mfk is my favorite place in the city. Every time I've gone the food has been amazing and the service is excellent. My fiancée and I have now tried most of the menu, and I have loved everything. My top picks are the croquettes, boquerones, and ceviche on the little bites menu, anything from the plancha, the fideous, and surprisingly the chicken is fantastic--I wouldn't normally get chicken at a seafood place but it became a fast favorite. When we got engaged, the restaurant owners (who are really fun, knowledgable, and love what they do) and staff were all in on the surprise, and had flowers and champagne waiting for us. It was so lovely and the food was, as always, delicious! I can't recommend mfk enough! read more

Inventive, unique, delicious, fun...just a few words to describe this place. It really is a gem. Had four plates and each one left me impressed. Great & friendly service. Will absolutely return. read more

Terrific seafood-centered menu (currently Catalan-inspired). Very fresh ingredients. Friendly, laid-back, and helpful service (love getting served directly by the kitchen staff). Tiny garden-level space with a light-colored interior suggesting seaside atmosphere. Two kinks. - Tableware: the awesome Collar&Clams could use a bowl, not a plate; a food-friendly selection of rosé wines could use real wine glasses, not basic tumblers - Unfriendly prices: what's advertised as a $38 entree for 2-3 people to share is hardly enough for two Overall a very welcome addition to the neighborhood in need of more low-key high-quality foodie joints. read more

One of the best meals I've had in Chicago!! A friend recommended this place and it did not disappoint! Super small place but great atmosphere. All of the cocktails are great and the server was fantastic at suggesting wines. Highlights of the menu were the croquettes, Suzuki tostada, anchovies, cauliflower, maitaki mushroom, meatballs, and bread! Everything we had was fantastic but I would say if you had to you could pass on the prawn heads-not much to them, the ceviche- all veggie and a couple pieces of shrimp, and the chorizo stuffed peppers-spicy and tasty but nothing like traditional chorizo, not red and fatty-a totally different light sausage. The basque cake was also out of control good! Tasted like those danish Christmas cookies you get in a tin! Do yourself a serious favor and come here!!! read more

Ate here a while back for my wife and I's anniversary, and we couldn't have picked a better spot. It's very intimate, you're gonna be rubbing elbows with your fellow bar patrons if you sit there. The food was excellent. I'm actually not a very big fan of fish (the wife is though), and I told the staff, headed by Ben. He took care of us, avoiding the crunchy prawn heads and instead bringing out two types of anchovies on toast that were pretty good, then the tortilla they brought out was amazing. Hands down my favorite dish there. The rest is a little fuzzy because we started hitting the porron, which is this awesome decanter that you can aim and pour wine directly into your mouth. It was a lot of fun, and we kept trying to see who could pour it successfully into our mouths from farther and farther away! The music was great, the people were fun, the food was great, all around I'd recommend this place to anyone! read more

MFK is the most delightful and delicious place in Lincoln Park. A rotating tapas menu with plenty of Spanish inspired dishes, fresh fish, and savory broths; Each plate has a veritable trove of flavor with depth and texture. The basement ambiance is clean and colorful stimulating your visual palate as well. Signature cocktails and a variety of wines to choose from give this charming restaurant a truly well rounded experience for a perfect date night. And of course a friendly and knowledgeable staff is the pièce de résistance making this joint my favorite little secret. read more

We really enjoyed dining here and will be back soon. The food is fabulous! I highly recommend the croquettes as well as the meatballs. They were by far the most tasty. Portions are a good size, so 4-5 dishes is perfect for a couple. Drinks were very different and delicious as well. Service was a bit slow the day I was in, and the place is pretty small, so it is best to make a reservation. I hear their basque cake is wonderful, but we waited so long for our waiter to come around, we just decided to ask for our check. Next time we come here we will order one. read more

We went at MFK for Mother's Day dinner. The food were so disappointing, really bad, and the cost is way too expensive. I can make seafood paella 10 times better. For the price you thought it's a fancy place,but tables are too small and too close together, no privacy, no room to move very uncomfortable. However service was great. So if you prefer great service but crappy food and rip off prices go there. read more

I was excited about eating here, having read so many good reviews and being a fan of mfk Fisher. Surprised to find it pretty empty as I walked by,.so asked if I could get a table and since it is slow on an early Monday evening, was given a corner table immediately. Food was tastey and well presented, but when they say small plates, they mean really small plates. The waiter highly recommended the ceviche appetizer, but the three cucumber slice sized chips with a small bite of swordfish on top seemed more like an amuse bouche than a $14 appetizer. Similarly the meatball plate entree had 4 or five tiny meatballs and I had to ask for bread to enjoy the sauce. But still hungry, so ordered the only dessert offered (and if you follow me on here, you know I NEVER order dessert), which was described as a moist liquer soaked cake, but ended up being a thin slice of dry dense cake with very little flavor and no moisture of any kind. Was glad I had ordered cofffee to go with it or would have bern inedible. But the real surprise came when I got the check and saw that I had been charged $4@ for the two cups of luke warm bitter tasting french press coffee. The server did take off the charge for that second cup, but the bitter taste will linger for quite awhile. Bottom line, if you are on an expense account or money is no object, you might enjoy this spot, but there are so many better basque influenced restaurants that dont charge extra for a second cup of coffee or require you to ask for bread service, that I reommend skipping mfk and heading directly to Cafe Ba Ba Reba, DK Italian or any number of less precious spots. Overall impression of this place is that it is doing a better job of channeling the original Charlie Trotter than mfk Fisher. read more

I will keep this brief, just via happenstance I walked in to MFK on their opening-night. I enjoyed it so much I grabbed my wife and returned the next night (this may be ridiculous - but I plan on going next week as well). The food is perfectly balanced with a unique offering you might find in a seasoned Spanish hideaway along the mediterranean. Thank You MFK! read more

MFK is one of the best restaurants in the area if not Chicago. This gem in the basement of a midrise has an inspired menu and fantastic staff. If you're looking for a place that has great cocktails, a cozy atmosphere, and phenomenal food, MFK is for you. The only regret I have in coming here is that I can't eat more of their food in one visit. I've been before and I look forward to my next culinary adventure. read more

This...is one of the best meals I've ever had in my life! From the service to the cocktails to the food we were all amazed. We had the Suzuki crudo, the prawn heads, the croquettes, the ceviche (our least favorite but only compared against everything else), the cauliflower, the maitaki mushrooms, and the albondigas. Holy hell, everything was out of this world! Each dish we said "OMG...I could eat 10 of those !" Our server was very friendly and knowledgeable, he had specific recommendations, and was happy that we asked his opinion. The ONLY issue is that the place is very small so make sure you have a reservation. Other than that, come in and seriously be prepared to be wowed by the menu, can't wait to come back!!!! read more

Excellent food, terrific atmosphere, and wonderful mixed drinks. A great find in the neighborhood!

Three of us arrived with a reservation at 6:30 pm. (One disabled). The only seats, we were told, were at the bar, hardly a place for elderly. There was an empty table but we couldn't have it because they were saving it for a 7:30 reservation, even though we had signed up for a spot one hour earlier. The staff made very little effort to accommodate us. Would not return. read more

Bravo. Took some very important customers to MFK for lunch last week and it far exceeded our expectations! The service was fantastic, the ambience charming, and the food...absolutely spot on--sublime. We had a large group, so we were able to try almost everything on the menu. Standout dishes included: Boquerones, which I normally don't care for but there were absolutely perfect Anchovy and lemon crostini--great, surprisingly big flavor in such a small bite Croquettes--everyone's indulgent favorite! Tortilla Espagnola with Brandade--unbelievable texture and flavor, soooo much better than any I've had in Spain Crunchy Shrimp Heads--delicious, loved the sauce Papaya Salad--loved the heat, the acidic balance, total winner Radicchio Salad with yogurt dressing--incredible, light, but satisfying Eggpant Tempura--light, crisp, loved the honey with it Chicken Ballotine--this is a Julia Child classic that I have never tasted. Dark meat chicken and herbs are stuffed into the white meat and rolled into a baton. This beautiful, tasty, comforting dish arrived with roasted potatoes and carrots. Before it arrived, our entire table had pushed back their chairs and declared themselves too stuffed to eat another bite. Then the chicken arrived. No one could resist it, and not one morsel was left. Can't wait to go back for dinner! read more

The food was suprinsingly good. The service was dreadful. Specially the hostess was clueless and unfriendly. i made a booking for the wrong date and although the restaurant was empty, she did not want us to give a table and asked us to sit at the bar read more

The only thing that stops me from rating this place 5 stars is the cold and impersonal service at the bar. Food is frickin fantastic!!!! We LOVED every bite. Yes it is small plates, but every bite was utterly perfectly seasoned and prepared. It is a tiny place that I would certainly make reservations next time I go. And I will be back. With reservations, hopefully with someone who wants to have a good time with us. read more

Loved this quaint, little seafood place -- a hidden gem. We enjoyed the ceviche (tasted like fruity pebbles because of the cracker, in the best possible way). We also loved the octopus (it had an amazing texture), the meatballs and the mussels. Tried a handful of the cocktails and they were all delicious. I'd definitely come back! read more

One of my favorite gems of the city! Small, great food, cocktails and service...a unique experience that has to be tried!

Amazing simplified food. Even better service. I would definitely recommend trying the veal meatballs. So fresh and delicious! Also they have pretty fantastic mai tai's read more

Small and busy place. Went for our anniversary - table was really crowded hard to get in and out. Food was good, not, great, and service was slow. Plus it's price esp for the Ambience. Can't even remember what I ate - small and expensive tapas. Salty too read more

I went here with my girl yesterday afternoon. We were really hungry and just barged right in here, not knowing what to expect. The interior here is pretty basic, almost no decorations and the layout is standard table-to-table with a bar across. The food was ok, nothing too special, just like the interior. We waited around 20 minutes for three dishes, so these guys are definitely fast. The coquettes were my favorite, but I liked the shrimp platter and mussels and toast which we ordered too. This is a great place if you're passing through the area and need a quick bite. I'll probably be back here some other time, but only if I'm passing through the area. read more

I was here a few hours ago. Loved the food from start to end. If you're coming here you should try the basque cake, it's too delicious to describe in words. The atmosphere on the other hand wasn't too appealing, there was barely an attractive ambiance in here everything inside was pretty basic from decor to setup. The service was okay, but they could have been a little faster. I might come back sometime but only if I'm close by and ragingly hungry. read more

Not a fan, and here is why. My wife and I went there on a Monday night. Place is super small (which is fine), nice ambiance, and generally a friendly wait staff. We looked at the menu when we sat down, discussed some of the potential options together and we were pretty pumped. Waitress came over and boom - out of shrimp for the night - WTF! The menu is quite limited and when 25% of the options are shrimp oriented (I am ball-parking here) and we actually wanted two of the three listed, we were bummed. It was a 6:30pm reservation how do you run out of shrimp - was George Costanza eating there before us?!? Aside from that, I actually think it's a bit pricey for what you get, and a few of the items we ordered just seemed to not live up to what we were expecting. I also believe that maybe going during the summer months might offer a better menu (since it changes with seasons) based on some of what I read on this site. So I think we will try back again in the spring/summer, but for now it's a two!! read more

Went on a Sat afternoon, had the place to ourselves. The food and service were amazing. All 6 plates we ordered we ordered were absolutely delicious. They custom made cocktails just for us. Took the time to explain the whole menu and everything we ordered. It was like sitting at the chef's table. We will be back! read more

Everything we had and the service was excellent!! We had white anchovies, ceviche, boquerones and the manchego croquettas from the little bites. As main courses we had the specials. We had wine and the porch swing was amazing. read more

We were a party of four who came from France and England to see our cousins who live in Chicago. We wanted to have a quiet, convivial evening in a cozy restaurant with good food to enjoy our getting together again. The evening started off really enjoyably, we discussed the excellent one-woman play about racism "Until the Flood" which we had seen the night before. We talked about family, the state of the US economy, the imposition of trade tariffs and, of course, the news about what was going on related to the White House drama. Out of the blue the bar manager, who had been hovering, came to our table and announced aggressively that "talking about politics and religion is not permitted in this restaurant". On questioning he repeated the statement. This unexpected intrusion into our private sphere spoilt what had so far been a pleasant evening. We cannot recommend this restaurant in which the management listens in on and censors the conversations of its patrons. read more

I have dined here three times so far and I'm never disappointed. Small, but friendly, cozy atmosphere, excellent service and amazing food. My non foodie husband even loved it! My favorites dishes were the skirt steak, the skeet fish special, the veal and beef meatballs and the shrimp and cucumber salad. If you love fresh food bursting with flavor and an intimate dining experience you can't go wrong here. Although reservations aren't required it's a small place so making a reservation is a good idea. read more

What a great new, cozy, friendly and delicious restaurant! This place is a great addition to the neighborhood. It is small and quaint, almost had a New York vibe. I went with a group of friends and we couldn't have had a better experience. Our waiter was fun and friendly, every dish we had was incredible and the sweet owner came over to introduce herself. I will definitely be coming back here on a regular basis! read more

The food here is delicious! Small menu but every item has amazing flavor, make sure to order the cake!

Tremendous dining experience. The food was fantastic. We especially enjoyed the octopus. Our server, Alex, was attentive, funny, charming and excellent. I also enjoyed the tequila cocktail, though I can't recall the name. read more

Been wanting to eat here for over a year and finally made it! Small, intimate and cozy space. Food was great! Bartender took great care with the cocktails. Yum! read more

MFK is a cute, little spot with only a couple of tables, seats by the bar, and a small tapa style menu. My boyfriend loved the dishes he got. The server/bartender here was awesome! He made me fresh pressed orange juice after I asked if they had any fruit juice. That made me so happy! :) I took a sip of the drink my boyfriend got here and it was great. Would definitely recommend to the people that live in this area. read more

Great service and nice ambiance, but the food and drinks were very mediocre, and the ceviche was just plain flavorless! I probably made a mistake getting cocktails instead of wine (their wine list looked fine) because their cocktails were actually bad- so much sour and mixer thrown into there! They need to work on their ratios. I did not mind how tiny the restaurant was, but I had very high expectations given the $$$ and the 4 stars. read more

MFK and its staff are a class act. I honestly can't say enough good things about the restaurant, its food and its staff. Let me start off by saying me - the customer - was the pain in the butt, and yet they went above and beyond to make my experience amazing. For background - I'd made dinner reservations through OpenTable.com for a party of 5 for a friend's bday celebration. Literally, 10 minutes before we were supposed to meet, my friends cancel. I called MFK to see what my options were, and unfortunately because I'd made the reservations through OpenTable.com, I would have been stuck with a $100 charge from OpenTable for cancelling at the last minute. I asked MFK if they would be okay if I showed up with only myself and one other person, and they said no problem. Yay for avoiding a $100 charge for a party of 5 but only showing up with 2! But wait, it gets better. My sister and I get to MFK and are greeted by Alex, the manager, where we introduce ourselves as the pains that have been calling for the past 10 minutes to see if we can cancel. We sit down at the bar with him and he immediately calls over Archie, the bartender, introduces us and has Archie pour us a glass of rosé on the house. As we continue chatting with Alex, a sample of the fried flowered squash (on the house) appears. It was a prelude to the rest of the meal. We ordered the burgundy snails, green papaya with poached shrimp, sautéed dandelion greens and a jumbo sea scallop. Everything was amazing. The flavors and combinations were divine and everything was made fresh - as soon as it was done in the kitchen, it was brought out to us. Matt, one of the chefs, was more then accommodating and made each dish delicious even with having to alter/remove ingredients because of food allergies. When it came to dessert, they made us a complimentary vanilla bean ricotta dish with lemon ginger topping - it was simply heaven. When it was all said and done, the restaurant comped us two glasses of rosé, a sample of the fried flowered squash, 2 scallops for the price of one, a complimentary dessert and then an additional 25% off our bill. The level of customer service floored me. I had gone into dinner in a somewhat bad mood given the circumstances, and before even the first dish was brought out, my mood had turned around. Props to Alex, Archie and Matt for going above and beyond and creating an all-around stellar experience. Not only was the food to die for, but the service was impeccable. I will definitely be singing MFK's praises and recommending all my friends go, and I know I'll find myself back there sooner than later. read more

Outstanding food, service, ambiance and what else is there? Try this place for sure and it will end up on your regular rotation too. In a discrete slot on Diversey Parkway in Lakeview resides a brightly but natural hued lit room with a slight nautical theme of whites and sea foam green/blue, exposed piping, drop pendant lighting and concrete floors with accents of vintage small tiles surrounding the bar base with butcher block top, that comes together for a true feel of being ocean-side. It is inviting, with a handful of tables and bar seating too, but best of all... room for 8 on the sidewalk and on this sidewalk, the experience is truly special, with the hub-bub of interesting passersby. This design compliments the delivery of seafood, fresh and lightly seasoned, simple, yet creative with the mixture of sauces, herbs, greens and fresh accents, the way it is done in Spain. Crunchy prawn heads, ceviche on squid ink tostada, salt cured anchovies, scallops, clams, octopus, all done with tight flair, feature the natural taste of the seafood with so much more. Mix in some veal and pork meatballs on a white bean puree, some oxtail croquettes, or a sweet corn risotto fritter and whoa. Yes you can get most of this on a table for 2 because they are small plates, but there is larger too like rabbit, octopus and a whole Loup de Mer. To make the entire experience all the sweeter there is Matt the chief, cooking in plain view with assistant Randy, both of whom may come to your table to deliver and talk up your next course. Sit at the bar and watch their magic 3 feet away in a small organized setting of efficiency and they will be making your very order that you will see transformed. On the front line is Kayla, one of the synchronized serving crew of herself, Roger and Archie who provide the wisdom of a vast and special wine selection, food, history and good conversation while somehow serving the bar with fresh cocktails and keeping food coming at a perfect pace, hosting and seating the constant flow of many regulars and new comers so your wait is short and enjoyed. We have been here twice and had Kayla both times as the hostess in charge and the type of server you would so desire for every dining experience, but can only get here. The first time was a worthwhile wait at the bar for the outside table, where Archie and Roger provided great alternating company and introduced us to the house Rose (of which there is a selection of many others) that is served in a Spanish Porron, a special decanter that delivers the wine direct to your mouth if in Spain or to your glass if you are less daring, but in either case in a manner that provides a slight effervesce. So the ambiance and experience just keeps on coming. Try MFK. It is remarkable how this crew of outstanding professionals (who clearly know the team concept) steadily delivers such a fun, warm, foodie experience in a great venue. Come casual or for fine-dining, both are in play here. read more

This restaurant is a huge disappointment. This place is very small and some people call it cozy or charming, but honestly speaking I did not find it so at all. Tables are so close to each other and it was very uncomfortable. I simply do not understand why this restaurant has 4.5 stars. The dishes are so tiny and overpriced. Their appetizer Pintxos was a joke. Their signature dish (the server recommended) of seafood stew was horrible and I don't know how they could proudly promote this dish. The only dish that I liked out of 5 that I ordered was the ceviche. Please do not waste your night and money on this place. read more

This place is awesome! Very small place with maybe 8 tables and a bar. Food is outstanding. Tapas style. Ceviche was amazing.

I live in the neighborhood and have always wanted to try. I'm so glad I finally did! Food, drinks, service and atmosphere were all stellar. We had the ceviche, peas, heirloom tomatoes, croquettes, poached shrimp, octopus and skirt steak. Everything was good, but highlights were the ceviche and skirt steak - ceviche tasted really fresh and the skirt steak was seasoned and cooked perfectly. Our server was really nice and very knowledgeable about the menu. It's a tiny space, but super cute on the inside. Overall, one my favorite places I've ever been in Chicago! Will definitely go back. read more

This place is delicious. Great food, staff is really nice. Small, intimate space. Can't recommend it enough.