Last night my wife and I stepped into The Dearborn and had an amazing dinning experience. It was an…read moreatmosphere of comfort and charm. The service was outstanding. Our dinner guide, Nicholas, was superb. Very knowledgeable about the menu and suggested two perfect spirits from the bar. My wife had the Irish old fashion which was excellent. I had a vodka Gimlet, which also was superb. Palate pleasing! The meal was absolutely enjoyable. I enjoyed the Curry Chicken. The thigh meat was tender and succulent. The curry was sweet and creamy. It came with pita bread which added to the dinning experience. Just wonderfully enjoyable. My wife enjoyed the Fish and Chips which beat Bobby Flay. True words from the menu. Wife said if was the best fish and chips she has ever had. Then came the dessert. Now I asked Nicolas and he suggested Pavlova and Blood Orange. Which lead me to survey Margaret and she suggested Sticky toffee date cake. After a friendly jostling back and forth of desert knowledge Greg the Maitre-d made also suggested the Sticky toffee. Both came and to be honest both were outstanding. Excellent choices. All and all this was a great dinning experience from beginning to end. We will return next time we are in Chicago.

Absolutely delicious! I went with friends to celebrate my birthday and had a wonderful time. We had…read morean assortment of appetizers, drinks, meals and desserts and everything exceed our expectations. Everyone was beyond friendly and the food...sooo good. I shall dream about their chocolate cake. Definitely recommend you give this restaurant a try- you won't regret it!

The Purple Pig has risen to be my absolute favorite restaurant I've had the joy of eating at in…read moreChicago. After coming back to the city almost a decade later, I knew I wanted to have a meal here. The best way to eat a meal here is to share all the dishes with friends. Sage Gimlet (5/5) - I started my meal with a refreshing sage gimlet that was a strong but well balanced cocktail. Roasted Bone Marrow (5/5) - I 100% would recommend getting this appetizer to start off the meal. The marrow was perfectly roasted and paired so well with the jam and salad. Roasted Beets (5/5) - If you love beets, get this salad. The flavors were so well balanced and I really liked the fried balls of goat cheese. Agnolotti (5/5) - This pasta was amazing!! The short rib and bone marrow with the fresh pasta still makes my mouth water. Scallops (5/5) - These scallops were perfectly cooked. The crispy prosciutto was a tad on the salty side. I honestly love the energy and the flavor bomb this restaurant packs. I can't wait until I'm back in the city and can dine here again.

This was one of the best food experiences I have had in my life. I'm so glad I was able to reserve…read moretwo seats at the bar. Walking to the location, my friend and I discussed the various dishes we would like to try. In hindsight, I'm grateful for the walk because it helped make room for the dishes we would try. When we entered, we immediately were seated and greeted by Omar. His knowledge of the menu helped us focus on our dishes. We ended up ordering: squid ink chitarra, agnolotti, salt- roasted beets, pork belly, and gelato. Each dish was better than the next. The brown butter and red wine jus used for the agnolotti was addictive and the squid ink was delectable. Who knew salt- roasted beets could taste out of this world? Not me. We ended with a glass of limoncello and champagne to accompany our vanilla gelato. I'm already looking forward to my next visit.

My wife and I live in Seattle. But when we come to Chicago to revisit some of our old stomping…read moregrounds, Boka is, without question, on our list of places to revisit and reminisce. Hands down, and I don't say this lightly - Boka is one of my favorite restaurants in the country. I don't think it's too wild to say it may certainly be my FAVORITE restaurant in the US of A. This past week was my second pilgrimage to Boka, and I was stoked as ever. We ordered some non-alcoholic drinks, a few appetizers, and our entrees (duck and black truffle chicken). We had a nice discussion with the waiter and shared our enthusiasm and excitement with him. We shared that this was our return to my safe culinary haven, and I was prepared to be dazzled again. And dazzled I was. The chicken was phenomenal. The flavors were amazing and so poignant, and the tenderness of chicken made you really question if you were eating chicken at all. Everything was so moist and tender, and each bite was a ballet of flavor in your mouth. The duck, although not the star of the show, was hearty and delicious as well. The parsnip puree added an earthiness complexion to each slice of duck. The kicker of the night was when our server brought us our bill at the end. He gifted us complimentary menus of what we ordered that night, paired with a generous "Welcome Back" and the date of our wonderful evening. That small, but mighty, gesture encapsulates Boka in a nutshell. Fine dining, excellent quality of food, topped with service that was personally catered to make our meal enjoyable. It's about the experience, and every aspect of our experience at Boka was met with extraordinary marks. I'm dreaming already of round 3 at Boka. When? I don't know. But I'll be ready to tango again.

I've been to Boka a few times now, and every visit has been a great experience. The food is…read moreconsistently excellent, and the staff is always friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. We started with the bluefin tuna tart, which was light and refreshing. The topping was delicious, but I think dialing it back just a bit would let more of the tuna shine through. The dry aged beef tartare was one of my favorite dishes of the night. The crispy potato chips added a great crunch, and the cornichons brought just the right amount of acidity to balance everything out. Next came the Hokkaido scallops, and they were cooked perfectly. I also appreciated that the kitchen split all of our appetizers onto separate plates since we were sharing. It's a small detail, but it made the meal feel much more thoughtful. For our entrees, we ordered the black truffle chicken and the glazed beef short rib. I'm not sure how they prepared the chicken, but it was incredibly tender with some of the most flavorful skin I've had. Every bite was juicy and almost melted in your mouth. The short rib was just as impressive, perfectly cooked and full of flavor. I've also done the tasting menu here before, and it was just as memorable. You definitely won't leave hungry. The restaurant has a great atmosphere too. It feels perfect for a date night without being so dim that you can barely see your food.

Cindy's is so so good!!! I will be recommending to all of my friends who visit Chicago! the view…read morewas amazing and our bartender, Fatima, was EVEN BETTER!!!! Such a fun time!

Late night dinner and sips after the ghost gangster tour around Chicago! We picked Cindy's…read morerooftop at the Chicago Athletic Association on the 13th floor for stunning skyline views which was the perfect spot to just unwind from the busy day. Though we couldn't see much of Lake Michigan, we knew it was just right there. We enjoyed the fresh Caesar salad, creamy Rigatoni alla Vodka, and warm bread with herbed butter. , and an espresso martini and a glass of prosecco. For dessert, we ordered the baked Alaska (So good), and coffees which ended the night with perfection. Service: Cheers to Anthony for the wonderful service and great menu suggestions!

Wow! So happy I finally got to come here. They have recently started accepting some reservations…read moreand I was lucky enough to get one. I understand why they are famous for their burgers. I had the single cheeseburger and it lived up to the hype. I learned that the single burger is actually a double and the double is actually a triple. I was recommended to add an egg and bacon to the burger and I'm glad I did. Each bite was a glorious burst of flavor. The bacon is epic. Thick juicy slices. The cheeseburger was perfect. I didn't need additional condiments and that never happens for me. The fries were good too and came with a delicious aioli. For beverages, I loved my Arnold Palmer. I also tried a cocktail--the Long Island Iced Coffee. It was pretty strong. I added a shot of bourbon cream to it and that sweetened it up and made it perfect for me. Unfortunately, I didn't have room for dessert. Cute restaurant. Cozy inside. They have an outdoor patio as well. If you don't have a reservation, be prepared to wait. Excellent food. Excellent service. Jennifer took great care of me and made great suggestions. It's pricy but it's worth it.

My friend wanted to go to Au Cheval while we were both visiting Chicago, which is one of the most…read morepopular restaurants for tourists. I've heard the wait is insane, so it's recommended to make a reservation on Resy. Off the bat, I was already side-eyeing this process. I had to pay $2.49 per person to secure a reservation, which is crazy. This is not a deposit either, which I would have understood. I've just never encountered a restaurant that charges a fee to make a reservation. Upon arrival, we got seated immediately (which I would hope so, after paying to make a reservation). Our server collected our orders quickly and our food came out about 15-20 minutes later. CRISPY FRIES - 13.99 Charging $14 for a side of fries is wild enough, but topping it with a completely solid fried egg was baffling. I'm not sure what the culinary vision was. Are we supposed to mash it all together into some sort of hash brown situation, or awkwardly eat the fried egg on its own? The fries themselves were fine, nothing to write home about. However, I did enjoy the mornay sauce and garlic aioli that came on the side. SINGLE CHEESEBURGER - 17.99 +3.49 for egg Over $20 for a burger that doesn't come with sides? I was a little disappointed my burger came with a side of a knife instead. I thought the whole gimmick was having the knife strike straight down into the burger. Beyond that, the burger wasn't anything unique. The bun itself was dry and mid, not the soft and fluffy bun I had envisioned. Everything else was fine -- not bad, but certainly not great. While it wasn't a bad burger, I can't help but feel incredibly disappointed given the hype around Au Cheval burgers. My friend told me the way to "fully experience" Au Cheval is to get the cheeseburger plus both the egg and bacon add-ons, which our server also recommended. I did try a piece of my friend's bacon with my burger and it does add a depth of smoky sweetness. However, that becomes a 17.99 + 3.49 + 6.99 = 28.47 for a burger. That's insane. The add-ons themselves cost more than half of the burger. I'm not doing that to my wallet. Sorry, but this was a disappointing experience for me. I'd rather just go to Shake Shack, which at least comes with tasty and juicy burgers for 1/3 of the price.

Stopped here after dinner for some drinks in their downstairs lounge. I've never gone downstairs…read moreand when I entered it gave speakeasy vibes, I loved it. I had one of the best espresso martinis here and enjoyed sitting on their cozy couches while chatting to my friends. The atmosphere downstairs was really calm and relaxing. Service was quick and our server was very polite.

Came for the burger, but stayed for the drinks. Maybe I chose a bad night, but I thought the burger…read morewas disappointing based on its hype and Gretel's reputation. Hands down, the saltiest burger I ever had in Chicago. At least, they were generous with the fries. Laidback vibes and cool space, I would come back to try the other cocktails on the menu with friends.

I hate that I loved this place so much! I live in Michigan and was determined to get a reservation…read more So when I finally got it I was elated. First the service, now the host stand can be a little flat but I think they get so busy and it's so in demand they have to be stern but all the staff was amazing. I never needed a thing. They were so nice and checked on us constantly. The food... omg the fooddddd! Healthy portions! You could definitely share if you wanted to be more waist or budget friendly lol. My favorite had to be the shrimp and the steak. The steak was cooked perfectly and the au poivre was a great accompaniment. Dessert was also amazing. Healthy portions for sure shareable. I would definitely make that drove from Michigan to come back! Perfect start to my 30th birthday!!

Bavette's isn't really a walk-in kind of place... unless you're lucky. On our wedding anniversary…read morethis year, we got very lucky. We showed up expecting our usual. A couple of seats at the bar, since landing a reservation here is not that easy. Five minutes later, we were seated at a high top instead. Small miracle. The food is spectacular. We went with the frites and the filet, and honestly, the sides deserve their own review. Rich, flavorful, the kind of thing you keep picking at even when you're full. Truffle mac and spinach are my usual go-tos, but there's really nothing on the menu that lets you down. And the whole time, it delivers that effortlessly luxe feeling in the room. Elegant without trying too hard. Just chef's kiss.

Really loved this little bar! Great food! We didn't realize we were there for Happy Hour or we…read morewould've honestly ordered way more. I loved the cider I ordered and I would go back just for that. We loved the other people we talked to there. The ambiance was incredible. The only outlier was the bartender seemed to be having an off night, she just wasn't super attentive with guests. But it wasn't so terrible that it tainted an otherwise great experience. I would definitely return to this place!

We stopped in for a night cap and a snack on a Friday evening! We sat at the bar and I liked how…read morebig and comfy the chairs are. We also had front row seats to watch March madness, and more importantly the beer filling mechanism that fills glasses from the bottom! Kinda fun to watch. The bar also has purse hooks, which I am always grateful for. The food came out pretty quickly and was super fresh and delicious. The bartender was sooo sweet, very attentive and quick, and made sure my soda was always topped off. I loved the vibe and the moody lighting! The menu is definitely River North prices -- nothing terribly surprising bht on par for the neighborhood. At the time of our visit, cocktails were $15+ and the fry basket was $10. Again, not terrible but definitely paying to be in River North. If you're in the neighborhood, definitely worth it!