Very disappointing. Even if the dishes were creative, some of them were not enough flavorful or only one element of the dish was superb and the rest left you cold. My shrimp was overcooked, my husband's shrimp undercooked, the meat was hard. I was disappointed for the price we paid and the fact it is a one star Michelin. This year in terms of taste and execution, I enjoyed better Elizabeth, Acadia, Senza or Goose Foot. And of course I have not been to Schwa or Alinea in 3 years but what a trip to heaven. Also we had reserved for 5 and one person got sick with the flu. They refused to reimburse us!!! So this did not add to the experience. I will return to the other restaurants but not this one. read more

Cool concept and efficient way to run a fine dinning place. Food is delicious, very different experience. Although I like other Michelin places a little bit more for the traditional services read more

One pays in advance and it ain't cheap plus it's in a very questionable part of town. The idea that El Ideas was going to take the pretentiousness out of fine dining was pretentious in itself. But damn if they didn't pull it off. 13 courses, each explained by one of the 3 chefs as they served it and almost all of them were a hit. The Milk & Cookies dessert missed the mark but the other 12 were winners. Bring your own high-end wine (we brought s 1/2 bottle of sparkling wine and a fiull Pinot Noir) and your camera. Plus make arrangements to get out of the hood on your own if you're from out of town, Cabs don't service here.1 read more

I went back to El Ideas this past weekend (something that I don't often do with any high end restaurant since there are so many good choices in the City) and our experience was once again outstanding. Please do yourself a favor and check out this restaurant (but also do yourself a favor and go with people who enjoy food, are willing to try anything, and are tired of the pretentious atmosphere of many of Chicago's fine dining establishments). Chef Foss has created such a one-of-a-kind atmosphere that I can't imagine going elsewhere when I think about having a true dining experience. Each course is so imaginative that it's almost (but not quite) overwhelming. Not only is the food fascinating but the service is absolutely top notch. These are people who know what fine dining should look like -- but do it so differently than anywhere else that I have ever been. I can't recommend this place highly enough. If you love adventurous food and you haven't been here yet, please do yourself a favor and make a reservation. read more

El Ideas? Well dey don't got any good ones!! They serve me an egg inside a spoon, and I was like TF!!!! There had better be hot sauce up in this egg or i was bout to bounce, that cost me 30 dollas!!! I could get an egg at Uptown food mart a nickel PLAYA!!! Foe da fam out there, i would strongly recommend LaTrell Parfé III Jr. Bargain Mart on 63rd and Ashland. That Place is LLLLLLLLIIIIIIIIITTTTTTT af. read more

el ideas...more like swell ideas. hey oh! i don't recommend these high-end joints often (ie schwa, etc), but this is worth effort. the fronts the back, the backs the front. i'm in the kitchen, i'm eating, i'm serving, i'm goofing around. perfect. way to go el ideas team. read more

The food was inventive and delicious; very unusual combinations that were outstanding. Luckily we had am amazing group of people, so we tried not to pay attention to the lack of personality that the main server had! We were enjoying great food, wine, and company! However, when we asked for our picture to be taken and then this main server (has eyeglasses), overall demeanor was unpleasant and cold. To put it simply, after paying $200 plus, he was a jerk! Luckily, we were surrounded by good friends and good food. Unfortunately, he had no personality and I wouldn't go back! read more

Coming from a huge foodie who has tried Schwa, Alenia, Elizabeth, etc., EL Ideas is by far my favorite. From super casual, yet trendy atmosphere, to AMAZING flavors, to great service, and great value for the experience, this is my most favorite Chicago restaurant. Can't wait to come back. read more

I have been to some of the top restaurants in the country including multiple Michelin winners, and this place is truly an experience. It is worth a trip to Chicago for. Really special place and amazing chef talents. Be adventurous. Be amazed read more

Three cheers for Chef Phil Foss and his team at this small little hidden gem. Yes it is in a somewhat seedy part of the neighborhood but I did not feel unsafe at any time. I took an uber and it was perfectly fine. Now onto the food, I definitely see why this establishment received a michelin star. It is inventive and the food is superb. There is no arrogance or uptight service here. The team allow you to walk around the restaurant during the meal and you can walk right into the kitchen and interact with the chefs. Each dish was presented in an interesting manner and the combination of flavors were very technical. I loved the french fry and ice cream dish; amazing! I still remember the taste of it right now as I'm writing. Please come here and experience why michelin gave this a one star. I think with further development and maturation, the second star should come soon! Email the restaurant for ticket purchase for the meal. it is a small restaurant and will sit only 25 people a night. read more

The most culinary innovative and great tasting food in a intimate warehouse ambience that my party and I ever enjoyed. Unique and Fun

Overall the atmosphere, people, and even presentation of the food was were but when it comes to eating there were just too many "eh" dishes. I think of all of them there was only one dish I thought was fantastic. Interactive portions were fun though I wasn't a huge fan of having to lick my plate my husband enjoyed it (it was his birthday so I suppose that's what's important). It was a fun experience but I just don't think for this price point in Chicago I would go back. Would give 3.5 stars if I could. read more

Our thanks to Chef Foss and his crew for allowing our group of foodies to convince him to open up on a night he is normally off so that we could try to emulate a spectacular dinner we had with him the last time we met in Chicago. Only he even out did that memorable dinner! The cooking and presentation is even more refined, the layering of various unusual ingredients melded better, and yet the playfulness and wonder was even greater. I can think of no where where the quality of the cuisine is dealt with such presentation and a sense of inclusion of the diner into the process of producing the magic. Bravo, we were planning the next visit before we hit the fourth course read more

So a chef at one of our favorite eateries recommended that we experience (yes, I mean experience) el ideas. The experience includes a little effort to locate the restaurant, as it is off the beaten path. Literally, it is located at the end of dead end road, housed in what we think was a storefront a long time ago. We walked in to a cozy eatery with a highly active open kitchen so that you can watch the magic happen. It is like being at a chef's table for you and 18 other guests. My BF and I arrived promptly for our 5:30pm seating. (Note: you can reserve a window table). We had choice of seats (but for the window table) . We picked a premium table right in front of the kitchen. Once all the guests were seated, the chef introduced himself and his team and then the gastronomic 10 course experience began. All I can say is everything was phenomenal. Each course was better than the last and it ended with an amazing reverse engineered pecan and sweet potato pie with liquid nitrogen frozen mascarpone snow and cup of French press coffee. They even accommodated me as a vegetarian, and did wonderful substitutions of veggies and mushrooms for the proteins. Everything was inventive, flavorful and well portioned. Since it was BYOB, we brought multiple bottles of wine to pair with each course. Definitely, bring champagne, a white, a red and a dessert wine; it makes all the difference of enhancing your meal. Also bring beer, cider, or liquor to thank the staff for the experience. The kicker that made the experience even better was not getting a bill. They require a credit card when you make the reservation and charge your card a week before your reservation. For a party of two, with a 18% service charge, you front $375. But the meal, rather "experience" is worth every penny. Defiantly put this Michelin rated eatery on your must do in the Chi. It truly is a hidden gem! Note: I highly recommend that you drive. Taxis are non existent and several folks ended up getting a ride home from patrons who drove. There is street parking, but arrive early as it is limited. -Chitown Veg Gal read more

Wow! What an experience for my first trip to Chicago in 30 years. Well worth the exceptionally high price..

If I'm ever scheduled to be executed, I know where my last meal is coming from. EL Ideas was unbelievable. We had a party of six - great food, great service, great atmosphere. Unpretentious, adventurous small plates that always surprised with combinations and flavors. Definitely coming back, even though we pretty much had no idea what we were eating. read more

Reluctant to give 5 stars as it will mean getting my next reservation there more difficult.

Fantastic. Every dish was complex with incredible depth of flavor. Anytime there is a 12 course meal, I expect some hits and an occasional miss. While I enjoyed some courses more than others, there were no misses! Every dish was excellent. Atmosphere is great as well. I love that everyone eats together and can pop into the kitchen. Makes fine dining fun and entertaining. read more

Fine dining made casual. Such thoughtful and meticulous food but with such an easy vibe. And incredible quality ingredients! You feel like every dollar was used on your food! El ideas is for people who really love food and cooking. You get to walk around the kitchen as you please, talk to the chefs. Chef foss is so accessible and nice but clearly brilliant and so creative. You can tell he is working on dishes in his head over and over again. Every food that I used to not like, such as swordfish and venison, were among my favorites at el ideas. The homage to the French fries dipped in frosties was at the top. Yummy! We got there way too early and had a drink next door. Super friendly neighbors. read more

Highly recommend and would love to return again for special occasions. What a unique culinary experience without pretension! It is BYOB so bring at least a bottle of wine :-). read more

The food was amazing, the chefs were personable, and Bill (the only waiter) was great. I could write some fancy superlatives but all you need to know is that the $135 is completely worth it. read more

Last night was our fifth time at what many describe as an out-of-the way (but we prefer to call out-of-this-world) restaurant. As we've come to expect, we enjoyed excellent food crafted and supported by an outstanding team of chefs and staff. Each course was a delight and I don't think we'll ever forget the white mound of lime and coconut powder that was served on a mirrored tray with razor blade and cork, accompanied by a short, black straw. You go to EL Ideas to enjoy Phill Foss and company's food and cerebral humor and Bill Talbott's eclectic soundtrack and attentive service in an extremely comfortable dining room. No stuffiness here, ever. EL Ideas does not miss a step and that is why we keep coming back. read more

While I can't say enough about the food, this place really excels in terms of overall experience. When the servers are the same guys who prepare the food (except Bill but more on him later), only great things can happen. Chef Foss and Co are so personable and knowledgable that you can't help to smile from start to finish. But the guy who starts it all is Bill. From the minute you arrive until you walk out the door, Bill makes sure you are taken care of. The only thing better than his customer service is his music selection (the Nelly-Bee Gees mashup set the whole place off). Can't wait to dine here again! read more

Flawless experience! Amazing creative orgasmic food! If you like watching great chefs make magic then get chefs table to be in the middle of the action. Love this place! read more

Having the chef explain the creative genius behind each dish was amazing and the food was outstanding. Love the concept of culinary adventure in an informal setting. Thank you Chef Foss and team. Everything was fabulous! read more

Awesome experience. They skimped a bit on the amount and ingredient makeup. Was too veggie heavy and light considering price tag. Other than that, very cool ambience and unique experience. The food was very good. read more

Great 'dinner party' atmosphere with several courses of interesting, good food. Server Bill was a joy and provided excellent service.

what a fun fine dining experience! pros: - really really accommodating of dietary restrictions. I don't eat pork or shellfish and one of my favorite courses was a sub for a scallop dish my fiancee had. At Next they just let me know what I shouldn't eat, but here it was not a problem - open kitchen was really fun - they said "our house is your house" and we were encouraged throughout the meal to go back and hang out with the chefs while they cooked and plated with stunning precision. You always know there is some crazy plating skills going on in the back of restaurants like this, but it was awesome to see them place things on the plates with tweezers and eye droppers - everyone eats everything at the same time - no spoilers! - dinner party vibe - only around 20 seats in the house, and only one seating, so as the wine kept flowing, we ended up sharing drinks with other tables and hanging out - by the way, its BYOB! they send you pairing recommendations beforehand though so you can go to Binny's and bring along - we had 3 amazing recommended pairings and spent less than $60 at Binnys for 3 bottles for 2 of us - try that anywhere else! if you go, bring more than one bottle. we finished the 3 easily, its a free flowing environment and you'll be sad with just one. cons: -spendy, but we knew what we were getting into and for a special occasion, it was worth it. in line with other restaurants of that caliber in town - location makes it hard to get home, but they'll help call you a cab or an uber, and make sure everyone has a plan to get home at the start of the meal. there was one group from the burbs and they had to hire a limo to get them to and from. except for the pregnant lady at one table, no one was in ANY shape to drive home after the meal! seriously, was one of the most fun fine dining experiences we've had. go. read more

Fantastic food, wonderful service, gracious hosts. If you love food and appreciate creativity this is the place to dine. Had a wonderful night. read more

El ideas was inventive, fun, and delicious. Having been to a many of the more expensive fine dining establishments in Chicago, I found El Ideas to be in my top 3 and a destination I absolutely intend on returning to! read more

Great food - fun and delicious! Service and chefs were a pleasure. One course I wasn't really a fan of - the grouse, but all the others were excellent! Use Uber or Halo (taxi/car services) to get yourself to and from. read more

Dined for a second time at El Ideas and it was even better than my first experience. The food was amazing and the restaurant is so laid back and warm and welcoming. The only drawback is the neighborhood, but it is fine if you get to park right by the restaurant. I will totally be back to El Ideas as soon as I can! Do go if you can. read more

Phenomenal dinner on so many levels. Do yourself a huge favor and go! Wish I could get prolifically prosaic enough to do this place justice but I wanted them to get on yelp asap and am in still in a bit of a food coma from last night, so my ability to specifically critique last night's meal isn't happening. Can't believe they're not on yelp yet. Check out the website (actually a blog) for more info because there's a lot of heady stuff to wrap your brain around before you embark upon dining here....it's VERY intimate, as in only room for about 10 diners, set menu, 13 courses, 1 seating, encouraged interaction w/ the chefs as your meal is being prepared and served, like eating at your coolest chef-friend's loft in the funkiest neighborhood, if you could even call the location a neighborhood (not). But seriously, really and truly, GO THERE WHILE YOU CAN! YUM!! read more

Great interactive dining experience! The food was delicious, music fantastic, and conversations with my wife, guests, and the chefs top notch!! read more

having eaten at Alinea, L20, Tru, Charlie Trotters, Moto. Tru etc, I would have to say this is truly a unique and dining experience. The quailty of food is fantastic and the laid back atmosphere and bring your own bottle is actually refreshing. A must go for foodies! Just do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

We dined there the evening of Dec 27 and while the food was above average, the attitude of Chef Foss left a lot to be desired. To begin the evening stating this was an experiment in the removal of all pretensions from a fine dining experience, yet having a callous and reprehensible attitude to patrons suggestions smacks of double standards. When patrons are invited to explore the kitchen and interact with the staff, to snobbishly disregard the suggestions innocently posted on a white board by stating patrons should open their own restaurants and get their own white boards is deplorable. Left a bad taste and spoke volumes about the chef and his professional maturity. Certainly not worthy of a repeat visit. read more

We were ready to have a good time and actually did, but not because of the food or the place. We had fun because we brought good wine and drank lots of it. The restaurant itself is overpriced and way too stuck on itself. The staff if bored and laughing all the way to the bank. Don't go here to have a good meal. Go here if you want to have something "different" and if you want to spend lots of money for it. Many oher places in Chicago have better food and a better experience. read more

Fun, good food, interesting concept, but not sublime. I'll give 5 stars to a hot dog stand if they are the BEST hotdog stand. This is certainly a nice little restaurant but just not the best at what they are trying to do. My wife and I had a lot of fun and ate dinner with a couple that we had never met before sitting down at our table. The cooks were approachable and friendly (unlike some of the other reviews had mentioned). There was a lot that was great about the theme, but the food was just good. Not great or tremendous or "the best i've ever had". No courses were bad, but none too were truly shining stars. I'm glad I went, we had fun and the 12 courses that we had made a great appetizer to the Gino's pizza that served as the evenings eventual main course. read more

This was quite simply the best meal I have ever had. I have not hada chance to write a review, but this place took my breath away. Nestled in a very odd neighborhood and we actually went to the top floor and into someones house accdiently, but eventually we figured it out. Every course was fun, exciting, new and beyond our expectations. This place is worth every single penny! read more

Unless you are part of a "ark" and paired "two by two" don't try to get a reservation at El Ideas! Was so excited to share a special night here with two other couples. When I sent in for a reservation for 5 - was shocked to receive this email in return: Unfortunately, due to limited space, we are only able to seat even-numbered parties. Let me know if you can find a 6th or would like to go down to 4. Wanted to respond - "sorry our 6th died and I am now just a 5th. Luckily, none of my friend have experienced the same" Lots of people have many of reasons for not being a "pair" and many of us are not comfortable finding a 6th to join us for a $150/pp meal!! Lucky for us - have never ever hear of a restaurant turning down a party of 5 before and we can find plenty for that night that will take us. The whole world doesn't come in even numbers! Find a better business model El Ideas! read more