Wonderful "gourmet" dinner with wine pairing. Know that portions are definitely on the small side. $160 for 4 courses with wine pairing. Appetizer- king crab etouffee was yummy with good sized chunks of crab meat. Soup- smoked potato chowder with sea urchin & mussels had great flavor @ delicious. Main- halibut with pistachio pesto. Was my least favorite. I've had better halibut. Sad the main was most disappointing. Dessert- toasted hay semifreddo is a grilled peach caramelized white chocolate & honey. This was superb!! My favorite dish. Tangie our server was great as well as all the ancillary crew. read more

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I'm recently had a Tasting for two, early evening weeknight. 10/10 for everything including being greeted at the entrance, food, server, and pace. (They filled our water ever quarter-sip) I've had the pleasure of dining at all the ** in town and a lot of the *'s. Sepia leans more **, I base that on several unique and incredible bites of beef and also a caviar and white soy dish that I want to live in. The flavors and textures were all delicious and quite memorable. read more

We were warmly greeted by the front desk and seated quickly. The restaurant was nice but the tables have seen its better days. We had some cocktails and they were good. Foods came out too fast that we felt rushed. We asked to slow down so we can have time to talk then our third course came out lukewarm and cold on hot plates. Not sure what was going on in the kitchen. It seems like the wait staff and the kitchen are not on the same pace. My husband brought up his concerns to the manager because he thinks they deserve some constructive feedback and the manager apologized for the situation. All in all, the meal was nice we had a great time celebrating with family. read more

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While in Chicago my girl friends and I had our eyes set on Sepia and their Michelin Star. Their wine by the glass selection wasn't large, so I suggest getting a bottle for the table if you all agree on one. The food was a little rich/salty for me, but full of flavor. We were happily full my the end of the four courses. The service was tentative. The main server had many support servers to make sure we were taken care of. Didn't seem like there was a dress code. read more

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Wow. Everything was incredible! $95 for a 4 course meal at a Michelin Star restaurant truly isn't that bad. We did add on each of the add-ons and the wine pairing so it got a bit pricy, but totally worth it. It seems like their whole menu changes pretty frequently, but I'll share my food reviews nonetheless. To start off, the amuse bouche was fantastic. The bread literally melts in your mouth. I would also highly recommend adding the caviar dish. The dashi butter was incredible. The onion consommé was like a fancy French onion soup and so salty and delicious, I had to try to get every last drop. The ricotta gnudi was VERY cheesy which luckily I liked and was a good size, but was so heavy I probably couldn't have had much more. The short rib was really yummy but the mushroom Rangoon stole the show for this dish. I wasn't a huge fan of the tete de moine and would probably skip if I went back, but still glad I tried it. I was sweet and kind of like a dessert cheese. I finished with the chocolate torte which was mm mm sooo good and a good size portion, too! Overall, the food was fantastic, the presentation was lovely, the drinks were unique, the wine pairings were perfect, and the staff were helpful and accommodating! Great experience! read more

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Everything about Sepia is great! We arrived early for our reservation and were able to have a few drinks at the bar. The ambiance was dark/romantic, but not quiet like some other Michelin places where you can hear a pin drop. Every dish we tried was good, no complaints. read more

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Celebrated an anniversary dinner here thanks to the Michelin Star guide... and we were not disappointed! Food: Exquisite taste - including aesthetic presentation, textures and flavorful. From 4 courses, we opted in 2 more courses but ended up being getting 9 course including a couple on the house specials. Ambience: Can't speak much to this because we sat outdoors on their outside sidewalk section Service: Special shout out to our lovely and spirited waitress, Noosha! Loved her energy and friendly demeanor. read more

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From beginning to end, everything was delicious! Timely service, friendly staff, great wine selection/pairing and beautiful restaurant. I recommend 100% and I would come back. The food was filling despite the smaller portions, worth it! read more

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Good entry point into Michelin star dining with a silent appreciation for Hawaiian shirts. Privilege of dining here twice, both during winter trips for the Christkindl market. I've forgone wine pairing and extra courses to focus on the parts that are front and center and on both occasions the service has been friendly and attentive, the kitchen inventive and generous, and the meal made to feel more like a booked experience. If you take a glance at the menu beforehand or are quick on decisions things can move relativrly quick. From an opening of fresh baked bread to dessert your meal can be a lovely 90min affair in dining room with a speakeasy like ambiance. The kitchen is known to send out an experimental bite or two, so just make sure you're forward about any allergens! read more

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One of the best fine dining deals in Chicago!! The 4 course prix fixe is highly innovative yet securely rooted in the culinary classics. I decided to go with the foie gras, scallop, short rib, and cloud cake. All four courses were standouts to me. However, one dish stood slightly above the others and that was actually the cloud cake dessert course! I'd go through some serious obstacles to get my hands on that recipe. The service was also impeccable. I'll be honest, I came here for a late reservation after a full afternoon of sampling cocktails on the Chicago riverfront and was definitely feeling some sort of liquor-induced fatigue. They were able to box up my delicious short rib to go and I got to keep a copy of the menu for my "menu wall"!! I am definitely coming back read more

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Spectacular meal. 4 courses where you choose your own dish each course, and we also got the wine pairing. As we had 4 people with us, we tried most dishes and you really can't go wrong with any of them. Service was evenly paced, and our server was attentive and incredibly knowledgable. Out of all of the courses, I enjoyed my 1st course king crab etouffe and 2nd course grilled sablefish the most. Around the table, the beef carpaccio for the 1st course and the duck as the main course were also very well received. Wine pairing was well done & very generous with serving. The ambiance is sophisticated, and Sepia itself is on a quiet street off the main downtown restaurant rows & West Loop, nearby its sister restaurant, Proxi. Very solid and delicious 4 course meal, lovely night and service. I will definitely return. read more

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This is one of my favorite restaurants in the city. Even though it is an intimate setting, you still have a lively ambience available to you when dining. - The cuisine is flavorful and creative. I've enjoyed sit down lunches at the bar as well as group meals for dinner and every meal is spectacular. - Thank you to your staff. Everyone including the bar staff, hostess team and management are so professional. Thank you for having me. It was a pleasure to dine with you. read more

Amazing!!! Had the opportunity to explore the West Loop of Chicago. This was the highlight of our trip. My wife and I went with the tasting menu with the wine pairing. Couldn't have been better. read more

We did the full tasting menu ($185 per person), which I can't recommend because I think it is too light on protein and too heavy on dessert. The meal felt incomplete, and my husband left hungry, which I don't think should be happening at this price point. Highly recommend the uni/scallop and the lamb. I did not care for the gnudi. It would have benefited from another meat or fish dish. Would consider coming back for the 4 piece tasting menu as you can pick a second meat/fish dish. The agent provocateur cocktail was delicious. read more

A wonderful dinner experience! I really enjoyed the pacing of the courses and the variety of dishes. Loved the presentation of the dishes as well. The first course did take a while to come to the point where we questioned if we were forgotten by the staff but once presented with the dishes we definitely enjoyed them all! read more

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Absolutely amazing, what an absolute treat to experience this. The decorum was beautiful and classy. The staff were top notch and friendly. I can't say enough about the professionalism here. The food was an incredible trip to childhood with elegant takes on the classic staples of youth. read more

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We had an enjoyable dinner experience on a recent evening with a large group. The service was wonderful and I love that they give you 3 options for each course to accommodate for most dietary preferences. As all fine dining restaurant experiences I've had, some dishes were hits while a few others missed the mark for me. Fine dining can be such a subjective experience, but our group of 6 all walked away happy with our meal and experience at sepia. The chocolate cake dessert was 10/10, definitely recommend you order it if you like chocolate and it's on the menu. read more

What a great experience! From start to finish, the service, food & drinks were great! My group was new to a lot of foods on the menu and the server took time in the beginning to give us a 5 minute walk thru describing each dish & was able to answer any questions we had. Definitely a great place for a celebration meal or a fancier date night. Portions are "small" but after the bread, 4 courses & dessert, you leave very full! read more

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Excellent food and the service was pretty solid. It was far from packed when we were seated for our reservation and we waited an awkwardly long time for a server to come get our drink order. Awkwardly long. Awkwardly. See how awkward it is for me to keep hammering that home? Imagine sitting in a Michelin restaurant for ten minutes looking around the room sitting on your hands sipping your water waiting to find out if anyone knew you were their table. It was a Dennys at 2am level of weirdness...where if the rest of the restaurant wasn't buzzing, you'd go into the kitchen to see if someone was working. After that it was a great experience, but that beginning...awkward. read more

This place is worth every single penny and all the accreditations it has! We went here for my husbands birthday with a group at 6 and I absolutely loved this experience. I was honestly shocked to see so many poor reviews! The food was absolutely fantastic, served with perfect wine pairings from wait staff that was incredibly knowledgeable about what they were serving! The only thing I want to note is that this is an experience, not just a dinner! The courses are purposefully timed out to truly give you time to savor each course and digest before your next course, I think a lot of people took this as being forgotten about by their waiters since we're so use to getting our food immediately eating and leaving under an hour. That isn't the case with this restaurant and I would fully allot for at least two hours if not three. I cannot stress enough how amazing this restaurant was. I will definitely return! read more

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Unfortunately underwhelming. Sepia comes with many accolades hence why we picked it for a special occasion. When you walk in, the polish and ambience is on point and validates what you expected. Very posh interior with a showcase of many chandeliers. However, it started to go sideways from that point. We were quickly given water and menus but proceeded to wait quite a while before seeing our server. This would be a sign of things to come. Odd we thought, of a place like this, but anyways let's keep going. Ordered our cocktails and our courses from a very approachable 4 course menu. The customizable tasting menu gives optionality for those that appreciate it. Cocktails were complex in structure yet simple in taste. We were greeted with a ham and brioche toast amuse bouche that was spectacular. Sad it was only a small bite. The courses took considerably long. About 20-30 mins between rather small portions. Food was good, steak tartare was amazing. In the bucket of ok to good fell all the others. So for a less expensive place, the product would probably be 4 stars. However, for this price I expect a bit better and that's Sepia in a nutshell. read more

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We came for our anniversary, such nice ambiance and our waitress was so thoughtful the food was also delicious and unique. read more

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They gave us the most special anniversary experience and the food was AMAZING. You absolutely must get the chocolate frosty dessert if it's there. Nothing missed, though. Tip - would skip the wine pairing. The cocktails were awesome and ends up being less expensive to try a few of those. read more

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First of all, the food was amazing. The flavors of each dish complemented each other so well. The contrast of the flavors were perfect in each dish. Food was 10/10. The service was amazing as well. I loved the complementary small dishes we got. The waiters made us feel very comfortable. Typically the waiters at high end restaurants are nice, but the ones at Sepia made me feel very connected and were sweet. Service 10/10. The ambiance was very nice as well and I liked the music as well as the low light. I don't understand the bad reviews here on yelp, since I had a great experience! The waiters seemed to be very attentive and treating nearby tables well too and they seemed to be very happy! read more

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My friends and I flew in from three different states with plenty of celebrations on backlog so we decided to celebrate our friendship at a Michelin Star Restaurant. Sepia was one of the ones with an availability that aligned with our schedule so we were able to reserve it 2 months prior. So Sepia has a Four Course Menu ($95/person). Each course has 4 options to pick from, and there are available add-ons if you would like them. With the add-ons they would like the entire table to be in consensus. My friends and I agreed to add on the Golden Kagula Caviar ($25/person) to go before our courses. We also ordered a bottle of Chateaux Haut-Colombier, Blaye-Cotes de Bordeaux 2018 ($55) to share. Complimentary bread came out first. It was crunchy on the crust and soft on the inside. The butter was soft. It was nice but not nice enough for me to eat the whole slice of bread. The amuse bouche came next. This is meant to open your palette and prepare you for the meal. We had such high hopes as this buttery toasted bread with a sweet jam and prosciutto. Next was the Golden Kaluga Caviar added course on top a smoked sablefish, grilled spinach, shiro dashi butter. This was amazing. We had such high hopes for the meal since the opening was so strong. It was so enjoyable since all three of us are extravagant eaters so it was a worthy upgrade for us to get the caviar since we all appreciate and enjoy it. 1st Course: Roasted Foie Gras Custard - I was surprised when it came out since I wanted a nice thick cut of the foie gras but it came out looking like a soup. The malted buckwheat, maple granola and excessive use of preserved cherry basically made this taste like an overly sweet parfait melted down. The preserved cherry completely overwhelmed and ruined it for the foie gras. 2nd Course: Morel Mushroom Chawanmushi - When I put my spoon in the bowl it was so strange that the top was foamy. I'm like did you bring me the right item? Did the chawanmushi not set? I was told it was a soft version of it and the chawanmushi was on the bottom. It tasted like all of the green vegetables they topped it with, and I much prefer the traditional chawanmushi. And also at this point it was two consecutive super mushy dish that doesn't require chewing. 3rd Course: Halibut - Served with white asparagus, caper, brown butter and almond. The brown butter they poured on this halibut was very similar to the shiro dashi butter poured onto the caviar course. I would prefer my halibut with some skin. The portion is a decent size but the taste was nothing unique or special. 4th Course: Earl Grey Pizzelle - Where is the earl?? I did not taste any earl grey at all. The bergamot frozen yogurt and burnt honeycombs were nicer than the main part of the dessert. I barely touched it... which for anyone who knows me, that is so rare for me to not finish a dessert. Service was nice but there were many lacking things for a Michelin Star restaurant. There were many spills and crumbs that would have been taken care of quickly at other restaurants. Also the pacing of the meals were ridiculously slow, especially as they got busy at the end of the night. We noticed the table next to us took forever to get their first course too. It looked like a full house that night, they could staff up or food prep better since everyone has a reservation. Unpopular opinion - When I pay a certain price for THE EXPERIENCE, I expect impeccable ambiance. Well their décor is lovely but SO MANY CRYING BABIES!!!! Whyyyyyy do these people hate us?!?! I'm mad at those selfish parents but ultimately the restaurant should be accountable for the ambiance since they are the ones I'm paying. Oh yes and to add insult to injury, they charge you 3% surcharge for the cost of their employee's health insurance. That is so sketch. Just increase your prices and disclose those priced up front. What's even more annoying is that I got taxed on top of that stupid 3% charge. The more I write the more upset I feel looking back at this *not cheap* meal. So many well intended ideas but an utter failure with execution. How they are described on the menu sounded like it would be good and yet somehow everything delivered to the table was lacking unity and fulfillment. My friend even made comments about how all the food was mushy and unsatisfying. I don't intend on revisiting. My favorite Chicago Michelin Star restaurant remains to be Temporis. read more

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Delicious food and great experience! Ambiance was nice, not too stuffy, excellent service

Our experience at Sepia was so much better than we could have imagined. The atmosphere, service, and food were all exceptional. The $110 per person price was worth every penny. I highly recommend Sepia for any special occasion or date night. For the first course, I had the roasted foie gras, which was served in a ginger consommé, and it honestly just melted in my mouth. My wife had the Kanpachi Crudo, which she loved. We had the roasted scallop and ocean trout for the second course, which were remarkable. The third course didn't disappoint either; I had the spinach and artichoke ravioli, and she had the grilled short rib. The fourth (dessert) course was good, but honestly, the complimentary desserts they brought out were so much better. The bread and amuse-bouches scattered throughout the meal were unexpected and sensational. This was one of two Michelin-starred restaurants we went to in Chicago, and it was significantly better than the other. read more

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I like the ambiance and service here very much. I've been twice now and wasn't impressed with the food though. I wanted to like it so much that I wound up coming back to give it a second chance. It's one of very few restaurants I've tried with a Michelin Star that didn't live up to the hype. The food wasn't bad per se but my expectations are much higher when a restaurant has a Michelin Star (and usually accompanying prices) and it just didn't deliver. read more

Oh Sepia. I recently moved to Chicago and have been here more than any other restaurant. I even stop by here after going out to other restaurants just to enjoy a nightcap. Keith is the head bartender and one of the best bartenders I've come across in all the cities I've lived in or traveled to. He's knows his stuff, shares great stories, and honestly just a great person to talk to while grabbing a drink. Also knows the menu very well and gives you the same experience as if you were sitting at a table. You start every meal with house made bread, butter, and an unreal bite of jamon/bread. It's hard to explain how amazing this part is, but you can't miss it (unless you're vegan). My favorite dish of all time here is the trout. The berblanc sauce is fantastic. I'll leave it at that. Try it, don't skip. Everything else on the menu is equally great. One thing I was not fond of was the chicken, but since they change things up so often I feel bad even saying that. Sepia is the sister restaurant to Proxi and honestly it has to be the big sister because they really know what they are doing there. They deserve more than just one Michelin star. I won't stop raving about this place and can't wait to go back! read more

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Upfront window seating provided great conversation and people watching apart from the crowded dining room. Service was punctual and friendly. Staff took our banter in stride. Now the food. Impeccable plating and marriage of flavors in each dish: carpaccio was fantastic, scallops and gnudi equally enticing. Short rib and duck had depth. Desserts were playful; dark chocolate cream Catalana and cannele were great finishes. Good value with wine pairings as pours were generous. read more

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Good bang for your buck. My manager recommended the ricotta cavatelli and I can see why. It's like crunchy mac and cheese with a rich cheese sauce. I recommend going with someone so you can trade dishes if you don't like what you picked. It probably gets pretty full and you can hear other people's conversations. But I liked how they ask if you have plans in the event you need to leave earlier than expected. The butter on the bread was great. I think the earl grey was better than the cherry blossom dessert, unless you enjoy more tart flavors. Crudo was sour so steak tartare was the way to go. Scallops were fine but not as filling as the other dishes. The trout had this perfectly smoky taste. The beef strip loin was great medium rare. Would come back to try the rest of the dishes. read more

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Great service and food--was little concerned by the yelp ratings but did the 4 course pre-fixe.. everything was great, only complaint was that the duck entree was much smaller than the others at the table read more

Sepia continues to provide excellence in dining and service at an "affordable" price, with a no frills, yet selectable, tasting menu. The department head at one of my first jobs out of college really liked bringing our team here for lunch (no wonder that start up ran out of money). Through her, I was opened up to beauty that is Sepia and have returned for lunch and dinner 6x over the years. For dinner, their 4 course tasting menu is only $120 and gives the diner the option to choose which dish option within each course they want. I've never had a bad dish here and my only advice is to just pick what you think you'll like, and you can't go wrong. Amongst all the restaurants in Chicago with a Michelin star, Sepia must be the most affordable. They are also one of the only Michelin restaurants that have remained consistent in their offerings and reputation over nearly a decade. I've never had a bad dining experience here and it's relatively easy to nab a reservation. So whether you're looking to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, promotion, or just looking for a nice night out at a Michelin starred restaurant, I'd give Sepia a try. read more

Sepia - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

On a trip to Chicago filled with a showcase of unbelievable restaurants, this may have topped the list. I've been lucky enough to go to a fair number of * restaurants, but Sepia blew me away in a meal that my husband said tops his all-time list. Service from the start was top-tier, with incredibly friendly, personable, and knowledge folks all around. The menu offered a four-course prix fixe menu with a couple add-ons; each course had a vegetarian or ("make it vegetarian") option. My husband went with the roasted fois gras custard, the beef and comté tortellini, the beef striploin, and the manjari namelaka. I had the wedge salad, mushroom chawanmushi, ricotta cavatelli, and the earl grey pizelle with olive oil cake. For both of us, the second course was the highlight of highlights. The chawanmushi was creamy and savory and perfectly seasoned. The beef and comté tortellini gave my husband an "Anton Ego" (think of his Ratatouille flashback) moment; he said it deeply reminded him of his favorite comfort food as a child that he hadn't had anything like since his grandmother could no longer cook. He proclaimed it his "last meal" dish without hesitation and is still talking about it a month later. We made the addition of the cheese course, which was another standout; I've never seen a cheese plate prepared and served so beautifully! And I can't go without mentioning the dessert. My pizelle and olive oil cake were beautifully prepared and satisfying without being cloyingly sweet, while my husband's namelaka featured a chai-esque spice to it that almost made me wish I'd ordered it instead. One more specific shoutout goes to the Sazerac. It's worth the price tag. One of the best meals I've ever had, and undoubtedly the best I've ever had for under $500 for two (with drinks!) read more

Sepia - The optional tête de moine cheese course - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've eaten dinner at Sepia several times and they continue to be on my regular rotation of Chicago fine dining restaurants that I visit every year. Sepia is magnificent every single time I go and never disappoints. The food is outstanding, the service is top notch and the kitchen keeps on making great new dishes every single season. Highly recommend a visit. read more

We enjoyed our anniversary here. 4 course meal, they did a great job of accommodating dairy allergy for one. I think the 4 course for $110 is very reasonable. We did add the wine pairing and caviar for the table. Everything was delicious! Service was impeccable with explanation of food and wine. They did something nice with chocolate for our anniversary. I loved every choice I made. You get to pick for each course. Definitely worth trying out. It's a dinner experience so plan for 2-3 hours. read more

A great dining experience with very palatable dishes and incredible service. The dinner is customizable with the ability to choose the dish for each course. There are four courses in total with 2 optional additional courses: a caviar course and a cheese course. We opted-in for the additional caviar course and we were glad we did. The kaluga caviar tasted fresh and was complimented well by the smoked sablefish with which it was paired. Of the courses, I really enjoyed the Kanpachi Crudo and Short Rib. The seafood was fresh and dishes were seasoned well. I normally don't like all of the courses in tasting menus but I enjoyed all the dishes presented at this meal. Our servers routinely checked in to ensure we enjoyed our dishes. The restaurant feels very sophisticated, with soft classical music playing in the background. Guests are respectful and quiet. read more

I was excited to try out Sepia, which offers a seasonal, product-driven, menu. We came here for dinner to check out their 4-course menu; there is an optional wine pairing and an optional course addition of the golden kaluga caviar; we opted for the latter. For the courses, I chose the caramelized onion consomme, the roasted scallop, the grilled short rib, and the optional cheese course addition. For dessert, I had the cloud cake, that was prepared with frozen sheep's milk yogurt, rhubarb, and chamomile. Service was attentive, and the ambiance of the place gives a classy but a comfortable vibe with its tall wooden construction of the wine bottle holders, the exposed brick walls, and velvet seatings. The light fixtures were pretty with the multiple bulbs. Metered street parking can be found on Jefferson. +4-course dinner option +reservations required +metered street parking found on Jefferson read more

We recently visited Sepia for after dinner drinks and were able to walk-in and sit at the low cafe tables which are cocktails only. For the first round we got the There's Always Yen In The Banana Stand which was great and had a nice balance of whisky and banana. The price is in Yen which is a fun touch. Then we got the Hanna-Barbera Presents which was amazing and super unique with the cinnamon toast crunch flavor and the Rods & Cones which for me was too strong with mezcal but great if you enjoy the smokiness. read more

Sepia - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This is an experience dining. It's a beautiful restaurant. Staff is impeccable, attentive and hospitable. The food is art. We went for Easter Sunday and they had a special prix fixe menu. It was lovely, start to finish. The combination of flavors, the presentation, and love in the food...quite an experience. read more

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