The restaurant you take the elevator up. The view is amazing and can be great to watch the sun set. There is high top table for a big group or low lounge seatings available in the bar area. Great place to hang out and mingle. Ladies night or a date night. Had the white Sangria is citrus and refreshing, which was really delicious to have in a warm/hot day. Shared Cordero Asado, lamb lollipops, was expecting small lamb on skewers per the tapas description on the menu. Was juicy and cooked perfectly. Didn't really need the sauce. Also shared the chicken and mushroom empanadas. These were very mini. So there was more dough than filling. It would have been better to offer 3 normal size. Paella de Mariscos is seafood flavor with mussel clam and shrimp. The pan was really small vs wide and shallow. So the rice on the bottom was burnt black and had the burnt taste throughout the whole dish. Didn't get the crispy rice at the bottom. read more

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This restaurant is on the 9th floor of Le Meridian Hotel in Oak Brook. The hotel is next to Cheesecake Factory. Your GPS will take you to Cheesecake and tell you that you've arrived, but you don't see a stand alone restaurant named El Tapeo. Just enter the hotel and you will find it! It's a lovely setting with floor to ceiling windows facing the shopping campus. It feels upscale, and the server staff behave as such; but it is not a snobby, uncomfortable ambiance. Business casual fits well here, and the sound level is lower than average. The tapas are first rate - delicious and well presented. They had run out of octopus and lamb when we dined there, so we will try again another time. Sangria in a pitcher was just the right amount for the four of us. This place is a gem! read more

We were looking for a place to have dinner and their menu listed many GF options. They had a reservation time open so we grabbed it. They were out of Sangria so I ordered the limoncello spritz instead. It was really good! I informed the server I was GF/celiac. I ordered a few tapas - patatas bravas, brussel sprouts and goat cheese with GF bread. A few tapas came out first and I started to eat the potatoes. Another server came over and said he brought the wrong potatoes. The one I was eating was not GF. He had the manager come over and talk to us. She assured us that everything else would come out perfect and apologized for the mishap. Luckily I only had 1 potato but still I'm not allowed to have any gluten. Then we had ordered paella to share. It was so good! Very flavorful with the rice cooked to perfection. We really enjoyed it. The server and manager came back many times to check on us and when we were finished they indicated the bill was comped. It was very sweet of them to do it. Even with the mixup we would come back. The food and service were excellent. read more

Tucked away from Oakbrook's busy restaurant row, El Tapeo is a hidden gem disguised as a hotel restaurant. It's so much more than that. But if you don't know it's there, it's not something you're likely to find. We made reservations but they weren't necessary. It was mostly folks from the hotel dining that night and it wasn't slammed. The service was okay. It seemed like there was a server or two missing and no manager was on duty, but everyone was nice and the timing wasn't too long. Drinks were good. Good selection of cocktails. Prices reasonably. The food was great. Tapas is the perfect answer to holiday shopping at the mall or a date night out. Just keep ordering little plates until you've had your fill. There's a professional creative force in the kitchen behind the menu. The food is not typical nor ordinary but absolutely delightful. read more

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Spanish Tapas on floor 9. Had four tapas dishes. The good - Pork Belly, Beef Empanadas. The average Patatas Bravas & Bocadillo Gambas Al Chorizo. Service was good!! Wine was good. I'd give it a second chance - get the Paellas read more

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Stayed at the Le Méridien and and breakfast in the restaurant 2 mornings eating pretty simple a bagel on morning and the avocado toast that I didn't take a picture of but it was pretty tasty. In addition I did order rm service and had tne burger and fries + bacon. It was good as well tip for the restaurant is the need to pay better attention to the cleanliness of the seating. read more

El Tapeo Modern Spanish Kitchen - Room service - hamburger and fries - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Oak Brook, Illinois

Wow! This was definitely one of the best meals I've had in years. We had fantastic service, and he gave us great reservations for tapas. The food was prompt and well paced. The datas were my favorite tapa, and I'd highly recommend! I've never had a paella with aioli on top of it like this, but it added a nice spice! Truly no complaints and we already have plans to be back. Thank you for a wonderful evening read more

El Tapeo Modern Spanish Kitchen - Paella de Diablo - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Oak Brook, Illinois

The food was ok, nothing bad but nothing spectacular either. I was meeting a friend who lives in the suburbs and I live in the city so Oakbrook was a happy medium distance for us. It was outrageously overpriced for the lack of seasoning... the service was not good. We had to call our waiter every time we needed anything -- water, napkins, etc. it wasn't attentive even though it's a small restaurant. I didn't love the inside either. It wasn't as classy as the pictures made it seem. It was rather run down read more

Came here with a large group for a friend's bday. My husband and I arrived way early, so we decided to grab a couple of drinks at the bar. The bartender was friendly and made tasty cocktails. Pricing for cocktails is high, but then again everything over here by the mall is overpriced. We were seated at our reservation time. Tapas are nice for a big group because the kitchen brought out the food as it became available. The steak was probably my favorite. I liked the shrimp, but others in my group did not. Pricing for tapas varied. I would return for their happy hour specials if in the area. Parking is cramped right by the hotel entrance, but there is a deck nearby. The restaurant is located on the 9th floor of the hotel. read more

El Tapeo Modern Spanish Kitchen - Red sangria - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Oak Brook, Illinois

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This restaurant doesn't know the meaning of customer service. Their website and recording on the phone tells you to use Open Table to make reservations. But Open Table tells you they don't service the restaurant. I called multiple times during business hours and no one answers the phone. The one time I got through the employee told me they were too busy and I would need to call back. Why didn't she take my number and call me back. I also left a voicemail during off hours asking them to call me back so I could make a reservation. Crickets!! Probably best I didn't get a reservation because most likely their customer service during dinner wouldn't have been any better read more

Did you know that the Oak Brook 60523 area has its own private barrel bourbon? Charred OakBrook was crafted by Woodinville Whiskey and we were lucky enough to be some of the first people to try it at El Tapeo Restaurant in the Le Meridian Oakbrook Hotel We enjoyed delightful cocktails paired with delicious tapas by award-winning Chef William Bothell We really enjoyed our Old Fashioned and Manhatten drinks and devoured the following tapas: *Bourbon cured salmon, cucumber, fried cahoots, egg toppling jam, served on pumpernickel *Beef empanadas, guindilla pepper aioli *Shaved Serano ham, mustard *Corn fritter, creme franchise, basil, caviar *Sweet potato pave, maple aioli, bourbon smoked salt, sage crumble We really enjoyed this Premier Tasting Event. If you are in the Oak Brook area, make it a point to visit El Tapeo in the Le Meridian Oak Brook hotel on the 9th floor and have some Charred OakBrook Woodinville Whiskey read more

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Came here for a friend's birthday party. It's near the Oak Brook mall. It's in the hotel on the 9th floor. We parked in the adjacent parking garage since the regular parking lot was extremely packed. There's one small outdoor sign for El Tapeo. On the restaurant floor, we initially sat at the bar. It's kind of a classier place, so don't dress sloppy. The bartenders were friendly. I ordered a Sidecar with cognac and also an old fashioned. When our party arrived, we all had tapas. The mixed dishes were great. We tried a little of everything, the steak, chicken, brussel sprouts, potatoes, etc. Overall, we had a nice experience. read more

El Tapeo Modern Spanish Kitchen - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Oak Brook, Illinois

Lovely location and space. Service is just ok. Slow. And it wasn't busy so.... Why the hold up? Most egregious.. the server pronounced tapas as TAPas. Don't think it was a strong Chicago nasal-a. Happened multiple times. Nope. It's TAHpaas. read more

It was pleasant, service is a bit slow and but not rude, food is decent, nothing horrible but thinking memorable. Ambience is quiet but colorful. read more

Food was wonderful. We split a sangria pitcher- waiter said it's usually for 3-4 people but worked fine for 2 people. Tapas were excellent! Service was good, but not frequent as our waiter only checked on us a few times and we had to wait a while to order dessert before he came back. Would definitely eat here again! Holds sentiment as we had our wedding reception across the hall in the grand salon. read more

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Alfredo at the bar is the best--legit. 5 stars for him. Knowledgeable and great service. Paella was on pointe--flavorful, simple, authentic. We will be back. read more

Our meetup group came here on 04/29/25 and we loved it! People are raving about it in the comments today about how much they loved the venue! Personally, this is the third time I've been here, last year with a meetup group and once by myself. Iwe came for Happy Hour yesterday but I've also enjoyed dinner here. The empanadas, shrimp with garlic and piementos were very flavorful. The service was superb and staff worked hard to accomodate us. They were very professional. I highly recommend this venue for group events. The ambiance is georgeous, tastefully decorated and elegant. A big thank you to Nicole and all her staff for accomodating our group! read more

Highest quality, most flavorful food, in an awesome vibe with excellent service. Delish small plates and tapas. Worth the visit, even if you aren't staying at the hotel. read more

El Tapeo Modern Spanish Kitchen - Carne Asada - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Oak Brook, Illinois

I came here for Restaurant Week and I had mixed feelings about it! We did not need a reservation on a Friday night and it was fairly empty at 6:30 but filled up a bit - seemed about right since it's in a hotel. The RW menu was 3 courses for $45, which seemed a little pricey. The first course we tried both the sourdough and truffle butter and bread and cheese plate which were both yummy. We split most of the tapas available - mushroom croquettes, shishito peppers, bacon wrapped dates, patatas bravas, potato salad, and pan con tomate. My standouts were the pan con tomate ,which was served on a crispy almost cracker like bread and had a soft tomato topping, and the patatas bravas, which were crispy and had two delish sauces. The potato salad was kind of bland and it was literally a cold potato salad which I didn't expect. The croquettes were good, but because it's a mushroom croquette the inside was a really unappetizing gray color (just eat it in one bite!) The portion size was also really varied - I would have been hungry still if I had ordered the smaller tapas as my entree (dates, croquettes). Our server was great and it's pretty cute in there! read more

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This is probably my favorite restaurant in oak brook . We go pretty often and at this point I've tried most of their menu , everything is amazing ! Some of my favorite things are their pan con tomate , carne asada & the paella . Their drinks are fantastic too, the honeycomb old fashioned is a must try , they add a piece of honeycomb in it and it's not only visually appealing but also delicious. I usually sit at the bar but I really like that they have different types of seating like a couple lounge areas and regular tables too. read more

Came in for my husband's birthday, which I specified in my reservation. When I was about to sit on my table the chair was completely dirty and I had to ask for it to be changed.. i asked for 2 different kinds of wines from the menu, they didn't have them. Ordered the paella and it was probably the worse I had in my life. The rice lacked seafood flavor, no taste. Paellas take at least 45 minutes to an hour to cook, and we were served in less than 20 minutes. I was extremely disappointed! This place knows nothing about Spanish food. Please, do not waste your time and money on this place. The only good thing was our waitress, Cristal, who had to keep apologizing for things that were not her fault. She was great! read more

The atmosphere is very, very sterile. It was so bright that we had a hard time seeing the view out our window during dinner service. There was only one other occupied table in the restaurant when we were there yet service was a bit slow. However, I loved the cocktail choices, which tasted excellent, and the food was fantastic. We especially enjoyed the goat cheese and sherry tomato spread with buttered toast and the chocolate crunch cake. read more

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Tapas restaurant in Le Meriden hotel at Oakbrook Mall (on the 9th floor). Can accommodate bigger groups. Friendly and attentive wait staff. Lots of vegetarian options. Our favorites were the olives, goat cheese and patatas plates, but everything was great! read more

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El Tapeo has been a favorite restaurant of mine and my Father's forever! Because it hovering nine stories high over OBM many don't even know about this Spanish tapas gem in Oakbrook. View is awesome around Sunset; they have several really good tapas for vegetarians like myself (Goat Cheese for one). The staff is warm and friendly within a French-Spanish hotel decor... read more

Saw this place on #abc7news and #ElTapeoRestaurant-Spanish Tapas in Oak Brook lives up to everything they said. Thursday is Ladies Night and a Spanish Tasting Charcuterie plate is free as long as you sit in the lounge or the bar. The paella de mariscos was the bomb, as was the Lemon Drop martinis and the Valor Chicolate Crunch Cake ..... marshmallow, chocolate and peanut butter dusting. They also raffle off bottles of wine and we were lucky to win. You definitely need to try this place 5-Stars! It is located at the end of Cheesecake Factory on the 9th floor of the hotel. read more

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3 1/2 stars. It is a nice date night spot. Great for casual not super dressy, tapas and cocktails. It was not super busy for a Friday night. It's on the 9th floor of the hotel. Nice view of the evening sky. We had the charcuterie board, the crab meat tapas, and braised beef tapas. Also a few cocktails. All were good. read more

Spanish tapas restaurant on the 9th floor of Le Meridien hotel. We went on a Thursday evening and the place was empty. It isn't set up like a traditional restaurant but more like a hotel bar with some tables around it. Although we were high up, sadly the "view" was of Spring Road and you had to really lean on the windows to see since they just reflected the inside of the restaurant. On a positive note, the staff was great and really helpful. Very attentive. But the food was not worth the price, unfortunately. The only thing we liked were the chicken empanadas. Octopus would have been good but mostly a fancy potato to cover the small octopus portion. The paella was not made properly (I didn't even take a picture of it). No crispy rice at the bottom and barely any seafood. Unfortunately, most of the food we ordered really lacked flavor. read more

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For the most part the food was very good! Our server was the sweetest and took good care of us. The ambiance of the restaurant was very nice. I bet the view is amazing during sunset hours. My boyfriend and I really liked our drinks. The muscles were very yummy. We absolutely loved the sauce and bread with saffron which was my first time having saffron. The croquets were super yummy but be careful because they're hot! The shrimp dish was my absolute favorite. Super yummy! And the chicken skewer was really good too! We were not a big fan of the tirade. Too many flavors going on in our opinion and the peppers were way too hot because of their size. If diced up it may have done better with the dish. The paella we weren't too crazy about and would have to try a different one next time. We would definitely come back again! read more

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Honestly wasn't that impressed with the food. The service and drinks are really good, but that's about it. I do not like the crab dish or the mussels, and I really loved seafood so was disappointed. read more

As my wife's birthday dinner, she chose this place to try. We tried a few Spanish restaurants several years ago, but we did not know this place existed pretty close to our home. I personally love paella, so got pretty excited, too! As a result, I was very satisfied with the whole meal, and I wanna thank them with this 5 stars review. Our order: Mocktails: Lemon ginger, strawberry basil Appetizer: Spanish tasting plato Entrees: Paella de Diablo(chicken and chorizo), pollo (grilled chicken) Dessert: Blueberry Tart Mocktails - 4.5 stars Both tasted great! I liked the strawberry basil one slightly better, because the ginger flavor kept reminding me of Asian cuisine, and a little bit interfering the fancy European atmosphere. Spanish tasting plato - 4.5 stars Every ingredients matched very well together. Especially smoky grilled bread worked very well with cheese products. Whole grain mustard and goat cheese, and fig jam and idiabazel cheese were the best partners. It did make me feel like in a Business Class meal in the air, except tasted fresher! Paella de Diablo (chicken and chorizo) - 4 stars I was a little worried about how spicy their chorizo would be. But they were thinly sliced, so spice level was very low. Chicken was tender and saffron rice flavor was so appetizing. The reason I put 4 stars on this one is the very rich flavor made me used to it so quickly. After a few bites, my tongue could not appreciate it like it deserved, so I needed to taste something else on the table. Once you can clear pallet in between, paella would be great choice to try it out. Pollo (grilled chicken) - 5 stars This was my favorite item there and the meal of the day this time. Of course I dove into tender chicken first, and no complaint at all. Meat was so tender and they sprinkled some rough sage and maybe sugar on top? They gave it a nice crunchy texture and flavor was well balanced. Then I moved to the garnish part..... and crispy fried Brussel sprouts and sweet potato purée were something I have never tried before and even better than the juicy chicken. It took me by surprise and we swallowed them so quickly. I could not imagine how good it is from just the name "pollo" on the menu. This is a must try item if you go there for the first time. Blueberry tart - 5 stars Firstly, I loved the crispy base of the tart. It was a little hard to crack with a spoon, but crispy texture helped us to enjoy the berry sauce with it. Berry sauce had something I tasted before as a secret ingredient. I could not tell what it was, maybe tamarind? Some kind of alcohol? Not sure, but that flavor made this tart very special. Same impression as "pollo", surprising flavor made it so much fun, which we could not guess from the simple name. So my total score was 5 stars of this visit. I really enjoyed their hidden ingredients in each menu, and the chef's creativity and challenging minds are very much appreciated. To be honest it was not a cheap meal, but we had a good time here for my wife's birthday! read more

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From the service to the drinks to the food! Outstanding!!! What a wonderful surprise for a spontaneous date night. We WILL be back, actually we've all ready scheduled our next date. Paella Diabla, paella mariscos, pollo all fantastic. Patatas, short rib flat bread, shrimp tapas But the Old fashioned and and cocktails were a great accompaniment to our meal just a delicious as the food very well crafted. Bravo to the mixologist and menu creator. The service and over all experience top! read more

El Tapeo Modern Spanish Kitchen - Old Fashioned - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Oak Brook, Illinois

Food was outstanding. Portions were generous. Cocktails were pricey but well worth the cost as they were very well made. The service was consistent and we were not made to wait long for our food or drinks. We had a group of six and we felt the overall experience was positive. The restaurant is not large. It is on the 9th floor of an upscale hotel. Parking was a problem but we had reservations (highly recommended) on a Saturday evening so we ended up parking across the street. Plan ahead and bring your appetite. read more

We dined on Valentine's Day. I love tapas and have enjoyed several Spanish restaurants in Chicago and the suburbs throughout the years. However, I did not feel this latest experience was in anyway similar to my previous ones. The food was heavy, overly seasoned, and not reminiscent of any tapas I had ever eaten. The tomato sauce tasted like canned tomato paste and I could not eat it. The artichoke hearts tasted okay but were drenched in oil and sauce. The service was friendly but slow and not attentive. My drink order was wrong and I did not get the correct one until late in the meal. Our water was never refilled. The ambiance felt cold, scrappy and minimalistic (not in a pleasing esthetic fashion). Perhaps this tapas was from a different part of Spain, I have never been. But I do not recommend. read more

What's there to review when we weren't even served? Came all the way from California stayed at Le Meridien Hotel where El Tapeo is located. Sat on their waiting area until they opened at 4pm They said we could sit at the bar... gave us their bar menu.. Then a gentleman from the kitchen came out and told the bar attendants --not us, the attendants, they would be not be serving food. We were waiting for them to politely tell us what's going on or better yet tell us about their Tequilas & Tapas event which we would have gladly joined for $69 per person, instead the attendants all turned their backs on us. No one talked to us. Nothing! Well, we sure felt like they didn't want to serve People of Certain ETHNICITY so we just left our seats quietly. Took our business elsewhere had delicious appetizers and cocktails at Blanco Cantina, wonderful Japanese Wagyu steaks at Perry's Steakhouse and more drinks at Old Town Pour House To El Tapeo management, please train your staff to do better customer service, it's not that hard to do. Just sayin' -from a person from the restaurant hospitality industry too. read more

El Tapeo Modern Spanish Kitchen - the reception area of a hotel - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Oak Brook, Illinois

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Stayed at La Meridien to see friends in a nearby show. We walked over to see what the local area had to offer but decided that the tapas vibe was what are family was in the mood for on this Friday evening. First of all, the restaurant has such a a bright airy vibe with great tunes. You are surrounded by windows offering views of the area, and beyond. It was great to dine in the setting sunset, the clouds gave us beautiful art. The service was great, we were well attended and given wonderful recommendations. The tapas were a perfect size to share amongst the four of us, as our girls decided to be adventurous and join in the tapas meal versus one of the items from the standard kids meals. I don't have a great deal of experience with Spanish tapas, but I enjoyed everything we had! Amazing! Beautiful presentation! read more

Came here for dinner, and ordered two Apps and a paella to share. We got the Shrimp appetizer which had good flavor, but I personally like my shrimp a bit more cooked so I wasn't a fan. We also got the mushroom appetizer which was alright but I feel like it needed to come with a bread so we ordered some. I wasn't crazy about either of them, the sauce in both dishes is what made them. The Paella was kinda pricey for 9 ish pieces of seafood. Not really filling, but the veggies in it were good. The seafood in it was cooked better, not sure it was worth it read more

El Tapeo Modern Spanish Kitchen - Paella de Marisco - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Oak Brook, Illinois

El Tapeo is hidden on the 9th floor of LeMeridien hotel near the Oakbrook shopping plaza. It has a beautiful bar with actual bartenders who know mixology. I like that. I think it would be a lovely spot to sit and visit with a special sweetheart. (Valentine?) I didn't think I would be able to review the food of El Tapeo because out of 20 tapas offerings, 7 are pork and 6 are shellfish - and I eat neither pork nor shellfish. However, the carne y cabra (beef short rib on a toast point) and the lentil soup were pork-free! Yeah. I thought the lentil soup was noteworthy, a good soup and a Spanish beer. I would put the price range at $$$$. read more

El Tapeo Modern Spanish Kitchen - El Tapeo menu 01/2018. - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Oak Brook, Illinois

This place was surprisingly good. Went there for a friends birthday and the food was delicious. Service is a bit slow. Ambiance was weird though. Way too bright inside for a restaurant and although it was inside a hotel it also felt like we were in a hotel lobby eating dinner. read more

Good Lord. Was skeptical being in a hotel but holy cow!! The view and restaurant are awesome. The paella was good. The crab salad was excellent and the herbed goat cheese and toast were something really special. What a great find! Very reasonable prices too! read more

El Tapeo Modern Spanish Kitchen - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Oak Brook, Illinois

Due to an active shooter at Nordstroms, I decided to forgo the Greek Islands and eat in my hotel. What I found was very unexpected. I ordered two of the tapas entrees and a salad. The flavors were subtle, well balanced and the ingredients very fresh. At first I though the sauce for the cucumber/avacado/crab plate was bland, until I realized how well each flavor shined on my palate. Excellent food, decor and service. I travel extensively on my job and it is a rare gem. read more