Yasemi is one of the newest gems in River North, tucked inside the Godfrey IO, and it has already won me over! The modern Mediterranean flavors, beautifully plated dishes, excellent service, and vibrant atmosphere make this a spot worth visiting again and again. What We Ordered & Loved: Spreads Sampler (3 choices - a must!) Whipped Harissa Feta - Creamy, slightly spicy, and perfectly tangy with EVOO. Loved the balance of flavors! Tzatziki Avocado - One of my absolute favorites! The Greek yogurt and avocado blend made it extra smooth and refreshing. Charred Eggplant - Smoky, garlicky, and packed with Mediterranean goodness. Mezze: Cheese Pie - So crispy on the outside, so delicious on the inside! The combination of feta, truffle honey, and nigella seeds was perfection. Pro tip: Pairing it with the Whipped Harissa Feta makes it even better! Large Plate: Maitake Mushroom with Charred Eggplant - One of the juiciest, most flavorful dishes of the night. The mushrooms melted in my mouth, and the charred eggplant added such a deep, smoky touch. Dessert - DO NOT SKIP! Ekmek - This dessert was unreal! Soft challah, mastic cream, candied pistachio, lemon Chantilly, and raspberry coulis--every bite was pure heaven. It's a must-try before it sells out! Overall Experience: Delicious, fresh, and creative Mediterranean flavors Perfectly executed dishes with great portion sizes Excellent service--friendly, attentive, and welcoming Great vibe--modern, stylish, yet cozy I will definitely be back to try more from their dinner menu, and I'm especially excited to check out their breakfast and lunch offerings as well! Yasemi is a new favorite, and if you haven't been yet, you're missing out! read more

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We held a team dinner at Yasemi this week - group of over 30 from all over the country. Chef George and the staff were absolutely amazing. Everything we asked for in prepping for the event was . Food was incredible - the chef timed the delivery of the pitas coming out to perfection. We did a custom pre-fixe menu - literally every dish was fantastic, but the chicken, shrimp and branzino were definite favorites. Service was impeccable - quick, attentive and also keen to notice when to slow down and let people enjoy too. Even the rice pudding was fabulous, and they even accommodated a special request for plain rice pudding with cinnamon (rave reviews on that too)! And then to find out that they just opened! Amazing. Would definitely be back anytime I'm in the area, whether with a group or not. Thanks so much to everyone! read more

Outstandingly sea bass plaki snd chicken schwarma n baklsva. Chhese pies great too. BEN WAS AN EXCELLENT HOST N SERVER read more

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A truly modern Mediterranean experience. At this restaurant, "Mediterranean " is not a euphemism for Middle Eastern. It is Greek combined with North African, Turkish, Spanish. Every bite was delicious, the best pita I've ever had, thin and grilled to perfection. All the wicker decor was modern, but called back to traditional Greece or Turkey. Loved the whole experience! My only critique would be that the food came out very fast, which may not be a flaw for some. I would have loved more time to savor my time there read more

Not recommending this restaurant. I ordered an AEGEAN SUNSET MOCKTAIL because I'm highly allergic to alcohol. The server assured me it was non-alcoholic, but it turned out to be a cocktail. Thirty minutes later I felt very sick, with my heart racing, and nearly passed out. The manager confirmed the wrong drink had been entered. My friends had to help carry me home. This was frightening, careless, and could have been life-threatening. I cannot recommend this restaurant after such a careless mistake with something as serious as an allergy. read more

I feel like this place is a hidden gem. The food is amazing and so fairly priced. The drinks are also great. HIGHLY recommend the beef kofta. The yogurt sauce is to die for! read more

Yasemi, A Modern Mediterranean Restaurant - Dip trio - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Elevated, creative riffs on Med classics. Perfect ingredients and calibrated spices. Roomy, atmospheric space. Adequate service. Well worth the spend. read more

Yasemi, A Modern Mediterranean Restaurant - Airy space - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Yasemi brings a modern Mediterranean experience to life with a menu full of vibrant flavors and beautifully presented dishes. The food is undoubtedly the highlight here--fresh, delicious, and thoughtfully composed. Every plate we tried reflected a well-balanced approach to seasoning and authentic ingredients that elevate the overall dining experience. The cocktails were also a pleasant surprise--well-crafted and complementary to the cuisine. However, the service leaves room for improvement. Even during less busy hours, there was no host or hostess in sight to greet or seat guests, which created a somewhat awkward start. Once seated, the servers were polite but lacked the kind of energy and engagement that can make a meal feel memorable. A bit more warmth, menu guidance, and enthusiasm would go a long way in enhancing the guest experience. That said, the runners deserve credit for doing an excellent job--efficient, attentive, and clearly in tune with the pace of the dining room. read more

My friends and I booked a dinner reservation for a restaurant week here and overall it was a good experience. The staff were very sweet in accommodating extra seats for us at the last minute. Overall ambiance is classy, chic, and modern. I opted for 4 course dinner in their restaurant week for $45. Started with avgolemono soup which was so yum and rich in taste. It was quite filling also. For the next app, I chose the cheese pie but wasn't a big fan of it. The combo of truffle honey and nigella seeds didn't quite work for me especially since it interrupted the transition from the lemony soup to the savory main course. For the entree I had chicken kebab with tzatziki avacado and herbs which was super delicious. Chicken was cooked perfectly and flavorful. By the time dessert arrived I was too full to enjoy it right there and then; Nonetheless the rice pudding, that I had taken for the next day, I enjoyed it thoroughly. Only reaosn I'm deducting a star is the slow service. We had to wait quite a while for water refills and unfortunately the tea we ordered never arrived and even though we canceled it, we later realized they still charged us for it. Overall, I'd still recommend this place; may be on a quieter weekday when the service might be more attentive! read more

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Delicious happy hour! Great service ! Food was yummy olive martini was so amazing , very nice ambiance can't wait to go back!

I ordered pick up and it was ready a few minutes early (right as I was walking into the restaurant). I ordered the cheese pie and lamb kebab. The cheese pies were everything I wanted. Warm, crispy, slightly sweet from the honey on the outside, the right blend of cheeses on the inside. It filled my craving for tiropites and honestly were on par with what I'd get in Greece. The lamb I didn't realize was spicy and I have 0 spice tolerance so I can't review it super well, but between bites of my mouth being on fire it tasted good! (Aka will taste good for everyone with normal palettes). I liked the dip that came with it too! read more

Yasemi, A Modern Mediterranean Restaurant - Cheese pies - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Awesome group dinner experience here on a Saturday night. We made a reservation for 10 people online, ended up needing to have 11 and fortunately they were able to squeeze in an extra seat. The restaurant is modern and clean with lots of space. It's definitely a shared plate kind of place, but it was nice to go with such a large group because we got to try a lot of the menu. We tried all of the dips and pita, and the pita was a standout item. It was light and warm and fluffy and the seasoning was great. All of the dips were awesome too, I thought the tzatziki avocado was particularly intriguing. Between our group we got to sample a pretty large spectrum of the menu; other things that stood out were the cauliflower, mushroom kebab, and heirloom tomato salad. The service was attentive and they helped us accurately decide how much food to order for a group our size. The reason I'm knocking off a star is that pretty much all of the drinks were mediocre. The olive oil martini just tasted greasy, and the Paloma was super watered down and overly sweet. We didn't see a dessert menu so I can't comment on that. read more

The food was incredible, great presentation. Our waiter did forget about us but the other servers were very helpful. The decor was Mediterranean fitting the vibe. read more

Yasemi, A Modern Mediterranean Restaurant - Old fashioned, blush - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ahh! This used to be Doce Italian, remember that! This is from the folks behind Monarch & Lion, Bar Goa and etc. I had Pita w/ Whipped Haressa Feta, Tzatziki & Avocado and Charred Eggplant and etc. The staff and service is Yabulous. read more

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Restaurant week in Chicago. Selected this location due to desire.for a new experience and nearness to another destination. Decided my choices before so selected a perfect Sav Blanc for pairing. Tomato salad 10/10: great flavoring and although "I" would have enjoyed more cucumbers i recognize this is NOT a Greek salad. Delicious!! Cheese Pie 12/10: ok so this is in real time...and it is awkward to do a 12/10. But I don't feel bad! The creamy cheese with the perfect pastry and honey.....drool...just drool already! Chicken skewers: 6/10...maybe underseasoned to appeal to the masses? I wish I'd gone in a separate direction Rice pudding: 100/10. You beautiful bastards...I see why this is the only option. Perfect smoothness with a slight grain texture. Magnificent finish Service: 7/10 my wine glass was empty for an unacceptable amount of time. Water was always full. Benefit of doubt to the team. Total score..easily 8/10. I'd come again not during restaurant week and try some lamb. But bring guests...wow them with a cheese pie app and a rice pudding finish read more

My Greek friend recommended this place . The atmosphere was relaxing . The service was amazing . The food was fantastic ! I wish I had remembered to snap some pictures but the food was gone in a flash . The drinks were delicious . Next time I'm in Chicago I'll be back . read more

The chicken kabob and rice were both bland and the cheese pie was greasy. The ambiance was nice and the drinks were delicious.

Great service and excellent open face pork Gyro. I look forward to the next meal here. My wife had the gluten free post rice bowl, also very good! read more

Yasemi, A Modern Mediterranean Restaurant - Open face pork gyro. - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great food and great service. I got the octopus and chicken kabobs. Both were excellent. Cool atmosphere as well. Very convenient location- connected to The Godfrey read more

One of friends wanted Mediterranean food, so went on a search of the area and landed on Yasemi. I always print out & study the menus as well as read the reviews. We agreed and met towards the end on May last month. The hostess was nice and immediately showed us to the seats. One didn't like the seating and asked if we could go to the wider table, she agreed and seated us at a different table with no problem. We started on a nice bottle of wine suggested by the server, Franz Haas Pinot Grigio. It was pretty good and went very well with our meals. We started with the Spead Sampler of Harissa Feta, Charred Eggplant and regular Hummus. Everything was soooo good. You get a nice char of the eggplant, the subtle spicy and creaminess of the harissa and subtle sharpness of the feta. Evern the regular hummus was pretty good, especially with warmed pitas. For the large plates they had the Braised Lamb Shank and had the Salmon (I couldn't decide between it and the Branzini). The server suggested the Salmon although she felt both are good. But based on our meal and starter she suggested the Salmon. O.M.L. It was a FANTASTIC suggestion. It nice and moist, seasoned correctly and the pesto sauce pushed it over the edge. The lentils were a nice background providing a great contrast to the salmon. I tried a bite of their lamb shank, and they tried my salmon. They both looked at one another and said, "We should have gotten the salmon". That's how good it was. I thought the shank was still good in its right! Lastly, we did share the Charred Broccolini which was also well seasoned and nicely charred just right. I HAD to pay my respects to the chef upon leaving. They were very appreciative. Everything was excelente'.... I have to take the misses there next! The food, the drinks, the people and the atmosphere. A++++++ -Gone. read more

10/10 all around Literally you hear everyone leaving say "oh my god everything was so good" to each other on their way out. read more

Great food, great atmosphere, and great drinks. Serendipitous find during a weekend visit from NY.

Really bad place. Service was disappointing--forgot dishes and had to be reminded, went long stretches of time without coming to our table, never refilled water, etc. In addition, the food was truly mediocre: small portions of protein, seemingly to keep costs down. But, worst of all, I wanted to add spice to my entree so I asked for a side of the diced spicy peppers I noticed came on one of our appetizers. I was told the kitchen couldn't do it and those peppers were only for the oysters. Give me a break--what could possibly be a cheaper ingredient to give a paying customer than peppers? Why does a thoroughly mediocre restaurant like this even exist? Our city has enough restaurants. read more

Super underrated place. This is one of the best Mediterranean restaurants in Chicago. The menu is delicious. We tried chicken kebab, shrimp kebab, and lamb kebab all of which came with delicious rice pilaf. We also got the large branzino fish which was also very yummy. Everything was worth it. I definitely will be back! read more

Yasemi, A Modern Mediterranean Restaurant - Chicken Kebab Pita Heirloom Tomato salad - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We were surprised to learn this restaurant was opening the day we arrived in Chicago December 12, 2024. Our waitstaff was very attentive, knowledgeable of the menu, and very friendly. Our appetizers were carpaccio, which was great, and hummus which was very flavorful. Our entrees were lamb shank and branzini. Both were beautifully plated. The lamb was prepared to fall off the bone. The branzini was tender and flavored to perfection. We would return to this restaurant. read more

Yasemi is a fabulous new restaurant in Chicago. The food was really good and the drinks were fantastic. The service was very attentive and friendly. I really loved the ambiance. I highly recommend!! Will be returning again soon! read more

This feels like more of a drinks/apps kind of place. The trio of dips with pita was fabulous but the half chicken and side of rice was really not good. Also pretty expensive for what you got. read more

Yasemi, A Modern Mediterranean Restaurant - Trio of dips - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Everything we ordered was delicious and the service was impeccable. We will definitely be back. The ambience was very warm and inviting.

My first time ordering from Yasemi. I was searching through the reviews and restaurants along West Huron. Read the menu, happy to see the Mediterranean menu selection and options available for delivery. Will definitely order again. A different take on the gyro. It was open faced and divided into four delicious quarters . I loved the open faced approach. It was quite filling and enough for the next day. A winner indeed. read more

Sat in the bar area and food and drink were really good, especially the spreads and cheese pie. Suggest a bit more variety in the cocktails. Cool ambiance, would go again. read more

Delicious food with excellent service! We came for lunch and were told we could order off the dinner menu, which we were happy to do. The service was friendly and prompt. The appetizers were fantastic as was our main courses. We will be back! One of the best restaurant meals we've had in months! read more

We had a great time at Yasemi. Went to the bar first for Happy Hour. They do it every day 4-6. Fantastic. Next we went to dinner. Try the trio of spreads. You will love it. Also the pita and crudite were the best. Unique, high quality and delicious. The food was well prepared and delicious. My only issue was the shrimp kabobs were over seasoned but cooked to perfection. Our server Annie was the best. Excellent service and very pleasant and informative. The restaurant is warm and inviting. Give it a try. read more

Wonderful! If you are in Chicago put Yasemi on your must eat list! Great service and the food is even better!