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 visited on a Friday for drinks after a conference. The ambiance was elevated yet chill. I…read moreinitially ordered the Mercado Margarita--it tasted divine, and the presentation was beautiful. Happy hour started shortly after I arrived, and after such a great first drink, I wasn't as impressed with the happy hour margarita. The guacamole was good, and the swordfish dip (an elevated take on tuna salad) was delicious. The staff was attentive and friendly and although our server switched due to our timing being at shift change they never missed a beat. It did however take a longer than expected to receive our drinks considering it wasn't packed. All in all, I'd definitely visit again.

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!

Best meal ever. Service was amazing, we had a group dinner with a custom menu. Every single dish…read morewas absolutely amazing. My favorites were the stracciatella, chaufa aeropuerto, and cebiche clasico.

I had so high hopes for this place and maybe that's why I was a bit disappointed, because I was…read moremaybe expecting too much and it was just ok. The host to being with was the worse. She sat us down, brought 1 menu ( we were 2) and said she'd be back with the other ( and we are still waiting ) her phone was more important so she never gave us a second menu. The waitress talked like she didn't have a voice ( SO hard to even understand what she was saying) Food overall was good ( nothing to die for) Ceviches were delicious at least. Ambience good although when we got there there was only 1 more table, but I guess it gets better when it gets busier. Overall a good place, but there are other great Peruvian places in the city to try before coming back here

Yesterday was my wife and I 21 anniversary and the chefs table didn't let us down, the food was…read moreamazing service was outstanding he made a custom menu just for us because my wife don't eat red meat and it was still amazing. I just want to thank the chef for an Amazing experience Thankyou.

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 ;)

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.

I have been here at least 4 times now and the food is delicious! I'll be coming back!read more

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.

We decided to celebrate my coworker's retirement here, and wow... we are so glad we did!…read more The restaurant is spacious, and the reserved table on the patio was exactly what our group needed. It made for the perfect setting to relax and celebrate. I especially want to recognize our server, Sarah. She mentioned she'd only been working there a short time, but you never would have guessed it. She was friendly, attentive, and incredibly accommodating. Even while she was busy, she made it a point to stop by every few minutes to make sure our drinks were full and everyone had what they needed. That's what great service looks like, and she absolutely earned the extra tip we gave her. The Shishito Peppers with Oaxaca cheese were outstanding! They had just the right amount of heat--enough to add flavor without overwhelming the dish. They were so good that I've already gone back just for that appetizer and a beer! The food overall was excellent, and the prices felt fair. Happy hour is definitely where it's at if you're looking for a great value. One of this place's best-kept secrets is The Alderman, their hidden lounge. Walking in feels like stepping into a classy 1930s speakeasy. It's dark, elegant, full of character, and the atmosphere is simply incredible. If you appreciate that old-school vibe, you'll absolutely love it. I honestly felt like I was born in the wrong era! Parking can be a little challenging since it's mostly metered, but for about $5 for two hours, it's well worth it. This place easily earns one of my very rare 5-star reviews. Great food, outstanding service, a beautiful atmosphere, and a hidden lounge that makes the experience even more memorable. I'll definitely be back.

It was my first time eating at this place, and everything was just absolutely delicious…read more I had my eye and the burger, and it was exactly what I thought. It would be beyond amazing.. The fries, the drinks, the ambience, the artwork, the people, the environment. The only thing that I had a problem with was looking for parking.

This was one of those places we kept passing, with a "I wonder how that place is . . . " until the…read moreday we went "Let's try it!" JUST GREAT! We popped in for a couple of apps and drinks. The spicy margarita was top notch - very tasty. All the cocktails were! The food - Latin restaurants worth their salt are typically great at grilled meat, and this place is no exception. So . . . TOSTONES! And WOW were they tasty. I particularly liked the sauces that went along with them - a spicy hot sauce, chimichurri and another salsa (?). No matter, they were all tangy and delicious. Empanadas - something I always love. These were great. We got a few apps, and that was enough food for two for a light dinner. The staff was really friendly, adorable and welcoming. The people who work here are just fantastic, really adds to the experience. Ambiance is great - a nice bar area, which is where I always like to sit. A larger room for parties, and a smallish dining room. Recommended!

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.