I recently dined at Oceanique with my family for dinner. I had never been there before, but had heard good things. Having been there myself, I can now cofirm them; Oceanique is one of (if not the) best dining experience I have ever had. As someone who traveled a lot for work, and whose work paid for meals when I was on the road, I have had more than my fair share of upscale meals that did not meet expectations. This meal was not one of them! Everything about this meal clicked, and that is why I referred to it earlier as a "dining experience." Calling it simply "a meal" almost does not do it justice. The service was excellent, from the servers to the barkeep to the bus staff to the kitchen. Everyone wore a genuine smile, had perfect timing and manners, and made us feel exceedingly welcome. The food was exquisite. We all ordered the 7-course degustation (with wine pairings), and while this was one of the more expensive items on the menu, I have to say that it was worth every cent. Especially, I imagine, if one has a Groupon, which we did not. So, to be clear, what I am saying is that I personally, without the use of an expense account, Groupon or any freebies, paid full menu-price... and it was entirely worth it. I will be dining there again the next time I am in town. I was overwhelmed by the taste, presentation, timing, and portions of the food, as well as the augmentation of the wine pairings. The sommelier was incredibly knowledgable about the history, geography and flavor palate of the wines, and really added to the experience with his kindness and willingness to answer questions. When we passed our compliments along to the chef (his name was G-something, I want to say Gwinn?), he even came out and spoke to us about our favorite dishes, where the ingredients came from, how they were prepared, etcetera! The whole evening was truly above and beyond our expectations, from walking in the door to the last bite of dessert and sip of wine, and it was well worth the price. And, I believe, one of the staff members mentioned that they will be redoing the decor over the summer (which I read some of the other reviewers had a problem with, though we certainly did not). The bottom line is, I cannot recommend this establishment highly enough. On another rating scale, I would rate Oceanique an A+. read more

Its pricey, YES. But its our choice to go there and have a dinner. We see the prices on the menu, and I think its little foolish to complain after. Great food. One of the nicest restaurant in Evanston. Had great experience ! Pricey, yes. read more

Revisted after 10 yr absence for anniversary. Chefs 5 course selection outstanding price value. Nicole as server both HOT and informative. Wonderful evening. Will not let yrs pass before revisiting. read more

Very good experience. Amazingly fresh ingredients. Had the 5 course tasting menu and I'm very impressed with how fresh their scallops, turbot and the vegetables. Wonderful service. read more

My wife and I made reservations at Oceanique for a Saturday dinner. For context, we are huge foodies / chowhounds and LOVE eating well and the experience of great restaurants and great food. We have eaten at many great restaurants in Chicago and in many other major cities. We've recently moved to Wilmette, and so rather than making the hike all the way in to Chicago, we are scouting the nice restaurants in the North Shore. Oceanique attracted us as perhaps the best restaurant in Evanston, or at least the most expensive. The night we were there, it had a 7-course tasting menu for over $100. To me this indicates that an establishment has serious ambitions to be a very fine restaurant. The experience did not match these expectations that we brought in. The service was informal and perfunctory. The greeting from the hostess was a curt "Do you have a reservation?" How about "Good evening. Welcome to Oceanique." When we asked about specialties or recommendations, our waiter said "The swordfish is excellent. The lobster is also a favorite." How about some description? Sell me on it! Share your enthusiasm with me and make it infectious! The staff simply did not have a good vision of what high-end restaurant service should be like. The decor / interior is fine for a less ambitious establishment, but I found it crowded, somewhat cheap, and strangely laid out for a more ambitious restaurant. Our initial table was a 2-top next to a wall in a narrow corridor, and we were separated from another table by about 2 feet. It did not help that there was a loud man at the next table. (That is not the restaurant's fault of course, but the design and layout of the tables is.) We moved to a banquette table at the end of the hall, which was lovely, except for the fact that it was oriented in such a way that it forced you to look directly at another table and its diners about 3 feet away, for which I felt a little bit sorry for the people we were forced to stare at. The food was fine, although in general I found it to be unfocused. There were a number of ingredients in every dish that did not harmonize well for me. I wasn't clear what flavors I was supposed to get and what the "thesis" or "argument" of the dishes were. Even the amuse courses -- which are normally highly concentrated flavors and ingredients -- were a diverse mix of ingredients and flavors that I did understand. The paco jet ice cream was delicious though! There aren't a ton of restaurants in Chicago area that have a paco jet, and so that was a nice treat. Ultimately, while we had a decent experience, I would say that it does not operate at the standard of the very good, similarly-priced restaurants of Chicago proper. The service, decor, and food do not measure up to the prices. I would encourage foodies looking for a great experience to go to Bistrot Bordeaux or Campagnola for a better experience and price to value ratio. read more

I dont go to "fancy" restaurants often but i went here for chefs week. All the food was great. The place is way to pompous though, it bothers me when a maitre d is fussing about and rotating plates on you all the time. read more

My wife and I went to Oceanique a month ago and it was OUTSTANDING! Street parking was a little tough, so we just used their valet parking. The service was attentive, the sommelier was very knowledgeable, and the food was just terrific. I did want to note that we used a GroupOn (5 course menu) and were very pleased. I was nervous about pricing after reading some other reviews, but I'm not sure what these people are complaining about. Our check arrived and we paid for our drinks, tax, and gratuity. I'm wondering what restaurant these other reviewers have been to that they have not been asked to pay for what they consumed and for the services the workers provided. We will be back... likely going to go a la carte next time so I can try the lobster! read more

Our food was great but service was awful (esp. for a nicer restaurant). Waitstaff didnt know menu items, didnt understand pacing or proper course order, rarely cleared plates, etc. the waitstaff desperately needs proper training. They were nice but did not have the knowledge or skills to be working in a restaurant like this read more

Really a great place. I took my date there on a Friday night. It was pretty late, so it wasn't crowded at all. The service is amazing. All the glasses are perfectly shined, the tablecloth ironed, and waiters polite and refined, yet without the pretentious attitude of other classy restaurants. The food is really great too, their potato chip is amazing, and the chef often sends out small complimentary plates to cleanse your palate and whet your appetite, very delightful. The seafood is good, too, nothing wrong there. The price is a little high, about $100 for three courses, without wine, but you get what you pay for. Restaurant.com started offering discounted gift certificates there, so we ended up saving quite a large percentage on the tab. If you or your date likes fancy people who are super nice and friendly, and also if you like French seafood, you should definitely try this place out. read more

My husband and I walked in on a Saturday night with no reservation and received the most lovely service! We stopped as we thought they might have a good champaign by the glass as well as exotic beer, their sommelier and chef made our little date delightful! The food/wine recommendations were superb, the service fun and upbeat, and all with eclectic soundtrack. Great place with character. We will be back! read more

RIP OFF. Bought a five course dinner for 4 from Amazon Local for 140 dollars. Night ended up costing 500 dollars. Avoid this place. For 500, you can have a true five star meal at Tru or Everest in city. So, how 500 here? 1. They count midcourse sorbet palate cleanser as a course. What a joke. 2. They charge tip on inflated price of five course meal (way above actual amazon paid amount; instead they assign an artificial full price number which in reality no one ever pays). 3. They run a sales tax calculation on fake inflated price. Am reporting them to state tax bureau for audit to see if they actually revert inflated fake tax money to government. Can guess the answer. 4. Bottom line. Your 140 voucher will end up costing you 500 dollars for a meal that has overcooked meat (ordered lamb medium rare, received it medium well) and oversalted fish (skatefish all salt, no other flavor). Best advice is to avoid this place. (If you go in and order nothing more than what is included with voucher, you will receive three courses, not five, and will be charged tax and tip on an artificially stated amount of $320 (80 a person); will result in you having to pay $100 extra on spot. And that assumes you drink nothing but free tap water, have no coffees, wine, or extras. So your voucher that you already paid for is actually another $100 just for walking in the door.) read more

This is, without a doubt, my favorite restaurant, surpassing any restaurant I've been to in NY, Chicago, or even Paris (although I was a student then and we could only afford one dinner at one nice restaurant...). The food is always fresh, impeccable, delicious, delectable (I could go on, but, hopefully, you get the point). The service is fantastic. The restaurant is always accomodating - we've even brought our children a couple of times and they are wonderful (of course, I will also note that my children, while quite young, do know how to behave in a nice restaurant). But, the staff has always been warm and friendly - even when the kids come. And they happily made something the kids would eat, brought them extra sorbet, etc. I live just down the street and really wish I could go far more often than I do. It really is a wonderful dining experience. The tasting menu is unbelievable. And, yes, it is expensive, but I do find it worth every penny! read more

The food was good but overpriced but what really ruined my experience here was the restaurant refusing to honor a gift card which was the only reason we even came in the first place. The gift card clearly stated that we would receive $50 if we ordered $100 worth of food/drink. We ordered over $130 worth but the server insisted that the food was already discounted so the gift certificate could not be used. The gift certificate said nothing of this in any fine print but it was refused nonetheless. I objected and asked for a manager but the server took my card which was lying on the table and charged my card without my consent. This restaurant is devoid of morality. I've never felt so cheated while dining. read more

My girlfriend had a groupon for this place and suggested we join another couple for dinner Saturday evening to celebrate our friend's birthday. The couple who joined us highly recommended this restaurant by stating it was a favorite of theirs. We excitedly joined in their enthusiasm and met them for an early dinner around 5:45. We arrived around 5 minutes late for our reservation and were greeted by the hostess. She greeted us by asking if we had a reservation, we did, however she informed us our party had not arrived and asked if we wanted to wait or be seated while we waited. We gave it some thought and opted to be seated since our table was ready. When we were taken to our table by the hostess to our surprise and delight our friends were already seated at the table. The hostess looked a bit stunned and stated "oh they are here already". No apology, just an oops and a quick dash away from the table! Maybe I am splitting hairs, but the place is the size of a small Starbucks ( seats maybe 50-80 diners) how could you as a hostess not know if you just seated someone. Had we opted to sit at the bar and wait who knows how long we would have been sitting and waiting for our friends who were already seated. Not good! When we were seated the waiter asked if we wanted something to drink. We did, but did not have a wine list. The waiter quickly returned with a food and wine menu. Shouldn't the hostess have provided us with menus when she first seated us? We reviewed the wine selections briefly. I know this place alleges itself to be haute cuisine, but honestly the wine listings were outrageously priced for a suburban restaurant. The price per bottle started around 70 dollars upwards to 2000 dollars. Ouch! Needless to say my girlfriend ordered by the glass, while I opted for a beer. The price per glass was a tad high at 12 dollars. I asked the waiter where the beers were listed and he stated it was on a separate menu. Again, something the hostess should have provided to us when we first seated. Let's talk about the food. I understand it was a tasting menu we were ordering from, but seriously at 80 dollars per person the portion sizes weren't sufficient to feed an infant. The food while good was not great. The first course was the chef's surprise. The portion was literally the size of a quarter, cold, and lacked any distinguising flavors that would make it stand out. Not a good start! The second dish was a butternut squash ravioli! The plate was hot, the food was cold! The ravioli was soggy, lacked any defining flavors and was literally two raviolis. Course three was a raspberry sorbet. Finally something that was served cold actually was supposed to be served cold. Frankly it tasted like cold sorbet! Good, but come on you actually include this as the third course on a tasting menu. How cheap, deceptive and underhanded to your diners who are paying 80 dollars a person for the chef's tasting menu. Sorbet should never be a part of your meal. It is only a palate cleanser between courses. Quite frankly that alone will keep me from a return visit. The fourth course was a rare piece of tuna. Again, plate hot, food cold, flavorless. The dessert was the final course. This is were I take umbrage. It was a saucer size portion of a pecan tart with a teaspoon dollop of vanilla ice cream. Honestly, it was bland. I could have literally walked out the door, walked 10 feet and entered Starbucks and ordered the same dessert for 2.45 cents (and they would have heated it). Who knows, maybe it was a Starbucks pecan tart. When the bill came, before our groupon was taken off the bill, it was 417 dollars with drinks for four adults. Let's quickly break down the drink order. Three glasses of wine, two ice teas (non-alcoholic), two Heinekin beers, a double espresso and a cup of coffee! Take a deep breath, 97 dollars! Outrageous! Let me end with a quote from Woody Allen, two elderly women are sitting in a Catskills restaurant eating...the first elderly woman says the food here is terrible and the other elderly lady responds "yes and such small portions"! Skip this place and take a trip with the money you would spend here for a mediocre meal, sold to you for a king's ransom. read more

Unless you want to feel like a real chump, don't order the 7-course tasting menu (there was no 5-course available). As we looked around at other patrons, we saw that two of our 7-courses (the first seafood appetizer and palate-cleansing sorbet) were offered as complimentary amuse-bouche to all diners anyway.The food was delicious, but the portions were laughingly small. We have been to other top-flight restaurants with multi-course tasting menus and understand that such menus are intended to provide smaller samples of a variety of tastes, but the first 5 courses were two-bites at the most. Furthermore, the chef came out and gave an additional complementary shrimp appetizer to the table behind us (who had also ordered the tasting menu). Such uneven treatment of paying customers is unacceptable. read more

Don't be fooled by just being local E-towners and beyond types, this place is awesome! Service was friendly and attentive not pretentious or stuffy. The food is fabulous! Balanced flavours, spectacular presentation and imaginative ingredients assembled as an art form. The wine list was rare and fantastic! Old and new, vintage and affordable. Our meal left nothing more to be desired. We will be back, often!!! read more

Came here for a happy hour for oysters. They tasted "fishy" which gave me a unpleasant aftertaste. Despite that disappointment, the staff and service was good! Appetizers are bite size. read more

Oceanique is a restaurant that still seems to be figuring out what it wants to be, which is odd considering that the website lists it as opening in 1989 which led me to wonder if there had been an ownership change recently. The first thing that hits you, unfortunately for the establishment, is its dated and mismatched decor. Upon walking up to the restaurant with a friend, both of us noticed that the awning over the restaurant was covered in small tears over the length of it, as if a schrapnel grenade had detonated on the sidewalk below it. I have not lived in the area long but I don't seem to recall any military engagements in the Chicago area detailed in the Tribune recently. Military action notwithstanding, it didn't give us a very favourable first impression to see that. Upon entering, we were greeted by a very large, friendly man who slightly resembled Lenny Kravitz who seemed to do triple duty as the maitre d', sommelier and manager. There is a small bar as you enter which leads into a kind of sparse, minimalist, narrow dining room lightly scattered with artwork. We were steered, however, into the adjoining dining-room which was a very dark (despite the full wall window on the street-side) purple/red-hued room with various oversized-bistro posters hanging on the walls and a few old-fashioned lamps hanging from the ceiling. Wrapped around these hanging lamps (in both rooms, if I recall) was a drapy silk fabric lending the space a distict Turkish-harem feel. Worst of all was the wildly outdated floor tile which one other reviewer spot-on described as "a bad, '70's McDonald's floor tile). This is a place in dire need of a makeover and a design direction. The service, while very good, was also a little haphazard with several different people attending us at various times. It seemed as if they were in various stages of training as well as I observed several tables having a pair of waiters at the same time (though not ours). At the table behind us, a problem arose with a couple who objected to the wine being decanted away from the table which snowballed into them departing the restaurant in a huff, despite the protestations of the manager/mairte d'/sommelier, who, in my opinion, handled the situation well. But, as they say, the food is the thing and another gentleman leaving the table in front of us lauded the food heartily (to the point that I thought he might be getting a cut of any dish that he recommended that we ended up ordering). After the War and Peace-sized wine list was laid out for us to peruse we settled into the menu. We had originally planned to go for the Rioja Week dinner but had been told that is wasn't a $35, 3-course dinner but a $50, 5-course dinner. Though we didn't end up going with that menu, it seemed to be a $50, 3-course dinner with a few palate cleansing amuse-bouches thrown in (hence, the other "2" courses). We opted instead for the a la carte menu and, on the whole, my friend and I were happy with the food. They still did provide us with the amouse-bouches in the form of a tasty sliver of a leek and bacon tart and a refreshing (raspberry?) sorbet with mint leaf and orange at various times in the meal, a touch that I always appreciate at a restaurant. I started off with the Michigan Asparagus Soup with Lobster and my friend had the Grilled Foie Gras. I enjoyed my soup which was a hearty, fairly-rustic preparation, not pureed to death. Instead of the small chunks of asparagus stalk that was scattered through the soup, though, I wouldv'e opted instead for them to incorporate the asparagus tips which are a nicer texture and taste. My friend seemed pleased with his foie gras which had a nice caramelization and was served with various accoutrements and a hearty piece of bread. For the entree, we both did the lobster special which is discounted on Wednesdays from about $38 to $21 and we were both pleased with that. Growing up in Boston, I am a lover of lobster (they make you sign such an agreement saying thus if you are born in any of the New England states). They did not skimp on the lobster meat (which I think worked out to roughly a 1-1/4 lb. lobster) and was nicely presented with an interesting mixture of vegetables including beets which I am not normally a huge fan of but enjoyed nonetheless. My only slight, nit-picky complaint is that I would've wish for a little more of a sauce to go with it as it got a tad dry towards the end of the dish. At dessert we were served but yet another staff-member, a bubbly-girl in a short dress (as opposed to the formal black tie and crisp white shirts of the waiters) who brought over a dessert tray with a nice variety of pastries and cakes. We decided to go with her two recommendations, a crispy Napoleon pastry and a chocolate pot-de-creme. We both were a little so-so on the Napoleon after her initial excitement describing it; very servicable but nothing you would necessarily write home about. (continued) read more

Dinner was amazing and we were treated like royalty. We are looking forward to another visit.

Hubby and I dined here this past Saturday night and walked away unimpressed. Food was only average & very bland. Service was very good. I had the salmon appetizer and fish entree, skate wing. Both just o.k. Hubby had the seven course and again nothing stood out. The berry tart for dessert was good but the ice cream they paired with it was nasty. Will not return. If you want a great meal at a restaurant of the same type, not far from Evanston, head to Michael in Winnetka on Greenbay Rd., it is excellent. read more

Update: They called to apologize and offered us a g/c to try the restaurant again. We were pleased and surprised by the level of customer service after the fact and look forward to a new dining experience and review. I'm not sure how to rate Oceanique. I've dined here in the past, and always loved it, so I was thrilled when I found a pay-$25.00-for-$50.00 gc online. When we first sit down a waiter comes up and says, "you have the Groupon, you get this tasting menu." Um, no. We explain that we have a GC and sit (and wait) for the regular menu. My husband and I both ordered the tasting menu, which is $95.00. Usually we drink, but since I am pregnant, we did not- he was being a nice spouse and didn't wave anything in front of my face I couldn't have. Anyway- I told the waitress that I just couldn't eat anything raw and she commented that the Chef's Surprise Course was a ceviche but I could have it cooked. Okay, sounds fine. Our meal in and of itself was lovely. We've done tasting menus quite a bit and I really enjoyed this one. However, the service was lacking. We were the last table in the back and for TWO courses we did not have silverware. I find that to be absurd. One the dish was dropped off, and the waiter ran away. We got forks/knives when were about done. They second time, our fish arrived and we had to sit and stare at it while our waitress went to go get the silverware. Kind of embarrassing. Right before dessert I mention to waitress that we did not receive our ceviche course. She mentions she'll check on it. In the meantime, dessert arrives, no word from the staff. I'm not particular about the order of my food, so we tuck in and later ask again- she says she couldn't ask the chef because he was busy talking to tables- but she'll ask. No one else could tell her? Goes back, attempts to bring us the CHECK, we wait to see what the deal was with the ceviche. Waitress comes back out, says she was confused, she shouldn't have said that, ceviche was on the week-day menu. I am confused. Or, I think it was a ruse. Perhaps the surprise course was nothing more than an amuse, which we usually enjoy plenty of when we've dined here in the past. We had none tonight, so I think, okay, they maybe forgot- kitchen closed? But why say you were confused? Do you not know the nightly menu? We were one of the last tables of the evening. Again, instead of feeling like, okay, sorry, we missed a free bite it was, "No, you weren't supposed to get that, sorry." In other dining experiences, say Moto, when they made a mistake they sent out a glass of wine or an extra dessert course. An apology is nice, but when you say a customer will receive something, I think it is both reasonable and expected to provide a replacement. She did not seem apologetic and so the evening really ended on a sour note. I almost felt as though we got the shaft as we were a coupon table. We've spent hundreds here in the past, so that was just...stinging. We have enjoyed Oceanique in the past and spent quite a bit on memorable occasions and good meals. I think we'll look for another restaurant where the service is more consistent. And honest. read more

This is the second time we've eaten here. My lobster dish was outstanding. The prix fix was a generous deal which included a glass of wine. Staff friendly and accommodating. read more

best seafood around!!! higher end restaurant. food is not cheap but well worth it. interior needs some work though, decorations are a little plain. read more

I went here as part of a Groupon where you get a "5 course meal". The first course was about a teaspoon worth of very bland ceviche. The second course was a very good combination of shrimp and calamari. This was actually the highlight of my meal. The "third course" was a bit comical in my opinion. It was sorbet the size of a cherry. I would hardly consider a dime's worth of sorbet as a course in a meal. The main entree was a very bland and tasteless char. It was supposedly in a "spicy poblano" sauce. It hardly had any flavor. The dessert was probably good but I am not a big fan of creme brulee or flourless chocolate cake. If you like those, I'm sure they are fine. I don't think this restaurant lives up to their price point. Save your money and Try a different establishment. read more

I bought a Groupon for this restaurant for my Anniversary. This place is a total scam. All reviews about it being a great restaurant are false. Everything about this place was pretentious and overpriced. The food was terrible. The service slow. The prices astronomical, and the experience comical. The total amount of food for the 5 course tasting menu added up to about 1/4 lbs of food. The portions on everything were so small it was like a parody of a bad French restaurant from Saturday Night Live! And the price with the coupon was $120! Do not recommend in any way. Save your money and go next door. What a joke! No stars. Even the name is pretentious! Oceanique indeed! read more

We went in for restaurant week hopeful to try a new restaurant and were left bitter about spending any money in this restaurant. After we were sat for our 8pm reservation we were left alone for 30 minutes without anything but water. To say our waiter was unattentive would be an understatement. We waited another 20 minutes to get a menu. Our waiter came back to take our order, finally, and one of the members of my party was not at the table. We finally get our first course and you could smell the seafood salad before it arrived. It was so fishy smelling I was concerned for our health. The next couple courses were not memorable, the apple sorbet had stems in it and tasted like plastic. The main course, the skate was good and the only thing about our meal that was decent. Our dessert was brought out where again a member of our party was not at the table which is unacceptable. We sat for another 15 minutes waiting for our check. We watched throughout the entire meal the 2 other tables that were occupied get much better service, more amuse bouches and attentiveness to their needs. In summation, the service is horrendous and the food was uninspiring and perhaps even past it's prime. I would never go to Oceanique again and will be sure to tell everyone I know to not visit this restaurant. read more

Always a great time with Mark & Co. Oceanique continues to be a favorite of ours. Most of the complaints I see have to do with Groupon. I would suggest reading the fine print for any Groupon "deal" especially when considering fine dining. For those complaining about "tired" or "old" perhaps you should consider appreciating what it might be like to run a nice restaurant in an old building (I don't know, kinda like a fine restaurant in Europe). I think they've done a great job updating since their opening in the late 90's to today, without losing the charm of operating out of an older building. Lastly, if ever there has been something to "complain" about it might be the inconsistency of logistics when delivering paired food and drinks, or clearing plates once courses are complete. My suggestion: focus on the food and the experience. For us, it's as unique as it was the first time we set foot in Oceanique back in 1998. Cheers! read more

HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT! This was meant to be a birthday treat for my daughter. Forget that. The "service" was EXTREMELY POOR. While waiting for my daughter to arrive, I was seated in the narrow portion of the restaurant, directly behind the receptionist and bar area. Waiters, servers, etc. were nowhere in sight. No one approached me to ask if I would like a beverage while waiting - not even a glass of water. About 10 minutes later my daughter arrived. Finally, water was poured into our glasses. Again we waited for service. Finally, a waiter came by with a wine list. About 2 minutes after receiving the extensive list, he asked if we were ready to order. Needless to say, we weren't - but once again, had to wait and wait for his return. Eventually we received the bottle- it was now about 30-35 minutes after my arrival. He poured two glasses of wine and did not return for a long time. Our wine glasses were empty, the bottle was nowhere in sight nor was the waiter or anyone else for that matter. This was the type of service we received the entire evening. My guess is they were hanging out in the other portion of the restaurant which was not visible to us. Since this is supposedly an upscale restaurant, the food was very mediocre and I don't think the portion sizes would be satisfying to most men. Portions were very meager, especially given the prices. After the entree, we ordered cappuccino and dessert. After the cappuccino arrived we once again waited and waited and waited for the dessert. By the time it came we had finished our cappuccino. Again, no apology or offer to at least refill our small cups with coffee. At this point, my daughter expressed exactly how we both felt about the service. When she went to the restroom at the back of the restaurant she was stopped by three other patrons to thank her for expressing her views since they were receiving similar "service". Is it any wonder that Oceanique's website does not offer a "contact us" opportunity? Apparently, they don't care. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY!! read more

I took my date there for a special occasion, and we were not disappointed. We tried the six-course chef tasting menu, and we had the freedom to substitute appetizers and entrees with other dishes on the menu. The somelier recommended a bottle of Riesling that was perfect with the meal, and the service staff is very attentive. The bill was $280, so it was a splurge, but I think I'll be back to try out the rest of the menu. read more

I ordered a Grey Goose on the rocks with a lemon wedge. After waiting over 15 minutes I reminded the waiter he forgot my drink. It came with about an ounce of vodka and a lime wedge. I ordered the shrimp tempura appetizer which came so deep fried it was barely edible. The place was not crowded but the food took a long time. Will never go back. read more

The evening started out nicely but ended on a sour note. My husband and I went to Oceanique with two Gropons for the seafood tasting menu. One was valid; the other had expired. I had plan to use the money I had paid for the expired Groupon toward the purchase but Oceanique was kind enough to honor the offer. Very nice. The service was wonderful up until the dessert. Our dinner was moving along at a nice pace, until our dishes from the main course were cleared and then NOTHING for 20 minutes. Up until then, the wait staff was very attentive and the food was brought to our table at a nice pace. Then after our dinner plates were cleared; we sat at a table with only water glasses on it for 20 minutes. Mind you wait and bus staff were buzzing all around us with other customers. Not one of them notice that we had been sitting there. I had noticed that our waiter was no where to be seen. Gone. Our bus boy was still there but not the waiter. After about 20 minutes of waiting, I finally called uncle (we were waiting to see just how long before they'd noticed) and asked where our waiter was. The waitress informed us that he was sent home and how sorry she was and would get our dessert right away. Mind you, this was the same waitress who was serving every single table around us and passed our table at least 10 times and NEVER noticed we were just sitting there. The dessert came but no one asked if we wanted coffee. I had to ask for it as the waitress basically put or desserts on the table and tried to run off. We had our dessert and coffee and then the final nail came. They added 18% gratuity on the bill! For a party of two! I can only assume they do that because we used a Groupon and they have been stiffed on tips. But I have NEVER seen this practiced used, and I use a lot of Groupons, and I would never expect that at a place like this. The food was just okay. Uneven. Some dishes were nice others bland. Over all not worth the price. The decor could use an update. It is dark and cozy but old and needs TLC. The fabric on the ceiling is falling down. The posters on the wall are cheap looking and pretty much the same one over and over. The waiter who was sent home was excellent. Very attentive. The waitress who assisted (only after we asked) was insincere and awkward. We spoke to the manager on the way out. He told us that our waiter was sent home because they had a few cancellations. And that they had turned over his tables. We don't believe that ever happened. We think they just completely forgot about us especially since I could see them scrambling after I brought it to their attention. Very bad customer experience. In my opinion, if they wanted to let him go, either let him finish the tables he started (we were almost done) or have him introduce us to the waiter taking over. They just dropped the ball. Also, they should have comped the coffees instead of charging $10 for two cappuccinos. If they had done any of these, I would be writing a different review. I will not go back or recommend the place mainly because the food and decor do not warrant the price. read more

I'm with the rest of the Groupon gang. The food was stellar, but not stellar enough to rate another $90 on top of the $80 I already spent! Atmosphere, so-so, service was good up until dessert. We had to wait a good 45 minutes in between our entrée and last course-on a work night! And not like it was busy, There were only about 4 other tables taken in the entire place! Drinks were outrageously expensive and not worth the price. The worst was when they added the tax at the end to what the bill WOULD have been if we DIDN'T have the Groupon. Is that even legal? If I would have purchased an item on sale at a department store, I would not have to pay tax on the pre-sale price of the item, just on the sale price. So how is that right? I will NOT be back and I will NOT recommend Oceanique to my friends. read more

I wish I could rate the food separate from the dining experience, because the food was five star, but getting seated in the bar for a $500 dinner left too sour a taste in my mouth. We made a reservation months in advance to celebrate our son's college graduation. They called to confirm our reservation several days in advance and mentioned the note about this being a celebration dinner. So imagine our surprise and disappointment to arrive and be seated at a table in the bar area, NOT the main dining room! We asked for a different table in the lovely dining room and they told us there was no space available--we asked if we could wait, and they said it would be at least a 30+ minute wait. So for $80 per person, our family celebrated in the bar, 15 feet from the door, with two of us on a banquette looking into the dining room and the other two on chairs looking at a wall. Beyond the fact that we booked months in advance and noted a special occasion, when we make a reservation at a restaurant of this level, we don't expect a table in the bar. It was inexcusable. Also, you should know that they sell wine by the HALF glass for $12; a standard pour is $20. read more

Best way to describe this experience is that what goes on in your mouth is orgasmic - an explosion of flavor infused with visually pleasing colors and scents. The scallops are beyond compare. The skate is very interesting indeed. Quite pricey but oh so worth it!! read more

Very nice setting; service is excellent. Plates are beautiful. But, while menu is very interesting, the food was bland and boring. Also, wine list is good, but very very overpriced (typical markups are triple store cost). For the price, you can do much, much better. read more

Mmmmm. This was such a nice experience for me. We had a groupon and used it last night for our Valentine's celebration (one day ahead). They had to rearrange their space to allow for so many 2-person reservations and it was delightful. The acoustics are pretty good in there given we sat within a foot of couples on either side and yet, we still felt like we were in our own world. The waiters were so incredible and trying so hard to give us a wonderful experience. I think we had the waiter, the sommelier, the hostess, the owner's wife, the manager, all coming up to be a part of our experience and make sure things were going well. I had a delicious glass of wine that the sommelier helped me choose by giving me two wines to taste. The one that I got was a glass of semillon and it went so well with the bouillabaisse. Craig had a pinot noir to go with his skate fish and lemongrass accoutrement. The fish were done SO well and perfectly. (I got a bite of the skate fish and it is deLISH!). My bouillabaisse had too many muscles for the cost. Should have had some lobster in it. And the sauce wasn't the best I've ever had. BUT, I really totally enjoyed it even though it was way too expensive for what I got for fish. I love the experience though! Before our appetizer of acorn squash raviolis that we BOTH loved SOOOO much (and it was topped with toasted walnuts and a delicious sauce), we each got a little ceviche wrapped in leak. VERY tasty and perfectly done. Before our entrees came, we got a nice palate cleanser of a tangerine sorbet. It had some icy particles but the presentation was so sweet, in a little teeny tiny teacup on a saucer. And it was still very good - just not perfect. Finally , our meals came. The bar had some problems meeting all the demands for drinks so our poor waiter had to keep telling us the drinks would be out soon, but we were there to relax. It didn't bother us a bit. We checked out the desserts and I was thankful that there wasn't any typical french desserts on the tray that Craig wanted because then I got to choose and we got 3-nut tart with a scoop of lavender ice cream. YUM! The tart had walnuts, hazelnuts and not sure what else! But, they warmed it up - ahhhh. Even though they were extremely busy, they did not hurry us. The owner came up to ensure we enjoyed our experience which we assured him we did. Even though we TRIED not to overdo the drinks and shared an appetizer, and had the groupon for 75 bucks off, we still ended up paying over 100 bucks including the 25 dollar tip. The total bill was 151. I think the experience combined with the food was almost worth it! The glass of wine for 15 bucks!? Dinner entrees almost 30 bucks each. Just a bit too much when it skimped on the type of quality fish. But, like I said, the experience was so very nice read more

Writing a review of Oceanique can be quite daunting. I could go on and on about how much we love it and still not do it justice... But I'm going to try! We ate there last night to celebrate our anniversary. Our service was impeccable as it always is. We started with the wild Maine lobster and mozzarella salad and jalapeno-red onion salsa oysters. AMAZING with HUGE pieces of lobster and the best oysters I've ever had. I have a food allergy and the staff was very attentive. I'm no wine expert but if you are- this is the place to be. Oceanique has won Wine Spectator Magazine's "Best of Award of Excellence" every year since 1993. But wine novices like myself won't feel left out in the cold. Oceanique is still very down to earth while maintaining it's fine dining, high end atmosphere. Basically, it's not stuffy. Another reviewer mentioned the perfectly timed courses- I agree. The succession of tasting dishes was masterful. Oceanique is known for it's incredible seafood but on this particular visit I tried the filet with escargot. It was cooked to perfection and absolutely melted in my mouth. Dessert did not disappoint either. I had the creme brule and the boy had their signature dessert, the Napolean. You really can see Chef Marks passion for food in each of his dishes. Overall, our meal and experience at Oceanique was intimate, romantic, delicious, fresh and magnificent. And it's been that way every time we've visited. read more

Service was terrific. Our main server was attentive and professional though her assistants were less so. We enjoyed the 5 course tasting menu. The courses came one after another without much of a break which was somewhat disappointing. This is a fine dining experience to be enjoyed. As a groupon it's a value ($40 per person). Truthfully, I wouldn't pay much more than that. The first course (salmon sushi grade) was not as flavorful as I would have expected. The lobster salad was good but again, missing the intensity of flavor I was looking for. The skate wing was flavorful but overlooked. The desserts were actually the most impressive part of the meal. The meal ended with the flavor intensity I hoped for. I expect tasting menus to be infused with flavor. This meal missed the mark in that respect. Nothing was awful, all of the food was decent but it wasn't great. At these prices the food needs to be great. Finally, while the wine list of bottled wine was very impressive, there were few bottles $60 or under and wines by the glass were very expensive as were cocktails. I expect more at this price point. I feel there are better fine dining seafood meals to be had in the Chicago area at comparable or less expensive prices. I know of several. For this reason, I doubt I will be back, which is a shame. I had hoped to be impressed. read more

Went to Oceanique last night. It was my third time there over a span of a few years and I have never been disappointed. Our party of four had the five-course tasting menu with wine pairings. The food was wonderfully fresh and well-balanced, the staff was very informative and attentive, and the wine was both generous and delicious. The food alone would keep me coming back, but I have to say that the sommelier is my favorite aspect of Oceanique. He is friendly, extremely knowledgeable, and not too pretentious. He shared some rare wines with us and set us up with interesting double pours to compare vintages. As for the food, everything we had was delicious, including a bonus small bite from the chef between courses. The highlight for my was my husband's halibut entree - the texture of the fish was absolutely divine with a lovely balance of acid and wonderfully executed accompaniments. I especially enjoyed the use of fava beans. Our party essentially closed out the restaurant, but no one tried to rush us and the chef even stopped by our table after the meal to see how we enjoyed our experience. Does the restaurant have the most enticing ambience? No, not really. But from my point of view, the service, presentation, flavor, and amazing wines make this a five-star experience. read more

The seafood was excellent and enjoyed by three out of four of us. The bouillabaisse was unremarkable, but the turbot was a smash. My disappointment was the extremely noisy dining room. Even the wait staff had to raise their voice to be understood as did the guests in order to speak to one another. The décor was OK and not designed to minimize ambient noise. Service was average and should have been more attentive, e.g. long periods of inattention. This was our third trip and it appears that Oceanique may have lost a step. read more