Worst experience I have ever had at a restaurant/bar entered the restaurant with a group of friends and this guy searched me down in the bar and ask me to leave because "he said he did not like me" I felt like I was being singled out. He was very aggressive and hostile. A very uncomfortable experience. read more

Next - Racist bouncer - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Probably the best experience I have had at a restaurant in Chicago. This is part of the Alinea group, so I definitely had high expectations. The ambiance is dim lit & intimate, which makes it a great place for occasions. Next does tasting menus, where the menu changes after some months. The theme for this menu was spices from Asia, Middle East, etc. From the start to the finish, it definitely did not disappoint. The service was impeccable. The table behind us was running late, so they were not able to seat us for the reservation. They were so on it, as they took my party to their other restaurant, Roister, next door for a drink so we could wait it out. Very efficient. Even in between the courses, with the different range of dishes coming in, all the waitstaff were very attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. Through the course of the meal, we had about 10 dishes. Each dish represented a different part and taste from a country in Asia & beyond. The experience was amazing, as the flavors were very authentic to the region and the presentation was fun to watch. There was such a sequence of events, that everything was executed very well. The food was delicious and very flavorful. Each plate had great portions so we were not overly fun at the end. Overall such a fun experience with this menu and I can't wait to check out the other menus! read more

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In a city filled with incredible food, creative dining and excellent options to choose from, Next continues to fall short. Recently here for the Silk and Spices menu, we concluded that the executive chef had done a lot of homework on the theme and was sincere in his efforts to be creative, but the team's execution fell short. The service was my biggest point of feedback - there was no consistency: someone explained the dish, whereas some others just dropped it off and vanished (you're not assigned the same person(s) throughout the evening) and others may do a 15-sec checkbox explanation. The pairing was underwhelming. The food quantity was sufficient and unconventional presentation was the highlight. For cuisines known for the richness of their flavors, and spices, the food served didn't capture it much. Spices were used more for presentation than for flavoring. read more

The ambience is on the darker but louder side, but still allows for an intimate dinner conversation. The service was excellent, and the food was fun, creative, and diverse. We enjoyed most of the dishes, although in hindsight, it was a tad bit on the salty side. Definitely bring your appetite because you're gonna have a lot of food! I would definitely consider coming here again for what's next! read more

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How does Next only have four stars on Yelp?? I came into this with impeccably high expectations (blame Chef's Table) and was still BLOWN away. I went for their "Silk and Spice" courses and the amount of depth and creativity they displayed over the course of three hours was incredible. We went with one and a half beverage pairings for three people but I'd recommend getting your own. Each pairing accompanied ~2 courses and ended up being about a bottle of wine per person. MAJOR shoutout to the sommelier - he was amazing to talk to and learn more about wine and suuper knowledgeable and chill. Highlights of the evening - cooking flatbread right in front of us, peasant soup, spring rolls, and the dessert pieces. Service was incredible. Everyone there is so thoughtful and passionate about food and made us laugh the entire night. read more

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We have ordered "to go" twice during the last year. We were conveniently able to pick up at a drop off location in Wilmette. The first dinner was Germany. I can still dream about that red cabbage. Last night we were transported to Thailand. I am love with the Papaya salad and my husband exclaimed that it was the best curry he ever tasted. The coconut banana pudding was delightful. The meals come with very clear reheating instructions and an ample amount of food. Of course, it isn't the same as going to the restaurant but a easy gourmet meal at home is the next best thing. Maybe it's even better because I have ordered for 4 people and my 9 year old boys have gotten to enjoy the feast. I wonder what's, next?? read more

Part of Alinea Group, another great experience. - Japanese Dinner (2012) - Hunt Dinner (2013) - Chinese Dinner (2014) Fantastic. I loved it. read more

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We finally made it to Next after several years. The food was inventive and delicious. We enjoyed the wine pairing, which elevated each dish. Our review is more related to service. The Captains of the restaurant have the warmth of an iceberg. They have zero enthusiasm about the food or your experience. I asked for a simple request before the meal - to make sure my credit card was used for payment - and they acted like it was an impossible task. I had to flag down the somm near the end of our meal to take my card. The Captains need to learn that customers should feel welcomed. They really need to tone down the arrogance, smile, and try to accommodate simple requests that an Applebee's waiter could handle. On the other hand, the sommelier and food runners were excellent. The somm pouring our wines was personable and had a genuine interest in our experience. The food runners were professional and knew how to switch from serious to light. The Captains should shadow them for a few shifts. read more

I extended my trip to Chicago 1 night just so I can have dinner here on a Sunday night back in November. I was really excited to bring my family here and to experience their first tasting menu. Let's just say it was a terrible first time for them and I almost felt like I was torturing them. If you've never had a tasting menu don't let this be your first. They cringed as each meal came out. I had to cut the meal short and ask the waiter to skip the last 4-5 courses. They brought us dessert instead. A few courses were SO salty. The first course I actually shoved in my pocket and threw it out when we left the restaurant. It was a bad way to start. The tapas course included an olive juice gelatin. I spit it out immediately into the napkin. If it wasn't for my family and their suffering I would've forced myself to sit through all courses just for the experience. Walking in however, I almost felt like I was walking into some type of cult. It was an interesting experience and presentation. But I never imagined spitting out food I paid so much for. Maybe the menu just wasn't what I'm used to. I won't completely knock the place, and am open to trying it again as long as they change the menu. read more

I highly recommend Next. No matter which menu offering, the food, staff and service is always excellent. The creativity to the theme is always a highlight. read more

An indulgent experience unlike any pre-fixe I've had before. Highly recommend the pairings which were spot on, sometimes creatively so. The behind and the end shine. This is based on the Paris 1906 menu. read more

------Complaints: I hate the ticketing system. I really do. And when my wife ended up pregnant, I had to beg them for a refund on the drink package. Their first response was "we'll make you virgin drinks". What? You want me to pay $100 for a person to drink fancy juice? Screw that. Fortunately the manager trumped the first idiot I spoke to and refunded me 1 drink package. With regard to the drink package, other then the first cocktail, the fancy martini which was amazing, the rest of the drinks were really sub-par. I highly recommend not getting the drink package. TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY and I didn't drink most of it. Maybe the biggest disappointment was the Pipeworks/Next beer. The bread was excellent, but the staff asked us if they could clear it at least 10 times before we finally ate it all just so they would stop harassing us. They were really hot for that bread bowl. -----Compliments: The food was just outstanding this time around. Every dish in the Chicago Steak menu was just killer. Crudite, small but powerful. Shrimp Cocktail - big ass shrimp in a tangy sauce Oyster IL Bronzino - more please Le Vasseur Salad - watercress and pine nuts were smoky and salty deliscousness Salmon Coulibiac - salmon with dill in filo dough. I WANT A BIGGER SLICE Lobster Thermidor - Rich and heavy Ribe Eye - Aged to perfection. The deserts were equally good, but my memory is a little vague there as I was in a food induced coma. Lastly, drive around and find parking. No need to pay any more money then you already are. There is plenty of it on the street. And if you just want a steak, don't come to NEXT, the portion of meat is not that large and there are plenty of good steak houses in the city. read more

Next - Chicago Steak - 40 day dry aged ribeye. - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I am sad as I write this review for the Vegan menu. I thought if any place could pull off a full vegan menu, it'd be Next. However, both my husband and I felt very disappointed. We felt being cheated on. It might be the worst menu so far at Next. And it directly leads me to start questioning whether I should renew our season tickets for next year. The presentation was delicate and well thought about as usual. However, there were certain courses that came across as a little too gimmicky - usually I like that sort of things, but that's contingent on you have the flavor to back it up. And they didn't. Let's just say, every single dish was either salty or sour. Everything was one note. We in general like salty things, so for us to say it's too salty, trust me on this, IT IS SALTY. The wine pair was underwhelming also. And to echo what other reviews are saying about the service--they have significantly deteriorated on the service front. Three times our water glasses were empty and I had to ask to have water. That has never happened before at Next. In the end, I asked if the chef could sign the menu, it's more of a tradition for me and I kept all the past menus with chef Dave Beran's signatures on them. However, I was told that chef wasn't even in the kitchen. Maybe that explained why the food was bad. BUT really??? read more

Die Alpenadventur zum essen! Well well. Look who lucked out and found himself at Grant & Nick's famous foodie locale. Before you say anything, yes, I'm keenly aware how far beyond my means I'm living, but stfu. It's my dinner party and I'll cry if I want to. As fortune would have it, my coworker Alex B had an extra ticket for an opening on a Sunday at 8:45pm, but time didn't matter. I came. I saw. I ate. I conquered the 'Alps' menu. Grab your lederhosen and let's begin. START THE CLIMB: FRANCE { stone soup: made with smoldering stones placed in a clear vegetable broth and prepared in a herb filled teapot. served like tea, strained into a beautiful porcelain cup. a delicate and delicious amuse-bouche. 5/5 { Beaufort gratin with trumpet crozets: basically, cheesy mushrooms served in a terrine with a breadcrumb crust. meh. 3/5 { Salsify & apple tourton: French for 'fancy hot pocket', this was a small pastry filled with Gruyere and presented with salsify root [turnip family] and dried apple. light, but tasty. 4/5 { game pie: essentially pâté [minced meat] with a layer of bread. served with gently dressed field greens and an apple-buttery-like substance. nothing too special. 3/5 MOVIN' UP: GERMANY } traditional pretzels on a wire rack with stone ground mustard and slightly pickled root vegetables. that's it. nothing at all clever or unusual. what gives?? 2/5 } smoked venison jerky sausages [slim jim's] with headcheese and liver spread. typical Germanic fare that didn't stand out. 3/5 } pork belly schnitzel with cherry & black walnut compote: topped with dressed field greens and spicy mustard crisps. actually pretty good. 4/5 } Raclette: potatoes, fermented mustard greens and chestnuts, topped with cheese melted by hot coals tableside. the portion of actual Raclette was too small, I felt jipped. 3/5 NEARING THE SUMMIT: SWISS BORDER { hot chocolate: dainty cup of cocoa, with milk crisp and black truffle. a great palette cleanser, with a rich flavor and velvety cocoa texture. 5/5 { foraged berries: atop an ice bath sat a gorgeous honeycomb mold, inside which rested crème fraîche and preserved summer berries with cognac and honey. stellar plate presentation. 5/5 MOUNTAIN'S PEAK: SWITZERLAND } arctic char: European whitefish smoked atop a burning log. presented on a trio of gold-and-white plates with cauliflower, juniper, and meticulous sauce painting. more art than food, if there was one dish that won the 'best visual spectacle award', this'd be it. 4/5 } goulash: hiding underneath the same burning log apparatus was a small cauldron filled with a hearty beef stock in a Barolo [red wine] base and sour cornbread. it was just like the real thing, maybe even better. 5/5 GRADUAL DESCENT: ITALY { mountain frost: bitter green salad with pomegranate bubble and fennel ice. it was refreshing, unusual, and caught me just enough off-guard to become my favorite dish of the entire meal. marvelous. 5/5 VIENNESE BASE CAMP: AUSTRIA } strudel: apple, served in a sea of custard sauce. a fairly traditional dish, they nailed it. 5/5 } apple pie ice cream: smooth apple cinnamon ice cream with clove drizzle and crushed almonds. simple, super effective. 5/5 } Salzberger nockerl: a tremendously poofy butternut squash + molten caramel soufflé dusted with sugar. expertly baked and brilliantly flavorful. definitely one of the highlights. 5/5 runtime = 2 hours, 15 minutes What surprised me the most was the team-based service which if I'm being 100% honest, was spotty. Grant's guys typically have the bar set very high, and they've always prided themselves on offering a personal touch to the dining experience. What Alex B and I received, however, was a questionable caravan of waiters with their own unique styles and attitudes. While one server did an excellent job detailing what we were about to indulge in (as well as "where" in the meal we were), another was quiet and uninformative. The seemingly endless parade of wait staff meant that no 2 dishes were explained the same way, or with the fervor and thoroughness you'd hope for at an upscale place like this. What I anticipated was storytelling via food, but only one staff member mentioned anything about the Alps. Everyone else seemed oblivious to the fact that they were working at Next....not to mention that most were WAY too eager to clear plates. On several occasions I found myself saying "wait, sh*t, I'm not done with that yet!" Bread = 5 Circuses = 3 In summary, while Next is truly a novel, high-end dining experience, it definitely wasn't perfect. The food itself had only minor flaws, but the incongruities with the service were more substantial. Between the lack of whimsical description from some and the unnecessary hastiness of other servers, I was disappointed that my trip into the Alps wound up being more of a pricey European dinner and less of a culinary expedition through the mountain range. What's Next on the rotating menu? French Laundry. Which I has no money for ='( read more

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Trio is an even more spectacular menu than Modern Chinese. This homage to Chef's first restaurant ten years ago pulls out some vintage tricks, and reminds us of how cutting edge that restaurant was. 21 courses, many of them home runs. Very lavish ingredients, beginning with a generous serving of Osetra, and two courses using foie gras in completely different ways. My favorite course was a surprise, the smoked figs was that perfect union of unexpected flavors that turns the whole into much more than the individual parts. A few of Alinea's serving tricks were used for some of the courses, but they're more playful and less pretentious than at Alinea. As always a convivial staff enthusiastically sharing information and their love of what they're doing. A great dining experience. read more

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Several months ago I tried to hit the el Bulli menu on the way to/from Copenhagen. I couldn't make the tickets and timing make any financial sense. I was sad since I would now have missed the el Bulli experience twice now. Then shortly after that, I by chance sat next to Grant Achatz at dinner while he was in my area for a wedding. Alinea was moving to the same ticketing system that Next was using and I started our conversation by saying: "Chef, if you need someone to QA the ticketing system, I'll totally help you out" This garnered a hearty chuckle out of him as the system was being tested and delayed for a good while. After chatting with his girlfriend and him briefly, they were on their way and he says "We'll see you in Chicago" I was already scheduled to hit Chicago. Was this a sign of luck to meet Chef Achatz in person? When the tickets went on sale, they also made a last minute announcement that they were going on a summer break. Right during the week when I happened to be in town. Alinea was off the map. Sigh This story does not end completely badly however. Although Alinea was tops on the list for food, getting into Next was equally daunting, and this is where i was a lucky recipient of their hospitality. Having a leisurely lunch I got a call from Next, saying that they'd be able to accommodate our odd sized party and that they had space for the same or following night. We were going! We had arrived a few minutes early so we walked around the corner to say hi to Marco, the affable gatekeeper to the Aviary next door, who we had chatted with the night before. We had asked him for some locals knowledge on where he liked to eat as a compilation for the next trip into town. Once the time arrived we walked back around the corner to the door. Since it was dark the night before I had not noticed the mice mirrored image of the Next logo with Sicily imprinted with it. As we enter we are greeted by Tracy and Joe, two of the responsible parties for slipping us in last minute. Im grateful to get to meet them and chat for a bit but as an ultra crowded restaurant is, they have to get back to their duties. We're escorted across the dimly lit railcar space. Dark, mirrored, and set with minimal modern design elements. We're close to the kitchen where Chef Beran runs his team which allows me to every once in a while poke my head in and see the magic happening. We're greeted by our first server, who explains the menu, the wine and the food then proceeds in a whirlwind.... -Antipasti Panelle Caponata Carciofi Alle Brace Arancini -Bucatini con Bottarga -Gemelli con le Sarde -Pesce Spada con di Ceci -Spalla di Maiale Brasato -Granita di Arance Rosse -Cassata -Dolci Cannoli Ravioli Fritti Cubbaita Now I don't have a Sicilian family but I used to live a couple doors down from one who owned an excellent restaurant. They were my surrogate Sicilian family for years. There were certain dishes where when I walked in, they automatically came out. That's how well they treated me there. Then they moved away to be closer to some of their children and I was very sad to lose this small part of the culinary experiences that I so much enjoyed. Though Next is a more formal dining experience, the family style format brought back memories of the former restaurant I lived near. The attention to detail in flatware/dishes, the flavor profiles of the dishes. ..It really was a transport into Sicilian food memories. The service is very comfortable and there are more servers than one would expect. Maybe a little nervous at times, especially when it comes to the wine. However they were open to questions and chatting when time allowed. Bradley the manager was especially awesome, chatting, and finally giving us a tour of the kitchen before taking us downstairs for drinks. Is it more difficult to do the things that Alinea does, cutting edge, forefront progressive cuisine, or applying yourself to produce garner educational knowledge in replicating "traditional authentic" food of other cultures, then starting all over again a few months later? I'm guessing both are fairly difficult but in the end, it's the taste and experience the customer enjoys which is the most important. I could eat that bucatini and bottarga dish every week, because it gave me tthe same feeling of happiness that the linguine sea bass puttanesca that I used to get down the street did. read more

Overall: Best 5-star bang-for-your-buck that I've been to in Chicago. Not too experimental which leads to a more genuine and wholesome dining experience. A must-have! The good: Compared to other, more expensive 5-star restaurants, the value you get here is fantastic. Both portion and taste wise, you won't leave disappointed. I won't go into food specifics, but overall the tastes were great.The rotating seasonal menu is a great idea for variety, and the Alps were delicious. The presentation of every dish was unique, even the dinnerware was alps-centered. The foods were all prepared fantastically and came out at a comfortable pace. The bad: The atmosphere is on the bland side. There was a small mirror eye-level that was quite distracting. The service was overwhelming, table staff were hounding our plates even if we weren't finished. The waiters were hit or miss, either very friendly/informative or un-relateable. Some of the dishes I wasn't a fan of. Atmosphere: 8/10 Service: 8/10 Food: 10/10 read more

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My wife and I have been to Next a number of times and usually have great experiences. This past "Best Of 10 years" menu was a miss. It wasn't bad, but nothing blew us away. Also, the steak course totally killed the vibe of the entire meal. You don't usually go to a "tasting menu" to get a massive boring steak with sea salt on it---nothing special at all about it. Would rather have had more/smaller courses. Other experiences have been much better, however I will say that Chef Achatz is a little heavy handed on the salt for my tastes. At Alinea as well, we have found some food to be too salty. read more

We hadn't been to Next for awhile, but wow was it a great meal. The El Bulli cous cous dish was underwhelming, but all the other dishes were on point. Our "extra charges" were the standard wine pairing and Truffles with the pasta. As usual, service was stellar. I don't think you can go wrong with the Next 10th anniversary meal. read more

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My husband and I went to Next for our ten year wedding anniversary. We cannot stop talking about how disappointed we are. It was quite possibly the worst meal we have ever had. The first course was interesting and very good, so we were excited for the meal to continue. Unfortunately it went downhill from there. One of the courses was served on a Cracker Jack box, a smashed beer can and a hot dog tray with ketchup and mustard packets underneath it. One of the three items was boarder line good. The others and the presentation were not. There was a chicken dish that was served, which was similar to a thick slice of deli meat and it had something that resembled green slime wrapped around it. Another course consisted of a small tasteless slice of steak, surrounded by an awful tasting crust. Everything served was either luke-warm or cold. Nothing came at the correct temperature and most dishes lacked in seasoning and taste. We added the reserve wine pairing, which consisted of subpar wines, some of which we couldn't drink because of how awful they either tasted or smelled. We also added the seasonal truffle dish, which we would not recommend. The final entree was the dessert Ferris Wheel. Cute idea, however the few items that were served on it were terrible. $1300.00 for one of the worst meals we have ever had. We are no strangers to fine dining experiences. Sadly and regrettably, this was not one of them. read more

Lovely meal kits for covid! The beef was exceptionally tender and easy to heat up. You do need to seat the salmon but the instructions were easy to follow. read more

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This is probably the fanciest out of the Alinea restaurants. I had my 37 birthday dinner here and the food was excellent and service was weird.. I didn't even get a birthday desert :(. Wish the staff took better care of their guest like they do with the food. I feel like for a Michelin star rated you should get both. Drink menu was very limited as well. read more

I wish I had blinders strapped to my face. It was hard not to notice what was going on at the neighboring tables, which took away the element of surprise. Photography: like Alinea, yes on the pics, no on the flash. Next has WAY more lighting. No need to get there early on a Sunday, b/c the Aviary and the Office are closed. The Hunt: We all felt like we were transported into another time period. The creative team spends a lot of time making the experience unique, modern and crafting a fun spin on the era. Most of the courses were good to very good. My favorites were the pressed squab, bone marrow creme brulee, kidney in birch and the barley pudding with DIY toppings. Two of the courses were a whee bit on the salty side for me. Drinks: Do the wine pairings, they are spot on and they top you off. Bathroom setup: WAY cool, pick a door and check it out. Staff are super passionate and knowledgeable, yet laid back. Attention to detail: Next was the ONLY restaurant during our trip which remembered the dietary restriction mentioned when booking the reservation. Bravo. Ease of getting tickets: Not too bad. Logged on their ticketing site about 2 months in advance and booked a 10PM table for four, however all the tables for 2 were sold out. Seems like it depends on the menu also. The Hunt was probably not their most popular. Next menu: Will be VEGAN!!! I wish I was planning a trip to Chi for this. For the quality of ingredients, well thought out menu, presentation and polish, NEXT is a steal. read more

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Not sure if I have to preface this with the fact that it is during the Take Out only season of 2020, but here it is. I'm so glad restaurants are doing take out/delivery only because at times...this may be my only opportunity to try them and even though its not fresh and right there, it's better than missing out completely due to other restraints. We did their Tokyo bento box at home menu and it did not disappoint. The service was fantastic (structured the way their whole family does it - true curbside pickup). You get in line, let them know your name (at times your car's color and make), they check you in, they bring you the food...and you are on your way to enjoy a delicious meal. The staff is nice and kind as well and are on their game. The food: Sesame Seed Crusted Tuna & Salmon Sashimi (with ponzu) - the fish was super fresh and super delicious, fantastic quality and clean taste Shrimp Tempura (with spicy mayo) - so delicious. Easily enjoyed as is or reheated, but crunchy either way and not immediately steamed in the packaging immediately after being cooked. my friend said it was the best shrimp tempura she'd ever had - really was pretty spot on fantastic Edamame Rice - the rice was good and had edamames sprinkled on top...it was well seasoned sushi rice Wakame Salad with Sweet Soy Glazed Unagi - bit much on the ginger for me, but overall it was good (my friend loved it), the unagi was perfection Pickled Kohlrabi & Cucumbers - so good and a nice touch to it all Taiyaki - it says to grab your fanciest spoon, but that was unnecessary. the little fish shaped pastry was filled with strawberry puree and was good. it didn't fall apart and it wasn't overally sweet. i added ice cream and that ramped it up as well. TLDR: their take out is a definite must try and delicious and execution aren't diminished much. I can only imagine what the dining in experience and execution are like. Highly recommend them at any time. read more

Next - Tokyo Bento Box - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This review is for the Fat Duck menu on the last Sunday of September. It was the only Michelin starred restaurant with outdoor seating available with little notice. For around $700 for 2 people, I was expecting to be wowed. Unfortunately, everything fell short. The staff was super nice. They had their lines memorized. They talked at length about the Fat Duck experience being not just about the taste, it's about all the other senses as well. I have not much to say about eating with my fingers, music escaping from a seashell, or aroma spritzed out of a bottle to elicit all the senses. What lingered with me visually was the clothing of a couple of the staffs. The ill-fitting, well-worn, dirty outfits made me suspect that they had just gone dumpster-diving for their work clothes right before their shifts. It was not appetizing. The food wasn't exceptionally delicious in any way. I could rattle off at least a few dozen restaurants where I had better food and/or better experience. It was as if the Fat Duck had sent over their recipes with the dishwasher boy and the subpar ingredients resulted in him leaning on salt to hide their inferiority. None of the dishes looked or tasted particularly fresh. The Sound Of the Sea dish in particular had fish that looked like it had seen better days. Perhaps Sundays are not good restaurant days. read more

This was an amazing dining experience. Having dined at alinea before, I had an idea of what to expect, though NEXT is better IMO. Admittedly, this could be impart to the retrospective menu I had - showcasing some of his more renowned dishes. The fare is less adventurous, but still completely unique in its execution. The fish and chips for example was halibut encased in thinly sliced potato - it was perfection. They served 2 desserts at the end - a basque cheesecake inspired by his Tapas menu that was out of this world. It took on a creamy texture akin to camembert. The final dessert was inspired by alinea's painted tabletop dessert. This was the only dish I didn't love, and I felt it was better at alinea (duh.) Highly recommend if you can get a reservation, to take it! I feel like it's ruined all other restaurants for me. read more

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The roommate and I normally plan one fancy dinner when going on vacation. When his cousin told me about the wonderful dinner they had at Next, I thought why not check them out. Their menu rotates every season or so and they were doing The World's 50 Best Restaurants. I figured it would be a good way to sample some of those restaurants' best dishes. I bought two tickets for Sunday, December 3rd at 9:15pm. The menu was priced at $255 each with a 20% service charge and 11.5% tax, so our total was $682.38. *Rose: rose, apple pomegranate from Quique Dacosta in Alicante, Spain *Jerusalem Artichoke: walnut, rye from Geranium in Copenhagen, Denmark *An Oyster's Frozen Kiss: oyster, sorrel flower from Mugaritz in San Sebastian, Spain *Eggs Benedict: caviar, asparagus, ham from Eleven Madison Park from New York, USA *Marine Soil: sea urchin, jicama, razor clam from Central in Lima, Peru *Scallop: truffle, clementine, hazelnut from The Clove Club in London, England *King Crab: beef garum, hen's egg yolk, rose miso from Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark *Tartare: bison, sunchoke from Estela in New York, USA *Badger Flame Beet from Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills, USA *Riso Cacio e Pepe: parmigiano reggiano from Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy *Langoustine: wasabi, mango, thai vinaigrette from Restaurant Tim Raue in Berlin, Germany *Monkfish: aubergine, fermented peppers from De Librije in Zwolle, Netherlands *All Parts of the Pumpkin: the skin, the seeds, the flesh from Attica in Melbourne, Australia *Squab: parsnip, almond, lavender from Next, Chicago *Memory: foie gras, black truffle, chives from Restaurant Andre in Singapore *Apple: chanterelles, granite from Relae in Copenhagen, Denmark *Chocolate: milk chocolate, blueberry, yogurt from Alinea in Chicago By far, my favorites were the eggs benedict, tartare, and memory. The benedict was creamy and comforting, the tartare super flavorful, and the memory decadent. Courses I also enjoyed were marine soil (though the goat cheese was a little much for the delicate uni), king crab (a little salty since it made me want rice), and scallop (loved everything except the nuts). It was nice trying all the different dishes, but as a whole, I didn't think the menu flowed very well. And I was questioning who picked some of the dishes. Like my least fav, the beet dish. Who decided to grow less earthy beets and just served them with what I think was olive oil, salt and pepper? I thought it was very lackluster. A course I couldn't finish was the pumpkin one, but I'm not a huge fan of cooked pumpkin unless it's pureed into something like a soup or curry. I was missing a good meaty dish as everything was kind of light. I would have preferred a good beef course or something similar. *Gin & Apple Cocktail: g'vine floraison gin, granny smith apple *Champagne Charles Heidsieck: brut reserve, reims, france nv *Chateau Simone: les grands carmes de simone, provence, france 2014 *Domaine Jean-Louis Chavy: puligny-montrachet, cote de beaune, france 2014 *Weingut JJ Christoffel: erdener treppchen reisling kabinett, mosel, germany 2015 *Weingut Knauss: trollinger, wurttemberg, germany 2015 *Bodegas Tradicion: 30-year amontillado, jerez spain nv *Domaine Jean-Louis Chave: hermitage "farconnet", rhone valley, france 2012 *Giovanni Rosso: barolo "la serra", piedmont, italy 2013 *Castello di Volpaia: "nika" passito di pantelleria, pantelleria, italy 2011 I also did the standard wine pairing at $145. With mandatory tax and tip, the total was $194.01. Each glass was paired with 1-3 course. Since the menu was mostly lighter fair, there were a lot of whites. (I'm more of a red girl.) I love an old scotch, so my favorite was the 30 year. Our waiter told me most people don't like that wine, but I adored it. I also got a double espresso to pair with my dessert which was included in our meal. Fun experience and service was excellent. I would definitely consider checking them out again for another menu. read more

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The evening at Next was a birthday treat for me from my children - we had a lovely party of 8. I enjoyed going down to the "speakeasy" and would have loved to stay for a drink, but we were brought into a very dark grey room with a single table - and a shell motif backdrop wall. The marketing for the Julia Child dinner was that you would have a view of the kitchen , but that was not to be. Our main host was very lovely and informative about the foods we were about to eat. The second host was not as lovely and very hard to understand - and I guess he did not realize we had all watched every episode from the original airings and then some, have cooked in our own kitchens most of the recipes in every cookbook and had met Julia during her lifetime - nor did he seem interested in why we were there. A little hospitality goes a very long way We chose the first level wine service , which was ok, but obviously they did not want to open a second bottle of each pairing so a 3 oz portion of each wine was all that was served. My husband cannot drink alcohol due to medical issues and they did have a new mocktail for every offering. However, after six offerings of combined fruit juices with no crisp clean mocktail included, the drinks became too sweet and not a good combination with the meals. A great cranberry fresh lemon with sparkling soda would have been a treat with the duck serving. Or even a sparkling tea would have been delightful. The presentation was well done - we loved the dishes they used for each course. the boeuf bourguignon had an odd flavor and seemed to be sauced with a corn starch infused gravy - the cauldrons they used for effect had the smell of burnt rosemary. Plus if one is showing two videos of the original French Chef beef bourguignon episode - it would be a good idea to put a small tv on either end of the room so those at the far end could see the episode also. Julia Child wrote her cookbook to teach Americans how to cook in the French method. But in reality, she was not a snob , nor did she teach in such a way that one was afraid to try her many varied recipes. And most definitely she would have said good night and thank you for coming - which none of "hosts" offered on our way out after we had paid the final bill For such an expensive evening - having eaten in some of the finest restaurants in the world - I really did expect more from the experience . I won't be visiting again. read more

This review is for Next: Mexico city. (August 2020). I am Mexican born and have to say this menu was very traditional and legitimate - really brought me back to my childhood. That said, I did not LOVE the first two courses, which soured me for the rest of the meal. The rest of the courses were amazing and got progressively better. The problem (?) is that it was SO much food by the time we got to the tamales (which were great) I could barely take a bite at all. The desserts were amazing. We got the wine pairing and although I was super excited to see they did feature one mexican wine, all of the wines were mediocre at best. Really dissapointing. The desserts were our favorite part. Service was really great. I probably would be hard-pressed to come back to Next, especially after Alinea was such a huge dissapointment too. read more

Incredible experience. Very expensive but we'll worth it if you can afford it, particularly as this is a one time kind of experience not a yearly thing. But great experience. The highest service level I've ever received in a restaurant. read more

Seafood menu - Underwhelmed. Don't get me wrong, I love seafood so I was really excited to come back - first return to Next after pandemic. Half of our party had been to Next, and half had not and we all left with the same feeling of being underwhelmed by the flavors, the amount of food and the service. I would echo some of the other recent detailed reviews about the food - flavors were not balanced. Delicate flavors of seafood were just drowned out by heavy and salty sauces. Dessert was so sweet I could not finish. I sadly did not recognize any of the staff from our previous visits though this time we sat at the chef's table so we did not have the whole view of the restaurant. The chef's table experience was also a disappointment in that it is basically a private room with a view of the kitchen. There was no acknowledgement or interaction with the kitchen team whatsoever. In general, the service from our main guy was pretty good but other people who served us were more robotic like they were reciting from a script. Because of where I sat, I was always served last. They mainly had 2 people serving a table of 6. Other Michelin restaurants would have had at least 3 (if not 6) so that it would be more coordinated. With so many good restaurants options in Chicago (Michelin or not), I'm not sure I'll be back. I loved Next when I first came but it has been progressively downhill. This time may have been my last. I was surprised by the amount of availability I saw on Tock when booking last minute, but now I suspect others had reached the same conclusion. In the words of Ariana Grande - Thank U, Next. read more

A unique experience to dine here. Expect to pay $250 per person and make sure to reserve two weeks in advance to get a chance in finishing a table. The restaurant decor was simple yet sophisticated. Basically bunch of newspapers painted on. Although the restaurant seem large with all the mirrors (you can see every single table without moving your head) it actually has less than 15 tables. We had the Nouvelle menu when we went there in mid June. It's 12 dishes as shown in the menu I posted. Went go into the details for each dish but will mention the highlights. Our favorites were coq en Pate and Mille-Feuille. Our least favorite was oeuf Cuit et Navat and Consommé de Figue, although they had the best presentation. Overall a great place to spend the evening if you have some money to burn. read more

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Oh my god. This place is next level (get it?) Didnt get a reservation for Alinea, but this is the next best thing. Ok I'll stop. What I think sets this restaurant apart from the rest is that it's not just about the food, but the experience. Where else are you going to get a dish set on a pillow that releases scented air as you go for a bite? Or use a center piece decoration for part of your meal? The entire meal of about 3 hours had us guessing, what's coming next? We had the menu from Alinea 2005 - 2010. My entire group, except for me, had been to Alinea in the past. So they were going in with some expectation. Not me though. This was a completely new experience for me. Though there were some dishes that I was not particularly fond of, the story and the execution behind each dish made it worth it. For each dish, the servers explained to us the back story and thought process behind it. The amount of thought that goes into the creation of each dish is simply mind blowing. read more

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2018 Next Season Tickets Part 1 - French Classique The first season of Next is classic French cuisine; after tasting their menu, it would not be so unbearable to be stuck in that time period without our modern amenities if I could eat like this every day. 1 - creme de caviar moulees Waiting for us at our table was a pair of beautiful and luminous ice fish sculptures standing over a cantaloupe gourd. This adornment actually concealed our first course, a delicious pureed caviar topped with caviar and a rich and smooth cantaloupe flavored cocktail. I am far from being a sommelier, yet this is one time I can honestly say that a wine is fruit-forward and sweet and melony without any of the harsh tannins I traditionally associate with wine. 2 - puree de marron a la briarde Our second dish was a delicious chestnut soup (and I hate chestnuts normally) presented to us topped with an intricate basket weave brioche toast. 3 - homard bellevue a la parisienne An introspective dish, this course features lobster on a mirror. The entire lobster shell comes, but the best cuts of tail and claw have already been expertly extracted and re-imagined five different ways. Just as you'd expect from this caliber of restaurant, the lobster was cooked excellently and did not feel rubbery at all. Everything comes in bite size portions with a special spear, which is perfect for people who do not want to get their hands dirty with lobster in the shell. 4 - turbot normandy This colorful fish dish was very good. For those who love the crispy skin on a seared fish, this was enhanced with an even crispier brioche toast base. 5 - supreme de poussin albufera Do you like truffles? Slices of truffle adorn a juicy and tender piece of chicken and disks of truffle embellish a fish cream. On the side was a macaroni dome that surprisingly stood its own as a tasty and rich complement to the chicken. 6 - roti de chevreuil au foie gras The centerpiece of this meal was a cut of venison with a heart of foie gras. For my first time eating a piece of meat known be on the game-y side, I must say it lived up to my expectations. The texture of the deer paired well with the foie gras center and creamy lentil paste on the side. The only mildly sad tidbit is that the server carves the meat tableside from a larger log, so you get to see with your own eyes that there is more out of reach and you can think to yourself "so close you can almost taste it". 7 - tableau de desserts I love dessert, so I was very happy to be surprised with three amazing treats at the end. The first was a piece of art: pristine white meringue on a pistachio cookie floating on a pink fruity sauce and garnished with a sugar corkscrew. The second was my favorite since I'm a fan of chocolate. Dark chocolate ice cream (that tasted so rich I wonder if it exceeds the fat content limits of actual ice cream) lounging on a bed of berry compote in an elegant coupe, the rich dark chocolate and tart raspberry danced across my taste buds as beautifully as Olympic figure skaters dance across ice. Finally, to share was a small rum cake that unfortunately can't challenge the glory of chocolate. TL;DR - it's French-inspired art that tastes good too. read more

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Honest review: (theme Jose andres) was a lot better then roister/Alinea/ aviary in terms of food and service. Ambiance: it's really cute inside and the music was on point. Only issue was nothing in the atmosphere made it look Spanish, like for example when Elizabeth does a theme they make the room look like that theme. Next is a lot better then Elizabeth though. Service: they were attentive, friendly, and really nice. My only complaint Is I couldn't hear them at all. when they describe the menu they need to speak louder cause I loved the music n don't want them to lower it. Food: food was really good my only complaints are some dishes were really sweet n it was unappealing like the fish rib dish and the Cubano dish at the end. Another issue felt the end of the savory course dish should have been something else like steak or duck something expensive and high end. One other thing instead of having like 3 courses at once would prefer one course that's really composed n flavorful. One of the highlights though was the carnitas course I think more dishes should have a drink next to it really makes the experience better. Best things: Jose's taco/ croqueta/ truffle pizza/ the China course/kibbeh/lobster/cheesesteak/carnitas/cheese plate/foiegras/liquid penut/ birthday dessert Jose's taco: amazing even though not much is done. putting really high quality ingredients together is so decadent and delicious. There was a lot of caviar which I liked. Joes croquetas: Amazing the filling was so amazing tasted like the best mushroom risotto I ever tasted. The outside was supper crunchy would have ordered another one. Just be mindful it's messy when u eat it Tomato bread: ik this is a traditional Spanish dish but honestly wasn't as flavorful as the other two courses wasn't enough tomato. Proportions were off was mostly bread. Truffle pizza: this was amazing. It's so decedent n there's so much truffle flavor. I loved the addition of the chili flakes for heat really made it taste better. My only complaint was the crust was really hard. Chinese course: I always stayed away from dim sum but this was amazing. They were so flavorful n the sauce was so spicy n complex no complaints wish there was more. Idk if the rest of the two courses u were supposed to use the same spicy sauce but I did n it made them taste amazing without the sauce they were okay but like I said they need to bottle the sauce it was so good. Gazpacho: idk why this was served honestly it was gross. It's a very tart soup with raw vegetables like this was not necessary at all. Was expecting more flavor Kibbeh: idk what this was but it was amazing. there's so much flavor n then there's a cooling affect with the yogurt sauce like it was amazing Cauliflower steak: this was alright the cauliflower was cooked well. But there really wasn't a lot of flavor going on like there was no wow factor. Lobster: this was amazing probably the best dish of the night. The potato croissant was amazing so light n crunchy. The lobster was so decadent wish it was a bigger piece though n it was a lil tuff. The sauce was amazing so decadent wish u were given a spoon or bread to eat all the sauce only complaint sauce was a lil salty. Philly cheese steak:this was amazing the steak on top was so flavorful n rich. The cheese sauce inside was so intense n flavorful no complaints. Turbot wing: I loved the consome it's really flavorful and complex. The turbot wing was a lil to sweet n there wasn't a lot of meat it was mostly bone Carnitas (comes with a drink): this was amazing the carnitas were so flavorful n tender loved the chicharon for crunch just add more. My only complaint is it's a lil to sweet. The drink is amazing it's such a good idea to mAke a salt foam it's really boosy would have ordered it as a cocktail it's that good Cubano: I didn't like this was on the sweet side n the flavors didn't work together at all. Would have preferred steak or duck Cheese course:this was amazingly the cheese was really intense n the components worked perfectly with the cheese I liked all the textures it was crunchy no complaints Budda: it was cute to look at but there was no reason for this was really bland had no taste to it Cherry: this was amazing was the perfect combo of sweet n savory really loved it Walnut: this was cool but was not that flavorful. Peanut: this was really intense the liquor flavor is really strong so is the peanut flavor I loved it even when I don't like whiskey. Chocolate statue: this was good but I felt it could have been better. The ginger icecream is unique n it's really spicy the issue is there's not a lot of sweet components the rest of the components is really hard chocolate n other crunchy bits I would have preferred cake or donuts or something else cause it was a lil to crunchy but it still was good n was really pretty just needs fixing. read more

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The dining experience was amazing. Well timed, creative food pieces. Sommelier perfectly matched us with wine. Great quiet ambiance. But one member of my table was dairy free so the chef made the entire dessert(created on the table) dairy free. There was no question about preference and the dessert was what I was most looking forward to. I was saddened by that choice. It could have easily been made half and half. This was about two years ago, and I still think about how let down I was about the dairy free dessert. So, I guess be careful when asking for dietary restrictions, and be specific about anything made for the entire table at one time. Dessert was ruined :( read more

They were able to make takeout quite good. Drawback is all their selections are carb heavy, so a lot gets thrown out for us grain avoiders. read more

I'm sure this place doesn't need another 5 star review but I'll give it anyway for the worlds fair theme we took the earlier reservation time and are glad we did, the experience took about 2.5 hours and was beautiful and delicious as expected with the paired wine sommelier. After dinner we wanted to continue drinks at the aviary or the office but did not have a reservation so we asked the host and he was able to walk us right into aviary and seat us at a new table when dinner finished.... They even moved our checked coats over for us without asking. Service was amazing and if it wasn't so expensive I would definitely come back more often. Everyone should at least experience Next once in life. read more

I got the take out version of Next due to the quarantine. It was the Italian week, and it was honestly the best meal of my life. We also got Alinea the next week, and my whole family of four preferred the food we got at Next, although Alinea was still AMAZING! I think it just speaks volumes on the food at Next. Everything was exquisite. You could literally slurp the vodka sauce if you wanted to. It was that good. I've been to the Aviary with friends for drink pairings where I got the virgin pairing. It was one of the best moments of my life. I'm going on a rant pretty much just to say, I'm excited to hopefully go into Next once this is all over and get the full experience. A must! read more

Next - Pasta with vodka sauce and meatball for takeout during quarantine - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ordered takeout for home reheating. I have never been to Next before as it is a ticketed pricey meal. After this dinner I will definitely spend the money! Paella was better than my meals in Spain, the chicken was lightly fried with delicious skin, and the manchego cheese spread fantastic. I would love to buy the cheese spread alone. Just one shrimp in the paella, and dessert of Crema Catalana was flan like, not my favorite. But did not make a difference in how I felt about the rest of the meal. read more

Next - Chicken and shrimp paella, manchego and peppers spread. - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois