Was looking for a spot to watch the game & came across Ila's. Great spot. Really cool vibes. Listened to some live music. The owner was really nice. The food was really good. Highly suggest the Sweet Corn Agnolotti and The Quinn read more

Ila's - The Quinn - Comfort Food Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

When I was planning my sister's bachelorette party, I wanted to find a restaurant near our hotel that could accommodate different dietary preferences (i.e. no pork, vegetarian/halal, etc.). I found Ila's on Google and liked the variety of menu items. The food appeared to elevate comfort food from multiple cuisines, such as American, Italian, South American, Asian, and Southeast Asian. I reached out to the restaurant and was assisted with a reservation for 14 people. Our table was set and ready to go as soon as we arrived at 8:30pm on a Saturday. Overall customer was excellent. Thank you to the hostess for making my sister, the bride, feel special. She complimented her and hyped her up for the night, which was really sweet. Our server was awesome too. He was friendly and highly attentive. Loved that our food and drinks also came out in a timely manner. I enjoyed everything I ate. I had a few bites of the appetizers including the scallops, fried paneer, and 2 kinds of empanadas (corn and chicken). We also got lumpia and a mixed bread platter for the table. Though I didn't have any of the latter, they were a hit at our table. I got the burger as my entree, and it was such a redemption from a crappy burger I got elsewhere earlier in my trip. The double smashed patties were juicy and flavorful. I devoured the burger and loved the thin cut fries. All-in-all, we had a lovely dinner at Ila's for my sister's bachelorette party. read more

Last minute after-work HH at Ila's and it didn't disappoint. The Gin Blossom was shaken to order (love a fresh craft cocktail over a pre-batched one), and it showed. We also tried the chicken & corn empanadas and the cheese pesto flatbread--all solid. The only downside was that it is super quiet with only a 3 parties including us, so don't expect a buzzing happy hour scene. The space is absolutely gorgeous though, with beautiful interiors, comfy high-end furniture, and great service. Hoping this place gets the love it deserves. read more

Ila's - Gun blossom - Comfort Food Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Loved this place. Came in for dinner and the staff was very friendly. Music wasn't too loud and everything we tried was great. I had very strict dietary restrictions and the waiter helped me navigate the menu and provided options within my diet. AMAZING EXPERIENCE. We will 10000000% be back to try the full menu as soon as I am able to! Definitely recommend for a date night or any time. 10/10 read more

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Wow. Just wow. This place is amazing. The ambience is second to none. I love sitting at the bar with the comfy welcoming bar stools. The service is impeccable. And the food- has Indian fusion flares. I also had the burger, one of the best in town. The owner was super nice and friendly. I'm going back again this week. read more

Our family ate dinner here in April and were very impressed with the quality of the food and the service. We had the empanadas to start and then the short ribs, a burger, halibut, and lamb birria pierogies. Everything was delicious, beautifully spiced and elegantly presented. Honestly, the ambiance was a bit loud for us, but our server was extremely helpful and moved us away from a table with one incredibly boisterous fellow. They did so discreetly and quickly and our experience was much improved as a result. The restaurant itself is lovely, with beautiful decor and lighting. read more

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Great brunch dining experience. They had live music and a special event with local small businesses the day we visited. The space is beautiful and the service is top notch. We shared the grilled peach salad and the chilaquiles. I would highly recommend giving this place a try. read more

Ila's - Comfort Food Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We weren't planning on stopping in here but it looked cute from the outside! We went after happy hour on a Friday and sat at the bar. Our bartender Miguel was awesome! Super friendly and nice, we chat with him for a while. Our drinks were delicious! We also had some shots, shoutout Miguel, that tasted like a margarita. Very cute inside, would come back! read more

Ila's - Ube cocktail - Comfort Food Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Best redemption I've experienced by far! The empanadas are soooo good. Will be getting them every time I go. The flatbread is good as well, nothing out of the ordinary. I wish it was just a little bigger tho but that's not a real problem. The drinks and cheesecake were excellent as always. The fry board was a special that they had and all the variations were phenomenal Service was wonderful, no complaints at all. The restaurant ambiance was much better than last time with the snowflake lights removed. It gave a much more intimate, dinner time feel this time. Can't wait to go back there! I would love to try some other dishes on the menu. read more

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I don't know if they were short-staffed, but it took roughly 2 1/2 hours for a salad and 2 entrees. Food was alright but not worth the wait. If I could have been out in 75-90 minutes my review might be much higher. read more

We stopped in for a few drinks before dinner and it was a great spot! We ended up grabbing an appetizer of the paneer cheese bites which were delicious! The staff and owner are so sweet and kind! We will be making a trip for dinner one of these summer evenings! It is a beautiful inside! read more

Ila's - Comfort Food Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'm bringing everyone back here. I am still not entirely sure what I would categorize this cuisine as (Indian-Japanese-Filipino-Italian fusion??) but wow everything I had was incredible. The bread plate was phenomenal with really new and rich flavors, bread baked to perfection. I can't rave about the ube based cocktails enough. We had the corn pasta and carrot pesto, both so unique and full of flavor. And even the salad had fresh flavors that complemented the meal so well. The service was attentive and the ambiance is very homey. I will absolutely be coming back! read more

Ila's - Bread plate - Comfort Food Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Very cute interior, great service, lively atmosphere, definitely hit the mark on elevated casual. We were able to get dinner reservations on the day of. For parking you definitely should use Spothero or ParkWhiz, as it's in a very busy/lively part of River North. We loved meeting the owner who was chatting with and checking on guests in the dining room. The menu was really creative and sounded amazing, totally up my alley, so was super excited to try Ila's out for the first time. Unfortunately, and it pains me to say this, but the food itself was a miss for me, and the prices felt steep for the portions. We ordered the empanada duo, grilled scallops, birria lamb pierogis, and sweet corn agnolotti, then the Japanese cheesecake and drip coffee. The positives were that everything tasted fresh, and the flavors of the dishes were good ~ especially the empanadas, scallops, and agnolotti. The main issue was the texture of some of the foods. Other than the empanada (which had a great texture and flavor), the agnolotti and pierogi dough were not right ~ thick, rubbery, and dry, which was exacerbated by not having enough consommé for the pierogis. And the coffee - it honestly tasted like Folgers (though I'll give them the benefit of the doubt) - which took me aback as it was a $7 drip coffee. I'm not discounting Ila's and I truly wish them success. But I think there's some work to be done in terms of execution. read more

Ila's - Scallops - Comfort Food Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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So so good!! Love the decor and the personal touch with the family photos in the front. The food was phenomenal. Everything was so flavorful, I don't think we got anything we didn't like. Shout out to the veggie burger and the achari paneer! You could tell the veggie burger patty was made in-house..it had lentils and beets and other vegetables...super flavorful with a slight kick. The staff was very friendly, especially the owner. Will definitely be coming back soon. The only thing I would change is to pair the Japanese cheesecake with another sauce. In the previous yelp photos it came with another sauce; ours came with what tasted like lemon juice. It tasted good but much better without the sauce + the whipped cream. Overall, really good though! read more

Randomly stumbled upon this restaurant while strolling down the street. We were actually in search for another bar but we decided to come in since Ila's looked so clean, new and the bar area felt very welcoming. We were too full from dinner to order their food so we just ordered 2 cocktails. I'm not sure what my husband ordered but I got the Quinn. Presentation is great and it also tasted delicious too. Will try to come back and try their food if we have time! read more

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Walked in at 5PM and was shocked it wasn't more busy inside! It's a lovely atmosphere, very intimate and cozy. I got an ube sour that was delicious. My table also got the fried paneer appetizer to share which was divine. Salty, but with dimension. For my main I got the sweet corn agnolotti and wow, mind blowing. The sauce on top had moments of tanginess and the sweet creamy corn inside was so, so good. Each piece was thick and generous and it went so well with the sauce overtop. I really need to come back and either get this again or order more stuff off the menu. I hope this place becomes more popular! read more

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The service was phenomenal and the food was great too. I met up with a friend Friday night and we grabbed a seat at the bar. The bartender was extremely friendly and recommended the Birria Pierogies. The filling was good, but the sauce didn't penetrate the shell well so it left it a bit dry. For the main course I got the burger which hit. read more

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Wonderful experience! Enjoyed the food, the atmosphere and the server. Very innovative menu with many interesting dishes.

To say I was beyond impressed by this place is an understatement! I'm shocked how easily we were able to get a last minute table for 6, but I have a feeling that won't be the case for long. Every dish was perfectly cooked and flavor combinations were delightful! The octopus was cooked to perfection and was so tender. The halibut just melted in our mouth. Portions were appropriately sized and not too big. Other highlights included the Ube sour, not too sweet and such a beautiful presentation. Table spacing was wonderful and conversation was easy since it wasn't too loud and we weren't too close to other tables. They have bathrooms upstairs and downstairs. They even had the Bears game on at the bar which was a plus for a few folks on our group. Highly recommend this place, really great value, top notch service and fantastic food! read more

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Visiting from CA. Beautiful space. Owner was so kind and welcoming. Staff was incredible. Named after owner's mother. Lots of thought and care in the details. Great drinks and prices. Highly recommend. read more

Ila's - Comfort Food Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

One of the best beef sandwiches I have had in a long time. Atmosphere is classy without being over the top. The owner was a class act and we received excellent service. read more

The food is good. The owner and staff are all really friendly. The service is quick, and the vibes are a little less casual than the rest of the street. The pierogis are awesome read more

Ila's - Birria pierogi - Comfort Food Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My friends I came her for dinner the night before Thanksgiving, so we pretty much had the place to ourselves. Wild to think this place to be El Hefe where we used to dance on top of the booths, and now it's beautifully elegant inside lol. The food was pretty delicious! We had the little gem salad, grilled cheese, spaghetti and a side of fries. Everything was delicious. The only thing I would have to say is the salad dressing was a little too citrusy for my liking, but that's just me! I highly recommend checking them out! read more

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My friends and I stopped in here prior to our dinner reservations across the street. We almost wanted to stay for dinner because of the atmosphere and service. We sat at the bar, the bar tender was amazing! Great atmosphere conversations, but also understood when we wanted to be left alone. The manager turned on the alabama football game for me within seconds of me requesting. We all had at least 2 espresso martinis... HEAVEN. HIGHLY RECOMMEND! read more

Ila's - Espresso martinis - Comfort Food Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Stopped in for drinks with friends on a Friday night and it was not too busy. We had to wait a few minutes for seats at the bar and it was worth the wait. Bartender was very helpful. Gave honest opinions about all the cocktails based on my pallet. I tried the Obi sour and it was incredible. I don't like sweet drinks, but it had notes of blueberry and it was so good. It did not feel overly sweet. It truly felt like a Finely crafted cocktail. I would not be able to drink two of those in a row but I would definitely stop back in for. Ambience is very cute. I think it was the old El jefe, which was also astounding that they transformed that place into such a beautiful establishment. Cheers to that in itself! read more

Ila's - Ubi Sour - Comfort Food Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Lentil soup, smashburgers, dessert--were all very delicious and filling! Excellent service! Ila was a gracious host! read more

Ila's - Anniversary dessert after a delicious dinner at Ila's! - Comfort Food Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Loved the venue and the atmosphere. The staff was very accommodating for my family and I. The food was amazing!

There are a lot of cheesy overpriced restaurants and places in River North. You have to be careful when eating out in this neighborhood or you might get a huge bill and mediocre food at a restaurant that cares more about Instagram than service or food quality. Ila's is not one of those places. I visited here only a few weeks after they open, and they were already at the top of their game. The restaurant has interesting story as it is named after the mother of the owner. First, the food was excellent. I would describe the menu as eclectic. Its dishes were from all around the world and everything I tried was delicious. I tried the ube sour as my cocktail, lamb Merguez flatbread, pappardelle, chicken kastu sandwich and the Japanese cheesecake with an ube reduction and strawberry shortcake. My favorite were the pappardelle and the chicken kastu sandwich. Second, service was very good. Despite being open for only a few weeks my waiter was on point and service was efficient. Third, I enjoyed the atmosphere. The restaurant had a modern industrial vibe that I liked with exposed brick. This is a must visit new restaurant. read more

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Was walking back to my hotel and looking for somewhere to grab a cocktail solo when I saw this place and thought their sign was cute, so I went in. I sat at the bar, had a cocktail and one of the bites off of the happy hour menu. Both were delicious! Everyone is so nice and attentive but not overly so. Will absolutely be back here the next time I'm in Chicago! read more

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We stopped by Ila's after dinner because we were immediately drawn in by the beautiful décor. The atmosphere inside is stunning--everything looks brand new and thoughtfully designed, which makes sense since the staff told us the restaurant just opened two weeks ago. Even though we were already full from dinner, we decided to try a couple of drinks, and they were excellent--well-balanced, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The service was also fantastic; the staff was warm, attentive, and welcoming. Unfortunately, we couldn't try the food this time, but based on the menu and overall experience, we're definitely planning to come back soon to enjoy a full meal. A wonderful new spot that I'm excited to return to! read more

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I think Ila's has a lot of potential. As for the highlights, I did love the space and decor. Everything felt cozy and warm, including the waitstaff and owner who greeted us personally. I tried the Ube Sour without alcohol which had an interesting flavor profile. Not my favorite, but it was very pretty. For the food, we shared the Grilled Scallops and Bread Plate. Neither blew me away but I did enjoy the squash hummus that the bread plate came with. As for the main entrees, three of us got the Sweet Corn Agnolotti and one of us got the Ila's burger. Though the agnolotti was spoken highly of, I personally just did not enjoy the chili and garlic crunch component. I tasted a bite of my friend's burger, and it was just okay for me as the meat felt a bit overcooked and under-seasoned. I think with a few tweaks, Ila's could be amazing! Would love to come back and try out some of the other dishes. read more

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We just tried Ila's for the first time and truly loved our experience. The staff were well trained and took excellent care of us from start to finish. Someone I believe was the owner checked in on us throughout the meal (never overbearing) and genuinely made sure we were enjoying everything. He even walked us through one of the dishes and the proper way to eat it, which somehow made it taste even better. The food we enjoyed (not a crumb left behind between the two of us ): Lumpia egg rolls - the meat was incredibly tender and flavorful, the pickled cabbage was delightful, and the sauce tied everything together perfectly. Birria pierogi - such a unique dish, packed with flavor. Sweet corn agnolotti - GET THIS. GET THIS. GET THIS. Truly one of the best dishes I've ever had. Sweet corn, a savory and delicate cornbread foam, and chili crisp for balance. I will absolutely be dreaming about this one (can you tell it was my favorite?). Pistachio cake - incredible and the perfect way to end the meal. The interior is thoughtfully decorated with an eclectic, cozy vibe that makes you want to linger. And yes--important detail--the bathrooms were very clean (that matters) Everything about this place was wonderful. We'll definitely be back. read more

Loved Ila's! The food, service and ambience are exceptional! One of the best dining experiences we've had in a long time. The Mumbai Nights cocktail is so damn good, I had to exercise a ton of restraint. The bread plate...holy hell! We could have stopped with that and been in heaven! The sweet corn angelito and the braised lamb parogee were stellar! When I come back Chicago, this will be a first stop! read more

JUST GO! You have to come try it out at least once. The owner is a ball of love and will tell you all about the items on the menu and his love for food and his mom. The restaurant is named after her. Rumor is she can be seen doing shots with patrons one or two nights a week. My friend said he had the best martini there. We ordered a few different items and overall loved our food and experience. Not sure if this was because they're fairly new, but the service was very laid back. The owner wanted guests to enjoy and try items. Maybe it has changed now and it's a bit more regimented (which I prefer). I will definitely go back when in Chicago next. read more

The best burger I've had in a long time! The two smash burgers were so flavorful with the perfect thin cut pickles, cheddar cheese and the oxtail marmalade. So flavorful!! If you sit at the bar let Jose make you a drink. He is incredibly friendly and will definitely take good care of you! Comfortable decor...Great spot! read more

Ila's - Burger - Comfort Food Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Enjoyed every dish I had at Ila's -- quite a unique culinary experience, great N/A drinks, and very friendly staff. Plus, they offer a 15% discount for guests who are headed to the theater afterward, which I loved! I feel like Ila's hasn't gotten the buzz it deserves... yet. read more

Ila's is a unique gem and much needed addition to river north, it's not an obnoxious late night bar nor is it an an outdated uppity place. It's very welcoming, comfortable like actually comfortable to sit while being a really aesthetic and tasteful place. Drinks and service are amazing, the signature cocktails are great and they're able to customize anything to your liking. Had a few dishes and all stood out and great, sweet corn agnoletti, crispy chicken sandwich were both top notch. Hard to find a place that nails both while being a great place to hang out. Came here with wife and group of friends, but could see this being an amazing date spot too. Being greeted by the owner himself tops it all off, not common in river North - definitely coming back and highly recommend checking it out read more

Brand new beautiful fusion restaurant that does not make you feel like you're in river north! This restaurant is spacious yet makes you feel like you're at home, service is wonderful, and the food is inventive and delicious. Every bite is a surprising flavor bomb- the food you wish you were getting but is very hard to find amongst overpriced mediocrity in the neighborhood. This place captures a mix of cultures, spices, textures. All pastas made in house, everything we tried we loved. Will be back to try the rest of the menu! Definitely run, don't walk here. Bring friend's. Try everything! read more

Wonderful food and over the top service. Great atmosphere and cocktails too! The Night in Mumbai is one of the best bourbon drinks I've ever had! read more

Ila's - Comfort Food Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Run, don't walk to their new brunch service! I hate that my friends and I were so hungry that we didn't take pics! Every plate was cleaned and every drink was enjoyed! First, we started off with an aerol spritz, ube sour and some coffee before we were gifted a bottle of bubbly because we had a party of 5 and we all ordered entrees! The Moroccan Benny was gat caught most of our attention, while one enjoyed the Burrata Avocado Toast and I couldn't get enough of the Duck Duck Hash! Everyone devoured their meals but I can tell you the star of my dish was the pleasantly delicious confit duck dates. I didn't know my hash needed it and I fear I'll never want to eat a hash without it again! We wrapped up our meal with the Churro Donuts! These airy, melt in your mouth, perfectly sweet treats were the best end to a delightful meal. Bonus stars for the excellent service Danny and Alex gave us too! read more