Too rich for my blood. Very nice looking but $18 for a glass of wine is a lot. And we arrived at 4:50 and were told that we had to sit in squished section until dinner tables open at 5:15. I don't understand why we couldn't sit and wait at table before order food. We were going to stay for dinner but because of this and the menu being too small- only 8 entrees total. We were seated with 3 other couples and 2 of the 3 decided to leave after viewing menu. They were very friendly and place was in good location. read more

The service is wonderful. The food is so pretty and the flavors are so well balanced. Love the place read more

See all

My coworker and I took a client to Sepia for lunch today. I was really excited to try it after hearing some great reviews from friends. While we had a good experience, it wasn't as wonderful as I had hoped/expected. The space: Sepia is a cool looking restaurant, particularly the bar. The decor and color scheme parallel perfectly with the name of the restaurant. The food: For our appetizer we had the flatbread--it was awesome! I am not a huge fan of bacon because I've had way too much poorly cooked bacon in my life, but this bacon was great. It was perfectly cooked, had a great texture, and a ton of taste. The dish was a bit greasier than we expected, but no problem there. I only wish that the pears had been more prevalent in the dish. Both my coworker and I had the strip steak with asparagus, potatoes and onions. The dishes were served in little iron pots on top of white plates. While visually appealing, it was difficult for us to cut our steaks! I found myself repositioning the meat every time I went to cut it. Our steaks were cooked perfectly (both med. rare) and it was a nice cut. The vegetables were fine, though could have used a bit more seasoning. We both marveled at how tiny the asparagus was but preferred it that way. Our client had the cod, which she seemed to enjoy. The service: We all really enjoyed the service, which was just hands-off enough. The waitress did a good job of observing us from afar and only coming by when it was clear that someone needed another glass of wine, etc. Our water glasses were always full and empty plates were removed from the table promptly. I definitely want to go back for dinner sometime, but will more likely go back for drinks and flatbread! read more

A couple of my friends took me to Sepia for my birthday, and it was absolutely great. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, which stars off with the host or hostess - nice, down to earth, not pretentious. The space is super cozy, and I felt like we could relax and enjoy our meal and a drink or three. The menu has a nice variety, and our server couldn't have been nicer about answering our extensive questions (one of my companions likes to know exactly what he's getting). She made some great recommendations for us, too. We each tried one of their craft/specialty cocktails before dinner. The first sip is kind of a punch in the face (this held true for each of ours), but really mellowed out as you drink them. Mine was delicious - the R&R Smash I think it was called - but I'm not much of a hard liquor drinker, so I didn't actually finish it. My companions were happy to help me out, though. We had a couple of appetizers - one was a sausage, the other a duck pasta, and we also got the duck fat french fries. The sausage & fries were great, the duck pasta desperately needed salt. That's really the only complaint we had about the food. Our entrees were the pork porterhouse, spare rib, and pheasant, and all were absolutely fantastic. We also lingered a bit over dessert and wine, and there seemed to be absolutely no hurry to get us out of there, which is always nice. Definitely a place I want to go to again. read more

THIS gets a five star-rating from me as it is just scrumptious and creative. I went here last night after work. I was completely exhausted and hungry. Here's how it went down. We called ahead and they told us they were busy but the lounge was open. We walked in, got a table within ten minutes. Not bad. Once seated we ordered drinks off their creative cocktail menu and a variety of appetizers. We got beet salad, gnocci and pork belly. The gnocci was super savory (and can be served as a main course too) as was the pork belly, though I am not usually a fan. The beet salad was, well, expected for beet salad. For entrees two of us got the porterhouse pork, two of us got the braised short ribs and one ordered the flat iron steak. No one left a bite. But the deserts! Mmm. Crazy good. Out of the four deserts we ordered the best was the caramel mascarpone cream filled coronet. Hands down. Eat this. If I had to complain, the first round of drinks took too long. Other than that, it was fantastic. read more

We were road trippin' all the way from Minneapolis to Indianapolis, and since Chicago was on the way - it was perfect for dinner! I've been dying to go to Avec, but since they don't take reservations, and that it was a Friday night, I knew my chances were slim. They were - with a wait of 1hr and 20 mins, oh hells no, no matter how good of a restaurant you are. But around the corner my bf and I found sepia. I love the ambiance and tone of if, so on a whim we went for what we thought would have been an amazing experience. The host was exceptional, he connected with us right away, engaging in these small talk but friendly conversation, it was obvious I bet that we looked a big out of place, because though we were dressed trendy, we were in jeans, where everyone seem to be taking out their sunday best here. Meh, I'm pretty laid back, so noting that we will be driving he suggested some non-alcoholic drinks to try. Our waiter came, explained the menu in that arrogance, "We're a classy restaurant" kinda tone, which though can get a bit annoying- I love. We eventually had the sockeye salmon and the bass and some sides - notably the potatoes fried in duck. You kinda had me at duck. The combination of duck and potatoes work well, but it's not something I'll find myself raving, "OMG you gotta try that!" That being said, the flavour combination is something you should try because it's different, but I won't kill you if you don't :) But it didn't save my disappointment for the sockeye Salmon. I don't know how you can mess up sockeye salmon. Heck, I don't know how you can mess up salmon, regular farmed ones and all. There is this school of thought which only cooks food in its simplest form - without any additives, say salt or pepper or you know flavour to food. I believe that's what happened to my salmon, first of all it was cold, it had this glazed look, which made me want to think it would be sweet, but it was neither. It was boring, with out any flavour. I really can't stress this enough. NO FLAVOUR AT ALL. The Sea bass though, was different, it was decent, and the corn that it came with made from a interesting creation with sweet and savory. Added to that our waiter seemed really annoyed that we wouldn't order wine, and quickly seemed to dismiss us and attend more diligently to the other customers. I was horrified. What saved our night though, was the dessert. We had the sweet of the day, and it was a banana cake with a beautifully rich icing and sweet cream ice cream. I was in love. So to recap: Host - awesome sauce Wait Service - unless you're dropping top dollar for beverages, etc - horrid Food - inconsistent Dessert - makes the trip worth the while Ambiance - romantic, beautifully lit read more

My three star rating must be explained because while I thoroughly enjoyed myself the service was beyond slow- slow like molasses. My Dad and I met for lunch. Our lunch lasted nearly more than an hour and a half. Who has that kind of time? Upon seeing my Dad, the first thing he griped about was the parking. I told him there was a valet right out front, but to his point it was clearly unmarked. I could see why he overlooked it. The hostess was very cordial, but while I was told my coat would be hung up it sat in a windowsill next to the front hostess stand. Um, thanks that was an expensive coat, and I'd much rather it sat on the back of my chair. Now, the food. Dad and I shared the rabbit, chive and apricot chutney flatbread. It was ahhhmazing. My root vegetable pot pie was...interesting. while it included some of my faves of potato, celery, carrots, turnip, etc. the flakey crust sitting ON TOP of the "stew" was a bit odd. We wanted dessert, but we were too full. I absolutely love the decor! The chandeliers were beautiful, the old camera at the front was pretty neat, and the back "room" / large table's space was intimate, chic, and beautifully decorated. I hope to check it out again, and maybe sit at that marvelous table in back. Perhaps, they will get a few more stars out of me too. read more

Pretty good. That's my overall thinking. The food- pretty good! Portions- pretty small! I had the branzino- tasty but very salty. For 35 bucks I expected more food on my plate, but what are you gonna do. Highlight of the meal was dessert- I was there with friends and we all shared- everything we tried was delicious. Also- kudos to our super friendly and attentive server Sal :) read more

Just came in for drinks while waiting for a table at Avec. Liked the atmosphere a lot - the place was packed and the hostesses were great. Definitely a good classy date place. The French 75 was my favorite drink of the night I have to say, but the South x Southwest was good too and was the waitresses favorite. I'll have to try out the restaurant next time! read more

I really wanted to like this place. We came for restaurant week and it was just nothing special. I enjoy blackbird and Bellemore more for experiences right in the neighborhood. We had: baked clams, duck pate, mortadella pasta, cavatelli pasta, ocean trout, pork loin and chocolate mousse and carrot cake. The clams were okay- nothing special. They had lemon and cilantro in it which was nice. The pate was a little strong for me. The mortadella just didn't taste that great. The cavatelli was amazing- the Thai basil was super fresh and the pasta was creamy. Our entrees were okay. The desserts were the best part. The crunchy on the carrot cake was amazing and the toffee peanuts and caramel sauce on the mousse were delicious! Overall the service was sloppy. They didn't fully clean the tables, water was spilled while poured, they served us someone else's entree, our server disappeared for long periods at a time. It just was not Michelin service. read more

See all

I did have an OK lunch here --- but I don't think it lived up the all the hype I've been hearing... Started off w/ a two flat breads: one pear and one salami. Both were exceptional. Also had a chance to sample the cheese platter --- which was amazing as well....but I guess the server didn't understand that we needed more bread... Bison burger for lunch. Just OK, but cooked right. Could have used a little salt. The duck fat potatoes that were served as a side were a little blah...and made me feel disgustingly oily all afternoon, as if I didn't shower or something. Gross. Atmosphere was nice. Love the shaded chandeliers and crazy print-shop vibe...especially that large brown metal door. I would like to come back here for dinner sometime to see what it's like. The circular, more private booth/room w/l the huge wickerish lamp looked cool. I saw a lot of wine on the wall racks, and something tells me that they do wine right...but we'll see... read more

The husband & I joined a friend for dinner here tonight (Thursday). Again, I loved the decor. We were greeted at the door immediately. The service was wonderful, beautiful unobtrusive timing, attentive, double-checking by the server after our orders were placed! The busboy asked before removing our cocktail glasses instead of making assumptions. Delicious Baltic rye bread came with our cocktails which were full pour in hefty glasses. The appetizers ordered were beet salads for husband and friend, and house salad for me. I learned tonight that the chef frowns upon substitutions for the sides to entrees. I ordered the roast chicken (airplane breast) which was sided with savory bread pudding and roast root vegetables and a side of broccolli raab for the table to share. I really wanted the mashed potatoes instead of the savory bread pudding. Luckily, our friend who ordered the pork chop sided with mashed potatoes and greens was willing to "take" my bread pudding in exchange for his mashed potatoes. The server, Alice, arranged to have both the bread pudding and the mashed potatoes delivered to the table in separate little bowls, which worked out perfectly. The husband ordered skate wing, and a side of duck fat fried potatoes to share with our friend. Everything was delicious. Everyone loved their food and was happy. Our server was wonderful. Alice double-checked with us before leaving the table every time we ordered anything. Without interrupting us, she anticipated our every need. For afters, I had a delicious (to die for) dark chocolate cherry tart. Husband and friend shared a panna cotta with shortbread. All 3 of us had delicious coffees---decaf for husband & me, full octane for friend. Delicious brew! I highly recommend Sepia---Great service, terrific ambience, great food. read more

The food overall was ok. I remember having the barramundi as entree and was just ok, in my opinion it needed more flavor. My favorite appetizer was the grilled octopus. Again, in my opinion it needed more flavor. The charcuterie just ok. In summary for what we paid I think we deserved more. read more

I was in Chicago for a couple of days and decided to check out Sepia there are limited options on a Sunday night. The ambiance was laid back and vintage but elegant at the same time. The menu choices were excellent. Unique and gourmet. For my meal, I ended up skipping appetizers and going straight to my main course because I am lactose intolerant and they have VERY LIMITED appetizers on the menu for those with dietary restrictions. For dinner, I ordered halibut with white asparagus, porcini, ham lock, and pickled zucchini. My fish was very fresh but the assorted vegetables were cooked with a little too much oil. Regardless the dish was still delicious. I ended the night with raspberry sorbet, since I had no other options. Overall this is a nice restaurant with great food. My only negative comment is that the chef does not cater to any dietary restrictions. I have been lactose intolerant my whole life and several restaurants are more than accommodating. Most of the time nice restaurants will whip something up for me and offer a lactose free dessert. Besides that one negative aspect, I had a positive experience. The service was awesome. The young gentleman's gentleman working the valet service ran down the street to hail me down a cab. I have never had anyone run so fast to find me a cab. I was pleased indeed. read more

Das mann and I had reservations for a Friday night before the opera. We were running behind, but called & the hostess said no problem. I'm thinking since it was Good Friday they weren't overly booked as there were only 4 other tables seated while we were there. We informed the waitress we were on a time crunch and she made sure to keep us informed of our time-table and even called a cab for us when we were done with our meal. So service, you get an A++! The food was delicious. It has been a number of years since I dined at Sepia, but the quality is still great. I don't even remember what we had, save for the Beet Leek Soup...which was ah-mazing!!! but I do recall that we both enjoyed our meals to the max! Sepia is a great place for an intimate group of people (or date). I don't think you'll be disappointed with the menu creations. The chef even sent out complimentary dessert samples, and had we not been stuffed from our delicious dinners, or on that time crunch, I'd have wanted to see what else they had to offer. read more

I can't believe I haven't reviewed this place before! We first came here when it was new. Like 2 chefs ago. We also used to pop in on a Sat night for a craft cocktail at the bar. I'm happy to see that its still going strong. The cocktails are still wonderful and they have a decent wine selection. You always start with the bread knots. My boyfriend was doing an improv show so only had a drink and a starter. I encouraged him to get the egg and wow was that great. I loved the mushrooms! I had the halibut and my friend got the beef. My boyfriend had some of her dish and was crazy for it. I think my friend liked it too. They really have some the best meat dishes in town. For dessert my friend go the chocolate peanut butter mouse thing. It was astounding. I had the coconut cake which was a little dry but nice. I look forward to coming here again for dinner. read more

Went here for a date night; with a reservation we still had a brief wait, but the bartender was great and made us some delicious drinks while we waited! Really pretty interior but holy moly the tables are crammed together! You definitely get to know your neighbors here... that's my only real complaint. I like to have my own conversation and not feel like I have to listen to everything the people beside me are talking about. I also felt like the chairs sit a little low for the tables; it was slightly uncomfortable (we both noted this when we sat down, so it's not just me!) The food was stellar and the staff were all really nice and helpful, with great recommendations! I highly recommend making a reservation, putting on a great outfit, having a few cocktails, and enjoying a lovely meal here! read more

Everything here was, as you might expect, very well executed. The burger was quite good, and the Thai chicken sandwich is evidently much-beloved. The gnocchi appetizer was also good, although the pasta itself could have used a little more flavor. I was less impressed with the fries. They were fine as far as fries go, but I didn't find them all that special. Our server actually advised me against getting the steak as it was not "substantial", so I was quite surprised to see a relatively large portion come out of the kitchen. Unless you have an enormous appetite, it looked like it would be just fine for lunch. read more

This has been the most disappointing restaurant experience I've had in the past 2 years. We waited for an exact 2.15 hrs to receive three courses. This wait time is simply unreasonable. Furthermore, the staff did not apologize directly and were very laid back. Waiting 45 mins between the appatizer and the entree is not justifiable in any restaurant, but especially not in a michellin star restaurant. The food has decent flavors that are cohesive but overall is not worth it. The portions are small and the food is overpriced. It's def not worth it given the long wait times and servers with more of a no fucks given attitude than laid back. 5 parties around us joined later and left before us. Astonished by the lack of professionalism at this place read more

Four course meal for four people and everything was exquisitely prepared, delicious, creative and beautiful. We ate outside and indulged in creatively made cocktails. It's more than a meal, it's a memorable and leisurely experience. Great for a special occasion or when you are in the mood for something special. Recommend whole heartedly. Thank you Sepia staff for your attentiveness to detail. read more

While the ambience was good along with the service, the food menu was very limited. Didnt really dig the food here unfortunately. The cocktails were not that good either. We skipped on the main course and left after drinks and appetizers. read more

I give this place 3 stars - and that's being generous. I was pretty disappointed at this place, esp. after waiting months to get a reservation. Maybe it was the whole lunch thing that didn't cut it... We came in a group of over 10 during lunch hour - the decor is nice, I loved the wine "racks" as decorations, and the crispy noodle lamp shade in the private dining booth. We started out with flatbreads (with sausage/fingerling potatoes) which in theory sounded good, but didn't end up being that great. That pretty much summed up my entire experience - satisfactory for a good lunch, but nothing inspiring. For my entree, I had the bison burger with duck fat fries - sounds good, right? Like the flatbreads, they were just good/ok, nothing to write home about. How can you not impress with duck fat fries?!? I MIGHT be back for dinner (not on my dime) IF there's no wait. I'll need a whole lot of inspiration (free meal?) to go back. read more

The staff was very nice and helpful. My date and I had a drink in the lounge area before our reservation. It didn't take long to order, but took a while for two beers to arrive (not a hard order). As soon as we got the drinks our bill arrived. We finished our drinks and sat for 10 min without ever seeing our server again. The manager had to come over so we could pay and be seated. Once seated, the server had good recommendations and was attentive. The food was great. The flat bread was awesome. This place was a bit too loud and it felt like I was seated too far away from my date to have an easy conversation, but still pretty romantic. I would definitely come back again, but more likely with a small group instead of a date. read more

An absolutely lovely evening at a fantastic restaurant. If there was anything wrong with Sepia I would say it has to be the fact that they use sugar packets instead of sugar cubes for coffee. Miniscule you say? Exactly. Every detail seems to be elegantly taken care of from the use of local sustainable farmed meats and veggies, to the small dime sized drop of a lovely sauce on the plate, to the unobtrusive service. I visited Sepia during Chef's Week with a group of girls. Now 4 foodie-centric ladies is enough to drive an server crazy, but ours was the consummate professional and never wavered. The decor paid homage to Chicago's history with vintage camera equipment, antique feeling artwork and beautiful china (probably not antique but it certainly felt like it could be). The food was beautiful and complex. Portions weren't too small and from the scotch duck egg with rice appetizer to my trout wrapped in bacon to the divine chocolate mousse I was enlightened by the tastes. Add in a delicious mixed cocktail (made with gin and chai no less) and Metropolis coffee and you have a happy diner who can't wait to come back. read more

I was here with visiting family in September and I love Sepia! Service, outstanding. Food, outstanding. Creative cocktails, outstanding. Dessert was a chocolatey, peanut buttery sinful thing that we seriously thought hard about ordering again, as it blew away their "death by chocolate" type of dessert, and that was good, too! The tables were a bit crowded, for which I'd ding a 1/2 star, but that dessert earned 5.5-6 stars, so we're even. Looking forward to returning sometime. read more

I will keep this short. There is enough written on Sepia that whatever I say will just be a repeat. Sepia is delicious and has great drinks. Come here to impress your tinder match or celebrate a promotion. read more

For Father's Day, my family decided to head over to Sepia earlier today for Sunday brunch. We were definitely not disappointed, but we weren't very impressed either. But take my review with a grain of salt because we only had brunch. Admittedly, we didn't have reservations, but the waiting time was awfully long. The restaurant wasn't even full. When we were seated, we waited almost half an hour before someone was kind enough to take our orders. I was left wondering if there were only 2 servers that day. However, the meal itself was delicious. I had the duck breast hash with scrambled eggs. My father opted for the flank steak. And my mother ordered the salmon brioche sandwich. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed brunch; except my mom was not so happy with the burnt edges of her bread. The portions were huge and filling; the prices were very fair. I want to come back for lunch/dinner to try out the other dishes since brunch was so enjoyable. However, the service was somewhat lacking. read more

Initially I was disappointed when I sat down and looked at the menu because the two things that I was looking forward to trying -- the scallops and the lamb -- were not on the menu that night. Fortunately, though, there were other items on the menu that were tasty. For my entree I had the berkshire pork chop with arugula, fennel and apricots -- this was really good. The meat was cooked perfectly and was nice and tender. The caramelized coating on the outside was a nice contrast with the savory, well, seasoned inside of the chop. My party ordered almost every appetizer, side, and dessert on the menu the night we came. Among those, these were the highlights: -applewood smoked bacon, peaches, and blue cheese flatbread: very thin and crisp with a great flavor combination going on -pork rillettes -- these were really good -octopus -- nice and meaty, not at all rubbery like many restaurants that mess this creature up -white bean and lamb tongue ragout -- the lamb tongue is FANTASTIC. Very tender with an almost gamey taste -sugar snap peas and pea tendrils -- simple sautee that was delicious -the best dessert of the night was the peach and something(?) crisp with cinnamon ice cream. I didn't really think I'd enjoy the cinnamon ice cream, but it was actually pretty surprising and tasty. One annoying thing about this place is that none of the prices are listed on the menu. The only prices that are listed for the food are on the website, and then the wine/alcohol menu has prices. That's not very nice. I liked my dining experience here, but I'd have to say that if I were going back to Chicago, this wouldn't really be a place I'd need to revisit. read more

Have been curious about the hype on Sepia forever, but have had the hardest time getting a table here for fixed price events. My girlfriends and I were able to swing a spot in the lounge for Chefs Week. The lounge felt like a hotel lobby/ bar overflow area, but it had a great laidback, intimate vibe. Same menu and service as the main dining room, but easier to book a last-minute table. The cocktails are inventive, inspired, and delicious. The Low Flier - blended scotch, pear liqueur, citrus, and bitters - smelled sweet but tasted wonderfully balanced. My friends had the Dutch Hum - gin, citrus, chai, bitters - which was also awesome. The scotch selection was super impressive, too. The Scottish duck egg appetizer was orgasmic! It's a lightly poached duck egg wrapped in duck sausage and duck bacon deep fried to perfection resting atop a bed of wild rice. The yolk broke up beautifully and loved the fattiness and flavor of the duck products. The pork belly was great, but a bit more chewy than preferable. The deserts were simple but well executed - tarts, meringues. They ran out of parfait because one of their freezers was down. Can't blame them - screw the parfait, save the meat! We were happy with our Sepia experience, as a whole. Excellent food, great decor and atmosphere (speakeasy look from the outside and classic-looking hotel on the inside), and great service. read more

I feel pretty... oh so pretty, I feel pretty, and witty, and... (what's that last lyric?) I loved going to Sepia. I took a female client here for lunch, and it was a perfect spot for three young business women (so ridiculous that I even consider myself one) for lunch. The menu had a lot of options for any palate, and the decor was classy and functional. I had the trout for lunch, and I really loved it. They balanced the texture of the fish on this black eyed peas mixture, and the veggies they served with it were crisp and fresh. The food was definitely high quality and creative, and I'm looking forward to my next chance to eat here. read more

Went there tonight for restaurant week with a friend of mine. Despite the reviews of the place and them being recipients of 1 star Michelin award, we decided to make sure to not over-hype or have extremely high standards. We both ordered the four course prix fixe and asked for the sommelier to suggest wine pairings with the tasting menu. (This is not part of the prix fixe restaurant deal and will cost you a hefty amount; keep this in mind since the wine pairings are part of the review) Service: Very attentive and courteous wait staff. Our waiter, I forgot his name (he was blonde if that helps!), was very attentive to not only our table but those around us. He very helpful and was able to expertly describe the dishes and recommendations. Andrew, our sommelier, was also very helpful and chose the wine pairings for our tasting menu quite well. Very high rating for service! Food: Hiramasa: We both had the Hiramasa and were both pleased with the tasting as well as the wine pairing. It is a very delicate dish, so do not expect to be engulfed with flavor. Ricotta Cavatelli: My friend had this dish and she said it was decent, however the Lamb Sugo component was lacking refinement to her tastes. The wine pairing was decent. Forcini Mushroom Sformato: I had this dish and had mixed feelings about it. It almost was like a mushroom pudding like flan. The sformato was very rich and somewhat overwhelming by itself. The sage-walnut pesto, however, was delicious! The pesto, sformato, and arugula together worked very well. I only wish there was either more arugula or less of the sformato, as the sformato was very rich. The wine pairing was marvelous. My favorite pairing of the night. My friend had tasted this dish and is not a fan of mushrooms. She thought the flavor was good, but could not get over the sformato texture. Pan Fried Ranbow Trout: My friend loved this dish and its wine accompaniment. I tried the dish and found the fish and its skin crispy and light. The spoon bread was also flavorful with an interesting texture. Ancho-Espresso Braised Pork Cheeks: I was hoping to get some heat from this dish and it delivered. It had a very nice and lasting kick to it. The pork cheeks were very tender and the polenta was heaven. The tart apple salad on top was a nice touch compared to the dish's strong flavors. I could have done with a little less onions in the salad. The wine pairing was great. Chocolate Pecan Cake: My friend looked forward to this dish the entire meal and was not disappointed with the tasting. However, this was one of her least favorite wine accompaniments. Mascarpone Cream Napoleon: This was a great finish after having the bold entree (Braised Pork Cheeks). It was not too sweet and the wine pairing elevated the dish to a whole new level. Overall my friend had decided to give this 4 stars as well as myself. If you do decide to do wine pairings as we did, remember to not be surprised when your check comes. Could the tastings have done without the pairings? I believe so, but I do highly recommend the wine accompaniment with the Mascarpone Cream Napoleon! read more

This was my third time and took work people for lunch. The other times were Mother's Day brunch and dinner with friends. First, the lunch menu was really limited and the choices were weird. Second, the female server was either high, or trying to be uber chic and indifferent. Either way, she was awful. read more

Boyfriend and I came here last weekend for Restaurant Week and had a lovely meal. The atmosphere was refined yet casual and relaxed. The wine pairings were phenomenal. Spot-on. Between the two of us, we tried all the dishes on the RW menu. Nothing was heavy - the flavors were light, intricately nuanced and, as I said, the wine pairings were impeccable. read more

Came here while I was visiting Chicago on a business trip. I had a reservation on a Sunday night and I was seated immediately. Nice dim lighting and beautiful decor. The restaurant was a little on the small side but a great place to have a first date. Service was excellent and the manager was very kind, making sure I was satisfied with every dish that came out. I had a salad with a chickpea puree as an appetizer and a chicken dish as an entree - both amazing and very filling. The dessert list looked incredibly good but I was too full to continue eating, unfortunately! There is valet parking here, but there are parking lots and street parking nearby as well. read more

Birthdays are always an excuse to do something fun. Now, I don't normally need an excuse for such a thing, but it always is an easy way to justify in my head. So, with my birthday right around the corner and my friend being in town, I used that as justification for a lunch visit to Sepia. I can only grade them on lunch as that's my experience. But, I do know that I was more than impressed to come back for a dinner service. The first thing that struck me was how gorgeous Sepia is inside. You kinda feel like something special sitting down. It's something nominal in many ways, but it also makes things go 1 louder. Even with this being just a lunch service, I was more than impressed. I got myself the cold pea soup. As my friend is also a Top Chef fan, I had to get this since a pea puree was involved. I loved how subtle and nuanced this was. Soup is a very misunderstood item and a great soup can be something wonderful. This was definitely up there as the creme fraiche with it added some nice body. It was simple, yet very complex. And it's those times that really make me happy while I stop and smell the roses. For my main, I decided on the lamb burger. There was a bit more bun than I would've liked, but this was a deliciously done burger. I asked (and received) it medium/rare. This was done exactly the way I wanted. The extras on it worked absolutely perfectly as well. The service was absolutely top notch. It was extremely noticed by me and I found it impressive. I really need to come back to sepia. Those were the first thoughts in my head as I left here. I loved the lunch and I can't wait to try their dinner service. read more

I went there for dinner with my uncle and had a wonderful experience. He ordered octopus, which I normally have a very strong dislike for, oh wow, was it amazing. We had an anchovy app which was nice and I had fish for dinner, which was a little on the salty side, but I'm willing to over look it. On the plus side, the bartender made my dirty martini perfect. read more

I was disappointed in Sepia after been dying to try it for months. We came for lunch (in a large group) and I was totally digging the atmosphere and decor. The huge wine racks on the wall? I want for myself. The light fixtures? Awesome. My lunch? Okay. We ordered the flatbreads and the cheese plate to start. The flatbreads had meat on them so I didn't try, but the cheese was pretty good. Just not enough bread to go with it. I had the kampachi, which was a light fish entree perfect for lunch. Unfortunately, it was a little salty. And I don't do salt. I'd come here again and try dinner, but definitely not if I was paying :) read more

I am torn between a 3 star and a 4 start review for brunch. I will settle on 3 star because: #1--the portions were totally too small & #2--the service was not great. It took us a REALLY long time to get served. ...I also felt slightly judged on my supplemental order of scones. I mean--the pancake was just not filling--it was all air. I think I would have been happier if I had ordered something more substantial--I guess when I picture a souffle/baked pancake I have visions of the apple pancake from The Original Pancake House. Not so at all. I would come back here, but probably not for brunch. It's a really cute atmopshere and has a lot of potential...I have a feeling they live up to it a little more during prime dinner hours. read more

I've been here twice now- loved it each time. Last time I got the porkchop which was served over risotto- I am still salivating. Cool little tidbit- Valerie Jarrett was sitting at the table next to us- which impressed our friends from San Jose. Oh, the only thing- hard to find the door. But that makes it fun. read more

We've been here before for drinks and loved the atmosphere of it and decided to come back for "date night." Reservations were fairly easy to get on OpenTable.com. As soon as we got there, we were promptly seated and didn't have to wait. There are tables of 4 in the middle of the room and tables for larger group stationed around the room and a banquet where there are only tables for 2. This is where we were seated and our neighbors were quite close to us. You could hear everyone's conversations and make it a bit difficult to have an intimate dinner with your date. Of course, we knew that they have fantastic handcrafted drinks, we knew that's how we were going to start the night. I typically don't care for gin, but the drink I ordered was absolutely delicious - even if there was gin in there. For appetizers, I had the Bone Marrow Flan and my date had the scallop. The Flan was served with brioche toast and it was very rich and delicious for the first few bites, but started getting too heavy. The fat and richness of the flan glazed over all the tastes buds on my tongue. The scallops that my bf ordered was spectacular. It was perfectly cook and had a fabulous carmelization on the outside and had a hint of curry. The table next to us had ordered the flat iron steak and I wish I had ordered that instead of the poached halibut. The entire place was a bit mushy and had no other texture except for the mushrooms underneath the fish. The plate was also very bland. I wish they had just seared the outside of the fish after the poaching. It would have made the plate 100% better. My bf ordered the bacon wrapped trout. It was a huge plate of food with and entire trout wrapped in bacon; it was also stuffed with collard greens. I didn't prefer his dish any better than mine. I would say after the appetizers, the main entree fell flat. We didn't order any desert, so I can't comment on their desert menu. I would go back for drinks, but maybe not for dinner.. unless they change their menu and there was something that "I HAD" to try. read more