I brought my entire family to Inovasi for a celebratory dinner, and the experience exceeded every expectation. They graciously accommodated our large group in a quieter space where we could actually talk and enjoy each other's company up and down the table -- something that made the evening feel even more special. The food was incredible, as always, and the wine recommendation paired with our meal was so good it deserves its own review. But the real highlight of the night was our waiter, Mario. He made the entire evening genuinely feel like a celebration. His recommendations never missed, he was warm and engaging throughout the meal, and he somehow even managed to get our tired, aloof teenagers laughing and opening up by the end of dinner. That kind of hospitality is rare and deserves recognition. read more

We had a very nice dinner at Inovasi with friends. The restaurant was decorated very festively for the holidays and we were sat right in front of the fireplace (very appreciated). The cuisine is modern and playful and focuses on local ingredients. I was intrigued by, but did not order, the Something from Land or Air or Something from Water, which I take to mean the chef prepares something fresh, local and what is tastiest for the season. We shared the Warm Hand Made Bread Service (creme fraiche goats butter, roasted pecan hummus and matcha sesame butter) and Crispy Mushrooms (dusted with matcha, sesame togarashi black garlic aioli) from the Small or Snacky section. I had the Inovasi burger (1/3 lb CDK Farms beef) and my companions had the Grilled Ocean Raised Salmon. My burger had a good flavor but they cooked it well done instead of medium. Fries were good. Friends enjoyed their salmon. read more

See all

Had a nice dinner here on a Monday evening just before the Thanksgiving holiday. The menu on their website was quite a bit different than what we found in person, but we were pleasantly surprised to find out that we had arrived on a "burger night," which included 10+ interesting burger options on top of their regular menu! We started out with some bread, butter, and cheese. The bread was fresh, the butter was soft and salty, and the cheese selection was varied and high quality. Our waiter was likely quite new, as he struggled with many of our questions. A couple of items were forgotten upon our original order, and we had to ask a few times about missing items. This was unfortunately frustrating and took away some from our enjoyment of the meal. The food was hit or miss! While the pork belly, market fish, and fries were fantastic, the burger was terribly under-seasoned/over-grilled, the shrimp was a bit fishy and chewy, and the giardiniera lacked any spice. We also found the vibes a bit strange. While the lights were low and the interior had an intimate date-night feel, there were also multiple TVs on playing football games which gave it a sports bar feel. I'd be curious to come again on a Thursday-Sunday evening to see how things might be different! read more

See all

this place almost killed me I am allergic to gluten but I love gluten free noodles. I had them and my breathing tube closed up and I almost died. my husband ran into the resturaunt and screamed what did you put in her food???? read more

A hidden gem in lake bluff. The risotto was out of this world you could taste how fresh it was and how much care they took into consideration when they crafted the menu. A menu item that shouldn't be down played is the cauliflower appetizer! I will say that the service wasn't like other places but, the fact that the food quality was so good offset the waiting time. I will also say that the ambiance is great if you were to some to the restaurant with a date! read more

See all

I arrived at 4:30 pm the exact time of dinner service with my team and the entry to the dinning room was elegant and inviting ambiance. Music was unexpected didn't truly match the vibe, so random but gave us conversation topics, lol. Ordered the 28 day steak and it was good, also tried the salmon and it was okay. read more

Inovasi - menu at Inovasi - New American Near Me - Lake Bluff, Illinois

See all

So the top line problem I had was getting food poisoning from the restaurant which kinda locks them into a one star for me. I write this around hour 36 of my illness noe that I've recovered enough to do so. Edit: they reached out to me and offered to make it right which was really nice! read more

The restaurant itself is nicely done. It has a good vibe and nice aesthetic. However, the food was a real letdown. The wine pours are small. Our burgers had thin, overcooked, dry, flavorless beef patties. And the fries were floppy and had zero salt on them. If you're going to charge $20 for a burger...it should be a rather amazing burger. That wasn't what we received. Our wives thought their chicken entree was lackluster as well. I don't think we would go back. read more

Food, wine list, service..... FANTASTIC. Recommend sitting on bar side. Excellent service and the menu has something for everyone. Thanks, George, for a great evening! read more

Inovasi - Amazing vegetarian options - New American Near Me - Lake Bluff, Illinois

Delicious meal! Highly recommend the "Did you know watermelon is a berry" cocktail! Fries come with the burger. read more

Inovasi - Inovasi Burger - New American Near Me - Lake Bluff, Illinois

The place looks very nice and has an intimate feel. The service was great and the server was really attentive! Appetizers Bruschetta: Not your usual bruschetta but a fancy avocado toast! Ingredients are very fresh and it was seasoned well. Spicy Seared Ahi Tuna: wished for more tuna, but nonetheless tasty! Fried Cauliflower: wow. Did not expect this to be so good. The texture is on point and with the almond and tomato sauce was a perfect balance. Entree Loch Duart Salmon: the salmon was cooked perfectly. Crispy skin with juicy flaky fish! The brussels sprouts were a bit salty. However the veggies were all really fresh. Dessert Chocolate & then Some: flourless chocolate cake was dry but was fairy balanced with the mousse and sauce . The berry dot provided a nice fresh contrast to the plate. Not my favourite dish. read more

See all

Great meal and experience for our first time. Meals were all enjoyable and everyone was satisfied.

It had been a while since we visited Inovasi, and it was a visit overdue. Food was delicious, and the service provided by JR made it an enjoyable evening. The croquettes were great to start, followed by shrimp and grits, and the pork chop. Strong pours too. We will be back. read more

We ate on the patio and it was so nice. The food was fresh and very different and oh so tasty. And thank you, Jennifer for the amazing service. We had a wonderful evening. read more

The food is always good here, but we just had the most amazing service. We ordered take out. I start to leave to get the food. It was 10 degrees out and my car wouldn't start. Driveway blocked. Called to cancel the order. Ten minutes later, someone from the restaurant was at our door with our food! Totally unnecessary kindness. We already were regulars but this solidified our family's loyalty for years to come. read more

Came for lunch. Service outstanding. Food yummy. Fries will blow your mind. Also the homemade bread and fresh butter are a must to order. Goes great with their soups. Choices today were mushroom or tomato. You can't go wrong. The menu is varied and the bar has a HUGE selection. If you are in the area stop by. They are open for dinner too. read more

Inovasi - The Bar - New American Near Me - Lake Bluff, Illinois

Great food and ambiance. Ask for the pork chop or black cod. They make a terrific Rob Roy service was excellent. Good recommendations from server. We will definely be back. 5 stars for sure. read more

Juan G is amazing and informative. My wife and I had an excellent experience for our first time at Inovasi. The cocktails and food are made with care, delivering delicious experiences that have the customer coming back for more. Highly recommend visiting Inovasi when Juan is working the floor. An experience that will make you raise your expectations. The flavor combinations are very interesting and everything is extremely fresh. The restaurant uses local food sourcing read more

See all

This review is for the fabulous Wine Tasting & Food Pairing Event with Doug Margerum and Inovasi at JdR Wine & Beer on 3/27/25. The event was held at the Half and Half Pizza Co.. My husband and I went with another couple and we all agreed the food was outstanding. We love Inovasi and their food is always top drawer and this evening was no exception. Adam from JdR Wine & Beer explained each delicious dish and Doug shared his history and passion for wine making and the 7 handcrafted wines that were served. When we shop at JdR Wine & Beer, Adam is always very knowledgeable about wine, beer and spirits. The $25 ticket price for the event was a steal for the incredible food and wine. I highly recommend Inovasi and any wine tasting event they host in the future. read more

This is just not a fun place to eat. The food here is okay, but the atmosphere and staff make it a pretty unenjoyable experience. We came as a larger group, 9 people, with a reservation a couple weeks in advance. We had to be sat at two table and the staff explained they'd mentioned that could be a possibility when we made the reservation. We didn't recall that. We asked if we could move one small table to the end of one of the medium 6-seater tables to accommodate us all, and they emphatically said they couldn't allow that. There were multiple open tables that night and it just seemed odd that we couldn't all sit together. The food was slow to arrive, and came out all jumbled, making folks have to call out what they'd ordered again as it didn't seem that the staff was aware of our seating. Reminded me of eating at an Applebee's. I'd ordered their black cod. It was okay. The curry sauce was excellent, but there was very little of it. The cod was okay, though a little tough and honestly not as fresh tasting as I would have liked. It had the texture of a pre-cut frozen filet. The atmosphere inside is aseptic. The walls are uncluttered and sterile feeling and the tables seem like they are straight from ikea. No culture, no connection to anything. Like eating in an airport cafeteria. TL;DR: okay food, high prices, nothing special. read more

Good food. Great experience. Not great service. Our server wouldn't recommend anything on the menu. Seemed rude. Beautiful bar and ambiance. read more

See all

My friend and I sat outside on the patio and watched the sun set while having the most delicious wine and food. We ordered: Bruschetta Jurgielewicz Duck Confit Crazy Black Cod. Everything was delicious! read more

Cozied up to the bar and started with an Old Fashioned. Dinner was the Crispy Icelandic Cod. Finished with an espresso and a flourless chocolate cake for dessert. Everything was well prepared and very tasty. Portions were a bit on the small side, but left satisfied. Menu had a lot of interesting options that I'll likely come back to sample. read more

Inovasi - Crispy Icelandic Cod - New American Near Me - Lake Bluff, Illinois

See all

Ordered their 5 times fried French fries Over Cooked, small little pieces. You would think that in all my years of eating out and having fries, never once hevung them fried 5x. And there's a reason. I must say that the burger was good. read more

Excellent service and outstanding food. The steak and lasagna are creative and the deconstructed lemon meringue is divine.

Just outstanding. Negroni was spot on, beautiful seat outside. Lovely small plate with local cheese and a great wine recommendation from Lucia who was excellent, great service. Looking forward to the next visit. read more

Inovasi - New American Near Me - Lake Bluff, Illinois

I usually do not write reviews, but I would like to leave one today. We dined in on Valentine's Day. My boyfriend, who is on crutches, made our reservation a few weeks ago and called 4 days ago to ensure he was given accommodations for his leg. When we arrived on Valentine's Day, we were given the option of sitting at the bar (where there is no room and no space to put the crutches) or a cramped table in the dining room. We arrived at 4pm, to an empty dinning room where the server refused to accommodate us (to the table behind us that had ample room for him to stretch his leg) and we were told we could only sit at our designated, cramped table. The more comfortable table we wanted to sit at was empty the entire time we were there and I did not understand why they refused to give my boyfriend a more comfortable seat. I was very excited to eat at Inovasi as it had been highly recommended by others, sadly I had a different experience. If you need accommodations and a considerate staff, dine elsewhere. read more

Inovasi was incredible. We went with a table of six and the staff were so kind, our server was Juan Carlos and he was amazing. He was so kind to explain every dish on the menu and answer all our questions about the menu. There was an amazing attention to detail all the way from the food to the service. The dishes are incredible and keep in mind that the menu changes seasonally so there is always something new to try which is great. My family friend has been going to eat here for the past ten years and she loves it as well. The dishes are sophisticated and perfectly balanced. The ambiance of the restaurant was amazing and everything was very modern. I honestly couldn't recommend this place more, it is underground and must to try. We will be returning on the regular. read more

See all

Tried something new and it was delicious. Service was exceptional. And the atmosphere was inviting.

All meals were delicious! From fried rice with shrimp, spicy pasta and NY Strip (and when one came more grisly, it was readily replaced!). Sampled lemon, chocolate, and apple desserts and all were great! Server Lucia was courteous and helpful with wine and bourbon suggestions Overall enjoyable dinner!! read more

I revisited for the first time in a while and am sad to say I was underwhelmed and a bit disappointed. I went in on a Friday with a friend and sat at the bar. The bar area quickly filled up and there was one server for the entire area. She was doing well, but spread way too thin as she was bartending, serving, and making drinks for the main dining room. We started with the ahi tuna and bruschetta. The tuna was okay, but the "zoodles" base was difficult to eat as it was one big noodle spiral which wasn't cut, which made it difficult to eat without cutting the entire plate up. The bruschetta was very odd and not what I would consider to be traditional - it was more like an avocado toast. The biggest let down was the shrimp and grits. I was so excited for this and the shrink came fried (strange) with little flavor. The grits were cooked well, but were majorly lacking salt and butter. I'm unsure if the usual chef was not working today, or perhaps they have a new one, but this isn't what I remembered. I wouldn't write it off, but won't be rushing back. read more

See all

This might be one of my favorite restaurants. The meat was amazing cooked medium rare, pork chops were extra tender and for dessert the Japanese lemon meringue, the perfect mix of salt and sweet with a chocolate chip cookie base. The service was amazing and our food came out very quick. read more

This was a good place to spend a special occasion! The beginning was a bit odd - we walked in and were told we had a choice of where to sit. The first option was in a quieter dining room area, and there was one big party in the room, and then there would be the two of us. That felt very awkward, like we'd be sitting in on their big family dinner from nearby. He said the only other place would be at the bar, which was a bit concerning at first, since I'd rather not choose between a super awkward table and a bar table for the occasion (I also indicated that it was our anniversary online but he missed the memo). Once we saw the bar area, we were glad to get a comfortable regular table, in a way (no high top), but even better, a cozy two-top booth. It continued to be a bit awkward when I asked about a coat check and he was initially confused about how to help with that, but he gave me a coat check number to show later. (When I showed it later to the hostess, she also seemed very confused by it. Do they not usually do coat check? If not, why do they have the cute wooden tags? What is happening?) The waiter was pretty friendly and nice. I mentioned our anniversary and he was so kind; he immediately brought out enough champagne in each flute for a toast! That was so sweet, to have a complimentary little gift to start things off. My husband enjoyed his scotch, and I got the drink that has grapefruit and a few other things in it - recommended! I can't remember the name because each cocktail name was very long and bizarre, in an attempt to be cutesy or clever. The menu overall suffered from the same treatment, often using goofy phrasing that wound up being inscrutable. If you have food allergies (we are lucky not to have them) and see a cheesecake as being covered or topped with "tons of stuff," you have to flag down the waiter and ask, since the menu is confusing and weird. It also presents a tasting menu, which was mildly unclear on the menu, since it was right above all of the appetizers and seemed to perhaps include them. The waiter said he'd never done a tasting before - that option hadn't been chosen yet, which is surprising. If you get any sort of grilled entrée, there will be a CHAR taste. My husband's sirloin (somehow they were out of filet) was something he liked, and he also liked the sauces. But I tasted a bit and disliked how charred it tasted, even cooked medium! My entrée was too charred as well in taste. It is something to be aware of. At the prices that they have, despite quality ingredients and creative ways to put dishes together, it's a good experience that is a bit too uneven to fully return to over and over. read more

Great spot downtown Lake Bluff for dinner and drinks. We enjoyed dining in the bar that was quite lively. We enjoyed a few drinks and ordered the shrimp salad and the burger. The menu has many options. This is a perfect spot to enjoy a night out read more

Inovasi - Burger and Shrimp Salad - New American Near Me - Lake Bluff, Illinois

Amazing food and service. Ruben remembered our favorite cocktail as soon as we sat down. Feels like a family!

Quaint place in beautiful downtown Lake Bluff. We dined inside but they offer sidewalk dining as well. Our service was very good and the cocktails and wine were also very good. Ambiance inside is ok...nothing particularly special. Food is good but not outstanding. Our party had entrees of several varieties and all were good. The cheese platters are very good. Overall, recommended for a casual dinner. read more

Went out for a fall inspired late-lunch and had the most delightful variety of creative food! The service was wonderful, our server was polite and insightful, and our meal arrived promptly after ordering. The bar area is always a cozy space where you can enjoy the view of downtown Lake Bluff. read more

Inovasi - Tomato Autumn Squash Soup, EVOO Tomato Soup, Serano Ham Croquettes, & Roasted Cauliflower. - New American Near Me - Lake Bluff, Illinois

The food was incredible and the service was even better. We did the burger special which was delicious!!

We just happened upon Inovasi on a stroll through down town Lake Bluff. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience! We receive excellent service from Lucia! The food and drink were amazing. We will definitely be back! read more

Food amazing as usual ..... bartender Aerol great! We have visited this place for years!!!!