So we stopped in before a movie just to have a drink and a quick bite. The Salmon Nigiri was good - very close to as good (but not quite) as the stuff served at Mikasu just a block away. The rum and coke was good, I had the Bistro Crunch which was okay and my wife had a California roll. She didn't like it because the fake crab was the chopped up kind with sauce as opposed to the sticks. My wife also got a glass of Chianti which she didn't like (I thought it was pretty good). Our server Alana was nice and attentive but we will NOT be coming back here. For two rolls, 4 pieces of salmon nigiri, a glass of wine and a rum and coke our check before tip was $67 Dollars! Way too expensive. I would totally pay that price if the food was amazing, but it was just okay. . . One of the sushi chefs gave us a free sample of some other nigiri which was very good and the service was fast, but I just can't justify the prices there. read more

Went back last night. Ordered just appetizers. The beef cigars are wrapped in an "eggroll," which looks and tastes the same as the "avocado eggroll" - which is no better than the local take-out Kosher chinese eggroll wrapping. The avocado eggrolls were just ok, too. Risotto is good, and the stuffed mushrooms are tasty. My cousin ordered the shitake sea bass - the taste was not great and the fish was a bit overcooked. Perhaps the worst part was the service: my cousin and I came with my grandmother for her 90th birthday. We asked if she could order a hamburger, which is what she really wanted, even though it's only on the "bar menu" (the bar seating was full). We weren't concerned with the price and were willing to pay more than what was listed on the bar menu. The hostess told us we could not order off the bar menu if we were sitting in the main dining room, 90th birthday or not. My grandmother ordered lamb instead (which, I'll note, she enjoyed). As we got up to leave, we noticed a family behind us - two of the family members (probably around 15-17 years old) were eating "bar menu food" in the main dining room. I brought this to the hostess's attention. She told me "kids" are allowed to order from the bar menu. I asked what the cutoff age was (because, granted, there is usually at "kids menu" at restaurants for kids 12 and under), and she said "well, if someone's 15 or 16 and wants to eat off the bar menu, we let them." Needless to say, the answer was pretty unsatisfactory. *UPDATE: Spoke with friends last night who told me they've been seated in the main dining room and been permitted to order off the "bar menu." Such inconsistent service. read more

We ate at the bar side. Ambience was nice. Food was decent(I had the prime rib special). Abysmal service really made the experience unpleasant, however. read more

Chicago's streets are as windy as they say, and stepping inside is always a pleasure. While any restaurant would be good for a warm spot and a meal, Shallots Bistro is remarkably different. It is the perfect mix of sparkle and comfort. Small mirrors glisten above the white topped tables, and the votive candles create an intimate environment. Small glass bowls of olive oil and herbs are brought alongside steaming house made bread. Shallots Bistro, naturally, graces the menu: One luscious main course boasts grilled beef eye with roasted shallots and red wine sauce. It is enhanced by drizzles of saffron oil and parsley jus, and comes with fluffy roasted shallot mashed potatoes. Chocolate connections, warm pistachio cakes, and pear-and-almond crme tarts are exceptional. read more

Wow such exorbitant prices for below average portions and subpar food. The salmon sushi was the worst I have eaten in months (I have sushi multiple times a week). The sea bass entre was meh, and the steak looked subprime. Overall gives high class kosher dining a bad name. read more

If you order the right dish, Shallot's food is absolutely outstanding. Pricey for what it is, but Kosher, so I can see why some are critical about the prices of the food if it being kosher is not important/relevant to them. If you must order just one thing, try the gnocchetti - it is next level. I've also greatly enjoyed the various steaks I have had there, as well as the Moroccan cigars, pear/beet salad, chicken wellington, and califlower steak. A lot of the negative reviews for Shallots seem to revolve around the service, but we have been multiple times and have not personally experienced the negatives espoused on this page by others. We liked them enough to have them cater our upcoming wedding, since high quality food was key to us. read more

Very good for kosher, but the prices are insane. The problem is, you can eat at a Michelin starred restaurant at these prices, which probably means only people who exclusively eat kosher will eat here. At least they'll enjoy i! read more

Excellent food. Excellent service. The staff was all very friendly and the ambiance is great.

Extremely disappointing. Terrible service, mediocre food, very expensive. I went with my family of seven for lunch during the week to celebrate my nephew being sworn into the Illinois Bar. The restaurant was rather empty. We were seated at a good size round table. The waiter did not move around the table to take orders. I don't think she was able to hear us correctly. Three people ordered soup. She brought four and insisted we had ordered four. My sister ordered a bake potato and got fries. My niece ordered an additional vegetable with her entrée that was not served. My brother-in-law never received the second glass of soda he requested. I ordered a salmon sandwich that the menu said came with fries. It was served with a dressed side salad. The waiter said that it was how the sandwich came. I have dietary restrictions and can not have the fat in the salad dressing. (My niece and nephew were going to eat the fries.) The restaurant does not have a fat-free dressing option. The waiter said they could substitute a baked potato. I thought that was a great suggestion, because I could eat it. The potato did not arrive until everyone was finished eating. What really ticked me off, after the accumulation of all these errors, was that the potato was served with margarine melted on it. The waiter hadn't processed the whole conversation about me not being able to have fat. She just said her answer to everything, 'that's how it is served'. The other thing that happened was that my nephew's steak had a hair on the plate. He had started eating. The kitchen removed the hair and gave him back the same plate. With the high dining experience Shallots claims to be, I would have expected them to give him a new entrée. We will not be going back. read more

Their sushi is amazing.. so addicted. Everytime when I come here, I get so impressed. Highly recommend.

Excellent service. Menu offered varied options, and everything we ordered was executed well.

Very good food, great service, great ambiance. Compared to NYC classy restaurants, Shallots is much cheaper then most, better food and better service. read more

Great food and great service. Its a little expensive but i guess thats what you get for kosher food in Chicago.

Food was good service was HORRIBLE. I have been here a bunch of times and each time I am more and more disappointed in the service. They took 45 minutes to bring my husband and I two simple sushi rolls and when I mentioned this to the restaurant manager (Oleg) he was smug and rude. Not worth the money they charge. read more

Had a delicious jalapeno steak and sushi which was outstanding. The server Kristen was pleasant and knowledgeable and didn't push us on something over the budget. Wife had the horseradish salmon and enjoyed it very much. read more

We live in St Louis where we don't really have kosher dining opportunities. We had been to Shallots once before 3 years ago. It was great, but Oh how the mighty have fallen. Not only was the food less than stellar, but the service was not what it once was and we were seated in a less than conducive atmosphere in which to enjoy a leisurely meal. We arrived later than expected at the restaurant (8:45 PM) due to horrible storms that swept across Indiana that afternoon/evening, and after having driven almost 500 miles for dinner, we were definitely hungry. Given the hour, we didn't have time to go to our hotel first and change for dinner, but we were grateful to have made it and were eagerly anticipating our meal. Firstly, we were seated in the dining room, and despite a number of empty tables, we were seated in between two other tables that were occupied. This in and of itself would not have been an issue except that the woman at the table one over was talking very loudly, non-stop. They were almost done with their meal, but they remained seated there for over an hour talking at some volume, and at one point they began having a conversation across our table with the people sitting on the other side of us. It was at that point that I said something, but the waiter never said a word, nor did he offer to change our seats. The waiter himself was clearly unhappy to have another table seated a little before 9PM, and we felt pressure throughout the meal to rush. He kept coming by to check if he could clear or bring plates. At one point, he arrived at the table just after our dinner dishes were cleared to bring us our bill and on his heels was the bussing staff with our dessert menus. His disappointment was clear. By 10:08, we were out the door. We ordered a spinach salad with strawberries which we realize in retrospect came undressed in that it lacked any real flavor. Where were the poppy seeds that I would have expected to find in the dressing? They weren't there. My husband ordered the Mediterranean Sea Bass and a side of onion rings. The flavors on his plate - the rice, asparagus and fish were lovely, but the fish was a bit rubbery - not as delicate as it should have been; however, his onion rings were simply perfection. I ordered the Petite Steak Bordelaise and substituted lyonnaise potatoes for the fries. Where to begin? Well, I think the kitchen made a mistake and put the house BBQ sauce on my steak - since when is Bordelaise made with tomatoes? I also must have gotten a peppercorn, because at one point it felt like my mouth was on fire - not what one would would expect from a mouthful of steak with Bordelaise. Lyonnaise potatoes are amongst my favorite. They are labor intensive but worth the effort. Unfortunately, these were not prepared correctly. The trick with lyonnaise is that the potatoes have to be gently fried first - these were not. They were mushy, there were not enough onions, and they had a distinct lemony flavor. In addition, my meal should have been served with a vegetable. To finish our meal, we had a dessert: the Chocolate Pate which had a nice blend of flavors, but we felt that it was overpriced in the extreme. On our previous visit, we had enjoyed the Black Hat which was great, but for $15, one would expect a little bit more, or maybe just a $10 price tag. All that being said, I would like to compliment the bussing staff. They were lovely! Attentive, responsive, polite and interested in catering to our needs; would that our waiter had been as good. In addition, the Blue Moon on tap served with the orange slice was also great. I understand that we arrived late, but we should have been given the same care and attention one would hope they give all of their customers. We know that the waiter was probably tired and ready to go home after a long shift; however, he could have cashed us out and left, leaving us to enjoy a few minutes of peace and quiet after the yappers had finally left. The rest of the staff was already busy changing tablecloths, sweeping up and cleaning the bathrooms and there were other patrons chatting as well as a few in the bar. I would not rate this visit above a 5 out of 10. Maybe it was an off day, maybe the chef was off, or maybe they have gotten too big for their britches. But when you charge someone over $130 for a meal, I think the customer can expect more. read more

Very poor experience. Wait was long. Sushi quality is quite poor compared to what it used to be. The hot food from the regular menu wasn't up to par either. Overcooked with soggy, under-seasoned fries. A shame to see a place like this decline in quality, but keep increasing their prices. read more

Having heard about the good reviews that Shallots has received, we were very much looking forward to a an enjoyable Kosher dining experience. The advertised Buffet & Salad Bar consisted of 2 types of pastas; 1 chicken; and 1 tray of "salad" (shredded carrots. cucumbers, lettuce, and chickpeas). The pasta was tasteless and the chicken tasted like "soup chicken." There was no bread provided at our table. The plates available at the "buffet" table were dirty and we had to request clean dishes. Moreoever, I hardly consider this lack of assortment a "buffet." Needless to say, Shallots was EXTREMELY disappointing and we will not be returning nor recommending this to anyone. read more

Although the space is really quite appealing - romantic even, the quality of the cocktails, service and food is remarkably poor and the prices are remarkably high. Although the place was half empty when we visited, the cocktails were exceedingly small and inexpertly mixed; the service was so slow we that we were still waiting for our cocktails 45-minutes after being seated; and when our entrees finally arrived, they were under seasoned, overcooked and very greasy. Additionally, the kitchen mixed up our steak orders. read more

The food was pedestrian (salads) or just awful (pasta) and all was grossly overpriced.

After waiting 10 minutes and being treated like we were invisible, we had to walk out. Restaurant was empty, yet no one could come wait on us nor greet us at our table. When we walked out, the owner's son followed us to our car and told us it's not his job to greet people. Really? Whose job is it? read more

Food was not that great. The price is more than they should charge. I ordered something for the kid. Chicken strips and fries. Just for the kid alone it was $18. For greasy fries and small chicken strips? Really? It's the principal. For their prices kids should eat for free. I could have gotten a way better meal for half the price I paid. Will definitely not go back. read more

Great food however only go if u happen to have a trillion dollars laying around. It's expensive and the portions are small. The service sucks usually but it's known as a fancy place. read more

Everyone in our party was dissatisfied with their meals. From fish to steak to chicken it was ALL highly salted and quite mediocre for the price. Everything had a film of oil on it that coated our tongues for hours. They are clearly not using high quality product and for what you are paying, each entree upwards starting at $40, and a la carte, you expect the best. The desserts appeared to have been frozen and reheated, NOT HOMEMADE!!! The waitstaff was indifferent add kept telling us to order quickly as they were busy as if they were doing us a favor by serving us. It was INCREDIBLY expensive and very disappointing. I recommend going to your Kosher butcher and grilling it yourself. Less expensive and ultimately better tasting. Shallots is what you get when you have no other choices. They don't care if the food or the service is great cause you have nowhere else to go. Hey Shallots! We will not be going back a second time. Disappointing, Distasteful and Disgusting. read more

Over the years, I've seen many sides of Shallots. I've seen OK, I've seen downright awful, but tonight I feel like I've seen it at its best, but can still use some improvement. My wife and I went for Sushi, and it was really really good. When we were seated, it was clear that our tablecloth was not fresh, and that was the only downside. The Sushi was delectable. The pieces of fish juicy, not stringy at all (some places use low quality fish and you can definitely tell), really well presented, and totally worth the price. I would happy pay over $15 per roll for this kind of presentation, quality and flavor for Sushi. The service was outstanding, our server...Menashe...made excellent drink and roll recommendations for our meal, checked on us constantly. Our water was never half empty before it was refilled (hallmark of excellent service). I hate to give 4 stars, but I just cannot overlook non-fresh tablecloth going into dinner service. Otherwise the meal was fantastic and I would most certainly consider Shallots for future special events! read more

I have gone to Shallot's every year pretty much for the past 9 years because the big radiology meeting is in Chicago every year after Thanksgiving, so I have seen the restaurant change over the years. This year I was blown away with the changes. If you haven't been to Shallots since they changed chefs in the past year, then you haven't seen what they have now on the menu. There is no comparison. The sushi is **AMAZING**!! I mean I have eaten the best sushi in the NYC area from Sushi Metsuyan, China Glatt and Prime Grill, (and Fumio in Livingston) and in my opinion this is at the absolute top, on par with the very best. I found it no more pricey than the best NYC restaurants, and well worth it. Service and ambience were lovely, a great place to bring business dinners. The rest of the meat menu looked tantalizing, but the sushi was so good and so varied I chose to eat only sushi. My friends' steaks looked absolutely awesome, though. The spider sushi flambe was spectacular in both taste and presentation. The Japanese nachos were very tasty and interesting, unlike anything I've ever tasted, and I am a fan of unique dishes. Desserts were great. Even the tea was great, the way they serve it in individual teapots which they refill. Hard to imagine a fancier menu than what they now have. I can't wait to go back. Used to be I could never get any kosher sushi in Chicago, now they have some of the best anywhere. Even if you are not a sushi lover like me, the meat and fish dishes are really varied and intricate, and impressive. This restaurant is not overpriced, it is on par with regular expensive restaurants and the quality far exceeds the price in my opinion. Go ahead and treat yourself once in a while, it is well worth it. read more

Seriously bad food and outrageously expensive. We went here for my son's graduation. I ordered a margarita but they forgot an important ingredient, the tequila. My family teases me that I am a cheap drunk,and I swear there was not a hint of alcohol. I was not very hungry so I ordered the $36 appetizer for chicken & meat skewers with dips, but they forgot those too. The meat was cold. Once I got them, they were not tasty at all. When i say, i could have made it better myself, I know I have come to the wrong place. My son ordered a $60 steak and it was OK. Once again, I could have bought a kosher $12 steak and made it better. We had no dessert and our bill for 3 people was $250 (included tip). It irks me when a kosher place knows there is little competition and so they put no effort into the making the customer happy. Our waiter (the gut with the pony tail) was nice, but he never said "how are things tasting?" He probably knows it's bad and doesn't want to hear the complaints. I'm never going back and will call my credit card company to ask for $100 credit, since I am certain I was ripped off. read more

Shallots Bistro has the Chicago Jewish community by the gastronomic short hairs. There's simply no other place to go if your aim is to entertain clients, escape noisy pizza joints, or make the observance of Jewish dietary laws relatively transparent to others. But rarely are observant Jews known to be outright stupid, which is why we believe they'll soon stop patronizing your hatefully overpriced restaurant altogether. The food is fine, but honestly, a $32 hamburger served with fries only? Can any appetizer be worth $25? Who could enjoy a $17 martini -- in SKOKIE, no less -- knowing what it will set them back? Get real Shallots; the cost of kosher food has increased, it's true. But professional restaurateurs are up to the challenge of continuing to offer appealing cuisine at perhaps elevated -- but not insultingly extortionate --prices. You're failing the challenge miserably. Soon, you'll fail for good. read more

As someone who keeps kosher and lives in Chicago, there aren't many options for fine dining. Shallots seems to know this and assumes you'll have to keep coming back. This is the only explanation for the terrible service. The food is pretty decent (although it's more on/off than you'd want at these prices), but be sure to keep at least 3-4 hours open because everything is a process at Shallots: waiting for the waiter to finally come around and take your order, then waiting for your appetizer to arrive, then don't even get me started on the hour wait for the main course! Not to mention both times I've been there I've had to ask for bread well into the start of the meal. Also, had to ask for steak knives. Bottom line: while you may not be disappointed with the food, they fail to realize that at these prices it's as much about the overall experience as it is the food. But, hey, when you're the only kosher show in town I guess you can afford to get away with inferior quality. read more