We had a wonderful experience. We arrived a few minutes early and were seated right away. The Pecan Muhammara appetizer which included an assorment of veggies crackers and a delicious spread was great and included rice crackers that almost melted in my mouth. We ordered and shared several entrees and sides, all of which were very good. The Poached Halibut in particular was excellent as was the Opera cake for desert. Service was quick, attentive, and professional. Very impressed and looking forward to going again. read more

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! The service! The drinks! The ambiance! The food! Run don't walk! So wonderful to have Mariela in the Loop!

From the second we sat down, the service was on another level. Attentive without hovering, genuinely warm, the kind of hospitality that makes you feel like a regular on your first visit. Above and beyond doesn't even cover it. We started with the Tom Yum Aguachile and the Bang Bang Island Mussels, and both set the tone for the whole meal. The aguachile is unreal, bright and citrusy with that lemongrass heat building slowly instead of hitting all at once. Completely different take on the dish and honestly better than most I've had. The mussels disappeared in minutes, sauce was that good, had to order bread just to chase the last of it. For mains we went with the seafood tower and the Poached Halibut. The tower was a highlight on its own, oysters, shrimp, scallops, and ceviche all impeccably fresh, beautifully presented, and they table side pour a sauce into these little puffed shells which was a great touch. Then the halibut showed up and somehow topped it, perfectly cooked, light but still satisfying, with a sauce that tied the whole plate together. Drink menu rounded it all out. Cocktails were well balanced, clearly built with the food in mind rather than just flashy. Mariele gets it right on every front. Already thinking about who I'm bringing next time. read more

Mariela - Tom Yum - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Some years ago, we dined at Atwood Café, a previous occupant of the space now occupied by Mariela. We wondered if it still had the eclectic décor, urbane charm and dependable menu as its predecessor. Sigh -- it does not... VIBE: On the recent weekday evening when we visited, the place was jammed with what appeared to be noisy happy hour celebrants. Unpleasant. The large windows still provided an airy feel, but the décor was spare and hard. SERVICE: We had a rez, but had to wait for a table. When our server showed up, he assured us we had plenty of time before our show at the nearby Goodman. It soon @became apparent that the service was quite slow -- it seemed luke the servers and kitchen were understaffed. Drinks showed up in a few minutes, and an app came some time later. Our mains showed up 10 minutes before we had to dash for the theater. FOOD: C4arrots al pastor was an interesting app, flavorful though a bit salty. Poached halibut was very good -- tender and delicious. The prawn entrée was a disaster -- difficult to extract, and with an off aroma and flavor. Normally, we would have sent them back, but we had no time and so just left them. The wines by the glass were quite good. We were sad that Mariela didn't meet the standards we experienced at Atwood Café. Given the abysmal service and uneven cooking, we won't be back. read more

Came back for happy hour and had a better experience. Food still took a little long to come out, though. The bartender was super nice and the drinks were good. We ordered the ceviche, spread, and fried chicken. All three were delicious. However, the spread was a very small amount. Ordered the pandan for dessert. It was really good! On the lighter side and perfect for sharing. Happy hour is only at the bar and it gets busy around 5pm so plan to be there early. read more

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Over hype place. We were 8 of us celebrating a milestone anniversary. Had a 8.15 reservation and by the time we all arrived and settled it was 8.30. Which was fine. We were immediately told that the kitchen closes 9.30 and were rushed to order appetizers food n drinks. So basically we had 1 hour to order bottle of wine, drinks appetizers n dinner. So rushed and ridiculous. The restaurant was 90% empty and service was far below average and poor vibe. We were so hurried. We spent $ 600 in 1 hour and drove 1 hour to get here to this over hype restaurant by chef Rishi. Money was not an issue but the experience was very very poor and unfortunate. This place is doomed to fail. read more

I went with a friend for brunch and got the breakfast sandwich. While it was good, it didn't blow me away. The achar aioli barely tasted of achar (Indian pickle). The brioche bread was probably my fav part of the whole sandwich. Might be back for another try because it's there were a few other things that looked interesting on the menu and I was charmed by the dishware. read more

Mariela - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This restaurant is located in the Staypineapple Hotel. We had breakfast here and the Spicy Avocado Toast was really good. There was no skimping of avocado ,and the egg was cooked just right. It was runny enough so that it mixed well with the bread and vegetables. It's called Spicy Avocado Toast, but it was not spicy in terms of heat. It was flavorful but not spicy hot. The decor is beautiful as this is in the historic Reliance building. The abundance of natural light makes this a warm and inviting place for a leisurely breakfast. Service was friendly. read more

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Conveniently located in the loop inside the Staypineapple Hotel, Mariela is primed to succeed if they can execute on their menu and service. The interior is gorgeous and the natural light highlights the bar at the center of the space. The high ceilings makes this spot feel larger than it is, but it does have quite a number of tables and bar seating. The service is very soft-spoken and friendly without being too intrusive. Reservations were challenging to make for my party of nine. Calls, voicemail, email, and IG DMs were never returned until my spouse called one more time and finally got someone on the phone. In spite of this, once we got here, we were greeted and served with warmth. The food took quite a bit of time - over half an hour for French toast, fish sandwiches, pancakes, and large avocado salad. When the food finally hit our table, the food was received with great pleasure. The presentation is nice and the menu options are different from the typical stuff found in the Loop. I also got a chai latte and that had a nice mix of spices which are frequently lacking in other establishments. Overall I love the character of this place, the food, and friendly staff. Hopefully the kitchen can execute a little faster, but the menu was a winner for my party. read more

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I have been the restaurant chooser in our family for over 15 years now. Between newspapers, Infatuation, Eater, Yelp, magazines, Open Table, word of mouth, I've been able to find some pretty serious restaurants! Low and behold, my wife wanted to put her spin on the restaurant scene lately and she's been crushing it with these hidden, esoteric restaurants that have been absolutely amazing; like tonight's Mariela at the The StayPineapple Hotel in the Chicago Loop. Mariela is pretty much a seafood centric restaurant with variations of Spain, France, Mexico and combinations of other areas all of which, is startling, stunning and astonishing dishes. In other words, this place takes you by surprise and us four patrons were delighted with what happened this evening. Edwin, our tour guide on this culinary trip was Mariela's greatest ambassador for this evening. While the dishes on their menu were so complex (in a good way) Edwin explained what we were about to experience: * Closed Loop Gem Salad with Pistachio Green Goddess * Tom Yum Aguachile with Prawns, Garlic Serrano Achar, Coconut Pico, Smoked Trout Roe * Singaporean Chili Crab Agnolotti with King Crab, Sweet & Spicy Chili Crab Sauce, Scallion * Prawns à la Oaxaquenos made with Grilled Jumbo Prawns, Chintexle, Sesame, Coconut Rice * Seafood Arroz Negro with Squid Ink Sofrito, Octopus, Scallops, Uni Hot Sauce * Rasmalai Trea Leches done with Olive Oil Citrus Cake, Mango Mousse, Saffron-Cardamom Milk * The cocktails - see below Everything, and I mean everything put in front of us was not only delicious, but was appealing to our eyes; how often does that happen. That took care of the food side of this wonderful restaurant. Now comes the beverage side, which was like everything mentioned above. Their mixologist (it would be incorrect to call him a bartender) was making cocktails like from another planet? Even my wife with the most sophisticated palette I've ever seen, couldn't figure out what was in those drinks that made them so good? The ambiance was modern chic, the noise level was nonexistent and the price of this extravagant dinner was well worth what we experienced. After what happened at Mariela's tonight, I am ceding my restaurant choosing to my now anointed wife! Bravo Mariela!!!!! read more

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Excellent food and service! Great atmosphere for special celebration or just a catch up. Easy to find street metered parking. read more

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This place has been opened for 3 weeks. Its cuisine is unique - coastal fusion. The food was delicious. My favorite was the poached halibut. Although the food was great, it was slightly overpriced for the portion sizes. Service was good. It's located in the loop. Lots of bright lights. Big restaurant and tables were far apart from each other. Cute decor. I look forward to going back. read more

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I visited this restaurant the first weekend that it opened. I was staying in the StayPineapple hotel for a staycation, which is where this is located. My visits for dinner and breakfast the next morning added to the overall greatness of my stay. My dinner visit was pretty nice - the service was very knowledgeable and friendly, and there didn't seem to be just one server that was assigned to a table. I ordered a spread, two small plates and a dessert as was full. The best dish was easily the tacos; my only critique was that there wasn't more of that, haha. The sauces that came with it put the dish over the top. Breakfast was even better. Their Mariela Breakfast was one of the best breakfast dishes I have ever had. The eggs were actually seasoned, the meats were unique to breakfast and complimented the dish very well, and the carbs (rosti and pancake w/ toppings) tied everything together. I honestly can't wait to have it again during my next staycation. read more

Absolutely amazing! The food was absolutely fabulous, and every single thing we tried was delicious. You can tell everything is made with care and attention to detail. The service was just as wonderful--friendly, attentive, and welcoming from start to finish. It was an outstanding dining experience, and I can't wait to go back. Highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for an incredible meal! read more

Mariela - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Hey, this used to be the Atwood! Remember that? This is in The Staypineapple Hotel. This is from the people that's behind Mirra, Lilac Tiger, Siram Cafe and etc. I had Wagyu Bacon. The staff and service are marielaful. read more

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If I could have given this restaurant TEN stars for the most delicious, inventive and beautifully presented food I would. If I could have given TEN stars to the man of the hour, Edwin, who made our dining a true culinary experience. Edwin's insights, his recommendations, and last but not least his snark.....uh I meant humor, I would. And finally, if I could give TEN stars to the lovely Erin and sweet and helpful Lamar I would. Excellent food, excellent service and excellent staff!!! read more

Great fusion cuisine. Amazing service. The servers are very knowledgeable. Food comes very quickly. The small plates are like tapas style. Great for family style read more

Amazing experience! The food was delicious, our group of four decided to share everything and there wasn't a single dish that didn't impress us (Tom Yum Aguachile, Halibut and NY Strip were the highlights). Our server was a delight, friendly and knowledgeable when we asked questions. Highly recommend this spot! read more

Problematic experience. The food was tasty (though pricey for the small portions). But we had an Open Table reservation for which they failed to provide Open Table credit. When I tried to get them to correct that omission the next day, they were unresponsive, which makes me suspect that the error was intentional and not inadvertent. read more

One of my favorite meals in Chicago this year to date! The poached halibut was amazing, and the roasted carrots were epic. Service was off the charts and cocktails were first class! Cannot recommend highly enough read more

Great pre-show dinner last night. Very inventive, tasty food. The mezze platter was very interesting with a variety of great tastes. Very few crackers at first but service was top-notch so we quickly had more. I had the scallop tostada. Just so yummy. Friend had prawns which looked amazing. Everyone enjoyed their entrees - not big portions which is fine with me!! Chef came by and chatted. Ambience is great although a bit loud. Love the location and building. Again, service was fabulous. We will be back. read more

The food left much to be desired. Although touted as being South East Asian / Singaporean, as a native of the region and country, I felt the food served did not do justice to the cuisine. The crab larb had very little crab, the tom yum aquachile had a sauce with thick coconut milk in it and faint tom yum flavor, the laksa in the laksa oyster was has a bitter aftertaste, and did not taste like authentic laksa. The mackerel curry was the best item we ordered (yet undercooked) but the side of coconut rice was mushy. The Singapore crab agnoletti had a similar bitter aftertaste, and nowhere close to the real Singaporean crab flavor. The opera cake was dry. I wish I loved the food and was excited to try it, but left feeling very disappointed. read more

The staff is so welcoming and wonderful! Service was superb and the food was incredible! Go here and you won't be disappointed!

Firstly, I sat at the bar and was greeted informally by the bartender with a "what's up"? I ordered the Piri Piri Cornish Hen, one of his recommendations. It took a while to come out. However, while waiting I noticed that the bartender never came over to refill my water, offer another drink, or ask if I was ok. Finally, the food came and I couldn't even cut through it with the fork and knife. It was really rubbery. The bartender walked from around the bar, just so happened to pass me so he asked if I were good. I asked him for another drink when he returns. Upon returning, he refilled other's waters, asked them questions, passed them items, all before prepping to prepare my drink. At this point, so much time has passed and I wasn't about to reload my parking for a third time - I was over it. Couldn't finish the Cornish hen unless I ate it with my hands plus felt very isolated and ignored by the bartender. Asked for the bill and left. I've been stopping by since the restaurant was Atwood. No longer have to worry about me. read more