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    North Pond

    4.0 (745 reviews)
    Ultra High-EndNew American
    Closed Closed

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    NORTH POND ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Intimate
    Romantic
    Upscale
    Moderate noise

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    Recommended Reviews - North Pond

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    Zoey's dumpling
    Kim L.

    Came here to celebrate a promotion and it did not disappoint. Chef Cesar even stopped by at the end of the night to check on our experience and gift a pickle jar to us. Btw he is exactly as sweet as he appeared in top chef! Really enjoyed our choices and of the mains, got to try the Chippewa trout and wagyu, which were both excellent. The Zoey's dumpling was great flavor and the melon course was playful. Enjoyed everything we had. Service was great, menu was thoughtful and the wine pairing was nice.

    Strawberry Swiss Roll
    Avery J.

    One of the best meals I've ever had--hands down! Came here for Sunday brunch and was blown away. The setting is absolutely beautiful, nestled right by the pond, and the ambiance was made even better by a playlist of 80s alternative and Top 40 hits (totally unexpected, but I loved it!). The service was flawless--friendly, attentive, and genuine. I had the pork belly special, which was perfectly cooked and full of flavor, followed by the strawberry Swiss roll for dessert. Both were beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. They also had fresh, house-made lemonade served as cocktails with a variety of options--mine was with chartreuse, and it was divine. Highly recommend this spot for a celebratory brunch or a splurge-worthy meal. Can't wait to come back!

    Annette B.

    My visit to North Pond was nothing short of magical! I love that this place is tucked away and has a nice prairie style FLW vibe on the inside. While waiting, I had a delightful conversation with the bartender and really enjoyed my drinks! I had a gorgeous concord grape/rosemary lemonade and an amazing mocktail with a pineapple foam. The food here was FANTASTIC. It's a tasting menu that is carefully and seasonally curated, in addition to being stunningly plated and presented. Every dish was thoroughly explained. As part of the tasting menu, some items are chosen for you ahead of time but you do get choices for your entree and dessert. There are also some tasty surprises along the way! I truly can't recommend this place enough--it's easily among my absolute favorite restaurants in the city!

    Katie D.

    North Pond has been on my list for a while and seeing Cesar on Top Chef made me get off my butt & make a reservation. We went in April - which is that weird time between seasons. The restaurant is in a lovely setting & I feel like if we were there in any other season the views fantastic. I just looked through my photos and to be honest I can not remember what exactly we ate - but I can tell you that I remember being surprised by textures & flavors. Everything was beautifully plated. I liked it enough to want to come back for another season - which is a big deal for me.

    Quail
    Natalie L.

    We loved this meal. The real stars were the most unique dishes: the chilled melon, cucumber, coconut soup with crab, fennel, and some sort of spice. The other faves: the mushroom, scallop, and buckwheat crepe, the yak tortellini, and the pear with 5 spice dessert. The staff were knowledgeable and on-point. The building was also super cool. Will go again!

    Dessert
    Mark O.

    One of my favorites in Chicago. I've been for dinner and brunch, and both are phenomenal. I think this restaurant has by far the best service I have ever experienced in Chicago, and the food is consistently very very good. It is somewhat expensive, but sitting outside for brunch here with a view is incredible.

    Gorgeous decor
    Karmina C.

    We recently celebrated my birthday here, and it was the perfect dinner experience to cap off a perfect (albeit very snowy) day! Each course was delicious and presented so creatively. The service was absolutely top notch. I also really appreciated the special little birthday things throughout. We also really loved the gorgeous arts & crafts decor. We are looking forward to coming back!

    Herb L.

    My fiance and I were celebrating our 6th anniversary and North Pond made us feel special on our special day Firstly we were greeted by a friendly folks at the Host station, they were more than happy to have us (and everyone else) there and their hospitality followed suit Waitress was top notch too as she explained the whole process of the evening (5 course meal with the first 3 courses the same and choices for the entree and dessert portions). She even brought us over some glasses of rosé to celebrate our evening. Our menus were customized to us as at the top it said HAPPY 6th ANNIVERSARY Courtney & Herb, which was a nice touch that we weren't expecting. I have to admit, when I initially looked at the pictures on their website and saw the portion sizes I balked because as a big guy (270 lbs) I thought no was was this gonna fill me up but I was happily wrong First course were the samosas and they were delightful Second Course were the scallop tamales and for two things I never thought would go together in a dish work as pleasantly as these did, color me impressed Third course were the pork belly and pear pairing and this might have been my favorite of the evening as the meat was tender and flavorful and the pears balanced the dish out with its subtle sweetness I picked the Wagyu for my entree and while it was cooked correctly (medium rare) I found it to be slightly tougher than I usually enjoy And finally for my dessert I had the Pepita Pumpkin, which hit the spot especially with the little bits of dulce de calabaza And throughout the evening the chef would send dishes for us to celebrate our evening so it actually was like an 8 course meal when you include the cheese plate we ordered As for the atmosphere, we went on a cold Friday in December and it still had spectacular views inside and out. It's right in the middle of Lincoln Park so you have to park on either Cannon or Stockton and walk over (parking was scarce but we found a spot eventually). Beautiful view of the Skyline with a pond in the foreground. I'd bet that during the summertime and in the day it's that much better but we enjoyed it too. Some will balk at the price but for all that we got and how special the whole staff made us feel the entire evening, it was well worth it and we will be returning

    Crab corn
    Leanne G.

    We came here on a Friday night after a busy week attending a conference. The restaurant is in a beautiful location near a pond and in a beautiful historic building, which makes for a special atmosphere. The cocktails are delicious, and they have a nice collection of mocktails. The menu is a 4-course tasting menu. We were impressed with the variety of options for each course, and everyone in our party found something amazing in each section. The dishes were good but we found that there was a lot going on with each plate. Multiple strong flavors were paired together, which was overwhelming at times. The dinner took over 2 hours. We weren't put out by the extended time but it felt like we were waiting a long time between courses.

    Morel mushroom soup
    Geoff S.

    First off, the location. Definitely one of the more unique spots in Chicago. Right next to the pond in Lincoln Park with the skyline in the background makes for a breathtaking backdrop. The wood details and art deco/FLW-inspired flourishes throughout the indoor space are lovely. The tasting menu has 3 starter courses, then you pick your entree and dessert. Everything was presented beautifully and thoughtfully. And the food was delicious. If I had to pick a standout, it was the wagyu steak with massaman curry, but every course was fantastic. Our servers were attentive and so warm and friendly from start to finish. Everything made for a memorable evening -- they really made us feel special.

    Beautiful city scape
    Gurinder S.

    Enjoyed a great evening at this gem of a place in Chicago. Fantastic location. Great service. Multiple course dinner was very good. Will definitely come back.

    Cornbread, Horchata Chai Ice Cream, Berry Ganache

    We were visiting from LA for the weekend and had one free night, we were excited to visit North Pond as it had always been on our radar when we lived in Chicago. The location in the park is unique and fantastic. The vibe inside is great. I wasn't ready for it, but I immediately got Wisconsin Dinner Club feeling in the best possible way. The staff were incredible. They were warm, friendly, professional, knowledgeable, accommodating... it genuinely felt like they were part of our evening and wanted it to be the best it could be. We were surprised that it was fairly empty inside. It was a Sunday. And maybe they're only taking so many reservations in order to maintain the quality experience? And if so, I certainly applaud that. Oh and the wine pairing was 10/10. Hitting on every one. Don't skip it. The menu is inventive and creative. They obviously swap out dishes regularly -- I imagine seasonally if not more frequently. I won't say they were all home runs, but overall excellent. The amuse was a play on green eggs and ham, a small pot of peas, custard and ham and it was a fun and playful opener that just tasted great. Next was the tomato panna cotta and crab, which was probably my favorite bite. It was expertly balanced with sweetness, acidity, brine and texture. The quesadilla came next and felt very much like a Chef Cesar signature dish. It was warm, rich and had depth. I enjoyed it, but couldn't help feeling like something was missing. There were a lot of small elements and nuanced flavors that I could see, but not really taste. Because in the end it was primarily the cheese and a (fantastic) tortilla that you were tasting... good, but maybe not the best vehicle for all the other subtle flavors as they got lost. The scallop dish... look, this might be on me: I'm just not having the savory banana thing. I love new and inventive flavors. I'm a very adventurous eater. And I've now seen savory banana in roughly 3-4 different dishes and frankly none have worked for me. My wife loved the dish. I think it was her favorite. For the entree, I had the lamb. It was delicious. The popcorn grits are so good. They also don't take over the dish. The lamb was perfectly cooked. There were little elements of texture and flavor everywhere to make each bite a new adventure. It was just great. (Wife had the Waygu and loooved it. I had a taste. It was excellent. Very rich.) I had the cornbread dessert. I loved this too. The horchata ice cream and berry ganache and cornbread were just a great balanced not too sweet dessert. (Wife had the opera cake. She loved it. I tried it, and can concur, it was great.) Overall North Pond is a high recommend. Great experience. Excellent food.

    Megan V.

    The place sits right in the middle of Lincoln Park. Having an evening reservation after the sun has set gives this little building all the vibes. The wait staff makes you feel as if you've come home for a great meal and they are excited to host you. The food is a nice little adventure for your palate. Always unexpected, always delicious.

    Fig cake

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    8 months ago

    Great experience! Beautiful room, delicious food, friendly service. We did the wine pairing for dinner, and I'd recommend that.

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    11 months ago

    Absolutely amazing staff and service. I highly recommend. The wine pairing is better than other experiences I've had.

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    Ask the Community - North Pond

    Do they have a children's menu?

    They do but it's $29 for dinner.

    Is there a dress code? jeans and nice sweatshirt okay?

    As stated on their website, "Requested Attire is Business Casual." Jeans and a sweatshirt… Read more

    It looks like the seasonal tasting is the only option on the menu online- how does it work? Can we order a meal that isn't a part of that offering?

    No. Prefixed menu the way a chef designed it. I always try to go with the flow since Master Chefs at this level really are creative artists of taste, design and pairing. So it's really best to be all-in for the full Chef's experience.

    Are they taking reservations?

    Yes

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    John’s Food and Wine - Milk Bread

    John’s Food and Wine

    (80 reviews)

    Lincoln Park, DePaul

    One of THE most amazing dinners I've ever had! Our daughter…read morehad been here & really wanted us to go on a recent visit. Got our reservation, studied the menu. You have to order with the hostess at the door, unusual, but don't panic--it works well. And you can always add dishes or drinks from your table. We ordered a number of dishes to share, one better than the next. It was a great experience. We'd love to go back.

    This restaurant made my husband's 40th birthday truly unforgettable. I flew in his best friend as a…read moresurprise, and from the moment we arrived, the staff went out of their way to keep the secret and pamper us along the way. Every interaction felt thoughtful and intentional. When his friend finally arrived, the staff was just as excited as we were--they made my husband feel incredibly celebrated, which meant the world to me. That kind of genuine hospitality is rare. And the food... absolutely incredible. Every dish hit: the oysters were fresh and briny, the clam pasta was rich and comforting, and the duck breast was cooked to perfection. Not a single miss. The cocktails were delicious and well-balanced, and Wine Director Owen truly spoiled us with thoughtful pairings and top-tier service. From start to finish, this was a 10/10 experience. If you're celebrating something special--or just want an amazing meal with exceptional service--this is the place. Highly, highly recommend.

    Gemini - Avocado Toast + Lincoln Park Turkey Club

    Gemini

    (760 reviews)

    $$

    Lincoln Park

    Best restaurant in Chicago! Been here many times, and finally tried the ricotta dumplings! These…read morewere so good and filling, a fun Italian switch up from my normal order. We also go the branzino (forgot to picture) and wow 10/10 need to get that again. And the Caesar salad with added salmon was amazing! The staff is always so friendly and attentive and we just love this place!

    I've eaten at Gemini over the years and have been able to sample a lot of what's on offer. I've had…read moremost of the specials but will usually get either the swordfish or the steak frites. Those are typically very good which is why I come back. The burger though. Why is it such a consistent disappointment? It's small, has the pancetta (a nice rubbery disc of salt) and just seems like kind of an afterthought to the otherwise well-considered menu. I've been eating it on occasion for 10+ years here always with the hope that it has improved. I would love to see a do-over on the burger. It would be great to have a place in the neighborhood that consistently delivered. As it stands, it's a distant second to RJ Grunt's, Small Cheval and not even in the same realm as Armitage Alehouse's burger. Really hoping I get to come back and revise this review to rave about how much better it got. The staff is always very nice and attentive as well. From host stand to bartenders, waitstaff and everyone clearing and setting, always a very nice group that seems like they take pride in their work, which is much appreciated.

    North Pond - newamerican - Updated May 2026

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