food was very good. service was good except when I was leaving a server was rude to me while I was ordering a uber. he insisted I move and the whole area was empty. I have a disability and I needed to sit to order. it is a beautiful space. read more

Fabulous setting for a leisurely meal. Service was with many a smile and food was delicately prepared and elegantly presented. The colossal shrimp was soft and easy to relish - cooked with care I would presume. Brusels sprouts could feed an army- or at least a gaggle of generals. We had a thigh dish and a Poke dish. Much to talk about. Hugely and highly recommended!! read more

The Exchange - General ambiance - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My friend and I stopped by for a lil girls dinner night, we didn't make reservations but the host was still able to sit us down right away. We started off with the Mushroom Tartine and this was amazingggg!! Literally the best thing we got here so it really set the bar for the rest of the food. It was basically sauteed mushrooms over a slice of sourdough bread, but the sauce was savory and well put together. We also got their crispy potatoes which were perfectly crisp and bite size! The sauce that came with it was pretty mid nothing, like a basic spicy mayo. For entree we got their Chopped Salad with Chicken; this was my first time having chopped salad and I honestly loved it! Super refreshing, light, crunchy and a little sweetness from the candied pecans! It came with blue cheese which I wished I had asked for on the side just because I'm not a fan of. We added chicken to ours and it was super soft and juicy, probably one of the juiciest chicken I've had. We also had their Tomato Rigatoni which was honestly just okay. Not really a fan of red pasta unless it's creamy and this one didn't make the cut for me. It lacked flavor in the sauce so I mostly just tasted the pasta more than the sauce itself... The pasta was cooked perfectly but the sauce was not hitting it. WHERE'S DA FLAVAAAHH, guy fieri not approved. Super beautiful place though, the ambience felt super elegant. Our server was super nice and sweet, she was a bit hard to flag down and get a hold of most of the time but we saw that she was managing a lot of tables at once too. read more

The Exchange - Crispy Potatoes, Chopped Salad with Chicken, Tomato Rigatoni - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My friend and I came here for a quick dinner. We were sat immediately without a reservation on a Saturday night. We decided we wanted to share a few of the items. We got the mushroom tartine, rigatoni, chopped salad, and crispy potatoes. The mushroom tartine was delicious. It was perfectly seasoned and cooked. It had a little bit of a spice to it which I liked a lot! There were a lot of flavor profiles that really combined to make something beautiful lol. We decided to share our entrees. We got the rigatoni, chopped salad with chicken, and a side of crispy potatoes. The rigatoni is okay. I'm really particular about tomato based sauces and it takes a lot to wow me and this one just didn't. It tasted really fresh which I enjoyed a lot but it was really thin. The rigatoni pasta was perfectly al dente but because the sauce was so thin I felt as though the sauce didn't stick to the pasta. This was a bummer because we did want the special item, the pappardelle. The potatoes were okay to me as well. It was very crispy but I felt like the seasoning was pretty plain. It wasn't remarkable at all. The chopped salad was the best of the entrees! The candied pecans were a great addition. We had chicken added and I was blown away by it. The chicken was incredibly juicy and the skin was very crispy. I wasnt expecting a lot as it looked pretty ordinary but it was some of the best roasted chicken I've ever had. The service was amazing! Our server was incredibly sweet and classy. She was really busy but you wouldn't have noticed that at all with how well she presented herself to us when she approached us. I was honestly in awe of the environment and wish I was a local because it was very enchanting. I really enjoyed eating here; in fact I think it was the trip food highlight and highly recommend it to anyone considering. read more

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Better experience than I thought. The server was attentive and cunning and the atrium was relaxing to casually dine in. The food was very tasty as it was flavored well and rich with its composure, took me time to enjoy the satiatiating experience of every bite. Although I agree with our server that this place is not a steak house, the steak was good, the brussel sprouts were better and the lamb balls will fill you before the maim corse. Go there early because to create the flavor their kitchen takes more time than I expected and if we hadn't planned to be there one and a half to two hours before our concert started at the CSO we could have been late. However, I paid $12 for a serving of thick cake frosting with no cake, LoL. Gamache sounds nice when you want chocolate after dinner but icing feels cheap when you come to your senses, I've lived & learned. Enjoy read more

Relatively new addition to the sparse selection of good Michigan Avenue restaurants. Lovely ambience. Absolutely fabulous, friendly, professional service. Crowd a little thin for lunch, but that made for even more enjoyable experience. The team of the restaurant notes but they get a lot busier around dinner, especially because of their proximity to the Art Institute and the orchestra. The menu is relatively simple and straightforward; but my guest and I had there squash soup and a salad. I am not kidding when I say that the soup was absolutely outstanding...like "I want the recipe outstanding." As you can see online, there's a pretty nice selection of everything from appetizers to salads to small sandwiches to full-on main courses. Had a look at the dinner menu which looks a little bit more extensive, a little bit more expensive. And equally excellent. I'll be back. read more

Our server Annika was perfectly delightful. We were celebrating a friend's birthday and Annika's excellent service enhanced our experience. We each ordered something different and everything was tasty and well presented, especially the flourless chocolate cake which we split three ways. I love that we could carry on a conversation and not have to yell at each other. The noise level was very low, unlike most restaurants I dine in these days. Altogether, a wonderful experience. I'll definitely be back! read more

Great location, loved the ambiance, service was great and the food was delicious! I think they could add more signage to direct guests to the correct place. That was my only negative. read more

This place is beautiful inside. Someone was actually taking wedding photos in the atrium area. We came here pre show to the Chicago Symphony Center. I had the Caesar salad with salmon. The salmon was delicious but the salad was just okay. My husband tried the burger which he really enjoyed and compared it to a gourmet Big Mac. Ha! The fries were delicious! The service was fine but not great. The drinks were also just fine. read more

The service was stellar. The atmosphere was delightful. The food and drinks were delicious

I absolutely love your lunch menu, just right for a lunch before the CSO Friday matinee. However, it would be nice if you would start lunch service at 11:00 instead of 11:30. The pre-concert lecture at the CSO starts at 12:15. read more

Absolutely amazing! Go here for steph as your bartender. She is so friendly and fun! She made our experience!!

We dined here for restaurant week so our menu was a bit different than the regular. We secured reservations for the listening room, which is a small area off to the side of the atrium. It had great music as expected and was beautifully furnished in a chic, modern way. It goes without saying that the railway exchange building is visually stunning. We all decided to order off the prix fixe $55 restaurant week menu. I chose the burrata as my starter (also on the regular menu), which was extremely good but, inexplicably, they only give you half of the burrata ball per portion. I have never before ordered a burrata starter m and only been given half of the actual ball of burrata, and this is especially ridiculous because the price was the same as others in the area that literally give double the amount. My entree was lemon ricotta gnocchi with asparagus (only on restaurant week). It was absolutely delicious & a very large portion. For dessert, I got the cinnamon bread pudding, and my friend and I agreed that it was the best bread pudding we had ever had. She went so far as to say it was the best dessert she's ever had. We were so full that we didn't have room to finish it, unfortunately! My biggest complaint is with the wine. This sounds extremely nitpicky, but it's fair to expect upscale restaurants to have a decent wine list and chill their wine properly. The Exchange's wine list is extremely brief and boring. Moreover, when I ordered a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, it came out just barely chilled -- closer to the temperature of a properly chilled red. Later, I ordered a glass of Prosecco that was the same temperature. This makes me think that they store all of their wines (red, white, sparkling) in the same refrigerator. For $13-16 a glass, I do expect better. read more

The Exchange - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Lovely great hall, excellent service, good food. The menu was varied. We chose the yellow curry and it was tasty. Oh, and the parker house rolls were amazing! read more

A quick one here: Came here on a business dinner with a big group. We arrived a bit late on a Thursday night, but the wait staff did a great job getting our orders in and bringing drinks. Really cool spot. Huge atrium. Echos a bit, but not distracting at all. I had the Vegan Yellow Curry. It was excellent! And only $20! Lovely, crispy tofu bites among a nicely spiced yellow curry sauce. Rice and a bunch of fresh mint and basil. Really a lovely dish. Wasn't too hungry, so kept it simple, but I was not expecting such a nice and thoughtful dish for $20. As I looked around the table, all the other dishes looked really nice as well. I'd definitely come back. Well done Exchange. read more

The only reason to come here is for the ambiance everything else wasn't worth it. The staff was pretty confused on what they were offering. The menus online don't match the one they gave us. But even the ones they have us didn't match. They accidentally left two menus on the table with different things each. We asked questions about pricing and food and they seemed confused about their own menu. The eggs were hard, the potatoes for mediocre, only the grits and French toast was good. Not worth the price. The bottomless mimosa was alright for the price. Definitely would not come back again read more

The Exchange - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Gorgeous Greek and Roman inspired Beaux-arts lobby. Worth a stop if you're in the area read more

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What I noticed immediately was the interior of the exchange is beautiful! We sat in the atrium and it is definitely a vibe. There are these beautiful olive trees all around the dining room! We had the privilege of a live band being in there during dinner as well! We got some light bites which we would highly recommend! We were informed that they actually have an award winning baker, Matt who is in house and makes their bread! And the bread was super good. We had the potatoes and the kale salad which were delicious. The cocktails were great too. We had the modern love and the spirit free smash. Very refreshing! I definitely wanna go and try out all the rooms in the exchange! read more

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Editing this to note that management dismissed my complaints, saying that the restaurant was new and glitches were to be expected. They then decided to, WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION, charge my sisters credit card, and refund my deposit today, weeks after the event - which I had paid back in August. If you have a special event-do not plan it here. read more

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We didn't have a reservation but called and they were very accommodating. We were at and helped immediately and our drinks/food came out quickly! I loved the ambiance of the place. Great decor and jazz music, everything was so stylish yet cozy. It's was upscale without feeling pretentious. The drinks were yummy and the food was delicious! I would recommend this place to all my friends visiting Chicago! read more

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Just had a fabulous dinner at the Exchange and I am rooting so hard for this place to survive. Located in the old Railway Exchange Building, this place bills itself as a "listening room. " I guess this is a specific type of food/music lounge in Japan. Here, DMK has created an upscale restaurant with a special focus on good music played on a quality sound system with some swanky but restrained decor. Their interior designer went nuts at CB2 and then did a good job editing themselves when finishing the space. Essentially you're devouring delicious eats while listening to some classic tracks on vinyl. It's essentially a hipster's wet dream. However we are a long way from Logan Square, so we get the hip vibes, good tunes, and man buns WITHOUT the frequent doushe vibes and tired irony you get on the west side. Staff was super friendly. Service was first rate and not only were they excited to tell us all about the new restaurant and concept, they were inquisitive about our feedback. The menu was very solid. Extremely well thought out and well executed crowdpleasers, expertly curated and crafted without being overly fussy. Creamy and delicious raclette and cheddar mac & cheese, crispy brussels sprouts with chunks of grapefruit (who the hell thought that would be a winning combo?!?). Juicy chicken thighs with summer squash and coriander chutney. And some of the best crispy potatoes I've had in a long time. Top that off with a great microbrew oriented beer list and some tasty craft cocktails. This spot is a winner. Furthermore, it's filling a need in the immediate local area. The Loop and South Loop area does not have enough classy cocktail lounge type restaurants like this. I love the South Loop, but the food scene in the immediate area is lacking. Aside from Harbor, Sofi, and Half Sour, it's nearly all sports bars, burger joints or pizza. The Exchange is filling a much needed niche in the neighborhood and I'm willing to bet you're going to love them for it. Book your reservation on Open Table right now. read more

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Awesome grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch and my strawberry gimlet was fab. No clue why this place isn't packed!

What an amazing meal! There were 6 of us in the group and we enjoyed splitting and trying so many dishes! Favorites for appetizers were the Demi Country Loaf with whipped ricotta, burrata the beets special. Everyone also loved our entrees of Wild Mushroom Rigatoni and Steamed Walleye. In addition we tried all the sides and they were amazing! Crispy Potatoes and the Carrots with chili garlic and coconut sprinkle. Yummmy! read more

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Came here with friends in January and will definitely be back. Food was delicious and service was good. Their menu is seasonal and rotates. We sat right next to the speaker so it was a little loud. Ordered: - Sparkling Rose & Cava for the table - Chopped Salad for the table - this was delicious and fresh, we quickly ate it all up - Steak frites came with side mixed greens salad and ratatouille. - for me! This was delicious! - Spinach lasagna for my friend- huge portion, she loved it! - Prime filet for my other friend - she also loved it - side of crispy potatoes- enough for the whole table read more

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Nice spot. We got drinks on happy hour and enjoyed our food! Table bread is a must to share and I love the grilled cheese/tomato bisque! Very rich but hit the spot. read more

The Exchange - American Grilled Cheese Sandwich and tomato bisque - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It's one of the top worst experiences in Chicago. The service was awful, the food was terrible (the weekend bottomless brunch), the food portion was tiny, and the price was high and unworthy. First, let's talk about the service. Right from the moment you arrive at the counter, to be greeted by an obnoxious, unfriendly host who forgot how to smile. She brought you and your guests (4 of us) to our table, dropped the menus, and then just walked away. Next, you were greeted by a server who told you it was not worth having the a la carte brunch because the portion would be small and not filling. The dishes started to bring to your table, but the waitress had no clue of what she had brought to the table. You asked her what each dish was, and she responded by saying she did not cook the food and she did not know what the dishes were. Since they had taken all your menus away after you decided to have the bottomless brunch, the best way to find out the dishes was to go to yelp and check out people's photos and messages to figure out each dish. Amongst the four of us, we had one allergic to nuts and one to strawberries. We told the server about these, but the dishes came to our table with nuts and strawberries spread on top of some dishes. The portion of each dish was so tiny, and they expected you to share almost every word' with your +1. This was ridiculous for $49 each (before tax), and you were paying one portion of the dish provided, but they would charge you double instead. It was a massive rip-off!!! It's such a shame with such a lovely dining hall and restaurant, but it has so bad on everything. They need to train every service segment to make the restaurant stay longer. And they need to re-visit their price. It is so expensive that it does not make sense especially based on the portion of food provided and the number of dishes. Some dishes are not edible. Otherwise, I will expect this place to disappear within one year. Please just have the a la carle. read more

We had dinner at Theo's, one of the rooms in the Exchange. The Atrium did not look like it was taking diners but the ambience was lovely. The best item we had was the demi-country load - DEFINITELY get that. All their bread was good. Everything else was tasty but a bit underwhelming for the price. The dessert was pretty good! The area is beautiful and the service was fairly good. Items took a bit long to come out and they had closed their main entrance but hadn't put any sign up to indicate it so it's kind of off-putting just standing there being confused with everyone just ignoring us. read more

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Came for the Sunday brunch with my family to dine in the lofty Atrium space. We had a reservation. It was beautifully lit and decorated for the holidays. The vibes were so lovely with the live piano also playing in the background. We opted to do the unlimited brunch which we were actually confused about at first because we were given menus but the menus didn't explain the unlimited brunch. Our waitress explained it to us when we asked about it, but not in the best way. She was very nice, but with that day being her first day as a waitress, we felt off throughout the meal but continued to stay open and patient. The unlimited brunch is A LOT of food - 12 dishes in a great variety. They are brought to your table in small plates and I realized too late that I should not have finished everything on my plate with the first 2-3 entrees. I became full early in the meal, but continued to take bites of everything just to try them. My faves were the greek yogurt parfait, mini croissants, and crispy potatoes. I had high expectations for the steak and eggs, mini bagel & lox, and mushroom ragu and creamy grits but all three dishes were not great - they looked nice on their plates but they didn't have a lot of flavor in my opinion. read more

I came here over the summer for the jazz brunch on a Saturday and thought it was great! The jazz part, to be honest, was not what I was expecting. I thought there would be a full jazz band but it was just one gentleman [and I've heard from friends that on some days, it's just music and not live]. The guy did a great job when he was playing though and was good! The space is GORGEOUS! I hope I attend an event or wedding in this space because it would be the perfect venue. The brunch consists of passed plates throughout your seating time and everything was delicious! You basically wait for someone to come to your table and place plates of whatever they're passing out on your table. It ends up being a LOT of food and we were able to turn down anything we knew we wouldn't eat [meat dishes for us] and ask for extras of something we wanted more of [the delicious greek yogurt parfaits for us!] You can add a bottomless mimosa option - they come premade, but I asked for less juice in mine and they were able to accommodate! + Mini Croissants: pretty buttery, but pretty good! nice and soft on the inside! The house Jam was fresh and delicious. + Greek Yogurt Parfait: LOVED these so much!! I make these at home and know they're simple but something about these were just SO good - maybe the quality of the yogurt? either way - one of my favorite parts + Buckwheat Pancake: I honestly didn't think I would like these, but they were good! Lemon and ricotta is usually so great so not sure why I doubted this dish! + Cheesy Egg scramble: this was fine, but honestly - with how good some of the rest of the food was, it wasn't anything special compared to the rest! + Country Sourdough French toast: also SO good!! [are you noticing a theme here??] + Mini Everything Bagel and Lox: when the servers realized we were turning away all the meat/seafood dishes, they told us they could easily do this one without the Lox. The little bagels seemed so fresh and delish! + Chilaquiles: We definitely were not expecting what we received since the chilaquiles dishes we've had in the past usually have a chips base, but this was INCREDIBLE. This was another FAVORITE dish! The masa patty thing that was on the dish was so flavorful and the salsa verde was perfect! + Mushroom Ragu and Creamy Grits: I'm not a huge grits person, but this was actually pretty good with the flavorful ragu on top! + Crispy potatoes: these were fine, but with how amazing the rest of these dishes were - these just seemed basic - the sauce that came with it was good, though!! Overall, a GREAT experience. TONS of food for the price you pay [everything above was served as one plate per person... not one plate per table, so again - TONS of food!] Our primary server was a little odd and not super friendly, but the guys delivering the food were GREAT and were the ones we saw and interacted with the most. We just hoped our tip went to them too because they were the hardest working ones and the friendliest ones for sure! Can't wait to return! read more

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I went with work colleagues that had never been to the city. Food and drinks were wonderful. We ordered appetizers. I recall lamb meatballs, Burrata (this portion was too small for our group of 5), and fries. All were wonderful. I ordered a grain salad with chicken which was absolutely delicious, but I couldn't finish it. One person ordered the burger and enjoyed. Another ordered the chicken and said it was fine. Two ordered the salmon and raved that it may have been the best salmon they ever had. Wish we could have been in the atrium area which looked beautiful compared to the dark bar area where we were seated. Bar service was appropriately timed considering the specialty cocktails we ordered. Service was eerily quick... like minutes after we ordered our food. Made me suspect whether everything was fresh made or not, but I think it was probably due to the limited menu and expectations for a rush. read more

Came here for my birthday dinner- we sat in the Atrium section and I can't recommend enough. Service was great and it was one of the coolest restaurants I'd been in in a while. The burrata and pea purée appetizer is a must- my boyfriend and I are trying to recreate it at home!! He had the lemon ricotta gnocchi- which he loved and I had the carbonara which I loved! We couldn't decide who had the better plate so we shared. The portion sizes were surprisingly large, especially coming to such a cool place that is on the pricier side. Great selection of wine for my liking & he as always stuck with his two-hearted. Overall this was a really great experience & a place I look forward to revisiting next time I'm in the city :) read more

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The brunch is ridiculous. Unlimited food, and every plate made to order. The atrium is beautiful and the live piano is great. read more

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Finally a place where the beauty and uniqueness of the physical space matches the quality and surprise and elite of the food! Had the brunch of never ending greatness today. We did not realize it was prix fix menu but 9 of us gave it a shot. The menu was thoughtfully designed and the pace measured as each item unveiled and devoured! The service was attentive yet not intrusive. They even asked if we wanted any specific items again..the bacon was as thick as a dictionary ..the steak/eggs amazing...croissant and jam ... the desert of chocolate Carmel tart were the best we have ever eaten. The proximity to Art Institute and Daley Park make it a an easy place to stop and enjoy! We 'll be back! read more

Food was great and the staff was all very nice and helpful. The atrium area was really nice to sit in and had decorations for Christmas. read more

The Exchange - Atrium - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Beautiful location! Jazz is so nice! But great service. SO MUCH food! The polenta and mushroom is read more

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Delighted to have the Exchange as a wonderful option on symphony night, the proximity is key. However, I'd enjoy the Exchange any other time as well. The ambience and service is wonderful. Thrilled by the number of veggie options and the taste and quality of all the food, I recall the soup being particularly good, I thought the portions may have been a little small, except for my dining partner's burger which was huge. read more

Cool vibe. Limited menu but tasty food-just a little bit too pricey. Good wine selection. Friendly staff. Service was helpful and accommodating Love the different rooms esp. the music room where you can go to the turntable and play any selected albums they have out. The atrium is a nice area for larger groups or just to have a more open vibe. I would definitely come back to try out their brunch. read more

Our waitress, Bri was very sweet and friendly! She recommended great picks. We enjoyed the food and the drinks. It's such a beautiful and elegant place, with soft music! read more

The interior of this place is so nice. When we went it was a little dead so we were echoing like crazy and probably annoying everyone else. But I liked my food! I got the Cobb salad and fries. However my friends who got the turkey club and chicken sandwhich both said their meat was slimy. read more

We visited The Exchange last night. Lovely atmosphere - we ate in the Listening Room. I ordered a French 75, delicious. I expect all the drinks were great judging from the comments of our nearby diners. The menu is focused - about a half-dozen starters, similar number of entrees and sides. I was really interested in eating since the reviews have been so strong. But I have to say this was totally, completely just an OK experience. Maybe unique to us, but here goes: Timing: We had a reservation before heading on to the symphony so arrived with a two hour window to leisurely dine. Good thing because our food arrived a little after the 90 minute mark! Yikes (despite having ordered within 20 minutes of being seated). So FYI if you have any kind of time constraint. Food: The kale caesar salad was a solid, predictable salad. Split three ways was just perfect for us. The two appetizers (including the country bread) were fine. Nothing stood out. Entrees: chicken thighs were juicy. We voted that the best. Mushroom pasta was fine. My walleye was served in a kind of soup bowl setting making it awkward to eat, was freshly seasoned with a bright cilantro / thai pepper in a thin sauce. It was fine. No time for dessert. The bill came to $200, we raced next door to the CSO getting there at the final seating, looked at each other and thought, meh. I hope we had an off night. But with all the great selections in Chicago, I likely will not return to find out. read more