Everything was great! Food, service, ambiance…read more Took my son and his girlfriend there for his birthday. We all loved it and definitely coming back. Don't miss this gem!!

Dined here with the hubby during Valentine's Day weekend. They had a special Valentine's menu…read morecurated for guests to order from. I was so excited for this meal cause Amaru has been on my list for so long! Piononos: They had me at chorizo stuffed plantains. A nice latin twist from the usual bacon wrapped dates. Highly recommend! Pulpo gallego: I don't think I've ever had octopus with beans before but it surprisingly paired very well together. Love me a nice charred octopus and this one was delish. Cuban oxtail: I still dream about this unique pasta dish!!! Great flavor. Wish there were more agnolotti because I had a lot of oxtail meat leftover by the end of the meal. Lomo steak: Such a pretty delicious dish! 5/5 stars all around! Highly recommend to share. Guava cheescake: I LOVE anything guava. The cut and presentation of the dessert gets a 5/5 for me. The slice was as long as the plate! Great way to end the meal. Overall, everything was great - the service, food, vibes, etc. I would love to dine here again :)

Good value compared to other Michelin star menus. Nice portion size, leaving full but not…read moreexploding. Excellent cocktails. Intimate setting with just 7 seats at the chef's counter and 12 in the dining area. 9/13 dishes were great. There's no "smoke and mirrors" at the chef's counter. For an additional $20, we received two extra courses and an intimate look at a high-functioning, high-pressure kitchen. Chef Norman Fenton's exacting expectations are on full display. It's a masterclass in attention to detail, though the transparency comes with a side of tension. I loved the honesty of the experience, but if your goal is a serene conversation over dinner, the main dining room is the play. 5/5 Would be sad to never have again (1) * Chamoyada: Palate cleansers are always refreshing, but this was next level. Fruity and fresh heaven. 4.5/5 Great (8) * Chips and Salsa: Impressive to finish like a true salsa and chip. My wife loved * Chicharron: Rich corn and cheese dip. * Aguachile: Stunning visually. Lovely chile broth. * Quesadilla: Truffle uses well to round the dish. Super rich with black garlic. * Lamb: Super rich glaze. Great accompaniments from the beets and sauces. * Pineapple dessert * Horchata chai: Banana pieces were incredible. Good sweetness level. * Finishing bites: Nice 33% and 66% chocolate. Fun little bites. 3/5: OK (3) * Ravioli: Ravioli inside was rich, but overly so. Nice corn sauce but there was a corn component on the outside of the dish that had an unpleasant chewy flavor. * Tacos Dorados/Bluefin Tuna/Toasta: Love the idea of taco flight, and a great mix of textures. But none of the taco flavors hit for me. * Black Cod: Great components, but a sum that added up to less not more. Ultracrispy kale, but it tasted far better on its on. Nice green sauce and cod. Chayote texture felt out of place for me. 2/5 Not good (1) * Michelada: The Modelo beer foam dominated what I'm sure was lovely oyster.

Let me start by saying that curated Chef experiences are new to me and realistically outside of my…read morecomfort zone. I've never been a fan of someone else telling me what and how to eat. Wow... what a great experience. From the first course, a zesty oyster to dessert the experience was not what I expected and in a good way. I won't do the Chef a disservice by trying to describe what we were provided but know this the Taco Omakase is well worth the trip. Seriously, if you can make it in you need to do so It is well worth the effort.

I have had this place on my wishlist as a follower of Chef Sandoval. Fortunately, Toro was RIGHT…read moreacross the street from our friend's wedding venue at the Radisson Blue Aqua in Chicago so we had a nice Ftiday lunch in April of 2026. First of all, it is absolutely gorgeous inside! I am in awe of the fine details and want to meet the interior designers! Our waiter, Moe, was personable and friendly and offered us great recommendations. It was about half full at the time we were here - I saw a lot of people ordering the plantain chips! They must be good! We didn't order them, however. My boyfriend and I each got the weekdays meal deal where, for $29 a person, we get our choice of a salad or soup, then our choice of the entree, and a drip coffee and dessert. Since half the entrees cost nearly $29 to begin with, this is a great deal! I chose the kale salad with dressing on the side. My boyfriend chose the butternut squash soup. In our relationship, sharing is caring! So we each tried each other's food. My salad was unique - I liked the dressing and I LOVE when fresh fruit are in salads! We both liked the soup as well and finished both our appetizers. As is my tradition, I had to get their cubano. It is a very large portion, but I love cubanos! The pulled pork was pretty fatty but like, the perfect amount of fatty for the unhealthy sandwich that is a cubano! My boyfriend got the kimchi salmon entree. I'm not big into salmon, but he liked it! The dish is gorgeous, by the way. Chef Sandoval is a master in the art of making a dish very colorful. Look at that avocado! So fresh! The drip coffee was fine. And my side of French fries were the least interesting part of our meals. We didn't feel the need to finish the fries. Our meal deal dessert was a large chocolate chip cookie. My boyfriend ate his chocolate chip cookie right away. I had a bite to see how it was fresh, learned it tasted fine, and saved the rest of my cookie for later in the day for a nice afternoon treat! In all, after tax and tip, we left full and happy for about $75! Not bad for Chicago!

Solid hotel spot! This was a nice place to grab some drinks and snacks pre-dinner. We were able to…read moresample a few of their tacos (happy hour) and a margarita tower. The food took a bit to come out and they graciously provided us with free guac, which was a nice bonus and a testament to service! The food was good, nothing I'm craving days later but a nice place to grab a bite. The atmosphere was nice as well, the place felt warm even in the very cold wind. Overall a good spot especially if you're a hotel guest, or you're heading for their great happy hour deals.

I think they changed their chef. Everything tasted different in a negative way. It used to be SO…read moreGOOD

We were late for our reservation, but they were able to accommodate us anyways at the bar. We came…read morefor happy hour appetizers and drinks. All of the appetizers we had were absolute dynamite. Both of the cebiches were fresh, well balanced, and offered different experiences than each other. The bao was straight up delicious, sometimes baos can be a miss and this is something I'd definitely order again and recommend. The pork belly wasn't all fat either which was my favorite!! Anticucho de Pollo was also very yummy. Cocktail I had a Chicha Punch which wasn't exactly my favorite but it's because it's a red wine and tequila mix, the red wine didn't do it for me. I tried my husbands pisco cocktail though and that had something to offer! The bathroom is down some stairs, so keep that in mind. The ambience is very cool, you could do upscale or casual here for sure.

I went here with my best friend and my hubby to celebrate my birthday with a great birthday dinner…read more We were in the Chi already visiting Atlas Stationary as a self-proclaimed station and fountain pen freak so we figured why not?!? I had heard great things about Carnivale prior to so please note that prior reservations were already made but regardless, it was all our first times there and we were stoked to finally try this place out. When we first got there, the outside was very unassuming. Some awesome graffiti on the wall (yes, angel wings included) and lots of color which made me so happy! As we entered, we were greeted by lots of colored flora on the walls and the floor. It led to a beautiful lounge where we checked in. The hostess was quite kind and they escorted us to another room that had multiple floors, two I believe. We were sitting in the main dining area where dining tables were set up and the ceiling lights and decorations were super-duper colorful. It was brightly lit and festive. Seriously, the colors alone could make anyone happy and do a serious dopamine overload which was fine with me. We sat down, was introduced to our server, Oscar and then given menu's. I genuinely thought that this place was pretty small initially because it looked small from the outside but boy was I wrong! This place was MASSIVE. But! I digress, now that we had our menu's-- Let the party begin!! We started with the ceviche tasting which included four types of ceviche; shrimp, Yucatan style hamachi, salmon and tuna. All were really good with their own really distinct flavors but our top favorites were the salmon and the tuna. The salmon had a kick while the tuna had a great balance of heat and sweetness. Great way to start of this dinner! My bestie ordered coconut shrimp and smoked mushroom croquettes for her main meal. My hubs ordered the carne asado while I ordered the lechon asada. I also want to add that we ordered Mexican street corn on the side alongside mashed potatoes and Peruvian Jalea. Ah and before I forget, we also ordered our drinks which consisted of a: sangria, margarita, Cotton Candy Cosmo and Salva Honduran Pilsner. All were spectacular and made the night that more enjoyable as well! When we received our food. We were all really enjoyed it as we all shared our bites amongst one another. The coconut shrimp was well breaded and you tasted the coconut as well. The shrimps were large and juicy. The smoked mushroom croquettes were good with a smokey flavor and good breading, however, the breading may have a been a little thick because you couldn't really taste the mushroom,m unfortunately. The carne asado was the star of the show. Well seasoned steak, cooked medium rare which was juicy and succulent. The lechon asado was good. Although I'm not used to eating lechon asado that is covered in sauce, the sauce was super tasty so I didn't mind the tender, juicy pork that was covered in it. I really enjoyed it. I think the only thing that I wish was different with regards to my lechon asado is that I wish it were hotter because it was luke warm when I received it. Other than that, it was....*chef's kiss*. The Mexican street corn was alright, it honestly just tasted like regular corn with mayonaise in it with some cheese. Didn't add anything significant to the meal. The mashed potatoes were soft but not too soft and buttery. They were really good and then the Purvian Jalea was another favorite, super good! The calamari, fish and shrimp with the Purvian Jalea were absolutely delicious; fresh, tasty and well breaded. It was absolutely yummalicious. To top the night off, they gave me a little birthday treat of cotton candy and carmel popcorn. We also had some tres leches which was so yummy because the fruit was fresh and you could taste the milk in the tender cake and then we had the chocolate cigar. The chocolate cigar was also really good, everything except the label was edible, It was smokey, chocolately and delectable. It's presentation was also so creative. We all loved it. Overall, this restaurant is SUPER PRICY but SUPER WORTH IT. I am so glad that I was able to go there to celebrate a special occasion because it would not be a place that I could go to on a regular basis but as much as I wish I was, ya girl ain't rich like that. The service was superb, the employees were kind, the food was fire and drinks were scrumptious. If you're looking for a fun, Latin cuisine inspired, creative, yummy way to celebrate a birthday, anniversary or other special occasion with a fun Latin twist--look no further, that is it! Check it out and you won't be disappointed. Now, I'm sorry for my novel and you may now go back to your normal programming schedule. If you do end up coming here and loving it -- i told ya so ;)

I'm not sure how long it was when I first visited Cranivale but it was definitely before yelp…read morereviews and it definitely wasn't this big so fast forward to maybe 20 years it's definitely more beautiful. Very nice and what a great entrance it has. The rooms and the different feeling each one gives is pretty awesome. The upstairs is where we were invited to attend the party bc of the invite and it was very lounging and nice. There's a Latin room where we wanted to go but next time we will. Then there a bigger room with lots of dinner tables and another upstairs.

Great food, fast service and inexpensive for the portions. The rotisserie chicken was by far our…read morefavorite. So good that we are there once a week, often pick up on the way home from long day. sweet plantations are hit or miss, when they are smaller pieces, great, when they are large half sizes pieces not as flavorful. Only questionable thing we have ever had. Try this place, whether its the steak, chicken you can't go wrong. Rice and beans, even the soup are made with care.

Tasty food, large portions and very quick service; even on a busy Mother's Day service. My…read moreColombian family thinks it is legitimate food.

This place was amazing!…read more Came in a few weeks ago to grab dinner with friends, and was easily able to get a reservation same day on a Saturday night at 7 PM. From the very beginning, we were taken care of very well. We were quickly seated when we got in, and our server was very attentive. The restaurant was jampacked too, I'm surprised we were able to get in so quickly! The food was delicious; for dinner I had the pollo a la cubana which was so good. Our server had mentioned to me that this was his favorite item on the menu, and I could not agree more. The chicken was perfectly cooked, and very juicy. Great vibes in the restaurant too, very upbeat feeling here. Everyone was very friendly, and the music added a very tropical feeling. Overall great time and would happily come back.

Delicious, a highlight of our stay in Chicago. Chimichangas and roja vieja are both very good…read more Server offered for us to use their private room to change our son's diaper (no changing table), itemized the receipt for us, and refilled our water as needed.

I love, love, love coming to this place. The eclectic decor, the kind hospitality, and the clear…read moreroof (huh?) were essential to our concert-going experience while waiting for EVNNE to perform. We met with our server, who immediately got us all water when we were seated, as it was a hot day for us, changing and chilling near the church nearby. We sat under the clear roof area near the patio opening, and we ordered chips and salsa quickly. They offered up the drink menu, and we got half-off margaritas, and I was happy with that. We had a larger party, but the staff was so helpful and made us feel at home. I got the Al Pastor tacos with the homemade tortillas. The flavor and the crunch were exquisite. Later, after we finished, we were shown the speakeasy behind the wall of the restaurant, and we were all so amazed. The space was so cool and great for live music. Check this place out. You will not be disappointed. 5 stars!

Figured I would give PILSEN yards I'll try on a Sunday afternoon. Oh my God what a disappointment…read morefrom the sangria that taste in life worse than a bottle of sangria you buy. To the food that was served lukewarm for being a soup don't give me wrong Pozole was phenomenal but again lukewarm. We then order a beer with a shot. That took forever to get there because you have too many hands in the cookie jar at once. And then we were espresso martinis that were served on these low ball glasse and tasted like absolute shit. I have worked for the past 10 years and I know what she taste like these bartenders were lazy inattentive and literally mixing whatever the fuck they wanted will not be returning even though the people was good. Ambience is good bartenders suck

This was my first Columbian restaurant. It was very clean and well set up. The people were friendly…read moreand answered all my questions without the attitude that some folks give to dumb questions. I felt welcome. There were several things on the menu that were new to me, goody. Many of the items on the menu were 10% higher priced than I am used to. However I went there for the Jibarito sandwich. I had seen them discussed om WGN TV. It was priced just right for what it is. It is a sandwich that uses fried plantains instead of bread. The sandwich was very worth the visit. I had the chicken. It comes with fries but I do not eat fries. They replaced it with red beans. I lived in NOLA for a year and these beans remined me of then. They were excellent. I also had a smoothie with a fruit that is not offered in the US much. I think it was a lula? I do not go for sweet and this fruit was not quite tart but close enough. I strongly recommend that you try this place, specially if you are a vegetarian as they have an extensive offering there.

My friend lives in Edgewater and loves this Colombian spot. He got the pollo planchado and we…read moreshared beef and chicken empanadas. He was right in saying that the beef empanadas were better. I got the sancocho, which was good. I will say it's only four stars because I have a Colombian place in Chicago that I think is better, but it is a solid spot.

We love a BYOB with no corkage fee. Also, warm table bread!! Pretty easy to call in and get a res…read morefor a Sunday night. The warm table bread and butter was pretty good so it was an effort to keep from eating too much and ruining our appetite. We split a chicken empanada to start which was really good, especially with the chimichurri sauce. For mains, we split the parillada para dos - a large meat platter meant for two. It was came with a little house salad and was a super good deal with all the meat they gave you (we ended up with lunch the next day, too!) The best part of the dish was the short ribs. Super soft and sort of fatty tasting, but not in a gross way, in a really yummy way. We also really liked the chorizo sausage. The flap tastes good, but was a little tougher than the other meat. The beef sweetbread and blood sausage were different, a little bit of an odd texture, but still good.

Came on a Thursday evening with reservations. Its an intimate steakhouse with mostly candle…read morelighting to create a moody atmosphere. For appetizers I got 2 spinach&cheese empanadas and the provoleta. The empanadas were loaded and packed with flavor. The chimichurri sauce they came with was refreshing! The provoleta is roasted cheese so its really hard to go wrong there. The red pepper was a nice touch. I got a ensalada Tango Sur and the ingredients were fresh topped with a tasty vinaigrette. For my entree I got the Vacio. Wow I have not had such tender flap meat! The caper-white win vesuvio sauce really complimented the steak with such a deep flavor. My steak was cooked to my liking well also. The sweet potatoes that came with it melted in my mouth and were loaded with the caper sauce. I will say if you are particular about salt, this dish was on the saltier side but for me it was just right. The staff was friendly and helpful with the different options they offered. This is a great place for a date night, special occasion or just wonderful steak!