Meh is right, for the $$$ money. May that's a little harsh, but I was disappointed. It seems like this place gets on the map partly because of its giant wine list. If you are into this aspect, maybe they get points for it, but it is very pricey, as others have observed. No bang for buck. I've had the feeling around Chicago many times that diners at pricey restaurants are mostly not really foodie types truly interested in fine food, but just rich people who are dumping money where they think the are supposed to dump money. The diners don't really give a crap what they are eating, and the servers don't know much about what they are serving. Of course not always true, but a noticably present phenomenon. The servers could be more knowledgeable and professional about the food. I asked questions that were unanswered or feebly answered and gave up even trying. The servers could at least try not to butcher the french words (e.g. "somaliay", chantilly (as in lace)). Btw the menu is not very French, as others have pointed out. But the courses are numbered in French for some reason. The scallops in kimchi were almost under-cooked (read raw) and the kimchi, which was laudable it in itself, was like a too-sharp insult to the delicate diver scallops. I had the turbot, which came with an nice assortment of vegetable accompaniments. It was a little over-roasted for my taste (contrast with scallops), and lacked deep flavors or some kind of acidity or spiciness to play off the mild unctuousness of the fish. The fish quality was good of course, but the plate fell flat. Dessert was a bummer as the server brought out 2 unsolicited items instead of offering the standard choices. Why they did this pushy thing, I don't know. We had to negotiate (almost insist on) other choices, while I saw other tables passively take what they were given. Wtf. As it turns out the desserts outshone the starter and the main course, both in in complexity and execution. This is off-balance for a fish restaurant. Two more quibbles: The "5 course" groupon feels bogus as the count the amuses bouche and sorbet as "courses". 18% auto gratuity is a drag. These aren't deal-breakers but add to the multiple cons. Lastly, remarkably bad music. read more

We came here because of all the seafood options, it used to be bib gourmand, it's closeby, and there was groupon for the 5 course tasting menu. We're pretty mixed on this one. They are willing to accommodate dietary preferences, which was really nice, and the atmosphere was romantic and felt upscale. Overall, the quality of food is very good, but most of the dishes just didn't stand out, which is why we are giving it 3 stars. We'd rate this more of a 3.5 if we had the option. The price is REALLY up there EVEN with the groupon. Balancing how much we liked the food with the cost, we probably wouldn't come here again personally. We were first served a bread basket (which i'm always for!), and then we ordered: First course: Chef's surprise - tuna tartare, straightforward and well done Second course: Buffalo mozzarella lobster salad with caviar- this was fresh, but kind of bland Kimchi scallops - flavorful and inventive Chef's compliment: Sole with lemongrass - the husband liked the subtle flavors in this, but again, i thought this dish was bland Third course: Apple sorbet - delicious! Fourth course: Norwegian Fjord Ocean trout - nice flavors, best dish of the night! Skate - prepared well, but not a memorable dish Fifth Course: chocolate cake - normal good Pear tarte - nice, not too sweet, well done dessert read more

This restaurant is often on the "Best Of" lists, but I'm not sure why, Service is fine, but the food is neither remarkable nor particularly French. Both Stained Glass and Quince are better bets for an upscale meal in Evanston. read more

Our party of four had a wonderful dinner last night. We had the five course meal and I enjoyed each and every course. My favorite was the trout and dessert. We all had cocktails and order a bottle of sauvignon blanc. Service was good. Our server was okay and nice. My husband and I will definitely come back again. read more

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Oceanique is the best.... The chef/owner really puts some heart into the dishes. There's usually always a tasting menu option and in Evanston, the parking is a breeze! Perfect date place, you can even go by the Lake after dinner, or for a walk around the neighborhood. Anyhoo! *Lobster appetizer is awesome *Any raw seafood preparation there is very flavorful I have never EVER had a bad meal at this place, and as far as other reviews complaining about price? Come on! its a special date kinda place. As far as complaints on portion size? I can eat for real, and their portions aren't crazy big, but just right, especially for a date where you may want to do something other than go home and sleep afterward. Oceanique, part of my all time top 5 right now. read more

A friend of mine actually gave me a Groupon to come here, and I'm so glad she did because I probably would have missed this lovely, lovely dining experience. When we placed our order, the server asked if we had any allergies, as the chef enjoyed surprising diners with complimentary, random bites. This was illustrated almost immediately, as we received a complimentary amuse bouche that I cannot specifically recall, but it was light, fresh and involved sprouts. This was followed by our appetizer, a generously portioned serving of seared Hudson Valley foie gras. I probably could have had that, a glass of wine, and left completely happy. Before our entrees, our server was back with another savory bite of complimentary goodness. Roasted skatewing with roasted purple potatoes in a light lemongrass broth. I was thrilled to try this because it was a tossup between ordering this for my entree, or the dover sole I finally decided on. In hindsight, there was no wrong decision! Both dishes were impressive. The dover sole was wonderful, perfectly cooked, great balance of flavors and textures, and beautifully simple presentation. Jeff ordered the filet mignon, and again, it was generously sized and perfectly cooked. Prices were high, though our meal was offset by a groupon. Even so, I believe the prices as listed on the menu are absolutely reasonable given the quality of the food and the excellent service. It was attentive and friendly, without being fussy or demeaning. We will definitely be back. read more

Groupon introduced me to this place, too, and it was my first full "tasting menu." I decided to splurge and pair it with the wine ($55) which was a great decision. First, the cost. The 5-course tasting menu was billed at $80; the wine pairing added $55, plus an automatic 18% gratuity, plus food tax plus liquor tax brought the bill for 1 to $99.13, with $80 deducted. So I basically had a $180 dinner for 1. Why? Because a single glass of wine starts at about $10 and a nice cocktail is $18-20+, so that's why I went with the wine pairing. I've never had a meal so expensive; however, it was a treat and I enjoyed every bite and experienced new flavors. Of course, since I'm not a fish lover, I would much rather have had rack of lamb or meat but .... My courses were: 1st - one bite of cerviche (flavoful, made of haddock and I don't know what else) but I enjoyed it and did I tell you, I hate fish. 2nd - tempera soft-shell crab - really only tasted the "fried" part but it was my first soft-shell crab so that's okay. 3rd - two bites of chicken pate on crouton - very flavorful and rich 4th - haddock with a pinot noir reduction sauce -- made the dish 5th - potsau creme de chocolat - AWESOME! No, I was not stuffed afterward but pleasantly full and a little buzzed from the alcohol. Each wine pairing was superb and complimented each course perfectly. Philip, the sommelier, was a master of the pour and a nice dude. Since I was alone, I ate at the bar, and since I didn't plan on stopping there, I wasn't exactly dressed appropriately but once they got over the shock of someone coming in to eat alone, everyone was very nice and pleasant and Philip made sure I had the opportunity to converse with him and few other staff persons. I don't know a soul in Illinois and would have loved to have shared this dining experience with someone. Since I had the tasing menu, I don't know how large or small regular entrees are but would definitely go back, particularly if someone else was buying! Truly a special for a special night out (or for no reason at all). The reason I gave it 4 rather than 5 stars is because while everything worked and tasted great, I'm not sure it was a $180 meal. Maybe it was, juding by how many 5 stars this place got, but I'm not in that financial category, so my sense of value may be different. I don't think $6 for a McDonald's meal is worth it, either, but i do think $12 for an Edzo burger is worth it, so there you have you. Go, enjoy! You only live once (which is why I even though unemployed I went and did it. I could die tomorrow!) read more

Spent a lovely evening with my family on Saturday. The six of us were using a Groupon. We live just down the street and had passed the storefront many times without any notice except for the sign saying it was a French restaurant (and my husband is French). Going there was my sister-in-law's idea and she obtained the Groupon. I'm very selective, but I have to say that we had a wonderful time from beginning to end. From the coat check at the door to the bus boys to our waiter, everyone was genuinely friendly (without being overbearing), polite, and knowledgeable. We were given all the information about the types of fish and the preparation. The courses were very tasty and we had just enough food without feeling like we had over eaten. We ordered a bottle of Cotes du Rhone and a South African white which were both very good. At the end, the waiter very discreetly explained the charges and how the Groupon worked. It was all handled very beautifully. I highly recommend this restaurant and would definitely go back again. read more

This is, by far, my favorite restaurant in the Chicagoland area. It's not actually in the city, but it's well worth the drive. The food is delicious! Whenever I go, I always get the oysters on the half shell, which are topped with creme fraiche and caviar. The first time I saw that on the menu, I thought it was original and intriguing. I was certainly glad to have ordered it. It also comes with a delicious salad that has an Asian flair. The second item that I always order is the foie gras, which can be a controversial dish, I know. For those of you who don't mind the dish, I definitely recommend you try it at Oceanique. Finish off with an entree and dessert, and you'll have had yourself an amazing meal! On top of the food itself, the environment and ambiance is unbeatable. It is surprisingly unpretentious for the quality of food. The servers are personable, knowledgeable and courteous. Even the head chef himself has emerged from the kitchen to talk to me and my dinner party on several occasions. He has an impeccable memory too. Every time he came to talk to us, he would recall something from the last time we were there, which would be at least a few months past. read more

This place has been on our list for a while to visit. Heard a lot of good things, and we've been waiting for the right time to go and indulge ourselves. This was a treat a while coming, and our expectations were pretty high. We had the 5 course tasting menu and it was a wonderful experience - with a bottle of Chilean Sauvignon Blanc to match the seafood treats. It paired well - and had a wonderful crisp finish. So here is what we had....mmm yum. There was a good pacing to the serving sizes as well - they steadily got bigger, and we were anxiously watching the other tables just to see what might be coming our way. The Japanese Breakfast was a wonderful combination of smoked salmon, avocado, seaweed and daikon. Yum. Didn't take long for it to disappear. Next were some lovely scallops, with fava beans, onion in an orange marmalade sauce. A great combination of textures, salt and sweet - just wonderful. And a reasonably generous portion too - these were the best scallops I've had in Chicago and would give the diver scallops in Boston a run for their money. We had a surprise bit of pate - yum, and blueberry sorbet. Really reset the palate - think it is a bit of a tradition here - and it did the trick. And finally, the entree of sockeye salmon arrived, with a small amount of vegetables and greens. Visually wonderful and just delicious - these are the meals I enjoy the most when there is a symphony of ingredients just going on and it works magically and I learn from it. Wow! And finally desert was two different pastries - a mass of just decadent chocolate that was also a generous serving. Service was really friendly - laid back, good sommelier, friendly and classy. Just how it should be. Can't wait to go again, though have to save some pennies for a while. read more

went there for Rioja Week ($50 pp) - a perfect al fresco evening with stellar service chef brought out a number of amuse bouches including a leek-wrapped salmon ceviche and a refreshing lime basil sorbet. prosciutto watercress salad with apricots, marcona almonds & manchego - fresh with unexpected pairings and texture hon-shimeji mushrooms added a rich note to the seared yellowfin tuna, served on a turnip base the linguini was al dente, grilled shrimp was juicy/had excellent flavor, tossed with a touch of sweet peppers and eggplant desserts did not disappoint: the warm pecan tart was topped with bay leaf ice cream, which stole the show. the Rioja set was finished with a lemon-based egg tart with fresh berries. service was just as seamless as my previous visit, attentive and accommodating. a gracious touch - chef came out himself to present a final dessert, a fresh panacotta with strawberries. read more

I wish, so badly, that I remember all the dishes I got to try as part of our Groupon deal here. I remember a lot of lobster, and surprise amuse bouches from the chef. I remember being impressed over and over again as each dish was--somehow, impossibly--better than the previous one. I remember ordering a killer chocolatey dessert and even though we all ordered different choices, every one of us was so happy with our desserts. Absolutely a five-star experience. Definitely a special occasion type of place, for proposals or anniversaries or very very special birthdays. read more

I came to Oceanique with my Grandma because she has enjoyed the food in the past. We arrived of the early side for dinner. I could tell the host and server were trying to be a attentive, but their attitudes came off kind of fake. This made the ambiance a little uncomfortable. As more people came in it became very hard to hold a conversation because it was so loud & this is from my perspective, not my Grandma's. I ordered the Wild Maine Day Boat Sea Scallops, Butternut Squash Soup, and the Warm Three Nut Tarte. The menu is not clear how the items are prepared so I would not suggest this spot for picky eaters. I am not sure what changes have happened, but my Grandma apologized that Oceanique was not as she remembered it being. The food was flavorful, but not necessarily worth the amount spent. I am glad I experienced Oceanique, but I do not see myself returning in the near future. read more

Good but expensive for what it was. Wine prices are absolutely ridiculous. If we didn't have a Groupon, I would have been really ticked. Portions were very small. We had the five course meal. The first course (chef's choice) was about the size of a silver dollar. No biggie. My second course was scallops, which were excellent but there were only two. The third course was sorbet - standard fare for french. The main course was only half a piece of fish - good but disappointingly small. And then there was dessert which was very good. I knew what we were in for from a cost perspective so I called ahead to find out what the corking fee is. $50! Most wines are over $80. Many are over $200. If I'm going to spend $100 on food, I expect stellar and to be full. The service was very good but the decor was old and tired. I won't be returning and I would not recommend it. read more

Really, really, really disappointing - was looking forward to going to this place. Started off with a lousy martini and wine was good but we did that on our own since we were never even made aware that the place had a sommerlier. Started off with scallops that were really delicious and oysters that were meh. Interesting potato-leek soup, but I didn't love it, and salad for the wife. Fettucine with shrimp was boring and bland while wife's Tasmanian Sea Trout was pretty good. 2 desserts that were nice. Service was ok and the decor was lousy. The place teeters between trendy and traditional, but they absolutely need to figure out how to lower the lights - we felt like we were sitting under a streetlight. They were unable to turn the lights down and to make matters worse there were small power surges that would make the lights brighter and darker throughout dinner. We are people who do not mind paying $250 for dinner and drinks but it really has to be much better than this. Were it a $125 dinner it might have merited 3 stars; the same had the decor and service been fixed. As it stands we'll go with 2 stars. read more

Went with 2 friends and a Groupon...was not impressed. Service was great and I appreciated the chef's memorable little touches like several amuse bouche, but I was dissatisfied with my entree. First of all, the portion sizes were just plain silly. When they said "Yellowfin Tuna with Bacon, Morel, & Asparagus", I should've taken that literally, as I got ONE mushroom & one asparagus spear. It's just hard to grasp the flavor of a dish when you only get one bite of it. It's possible I just chose badly, but nevertheless I felt totally cheated on both size and flavor. To be fair, my friend adored her Bouillabaisse and it was quite good, of a normal size, and actually justified the $30 price-point. read more

We tried Oceanique again. I think this is a restaurant that is trying hard, very hard, to be a top restaurant, but just cannot figure out how to do it. It's nice, quite nice, but it appears confused about how to do it. The meal I received was terrible. I ordered salmon, the one dish that really interested me, which arrived on a hot plate, and it was cold inside, not warm, cold. The flesh looked like it had been through a Mixmaster, not the solid flaky fish one expects of salmon. The accompanying vegetables and sauce grossly overpowered the fish. Not a difficult feat as a nibble of fish alone showed it was almost tasteless. It was as if they couldn't figure out how to fix the salmon so they tried several ideas. Had the fish itself been good, one idea would have been fine, but so many were just to much to figure out what was going on in my mouth. Two bites and I sent it back. HOWEVER, I think this was a terrible fluke. The hostess was very nice and did everything to accommodate me. I wasn't billed for the dinner, substitutions were offered, a yummy lovely complimentary peach and raspberry desert was presented without my asking as was an after dinner cordial. The treatment of the salmon was representative of the restaurant in general, to much conflicting stuff going on The room is confusing. One wall white subway tiles and sliding barn doors (think milk barn chique), one with subtle painted colors with large decorative molding frames one the wall (sort of french bistro) , one with the same color without the molding frames, but a picture, and a huge open (no cafe curtain or such) window looking out to the street. It was like they tried several good or interesting ideas instead of choosing one. One problem that night was the lights were so bright inside I felt like we were on display to those passing by. Not intimate at all. Fortunately a waiter turned down the lights on request. read more

Went to dinner with my family here. We purchased the 5 course tasting Groupon. We also indulged in cocktails. The food was great. Our favorites were the Trout, Ravioli, Skate Fish, and Scallops. The waiter was pleasant and very informative. The atmosphere is inviting. I definitely will go back and suggest it to anyone looking for a great seafood restaurant. Even though it was a bit pricey it was worth it. read more

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The food here was pretty good but I thought the "value" of the whole package wasn't all that great. Definitely 4-star prices but a lot of aspects of the meal didn't really measure up to what I'd expect when a restaurant sets the bar that high. Like others have said, a good amount of pretentiousness. 1) Maybe I'm just being picky, but I thought the atmosphere was a bit dated. When I go to a restaurant with brown tile floors and where you can see into the kitchen (not in the "lets show off our kitchen" way, but more the "oops that curtain doesn't really fit the door so I see the old yellowed pepsi cooler in the hall"), it doesn't scream fine dining. That's OK, but not if you're trying to be fine dining. 2) The food was very good, but I wouldn't say amazing. 3) Service was generally pretty good, but at times it almost felt like they tried a bit too hard. They also didn't ask for a drink order, so I had to grab him to ask for a cocktail. It was completely forgotten, and by the time I realized that it wasn't coming, we had moved onto wine. The restaurant was pretty empty that night, so it wasn't like he was too bogged down. 4) They have a $25-off coupon on their site that anyone can just print out and bring in. While this is nice, it screams to me that they know they're overcharging and just hope they can sneak it by the people that don't happen to see the coupon on the site. I'd rather them lower their prices then try (what I consider to be) a trick. Overall, I think there are better places to go if you're looking to have a very nice dinner (The Stained Glass in Evanston I think is far better). If this place priced themselves more reasonably and tried to just be a good, solid place to eat instead of a super-fancy establishment, I could see it being a spot that I'd go regularly. read more

This is a family owned business and the staff and owner work very well together. Everything is seemless and the quality of the food is unsurpassed (in my somewhat slightly provincial taste). The food isn't actually ridiculously expensive... it's the alcohol that will get you. We're not heavy drinkers, but we spent as much money on alcohol as we did food. But as far as the quality of the seafood... way above Red Lobster (and not twice as much, either!). I like the ambiance and the way I was treated. They don't go way overboard, but they are always respectful and helpful. The parking sucks. read more

To quote the chef, Mark Grosz, "We cook seasonally, source locally and organically as much as possible". Of course there isn't much shrimp or lobster swimming around in Lake Michigan, but he's talking about the menu in general, which changes daily according to what's available at the market - assuring the diner of a fresh dining experience. We went for our anniversary - they put confetti on our white tablecloth - very sweet touch. Our server was a teensy bit awkward, but knew a lot about the menu and passed wine questions off to the sommelier when he could not help us. The food is excellent - decent portions (not itsy-bitsy, not American-sized) and SO complex and flavorful. We were also served an amuse bouche, sorbet, and one other bite-sized dish between courses , "compliments of the chef". The chocolate pot de creme dessert was slightly grainy, but otherwise quite tasty. I agree with other reviewers that the decor/lighting seems "off" and "dated" somehow. More sconces and candles, less chandelier, people! It seemed a bit too bright and "old" for the style of food being served, but maybe they were catering to the older diners whose eyesight ain't what it used to be - but can afford to eat here. We'll be back for another special occasion, for sure! read more

As others have said, the decor is "older" but that, I think is part of it's charm. I do not think they are necessarily trying to be a modern restaurant, so it fits well. It is quiet, and even with the tables were close, the other patrons were not talking overly loudly, so not an issue for us. Like most, we had the Groupon, and it make the pricing more 'reasonable' And like others said, adult beverages start at $14 and go up from there. Definitely pricier than what I am used to. The food was good, and the servers very polite and knowledgeable. I can't give more stars, due to I think the normal prices are overpriced for what you get, (see above, $14 drinks). Also, I do not appreciate an automatic gratuity when it is only two people. While I am sure some people only tip on the Groupon Price I am willing to tip on the Retail Price before tax. read more

Romantic exquisite experience. We had high hopes for a special meal when we heard about Oceanique and read the reviews online. We were not disappointed. We started with the acorn squash ravioli and fois gras. Each had a paired wine, which we ordered. We wanted to share the starters, so the sommelier kindly offered to divide the wines across two glasses, so we'd each have the pairing with every bite. It worked perfectly. We ordered the skate and the walleye for our main courses, but unfortunately the skate was no longer available. We opted for the tuna, cooked rare. Of course both were so good, neither of us were interested in sharing! The only setback was the suggested wine pairing, a half bottle of a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. Neither of us cared for it. We let it sit for quite awhile hoping it would transform, but alas, we didn't get the wine experience we were hoping for. However, later in the meal, the sommelier did offer to bring some other tastings and replace the wine. By that time, though, we were nearly done and declined the kind offer. Instead of dessert, we had perfectly made espressos and headed home happy and satisfied. The food and the wines and amazing, attentive, professional and friendly service was worth the $250. read more

Oceanique was a great experience. Atmosphere overall is slightly disconcerted, but definitely on the nicer side. The sheets draped over the ceiling could be done more tastefully, and some of the art in the bathroom could be re-thought. However, the food was the highly of the night. We went straight for entrees, but by surprise, we were brought some finger foods while waiting including halibut and chicken liver. I had the privilege of trying both the Alaskan Halibut and the Bouillabaisse Oceanique. The brother of the Bouillabaisse was extraordinary. It was such a subtle, delicate flavor. The Halibut was perfectly cooked, with some great greens and mushrooms with it. Finally for dessert, I had my first creme brule, and I absolutely loved it. This particular one was chamomile infused and was absolutely delicious. If I end up needing to take a date out in E-town again, Oceanique would be a great choice. read more

Tried the 5 course tasting menu. 3 of the dishes were picked already. You get to pick your hot appetizer and main course. Had the following dishes: Smoked salmon with asparagus and creme fraiche - Good starter, the vegetables were fresh and paired well with the smoked salmon Wild maine diver sea scallops - The scallops were cooked perfectly and was paired with a kimchi salad. An unexpected combination. The amount kimchi on the plate was a lot. Could of done with less Berry Pineapple sorbet - nice and light and cleaned the palette well for the main dish Wild Maine Lobster - The presentation to this dish was beautiful. One whole lobster with the meat taken out and ready to eat. It was paired with beets and basil mashed potato. The yuzu saffron sauce was delicious Day and Night Cake - This was a chocolate cake with a layer of chocolate mousse and chantilly cream. A scoop of chestnut ice cream topped it off. The cake was moist and not too sweet Overall it was a very delicious dinner. The service was excellent. The waiters were very attentive and courteous. The decor was not too fancy. For the price of the meals you would expect a more high end ambiance but that was my only complaint. read more

Definitely a date-night restaurant! The menu is mostly comprised of seafood dishes and the meals are cooked as traditional french cuisine. The food is very good and the presentation is pretty and the wine list is pretty decent. The restaurant has a small and cozy but tasteful ambiance. It's nice to not have to go to a big, establishment to have a nice dinner out. Overall, I don't think that there is anything negative about the restaurant but nothing really outstanding either. The price is pretty high relative to other restaurants in the area but not too terrible. If you want a special night out for a date or with a couple friends and you don't feel like venturing into Chicago - I would suggest it. read more

Great meal all around. I had a prix fixe menu as I was there with a group. The Pear Maytag Blue Cheese Salad was a fresh start (with watercress, pecans, and buttermilk dressing). It was actually envied by colleagues of mine that chose other options. The Prime Filet Mignon was a tender, delectable, filling entree with purple potatoes, escargot, and french horns. I made the ultimate faux pas by drinking white wine with my steak, but i started off with white from the cocktail reception prior to dinner. *These are what we call "white collar problems." What I had for dessert escapes me, but rest assured it was good. The atmosphere is nice and quaint, and the location is nestled away on Main St in Evanston. If you're anywhere near the area, it's worth the trip. Stay classy foody friends, Ev read more

I purchased a 5 course tasting menu and loved every minute of it. The food was incredibly good. The service was outrageous. Unfortunately I could never afford to eat here without a discount. :-( I had: 1st course: Salmon/halibut ceviche (wonderful basil flavor) 2nd course: Wild Maine Day Boat Scallops Cilantro Kimchi Lobster-Soy Broth (korean flavor profile, mild Kimchee, radish, soy) The Scallops were seared perfectly and the accompanying ingredients weren't so over seasoned that they overpowered the scallops. Probably one of the very best dishes I've ever had - in my life. 3rd course: Palette cleanser:Passion Fruit Sorbet (delicious!) 4th Course: Wild Delaware Skate, Favas Purple Potatoes Tropea Onion Lemongrass - lovely delicate fish 5th course 5th course: Flourless Chocolate Cake: Rich Decadent and Fresh. None of the portions were large but by the end of the meal I was satisfied. Both with the quantity and quality. read more

A lot has been said about Oceanique, but is it worthy of it's cost/ reputation - I am not sure. That is why I gave it 2 stars, not 3. If I want to drop $200+ for fine dining seafood + wine dinner, I am not sure I would return here. The food was good - overall. The chilled Maine Lobster appetizer was not very good, difficult to eat, more veggies than lobster, and not coherency among the ingredients. The day boat sea scallops were better- they were fine - absolutely nothing special. That's $35 of unspectacular right there. The entrees were better. We really enjoyed the Halibut and Barumundi entrees, both were special - but both were small. At this point in the meal, we both expressed concern that we weren't close to being full. They were very small portions. When my wife finishes an entree, there isn't much on the plate. We enjoyed the desserts as well, both were excellent, but just barely filled us. Service was OK - sort of. The sommeliers take your wine bottle from the table. I had never experienced this before, and I didn't like it. The wine list was ridiculous with only 2 or 3 under $50 and most much more expensive. I had no idea how much wine we had left, and it turns out, neither did the two sommeliers! After my after-dinner drink arrived, the waiter apologized, and poured us both another half glass of wine from our original bottle! That was very disappointing. I would have preferred it during the meal. The waiter was almost too hands off. It took awhile to get the wine, after ordering, having the waiter relay to the sommelier, and them getting the bottle to the table - we had sat for almost 20 minutes. Too darn long. Frankly, the best service we had was from the valet, who recommended a nearby free spot rather than taking our $10. This restaurant was over hyped, and I felt bad for not enjoying it. I wish I had enjoyed it more, but I am not sure why the cost was so high, when there was so little food, and overall inadequate service - especially from the sommeliers. read more

Ok, this post was when I was preggars. I can't believe I haven't reviewed this place yet! My husband found this place. Of course, french is my favorite cuisine but to have french for seafood prepared the way they do...is tre manifique! The wine list is extensive...I sure do love wine, however, being prego doesn't do me a lot of good to enjoy it. So I've asked our waitress to have the bartender come up with some mocktail and he did...a lychee drink with sorbet served in a martini glass...yummilicious! The waitstaff is knowledgeable and will cater to your needs. I didn't think it was expensive at all. All things considering you would probably pay just as more at Shaws downtown. I had the fish (pompalano) prepared light that was divine! A must if you love French. We've been back months ago with friends on a Groupon. I felt it wasn't their best and you were sort of limited to what is on the menu. The sommelier definitely was friendly and knowledgeable. I still enjoy the lychee cocktail and is worth it. The wine is definitely incredible. read more

I visited Oceanique last night (a Tuesday) for two reasons; a special occasion and because I had purchased a $35 Groupon (http://www.groupon.com/chicago/) good for $75 worth of "French seafood and more". I called ahead to make a reservation, but that proved to be unnessesary, as only one other couple was dining upon our arrival at 6:30 p.m. Our coats were checked and we were seated immediately (reservation or not). We very soon found out, unfortunately for us, that other couple were a couple of loud talkers and although seated a couple of tables away, because Oceanique was quiet, we could hear everything they were saying. Very annoying! Here is where the story gets better, the service was exceptional. Please keep in mind that the restaurant was also nearly empty, so I'm not sure if I can fairly judge, but our wait staff was very attentive. It was perhaps the best part of our dining experience. The food was very good as well, although my wife enjoyed her Filet Mignon (cooked perfectly because she ordered it "a little pink" as opposed to "medium" or "medium rare" which might have missed the mark) much more than I enjoyed the bouillabaisse which I felt was a bit lacking in flavor. We finished our meal by sharing a slice of "Black & White" chocolate cake which was good, but nothing eye-popping or exceptional. As stated in many previous reviews, Oceanique is expensive (by my standards at least). Our final bill for two was almost $110, but thanks to my Groupon, I ended up spending less than $65 (including the $35 Groupon purchase price) for our meal which, in the end, I felt was a much more fair price for the experience. read more

Went on first day of Yelp Eats, today, July 11th, as they advertised: "Announcement: Visit us during Yelp Eats (7/11-7/17) and receive 50% off select appetizers, entrees, desserts and drinks! More info: http://goo.gl/yDqv3" BUT THEY ARE ON A TWO WEEK VACATION UNTIL JULY 12th. Not sure who's to blame, but I wouldn't advertise "July 11th through 17th" on your Yelp page, and not open until the 12th. Won't bother to go back, so they can stay closed for VACATION more often. read more

Truly a wonderful experience to dine here. Valet parking, service is impeccable. Menus items are well done and well put together with pairings that excite the tastebuds. Atmosphere is very relaxing and quiet. Would definitely come back! read more

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What can we say about Oceanique? We've lived in Evanston for 14 years and we have been to Oceanique more than 20 times. It has never disappointed. Great service, great food, but the consistency has really been astounding. Love the chef, who is friendly and often comes by your table to make sure everything is alright. A wonderful restaurant as good or better than a lot of places in Chicago that get Michelin stars. It is a bit pricey, but I think in this instance you get what you pay for. We always feel like we get good value for the price. Also, every so often, the restaurant has a celeriac soup on the menu -- that's right -- celeriac, which is the best soup I've ever had. Great restaurant and really impressive that it has been so consistently great for so long. read more

The food was actually really nice. The service also very positive. The value for our money, not so much. We purchased a 5 course tasting groupon for 2 but when all was said and done the all in bill was 2x's the groupon amount. For clarity, two glasses of wine and a iced tea. They auto add the tip based on 17.5% of what they fully charge for the price fixe for two. It's not an insignificant chunk of change. Like I said the multiple courses were very well prepared and presented. So no complaints there. I'm just not sure I will go back there to shell out that kind of money again. read more

After a bit more than a month I returned to this place on a week night. This time my companion and I chose the tasting menu, which more like a fixed price menu with some really nice choices. We also chose to pair wines with our meal for $75 each. We got really nice wines and they were well matched to our courses but this did not seem like a value proposition. All the food and the service were exactly spot on. We were greeted by the chef/owner at the bar while drinking cocktails and had a pleasant moment with him. I personally had skate as my entree and it was prepare perfectly sauteed in butter. My lobster salad was wonderful with a generous amount of lobster and salmon roe on well dress bed of greens. Both the wine service and table service was spot on. This was the experience I had expected the last time I had gone on a Saturday night and I am happy to see this place has not lost any of its allure. read more

This cozy fine-dining establishment is having a bit of an identity crisis. Are we fine dining and require you to dress up, or is it OK to wear jeans? Shall we place classical music, or be more chill and play oh, Talking Heads? Though I like the idea of Oceanique it's higher prices suggest something different from the image they may project when you enter. Service was good, but I felt like our waitress was trying to be more our friend, then our knowledgeable guide. Though as other reviewers suggest they steam the tablecloths, ours oddly had sparkles and confetti on it from the previous guests celebration...and it remained there on our table. The food itself was good. We did the 5-course tasting menu and while I enjoyed all my dishes, I wasn't blown away by anything especially considering the price. The dishes themselves seemed overly fussy with too many ingredients on the plate, some herbs adding color as a garnish had no business complementing the taste. Overall Oceanique is a fine dining establishment in Evanston with a romantic vibe. If you're looking for a special occasion spot to celebrate this may be it, but I would maybe explore other options if you're a Chicago resident looking for an evening out in the north suburbs. read more

This is out of my usual target price range, and therefore a special occasion location. We had the Alaskan salmon and the Alaskan halibut, and the sea scallops for an appetizer. I know that doesn't sound very adventurous, but we were also squeezing this restaurant into our budget, and therefore couldn't go nuts. Also, they participate in the public radio membercard program, which helped. All three dishes were extremely good, if somewhat similar in style and presentation. You get a bed of something tasty and savory (like pureed potatoes), the fish or scallops on top of that, and quite an assortment of veggies and savory things piled on top. I know this doesn't quite do it justice. :) The scallops were especially good--browned just enough on one side, with all the melt-in-your-mouth sweetness you should expect in a scallop. We were also brought 3 (three!) amuse bouches. The demitasse of blueberry sorbet was the best--perfect palate cleanser before the main course. The only negative thing I can say about the meal is that we were seated near a really rude diner. He demanded to see the chef and insisted the chef would be upset if he didn't see him. Then when the chef appeared, this ridiculous person apologized for having called him by the wrong name out on the street earlier in the week--what great old friends they are! And at one point, the server made the mistake of asking for his wine order a second time, and he proceeded to humiliate the server. Here's an exchange that is totally unnecessary in a restaurant... Server: "I'm very sorry." Patron: "You should be." You should be? Really? Why, did something bad and irreconcilable happen? What a jerk. I told my wife to hit me if I ever behave like that in public. read more

This is a good place to go if you want to impress a date. Service: Excellent service. You have many people bringing by silverware, filling up water, there's a wine sommelier, etc. I felt very taken care of. Food: I had the grilled calamari appetizer, the skatefish entree, and a nut tart with basil (!) ice cream for dessert. The calamari and the skatefish had the right flavors, the only problem was that they were far too oily. The chef needs to tone down the oil, my food shouldn't look shiny and feel slippery in my mouth. Especially when it's that expensive. The dessert was fabulous! The nut tart tasted delicious and the basil ice cream was very unique. Also, have to mention that the amuse bouche was fun and the between course sorbet was good as well. Overall, an okay place, I wouldn't venture here again unless someone else was footing the bill. read more

The food was good but this place is really overpriced for what it is. We used two groupons. @$40 each. We had two of the least expensive drinks. Bud light is $7! Although I didn't go that cheap. The tax, two drinks, and tip(18%) automatically added on, Was just shy of $70. $150 total with a half price groupon deal!! this is not a place for teachers, nurses and the like. The Dixie Kithchen's just down the Street. Great food, Great service and at about 30% of the price. In all honesty, if they were the same price I would do the Dixie Kitchen 3 times and Oceanique once to mix it up once in a while..If you like pretense and high prices, go for it. read more