Esmé - Chicago

Esmé is a phenomenal experience. We went for a belated Valentine’s Day date and did their tasting menu. The atmosphere is museum like, with beautiful art but also very comfortable. The food was beautiful, delicious, and fun to eat. The cocktails were amazing (I highly recommend Squash the Beef, made with apple brandy, squash, wagyu, and egg whites) and the service was excellent. We asked if they had a wine pairing for the tasting menu, and they didn’t, but they offered to create one for us! The wines were delicious and beautifully paired. Truly above and beyond.

It was a Valentine's Day experience. Their food was on the salty side. Caviar was a common part of a few of the courses for the day. If you are not a caviar fan, you might want to skip this locale. It was an interesting menu for the caviar to be in a peanut butter ice cream for a starter. It was tasty. The saltiness of caviar complimented the sweetness of the ice cream but did not enjoy the after taste (fishiness). Wine pairing wasn't as impressive. For the dessert wine pair, the wine was too sweet and overpowering. For the price we paid for Valentine's Day, i was hoping for better wine selections. For the Sturgeon fish dish, I had better Sturgeon fish dish in the past like melts in your mouth type of thing... For the most part, hands down to services, atmosphere, and details... crews are very attentive. For me, having Alinea experience twice is still my favorite. Both are Michelin star restaurants, but Alinea is still a win. Just a thought. Maybe, I had high expectations since it's a Michelin Star Resto that's why I wasn't too impressed with the selection. It was an experience we can try once. Our total for two was 1,100.

Esmé! We are so glad we were able to have dinner atto Esmé during restaurant week! It was such a social and memorable dinner, with welcoming service, (shout-out Jackson! beautiful and delicious cocktails, inventive dining, and lovely ambience. We were two adults and a 9 year old, and I’ll say that the 9yo had been through a rough day at school, but even before we sat down at the table our server was checking in with us and seeing what they could do to make our evening special. It really was such a fun experience: eating off a puzzle plate, painting with your salad, ridiculously enormous homemade cheetos (see pic . My kid devoured a fantastic Wagyu shortrib while I contented myself with a merely superb cut of dover sole. Portions were perfect, the spherical buns (caraway? were delightful, and I need to eat my dessert Again. (It was crème brûlée? fired in a yam? So good, very charming, not at all typical. We all really loved it and found the whole experience stand-out and we look forward to visiting Esmé again.Vegetarian options: The vegetarian options are inventive and fun and elegantly presented.Parking: There’s no neighborhood parking but this stretch of Clark is usually decent for street parking.Kid-friendliness: My 9yo had a fantastic time. (She’s got solid table manners and a decently curious palate. I know not every kid is ready for semi-experimental food in a semi-austere setting, so parents should be kind of honest with themselves if they might be running the risk of ruining other diners’ experiences. However, the staff was totally welcoming and unpretentious and I’m sure they’d be charmed to see more families at the table.

Ever wanted to feel like you were eating inside of an art museum? Esme was one of the most unique dining experiences I’ve had. Each component of the dining experience, from the plates to the cutlery rotating art exhibit was carefully (and beautifully) thought out. My favorite dish involved using a lettuce “paintbrush” to paint on our plates using an array of colorful sauces. Highly recommend!

Esme was phenomenal! I’ve been wanting to go for quite some time and finally made it for their restaurant week menu and I was blown away. Every single bite was incredible and every dish was a piece of edible art. Our server was also fantastic and gave some really great suggestions on wine. I can’t recommend this place enough and just can’t wait to go back.