Beautiful evening for patio dining with colleagues. I like that the cute patio is mosquito free. We had red sangria, gin and tonic, Prosecco, rose . The appetizers were mussels, burrata and beet salad .... The mussels were a bit too oceany/ smelly with sand and all. I have had better burrata and beet salad . Main course scallops, salmon , chicken and beef Wellington. All of which were just fine in terms of flavor. Desserts were the chocolate flourless cake and cheesecake.Our server Mandy was sweet and attentive. I was very impressed with a sign about masks on the patio but none of the staff were wearing masks which was disappointing. Will certainly revisit when in the area. read more

Willow Room - Business dinner!! - Wine Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is a cute girls night or date night spot. It's a little walk away from the rest of the restaurants in Lincoln park. Got the burrata, truffle fries, mussels, and broccolini. Burrata has something sweet in it that didn't pair well with it. Truffle fries were good. Mussels were small. Broccolini were a lil too tangy for my personal liking. read more

Brunch - 5 stars Dinner - 3 stars It's incredible for brunch. The menu is top notch, the service is amazing, the venue is awesome. Was so pleased with brunch experience. I got a grilled chicken sandwich and my wife got the bagel and lox. Both had great portions of the protein. You constantly see restaurants drop just like one or two slices of lox on a bagel and charge a ton of money but not Willow Room. You got plenty of lox which made the price so worth it. My chicken sandwich seemed simple but was full of flavor. Would totally go for brunch and get either of these dishes. Dinner on the other hand was just ok. They do rotate the menu and some past menu items have looked better. I got the short rib which wasn't that big a portion but was kinda pricy. Also, when I get short rib, it's all about how that jus complements the tenderness of the meat. But there was like no sauce. It was cooked really well, but needed more sauce and less potato. My wife got the schnitzel which was good though! Service was also a fair bit slower at dinner. So I might try it again for dinner, but definitely for brunch read more

Came here with a friend this past Friday night and had a great experience! Our server was a sweetheart and also properly staggered our food after we ordered everything at the same time. We shared everything and the little plates we used were changed frequently, three times over the course of the evening. Our water was refilled non-stop. Basically, service was wonderful. Before I go into detail, I'd just like to say all the food was delicious. There wasn't anything either of us didn't like. Not pictured because I forgot to take a photo but we tried the Candied Pork Belly and Jamon Croquettes to start. I preferred the candied pork belly because I love savory/sweet combinations but my friend preferred the croquettes which were a little more hearty. I'd never tried Beef Wellington before and I loved it. It wasn't perfectly medium-rare but it was still pink so I'm splitting hairs now. What I wasn't expecting to love as much as I did was the lobster ravioli. I've had this dish at other places before and it's fine but nothing amazing. Always seems like a bit of a waste to cover high quality seafood with heavy sauce, but my friend wanted it and I knew I'd like it no matter what. But it actually was amazing. The dish came with these lightly pickled thinly sliced veggies, asparagus I believe, and it really enhanced the overall flavor. And the ravioli itself was thin enough that you could actually taste the lobster. By the time it came to dessert we were stuffed but tried the flourless chocolate cake and the orange ricotta donuts. I wouldn't have ordered the donuts if I hadn't previously read the rave reviews, and I'm glad I did. They were great and not too heavy for what is essentially fried dough. The flourless chocolate cake was so rich that it became a struggle towards the end. I think that's the only thing that was slightly left over. read more

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They have a $38 three course menu on Mondays that we tried. My boyfriend and I got different dishes for each course so we could try as many items as possible, but honestly nothing from the first two courses really stood out. They were decent, but nothing memorable. The stand out were the desserts. I loved their cheesecake and orange ricotta donuts, which I thought was such a unique combo. Not my favorite; probably won't be going back. The decor is very beautiful inside though. If you go, I would recommend doing the $38 Monday menu. read more

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Came here just for drinks and sat at the bar. Lively ambiance and cute place! We ordered an espresso martini even though it wasn't on the menu and it was one of the best we've had! The bartender made it extra special with hints of orange - so good! read more

Willow Room - Espresso Martini - Wine Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is super cool. We were staying in Chicago and found this gem on Open Table. Our server was very engaging and friendly. Lots of great suggestions. We started with the Burrata. Creamy and delicious. I had scallops that melted in my mouth. I was also able to taste the lobster ravioli and beef Wellington. We finished off the night with the donuts. Wow! Everything we tried was outstanding. Looking forward to my next visit. read more

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We randomly stopped in here for lunch on a Friday afternoon and were really impressed! We are from out of town and drove in to run a couple errands in the Lincoln Park area. We didn't make any reservations anywhere and just pulled up yelp to see what was nearby and this popped up! We came for the appealing atmosphere and ended up really enjoying the cocktails and food. I loved the Bee's Knees cocktail, it's always one of my favorites. I can only speak on their lunch menu, but they were plenty of options to choose from and I'm sure the dinner menu is similar. Shared the truffle fries as an appetizer (perfect for 2-3 people) and then ordered the fishes tacos and the Chilaquiles. Both were fantastic! The chilaquiles were my absolute favorite. The shrimp tacos were also delicious, the only downside was I felt like they had a little too much purple cabbage, but I notice that everywhere I order fish tacos honestly. That's easily fixed by setting some aside. Overall we were big fans of the atmosphere, food, and drinks. We would definitely stop back my next time we are in the city! We didn't even realize there is a basement until I saw the photos on here. Looks awesome! read more

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We came here for 2021 Chicago Restaurant Week. It's a busy Saturday night. With reservation, we were seated right away. They also have the fancy "greenhouses" outside on the sidewalk for outdoor dining. We were in one of them. It was a little breezy that night, so with the door open and the rooftop window handle broken, I felt a bit chilly. That did not affect much to the night though. I've tried authentic Chinese crispy pork belly and I thought that was good enough. Willow Room's crispy pork with caramel sauce was absolutely another level of wow. The crispness, the sweetness, and the richness were all on the point and not overshadowing other flavors. Perfect mix that you don't want to miss. I also had beet salad. The beet was soft enough to melt in my mouth before second chew yet just firm enough to hold the chunk together in the plate. Amazing cooking skills made me fall into love with beet again. Comparing to the appetizers, I didn't care much for the mussels or the lobster raviolis I ordered since they got below temperature before I could finish them halfway. They were good too, just didn't wowed me much. The decoration indoor was vintage yet modern element here and there. Tables were appropriately socially distant. read more

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I have visited here now twice and both times the food, cocktails and service were excellent. Our first visit we had wine and the charcuterie board, which was fabulous and generous in portion. Three of us couldn't finish it all. Our last visit we had already eaten dinner so we sat at the bar for cocktails and dessert. I enjoyed a Godiva chocolate martini and we shared the orange ricotta donuts with a chocolate sauce for dipping. They too were a shareable portion and so warm, fresh and full of not-too-sweet flavor. I look forward to returning since so far everything I've tried on the menu here has been absolutely delicious. read more

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I'm here for dinner was a fairly slow night for the restaurant I'd say. I had the burrata which I really enjoyed. In addition, I had the beef Wellington, which was nothing to call home about. It's a pretty cool vibe for a date night, and the drinks were fairly reasonable. It's a little out-of-the-way for me so I wouldn't say that I would be there soon, but would not be upset if someone keep it as an option! read more

Finally came here and absolutely loved it!!! Willow Room is such a cute spot in the city! Due to the pandemic and new regulations, they have these nice greenhouses you can dine in. Heated and private so you can dine in style! I tried the fried chicken sandwich as the pumpkin donuts. Both were fabulous choices!! The donuts come with this cream cheese custard dipping sauce and it's exquisite! Service was amazing and we were seated immediately upon arriving. The peach bellini is on point!! Perfect brunch cocktail. I am looking forward to coming back here. Check them out if you haven't already! read more

Food was terrible & $$. So loud on Saturday night we couldn't carry on a conversation. Skip this place

Absolutely great. Stumbled on this place by total chance. Food was great and outstanding service. I had the club sandwich with a side of broccolini. Their Willow mimosa was delicious. Love it! Highly recommend! read more

Willow Room - Wine Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great atmosphere and we loved our entrees! However, we were surprised to see octopus on the menu - one of the smartest animals with no protection in terms of how they are farmed. Please remove it from the menu so that we feel comfortable coming back!!! read more

Trying to eat outside in Chicago winter is touch and most restaurants have given up. The Willow Room has made a huge effort with their little greenhouse style dining huts with heat. They get 5 stars for the effort. The staff is terrific having to come outside from the bar and kitchen in the cold to constantly check on how we're doing. The food is a neighborhood gem with everything as it was inside. Soup was a great start on a cold night. I ordered the cheddar cheese and broccoli. When the rest of our small group saw it they ordered some too. We worked our way through some appetizers, Burrata, mussels and a side of cauliflower. For entrees I had the tagliatelle in a rich mushroom sauce. The risotto with squash got raves. So much work goes into making a meal work outside in winter the the team at the Willow Room really stepped up! read more

Food is excellent, service by Hanna B. was the best, Fine tap beer selection. Plus reasonable prices on all selections. Note re the chips and guacamole, tasty and very crispy chip plus the guacamole was done perfectly! read more

Great cocktails. Had the halibut and the beef Wellington and both were delicious. Laid back classy vibe. Service was good.

Our group of four arrived at the time of our reservation and waited for about 10mins to be seated. The hostesses were very friendly. We ordered the restaurant week menu and everything went down hill from there. They didn't have the some of the restaurant week menu options so we ended up getting double of the previous course (so two salads instead of an appetizer and salad). Our Caesar salad had no croutons. We asked for croutons and waited for 10mins. When the second round of salads came out...still no croutons despite croutons being listed on the menu. Our mains come, the lobster ravioli was terrible. I checked the pics online before coming here (from the restaurant and from previous patrons) and what we received was not even half of the quality or quantity. The ravioli was hard and i had 3 cut up pieces of asparagus, no Parmesan & barely any sauce. When our desserts came, the donuts had no glaze. We asked for glaze and was told the kitchen was closed (despite the fact that we'd ordered an hour ago and they forgot the glaze on our donuts before sending them out.) basically, every course, our dishes were missing a key component when brought to our table. Luckily Pete (our server) was able to scrounge around and find some for us. He was kind and pleasant throughout. Unfortunately it seems this restaurant can't handle the capacity of restaurant week. read more

Our first wedding anniversary fell on a Monday, so we decided to order takeout from the Willow Room in order to take advantage of their 3-course Monday special. My husband had the Caesar salad and I had the beet salad with goat cheese. I felt that the portion size for the beet salad was slightly on the small side, but it was very tasty. We both had the New York strip steak for our entrée, and despite it being cooked at more of a medium instead of the medium rare we requested, it was still delicious. The marrow butter sauce on the asparagus and turnips was a very nice touch. We didn't really care for the old fashioned donuts, but thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the meal. I would highly recommend dining or ordering takeout on a Monday for the 3-course special deal. read more

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Tasty food and nice staff. Good choice near Steppenwolf. I definitely recommend making a reservation early. Not sure about the individual green house-it was a bit chilly, but we'lll still be back! read more

My group of 4 was able to snag a dinner res day of Friday (but were seated by a very loud HVAC). I LOVED my meal - my 2 friends that ordered the halibut were underwhelmed by lack of flavor so your experience may be dish dependent. We all started with the croquettes. The exterior was thicker than I'm used to, but they were good and I was appreciative that it came in a pile of 6 instead of 3 like I often see. My scallops were AWESOME. The dish came with 5 big, perfectly seared scallops. The cous cous bed was pretty good, whatever micro greens they put on top really made the dish pop. For dessert, I tried my friend's orange donut balls - they were so good! Even though they were in a bed of sugar glaze, they weren't overly sweet and had just the right amount of citrus. Our server was attentive and the food came out timely. I would definitely eat here again. read more

Food is consistently delicious, great atmosphere and patio weather permitting always great. Wine selection is always great and service has never disappointed! read more

This morning we got our first car wash of 2022. This one task took over 90 minutes as every Chicago'an had the same idea in mind. This set our days plans back a lot. Our lunch in Lake View wasn't going to happen. So, 2:00 is coming up; we're on Halstead St. and we're starving. Not familiar with the area, we found a parking place and started walking. We came across this cute cafe, walked in, and viewed their menu. This place was The Willow Room, and the menu looked interesting. We get seated, and that's when we got hit with this wonderful thunderbolt - The Unexpected Gem. This happens so rarely that when it does happen, it leaves you with this look of amazement. First off, the staff were these very nice, smart young people. Anything you asked for the answer was "Yes!" My Caesar salad was one of the better ones I've ever had, and I've had thousands. It was up there with my all-time favorite Caesar at Dan Tanas in West Hollywood. Okay, shocker #1. My wife's club sandwich was equally as delicious as my Caesar. And it was huge. I helped her eat it, and we took what was left over to our son at work, who, like us, asked us where the hell we got this beautiful sandwich. Shocker #2. The French fries that came with this club were so good that I ordered another side of fries for me. Something I never do. Okay, like they say in baseball, three shocks, and your out - standing. Without any warning or fanfare or recommendations or celebrity chef, the Willow room stunned us. It was just that good. On the way out, I asked the young lady at the front door if the dinner menu was different than the lunch menu. She handed me the dinner menu, and it looked just as fascinating as their lunch menu. Guess who's coming back for dinner!!! read more

So pleased with our experience here! We made reservations on a Friday night and loved the ambiance here. Very cool spot for a date night or girls night. The espresso martinis were really good and strong! My friend and I split a burger and the beet salad and the salad was so light and refreshing, while the burger was juicy and filling. Very good food, the service was great, and cool atmosphere. I'll definitely be coming back. read more

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We've dined at Willow Room many times over the past few years. This update covers the two or three times post-pandemic (most recently on a weeknight). As always, we liked the food, but ambiance and service detracted. VIBE: The dining room hasn't changed. It's a bit cavernous and quite noisy on a busy night. SERVICE: Everyone has been cordial enough. They seem to be understaffed post-pandemic, though. Our server seemed to be covering a lot of tables, and didn't check back with us for drinks, etc. I had to flag down a different server. FOOD: Nice. Most recently, a kale salad was inventive and tasty. Halibut was quite good, though not exceptional. My companion spoke highly of the gnocchi. Compact, well-chosen list of wines by the glass, though the pours were on the skimpy side. Though it's slipped a notch since the pandemic, I'll probably be back since it's convenient to Steppenwolf and I alternate Willow Room with Vinci. Hopefully, the service will improve. The noise is just what it is, I guess... read more

Amazing service Great food and the drinks were great! I enjoyed the crowd and the energy of coming into the place very big and open. Hoping to get that red velvet Booth in the future :) - CDee read more

Willow Room - Eggs Benedict with Avocado - Wine Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The cutest date night spot! Dinner was so good. I can't wait to come back. Their wine cellar room downstairs would be perfect for an engagement party or birthday celebration read more

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Overall, a great experience BUT... forget the pork-chops. Two us had order them, the sweet potatoes were out of this world - the chops themselves were bland and dry. Outside of that it was a wonderful experience. We enjoyed the burrata and tuna tartare to start, but the croquettes were less than ordinary. Mostly bread and little ham. The scallops were phenomenal but you definitely need to order a side dish to fill you up. I would suggest the mashed potatoes. I didn't try the chicken, but my guest said it was amazing. We also ordered sides of the broccolini and cauliflower. The cauliflower was decent the broccolini was limp in flavor and texture. Our serve made up for the pork-chops and croquettes. Michelle was polite, funny and made excellent recommendations on cocktails. read more

Met a friend for lunch at Willow Room on a Thursday afternoon. The place was mostly empty and based on the review history, it sounds like this place is busier during dinner. It's a cute ambiance inside and exactly what you would expect from a hip but relaxed spot in Lincoln park. The cocktail menu was a little better suited for a warmer or sunnier day but the Willow Room Mimosa was quite excellent with lavender adding a bit of something extra. The lunch menu has a nice variety of brunchish options (chilaquiles) and lunch options (lobster roll). We opted to share everything and ordered the burrata, shrimp tacos, chilaquiles (minus the chicken), and a side of fries. The burrata was excellent and unique with the addition of apples and apple butter. The shrimp tacos were very tasty and a nice lighter but still filling dish. The chilaquiles were also very tasty, a bit on the heavier side, and in my opinion didn't even need the chicken. It tasted delicious as a vegetarian option. And the fries were good fries. The four items were more than enough food and we were not able to finish everything. We easily could have ordered one less but I'm so glad we got to try an extra item. This is a great spot if you need a quiet weekday lunch spot or a "please everyone without being a steakhouse or Italian restaurant" spot for dinner. The menu is basic enough for non-adventurous eaters but they add a nice touch on each item to make them a bit unique and extra tasty. read more

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Ordered the mussels, beef wellington, scallops, and lobster Mac. The mussels were awful - very fishy tasting, just gross. The beef wellington and scallops were both solid. The lobster mac was soupy and just kinda bad. Service was abysmal. It was very early in the evening and the restaurant was mostly empty, yet the waiter was inattentive and never asked how our food was. read more

Easily my favorite restaurant in Chicago. I go here every year on my birthday, and it is such a treat. It is amazing food and a great vibe. Service is always friendly as well. read more

Really beautiful venue. Very open room and pretty lighting and decor. Bathroom doors blend into the back wall to the right just before the kitchen. We just sat at the bar and I had the white sangria for $9. It had pear schnapps which overdid it for me, too sweet. Bartender service was good, decent - nothing notable. I would go back to try the food! read more

Willow Room - Wine Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I went here for a birthday dinner with my girlfriend. This info is key to begin the review. Within my reservation, I mentioned in the comments my girlfriend was celebrating her birthday, and it'd be nice if upon ordering dessert they add a candle or something to mark the occasion. We arrived on time. I dropped my date off to secure our table while I parked. I arrived around 10 mins later, and my date mentioned she had been seated about a min before I walked in. So why was she having to wait? Our table was empty and ready prior to that. Now; the place was not fully packed, and we had a 2-top adjacent to the front door. So not only were we getting the draft from the door opening and closing all evening, our table was also directly next to the window, so overall we were a little cold throughout the night. We both kept our jackets on. That stacked with the fact that we weren't seated immediately doesn't make for a great start. We could have easily been seated at a table more interior as at no point in the evening were they at capacity. Seeing as that's maybe the worst seat in the house and it was a birthday dinner, they could have been more thoughtful and accommodating. While the waitstaff we had were very nice, they weren't very attentive. They didn't come check on us very much, even though we were the very first table in plain sight. Again, I must stress that it wasn't packed this night, so there was no reason for the waitstaff to have been slow. Then to continue to pile on the mishaps, when we finished our meal, we waited easily 20 mins before I had to just get up and find the waitress to take my card for payment. I shouldn't have to do that. I'm not sure how much longer it would have taken for someone to ask for the check if I'd have waited. I couldn't leave that to chance any longer. The icing on the cake - of a sub par at best night - was the fact that when we were offered dessert, there was no mention of the birthday. Then - when we did order a dessert - no candle or anything. When I left my date to get my car, she told me while I was gone waitstaff finally approached her, acknowledged her birthday, and offered her a drink on the house...a day late and a dollar short if you ask me. We're leaving - you had the entire night to make this gesture and you waited until the literal the last second. Quick hitters on food. We ordered: -Mussels w/ tomato, harissa, shallot, herbs, french bread -Gnocchi w/ mushroom, spinach, cherry tomato, short rib, demi-glace -Scallops w/ artichoke barigoule, mirepoix, white wine and chicken broth, bacon - Dessert: Oreo Cheesecake w/ white chocolate, whipped cream, oreo crumble Overall, food was fine. Scallops were cooked to perfection, gnocchi was fine although it was more of a stew/soup rather than a pasta like dish more people may be familiar with. Mussels were good also but were also made in a soup/stew way. Apparently they have a rotating menu and maybe these dishes are prepared in a hearty way for the winter. I'd recommend: -Scallops -Cheesecake -My date ordered the Pancho Picante w/ Mezcal, Passionfruit, Pineapple, Lime, Valentina, Tajin Spiced Rim -espresso martini She liked the cocktails, I liked the dessert, we both liked the scallops. Kinda the long and the short of the food. All in all, I'm always excited to try new restaurants. I rarely look at menus or pictures to really take a new place in for what it's worth in an unbiased manner. But Willow Room left a lot of room for improvement if you ask me. The food is one thing - there's a few items I'd wanna try if I return such as the risotto or the lobster ravioli. But the sub par service and attention to detail was very disappointing. Not only were we not paid attention to, on a night that wasn't "busy", the birthday we were there to celebrate was an afterthought at best. That's really poor details which falls on the staff or management. I don't think I'm asking for much here - come to our table and check on us in a timely manner, and acknowledge something I left in the comments weeks before hand. Everyone has bad nights. I get it. But there were a lot of tiny, little, preventable mistakes which added up to an overall could-have-been-great night. I hope someone from the restaurant reads this and provides someone with a better experience than we had. This could have easily been a solid 4 star evening. But because of bad service and accommodations - 3 stars. A wise man once said to me "control what you can control." A restaurant can't control if its patrons are going to like the food or not. Taste is subjective. But good service, paying attention to details, and great accommodations? Highly controllable. read more

What a great spot! I would drive down Halsted often and always wanted to check it out, so for my fiances 28th birthday we decided to grab drinks there before heading over to a dinner reservation at Boka. The Willow Room is fairly small inside with a decent sized bar, but we opted to sit outside at one of their few small tables that line the sidewalk on the side. My fiance had a glass of wine while I had their summer cocktail which was very very good and refreshing. We also ended up ordering their french onion soup since I couldn't help myself. It came out steaming hot! I am definitely coming back here, the service was great. read more

Willow Room - Wine Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Our last evening in town before we left our daughter at college, we decided on the Willow Room as it was located relatively close to her dorm in Lincoln park. I made a reservation on Open Table, they seemed to have a lot of availability on this Friday evening but it was on the early side at 6:30 pm. We got there, it wasn't very crowded at the time so we were seated right away. Food: We started with an order of the Oysters and Cured Meat & Cheese board. The oysters were okay, the meat and cheese board was a nice starter but really needed some bread or crackers to go with. We asked the server and they brought some bread for us which helped balance the dish. For our entree, I ordered the Sausage Roll, daughter ordered the trout, wife went with the cauliflower since several people on yelp raved about it. The trout was nicely prepared, coming from Hawaii we don't eat fresh water fish often but the found this dish quite tasty. The sausage roll with curly fries were probably my favorite of the evening. The Cauliflower was just okay for me, decent but not something I'd order again. Overall the food was good..i'd give it a 3.5 star. They did have a nice wine menu and good cocktails. Service: While attentive I would call it warm and inviting. Maybe we were dressed too much like tired, casual, tourist but the service while attentive felt a little cold. From the hostess, to the server, to the wait staff, it just didn't feel really friendly. Again nothing wrong or anything to complain about, it just didn't feel welcoming. Atmosphere: Love the design and space. We didn't get to check out the downstairs, I wish we had as there were tables on either side of us that were pretty loud. With the high ceilings and the wood floors the sound really bounces. Once again, not the restaurant's fault but when you're sitting back to have a nice dinner with drinks and you have tables on either side having a really good and loud time while the rest of restaurant is relatively quiet it tends to distract from the experience. Value: Decent value, on par with other dinners we had during the week. We probably drove up our bill with the three drinks but overall paid around $150 including tax and tip. Overall: Our experience was good, service was fast, selections were varied, and they have a good bar. We may try them again when we're back in town as I'd like to visit the downstairs bar the next time. read more

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Took the whole family there including 4 grandchildren 8 mos to 9. Something for everyone. Attentive service. read more

Willow Room - Part of the gang! - Wine Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Made a reservation for a Saturday night. Our waiter was attentive. Food was good, but nothing crazy special. Really enjoyed the burrata since it was not what you usually see. More on the sweeter side. Atmosphere was lively. read more

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Had dinner here on a Saturday night. Overall great experience, service, food, general vibe. We had the lobster ravioli, short rib, bruschetta, and affogato. All over the food was very good, enjoyed the wine are server recommended. Will definitely be coming back read more

I like the vibe here. It's a nice elevated experience in one of my favorite parts of town. However, the food is hit or miss in my experience. I'll have a great appetizer and then a weaker entree. The last time I went there I started with their beef carpaccio which was served with potato chips. A cute whimsical play on it's original version. We followed it up with the short rib which was disappointingly too dry. It was flavored to perfection, but could have definitely used less cook time. Would definitely go back! Service was great and I really liked the overall atmosphere. read more