First off, the only reason for no 5 here is because the menu is very limited. However, what they have will appease your taste buds! It's located in the lobby of hotel EMC2 on E Ontario, where I stayed for a conference. The atmosphere here is spot on, especially for the evening as you are hit with extreme mood lighting, swanky music and brass copper in your face. They have table seating, cushioned benches, high-tops, bar, chefs table and outdoor seating. If anything, stop here for the drinks. We started off with a Black Ops (bourbon/sherry) and V. Special Boy (elderflower, lemon, mint). Both drinks were great and mine (black ops) lasted my entire meal ... perfect for sipping. My honey wasn't hungry and I really wanted a burger, and the menu didn't speak to me. However, we were fooled by how good the food was. I ordered the bread to start. Get that! It came out piping hot and moist and almost peeled off like cotton candy. Sweet easy spread melt on contact butter was provided, and we devoured the 4 rolls. Sweet and salty! I opted for the pasta dish to split with my honey and added grilled chicken. The waitress suggested the Tajarin, so we got that. It was insanely good pasta with cheese, grape tomatoes and basil (wish there had been more basil). It was cooked to eating perfection. So, our drinks, appetizer and entree were delicious. Had to see if this place was a quadruple threat so we got the dessert menu. Ordered the scratch cookies and one of their specialty desserts (something? The cake, Anne Marie). I really loved the chocolate chip cookie and granola/peanut butter/chocolate cookie. Didn't care for the fig or the danish cookie. The Anne Marie dessert was very unique! It had elderflower whipped topping and two mini sweet biscuits with an interesting cold strawberry shortcake gelato type square and a cherry dish. Very tasty. Overall, great service, food, drinks and ambiance. Price is higher but that's Chicago for you. read more

Stayed in the hotel and had breakfast at the Albert every morning, and drinks at the bar every evening. The servers were kind, patient, and even fun. I wasn't too adventurous with the food, but I was pleased with the spinach and mushroom omelets, sausage links, and maple bacon. I also especially enjoyed the cinnamon French toast. Cocktails were great, especially the tequila, chambord, and ginger beer one (forgot the name). All in all the Albert didn't disappoint. read more

Perfect and quaint breakfast spot attached to Marriott's Hotel EMC2 Hotel. I was a guest at the hotel so this was a convenient option that did not disappoint. Dined here twice and enjoyed the food, ambiance and service. They even offered oat milk as a creamer for my coffee (rare and most appreciated). read more

the Albert - Egg white omelette- I had it made with ham, arugula and cheddar cheese. Side of bacon and order of pancakes. Good food! - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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They just reopened their bar/kitchen and a friend and I went to grab drinks after work. They haven't started a happy hour, but the super friendly guy in the front told us the chef is working on a happy hour menu. He also handed us a bunch of 20% off discount cards to give to our coworkers [they have them for Northwestern and Lurie employees]. The space is beautiful! Looks like a classy old time library. Pretty cool space. The drinks on the menu were $16 each and when we noticed there really weren't any with tequila or vodka, the bartender asked us if he wanted him to just make us something. We said yes. He didn't mention that his cocktails would be way more expensive than the cocktails on the menu. the first was was good, the second didn't taste great. The first rang up to almost $30 each and the second was about $24 each when we got our bill. We were pretty annoyed that he wasn't up front about this but we had drank the drinks so we couldn't really argue the price at that point. We ordered the hummus [and loved the lightly fried pita chips that came with it] and the mushroom toast - I really enjoyed this one as well. The food was delicious, ambiance was amazing, drinks were fine, but the experience we had with the bartender not being upfront about the higher prices turned us off, so we probably won't be back. read more

The Albert's decor had a cool vibe, with books lining the walls near the ceiling, glass and brass lighting with plants over the bar and comfy chairs. The restaurant was not crowded, so the atmosphere was perfect for a quiet dinner. So I was surprised that our dinners arrived not as soon as I would expected considering the small number of diners. The octopus and scallops appetizers were very good. The pear salad was so small ! My salmon was ok, but the accompanying sauce and vegetables were very salty in my opinion. Once again, the portions were small. read more

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Wow!! First experience dining here and it exceeded our expectations! It was my first time visiting from CA and I was excited to see all that the city had to offer. I searched for a restaurant that offered reservations, great reviews based on the food, ambiance and service. It did not disappoint. They offer outside patio dining (which is dog friendly) as well as inside and at the bar. Due to the rain we sat inside and I'm not mad about it. From the dim lighting, the decor, quality of food and the service, we had zero complaints. Ben was our waiter and I honestly cannot say enough great things about him! He truly made the experience exceptional! We loved him!! Can we be friends Ben lol?! We will most certainly be back given the opportunity! Ps. Whether you're there to eat or not, order the Olive Oil Cake! It's beyond ....Aaaaaamazing!!! And ask for Ben if you want great service too! read more

tldr: Standard fancy dinner out in a hotel restaurant. Diverse wine and cocktail offering. Friendly service. Tough lamb. Solid dish execution. This restaurant ambiance is smart chic. Candle at every table. It's in a hotel. The cod was cooked well in simple but delicious broth. The lamb was a bit tough, but the sauce was quite nice and tangy. The cocktail selection was diverse and the cocktails we tried tasted on-point. The oysters were cooked well and were not rubbery. The overall execution was solid. Dishes were light but filling. Mark down some stars for value and for tough lamb. There are many other choices for a smart fancy dinner while spending less money than here. But if you're in the area (or at the hotel), I would not hesitate to stop here. read more

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Welcome to the Albert. Where you make a reservation and then they tell you they aren't serving dinner. There was some confusion and I understand that. Even on my 16th wedding anniversary. But your service sucked. Your bar menu was decent but really limited. The lovely gm came over and apologized and offered a drink.... We stayed for a glass of wine and 2 apps. Didn't expect much but they were all great. Given you didn't have dinner and said you would get us a drink on the house which honestly we deserved.... But nope. No comps and no apologies. Don't waste your time and don't expect service here. Garbage read more

Everything was perfect. And I don't say that lightly. We stayed at the EMC2 for my 50th and thought about getting a res nearby, but decided to play it by ear. My husband, fearing we would not find a place to eat, made a res here and I'm so glad! Beautiful decor, super friendly staff, Steven our waiter was endearing and helpful. Salmon was AMAZING, olive oil cake wonderful. Before we left, we talked about coming back. That's always a good sign. read more

This is a small and artsy restaurant and bar situated in a cute and classy boutique hotel. I'm in love with their drink menu, they're unique and taste great! I've tried their Albert Red, 2 of their Amari drinks and a few sips of some of their cocktails. I liked all of them. They had a very unique Amari called Fernet-Vallet that's very bitter and medicinal, but I love that stuff. Their walls are lined up with art and books. It's a great late night place to grab drinks and a few bites. The place is quite small but very cozy! read more

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Again, another place where I'm swinging between a 3 vs. a 4 star rating. Came here for a late brunch on a Sunday; reservations were easy to make on OpenTable the morning of. I liked how it was quiet and not too crowded (you can actually have deep conversation!), and the decor was on point. Everyone there was very friendly and accommodating as well! The viennoiserie of the day was a cheesy hot Cheetos croissant ($8)! I love cheetos so that was a must order! It could have used a little more of the cheese sauce on top, but otherwise, the croissant itself was very good. There were bits of crunchy hot cheetos hidden amongst each flaky layer, so every bite brought a smile to my face :) For the mimosa, instead of oj they used orange liqueur, which still tasted as good if not better! Ah the breakfast potato side dish - a very large portion (perfect to share with 2-3 ppl) of purple potatoes and yukon gold potatoes. They were hot, crispy and absolutely delicious! Unfortunately, the 2 main dishes were not as delicious. My duck confit benedict lacked seasoning/flavor. The eggs were cooked perfectly, but the bearnaise sauce lacked richness... depth. The peri peri chicken was a bit too sweet... could have been crunchier and used more heat to punch up the flavors when paired with the waffle. Overall, I'd come back to try other dishes, and I hear they have an excellent pastry chef, so possibly more desserts and pastries :) read more

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I think this place may be a bit over rated when it comes to food. The service is excellent and the servers are outstanding. Today I just came for a cocktail. I had a spritz which was just okay. I ordered a olive oil cake. It was too sweet, no texture no contrast. So bleh read more

Highly recommend! Our server David was great and brought us free dessert and a card signed by the entire staff to celebrate an early anniversary for my then boyfriend and I. Craziest part was we got engaged shortly after leaving the restaurant so the congrats card means even more to us since the staff had no idea! read more

Delicious dinner and very colorful dishes. Only slightly disappointing item was the deconstructed lobster lasagna. Service was great too.

I'm sorry to leave such a low review. First, let me say, I thought the service was great. Our waiter was incredibly knowledgeable. He noticed before we did that the kitchen gave us the wrong entree and immediately asked for the kitchen to rush our correct order. Unfortunately, his service and aptitude could not make up for the mediocre food served. We started off with the tuna crudo and romaine salad. The seared tuna from the crudo itself was good, but the sauce it was served with was basically mayo mixed with adobe peppers. Our romaine salad with "creamy anchovy dressing" was basically mayo mixed with red peppers. For our entree, after they gave us the dish we ordered, was the Cesareccia. The pasta tasted like a boxed dried pasta. Seriously, if you are going to charge $27, it should be fresh pasta. The so called red pepper pesto taste more like tomatoes mixed with Tabasco sauce. The "confit" chicken was dry as hell. I could have made better meal myself, blindfolded, which begs the question why I would ever spend the amount of $$$ I did tonight. There are so many great restaurants in the Chicago area. This place is not one of them, which saddens me when the service is so much better than the food. Do yourself a favor and go elsewhere. read more

Best bartenders and great cocktails! Stayed at the hotel and popped down to the bar for a pre dinner drink, doesn't disappoint! Definitely go, espresso martini read more

Our server,David, was great! The food was amazing and the atmosphere was so fun!! Albert Einstein was pretty groovy!

This place has a really good yelp rating and the food semi-lives up to it. It's definitely eclectic, pairing seasonal ingredients in unconventional ways. Plating is very pretty. Decor is elegant and innovative. Love the science/einstein theme. Cocktails are strong. I got the "a quarter french" with cognac, rye whiskey, vermouth, amaro. Highly recommend for whiskey lovers. I didn't taste much of the amaro at all, which I'm fine with. Dinner: plates come out as they are prepared. I split with a friend: - Delicata Squash Persimmon, Coffee Vinaigrette - Tempura Maitake Mushroom Sour Melon, Mint - Charred Octopus White BBQ, Fennel, Turnip All tasted great, though I was thrown off a little by the octopus texture. Servings were on the small side too. I'd probably get 4 things next time and also... dessert!! The best part. Definitely get the Baked Amazon with Mango Camu-Camu Frozen Yogurt, Chocolate Cake, and Torched Meringue (plus $1 from each dessert sold is to be donated to theAmazon Conservation Association). It's quite the show as the server pours some sort of burning alcohol over the meringue and turns it toasty and melty. Overall just a solid experience. Good for dates and small groups. Service was pretty friendly too. read more

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This was place awesome. Steve our waitress was very kind and helpful. He treated us like he has known us for years. He answered every question and described the food perfect. I would recommend this place to anyone. The sous chef Mariebel was also helpful and she made our experience one to die for. I will keep coming back to this place and I will tell everyone about it. I felt at home and welcomed. read more

UPDATE: I returned to the Albert yet again on a business trip in Chicago, while staying at the incredible adjoining Hotel EMC2. My favorite restaurant has somehow only raised the bar since my last experience. The menu had changed since my last visit, with even more interesting selections. They still included Spanish octopus on the starters menu, but with a marked upgrade in preparation - a savory white BBQ sauce with fennel and turnip. My only complaint there was I wish there were a couple more girthy tentacle pieces, but flavoring was on point. We ordered a second starter that may have been our favorite part of the meal. The onion tartine came with two pieces, which was perfect for sharing. The pumpernickel base was perfectly crispy and oiled without creating crumbs and falling apart. Next was the showstopper of the dish - a lovely lavender goats milk ricotta that held the beautifully placed toppings in spot. A great flavor balance between the onions, green apple, chives, and I believe fig, possibly black cherry as well. For our entrée, we split the housemade Agnolotti, made with squid ink pasta and arranged atop deliciously braised grass fed beef in a rich yellow tomato sauce. Now for dessert. We were dining late and the kitchen closed before we ordered dessert, but we're certainly not mad about it. We were offered a classic cookie trio accompanied by a creative ice cream trio. If we could do it again, which we very well may tonight, we would get 3 of the strawberry blonde cookies (might be the best cookie I have ever had) and just the rosemary ice cream. They pair perfectly. The cocktails we began the evening with were also perfect. We definitely ordered spot-on for our tastes - Penicillin for him and V. Special Boy for me. Mine was a refreshing elderflower-forward version of a mojito and his was whiskey ginger, elevated. I can't say enough good things about this beautiful restaurant. One of the best meals of my life and I'll be coming back again and again. read more

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The Albert was outstanding. The atmosphere, the service, the drinks and the food were incredible. After a tough decision I started with the Call Your Mother cocktail. It was a fiery, boozy martini... amazing! I was really craving some carbs so we started with the bread and butter. It is a delicious small loaf of bread right out of the oven. We quickly moved onto the poached foie gras. I've never had it prepared poached before so it was interesting to try it that way. The charred octopus was phenomenal. There was a lot more octopus than I was expecting the flavors were unique and delicious. We then split the rabbit and duck and were very impressed with everything. Both meats were very tender and juicy but very different flavors. I was too full to try and of the desserts but I look forward to coming back and trying some. It was a pricey meal but you get what you pay for. Or just go for a drink and enjoy the amazing space. I will definitely be back again! read more

I was staying at the EMC2 hotel and was on a time crunch so I came downstairs and had lunch here! Not a lot of people were here on Saturday at around 1:30pm. I got the purple gnocchi which was very rich and delicious! They have a lot of "different" and unique items on the menu which was awesome. My dish was around $20!! Not bad for a hotel restaurant. read more

the Albert - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Had fantastic cocktails served up by the kind and talented Patrick. Quite possibly my favorite martini in the city!

Thrilled to return to The Albert, with amazing company, for the awesome food and one of my favorite Old Fashioneds of Chicago. I'm not kidding when I say that I would have "settled" for bread and butter because it's what hooked me on my first visit. I can't even explain. You just have to experience it for yourself. From the unique lamb entree, to the lobster "under a pasta blanket" (as I like to call it), dinner was AMAZING. I should have taken a photo of the bread and butter and my cocktail but they didn't last. I'm also very appreciative of how willing the staff was to make sure to accommodate my most serious food allergies. The night was perfect. read more

the Albert - Lobster entree - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Everything we tried was delicious and I highly recommend: octopus and grilled maitake mushrooms , truffle ravioli and short ribs. Super delicious, tender meat and al dente ravioli. Cocktails - very complex, balanced and quite strong. We tried #2 with Mezcal, their Manhattan version and strawberry. If you like Girl and the goat, Aba, Blvd or Seppia you will love The Albert. read more

Love the cocktails! The appetizers are also delicious, shrimp, crostinis, etc! We had Mariah and Patrick as our servers and they were both fantastic! Will try some of their dinner entrees next time! read more

the Albert - Awesome place, great cocktails! - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The host was friendly and we were seated right away. However the service with the waiter was poor. He must have been tired, but acted very annoyed. It almost felt like we were inconvenient to the business. The venue is beautiful and loved the decor and the seating. It really has a pretty and elegant atmosphere. The food was subpar for the price. Definitely not a place I'd return too or recommend. Aside from the service, I didn't think the food was great or even work the price. Drinks very good though, but it better be for the price right! read more

the Albert - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Our waiter Steven S. suggested the best espresso martini just off the magnificent mile!!!! The herb crusted chicken was cooked to perfection basking in a bed of Arugula. The tagliatelle pasta was delectable when paired with the perfectly crisp Brussels sprouts. Chefs kiss!!! Ambiance is a 10/10 beautiful paintings mixed with a leather bound book library vibe. read more

I was excited to celebrate my birthday here the past weekend! The atmosphere was very pleasant and the staff was extremely friendly, especially our server, Preston. He alone makes me excited to return. As far as the food, we ordered the crostini to start, and the risotto, and spaghetti as our entrees. I would definitely recommend the spaghetti - the flavors complemented each other well. The drinks, however, very strong so be warned! All in all, I recommend this fine establishment for a romantic dinner for two or for a special occasion. read more

the Albert - Espresso martini - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place looks nice, but it ends there. The drinks are weak and poorly concocted, and the food is comically bad. The salumi plate was a jewel run aside from the grilled bread. The service was on par with the food. They should feel embarrassed trying to act highbrow when you are very clearly lowbrow and not even good at that. read more

No thing wrong with this place. Great quality. I just find the lunch menu boring a heck. Wanted to try the octopus, unfortunately they don't serve that in any form for lunch. Instead I had the seasonal soup - a creamy tomato soup. Decorated with a little slice of bread, mozarella and cherry tomato. Good but nothing special. I would recommend this place for lunch if you're in the mood for something light but filling. read more

the Albert - April 10, 2019: Creamy tomato soup aka seasonal soup (lunch) - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Not sure what all the amazing reviews were for. I had mediocre food + really inattentive / bad service. Host stand was never staffed while I was there. I stood in the lobby for at least 5 minutes without being seated and finally had to get the attention of someone crossing the floor. Other tables were waited on before me, though they were seated after me. When I left, no one at the host stand again, so I had to get my own coat from the coat check. Yes - it's a lovely space. And the food was fine, but certainly not amazing. read more

Great meal after seeing Hamilton! Service and food were the best. We had the Crispy Chicken leg, watermelon tomato salad, and the fennel ravioli to start. Each bite was tasty and interesting. The wine and beer were a perfect match. We ended the meal with the sherbet which wasn't just a scoop. read more

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We made the mistake of coming with tired, underdressed tweens on a weekend evening this time. While we got looks from a few of the other patrons, the staff couldn't have been nicer or more accommodating. The food was delicious, the drinks great, and the decor endlessly interesting. This is a treat for foodies, an excellent dress-up for date-night spot, and is great for smaller groups, too. Highly recommended. read more

I was beyond disappointed with The Alberts experience for Thanksgiving "dinner." The online menu advertised that it would showcase a buffet with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, stuffed pork loin, red snapper, prime rib and much much more. However, when we arrived at the restaurant, we werent even properly sat and more so pointed to our table. Much to our surprise the "buffet" included NONE of the items listed on their menu and only displayed cheap excuses for charcuterie, eggs and the most bland pasta with vodka sauce I have ever had. The waitress made us pick only one meat Item that was suppose to be included in the buffet. I ordered the prime rib and received the thinnest slice of meat possible and was only allowed one serving! I was assuming they would at least offer to have as much of the single meat item on the menu that you could eat as it is the only protein item and was very disappointed when they only allowed a tiny single serving. the device was mediocre at best and took way too long for drinks to come from the bar. I would absolutely never come back or recommend this place to ANYONE. Stay away from this deceitful restaurant at all costs! read more

The albert gets its name from the hotel that it's attached to - e = mc2. I had high expectations coming in but was a little bit disappointed after my dinner here. It was a friday night but it was not too busy there. The menu is quite small and each of the menu items looked really interesting online. The prices are all a little bit higher and the portions pretty small. We started off with the bread and cultured butter. This was good, though it was 6 dollars. At other restaurants bread at these menu prices is free. We also got a salad and the grilled octopus. The grilled octopus was very good. I loved the bbq sauce - not sure how they made it white, but the octopus was very tender and had a nice grill taste without being burnt. The salad was very average. I felt like the presentation was nice, but the flavor was somewhat bland. The rare and expensive looking leafy vegetables had little taste. The dressing that might have made this salad better was barely put on the plate. I think they used the dressing dollop as a garnish rather than to flavor the food. My main dish was the duck breast which was $30. The duck itself was cooked well. It was tender and juicy... but there was no extra flavor even though the meat was placed on top of a sharp mustard. There were braised vegetables on the plate on the side (cabbage and turnips), which didn't really match the duck and did not complimant it. The strangest thing was grapes covered in what I think were small mustard seeds. There were only three grapes and they didn't taste special at all. Not sure how plain grapes with not-so-flavorful seeds go with duck, or red wine cabbage + turnips (kohlrabi). Overall this plate was way too complicated and there was too much focus on presentation compared to taste. It also was priced high for a small amount of food. I did taste the fish from someone else's plate in my party. I did like the fish but it seemed like the plating had the same problem. Basically, it was like they cooked each ingredient separately and in a straightforward way, but then just randomly threw them on a plate to make it look fancy - without the proper matching of flavors. The service through the whole night was quite slow, perhaps because there were so many ingredients and plating flourishes. The pacing left us without food for 20 or so minutes in the middle of the meal, and they took long to prepare the starters too. I noticed the menu does seem to change a lot too, so maybe settle on a menu that has favorites and things that really are good - like the octupus, burssel sprouts, and the bread. read more

Delicious cocktails and really dug the interior/vibe of the place, but as lovely as the food was the price does not compare to the quantity by any means. Maybe this is a better option for lunch, but we came for dinner. After spending $64 on one cocktail, tip, and a dinner plate which I may presume consisted of 300 calories max. Note: Not the place to go if you're hungry. Good experience, but eat before. read more

Delicious food, amazing cocktails and wonderful staff! I dine here every time I stay at EMC2! Every cocktail I've had has been so special and high quality. I would honestly recommend everything on the menu - even the giant slice of carrot cake! read more

Came here for dinner and it was the best decision! The service was spectacular and our server was amazing. The interior design was beautiful and well decorated. We got a bottle of wine that was recommended to us. We got the charred octopus, tempura maitake mushroom, and a foie gras dish for starters- both were DELICIOUS!! Get both!! For my main course, I got the smoked sea trout which was delicious! Everything here was well seasoned and the combination of flavors were perfect. Definitely recommend this place! read more

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We started with the forbidden fruit cocktail and it was very good. Not very alcohol forward, but tasted like a good apple cider. The charcuterie board with meats and cheeses was decent, but a little lackluster. It came with two small slices of cheese, but the meats were plenty. The smoked duck was not good. Finally, the $30 risotto was blah. Slimy texture and all you could taste was mushroom. The waiters were nice, but overall, I would recommend staying away from this place. So many other options for good food in Chicago. read more