We just love this place. I've been here a handful of times and each time its consistent. I love the wine program, the seafood is fresh and creative. Its always a treat to come out to Evanston. My only complaint is that they seem to do a lot of groupon like deals and that concerns me. Do they need it? If you're looking for upscale seafood in a non-stuffy atmosphere then come here. read more

Tried this place in January during the Chicago Originals special, and it was delicious. Menu was as follows: 1st course - salad of pears, watercress, and gorgonzola 2nd course - whitefish with leeks and winter squash 3rd course - warm apple tarte with caramel ice cream All delicious, and the ambiance, as expected, was terrific along with the service. Will come again. read more

Without any doubts, Oceanique worth for 5 stars. I went there with my boyfriend for my birthday dinner, fantastic!!! Romantic decor, excellent service, good food, good arrangement, they worth for all the credits! The night we went wasn't the busy night, so the chef gave us so many different bite size their food sample for us, it's a nice try since it's a good chance to taste another dishes from their menu. We both got lobster as our entrees, taste delicious!! Lobster was big and so juicy! I have nothing can complain! I will go again read more

So it was our anniversary this past weekend and I wanted to treat my bride to a special dinner and night out. Although we live in Buffalo Grove we drove to Evanston for dinner here. WHAT A MISTAKE. We had 7:45 reservations and arrived a few minutes before. Our hostess seated us right away but did not provide us menus which was kinda odd. A few minutes went by and when my wife got up to use the facilities she asked if we could get our menus. Shortly afterwards our "waitress" brought them. Exactly 15 minutes went by and she never returned to take our wine bottle choice and at 8:05pm it was NOT busy. I asked my wife if she wanted to leave so we got up and walked out. If this is supposed to be a quality dining restaurant I would strongly suggest that you need to impart that wisdom to your wait staff. SO DISAPPOINTED especially after our expectations were so high read more

Being new to the Evanston dining scene, I didn't quite know what to expect from this highly regarded restaurant. I was really impressed. Oceanique makes extremely layered (if a bit unimaginative) French food, with an emphasis on seafood. It has elements of pure class: great finger food between courses, stellar service (really, a shut-out to these people: they are both incredibly helpful and unintrusive), a spectacular wine list and a very helpful sommelier. Perfectly cooked lobster, and perfectly seasoned oysters were the highlights of my dinner. My only concern so far is that the bread was not great, and that my dessert (Panna Cotta with berries) did not really stand out. I will go back and maybe try the tasting menu to see if it's worth five stars. read more

I've been to Oceanique a few times now but just decided to write a review. I mainly go there on special occasions: anniversary, birthday and valentine. All the times I went, we did the 5 course tasting menu along with the wine paring. Needless to say but Oceanique is a little pricy for a casual dinning, but not too expensive if you want to splurge. What I love about them is the impeccable service along with the consistent food quality everything single time. The wine list has a nice variety, not sure if he is a sommelier,but he has great knowledge about wine and food paring. They were more than happy to give me another wine paring when I didn't like one that was recommened. read more

Gotta say that because of Groupon I went to this little gem. I normally feel like I get ripped off anytime I eat at a seafood or steak restaurant but I was really impressed by the meal I ate. I still spoke of it a day after I ate there. Initially I was turned off driving up to the restaurant because the valet employees were sitting at the front table in their bubble coats. Once we got inside I was greeted warmly by the host and offered a seat at the bar. If there was one critique of this place it would be that the bartender took a while to acknowledge we were there with a "would you like a cocktail or to see the wine list" question. I had the Acorn Squash Ravioli to start and was really happy with the plate. It was fragrant, and the flavors of the squash were balanced with the salty flavors or the bacon. My wife had the oysters and complained that they seemed overly salty. Second course was a salad with pears, Maytag Blue Cheese, Candied Pecans and an assortment of greens. My wife had the potato and leek soup with sorrel and lobster. For our main course, my wife had the lobster and I had the fillet. I loved the dish. It was cooked perfectly. The steak was served with purple potatoes, chanterelle mushrooms, green beans, and heirloom carrots. read more

My wife and I went there on a Saturday night and had the chef's tasting menu. I thought the meals were extremely well prepared and the presentation was excellent. She had the Salmon which she thought was average and I had the Tuna which was very good. For the earlier course, she had the lobster and endive salad and I had the ravioli, which was outstanding. Overall, this is an excellent but pricey experience, but I could see coming here again to celebrate a special occasion. read more

No doubt they like Alexis' review. I don't know where she ate in Paris or New York, but this place is not the Pièce de Résistance of French cuisine. Give me a break! The chef is neither Thomas Keller nor Alain Ducasse-esque. That said, Oceanique is a very good restaurant. Was it worth the price? Meh, me thinks not, but it is the best french food I have had in the area so far. My wife and I enjoyed the chef's tasting menu and sampled their ample wine cellar. The staff are helpful and friendly. I was satisfied, and didn't feel too ripped off. It's good -- the French Laundry it is not. read more

I dined here for the first time last night and found this restaurant to be particularly impressive. It comes the closet in their preparation to one of my favorite places Chez Panisse in Berkely in terms of their approach to dining from a seafood perspective. We had two dishes, the first, a quintessential Bouillibaise was fantastic, the broth was not too salty and the pesto aioli that was served with it was sublime. The second dish was a swordfish topped with what was essentially a liquified concotion of herbes was exceptional as well. The chefs amuse bouche, a ceviche number was right on time as well and well thought out. Very nicely done, I will be back and intend to order the tasting menu the next time. read more

I dined at Oceanique for a special evening, my Mom's 70th birthday. Sx of us were in attendance. I ordered their turbot (similar to sole) and my girlfriend ordered the salmon. Both were well prepared and delicious. Others in our party ordered these dished and a vegetarian entree, which I didn't try but my family enjoyed very much. We had the beet salad as a starter which was wonderful as well. Oceanique included several small in between courses or tastes as a matter of course to cleanse the pallet and prepare for the next meal. Oceanique staff knew it was my Mom's birthday, and provided several complimentary deserts in honor of the occasion, and a candle on my Mom's desert (classy and tasteful, nothing obnoxious). The meal was expensive, a little higher than I expected, typical of top dining in downtown Chicago. In any case, we enjoyed the meal very much for the great food, level of service, and attention to detail. read more

Loved our dinner tonight. Service and food were first class. Loved our wine too. Fantastic!

Went to Oceanique for New Years Eve, it was a last minute choice couldn't find open tables any place else. Got to the restaurant just after 8PM and the table was ready for us, no waiting my friend and I were seated right away. For a New Years Eve I was pleasantly surprised thinking I would have to wait at least 10 minutes before being seated. The waiter came over went over the menu, I mentioned to him that we were in a bit of a hurry, he said he would try to get the five courses rolling at as fast as possible. After having selected our appetizer and main entree the waiter started bringing out the courses pretty quickly which pleasantly surprised me. The starter course was a smoked salmon with white asparagus and I can't remember the sauce but it was excellent. The courses came out and they were all excellent, I really enjoyed the meal and the restaurant has a nice cozy environment. I read someone complaining about the ironed table linens, that's just petty. Long as the food was what you expected or more the atmosphere was pleasant and the environment comfortable, no complaints! I highly recommend Oceanique, great food wonderful cozy atmosphere and priced reasonably. read more

During Covid, take out is possible and delicious from this high end dining establishment. I laid out my home table w tablecloth and lots of wine glasses. Then slowly had each course w simple warming/serving instructions. Long conversation and delicious food that I can't make myself. A much needed break. Not the same as having them serve us , but way better than regular take out for a special meal that heals the soul. read more

We also used their Groupon offer for dinner. The service was great but the food was average. Drinks were pricey but I expect that at a high end restaurant. The ambiance was great and that made it fun for us. My wife and I enjoy trying out "new to us" local restaurants but will be going elsewhere for our next high end dining experience. read more

Upon receiving a promotion deal for Oceanique and recalling my parents venturing up to Evanston every so often, I decided to pick up a couple deals for my girlfriend and me. When we arrived (starving) we were a bit disappointed to learn that our 8:15 table was not ready. So for about an hour we waited at the bar. I was quite irritated and almost left, but am glad we didn't as our meals were fully worth the wait. We kicked off our meals before our 4 course prix-fixe with some frois gras which was delicious. The dishes I was served included: Goat cheese salad served with arugula, beats, and other vegetables Red plum sorbet with mint and mango (if I recall correctly) Halibut served with greens in a pinot noir reduction sauce (no idea fish could be this good - it melted like butter) Dessert (A tart, cannot recall what kind) My girlfriend was served: Scallops (again perfection) Sorbet Swordfish steak Flourless chocolate cake We complemented our dinner with a pinot noir from oregon. In between dishes, we were served an amuse-bouche compliments of the chef. One was a leak-wrapped whitefish. The next was fire-roasted shrimp served with small pieces of what I think was papaya. What as really notable was the service. Although we had to wait a long time (though in all fairness to them they had a table ready for us, but it was in the waiting area in the front so we opted to wait for a table that did not make us feel like we were "dogs in a window"), once seated we had something like 7 different people serving us. Everyone was very friendly and knowledgeable. Finally at the end of the night, we were the last people there and the chef came out to greet us. For being a restaurant of such elevation, I was surprised at how genuine and friendly he was. My girlfriend had a few questions about some of our dishes which he enthusiastically responded to. All said and done, a bit pricey if you are liberal with their wine list, but the food was exquisite. I am looking forward to my next evening at Oceanique. read more

I went to Oceanique for my birthday using a LivingSocial coupon for the tasting menu. It sounds like that is how most people are doing it lately. The "five-course" proclamation is a little weird since it includes the amuse bouche and the sorbet as courses, but if you checked out the menu before you bought the coupon then you'd know that. Stretching the definition of a course, perhaps, but not hiding that fact. We started with a little smoked salmon amuse, then for the appetizer I had soft-shelled crab, which was excellent. It didn't hold a candle to the venison pate that my wife had, though, which is the best thing I've eaten in a while. The sorbet came and it was fine. Very citrusy, but it worked as a palate cleanser. There were three fish entrees when we went, a skate dish that I ordered, a halibut dish that my wife ordered, and a salmon dish. First we got a little taste of the salmon dish, which was nice. It had a lot of Mexican influence to it with poblano and cilantro. My skate was great and the halibut was very good if a little underseasoned. Our deserts were a lemongrass creme brulee that was very good and my wife got a chocolate sponge cake that had a great spongy texture and a nice mousse filling. I think a lot of the recent reviews here are a little unfair. Yes, the place is a little more expensive than it should be, but I don't think it's ridiculously so. We have to remember that we're in Chicago, and we don't just pull skate or salmon or halibut out of the lake. Fresh seafood of the highest quality costs money. The cocktails are pricey, but they have an extensive wine list with lots of reasonable wines (and lots of expensive ones). The service was great and the waiter was very helpful. The atmosphere was nice (though the fabric ceiling was weird once I noticed it) but wasn't stuffy. We've been there one other time a few years back and went there without a reservation when Campagnola didn't have room for us. The wife was wearing a hoodie and I was wearing a polo and jeans, but they didn't even bat an eye. The nice laid-back attitude and the great food is why we went back. If yelp gave me half-star control, I'd rate this a solid 4.5 stars. It's a really great place and we're happy to have such a nice restaurant nearby. We would solidly recommend it. read more

It is rare to walk into a restaurant and have a perfect dining experience, but we did! The food is interesting, delicious and creatively prepared and served. The service is impeccable, and the wine list is impressive. From the appetizers, to the main course and the dessert was just so flavorful and interesting. Every dish mixed various foods together and resulted in an unexpected and delicious experience. Every course was perfectly timed, and small plates in between were served to clear our palette... in one word: magnificent! read more

We always seem to get the server that doesn't like to talk. The other servers would tell the diners they were serving about the courses beyond just the ingredients. The food & presentation is always stellar. No complaints or suggestions to make. We had a $79 travelzoo voucher for a chef's five course menu. Can't beat the price. The drinks are expensive. Two cocktails ($16 each) & a coffee plus taxes & the mandatory 18% gratuity brought the total we paid $94. Even at $173, it was definitely worth it & we will go back. read more

The foods are wonderful. But the experience was ruined by the way they surprised the customers with the bill. There was a promotion on Groupon, party of 4 for about $110. When the bill arrived after the meals, they said the original price was $320, so the tax is $32. Then on top of that they automatically charged $58 gratitude, 18% of the original price. I thought sales tax is based on actual sales value by IL state laws, not based on an inflated list price, and gratitude is what the customers feel like giving. read more

Excellent all the way around. This was a special dinner for a friends sobriety anniversary and the staff was terrific that was the food service etc. read more

Very, very okay. Tres okay. Not spectacular, but okay. The food was on the verge of being good, but the only really terrific thing about this place was the wine list. My gf and I got hammered on great wine and really didn't even think about the food. My girlfriend's a snob. Really, she is. I'd like to think she's not sometimes, but time after time I'm reminded that she is. Oceanique didn't quite satisfy her needs, but I was so amazed and impressed by the wine list and the sommelier was so nice that she was trashed within the first hour...so it didn't matter. Overall I give this place a 2 on food, 4 on service and 4 on wine list. read more

Had family in from out of town, with varying tastes and on an excellent recommendation went to Oceanique. Pleasing various family members can be tough, especially from the east coast but Oceanique was perfect in every way for our group. Well thought out wine list, a couple of excellent cocktails and a menu that can cater to even the pickiest of eaters. Looking forward to returning with a few more friends who will be adventurous to check out more of the menu. read more

This French restaurant has a lot of mix reviews, however my friends and I enjoyed it! We came here because of a Groupon deal and I was a bit skeptical because I was unsure what I got myself into. When we arrived we were immediately seated (we made reservations in advance). Then possibly a minute later we were given our 5 course menu option. Courses 1 (mini sampler), 3 (palate cleanser), 5 (dessert) were chosen by the chef while the other two were our own options. Granted in American style dining course 2 was like an appetizer and course 4 was the entrée. For course 2, I chose the Wild Japanese Scallops--it had spicy kick to it considering that fact that it was the chef's version of kimchi and the scallops were nicely seared giving it a soft almost melty flavour. Course 4, I chose the Swordfish option that came with eggplant, bacon, and a few root vegetables. The same ordeal with the swordfish--nicely flavoured and seared. I have read some reviews commenting on the decor of the place. I find that the decor fits perfectly with the vibe of this restaurant. Yes, it is a bit dated (has a modern chic 70's vibe to it) but I thought the important aspects of a restaurant is the food. Oh well...each to their own OVERALL --- YES! GO AND TRY THIS RESTAURANT OUT! read more

Went here last night to redeem a Travelzoo voucher (5-course dinner for 2 people, $79.50). Please bear in mind that this is based on my 6th visit to Oceanique (3 times on Wednesdays for the lobster special). The dinner was good, although by this time I had noticed that their amuse bouche is always a ceviche with flavored oil, radishes, and a potato chip. So nothing new there. Sorbet was blood orange, which was good and which I've also had before. As our appetizer course, my friend and I ordered the day boat scallops with kimchi, which were perfectly done and very flavorful. I had the seared Hawaiian tuna and my friend had the Artic char. Both good, though I highly recommend the char. The tuna paled in comparison. The portions were tiny, which I will attribute to the fact that it was a multiple course dinner. For dessert, we had the chocolate cake (delicious) and chamomile-infused creme brulee (not bad, but not sure I like the chamomile addition). My gripe is this: being a pretty regular customer, I'm familiar with their course setups. Their 3-course meal is amuse, appetizer, sorbet, main course, dessert. So.. basically my 5-course dinner was a 3-course dinner (I did not expect this). That's okay considering I still saved about $5 off the price of each 3-course dinner.. but wait, there's more. According to this voucher I was redeeming, the value of the voucher was $160 and a gratuity of 18% would be applied. First of all, the value of the voucher was probably more like $90, based on it being pretty much exactly like the weekday 3-course special. Fine, whatever. But then I was charged 20% gratuity, even though "18% gratuity added" was hand stamped on my receipt. So, I was charged $32 instead of $28.80 on a bill that was worth $90 (which would have made 18% gratuity $16.20). I hadn't noticed before I handed them my credit card, and it seemed like a huge hassle over $3. In the end, I paid a total of $127 which was more than the ~$115 or so I would have spent just getting two 3-course dinner specials straight up. So, the lesson is this. Oceanique has great food, but for your money's worth, either get a Restaurant.com gift certificate or book with VillageVines. Then again, you probably wouldn't be able to order the prix fixe menus in combination with those offers. This "deal" and my server overcharging me on top of overcharged gratuity pretty much killed any future desire I have to return. Don't get me wrong, it's great food. If you want to save money though, just go for the Wednesday lobster special. Everything else will probably end up costing you, a lot. At this point, I'm not sure if it's worth the price tag because of the tiny portions. Also, there's not much variety month to month. You'll probably want to end up coming back on a bi-annual basis.. maybe the creativity was there once, but I think it's petered off. read more

OK. here's the thing about Oceanique. SERVICE: is great, so much so that I was almost cool with the tip just being included into the bill (but normally this is a HUGE dealbreaker for me unless I am dining with a group of 8 or more people). I don't know, I guess it just seems a bit presumptuous to me. DECOR: as someone who is a professional faux-painter, the decor is dated at best. The west room has such a heavy-handed application of dark orange paint my friend said it best when she described it as "angry". I get the gist of the feeling they are trying to convey, but its too fussy and overdone with the colours and the fabric draped everywhere, especially for such a small space. FOOD: Well, don't go thinking this is going to be some chi-chi place that gives you a tablespoon of food. They feed you and feed you well. We started off with an avocado and pickled seaweed amuse bouche along with a basket of bread. Then our "appetizers" arrived, which were large enough to be entrees. I had the Chicken Liver Pate which was so rich I couldn't finish it, and it came with more bread, a quail egg, olives, cornichon pickle, mustard, cheese and walnuts. Then you are given a palate cleanser of a small dish of pear sorbet with fresh mint and blood orange. After that the entrees arrived. My bouillabaisse consisted of Barramundi, Arctic Char, Shrimp, Scallop, Squid & Mussels with a Parsley Aioli. Seafood was fresh and tasty, but I felt the sauce was over-herbed and should have had a stronger tomato flavour. I cant believe my friends had room for dessert, but they shared a nut tart which looked good - lots of fresh fruit and a coconut ice cream on top. DRINKS: Horrifying. Possibly the worst attempt at a vodka gimlet ever. And even with house vodka this tiny glass cost $11. Here's a little tip for the bartenders: use REAL limes and Rose's Sweetened Lime Juice. DO NOT use pre-squeezed lime juice (like the stuff that you can buy in the plastic lime), fill the glass half-way with it, add ice and a splash of vodka and call it a drink. Because that is just so wrong on every level. Maybe you can marinate meat with that stuff but it sure ain't a drink. PRICE: not cheap, but you don't feel like you are getting stiffed either. Unless you are ordering cocktails. Yikes. read more

This review has nothing to do with the food, which was of fine quality. I was overcharged. Went in for a two couple date with a prefixed 5-course dinner. Food and drink cost me $144. For whatever reason, restaurant charged me tax on $548 - an amount that included gratuity. That's right - they charged taxes on gratuity. A restaurant cannot make up a hypothetical amount and charge taxes on that. Taxes must be charged on amount actually spent. The difference was substantial. Just because this is a high end restaurant does not mean they have the right to finagle extra charges from unsuspecting customers. read more

"Under da sea!" Sebastian Crab sings in my head as I write this. Being open over 25 years is remarkable. We did seven courses w/ wine pairing and w/ a groupon it seemed fairly priced. Adam, our server was great, but we found his explanation of what accoutrements come with the caviar to be ridiculous: " some vegetables"... uhem. That saved me 85$. Also, our delightful wine guy AJ (or RJ) had a bloody bandage on his hand we had to see throughout the meal and it grossed me out. Not his fault. Poor guy hurt himself. He did a great job explaining the wines and we liked him but every time I looked at the bottles.... BLOODY BANDAGE. I also thought some of their wine selections were weak. One bottle was corked and like a fool I refused something else. Again, this happens and I'm the fool here. The girls at the front were very welcoming. One girl (that looks like a chubby Rachel McAdams) absolutely radiates with charisma. The chef came to our table and was nice but rushed. Lots of complaining north shore types as customers. An ugly clientele. I overheard various complaints about wine costs. Also, people around me HATED that a sorbet pallet cleanser counted as 1 course on their multi-course tasting menu. They just all seemed grumpy. Maybe that's why I didn't send that 1 glass of skunk wine back. We will return. (One bizarre observation : they iron the table clothes after they put them on w/ little electric irons. Seems like two scoops of WTF to me! Am I wrong that that's wrong? There was something very unappetizing about it.) read more

Not sure why anyone likes this place. If you are under 50 years old and and don't have more money than you know what to do with then stay away. People were incredibly nice and service was great. Atmosphere is nothing special. Feels like a pizza parlor with nice table clothes. We had a salad as an appetizer and the salmon and lobster for entrees. $127 later we were severely disappointed and still hungry thanks to the incredibly small portions. If you are just looking for a fancy place for a special occasion don't go here! Save yourself some money and have a much more enjoyable meal elsewhere. read more

An excellent French seafood restaurant with a clearly caring chef. Worth the trip to Evanston. Tip -- they have a three-course meal for $35 that is not listed on the menu. We were also given sorbet between courses, complimentary tasters and our choice of two half-desserts. The two times I have eaten there (once ordering lobster tail with a dessert cognac and the other seared tuna) have been hands-down the best meals I have had in Chicago. Thanks for the happy birthday, Oceanique. read more

Seriously, Oceanique? Seriously? I had a similar experience as Sandy. Had a voucher for a 5 course dinner for 2, valued at $130. Well. One of my courses was the palate cleanser sorbet. Oh no. I cannot think of another restaurant - ever - that has counted the sorbet as an actual course. My grips are not about the actual food, which I thought was overall okay to good, but with the "scamming" or "tricking" feeling that I have. Bottom line is that we still paid $97 for the tax (calculated on $160 for the dinner, not the $130 per the certificate), tip, and 2 martinis and 2 coffees. If I didn't have the certificate for this meal, it would have been over $250. For 4 real courses and a palate cleaner. I've eaten at Tru and their prices for a 5 course dinner are close. Only the food is stellar, it is for 5 REAL courses, and a few extras from the chef. Save your money and your sanity. If you are going to drop this sort of money on food, take it to a place that deserves it. read more

In summary, the food better than OK, but at these prices a terribly disappointing experience. Upon arrival for our 630 pm reservation, it turned out that apparently nobody had checked their phone answering device from earlier in the day because they were already so busy (two large groups, the hostess said) for the evening. Therefore, in a restaurant of empty tables, we were seated next to the kitchen and the restrooms. Kitchen noise and -- disturbingly for this type of restaurant -- the repeated beeping of microwaves was overwhelming, not to mention the shouts between staff in or near the kitchen door and those trying to figure out how to arrange the tables for one the large groups. Meanwhile, the only other diners seated at worse table than ours (on stools at bar height table against the wall also near the kitchen door) were lamenting that one of their entrees had been completely forgotten. And with all the apologizing the restaurant still couldn't get them the missing food -- or even their check -- until they got up a third time to ask about it. Meanwhile one of the large groups arrived, were LOUDLY greeted by the chef and they responded in kind -- we had to wait till they settled down to continue our conversation. We had the 5-course meal for to. The first course featured a teaspoon of salmon ceviche that essentially tasteless except for the bits of red onion in it. The rest of the food was good I have to say -- a delicious corn soup for one of us, an equally well-executed late summer gazpacho with chunks of shrimp to the other, followed by an entree of lightly grilled skate served over fresh vegetables and blue potatoes. Delicious bread accompanied. Our chef's choice desserts were both warm tarts - one of nuts, the other a warm apple tart, both served with ice cream Because extremely high prices for even half-bottles of wine, we settled for a total of 3 classed between the two of us, a perfectly serviceable pinot gris @$16 and an OK cabernet @$12. Our waiter, though flustered because he had messed up the other couple's order, provided good service throughout. At around $250 for dinner for 2 before tip, the total experience should be completely flawless. Ours was badly marred by feeling in the first place that they would have preferred we didn't show up at all and that they were unable/unwilling to manage the atmosphere to what is expected for fine dining. One could name easily a dozen restaurants in the Chicagoland area at this price point where you could depend on this. It's clear from our experience and others reported here, that Oceanique is not such a place. We won't be back. UPDATE: I spoke to the General Manager by phone the next day concerning this experience. She stated that she had called me back to say they could not accommodate us because of the two large parties. There was no message, and no evidence of such a call on my phone, so who knows what happened? It certainly would have been better for us not to go than to experience what we did. She also stated that they do not use microwaves at the restaurant. In addition, she indicated that doors were ordered for the kitchen as part of the remodeling process, but have not been received. Renee graciously invited us to return for dinner "on them" so that we can have the experience they would like to offer. We'll look forward to another visit. read more

We came here on the Groupon 5-course deal (two 5-course meals for $80). Overall the food was good, but we didn't think the seafood choices were the most inspired offerings or preparations. We did look at the regular menu on the way out - wow, entrees all around $45 and up. The 5-course deal is really 3 courses - you can pick an appetizer (out of about 5), an entree (out of about 4 choices - 3 fish and one vegetarian) and they bring you a couple desserts. There is a small amuse-bouche to begin and a sorbet as the other two courses. It was enough food (we ate some of their bread too) but the 5-course offer is a bit misleading if you don't view the sample menu. I had the scallops with kim chi as an app which were good but not great. I love kim chi and those Korean flavors but to me, that overpowered the scallops. My wife had the butternut squash ravioli which were very good, and rich. I had skate wing as my entree and she had a trout. Both were good but didn't blow us away. If I was paying $45 for those entrees (and $15-$22 for appetizers), as the regular prices go, I would've definitely been underwhelmed. Dessert was fine, nothing too memorable. We ended up spending another $115 on a $50 bottle of white wine, a coffee, and the balance on tax/tip which they automatically apply on the "full value" of the meal (starting at $160 for the two 5-course dinners, plus whatever else one orders). Same goes with the mandatory tip they add. Basically they just deduct the value of the Groupon voucher from your bill, which seems a little unusual for how these things should work (who is getting this tax?). I will say the wine list, while likely containing some serious gems, is ridiculously overpriced...or at least seriously lacking some reasonably priced options. There were probably 2 bottles of red wine on the entire list under $60, and they were conveniently out of the Oregon pinot noir we tried to order in that price range. The same is essentially true of the whites. For a wine list with thousands of offerings totaling dozens of pages, it's pretty lame not to offer diners more offerings in the $40-$60 range. I would also note that the wine list on their website is quite out of date as far as prices and offerings. Overall, we had a good meal but left a little underwhelmed. I'm sorry to say that I could never imagine going back and paying full freight on their regular menu - the prices are just way out of line for the overall experience, decor, and offerings. They definitely are cooking very good seafood and using quality ingredients...but for the very high prices, you could do a lot better in the city for an overall much more special experience. Yes, the Groupon deal helped, and I'm guessing that Oceanique does a BIG business on those vouchers, but I doubt I'd do it again. read more

First time at Oceanique last night. In short, the entire experience was disappointing. Food was good, but not great. Good quality ingredients and cooked properly, but flavor was not extraordinary. For sure, there was lack of attention to details. Small let downs aggregated to full disappointment. Example, the plate of toast that came with our smoked salmon appetizer had a couple of extremely wilted basil leaves on the side of it. Visually, that just did not look appetizing. As far as service is concern, the entire staff needs more training. To start, the bus person took away all of my silverware (only mine as he left my husband's silverware as is) after the amuse bouche. Then when I got my appetizer, I didn't have utensil to eat with and had to ask for it. BTW, when filling water in a patron's water glass, the pitcher is never to touch the glass (that's a no no!!). Then, food runner delivered food to wrong person at the table. This was not an isolated incident as that happened to other tables around us also. Finally, we saw our waitress only a couple of times: when she took our order and when we asked for the check. She did not check on us, after we got our appetizers or entrees, which is an absolute must to ensure that patrons are pleased with their food and if not, action can be taken to resolve immediately. Maybe it was an off night for the staff, but service was not even mediocre, it was just not good. I expect seamless service at this price point (entrees starts at $40). Hope the owner/GM can see the problem and work to improve. read more

Attention Oceanique's Manager: your staff (save for your hostess, who was shushed when she took the time to converse with us in an EMPTY restaurant, and your bartender) is quite possibly the snootiest in the city... and your food doesn't even warrant it! We went last night for restaurant week hoping to find a new gem in Evanston. Glad we didn't have to pay full price because even with the restaurant week menu, this place wasn't worth it. The Chef's surprise was ok but the swordfish was overcooked and came out tough. We had oysters which were just meh. The salmon was better but nothing special (note: the salmon was accompanied by elotes. I'm not completely convinced they're not running to the guy with a cart on the corner for them). The only dish that shined was the pate - this from a "seafood" restaurant. I think they had to run to the store for our sparkling water because we got our wine and the chef's surprise before the water showed up. The port we ordered came in what were practically white wine glasses. And when we asked for lemon for our espresso, they shaved the smallest rind possible. I've seen restaurants more generous with truffles! In closing, the staff was incredibly pretentious and the food is overpriced, both of which are tolerable if the food is actually good. read more

We have wanted to go there for a long time. They've been around for years and years, so we figured it must be great. (26 years, I think). Went using a Groupon. Neither one of us drinks, so alcohol didn't add to the cost. They call it a 5 course dinner for $80. I wouldn't really call it 5 courses. The first course was a small bite of something. When they servers served each course, they ran it by us so fast that we had no idea what they were saying. Since we didn't know what we were getting, ti would have been nice to have a little more explanation. Everything looked beautiful. That being said, I've had better food. I wouldn't say that it was bad, it just wasn't as flavorful as I would have liked it to have been. Especially for the price. The service was ok. Our server really didn't ask us if we liked anything, nor did she check on us until we were eating our last bite. The best part of the meal was the dessert. Both desserts served were delicious. I think that the serving size of the dessert was larger than the entree and appetizer. The total bill came to over $200 for 2 people. That's a lot for 2 non drinkers. I think that it's total nonsense that an 18% gratuity is automatically added on. Service wasn't that great. If gratuity is automatically added on, it should have said it on the Groupon or on their menu somewhere. We are always very generous tippers, but don't like to be told that we have to. Anyway, I will not be back here nor will I recommend it to anyone else to go unless they just have money to throw away and don't really care how things taste. We went home hungry. read more

For the North Shore area, I think this is one of the more memorable seafood places. It's one of those restaurants that serves sorbet as a palate refresher between courses. Adequate decor. read more

I took my husband here for dinner this past Friday night for his birthday. I had purchased a Groupon and with the expiration date quickly approaching, I made a reservation with a few days to spare. I made a reservation for 5:30pm and since he was going to be at Northwestern for grad school, it would be convenient for us to be in Evanston. The reservation was almost unnecessary since the restaurant opens at 5:30. We got seated immediately, and was greeted by our server who was phenomenal! After looking at the menu, I ordered the chicken liver pate and linguine with shrimp, eggplant and white asparagus and the hubs ordered the raw oysters and bouillabaisse. While waiting for our appetizers, we were pleasantly surprised with an amuse bouche. It was just enough to whet the appetite. The chicken liver pate was delicious. And filling. I got toasted bread, pickled vegetables, mustard and toasted walnuts. After finishing that, we had a little pomegranate sorbet with mint to clean the palate. I was too full to enjoy my linguine. The pasta was good but lacked a little flavor. It was missing something and I don't know what. My husband likes to think of himself as a bouillabaisse expert and thought this was one of the best he has had. He loved the pesto aioli that came separately to mix in with the bouillabaisse. Our dining experience was so lovely that I highly recommend Oceanique for a romantic meal for two or with a small intimate group of friends. They do have tasting menus available but with the Groupon, we were unable to partake. Overall, the price for the evening out was more than reasonable even with the Groupon. read more

I wanted a unique and elegant experience for a special evening and Oceanique delivered. Quaint but airy, this hidden gem provides a delightful menu and quality service. The wait staff was top notch. The food, while slightly pricey, delivered an explosive marathon of flavors. The drinks were well poured and I left pleased. Overall exactly what I had hoped for. Highly recommended! read more

If I wanted to spend this much money on mediocre food I would throw twenties out the window at a mcdonalds drive through. I am a student, and charging these types of prices is, no matter the quality of the food, ridiculous. Yet the food took forever to cook, when it finally did come it was cold, the wait staff was rude, and the overall experience was miserable. 2/5, would not come to again read more