One of my favorite restaurants in the west loop. They always have fun items on the menu, wonderful…read moredrinks, and the service is great. We sat outside on the patio last night and it was lovely. The patio had a moody romantic vibe to it and was well maintained and taken care of. Chairs were comfortable and tables spaced apart nicely. Plus, being on the patio is great for people watching. I would highly recommend reccomend the tropic like it's hot and sun boy cocktails. Both full of flavor and make sure to try the chickpea fritters and splurge on the pork shank. Well worth it and portion was perfect to share. The only negative comment I have to mention being interrupted 3 separate times by children trying to sell flowers at our table. I would be nice if the staff did a better job of keeping the soliciting out of the dinner area.

Tasty spot for shareable, tapas-style food with unique and creative flavor combinations! The…read moreatmosphere was super lively, and the server was very friendly (though a bit hard to hear/understand at times). The lighting creates a moody vibe, though it gets almost too dark to read the menu or see the food clearly. Still, a fun spot to visit with a group!

One of the best burgers I've ever had. The bone marrow was really tasty too, I've never had it…read morebefore

Back at one of my favorite spots in Chicago, and even with a few hiccups this visit, the food still…read morereminded me why I keep coming back. The menu has changed since my last visit, and it was definitely busy. I put my name on the list at 3:56 PM and was seated at the bar at 4:36 PM, so right around a 40-minute wait. My server, Aaliyah, was extremely helpful. I originally wanted the chicken, but they weren't doing half orders and a full order would've been way too much for me. She convinced me to go back to the burger since it had been a while--and I'm glad she did. I ordered the double cheeseburger with bacon and an egg. Funny enough, their "double" actually came with THREE patties, which I wasn't expecting! But the burger was excellent. Perfect medium center, juicy, flavorful, and absolutely worth coming back for. I switched things up and got the tater tots instead of fries, and unfortunately those weren't for me. They were more like a deconstructed hash brown than what I expected from a tater tot, and they were extremely oily. Some bites were tasty, but overall I was disappointed. To their credit, they took them off my bill. The biggest downside this visit was the wait for the food. I was seated at 4:36 and my burger didn't arrive until 5:14 PM, so it was almost another 40 minutes after being seated. I understand they were busy, but I did notice the gentleman next to me was seated around 5:05 and received his food around 5:25 after ordering both a single burger and the bologna sandwich. So the timing of my order definitely seemed unusually long. I went back and forth between 4 and 5 stars because between waiting for a table and waiting for my food, this was definitely a longer experience than I expected. But ultimately, I'm keeping it at 5 stars. Why? Because when that burger finally hit the bar, it delivered. The quality and flavor of the food are ultimately what matter most to me, Aaliyah was great, and one slower visit isn't enough to erase the consistently good experiences that have made this one of my favorite Chicago spots. I'll absolutely be back--although next time I'm sticking with the fries.

Good food, eclectic environment but too small to be comfortable. A lot of patrons jammed in to a…read morerelatively small dining area. Usually long lines and some wait time.

This was such a life changing experience from a flavor perspective! We were in town for the…read moreweekend and stopped by because we'd heard amazing things about what The Purple Pig does with pork and we were not disappointed! We started off with the bone marrow; it was incredibly flavorful, paired nicely with a nut jam and some greens and bread. We also got the Agnolotti pasta, and this was our favorite bite of the evening by far. The beef short rib, paired with more marrow and the butter sauce were absolutely incredible and we will be thinking about them for a long time to come. We ended with the pork tenderloin and it was a lovely ending dish. The pork was cooked to perfection and paired with sautéed oyster mushrooms and corn. Service was exceptional and quick! We will come back with a bigger group the next time we are in the city!

food & views are great. l love the vibe of this restaurant-fun spot to take out of town guests.read more

We explored and went to the Bean/Millenium park. A visit to this city isn't complete without going…read moreto this area. While researching for restaurants this is one of the places we wanted to try out. I did not make a reservation because honestly this is one of those trips that I just want to relax and not be following a rigid schedule. This is a rooftop bar facing the park. Just follow the signs and go to the side entrance to get into Cindy's (go through the Chicago athletic association. We told the reception while checking in that we have no reservations so we were directed to the bar. We got here around 7:30 Monday night and were able to sit on bar and order drinks. I ordered Cha Cha Chicago and my son got a Kevin. Both drinks are superb - we left our bar seats to go to the terrace and were out there for 20 mins to enjoy the view. One of those spots you'll need to visit when you're in town. FYI to see the view - the terrace is SRO.

My experience at Ciccio Mio was okay overall, but it wasn't outstanding. The food was decent and…read morehad some good flavors. The atmosphere was pleasant and made for a nice setting. Service was average and could have been a little more attentive. A few things could also be improved in terms of consistency. The experience wasn't bad, but I expected a bit more. There were some positives, but also areas that need improvement!

Look, great doesn't mean best, but this place was really good. Inside is a really charming…read moreold-world place with only 11 tables. It's a pretty small place. The reservation we got was for the patio, but when we arrived, they didn't have a table for us. We waited probably an extra 15 mins and then the lady was able to arrange an inside table for us. She had been getting a bit of lip from folks coming in just before us, and so she definitely seemed to be dishing out some lip herself. I think that should have been a better experience. I will acknowledge that we did appreciate a table inside eventually when the one just outside wasn't there. Our server once seated was like, amazing. To me she made up for the passive aggressive comments from before. She was so patient and well-spoken and all. Seemed like she was from a Michelin-star place. So to start, the Caesar salad was ok. What was nice in there, it had these crispy chips of some kind in the salad. Overall, the dressing could've been a bit more caesar-y. Then we also had these truffle oil mozzarella sticks and those were pretty amazing. Served with marinara sauce, which was pretty good. But the sticks themselves were like so cheesy and gooey and freshly made, it was great. Then for the mains, we had a vodka pasta and one other one. Both were vegetarian pasta options, which is great. Both had really nice flavored sauces and the pastas were also done right. I forgot to ask for crushed red pepper as some spice boost would've made things even better. Also, one of the pastas was a gluten free - and it was really good - in the sense that I never would've guessed that it was gf. It's a corn-based pasta, in case anyone wants to know. I really wish they had an eggplant parm, but unfortunately they had only chicken and veal parms, only. Lastly, and to top everything else off, we had a soft-serve almond-caramel (not the exact name) gelato. Wow, that was SO good. Nutty flavor and creamy rich. Probably the best course of the night. Just outstanding. I chose it based on ChatGPT recommendation and it was just spot ON. Definitely a place I'll come back to.

First dinner in Chicago after happy hour. Came on a Thursday evening without a reservation but the…read morewait was still only 30 minutes and was able to order a drink from the bar while waiting. Food wise everything was really good. The calamari was fried perfectly and loved the aioli sauce. For the lasagna, I could not stop eating it that I was so full by the time I was done.

This was some really good italian!!! My favorite thing we ordered was the tuscan cheese bread. It…read morewas so garlicky in the best way possible and came with a delicious red sauce that was perfectly sweet to pair with the salty bread. I also loved the pasta! The vodka was very saucy and flavorful. The garganelli alla norma was good, but I wished there was more sauce and eggplant. It lacked flavor a bit. Can't wait to go back to try more things!!! We ordered on doordash and it was still good, so I can't imagine how it must be even better in person!

Amazing ambiance. Great service. Great food. We sat inside and will definitely be back on a nice…read moreday to sit outside.

This restaurant space is beautifully done inside and you can also sit out on their balcony patio,…read morewhich is such a nice option as well. They have the decor down to the details. We got the smoky garlic hummus, whipped feta, brussel sprouts, and lemon meringue bar for dessert, and honestly everything was amazing. The harissa honey on the brussel sprouts was so good, and the lemon meringue bar with the citrus crema and graham cracker crust was the perfect sweet item to round out the meal. They bring complementary pita with your hummus and dips and the bread with za'atar itself was delicious. They recommend 2-3 share plates per person, but we ordered 3 plus dessert for two people and still had leftovers. So I'd say it definitely depends on how hungry you are! We went for lunch/brunch and were pretty much the first people there, so service was super fast. Our server was lovely and incredibly attentive with topping off water and clearing plates. Definitely would come back to try some of their larger plate options.

This was my second visit to The Dearborn, and the food and service were both on point. We ordered…read morethe salmon tataki, fish and chips, Wellington burger, and Midwest fried chicken. Everything was well prepared, but the fried chicken was the standout, especially with the hot sauce adding another level of flavor. The staff stayed attentive throughout dinner and even replaced our plates between rounds, which was a level of service I wasn't expecting. I also respected seeing the owner personally making the rounds, stopping at every table to check on the guests and the food. Calm atmosphere, solid hospitality, and a kitchen that delivers.

Had a reservation with two friends from out of town and had the pleasure of being with Vivian…read more Amazing service, so sweet and funny, very thoughtful. and we got free cookies! we got sat in a little private booth in the back, so quiet. will def come back again and again :)

People said best dumplings in Chi and I didn't believe it till I tried it. Genuinely the best AND…read moreit's actually very nice inside considering the fact that it's in Chinatown

So good, everything that they have is really good! Would recommend the pork and cabbageread more

I LOVED my meal here! Ēma (Ay-mah) brings some glamour and glitz to the Mediterranean dining scene,…read morewith an airy, elevated hotel-lobby feel that still doesn't demand a dress code. Dresscode: Smart Casual / Casual Noise Level: Medium (it gets buzzy after 5:30pm) Thursday night Happy Hour was lively, so it took about 10-15 minutes for someone to come around, but service was attentive once we got going. The food is where Ēma really shines. From the Happy Hour menu, the Charred Eggplant Hummus and Crispy Potatoes were generously portioned and great for sharing. On the main menu, the Indian-Mediterranean fusion Bhel Hummus was a party for my taste buds, while the Hot Honey Halloumi and Chicken Kefta rounded out the table nicely. The halloumi is more of a side than a main, but that sweet-and-salty hot honey combo was chef's kiss. For our finisher, the Chocolate Torte knocked us out. Decadent, delicious and chocolate with lots of depth. Overall, Ēma is an excellent spot to order a bunch of dishes for the table and get an elevated meal without feeling stuffy, and delicious without taking itself too seriously. DO's: - Make a reservation ahead, especially for happy hour 4-6pm - Treat apps like small plates, order 2-3 to sample - Entertain their wine list, they have a lot! - Bring vegetarians here, there are plenty of options DON'Ts: - Dismiss the desert menu. It's fantastic and shareable! - Forget to ask for extra pita with the hummus! - Miss out on the LettuceEats loyalty points (check-in with your server before paying your check)

This Mediterranean restaurant has a cute, inviting interior with a nice atmosphere, and the service…read morewas very good. The food was presented beautifully and everything looked fresh and clean, but unfortunately, the flavors didn't quite match the presentation. The lamb and beef meatballs were too dry for my taste. The shrimp was okay, but the tomatoes served with it were overly roasted and had some blackened, charred areas that I didn't particularly enjoy. The salad was also fairly mediocre and didn't stand out. Overall, I really liked the ambiance and appreciated the attentive service, but I think the food could use some improvement in both flavor and preparation. A pleasant place visually, but the meal itself was just average for me.