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    The Alchemist

    4.5 (99 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    The Alchemist Photos

    THE ALCHEMIST ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Intimate
    Romantic

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    Recommended Reviews - The Alchemist

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    Jess B.

    Swanky, sophisticated and worth it! I stopped in with a friend after another event for a glass of wine and a cocktail. They have all day happy hour on Tuesdays (love it!) so we got some meat and cheese. I asked the server for a gluten free option and she was knowledgeable and offered more veggies instead of bread. The marinated tomatoes are delicious, do not skip them! When it came to wine, the glass I ordered was not available so she described the substitute and I ordered that instead. Turns out it was not to my liking, the server was happy to swap out the glass for a different recommendation instead. When it came to ordering more substantial food, again the server was sure to ask about who was gluten free and made suggestions for each. I ended up with a shawarma bowl that was amazing! Absolutely would come back for that again or even just for a drink.

    View of the bar
    Meg H.

    For a Tuesday night, The Alchemist was packed! We were lucky to grab a table as there was only one left when we arrived. The atmosphere is upscale, posh and modern yet warm and inviting. We discovered their Tuesday special is "Social Hour" menu items all day--we munched on delicious meats, cheese and accoutrement. The fact that their menu has the word "accoutrement" speaks volumes! Extensive wine menu along with delightful cocktails. Service was top notch!

    Mayra M.

    First time visitor - stopped in because I love their sister restaurant The Walrus Room. Overall vibe was great, wasn't super crowded which was good given they do not work off reservations more of a first come first serve style. Initial service was good, drinks and water were brought out within a reasonable time frame. Order some shareables, focaccia, beef kabobs, and fries. Food was delicious! Sadly, we cut our visit short. When our server came back around I asked for a drink, a margarita with a splash of chambord. Waited, and waited, by this time my water glass is empty and so is my husbands. She came back around a few times not noticing the empty water glasses and obviously forgot about my drink. It wasn't busy, because I could see her at the bar from my table. Finally got the check and did let her know she forgot my drink so we were wrapping up. Things happen but this is your job.

    Smoke and Embers
    Karen S.

    I liked everything about our visit. We only had drinks, so I cannot speak for the food. The ambience is great, not too loud but enough vibe that you felt like you were out for fun. We sat at the bar. Our bartender was great, attentive even though he was working hard. I started with the Galloping in Guatemala, very good-lime, cucumber and gin. My husband had the Baptized by Fire, a fancy old-fashioned. He liked it enough. Then I had the Smoke & Embers, a smokey tequila old-fashioned with a hint of spice. That one I really loved! We had dinner reservations elsewhere but I would like to try some of their small plates. What we saw nearby looked very appetizing.

    Rhonda S.

    The crab cakes are amazing. Loved the celery root purée and arugula. This is a trendy and vibrant little bar and restaurant in downtown Geneva. Super friendly bartenders. Kevin was amazing!!! The bartenders were experimenting with making new drinks and we got to try a concoction. Extensive cocktail and wine menu. It's a lovely place for a drink and meal. We enjoyed our visit here. If you are looking for an upbeat place to get a personalized dining experience in Geneva, make sure to stop by this one!

    Day-dreamsicle
    Anna G.

    Always a super fun place to visit. From the drinks to the menu items, the Alchemist hs never disappointed. 5/5: The service is always great with helpful suggestions being made. The first time we went we sid off menu items.. a drink roulette suggested by our server, which was a ton of fun. Between us all I want to say we had 9 "mystery" drink orders. And all were very tasty. And the drinks continouly prove to change with the menu rotations. As well as being strong. 4/5: The food is also full of flavor and delicious. The octopus was fork tender and the foccocia was light with a nice outter layer. The food prices werent bad for the area, but it is more of a small bites kinda option. Still had a lot of flavor and was enjoyable. 4.5/5: The ambiance of the place was dimly lit, more intimate and very cozy. The first time we went was with a large party of about 14 people. I wouldnt recommend that unless you have reservations as this place is very small, but it was also accomodating. The other times ive been it was a smaller group and we had no issues getting seated. Overall I would recommend giving this place a try esp if you're a cocktail kind of person... and if you're not a fan of what they have to offer, see what they can do for you off menu or when the next seasonal menu gets rotated in.

    Patrick D.

    What a fun night. Driven by this place many times but didn't try it until we found out they offered oysters. Just missed happy hour but still reasonable oyster prices. Had two types, PEI and Washington state. Well prepared. Had planned a tapas night - thought that's all they had - but they had burger and fries too. Nice options for non-alcoholic drinks as well - always good to shoot that out!

    Fun afternoon espresso cocktails

    Enjoyed our afternoon cocktails. Excellent cocktail menu at the alchemist. Great spot to stop before or after dinner

    Bar
    Nic D.

    Such a cute and fun cocktail bar! They serve some food, but we just came in for a drink after lunch. Our server was friendly and attentive. He offered suggestions on what to get when I had questions. The drink menu has a little bit of everything! Anyone can find something to match their mood. I got some sort of lavender drink and it was absolutely delicious. Wish we had time for more! There are a row of small tables across from the bar. A small entrance are, and a little outside patio. This is a terrific place to meet up for a drink (or drinks) before or after a day spent shopping in the area!

    Drink menu
    Vivian R.

    The food and drinks were amazing. I loved that Gabriel and Yoshi are so passionate about their creations and took time to explain some of the processes. The espresso martini was one of a kind and delicious. I only wish they had a bigger food menu.

    Great cocktail hour specials!
    Keyshawndre C.

    I really hate it when you discover an amazing place, and want to tell everybody, but then you risk it becoming busy, ha ha... that's the case with Alchemist. It's cozy and small, fancy and relaxing. The service is super-attentive and the cocktails, my God, the cocktails! I have never been to a bar in the Chicagoland area that serves a genuine Gin Fizz (see pic), as it takes at least three minutes of shaking to achieve that spectacular egg white cloud. But yes, Alchemist has it. I also think these were some of the best (East coast) oysters I've ever had, and during happy hour? -- $2/ea. If eating 15 of em' is wrong, then I don't wanna' be right! Chicago's premium food offerings are a bit far to enjoy often, so I'm grateful this place exists in a lovely, *local* part of Geneva. It helps us Northwest suburbanites get our fill of amazing drinks and food more often.

    Marcin B.

    Alchemist got us hooked. Very good vibes, great food to share, awesome drinks. They do not take reservations but we got lucky to sit right away on Saturday mid afternoon. Their plates are shareable and this is definitely our best way to try at least few plates at on visit. Their wine list is quite interesting and they also cary some craft beers selections. The drinks however are amazing and we are only looking to come back again. We tried few dishes and they were Ahi Tuna Crudo--very fresh and citrusy with added pesto Grilled Oysters--Rockefeller style, absolutely delicious Fried White Anchovies--very nice idea to have them fried like fries and served with aioli , they were a subtle reminder of Spain and tapas. Grilled Salsa Macha Shrimp--this dish was super good, served with great home made sourdough. Very satisfying and perfect pairing with the wine. Will see you soon!!

    Baptized by Fire
    Jason H.

    One of the best dining and drinking experiences I've had in a long time. Drinks were amazing; food was outstanding and our bartender Kevin was great. He made great recommendations on food and drinks. Watched in awe as he crafted our drinks and other drinks. Can't wait to go back! Recommend sitting at the bar! The bartenders are such a great resource!

    Lemon Drop martini and Rosé Sangria

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    Photo of Amy B.
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    4 months ago

    I'm sure they're in season and perfect. One thing you do not want to be in between of is a man and his award winning beef

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    4 months ago

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    2 hours ago

    Wonderful ambiance! Great wine and delicious food! Server was perfect also! Negroni was delicious

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    2 months ago

    Great service, food and ambience. We just had a drink and appetizer. I can't wait to go back for dinner.

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    5 months ago

    Excellence. The Baptism by Fire. The bar tenders are very, very good. I cannot recommend this establishment more highly. Thank you.

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    8 months ago

    Love the food, drinks, service and vibe. Outdoor seating on a beautiful night is ideal. Amazing place!

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - The Alchemist

    It looks very cozy so I'm wondering if they can accommodate a table of 6-8 people? Does anyone know?

    Yes, very easy. We had a party of 7 yesterday and they arranged tables for us outside. Great service overall!

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    The Graceful Ordinary - Frisee salad with crusted soft boiled egg

    The Graceful Ordinary

    (276 reviews)

    $$$

    Firstly, anyone saying the food doesn't taste good or they leave hungry is smokin crack ..... also,…read moresounds like you probably would of enjoyed a buffet instead. This place is incredible... the food is to die for. It's the first place I've been to and did not feel like bloated or so full to where I was sick because the portions were perfect. Nothing here fell short, in fact it's the first place in the burbs where the food wasn't overly salted or fried in some type of oil. Everything tasted fresh. The flavors were busting up in my mouth every bite I took, even down to snowball fight drink we had. I highly, highly recommend the bread cheese appetizer- this was something super unique to me as I've only had grilled up cheese one other time in Brazil, Queijo Coalho.... There was a beautiful twist on this cheese- crunchy, creamy, sweet, savory and the honey and tabbouleh were such a great finish to this dish. Pair this with the fresh bread and it was chefs kiss! We had the beer braised short rib and seabass- two completely different flavored entres that we absolutely perfect. The short rib you literally can't go wrong with- melted in my mouth with every bite - and hats off the the chef who cooked the onions so perfect to actually be able to taste them instead of just carmelizing or salting them! I would call this your typical Midwest comfort dish. The seabass was much different the salad was tangy with the lentils being rich- add a nice cooked crispy top seabass and you got yourself a unique dish of flavors that will have you thinking what's in it after hours! But the star of the show was dessert of course - OMFG - s'mores ice cream sunday ....... I died and went to heaven literally. I have never tasted ice cream that mimicked everything I've ever wanted my ice cream to taste like. It was the perfect temperature (trust me a lot of restaurants it's either rock hard or melted) this was epic. Creamy, almost pudding like and being able to taste every note was wild to me. The graham cracker - yes the freaking graham cracker was the best one I've ever tasted in my life. Clearly I've never had a graham cracker without preservatives before. The chocolate syrup .... Jeeze let me tell if I could swim in it I would.... The service was friendly, prompt and right on time. The server knew all the cues and timing of all the food to come out. She checked in everytime we got something to make sure everything was just right... you can tell she takes her job seriously but also knows how to interact with people - something a lot of servers lack these days so we really appreciated the service. As for the atmosphere- this place blows a lot of the chi city restaurants out of the water. The organic feel but fancy! Oh, and I can actually talk and hear myself think without blasting music over my head. We will be back ... but honestly please change nothing here- everything you're doing here is fantastic!

    Ambiance is incredibly intimate and cozy. Very comfortable…read morewaiting lounge available while your table clears, which will be a while. Food was delicious. Cocktails were delicious. Service is VERY slow. Whether by design or intent, I cannot determine but if you're hungry, don't come here or you will be excruciatingly hangry. Understand that this is not a high table turnover environment. The dinner rush is not exactly witnessed here. Ive never seen a grill line have such a lack of sense of urgency but it quickly made sense as I recognized it had been 35 minutes since an order was put in. Aside from that also understood the food was absolutely amazing, is it worth the wait? Yes if you understand the length of time it may take to get it. Come here not needing to eat immediately and enjoy the ambiance, the drinks, be in the moment, and let the food be an afterthought. I will most certainly be back.

    Revolucion - Exit, inside

    Revolucion

    (22 reviews)

    I was so excited to try this place but it didn't meet the mark for me. I don't recommend you come…read morehere if you 1. Don't eat pork and 2. Don't drink alcohol. I was disappointed that their beans have pork and they couldn't substitute for non-pork. Since the beans are in many menu items it really limited what I could eat. We got the corn ribs, flautas and burrito. The corn ribs were good and the flautas were okay. I really disliked the burrito because it had whole broccolini which made it impossible to take a bite. I felt like I was constantly pulled veggies out of the burrito rather than being able to take an actual bite. For drinks, I got a virgin Paloma was which just as pricey as an alcohol drink and had so much ice I finish it in 3 sips. It's a cool space but wasn't for me.

    Stopped in with my mom for a bite and a drink while visiting Geneva. The space is lovely, and since…read morewe arrived early, it wasn't too busy. We initially tried to dine at Tia Carmen's downstairs, but the wait was too long--so we headed upstairs to Revolución instead. We were among the first guests. The service was friendly, though not particularly attentive. Our server didn't check in often, and we had to wait quite a while for water--thankfully, the busser eventually stepped in and kept our glasses full. The food was tasty overall. We weren't fans of the chips served with the guacamole; they were more like plain tortillas--dry and lacking salt. That said, the rest of the meal was enjoyable. My suggestion to management: even when it's slow, make sure tables have water and guests are checked on regularly. A little extra attentiveness would go a long way in improving the experience.

    Mosaic Kitchen & Cocktails - short rib hummus

    Mosaic Kitchen & Cocktails

    (31 reviews)

    We visited Mosaic Kitchen last Saturday for a dinner and the experience was great. We are happy…read morewhen places like that open their doors offering , new vibe and something new in Geneva. Mediterranean cusine is definitely one of our favorite ones and all the flavors are there. We mosly tried the mezze hot and cold dishes to share and a bottle of nice Sancerre wine. House Sampler-you can try all three spreads at one plate, all were very good but the Muhammara definitely stood up as the best. Olives--very well seasoned, we always try olives and definitely a must. Lamb Chops--perfectly seared, served with fantastic slaw and chimichuri. Falafel--was good, classic, could be a little bit more moist in our opinion. Special: Hamachi crudo with Mango sauce--this was a spectacular dish, one of the best we lately had. Fish was fresh and the presentation was amazing. Thanks to Alex for being a great server and we will definitely try more dishes from Mosaic Kitchen in the future!

    Came here for lunch with a friend on a Friday. I made a reservation for 11:30am and we were able to…read moresit wherever we wanted. The place is super cute inside and there is parallel parking in front of the restaurant along with a city parking lot across the street. Their menu has many items listed as GF and the server was very knowledgeable. The sangria couldn't be confirmed GF so she said she can make her own with my choice of wine. I picked the rose and it was delicious. We shared a GF baked feta and I had the vegan tagine as my entree. The sauce had a hint of spice and was on the sweeter side. The server brought out cut vegetables for the feta and white rice for my dish since I couldn't have the lavash. The food and server were excellent. Will def come back and try different options.

    Club Arcada - Club Arcada lounge area

    Club Arcada

    (97 reviews)

    $$

    We specifically went to dinner at the speakeasy at the Club Arcadia to hear Frank Sinatra songs…read more The private elevate and secret door held great promise of a different time. Our level of anticipation evaporated almost immediately when we were assaulted by the sound. The singer on stage accompanied by a bass so loud that my bones vibrated. Was the singer good? Couldn't tell because his voice was overpowered by the music. And even though the night was advertised as a Sinatra night....Elvis entertained as much as ole blue eyes. Our group of six were jammed into a booth meant for 4 people against a wall directly in line with the speaker. That means the sound hit us, then the wall, hitting us again as sound travels. We asked if it was possible to lower the volume. No one could talk or communicate during the performance. It was temporarily lowered and then the singer signaled the sound man to up the volume again. How was the food you ask? Three of us had the fish and it was excellent. The Chacuterie tray was well appointed but the salads that followed were bland and the seasonal vegetables consisted of mostly bell peppers with a carrot thrown in. Again..perhaps we would have enjoyed our meal more without the vibrations and incredibly loud music. I downloaded a decibel meter. It said that music in a restaurant should range between 50-65 decibels; my meter averaged 90+ during the show. We spoke with a kind and understandable waiter but not the manager. Management should know from us; this was a one and done. I'm still trying to figure out why other patrons were applauding loudly when you really didn't hear the music. I'd like to say you should try it for the experience but DON'T waste your money to be attacked by sound for 2 hours.

    Club Arcada is such a neat place. It is fun to step back in time. Take the elevator upstairs and be…read moretransported. There is a very small bar. The main dining room with live entertainment is pretty big. The decor is awesome. The food and drinks are basic. And kind of expensive but I think it is worth an experience you don't see anymore. We did not wait long for drinks or food and the staff was friendly. I would go back for a special occasion or girls night out.

    Bad Alice

    Bad Alice

    (18 reviews)

    Grabbed drinks here with a couple friends while roaming around Geneva. Overall, this place is…read morejust... fine. What I liked about it was the games they have on hand to keep you entertained: NES Classic (Duck Hunt!) and darts were enjoyed throughly by us! The downside: the bartender, during our visit, was less than pleasant. And I couldn't figure out what his deal was because I went to the bar once and ordered two rounds: one (beers) for us and a second (shots?) for a friend and her friends at the end of the bar - a serendipitous meeting then and there! His mentality was one of treating me as if I'd never been to a bar before and "testing" me on my beverage orders. It was quite odd. Nonetheless, we had a good time but will probably hesitate on a return visit.

    Bad Alice absolutely lives up to the hype. The vibe is the perfect mix of cool, cozy, and a little…read moremischievous in the best way. But what really makes this place shine are the bartenders -- Mariah and Robbie. Mariah is an absolute gem: warm, welcoming, and somehow always remembers exactly what you like. She's quick, creative, and makes you feel like a regular even on your first visit. Robbie is just as fantastic -- funny, attentive, and clearly knows his craft. His cocktails are spot-on every time, and he brings an energy that makes the whole bar feel alive. Between the great drinks, great atmosphere, and two of the best bartenders around, Bad Alice is the kind of place you walk into for one drink and end up staying for three. Can't recommend it enough!

    The Alchemist - cocktailbars - Updated May 2026

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