Dined here tonight with family. Grateful I was there with family and not trying to entertain guests because the service was abysmal. We were consistently ignored all night. The only time we got prompt attention was to pay the bill. The restaurant was fairly busy but all tables around us seemed to be getting appropriate service. Our waiter wasn't even all that friendly when he was bothering to help us with something. Food was good but seriously disappointing service. read more

I am very happy to have Inovasi in Lake Bluff. John and his team bring a sophisticated varied menu sourced from organic and sustainable providers. My experiences have been outstanding with the service and the food. It's wonderful to have a fine dining option in our 'backyard'. read more

I just learned that my husband's friends who we brought on our 2nd time went there again and brought some of their friends, too! They even requested for our favorite waiter (too bad I can't remember his name, im bad at names...) who is not just knowledgeable of the food being served in the restaurant but also very personable. We're planning to get back soon! read more

Like many others, I was disappointed at my visit to Inovasi a second time for their tasting menu. Having visited once and being reasonably impressed - my wife and I looked forward to an expanded experience. The best I can say about the second visit is that the bread was warm and fresh and the wine I chose was good. As to the food - unimaginative, warmed up, stodgy left overs with bizarre taste combinations - institutional cafeteria quality. As some of the posts have indicated rumors of the chef looking to get a Michelin star one can only assume he is suffering from delusions of grandeur. A waste of time, a waste of money and - if this restaurant actually sources fresh, local sources - a waste of food. read more

I really want to root for this restaurant, but we had a horrible experience tonight at Inovasi. My friend found a two inch piece of scrap metal (yes, scrap metal) in her french fries. When we brought it to our server's attention, her solution was to comp us another order of fries (but nothing more). We then brought it to the manager's attention and his solution was to take off two glasses of wine from our bill. Horrible experience, but an even worse solution by the staff. This restaurant's days are numbered... read more

Just decided to go here for lunch today and oh boy what a good call!! Food was excellent and fresh. The bread was fantastic m, toasted just right with fresh butter. I had the Spicy Crispy Chicken sandwich and I can say I have never had anything like it. Service was fantastic, overall just a great experience. Highly recommended!!! read more

Don't waste your time coming here. Food was too salty and lack consistency. Two people at our table asked for the same plate and while one was cooked appropriately, the other was under cooked. When we spoke to the waiter about it, he acted like we were wasting his time. He took the plate back and it came back relatively unchanged. When we said we would prefer replacing it with another plate, he called the manager who said the policy of the restaurant was to charge for the plate despite the fact the person at our table barely took 2 bites out of it. At that point, the manager instead of trying to help us order another plate, he had little to say and asked us to excuse him that he was being called to go to another table to address another complain. His comment to us: "guests today are very demanding". My guess it is because they advertise the restaurant as being at par with the best restaurants in Chicago, but the food and service is truly not better than a small neighborhood place. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. Did I mention that we met the Chef and he acted as he was a pop star? I believe he thought we were going to ask him for an autograph. All my friends laughed at him going to our cars and we wonder if the Chef was on denial that he actually heads a restaurant in a village of 5,000 people and not New York or Paris. Please save yourself a 30 minute trip to this small town. It is not worth it. read more

If I wanted to have the experience of being treated disingenuously I would have stayed home and been stressed. This restaurant is managed with the entitled culture the chef Jon dos Rosiers instills. It is his way or the highway. The notion of client service and the customer is always right does not exist in this setting. Mr B welcomes you and embraces your presence while the snarky staff provides poor service and the orders served at the chefs preference not the paying guest. Consider checking your bill as they upcharge along the way without disclosure. read more

Another reviewer said it best. The chef has a creative flare but not the pallete. The food and atmosphere are fine. The music in the bar was entirely too loud and this coming from someone who lives downtown Chicago and obviously dines frequently in Chicago restaurants. My Irish Trout was really good but my friend had the steak and it was very chewy (clearly mid to lower grade meat) Order the apple donuts for dessert - they were delicious. They need to work on their chocolate cake though. I think its trying to be flourless but just comes out grainy and not in the "very chocolatey" type of way. The service is just strange. The waitresses are half attentive but friendly when you strike up a conversation with them. The chef/owner stalks around the bar very arrogantly and you can instantly tell he's probably the biggest jerk of a boss ever. I saw him give one of the waitresses "the bird" from the patio which was pretty unprofessional. Overall he just rubbed me the wrong way by acting arrogant instead of humble. He should spent more time in the kitchen working on his menu than playing playboy in the bar. Imagine your typical north shore kid....annoying. And you can't get rid of him either. He just wanders around. (I was born and raised in Michigan and have come to spot out these "special" kids who were raised in the apparently "special" northern suburbs of Chicago. Not impressed. They would have their faces in the mud if they visited my side of the lake.) Overall, it was just fine. I wouldn't flock there or tell anyone to make the special trip. It's nicer than a good bunch of suburban restaurants but would fail within a month in Chicago. read more

What a BUMMER... this place used to be better. The service was cold and you would've thought our wait staff was doing us a favor by being there. As you can see from my review before we are pretty familiar with Inovasi and used to come in about once a week. It's a shame to see that is gone a bit down hill there. We love patronizing local business and I'm not sure we will back for a bit. They seem to have some new people who are struggling to get with the program. Oh well, I guess we will hit up the Lake House or Authentico. read more

I had a very lovely lunch yesterday at Inovasi! Food was delicious, creative, presented beautifully, and reasonably priced. Ambience is peaceful and most attractive. Can't wait to go back. read more

So, I've been to this restaurant so many times because it's so close to my house. It's never great, rarely bad, but mostly very, very average. John is always very welcoming and I truly appreciate his efforts in our small town. I really feel that the servers are not consistent with the atmosphere. The attire, especially for the female servers needs to be evaluated. A server we had the other evening looked like she was dressed to go hang out at a tacky mall. Unfortunately she was very unprofessional at the table in how she articulated. John, your servers are the face of your restaurant. The food can be well presented but when the service is lacking - it spoils the food and the atmosphere. The types of servers I've had at Inovasi have been more consistent with ones you would encounter at a Chili's or Applebees - not at an innovative restaurant like Inovasi. I just thought you would like to hear this local feedback. read more

Their menu is so weird and changes daily. The owner doesn't know who he is or what he wants this restaurant to be. They have some real competition now in lake bluff and they better get their act together fast. read more

I've dined at Inovasi a few times over the course of the year. The first few times I came in the menus were well rounded and we enjoyed our meals very much. However these past couple of trips have made it very apparent that there have been some kitchen shuffles. The food itself is lacking and dessert can't even save our meal ( which was always our favorite part!). Very very frustrating. Unless they fix the major issues they have I will not be back. read more

This was my first time eating at this restaurant, though the other 5 people in my party had patronized the place before. My party included 4 adults and 2 grade school aged children. We ordered several appetizers, including the delicious bread and butter. My wife had ordered a cheese plate on an earlier visit but it was removed from the menu. When she asked about that the waiter immediately went back to the kitchen and asked and they were more than happy to oblige. It was very good with all the cheeses clearly identified. It was also served with fresh honey which we thought was unique versus the usual cheese tray we order. The salads and other medium size plates were very good. I had the short rib and it was excellent. My wife ordered a chicken chai dish that just wasn't our cup of tea, but all others were very good. read more

This place is a definite miss.Service is terrible and the food not much better. Liked the fact that their corkage is only $10. Brought two very respectable wines for our party of six. Server never offered to chill the white, and we poured our own throughout the meal. Lovely contemporary atmosphere does not make up for the BDE here. Starters were ok including a decent beet salad. On to the entrees. The cod was dry and the accompaniments did not disguise how poorly it was cooked. Sent one back and did get a replacement fish. Perch was ok but was served with a large piece of skin making it appear unappetizing. Busser removed one diner's glass before he had finished his wine and a second diner's dessert which was also unfinished. Second diner complained and server brought a replacement one. Had chocolate gelati and a second flavored with thyme. Thyme truly distracted from the creamy ice cream. In short, this place needs to simplify its dishes. Fish could have been wonderfully served in a simple preparation. Same is true of desserts. As to service-get the house in order even on a busy night. Servers and bussers need to work together in serving the patrons. Also, noise level is deafening. read more

This is my fifth visit to this amazing restaurant and the best ever. Every dish was delicious to extraordinary. No matter what the preparation is, their calamari is by far the most delicious I have ever had. Their frozen custard with pretzel & chocolate chucks is do die for. The Risotto with shrimp was memorable. We suburbanites are lucky to have Chef John Des Rosier read more

Okay, ignore my earlier review. The last time we went, it was amazing. We got the tasting menu, everything was heavenly, the service was great, and somehow they've uncarpeted the ceiling. I still love you, Inovasi! Or rather, I love you again! read more

Underwhelmed. Farm to table invokes this idea of extremely fresh and vibrant ingredients, especially in the summer, but that is far from what we got. I give this place a three simply because the bruschetta was excellent and our server was really sweet. Other than that, the food was ordinary at best. read more

Very small portions and awful seating arrangement. Was seated at a table which I felt shouldn't be there in the first place...it was in the middle of a walkway with heavy traffic on both sides. This seating arrangement was very uncomfortable. They try to cram so many people in such a small room that the place tends to get pretty noisy as when people are essentially on top of each other leads to everyone trying to talk over one another. There seems to be a lot on confusion as several different people were checking in on us asking us for our orders. Food was decent but the portion was so small that I was still hungry. Definitely not worth the price tag. I ordered the walleye and think I only received 1/3 of the filet! Lol Bottom line is there are better alternatives nearby. I won't be back. read more

I have eaten here many times and have to admit that this is the best restaurant in the Northern suburbs and is definitely one of the better places in the Chicago land area. The menu is creative and diverse, the portions are ample without being overwhelming. The food is exceptionally well-executed. The wine list is excellent and the spirits (some of which are made by the staff) are creative and high-quality. They are close to the Metra and worth the ride for any culinarily adept city dweller. read more

Haven't been in 5 yr's. Used to be there all the time. Have been wanting to come back so, 4 couples went for my birthday last night. It's bigger & far more casual than it used to be. They don't have the chef's tasting creation dinner anymore-it was expensive but sooo ridiculously good. Then we finally got our food... sirloin was dry & tough, calamari was barely warm, the pate was bland, the cod was mooshy and the service was terrible two separate times after waiting over 10 minutes I had to grab a Mgr to get my coke. One time he said-oh you wanted a refill?? They never brought the wine bottle we ordered when we sat down. This place used to be absolutely phenomenal. They've always been expensive but, they were absolutely worth it. Now that it's terrible & so it's ridiculously overpriced. Sad, really sad. read more

Had a great burger of which I expected, but wanted to sit at the bar because of a Michigan football game. There was a party of about 12 at a table right next to the bar at the window with 4-5 loud little children! We sat at a table in the bar as far as possible. Still loud, some crying, kids and parents up and down, very unpleasant experience. We were planning on staying longer but left after another family with little kids were seated close to us. It was a Saturday night. Also waited a long time for our check. If I see another family with little kids at the bar again, I will go elsewhere! read more

Went there last week for dinner twice, Friday night with family and Saturday night with another couple. Most of the dishes on both nights were good except couple of dishes were over seasoned - especially the steak and the lamb dish were too salty. For a restaurant in this price range, the seasoning needs to be on point every time. Also, the service was off on both nights, slow and had to ask for water re-fills multiple time. the bus-person asked my wife if she was finished even she's still holding a fork in her hand. We've been to this restaurant many time for lunch and dinner and it seems the food has slide as of late, maybe John was not managing the kitchen on both nights. They were running a special last week and all items were 50% off, it was a little surprise when we get the bill we noticed they added 20% to the check based on the regular price. The server didn't mention this when he present to us on both nights. I don't have an issue paying the 20% however it was not mentioned on their email, web-site or the menu. Not a good PR move. I really want to like the restaurant but with restaurants opened up in the North Shore area the last few years it is hard to go back to the same restaurant if you don't have a memorable dinning experience. read more

I was referred by a local resident of LB, to visit this establishment for nice dinner. My gf and I arrived around 6:30 last night, and we got seated in the bar area pretty quickly, which was nice. We started off with a couple glasses of Pinot Noir, which was okay, but a little weak on the pour, for $12.00 per glass. We then looked through the menu, to find something appetizing, and we came across the steak frites, which came under the large plates part of the menu, which I assumed was a decent piece of meat. Normally, my girlfriend and I share an entree, and the waiter said it would be enough to share. Not!!! For a charge of $26.00, for steak with fries I would have expected and little more meat, then a few cut up pieces of meat. The hand cut fries, were no bigger than a inch. I ordered the steak medium, and it came to me more on the rare side. The meat was very chewy, and to me, undesirable. Overall, as you can see, It wasn't the experience I expected. Sorry read more

I will never give Inovasi a bad review, the chef is a true artist who is very ambitious and is trying to bring food to the next level. But it is getting a little pretentious and the American Casual vibe they had is getting a little stuffy. I was asked if I had reservations for a Tuesday. Really a Tuesday and when I walked into the restuarant it wasn't even full. I had the sirlion and my waitress suggested a wonderful wine which was amazing. The portion would not have been such a disappointment if the side items weren't almost non-existant. The service was good but not the greatest, they have a long way to go before they get a Michelin star, it isn't just about food it has to be about the whole experience. I had a great waitress but I am not sure if customer service is their primary concern, they put on too many "airs" when it could be a warmer place where people would love to go to. Now it is the kind of place you may tolerate to give someone a good impression. I watch a lot of Gordon Ramsey and Food Network and they discuss the Michelin Star a lot, the food is great but the atmosphere still needs a little work. read more

We had dinner there recently and it was a very good experience. I started with the locally sourced salad and it was excellent. Included was a soft hard boiled egg that had been very lightly fried. Delicious! I also has the roast chicken which was strips of grilled chicken on a bed of cauliflower and other greens. Others in my group had the shrimp and rice noodles, broccoli soup and the burger. Everyone was very pleased. Sadly, on a beautiful Friday night the restaurant was less than half filled. It deserves better! We will be back! read more

Second date there and still infatuated! I had the Milan risotto with brussels sprouts - wonderful, but rich; best for sharing. Followed by the pork shoulder - another delight, among the tastiest and most satisfying entrees I've had in the past year. But also rich. Probably not the best combination with the risotto. My wife had the red oak salad and the sweet shrimp. I tasted the shrimp and thought it was a great dish, but loved my pork more. The other couple had the lamb, which I thought was chewy and not really interesting, and the cured salmon, which I neglected to taste. Very nice wine selection and great beer selection. Service was attentive, helpful, and friendly. Wonderful, downtown food, with free easy parking! read more

We went with a large party. The food was overall good. Go somewhere else for dessert. The disappointment was the service. I would not recommend this place for a party larger than 4. read more

I liked the escargot a lot! They had this whole animal addition thing that's new, I'm not sure if they're going to be doing it every week but check that out if you have a chance! read more

Inovasi has been serving delicious and creative food for years. Chef John has been a long-time leader in the farm-fresh-New American cuisine trend. The servers are friendly, the prices are reasonable and there are always new dishes to try. My husband and I live in Lake Bluff and come here often with family and friends. read more

good food, good service, GREAT values on wine list, quality music Wednesday nights

Very nouveau. They have small plates if you don't want to have full dinner. Really enjoyed the meal and the desserts are good.

This is one of my favorite restaurants. Menu is spot on with local ingredients and outdoor dining is the best. The wait staff are knowledgeable and nice and deliver meals very quickly. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. read more

Every Wednesday we have girls night out when we try different restaurants. Today we dinned at Inovasi. Between 4 of us we each order roasted beets which we all agreed was the best part of the dinner ,the rest was one big disappointment. According to my friend the Pork "Lasagna"(don't get fooled by the name "lasagna" had only ONE noodle...for real ) came almost cold. My other 2 friends ordered Tempura Cod which they rated 7 out of 10. I got (highly recommended by our waitress) Summer greens salad , this one was a joke. Pile of spinach in tasteless vinagrette , few almonds and dried cherries. I'm vegetarian (pescetarian) and I do eat out at least 2 times a week , so without hesitation I can say I know "something" when comes to salads. This combination wasn't satisfying on any level. BTW if you are vegetarian look somewhere else, and if you are meat eater, make sure you are not hungry going there. ;) I wish the owner the best , but we all agreed that we won't be going back. read more

Lake bluff has a great, quaint downtown area and we wanted to like this restaurant. It was trying to be upscale "city" dining but the chef and the cooks were not up to the challenge. The recipes were lacking coherent thought, the preparation was only OK and the food seemed to not all be freshly prepared. I would not recommend this place besides for the ambience. Definitely not worth the prices. read more

Recommend only if you are ready for a shake down. Stopped by on a Friday evening. Ambience was nice, food was good, service was friendly and the wine selection was great. We enjoyed the evening until the bill arrived, which Included a 25% service charge. Their menue mentioned 20% for parties of 5 and larger. Didn't feel like arguing but certainly won't be coming back. read more

Very fresh and high quality food. The grilled chicken, an organic amish chicken, on red quinoa was superb. Fantastic bread pudding! I'll be coming back here again. read more

It just does not get any better than this place. I hate to write such a review because I want to continue to be able to make reservations here. John DR is one of the best and most creative chefs in Chicagoland. The service is always good. The food is great. The wine list is perfect. read more

Unfortunately, for years, I have had repeated bad experiences at Inovasi! Living in Lake Bluff, where there are not many restaurant options, I've had to endure many nights gritting my teeth. We had one experience in particular worth noting. We went in early on a Monday night to eat dinner. Initially we had fair service until mid-way through our meal. But then the waiter disappeared to focus on Corporate clientele. Food was ok, but small portions. We received our bill with an AUTOMATIC 18% gratuity on it for a party of 6. Can you believe ...for myself and husband, and 4 kids under 9 years old, the youngest being 8 months!!!? Who thinks thats appropriate???!!! The proprietor Jon des Rosiers appeals to the residents begging to be a meaningful part of the community. But rather he takes steps to push us away and sometimes asks us not to come back In fact, he balks when people provide real time feedback. With ok food, poor rude service, padded bills, and no connection with the community residents, we wish this restaurant would close their doors and make room for a quality community experience!!!! read more