Elske - Chicago

We were really excited to dine at Elske and it was actually meant to be the highlight of our Michelin dining tour (we did 7 in a week) while we were in Chicago so it was sad for us to admit that we were incredibly disappointed. We are huge fans of Nordic dining and have been to many well respected restaurants and always felt that the flavors and attention to details were never lacking. This cannot be said about Elske. In terms of ambience and the actual restaurant itself, it's beautiful and inviting. Host team was incredibly polite and our server started out okay and then basically turned into a robot of okay order, do you like the food. Nothing more. To be honest, an amazing server can make your experience wonderful but what we are always interested in is the food above all else. This is where the disappointment began and ended. The dishes one after the other were uninventive, flavorless and lacked any sense of creativity which is completely unacceptable for a Michelin restaurant. To give an example, one of the dishes was an endive salad. The plate came with 8 upside down endive leaves over a small mixture of dry walnuts and raisins. No flavor whatsoever and I am a huge fan of enjoying the quality of the ingredients as God intended them to taste. But this was something bizarre. Two other plates that stood out as disappointments. A pasta with macaroni noodles that felt like it came out of a box and too much Parmesan cheese because they didn't know how else to give the dish flavor and a risotto that reminded me of something my nephew would maybe put together. Taste okay, details... incredibly strange. Julienned fresh apple sticks on top of a hot risotto just sitting there. One great thing, the wine list. Every wine we ordered was fantastic although there was no recommendations from our server and it was the only thing not made in house. Makes sense. All in all, a very disappointing experience. We didn't order dessert...

Elske offered one of the most exceptional dining experiences I’ve ever encountered. Every dish was a masterpiece, and the flavors were nothing short of amazing. I can’t imagine how this restaurant could be any more perfect!

We had fond memories of an excellent meal we had eaten at this restaurant a few pre-covid years ago and were eager to return. This time, we found the food while still good overall, but not particularly memorable. Service was good in a crowded environment, but the noise level made it hard to have conversations. It was very expensive even for someone used to eating in the expensive restaurants in NYC.

Elske is perfection. From the moment we arrived, until the one we, sadly, had to leave, everything just clicked. The outdoor fireplace is such a beautiful touch, and it's great to relax before, or after, (or both) dinner and enjoy the space. We didn't mention we were celebrating a special occasion, but, the staff picked up on it, and helped us celebrate. The food, ambiance and staff are all exceptional.

We had the tasting menu and it was delicious! We especially liked the lamb dish. Will come back again soon to try other dishes.