really distinct flavors but our top favorites were the salmon and the tuna. The salmon had a kick while the tuna had a great balance of heat and sweetness. Great way to start of this dinner! My bestie ordered coconut shrimp and smoked mushroom croquettes for her main meal. My hubs ordered the carne asado while I ordered the lechon asada. I also want to add that we ordered Mexican street corn on the side alongside mashed potatoes and Peruvian Jalea. Ah and before I forget, we also ordered our drinks which consisted of a: sangria, margarita, Cotton Candy Cosmo and Salva Honduran Pilsner. All were spectacular and made the night that more enjoyable as well! When we received our food. We were all really enjoyed it as we all shared our bites amongst one another. The coconut shrimp was well breaded and you tasted the coconut as well. The shrimps were large and juicy. The smoked mushroom croquettes were good with a smokey flavor and good breading, however, the breading may have a been a little thick because you couldn't really taste the mushroom,m unfortunately. The carne asado was the star of the show. Well seasoned steak, cooked medium rare which was juicy and succulent. The lechon asado was good. Although I'm not used to eating lechon asado that is covered in sauce, the sauce was super tasty so I didn't mind the tender, juicy pork that was covered in it. I really enjoyed it. I think the only thing that I wish was different with regards to my lechon asado is that I wish it were hotter because it was luke warm when I received it. Other than that, it was....*chef's kiss*. The Mexican street corn was alright, it honestly just tasted like regular corn with mayonaise in it with some cheese. Didn't add anything significant to the meal. The mashed potatoes were soft but not too soft and buttery. They were really good and then the Purvian Jalea was another favorite, super good! The calamari, fish and shrimp with the Purvian Jalea were absolutely delicious; fresh, tasty and well breaded. It was absolutely yummalicious. To top the night off, they gave me a little birthday treat of cotton candy and carmel popcorn. We also had some tres leches which was so yummy because the fruit was fresh and you could taste the milk in the tender cake and then we had the chocolate cigar. The chocolate cigar was also really good, everything except the label was edible, It was smokey, chocolately and delectable. It's presentation was also so creative. We all loved it. Overall, this restaurant is SUPER PRICY but SUPER WORTH IT. I am so glad that I was able to go there to celebrate a special occasion because it would not be a place that I could go to on a regular basis but as much as I wish I was, ya girl ain't rich like that. The service was superb, the employees were kind, the food was fire and drinks were scrumptious. If you're looking for a fun, Latin cuisine inspired, creative, yummy way to celebrate a birthday, anniversary or other special occasion with a fun Latin twist--look no further, that is it! Check it out and you won't be disappointed. Now, I'm sorry for my novel and you may now go back to your normal programming schedule. If you do end up coming here and loving it -- i told ya so ;)

I'm not sure how long it was when I first visited Cranivale but it was definitely before yelp…read morereviews and it definitely wasn't this big so fast forward to maybe 20 years it's definitely more beautiful. Very nice and what a great entrance it has. The rooms and the different feeling each one gives is pretty awesome. The upstairs is where we were invited to attend the party bc of the invite and it was very lounging and nice. There's a Latin room where we wanted to go but next time we will. Then there a bigger room with lots of dinner tables and another upstairs.

First time coming to Chicago and all my friends told me I had to check this place out! Located in…read moreLincoln Park, it is away from the hub-bub of downtown Chicago. The menu features a variety of Spanish tapas, pintxos, small plates, and Paella. You are meant to order plates to share with table. Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba really prides themselves in serving authentic Spanish food and providing guests with a unique experience. The restaurant itself is very cute and has a fun vibe about it. There are plenty of seating options and a gorgeous bar as well. Service was wonderful! Our server did an excellent job checking in on us, refilling waters, and just making sure we were satisfied with everything. We did get a reservation via OpenTable, this is always necessary, but I would recommend doing this, especially on the weekends. We ordered a couple plates to start and the ended up ordering more throughout our meal. I really love that you can do this, it paces the food and allows you to enjoy the experience more. We put in orders for 2 of the goat cheese baked in tomato sauce, a patatas bravas, Spanish olives, and Spanish meatballs (Al Jerez). The food came out in a timely manner and was served made to order. We dove right in! The goat cheese was luscious and perfect on that cold afternoon. It's baked in their old world Spanish oven and served with house garlic bread. This dish was super creamy, with a nice tang from the tomatoes, and just phenomenal. The patatas bravas were just divine! The spicy potato's were cooked to perfection, crispy on the outside and yet soft on the inside. They paired perfectly with sun-dried tomato aioli they were served with as well. The Spanish Meatball were decent as well. They had great texture and I really enjoyed the sherry tomato sauce they were served in. For our next round, we had to order more patatas bravas because they were just that good! We also got some calamari and extra bread for the remaining baked goat cheese. The fried calamari comes with tomato crudo and a jalapeño aioli. It was nice and crispy, nothing too special but still hit the spot nonetheless. Overall, I was so happy my friends and I came here! The food was amazing all around, no complaints at all. The service was great as well. They are very accommodating and do a great job taking care of guests. Loved the interior of the restaurant, it was super cozy! I will definitely have to return next time I'm in the area to try more tapas. Highly recommend!

V wanted to come here, so of course, here we are. We've dined here before, once together, and each…read morewith our respective work-groups in the distant past. Parking is sort of a pain, you have to find street parking, might have to pay, or you can use their $20 vallet parking. V made me drive, and I misjudged how far we'd have to walk. Not a good start. We arrived at 8:20pm on a Sunday, while they close at 9pm, they serve until 9pm, and the place doesn't clear out until 10pm, so we were good. We were greeted and seated quickly in a fairly crowded dining room. My aging eyes found the menu difficult to read with small print on yellowish paper, so I used the light on my phone. It's not pretty, but neither is ordering food when you can't see what it is LOL. Our waiter greeted us promptly, and took our drink order, and offered up a specials menu. As I'm driving, I just got iced tea, V ordered a pitcher of passion fruit Sangria. He said the Sangria wasn't great, I tried some, and I thought is was drinkable. It definitely has a kick as V got a bit giddy as the night progressed. V ordered the Seafood Paella (takes 45 minutes), so as a starter, we ordered the Fried Calamari, which was sadly overcooked. It was half crumbs, though the sauce was tasty. With time to kill, we followed that with Lamb Brouccetta (no seasoning, just lamb), on a bed of French Fries (star of the night), grilled potatoes (yummy dipping sauce), and grilled peppers, which were quite tasty and unique. The Seafood Paella arrived, and it was massive. Food for two and then some. We didn't need all the appetizers except for killing time, so we ended up with a lot of Paella to go. I don't like Paella; it always tastes fishy, although this Paella was at least edible, unlike what I had in Barcelona. The waiter was attentive and had a spark of personality. Vigilio thought the bar area where we were seated was loud, but I didn't have any issues talking.