Sigh. Why must things change? Why can't things that are magical and special stay the same year after year? The Wine Bar in the Walnut Room, better known in my circle as Wine & Walnuts, is one of my most favorite parts of the holiday season, and last night's visit, while enjoyable, left me a little deflated. The good and the bad: Good: The tree. Always sparkly and makes me happy The setting. The Walnut Room IS Christmas in Chicago The wine. Good selections, decent prices The bar. Smack in the middle of the room and every seat is perfect for tree viewing. Bad: The tree. The same decorations as last year? Really, Macy's? Really? The wine. No more flights at Christmas time, because as I was told it's "too difficult to serve." The crowd. The secret, I'm sorry to say, is out, and the masses have invaded the wine bar. The crowd, II: Rude, ill-mannered people who trek to the city once a year and expect to be treated like royalty. Please, don't bother. And don't be haughty and dismissive with the waitstaff, who are killing themselves to serve you. The massive crowd was most likely due to it being a Saturday, and we usually go during the week, but, to find throngs of pushy people took away some of the charm. I still love the tree, I still love the Walnut Room, and I love the 4th year of this tradition. I just don't like the changes. read more

I was surprised reading some of the other reviews of the Walnut Room because like many others, my family has been coming to the WR almost every year at Christmas time. Like most other years the WR was transformed magically for Christmas, almost like stepping into the past of old Chicago. Our party was large and even though the place was packed, everything was organized and running on time. We waited less than an hour and got seated 10-15 minutes earlier than predicted. Even thought the menu has changed a bit, the classic pot pie is still there. Everything we had was delicious, but the absolute best items were the pretzel rolls and the goat cheese fondu! The fondu was so creamy and decadent, when you put a little on top of the pretzel rolls, OMG I didn't even need an entree. Our service was flawless and the best part is that prices remain affordable. I think Macy's could jack up the prices, especially during the holidays. Around the city I would expect to pay more at another restaurant with none of the ambiance WR provides! Another great experience WR! read more

I've seen a lot of reviews by people that go here as a tradition, but I was in town to see a show and have never been here before. That said, as a first timer: The menu is dated, the service was incompetent and the food was garbage. Everything seemed pre-made or jarred the day before. Me and two friends got the Jamburger, "famous" pot pie, lobster bisque and open faced turkey sandwich. Every single element of the meal was an abject failure. The pot pie was a bowl of bland chicken gravy with a couple peas, topped by a giant ritz cracker. Disgusting and obviously not made to order. The lobster bisque was a mucous-like bowl of orange butter with chunks of overcooked rubbery lobster. The turkey sandwich had no accompaniments, just leathery slabs of meat on a store-bought slice of multigrain. No seasoning, terrible. The burger was decent, but was advertised with carmelized onions and brie, but came with fried onion strings and blue cheese. The waitress came around only every half hour, never refilled anything, and totally screwed up the checks. She returned change to my girlfriend only in the largest bill denominations, trying to force her to leave a larger tip. The waitress seemed drunk, and told my friend that there are "absolutely NO substitutions" when he wanted a burger without onions, as if it's somehow more work for a cook to add FEWER garnishes. The only possible reason for that would be if there were a big stack of pre-made burgers in the back. My friend explained he's allergic to onions and got the same stupid reply. Terrible service and awful pre-cooked store bought food. You would find better attitudes and more culinary craftsmanship at a Denny's and I'm being one hundred percent serious. The Walnut Room is a must-avoid. read more

I was here for the first item on a Friday morning and I partook in the breakfast buffet gala that was going on. I have lived in Chicago all my life and I have never been here before. I have heard so much about the tree they put up for the holidays so i was excited to see it. Yes the atmosphere lived up to the hype. The tree was very impressive and the overall look and feel was very nice and I am glad that I had the opportunity to experience it. However, now that I have seen it and experienced it I really have no burning desire to return of my own accord. if I have out of town guests who want to go there or I am with a group of people who want to go there then i won't have a problem returning. The food just did not wow me enough. The breakfast buffet was $10 and believe me, I ate twice that amount in food so I did get my money's worth but the food was just average, they did have very good bacon though as i scarfed down six pieces. read more

I hated seeing Marshall Fields brand disappear. I was so mad, I boycotted Macy's. But life goes on. My friend had never eaten under the tree at the Walnut Room, I know, it shocked me also. She wanted to go and so, we went! Here's the big positive that it is no longer Marshall Fields - I found the lines to be less crazy. Realize that less crazy was a 10 minute wait for a beeper and a 75 minute wait for a table. We waited, we sat and I have to admit it, it was still the Walnut Room. For Christmas time they have all the old favorites (except for Osage Pudding but life is not perfect.) I had the pumpkin stuffed tortellini and my friend had the Chicken Pot Pie and we both had house salads with the fabulous Fields Sesame dressing. The service was really good and we sat right next to the tree. I still miss Marshall Fields but I am not mad anymore. read more

If you have any fond Christmas memories of the Walnut Room, you are better served keeping those memories than heading there today. Consistent with the past, the line is horrendous. We showed up at 10:40am (day before thanksgiving, but any weekend would be similar) and there was a massive line to just get the pager - and they were quoting a seating time of 2pm. We waited 10 mins in the page line and we got lucky bcs they came by asking if folks wanted to sit at the wine bar - with no wait. Can I get a HELL YES?? Especially bcs we thought this would be a kid free experience... Wrong. Wine bar is definitely a good option if you must subject yourself this place... But I beg you to heed my warning and TURN BACK NOW. Here's the low down (and I do mean low...) - Service was inconsistent. I was ready to put our server on a milk carton, but the the people next to us had crazy fast service. - Food is about the quality of the Old Country Buffet. I ordered butternut squash raviolis... overcooked, flavorless pastas in a creamy sauce. The sauce was OK, but the dish was really disappointing. I'd prefer the Lean Cuisine version any day. Even the rolls were awful. I ordered a pointsettia cocktail and it was 1/3 champy, 2/3 cranberry juice. Meh! My friend ate about 1/2 of her meatball. There are fairy princesses running around throwing powder on people's heads, the kids seem to like it. I would have been better off eating in any of the other Macy's eateries. Plenty of other places to eat in the building and the neighborhood! PS. If you don't love being around children, definitely avoid this place. You'll be running to get sterilized afterwards. PPS. There was NOTHING elegant about the experience. I LOVE elegant, the current Walnut room experience is like a dressed up Old Country Buffett with a beautiful Christmas tree. Visit one of the fine hotels in town if you want an elegant experience! read more

Here's to the ladies who lunch... From time to time, I believe it is important to forego the usual Loop lunch joints (ie...Corner Bakery, Au Bon Pain, Cosi) and dine in a restaurant. With tablecloths. Like a grown up. Someplace without paper straws and napkins. Somewhere where the waiters wear tuxedos. Today was my first visit to the legendary Walnut Room. Never have I wanted to be wearing kid gloves and a hat more than today. I wanted to be wearing pearls and pumps and red lipstick and have Ward and the kids waiting at home for me. I wanted to be a lady who lunches. The Walnut Room is full of tradition and nostalgia and I loved it. Our waiter was attentive, but not overly. The room was full, but not crowded. I started with the lobster bisque, which was the best I've had. Really. And that includes great seafood places. The soup itself was flavorful and not too thin, with generous chunks of shellfish and just a hint of sherry. For my entree, I ordered Mrs. Hering's Chicken Pot Pie, the dish that started it all. Apparently, Mrs Hering worked in the millinery department (that's the hat department to you and me) and brought in pot pies for her customers in case they got hungry while shopping. Smart cookie. And the Chicken Pot Pie is pretty great: a chicken stew topped with a puff pastry crust. [Best part: I didn't burn my mouth like I usually do with those frozen numbers I cook at home.] I had a great experience at the Walnut Room and while my day as a lady-who-lunches didn't include a Pinter play, a piece of Mahler or even Ward & the kids waiting at home, I did pick up a really great red lipstick downstairs at MAC. read more

We visited at about 2:00 PM on a Christmas-season Tuesday afternoon. The room was full, with lots of family groups; but, despite some Yelp horror stories of hours-long waits at this time of year, we were in line for only fifteen minutes or so. This was my first visit to this classic department store restaurant since 1996; it's an attractive space with dark wood (Ooh! Ooh! I'll bet it's walnut!), and big windows overlooking State Street from seven stories up. It still looks much the same as I remember from my 1950's childhood, when my mother would often bring out-of-town visitors here during Loop shopping expeditions. The Walnut Room is home to Macy's Great Tree. As a holiday treat for the many kids present, the room was being worked by several fairy princesses or something of that sort, going from table to table to offer kids (and the occasional adult) a chance to make a wish. Fulfillment not guaranteed. Our waitress showed up almost immediately; they seem to have a plethora and a half of servers, their ranks no doubt bolstered by holiday temps. Lunch consisted of: - Eggnog brandy Alexander. - Frango Kahlua hot chocolate. Drinks included souvenir Walnut Room logo mugs, not the vessels actually used for serving the drinks. - Hot roll, probably house-baked. - Lobster bisque. Thick and rich with sherry; the lobster meat was fresh and tasty, but a bit thin on the ground. - Salad of mixed greens with creamy balsamic vinaigrette. - "Mrs. Hering's 1890 Chicken Pot Pie," a house signature dish. Flaky crust baked on top of a bowl of a somewhat soupy chicken, pea, and corn filling. Lots of white meat chicken, though it struck me as rather under seasoned. - Frango Mint chocolate ice cream pie. A chocopalypse: chocolate crust, Frango ice cream, drizzled chocolate sauce, all topped with whipped cream. Food, three stars; service and ambience, five. read more

Okay we avoided Macy's during Christmas time for the most part (because of the insane crowds), but I really wanted to take my wife to the Walnut Room at some point. We finally did after the new year started, sometime in Jan or Feb 2012 I think. The two star rating is because I do feel like saying Meh, I've experienced better. Let me start by saying the idea of the Walnut Room is kind of intimidating because we knew about the history, and the amazing chicken pot pie, and the huge Christmas tree, and so on. We've seen a couple of PBS documentaries about Chicago that mentioned the Walnut Room, and the restaurant has been talked about endlessly by our friends, so in some sense we felt like we had to work up our nerve to actually go. So we were exploring the Pedway one day and said let's call the Walnut Room and figure out if we can eat dinner there later tonight. Not a problem. Call to make reservations, take the elevator at Macy's and enjoy the view as we look around before being seated. So far so good, but then came time for the crucial judgement call or tipping point that everyone experiences when trying to decide if they really like a certain place to eat: the service from your waiter. Not so good. We were made to wait 15-20 minutes after sitting at our table to be seen by someone, then we waited longer to get a glass of water. I can usually excuse this because I understand what it's like for busy times, but there were a lot of empty tables, and it did not feel busy at all. On our side we felt neglected and a growing resentment about the poor service and lack of attention. Moving on, we ordered some delicious items, and of course my wife goes for the chicken pot pie. One of her many talents is in the bakery, and she was dreaming of what it would be like to receive a steaming hot, homemade, creamy chicken pot pie with a cloud of rising puff pastry on top. Unfortunately we did not know about some recent changes in the kitchen. Take a look at this article that we found after the fact. http://www.nbcchicago.com/the-scene/food-drink/131152058.html Apparently the recipe was changed for this dish (perhaps due to economics or a mindless decision from management), and the puff pastry topping was no more. Oh boy. So that was the icing on the cake so to speak, that helped us to make the decision to not return. As a result we felt like the food was on par with a place like a hospital cafeteria. I'm sure the Walnut Room will continue to get a lot of business from being located inside Macy's, and from tourists and the ongoing publicity, but for locals it is kind of a let down for such a storied institution that could've done so much more to represent the history of Chicago we are all so proud of. read more

The ladies in our family talked about visiting the Walnut Room for the past several years. We finally made it. I was excited, given all the hype. Too bad it was incredibly disappointing. When I wait 3.5 hours to eat, the experience better be mind blowing. Service: Very, very slow. We were a party of 8 and on numerous occasions had to ask for enough: glasses of water, plates, utensils, pretzel bread. Before our first course was served, we had been seated for at least 40 mins. Decor/Ambiance: I had expected an impeccably clean, well taken care of dining room. The carpet was stained, the bathroom was an embarrassment (broken faucets, dusty radiators, toilet paper strewn about the floor), the white linen of our table cloth hid a paint stained folding table, the room was packed so tightly that making your way through was disruptive to those trying to eat comfortably, and the tree was really nothing special. It took so very long for the empty glasses and used plates to be cleared, often not in time for the next course, making the limited space on our table that much more cramped. Food: Lobster Bisque had a heavy taste of Sherry. The shrimp appetizer was very good as was the pretzel bread - when it arrived. I had the salmon and butternut squash risotto. The fish was over cooked and dry and the risotto was not at all creamy, or hot. Super disappointing for $17+. Others at my table had the short ribs and chicken salad and were not impressed. The only person to order a salad entree did not receive her dish along with the other 7 of us - she waited another 7 mins to get her salad while encouraging all of us to eat without her so as not to let our barely warm food get any colder. I certainly know being any member of service staff in a restaurant during the holidays can be thankless and stressful and I often hesitate to write negative reviews before giving a second visit. With all the hype and tradition the Walnut Room boasts as a Chicago holiday must, however, it would seem there would be more positives than negatives to this review. Sadly, I feel our wasted time (5.5 hrs) and money ($400) would have been better spent at many other places. read more

I was quite surprised that the Walnut Room didn't get better reviews in general. Most of the complaints were that it's "not like it used to be," or that it's only worth visiting during the holiday season. I had a great time here, and thought the food was great and the atmosphere was festive and elegant. During a recent "ladies' weekend" in Chicago, we went to the Walnut Room for lunch. There were 12 of us there, and we were treated excellently by the wait staff and hosts. Our meal was great--some standouts in our group included the farmer's market salad, the chicken pot pie, and the crab cake sandwich. The desserts were really great. I loved the mint chocolate ice cream pie! The view from the dining room was really spectacular, and we spent a good amount of time taking pictures by the fountain near the entrance. I was really excited to be eating in a historical establishment which, in my opinion, lived up to its legacy. read more

I'll start with the good. I visited during the 2013 Christmas holiday shopping season. Pros: Very nicely decorated. Food tasted good. Cons: Excessive wait time, expensive food, slow service. Be prepared to wait. You need to sign up first to get an electronic pager device, and a slip of paper confirming your 'time' to be in the line. Also note that there are 2 'seatings' for each time. For example we were given a time of 2:00 to get in line. However, there is a 'first call' and a 'second call' for each time. We were in the second call. That is not explained very well, and many people (us included) were quite confused as to why we were not being asked to get in line, even with the 2:00 sheet. Once in the actual line, you basically wait until tables are ready. Service is very slow. And I mean slow. We were seated, and waited a few minutes for the waiter to come by and tell us he'd be back. In 5 minutes. Then he asked if we would like water. Then left, and came back 5 minutes later. Without the water, saying that someone else would be bringing it. Then some pretzal bread came, but w/out plates or silverware it sat and got cold. We eventually got plates and silverware, and the waiter apologized for the wait saying that there had been a shift change. I'm thinking that should have been worked out before now. Why does everystaff person switch out at the same time? Really? Food was ordered, and we waited. And waited. While we were waiting, the table next to ours had to get up and find a water pitcher. They had been asking all of the passing staff for more water, each time being told it would be 'just a minute'. I didn't picture the Walnut Room as a 'self service' kinda place, but it was. There are also 'magical faries' roaming the dining room, willing to bestow some 'food grade glitter' (we were told) on top of your kids head and wave their wand over them for good measure. Other than hounding parents for tips, they served no real purpose. It wasn't Disney magic that's for sure. There are hundreds of resturants in Chicago. Many less expensive, and most providing much better service. If you want to see the tree, go and see it. Don't bother with the resturant though. Particularly at the holidays. It's not magical, it's aggravating. read more

I've read some mixed reviews before coming here, so my expectations were pretty low...which did meet expectations, lol. My best friend and I came here to celebrate the holidays with dinner at the Walnut Room since I've never been here before and she's been here 10 yrs ago. We arrived there around 5:40pm, and there was a line but everyone got seated pretty quickly. I was a bit surprised since I read on yelp that there is normally a long line to wait but the line went through pretty quickly around this time. The Christmas tree is huge! It is probably the biggest tree I've seen. Beautiful view! When we got seated and got our menu, our waitress eventually came by and asked for our order. To me, she seem a bit socially awkward. She didn't greet us or anything; I had to start the conversation. Didn't find that as good service. I ordered the Tilapia dish which came with a side of mashed potatoes and fresh veggies. My tilapia tasted fine when it was hot, but after it sat for awhile it didn't taste good. My mashed potatoes were already cold and the green beans were hard! (looks like they forgot to boil them). It was an "okay, lower than average" rating on the food. My best friend said that the food we ate were from the food court downstairs, except it was cooked with less oil or reheated. She ordered the Alaskan Sockeye Salmon dish, which came with a side of mashed potatoes and fresh veggies. Her salmon was so small. It tasted okay. The mashed potatoes and veggies were the same as mine... We had an okay time there..pretty much there for the holidays. Probably won't come back again. It just didn't seem like a restaurant setting, either. The food just wasn't there for us. read more

Quick tip -- DO NOT check in here. While I never would have gone here on my own, efforts to assuage certain family traditions landed me right in the center of this tourist shit hole. The place blows, and it's a shame it exists as a representation of Chicago restaurants. Sure, the tree is pretty regardless what you celebrate, but think nothing more than commissary food at the Walnut Room. Seriously, I shudder to think about how bad the gray meat hamburger was, as well as the dry ravioli with jarred marinara sauce. Also, pass on the chicken pot pie, which I can just picture being scooped out of a big trough in the back. The piece de resistance? A server literally lost control of the serving tray he was carrying overhead as he was flying by and it careened smack into my gf's head -- narrowly missing her 5 year old daughter's head. Are you frickin kidding me! Thank goodness the tray was empty, but what if it hit some little old lady, or our little girl, or had HOT soup on it?! Then, their manager's lame ass response? Oh, we would like to offer you desert on us, WHICH was a $2.00 scoop of ice cream, with a marshmallow planted on top, that had a cheesy smiley face drawn in with red pen. Lame lame lame in it's own right! I'm still in shock. We will never ever go back. read more

Me too, brothers and sisters, me too! This place stinks! Yeah the Christmas tree is impressive. And the name of this joint--The Walnut Room--it makes you wanna go change into a clean shirt. But, fuhgetaboutit! Keep your musty, moldy, yellow-pits t-shirt right on your stinky little body, 'cause this place is nothing but a dressed up garbage can. And, that's just the carpet! The food! OMG! Who's back there cooking? Half way through my dinner, I called the cops on myself, because I was about to go fisticuffs on those fools. Uhn...uhn...uhn...uhn...no way. The Walnut Room! Yeah, right! It's more like the Peanut Room, and instead of being in Macy's it should be in the back room of a Dollar General. I am going back because the staff was way nice, and I have a coupon, but after that--I'm cracking this nut. read more

Chicago is a town rich in history and traditions, and sadly I never seem to get to experience any of them. Thankfully I have friends who from time to time rectify that. One of my dearest friends, who I haven't seen in over 10 years, lives in the Chicago suburbs and his wife suggested The Walnut Room as a convenient place for us to have dinner and catch up. Wonderful suggestion. From the marble fountain to the stately walnut walls and columns, it a place untouched by time. I can just imagine the early 1900s, with Chicago society ladies stopping in for afternoon tea and gossip as a break from shopping. Thank goodness, Macy's didn't touch this institution when it took over the Marshall Field's building. The only downside is they close at 8pm. :-( My friend and I decided to both have Mrs. Hering's Chicken Pot Pie - after all, the room was built because of this dish. We were not disappointed. Oh my. I will have many a savory dream about this dish. This is not your grandma's pot pie - well at least not mine, but then that came out of the freezer section and had a Swanson's label on the box. First off, there's no crust. Instead you're served a piping hot bowl of chicken pot pie filling topped with 2 large triangles of puffed pastry. The bowl is simply brimming with tender chunks of chicken, lots of hearty sauce, and some peas - if there were carrots I don't remember. I was delighted with the dish, I completely forgot how much I loathe cooked carrots. For an evening, I was simply swept away. read more

I stopped here on Saturday afternoon with my husband and my parents. My mom loves seeing the windows at Macy's (Field's) every year. She wanted to check out the tree at the Walnut Room and we noticed the wine bar at the back of the restaurant. We all took a seat and enjoyed a bottle of Pinot Noir. It's a nice break from shopping and I was in a happier mood after my glass of wine. I can't help it, I do all my shopping online to avoid the madness. Depending on what side of the bar you sit on, you can get a nice view of the tree! read more

I am sad to write this review. I had a tradition with a friend and her daughters to have a girls breakfast at the Walnut Room under the tree getting wishes from the fairies. We look forward to this every year. Since Macy's acquired Marshall Fields the holiday breakfast has gone down hill. We had super friendly wait staff, but ... Food : At this point it's like a bad hotel buffet, nothing special at all. It used to be a big spread with endless options - now scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage/bacon and muffins. They didn't even have hot breakfast tea! The Tree: HUGE disappointment!!! Decorated EXACTLY the same as last year. That was part of the whole experience - how will the tree be decorated? What will the theme be? Now ... boring Macy's stars. Huge let down. AND to top it off, this year we didn't even get the commemorative glasses for the girls. With so many amazing restaurants in Chicago, I think we will have to take our holiday tradition somewhere else. Super sad... read more

After being told it would be a 2-3 hour wait we left after 4 hours got a text out table was ready 5 hours later. If your booked booked for lunch just say so. Don't keep us there because u think we will shop more because now I won't shop there again. read more

*A non-holiday time review* The Walnut Room seems like THE place to go during the holidays. It's always packed. That's because when all the decorations are up, it's freaking beautiful. Good luck ever getting a table, though. However, some co-workers and I recently came here for lunch. In October. Should be a good experience, considering it was during the work week -- not prime time. Too bad it was less than stellar. We got to the Walnut Room around 12:30 for lunch with a group of 7. Keep in mind it was not very busy. The space is very open, with wood on the walls and plenty of light coming in from the outside. We were seated and ordered drinks. Drinks came about 15 min later. We placed our orders and waited close to an hour for our food to arrive. Not once did our waitress come check on us, see if we needed drink refills (which we did), or give us any kind of update. We had great conversation, but at some point you just start to tune it all out and get seriously hangry. Finally our food came around 1:30. We immediately asked for refills, a dessert (planning ahead!), and the check. The reason the Walnut Room doesn't get a lower rating is because my meal was really great. I had Asiago Crusted Chicken with mashed potatoes and green beans. The chicken was really thick and juicy (not to be confused with a certain Sir Mix-a-Lot song). Potatoes were whipped and nae nae'd perfectly. Other co-workers' meals varied a bit, but overall, I think it was a good spread. As for that dessert, we had Apple Strudel, which was very good. I'm glad I was able to experience the Walnut Room now because I think I would be severely disappointed if I got service like that during the holidays. If you want to see the Walnut Room all decorated, just go to the 8th floor. You can look down at the tree and all the decorations and save yourself a long meal. read more

We found this place after a quick search. We wanted someplace that was close to the theater where we had a 8pm show. I've never seen a restaurant in a department store before, then again I've never been in a store that big before. The place was huge and seemed very old school. Me and the wife had wine that was pretty good. We shared the cheese plate. All of the cheeses were very good and I really liked the whole thing. We also shared the tomato soup and grilled cheese. I don't remember the name that they gave it but it was a Winter special. It was amazing. The soup was creamy, hot and tasted great! The grilled cheese was really good. And of course dipping the grilled cheese into the soup was awesome! The waiter seemed overwhelmed. It took about 15 minutes before he even got to us to get a drink order. It appeared that he had way too many tables to attend to. Overall, I really enjoyed this place. read more

I hosted a luncheon for a couple of long-time friends at the Walnut Room at Macy's today. We were treated very nicely by the host and waitstaff, and were not pressured to leave quickly and lingered over dessert and coffee. The restaurant is not terribly noisy, so we were able to conduct a conversation and this was certainly appreciated! Our table was by the window and the sight of State Street is always great to see, especially if one is from out of town. The waitstaff was kind enough to take a picture of me and my friends, and that was appreciated. There appears to be some online concern about general food quality at the Walnut Room. I don't think that it would be unfair to guess that microwaves are utilized. They are, I believe, a common part of the food preparation process in modern restaurants and may or may not be used here. The restaurant is a large one and I am presuming that the food prep area is equally large (I am hoping so). The facility is a beautiful one still, and in good physical shape. All common areas are clean, and this includes the ladies' room. I have been at the Walnut Room a handful of times over the years, never at the holidays (it gets too hectic!) but usually during off-peak times during the year. If you do not wish to have dinner there, it might be a good alternative to meet for a drink or dessert and coffee at the Walnut Room. Note: the coffee is excellent. read more

Took my Mom here for a nice relaxed dinner on our recent visit to Chicago. The restaurant is beautiful and restored nicely. Service was good and the food exceeded my expectations. We had the well known chicken pot pie, and it was spot on the best I have ever tasted. Also had the grilled chicken quino salad which was a healthy menu option and very delicious. Probably not anyone's first choice for dinner in Chicago, but when you are tired of pizza and want to kick it old school style, check out the Walnut Room. read more

my aunt and i frequent the walnut room quite a bit! the service is usually great. upon our most recent visit, the service was not the best. our waiter was not attentive whatsoever. he would be glaring at us from across the room and forgot to take our order for the main course of our choosing. he could have just been having an off day, but this most recent experience was upsetting for my aunt and I. the menu is limited but the options are good! as an appetizer we ordered the bread and french onion soup. my aunt wasn't a fan of the soup, but i'm not too picky so i thought it was fine. we usually order the asiago crusted chicken with potatoes and vegetables. the chicken comes with some type of mustard sauce, and i must say it is quite delicious! the vegetables this time around didn't taste or look too great and the sauce appeared to be funnier than usual. read more

The Marshall Field's Walnut Room - Asiago Crusted Chicken - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My family has been coming to the walnut room for over 60 years as a Christmas tradition, While it's always enjoyable to have a meal with family, the company I was with is about all I have nice to say for this establishment. The last several years the food has been on the decline. This year, our water was served in dirty glasses. One glass had leftover food stuck on it, and the other had paper swimming in the bottom. We ordered a relatively diverse number of things. For starters several of us had soup. There is no one accountable for who ordered what, so when food comes out they do what I like to call "auctioning". Some people were asked what size soup they wanted, others were not and were automatically given the larger size. Several of the soups were given to the wrong person since many of us were unaware of the size differences. I had the lobster bisque, which had an ok flavor but was incredibly salty, very thick (almost coagulated), and it was served with a film on top, as though it had been put in a bowl 20 minutes prior and left under a heatlamp. For main course I ordered the scallops. The scallops themselves were ok but over cooked. It came with white beans that were crunchy and coagulated. The sauce was an ok flavor but instead of a drizzle, the scallops and beans were at the bottom of a deep bowl and the sauce looked like it had been ladled in until everything was pretty much swimming. We had a few desserts to share, but another dish-cleaning problem arose as my mom was given a spinach-ridden fork. This fork was brought dirty to the table. How is service that bad that you are handed a dirty fork? So sad that this place has taken a turn south. We'll be back next year, maybe for pie at the wine bar after having dinner somewhere else with better food and service. read more

The Marshall Field's Walnut Room - The water we were served with lumps of paper in the bottom. - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was at The Walnut Room on 12/12/15 and our experience was great (aside from the tradition of being herded like cattle from line to line to get a table, which would be very upsetting if you didn't know about it. However, I am not factoring that into my review because it's simply part of the experience of going to The Walnut Room and it can actually be fun to have 2-3 hours to kill walking around the giant Macy's while waiting for your buzzer to go off - IF you plan for it.) Once we got in we were seated near the giant tree, so we had a lovely view of it during our lunch. The ambiance and decor of The Walnut Room is historic and it's really neat if you're into that sort of thing. Our waitor was very attentive, but I believe he has been our waitor in the past so he was defintely not a holiday temp. He made sure our water glasses were refilled as often as we required, which was impressive given the constant crowdedness of the place. As far as food, we began with the cheese tray. As someone who enjoys artisan cheeses, I will say that they weren't very distinct or unusual selections, but they all tasted good and the presentation was very nice. (I would assume they wanted to keep the cheese offerings rather average to appeal to a wider audience.) We were each served warm rolls with a cute little ball of butter. They tasted very good. For my meal I got the chicken pot pie, which had a nice crisp crust topping, almost like a cracker crust hybrid, which was a good idea because it eliminated the possibility of gross, soggy crust. The pot pie filling had large chunks of white meat chicken and plenty of tasty veggies. The broth was very herby, sort-of peppery, but without the spiciness of pepper. The pot pie meal is served with a side salad of spring greens dressed with a creamy vinigrette, which was also delicious. Every leaf was fresh. It went great with the creamy pot pie. I had a pointsetta to drink, as I always do, which is similar to a mimosa but with cranberry juice instead of orange juice. It wasn't very strong, but it was refreshing. For dessert we got Frango ice cream pie. It is FANTASTIC. It might just be the best part of the meal! The ice cream is absolutely delicious, rich and minty, and its graham cracker crust gives it a wonderful crunch while the homemade whipped cream topping softens it. On our way out, a hostess at the front of the restaurant patiently took time to take photos of my mom and boyfriend with me by the big tree and made sure they were nice, which was very kind of her. I have nothing bad to say about my experience, and I look forward to heading back to The Walnut Room next Christmas! read more

The Marshall Field's Walnut Room - Chicken pot pie w/ a side salad. - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

During an architectural tour our guide gave us an extensive insight into Marshal Field. He recommended the chicken pot pie as a can't miss dish. We visited the Walnut Room on the 7th floor at MF and he was right. I will offer that I am partial to pot pies. This one was out of this world. Moist chunks of chicken, fresh veggies, a creamy broth, and the lightest of pastry toppings. Delicious! If you go, be sure to ask for Theresa as your server. You will not find a more pleasant, efficient waitress. She made our meal complete! Don't forget to stop on the 4th floor for a view of the Tiffany ceiling. Gorgeous! read more

The great Marshall Field once said "...teach me how I may please others so that more will come." Mr. Field would not be a happy man if he knew what Macy's had done to his venerable Walnut Room. The deep wood still shines. The grand light fixtures still twinkle. The view from the 7th floor still provides a delightful atmosphere for the ladies who lunch. The Walnut Room sadly does not match it's former glory. The once regal service provided by the staff at Marshall Field's (most recently as it thrived under the ownership of Target) has been replaced by the harried and unpolished service of Macy's. The fountain is decorated with silk flowers. The menu features a slew of icons designating Macy's chefs' special dishes. Gone are the delicious rolls and ice tea, replaced with generic ho-hum counterfeits. Sure some of the specials still remain but they will come cold and lack any inspiration if they come at all. Up until even a few years (again under the glory of Fields) I would come to the Walnut Room on a regular basis and treat myself to lunch even if dining alone. On my most recent visit the dining room was not that busy but the staff ran around in a hectic pace forgetting even the most basic of services (napkins, water, a roll) until my party almost left in search of an alternate lunch. read more

I hate to give this 2 stars but it gets worse every year! The menu is dated! The food is forgettable. The service horrible, the prices get higher and higher for a lower and lower quality! I don't get it! The history, the location, they should really value this more and put a little money into the place, plus some better management. Bah Humbug! read more

I came here with my mom and dad to celebrate my mom's birthday. As a kid, it didn't feel like Christmas until I went downtown, saw the big MARSHALL FIELD'S tree, ate at the Walnut Room, and was visited by the fairy that walked around sprinkling magical dust on the children so all their Christmas wishes would come true. Now, it's a different story. This place is always busy. Always. My parents arrived around 10:15, waited in a line to get a buzzer, and requested a noon seating. They were lucky, as our party was fairly small. When I met them there at 11:30, I heard there were no more seating until 2:30. A 3 hour wait for lunch on a Friday? No reservations allowed? Still, we stayed, shopping around the store until our buzzer rang. Once it did, we were put into another line and waited another 10-15 minutes or so to get to our seats. Finally. We were sat at a table with a great view of their tree. I will admit that even now, I still think their tree is gorgeous. Our waiter was very kind and attentive. I really liked him. We ordered $11 burgers all around, and I was less than impressed. The roll was a standard bun and the meat patty had zero flavoring or spices. The fries were pretty good as they had some kind of a special seasoning. We discreetly told out waiter that it was my mother's birthday, and he brought us out a complimentary bread pudding, which was a nice gesture. I also had the hot chocolate, and it was very, very good. Overall, I'd say I had fun once we were seated, but a large part of that could be due to the nostalgia of my childhood. I'm not sure I'd come here if not for my mother's request. Perhaps this place should just be left in my memories. read more

A family tradition, for over 50 years .. I'll be 54 in January and have enjoyed this family tradition, back to my childhood .. My children, now 22 and 15, have also been party to this wonderful tradition, for all of their lives .. As disappointed as I was with Marshall Field's changing to Macy's, I'm so pleased they've kept the tradition alive .. and though some may not enjoy the "oldie-worldie" menu and practices, I look forward each year, in great anticipation, of this wonderful family event .. I love the chicken pot pie, the Fairy Princess sprinkling wish dush, and the brandy Alexanders for dessert! It's not the Ritz or Le Gavroche of London (if you haven't been there, you must go!) .. but it's near and dear to our hearts .. we always tell the staff that, this is our yearly event, and we're in no hurry and don't wish to be rushed .. we savour the time and chat after our meal, enjoying the tree and ambiance .. and the staff are ALWAYS very accommodating, encouraged to hear how much we enjoy it, and some even recognize us! -- Yes, some of them are also institutions of the event! Yes, it's a never changing event -- but that, for us, is part of the charm! If you know how to have fun, and enjoy the tradition, I hope you have as wonderful a time as we do! read more

It really bugs me when a space that is simply gorgeous and elegant serves food that is mediocre. The walnut room is one of the handsomest spaces I have ever eaten in. The decor, the lines, the plates and flat ware all felt so rich, I thought I was going to be in for a really classy experience. And then the food came...... It was edible and I was hungry. It was just so lackluster, unimaginative, blah. I was really let down. I just wish it could live up to its space. read more

This is a tradition of my mom and I's every year! Menu is small and simple but we love the atmosphere and how beautifully decorated it is during the holidays! read more

It's OK, I guess. It gets real classy with shopping center announcements through the meal. In all honesty it's not the magical place I remembered from when I was a child, and this review is ripe with discontent. We used to go and stand there awestruck at the massive Christmas tree and have a chicken pot pie the size of Massachusetts, or Nebraska - and who doesn't like pot-pie's that big? A more recent reflection was a meeting place for folks who needed to rest their corns from the long shop. The room still had a very expensive and fancy looking floral centerpiece; however the room still felt empty, felt a little less well maintained. The void must have not just been felt by me, because there were planters strewn about the room to fill things in a bit. The problem with the planters is that the wait staff had to dodge the foliage, which most of it was at their eye level. We did get some amusement as we watched several people dodge the plants like they were ninja's. Most of what I remember is the feeling of dissatisfaction when I ordered the classic favorite chicken pot pie, and got a bowl of yellow gravy and a puff pastry wedge on top. Sadly not how it was in my memory. When I play back my memory of the Walnut Room experience when I was a kid, it's would be a lot like if you mixed an old black and white movie with class and romance and rolled in a classic Christmas picture then sprinkled it with over-the-top... Sadly that is just an expectation and a memory that may or may not have happened, however the single most thing that removed the "romance" from the Walnut Room was the shopping center style announcements to "come enjoy the fashion show" or "get your makeup done" throughout the meal. It was truly a detractor from a place which was always regarded with high marks in my family's older generations, that has demoted it to nothing more than a shopping mall food court style experience. read more

Eating under the tree has been a tradition my family and I ignited a few years back and we were totally disappointed this year. Aside from the limited drink menu , compared to years past, they had a limited menu or $30 buffet option. The buffet was two tables off the side of the tree. Way to kill tradition. read more

Came here right before Christmas I wanted to see what the hype was about. We got here early in the morning, got a pager, they paged us and we sat down........and boy that tree is big!! Let me say, first time seeing the tree.....pretty sweet! As far as the food goes, i'll be honest......over priced....average at best...but you are paying for the atmosphere. Sitting under the tree to eat is pretty cool. Lobster soup, solid. EGG NOG ROCKS!!! And they give you a SOUVENIER Coffee mug to take home. Not much more to say here, not sure i'd come back anytime soon, probably sometime in December 2011........just to eat under the tree!! read more

We have been coming to the Walnut Room for 30 years and the last 2-3 years the experience has been a huge disappointment. This year was by far the most disappointing. We made a reservation for 2 people for 11:45 and we were seated so far away from the tree we didn't even know it was there. We tried the buffet which was awful. The line was outrageous bc only one side was open, the food wasn't being replenished fast enough and everything was cold. I've eaten better food at Denny's! It just seems like this place keeps going downhill every year and it's losing its ambience and magic. If it weren't for our excellent server Kenya I wouldn't even be able to give it a star. Save your money take a pic with the tree and hit up one of the other amazing restaurants in the area!! read more

The comfortable elegance of the Walnut Room has been diminished by the hustle and bustle of the buffet. Many of the waitstaff, although friendly and efficient, seem to be much younger and casual than in years past, working at keeping the buffet filled. When we visited, the entire floor of the ladies room was wet from what appeared to be a faulty toilet. Sadly, after 50+ years, we will no longer be including the Walnut Room in our family Christmas traditions. read more

Oh dear Walnut Room, you DID NOT live up to the hype! I've waited decades to dine under your magnificent tree and my first time will also be my last time. The tree was grand, but the food was no better than Golden Corral. The lobster bisque was over salted, the carrots were so undercooked that we couldn't cut them with a knife, the chicken breast was overdone and dry, and the prime rib cold. Your wait staff delivers the food with determination, so much so that they don't even step to the side when your diners are trying to navigate their way back to their tables. I guess those who flock to you year after year must do so for nostalgic reasons. I can cross this off my bucket list, but I regret not leaving it as a dream unfulfilled. read more

Terrible. Zero Star's. Yes, I'm a Marshall Field's lover and fan, I miss Marshall Field's. Shopping and the holiday's have not been the same. I do accept the change but Macy's come on... This past Christmas at the Walnut room was a joke, a terrible joke. I understand it's January and am now writing my review but I needed time to give a non-emotional critique. The food was disgusting and the service was ridiculous. The finger print's on the edge of the plates and glasses, the dirt piled in the corner's of the room and a scattered inexperience waitstaff was apparent. Communication was not something the waitstaff could achieve and question's about the food could not be explained for dietary reason's. Macy's you have a responsibility, yes you're laughing to the bank with our intended Marshall Field's money, and I'm sure you completely take advantage of our love for tradition but come on... Get your kitchen cleaned, vacuum the floor's, scrub the wall's and educate you're staff to be professionals. Please make sure this 2015 Christmas at the Walnut Room is something you too can be proud of and take your family. read more