Amazing experience. Great location and view. Excellent food. But most important, exceptional staff. Ray (guest reception) and Brittany (server) made the difference. I tried to reserve for a long time, but due to irregular professional committment i cannot book 2+ weeks in advance. So this weekend we decided to go hoping for a cancellation and a table to open. Ray reception was warm, helpful. He had us wait on the side and promsied to come with a solution. He worked hard and gained a new customer that will come back, promised. And he did, we had great time sitting outside between the main restaurant and the terrace. Brittany and the other staff, despite the restaurant being packed explained us the menue, and the food and drinks and desert (strawberry millefeuille) were excellent, and efficiently served while we watched the Yachts and boats docking at the pier, and being served on their boats. A free additional spectacle. Thank you Ray, thank you all for hosting us. read more

Difficult to get reservation, but sooo worth it once you're here! Everything we ordered at NAIA was delicious, especially the Wagyu Lettuce wraps that had a nice peppered crust. You can't beat the views along the river, and the softly lit interior at night. We can't wait to come back! read more

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Extraordinary restaurant! Everything about it was amazing. Our server was Mariana and she was very attentive, top notch service. Our meals and cocktails were outstanding!!! The Manager Juan came to our table to welcome us, check in during our dining, and then treated my daughter to their pistachio espresso martini for her birthday!! We tipped the water waiter too cuz he was so great! All around amazing experience at NAIA!! read more

This was my first time at Naia, and we had a great experience! We had a reservation, and luckily my friend, who is a Gold member on OpenTable, had set a priority notification and we finally managed to get a table. We got a booth right by the river, and OMG, the views were stunning! We went for brunch, and the beautiful weather made it even better. Our server was great and the service throughout was really good. For drinks, we ordered Nomia, Dirty Martini, Smoke on Water, and Strawberry Spritz. I absolutely loved the Smoke on Water! For food, we tried the chicken kefta, Lebanese salad, spreads, and Santorini Lemoni. The labneh was definitely our favorite spread, and the pita was sooo good! The salad was equally good. I couldn't imagine pasta with lemon, but my friend tried the Santorini Lemoni and loved it. Overall, a really nice brunch spot with good food, great service, and amazing river views. Definitely worth visiting, especially when the weather is nice! read more

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This was a double treat for me. First of all, I had no idea this place even existed, so I'm glad a friend recommended it. But they didn't just recommend the restaurant. They suggested we take a trip along the lake and river and arrive at the restaurant by boat rather than simply walking through the front door. I have to say, if you ever have the opportunity to pull up to a restaurant waterside and be served delicious food while sitting on a boat, please do yourself a favor and do it. It feels luxurious. It feels pampered. And somehow, it feels just a little bit forbidden. Now, on to the food. It was DELICIOUS! I decided to splurge and ordered the steak, and it was excellent. We also had the crispy rice, which had just the right flavor and texture to start the meal. Honestly, I don't have anything bad to say about the food or the experience. Even the servers were patient and wonderful while serving us on the boat, which only added to the feeling that we were doing something a little special. All I can say is, if you get the chance, take a nice trip down the Chicago River, enjoy the city from the water, and make this restaurant part of the experience. It's definitely a Chicago moment worth having. read more

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Not sure if the rating should be 3 or 4 stars. No question, 4 stars for the food! Absolutely delicious. From the hummus to the burger to the meat skewers. I'd also give 4 stars for location. Right on the river. The 3 stars, possibly 2 go to service and cocktail menu. Our reservation was for 12:30, we were seated at 1:00. They were nice enough to suggest we spend more money and have a drink at the bar. They should have bought our drinks. They did give us a free hummus platter. Would you believe they didn't have the ingredients to make me a Bloody Mary. I'll leave it at that. My second drink I ordered before my meal. The rum and coke arrived after my burger. Pull it together NAIA. read more

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Naia delivered an exceptional dining experience. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, the service was attentive and welcoming, and every detail felt thoughtfully executed. The food was beautifully presented and packed with flavor, with an extensive Mediterranean menu that offered plenty of options for different dietary needs. I especially appreciated how accommodating they were with allergies, making it easy to enjoy the meal with confidence. Overall, a fantastic restaurant that exceeded expectations. I'd highly recommend Naia to anyone looking for a special meal in Chicago. read more

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Food: 5/5 Experience: 3/5 Had reservations for 11:45am on a Saturday and was seated at one of the coveted riverfront booths. Not the move on a sunny 80+ degree day in Chicago. There was little to no shade and my party of 7 was packed like sardines in the booth. We were sweaty and eventually sunburnt. The food was our saving grace and everything was delicious. We had the bazaar board, tableside hummus, tuna and crab crispy rice, chicken schnitzel, yellowtail crudo, blue fin carpaccio, charred octopus, all the skewers, the branzino, and spicy crab linguine. The service could've been better and I am still traumatized from the sweaty Saturday experience, but I would go back for the food once I recover from the sunburn. Reservations are hard to come by but the restaurant was practically empty when we got there. I wonder if it's easier just to walk in? read more

Hottest/hardest reservation to snag right now but I set an alarm for midnight for the drop 2 weeks in advance. Booked for a girls brunch/lunch Saturday at 11:45 am. Upon checkin, there was already a line just to check in and patron were just starting to slowly fill in. Honestly it was kinda empty when we arrived but it was early so they really do have reservations but seems to have some openings for walkins since a family was told to finish in 45 min. Since we were one of the first to arrive we were not given any option to dine indoors or outdoors which was a major unfortunate dining experience for us as the sun was beaming badly and blindly. We tried to ask for indoors prior to anyone else arriving & they said they cannot since there's reservations. I mean we also had a reservation too... Also we were squish as hell with 7 girls in the booth. The hostess could have been more welcoming and friendly. Server was nice but mostly MIA. Busser was amazing. Here you're actually paying for ambience and some of the food were actually pretty decent but the price point value was not really fair, it's overpriced. Our table did family style to share a bit of everything Tuna Crispy Rice - Weak, don't get Spicy Crab Linguine - Just ok All the Skewers - Oyster Mushroom was surprisingly really good, Wagyu Beef also another fav. Lamb & Chicken were my least favorite since they were more ground meat versus chunks Whole Branzino - Actually good but pricy Charred Octopus - Another fav Chicken Schnitzel- Tender, juicy and pretty huge Spread - Truffle Honey (fav) & others were less memorable Food is actually decent but just the experience and service were just not so great. We were so uncomfortable that were in such a rush to leave again server no where to be found read more

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I had my reservations about coming to Naia based on the fact so many Tiktok folks were gushing over it, but Latrice A suggested we meet there to try their Happy Hour. I am just going to say that the one thing that made me happy was Seeing Latrice A. Overall experience was not one to make me come back for a second visit. Let me start out with the pros: aesthetically , the space is beautiful, inside and out. The booths on the river as well as the view from the bar is gorgeous. The pita bread was very good, nice and soft, but at a cost of $4 when you ask for an extra piece. The Spicy Feta was absolutely great and that red color was on point. The Crispy Potato Fritters were lovely with that french onion dip and sumac. Latrice A ordered both dishes and they were so good, I decided to get myself an order as well as an order of Saganaki. After the food, the rest was downhill for me. Service was not good at all. It took a while to get the bartender's attention to get a drink (Jessica and another gentleman). As we are on the clock for Happy Hour, I expected quicker service so patrons get get their money's worth but the service was not there. The removal of empty glasses and plates was not done until I asked for them to be removed. There was a busser behind the bar who was extremely helpful, so I tipped him well as he cleared out our space at the bar for us. There was a couple sitting next to me who were also talking about how slow the service was as well. They were there before I arrived, so not sure how long they had been sitting there. I placed an order for an additional Spicy Feta with extra pita, Crispy Potato Fritters and Saganaki. The Spicy Feta never showed up but an order of pita bread showed up as well as the potatoes and Saganaki. I discovered after the fact that I was charged $4 for the pita bread and was charged for a regular order of Saganaki at $17 instead of the Happy Hour price at $9. Latrice A ordered the Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice for $5 and that was so small! I was going to order it but once I saw hers, I passed. I noticed that on the regular menu, this dish goes for $11 because you are getting two bites. Looking at the piece on the plate, definitely not good value for money. The only reason I could come back here would be for riverside seat, drinks and that Spicy Feta and Crispy Potatoes, but I am sure that would be enough to get me seat on the river. read more

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Vibes Vibes Vibes Had dinner here last week. We arrived earlier than our reservation to enjoy the bar scene first. Decided to stay at the bar. Had a margarita and shared a bottle of wine. Munched on the delicious bazaar board that consisted of SPICY FETA , CHARRED EGGPLANT, BEET TZATZIKI and TRUFFLE HONEY LABNEH spreads, pita, crudité, pickled vegetables. SO DARN GOOD!! We were so full that we didn't try other dishes. Definitely coming back. read more

NAIA - Bazaar Board - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

WOW!!!!!! I hosted a business dinner here and was thoroughly impressed!!! The atmosphere is incredible, it feels like Ibiza or Greece and is very fancy! Gorgeous inner decor and beautiful table settings! YAZ was our waitress and she was phenomenal!! So attentive and so quick with the drinks we downed! We ordered quite a lot and I would get everything again, except the pasta ( it was good just not necessary)! I attached a photo of everything we got and this is the way to do it! Some MUST orders below: Honey labneh Charred eggplant dip Lamb chops YELLOWTAIL CRUDO ( this was the dish of the night) Wagyu beef crispy rice Strawberry dessert They even brought out sparklers with our dessert which was the perfect end to a beautiful gorgeous delicious night! I am dying to come back to NAIA to repeat the above items and get some more delicious food! We went out afterwards and I left my leftovers at the bar and am still in mourning as I write this! SOOO GOOD! Sooo worth the hype! read more

NAIA - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We had a wonderful experience at Naia! I was able to book a reservation for lunch exactly 2 weeks in advance at midnight. The demand is high here, since it's fairly new and right along the river. We arrived a about ten minutes early and were seated outside. Perfect vibes and location on the river. For my drink, I went with an Americano. We tried the four spreads which was served with pickled vegetables and pita bread, these spreads did not disappoint, I would order this again. We then had the saganaki which is the fried cheese that they light on fire right at your table, YUM! We tried the skewers, both the chicken and the Wagyu with a side of green rice. Service, location and food were all great for us. We will be back. read more

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It's all Greek to me!! Fabulous fun new spot on riverfront in Chicago. We came for lunch. Definitely wish we could have gotten a table on riverfront, but the inside is lovely and very vibey. We loved the spicy feta and hummus. Also tried the chicken shawarma which was solid for lunch. We were celebrating a birthday, and staff was so kind to celebrate with dessert with us. Cocktails were also so yummy! Highly recommend! read more

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Finally made it to Naia over the weekend! Very beautiful place with great views. The host wasn't very friendly but our server was great! Now for the food, I tried the hummus, the roasted half chicken and the spicy crab linguine. The spicy crab linguine was so good! They have a nice cocktail list, and I tried the strawberry spritz. It was refreshing! Overall, a good spot on the riverwalk! read more

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This was a wonderful birthday dinner. The ambiance places you right into Greece. The food was delicious. Each dish was well seasoned and fresh! This is a place where you truly enjoy original food. The Bazaar Board, Skewers and Banana Date Cake is a must! Service from Mary was delightful. She had such high energy! Naia is perfect for any occasion. They also have private rooms for events. You can't beat the stunning views on the river read more

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Came with low expectations... located along the Chicago River, I thought possibly for overpriced food for mediocre food. However, it was a lot better than I expected. We were 5 minutes late to our reservation so I was running to get to the venue between the stairs and the entrance. We were welcomed with an Aperol Spritz bar and asked if we wanted to order one, but I was in a rush to walk in to the restaurant to walk in before losing my reservation (can you feel my stress?). Looking back, perhaps I should've ordered a drink and walk in casually-- but there's always a next time for that, right? It's one of the hardest reservation in Chicago since its opening. I expected it to be a full house, but there were many empty tables; venue is rather large and it's a far walk from one end to the other end. I went on a Saturday afternoon and it was airy with the wind flow, the weather was perfect, and it was not too noisy inside. Many were having drinks in the bar area or dining in the patio. The vibes are exactly what you'd expect. The drinks we ordered were Espresso Martini, Nomia, Gold Fashioned, and Apricot Limoncello Spritz. Charred octopus was ok. We really enjoyed Crab Yiouvetsi- the orso and curry flavor was really tasty. We ordered a 2nd one. We ordered a spread and ordered extra pita (yum)! Natalie was super friendly, attentive, and helpful with our ordering. Would I go back? Absolutely!! read more

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Naia was absolutely amazing--some of the best food I've had recently! Every course was delicious, flavorful, juicy, and beautifully prepared. We genuinely enjoyed everything from start to finish, including the cocktails, which were just as impressive. The service was excellent, the space was gorgeous, and sitting right along the river made the experience even better. We walked in for happy hour and got lucky enough to snag a riverside table! The atmosphere is sexy and perfect for date night, but my friend and I also had an amazing girls' night out. This place is a must-visit. We will absolutely be back--by any means necessary! Get there! read more

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Location! Location! Location! Love a restaurant on the Chicago River. Sitting outside allows you to experience some of the most breathtaking views the city has to offer. Once seated, happy to receive water right away as the stroll from Michigan Ave. had me a bit parched. I was not offered nor did I receive anything else for thirteen minutes. I had to grab the attention of the hostess as she walked past me. She did apologize and said someone would be right over. Another six minutes passed. My water was refilled. A very enthusiastic Richie appeared at my table and apologized for my server not being here. He asked if I needed a minute. As long as it took to get a reservation, I had already looked at the menu. As long as it took to get someone to my table, I better know exactly what to order. I did start with a cocktail; apricot lemoncello spritz. Very summery, very refreshing. I ordered the sliced wagyu. The chicken schnitzel is topped and sliced table side, it was delicious. The potatoes were amazing and banana date cake was decadent. I understand when restaurants first open there are kinks that need to be ironed out. Waiting as long as I did without any service is unacceptable. Of course, I'll return sometime in the future, I am interested in the table side hummus experience. read more

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There are many reasons why NAIA is the hottest Mediterranean restaurant in Chicago right now and reservations are hard to get! Their location on the Chicago Riverfront with the spectacular Architectural buildings surrounding both sides of the river, popular tour boats floating by, brave kayakers rowing past, smaller boats racing thru and not hitting anyone, large Fire boats sailing by, and various lovely birds flying over all of it to add to the splendor for all of the guests. Not only the location, but also their food and service is great! It's an amazing place to eat at. We tried for several weeks before our trip to get reservations but couldn't get them. So, we decided to be walk-ins. Luck was with us and we got a highly valued booth closest to the river. We were thrilled! Our server was Rosselin, who was so nice, very attentive, and very knowledgeable about the menu. We started with refreshing cocktails, the Strawberry Spritz for me, and a Pinot Grigio for my daughter. We both ordered the delicious Crispy Potatoes with labneh, pickled onions and oregano. For our main dish, we chose Chicken Thigh on a Skewer with ladolemonu. It was great! Our dessert was the Baklava Soft Serve, also very good. Rosselin checked on us quite a few times to make sure all was well. She made us feel special and we appreciated her style of service. Just a short note for those who cannot use stairs, there is an elevator that can take you down stairs to the hostess desk. It is by the valet service outside. We enjoyed our visit at NAIA and definitely will go back on our next trip! read more

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This was our second attempt at coming to NAIA. On our first attempt, we were called as we were on our way and told that there was an issue in the kitchen and they were shutting it down. We had to reschedule our reservation and were finally able to try it a couple of weeks later. This place gets really busy at the bar. However, there were multiple empty tables when we walked in even tho there weren't any available reservations. Seems like maybe they are trying to hype it up artificially. Started off with tuna crispy rice... or so we ordered. They brought out the spicy crab crispy rice. We pointed out immediately that it was not what we ordered. It took the waitress a while to come back and said that she "misheard us." No big deal as they were similar price and we had no allergies. We tried it and honestly it was not great. Would not order the crab. We also got the Yellowtail Crudo. It was okay. It was a little lacking in flavor. Just didn't hit the mark. For the last appetizer, we got the Tableside Hummus. I have had better hummus to be honest. The hummus base was just not what we expected for this restaurant. A little disappointed in that but the toppings and experience definitely saved it. Would order again with different expectations than what we came in with. For drinks, I ordered the Smoke on the Water If you like mezcal, you will like this! It is not actually spicy tho so if you order it thinking it will be, you'll be a little disappointed. But the flavor was good and I would order it again. We ordered the Swordfish and Greek rice to share as an entree. This was delicious. Minus one point because l think the fish could have used more seasoning. The rice was really good. Would recommend and order again. For dessert, we got the banana date cake. DELICIOUS. Better than the Trivoli Tavern date cake imo. It nothing else, would come back just for this. AMUST TRY. Overall, I would come back because of the feel of the place and the entree and dessert. The decor made it feel like a little escape imo. Drinks were good. Appetizers were disappointing. Service was mediocre. read more

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Caleb's service was amazing! He kept an eye on us as we were scoping out seats and helped get us seated as quickly as folks were up. He was so warm and attentive throughout our experience and assisting staff were equally wonderful and warm! We started with the Yellowtail Crudo and wagyu crispy rice. They were incredible! The wagyu was perfect and decadent. The dipping sauce was flavorful and accented this bite deliciously. The crudo was unique! Loved the crispies and sauce it was served in. I added a dash of lime juice for extra zest. The Tahini Caesar was so fresh and crispy! I LOVED the lettuce and dressing! I would have preferred bigger, juice tomatos and feta added, but otherwise this was simply perfection. We also enjoyed sharing a lamb skewer with side of Greek rice. Both were great. The lamb was a bit too well-done for my taste but still good. Finally, we ended with the Tuna Carpaccio. This was probably the least 'wow' of the set. Overall it was a bit bland and didn't stand out despite very unique accents to the dish. Nevertheless, the overall experience was fantastic! Just a headsup, they don't accept cash so be sure to take a back-up option. Beautiful views of the riverfront and boats passing while you dine here. read more

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My girlfriend and I came for lunch on a weekday right before opening and was able to grab a table easily without a reservation. The location by the river is unbeatable and although we were unable to grab an outdoor spot, the indoor table had decent views. We shared the Bazaar board, Grilled Zucchini, and Chicken Skewers. I wasn't a huge fan of the skewers because some of the pieces were overcooked, but everything else tasted pretty good, especially the zucchini. The Bazaar board consisting a spread of spicy feta, charred eggplant, beet tzatziki, and labneh was good but not amazing. The servers were attentive and kind. It's a great new addition to the riverfront and especially lovely for the summer time. read more

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We came here randomly for date night after walking down the river walk. They were booked for table service but we sat at the bar for cocktails. The bartender Caleb was so kind and noticed we were standing and gave us the heads up that the couple sitting in front of us was about to leave. We were able to snag seats rather quickly with his courtesy alert. He didn't have to do that but this place felt so much better with his kindness. Great selection of whiskey including Macallan. We were only popping in for just a drink but since the bartender was so nice we stayed for a quick appetizer, too. We have a booking for tomorrow so we didn't want to order too much and decided on just one drink and an appetizer. I had a gold fashioned which was perfection! It had the perfect hint of medjool date demerara and cardamom undertones. I don't even like regular old fashioned anymore after this one! We also had the Saganaki appetizer where they lit the fire the traditional way right at the bar and then cut the cheese up for us which was nice. It was delicious! Our bartender made sure we were comfortable even though the bar is first come first serve. Will see how the experience goes when I return for a full meal but great experience at the bar so far! read more

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Needless to say the phone did eat first however I did take a photo of our plate. And the dessert at the end. My friend actually had to show up and go in person to get this reservation so this was definitely long anticipated. We got a seat right by the water, which is a must if you're going here and it's this hard to get a reservation. You have to try your absolute hardest to get that spot. All of the food was good. The entrée is the apps everything I will say the only drawback was I think they're still ironing out some kinks with service and getting the table bussed in a timely Manor and like switching out our cutlery and plates prior to other courses, but other than that, the wine was great. The drinks were great. The vibes are great. I think I will give this another try when things have been ironed out a little bit read more

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The hype is not real. Skip it, but if curiosity gets the better of you and you must see for yourself I recommend combing through reviews to find out what is good here. The good - the space is beautiful and the views of the Chicago River are really stellar. The service is fine - nothing to write home about. The most important part - the food - was lackluster. The restaurant should be called Heavy because everything was so oily and salty. I've never seen plain white rice doused in so much oil. I tried the spicy tuna crispy rice, which was super oily and didn't taste like much. Next came the chicken thigh "on a skewer." It was a presented as a lumpy log and had the texture and taste of a hot dog - and not the good kind. When we ordered it our waitress was really pushing the sauces to go with it, and I see why now. However, the turkish dumplings were really good. It was a tiny portion and the red chili oil was not necessary, but after that unappetizing chicken it was a nice surprise how good this was. We ended with the baklava frozen yogurt which was excellent. This was the star by far - it tasted like proper yogurt and the nuts and crispy toppings were super yum. Needless to say I did not care much for my meal here. To be fair I didn't try the dips or mains. Maybe those are good, maybe not, but I'm not willing to go back and try. read more

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Came in without a reservation on a Monday night - visiting for a weekend girls trip. Found two seats at the bar immediately. First impression walking down the stairs was that it was gorgeous!!!! Jen our bartender was excellent and her recommendations made our night perfect. We started with the tahini ceasar & honey labneh, then the crab falafel, lamb skewer and crab pasta per her recommendations. Everything was excellent. Quality was obvious and flavors were out of control! Will definitely be talking about this for a while reminiscing on the trip. read more

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Beautiful location on the water in downtown Chicago. So glad we snagged a reservation for a large group a couple of weeks prior. The wait of walk-ins was long. Restaurant is nicely appointed. You'll have multiple servers tending to you to pour water, clear plates, take orders and bring food. We did the skewers for all with the sauces, which gives you all the skewered: chicken, wagyu steak, lamb, swordfish, and oyster mushroom. Delicious! We added the Greek rice and chicken schnitzel. Everyone enjoyed their cocktails.: Nomia, Lumia and Argolis cocktails. Can't go wrong with a Cadillac margarita. I can understand why NAIA is so popular. read more

NAIA - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Vibes are amazing and so is the service! I love the food here, the branzino is amazing! The spreads are great and so is the table side hummus! Idk if there's anything we had that wasn't a hit!! I also loved the Turkish dumplings! And their banana date cake is incredible!! read more

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Beautiful riverside restaurant! The vibe is unlike any other restaurant in Chicago. They have two big bars if you just want to stop by for drinks. Walk-ins are welcome, however I wouldn't suggest that on the weekends. They may not be able to accommodate you on a weekend without a reservation. Some of the dishes like the carpaccio were delicious while some were a miss like the crispy crab rice. The cocktails were pretty good. This is a great spot for the summers! read more

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If you're looking for Chicago's ultimate new riverfront spot, we just lunched at NAIA, and the vibes here are unmatched. First up, the stunning patio looks straight at Chicago River, complete with front-row seats to the water. We started with their ice-cold, crystal-clear martinis--perfect for a sunny afternoon. For the food, you have to order these incredible skewers topped with vibrant green herbs, followed by their legendary charred octopus with its perfect smoky finish, and a side of ultra-crispy potatoes. Wrapping it all up with premier boat-watching and gorgeous city views, this is officially my new favorite summer hangout! read more

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Definitely recommend making a reservation, but you can walk in. It is a very large venue, open concept, clean with great views even if you are inside. We didn't have a reservation and it was a bit crowded just to put your name on the waitlist, but staff was very friendly. I think this was the first week for lunch and our wonderful waitress, Mel was able to give us wonderful explanations of the menu with great recommendations. We started with the yellowtail crudo and spicy tuna crispy rice. Both were amazing. Tuna has a bit of a kick and the yellowtail was perfection, I could have eaten 2. Then we had truffle honey tabneh and eggplant spread with pita both were great. Truffle honey tabneh was a balance of sweetness to the cheese spread with pine nuts as a great addition. The eggplant had a great smoky favor. For a main we ordered the crispy hot honey chicken sandwich with spicy fries. Definitely had a kick. The chicken was nice and crispy not overpowered by the hot honey. The sandwich had a spicy aioli and slaw that brought added flavor and texture to the sandwich. We also had the oyster mushroom skewer which was really good. Nice flavor, a little greasy, but not overly greasy and didn't take away from the flavor. read more

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If you Googled "Instagram worthy restaurants in Chicago" this would be at the top of the list. I came here with a group of 6 for a buddy's birthday. Instead of sitting outside, we opted for indoors and the space is beautiful. The location, ambiance, everything they're doing here was done right. After we were seated promptly, we went straight to work on the drinks. I had three different cocktails, and each one seemed to get better. I forget the name of the strawberry one, but all I can say is it was excellent; very refreshing. Then I went with the Oaxacan old fashioned, and that was stellar. To finish up, I went with an espresso martini and it didn't miss. Now let's talk food: due to the group size, I tried ~8 dishes. The steak, octopus, and brazino all stood out. That said, everything I tried was pretty good; there was nothing that I didn't like. For dessert I had a strawberry dish that was good (very light) but the star is that sticky date cake... My goodness that was legit. I definitely recommend this spot. read more

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Went to NAIA in Chicago for lunch and the ambiance was a 10/10. Even on a Monday, there wasn't a single table available outside, so this is definitely a popping spot! I ordered the chicken kebab and honestly, it was not at all what I was expecting. I pictured the traditional kebab with diced, seasoned pieces of chicken, but it came out more like a long chicken sausage or log. And while I do like chicken sausage, I'm perfectly happy eating that at home for lunch. At a fancy restaurant, I was expecting something a little more elevated. The zucchini was definitely the highlight . It came with this surprise sauce that was almost hummus-like, although I don't think it was actually hummus. Whatever it was, it was delicious and added a lot of flavor. Overall, I might give NAIA another try and order something different, but I can confidently say I would never order the chicken kebab again. The atmosphere alone is worth checking out, though! read more

NAIA - Chicken skewer - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Such a beautiful restaurant, in a perfect location, with delicious food! Dining by the water surrounded by beautiful architecture and docking boats is just such a wonderful summertime experience. Must try items: ALL the Crispy Rice options (wagyu, crab, and tuna), Santorini Limoni, Spicy Crab Linguine, and that Pistachio soft serve ice cream...just so delicious! read more

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Came here on a Tuesday night. It was a busy night along the riverfront. The energy level was pretty high. The decor looks beautiful and ambience is amazing. The service was wonderful. We ordered couple of drinks from their cocktail hour (4-5:30p) menu before our reservation and it was delicious. We ordered the chicken schnitzel even thought it's under the app but it's big enough as an entree size. We order their wagyu steak skewer and some app. to share. It was plenty and delicious. read more

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Social media got me here tiktok.I was so excited after I saw some influencers post their food and the views period. My friend and I wanted to partake in happy hour.And I got there a little bit before four p m. Happy hour starts at 4 PM. And closed at 5:30, we had Jessica. As our server, Jessica was sick, coughing all over the place into her hand into her shirt, serving drinks, and I believe that it was very unsanitary. I didn't see any hand sanitizer. I didn't see her wash her hands. I had to remove my drink straw because she's touching the straws and placing them in the drink. With her making the drinks, I was very nervous about catching some unnecessary germs. Jessica definitely had an attitude in my opinion. She never once asked, can she get anything else for us. But she asks it to other patrons who were different from us. I would just say that she acted like she had an attitude.I tried to give her my trash.She had an attitude.She didn't want to take the trash.She had an attitude every time we wanted to order something.I was actually trying to get a gentleman to give him my order.Because I just did not want her as I bartender and our server, and if it had to be a choice about coming back, I would not.The customer service was subpar to food was just okay.Micro size bites on the happy hour menu and I would not go there for a full dinner.experience The prices are not in comparison on what you actually get.Definitely overhyped !Because it's new, I guess, mediterranean, and on the river walk. read more

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Wow, such a perfect restaurant choice for our anniversary. It was a hot day, but they found us an inside table with a great river view. We started with the spicy feta that had just the right amount of heat. My husband enjoyed the pita served with it and they brought me veggies due to my gluten free needs. I had the chicken dish and my husband enjoyed the swordfish. Our sides were equally tasty. I had the charred Broccolli. Not even sure what the sauce was, but it had a lot of flavor. My husband said the Greek rice was very good. Our server Nicki was very attentive and helpful in considering my need for gluten free. Highly recommend! read more

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TLDR: worth the hype if you have a reservation, can sit outside to enjoy the views, and go with multiple people to share a variety of dishes. NAIA is dineamic's newest Greek/Mediterranean restaurant alongside the river. It's of course gorgeous and definitely the place to be. When places are overly saturated from IG / Tik Tok, people come in with very high expectations or just want to hate and harp on how expensive the place is, but I sincerely felt like my experience matched the hype. Yes, you can get other Greek food elsewhere for a lot cheaper, but you come here for the whole experience. Take the stairs down and you will instantly feel like you're in Miami or Mykonos. There's first come first served seating at the bar (quite limited), and a tad bit of standing room outside with the view. If you don't have a reservation, be prepared to wait. Luckily the drinks are SO GOOD so I'm sure waiting won't be that bad. It's a huge space and if you can sit outside, do it. But there aren't bad seats inside. The interior is thoughtfully decorated to match an upscale beach house in Greece. Naia doesn't become a club after 11. NAIA definitely leans more on the restaurant vibe. Drinks are incredible. The smoke on the water was highly recommended and it did not disappoint. Perfectly mixed and you'll keep wanting to order it. Favorite bite highlights: -waygu skewers and the Waygu lettuce wraps (the accompanying Levantine giardineira is just next level) -truffle honey labneh spread (everyone recommended this and they were on point. It's not too truffle overpowering and it was balanced, smooth, and the most unique) -beet tzatziki spread (I loved the texture) -charred octopus (cooked to perfection) Meh: -chicken Kefta (wish we just ordered more waygu skewers). By no means it was bad or dry, just wasn't as rich and juicy as the Waygu -i myself wasn't a fan of the doughnuts, but my whole table LOVED them. They're on the more dense side imo Our server Kevin was a gem. Very friendly and was spot on with all of his recs. Claire is also the BEST. 10000% will be back again and again. read more

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Update: I came back to finally try out the restaurant and was glad it was actually open. We got a table on the outdoor patio and enjoyed the smoke on the water cocktail. This was delicious and refreshing. Service was pretty quick. We got the spicy feta upon recommendation - this was tasty with the delicious warm pita bread (but unfortunately only comes with one). The crudite vegetables were nice and refreshing with this. The spicy tuna crispy rice was the best of the dishes and so flavorful. The ceasar salad was tasty as well. The lamb skewer however was not a skewer and instead a sausage that came with giardinera. We did not finish this nor particularly like it. I also had the Cadillac margarita, which wasn't great so I traded with my friend's espresso martini which was much better. Overall, the view and service were great to make up for the past experience. The food was delicious with the exception of the skewer - I'd skip this next time and order more things to try! read more

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