Very kind and careful staff cared about our experience from the moment we booked all the way till we left feeling happy and fat. My beautiful bride and I enjoyed their tasting menu with obvious tweaks to her vegetarian diet. Everything was delicious, surprising, and fun. The NA drink pairings were wonderfully inspired and amazing. 11/10.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Christy Landes
We very much enjoyed our delicious dinner last night. The atmosphere on entering is welcoming and attentive but not pretentious. Each dish was just the right size and the flavors built in complexity as the meal went along. The fish and pasta courses were especially delicious as was the extra caviar course. Pairings were creative and desserts were fun. A fixed price tasting can either leave you still hungry or stuffed and miserable. This dinner was portioned just right. Creative without crazy; mixes of flavors without turning schizophrenic. Would definitely try again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michael Black
We went to Atelier for our anniversary dinner and had a ball. Both the service and atmosphere were relaxed and welcoming without a hint of pretension. And then the food itself was magnificent. Each course was innovative, well presented and adventurous. The wine pairing was quite good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lauren Grimwood
We were really looking forward to Atalier but unfortunately were disappointed. It started with the first 4 courses coming all at once, which felt like half the meal (10 courses total) was nearly over after just a few minutes. I wouldn’t justify the four plates that came at once as ‘courses’ - they were bites. We weren’t wowed by any of the food, our fav course was the gnocchi but the rest was average. We even paid extra for the truffle course and couldn’t taste any truffle in it at all. For the money spent, we were sadly underwhelmed. Service was fantastic and the flow and timing they have down to a science so can’t fault that at all.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
Alison Kalantzis
Great service and better food - love the seasonality and creativity in presentation. Worth it!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sabrina Liu
We had celebrated various occasions at Elizabeth's during the past few years, we were very excited to celebrate our anniversary at Atelier for the first time. However we ended up with a rather disappointed experience.We had standard pairing, the wine manager was knowledgeable and delightful to talk with. Some waitress/waiter may still be in training that they made several mistakes when presenting dishes. For any new team it's understandable especually if menu has been frequestly updated. Our main disappointment is the food. The menu was all over the place, and the bread was served almost too late. We didn't understand the flow, and the waitress couldn't answer our questions either. The porridge was plain, spinach didn't really add much flavor or texture to it. Beef heart somehow had metallic taste which we can't figure out why since it's not beef liver, should have tasted more like steak with different texture... we had so many questions on the food, however the waitress pass along our message to the manager, and came back with no feedback. We were surprised that the manager turn a deaf ear to our questions and feedback. We left the restaurant with puzzle that we lost interest in solving.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Leslie Myers
We had the best meal at Atelier. The food was fantastic, the drink pairings really elevated the meal and the service was wonderful. Highly recommend trying it out!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tarek F.
The food was so scarce. I actually thought it was a vegetarian place. We finally were served an ounce of octopus which was mediocre but the highlight of the meal. Then we got a beef heart sausage half the size of a Jimmy Dean patty as our final savory dish. A sausage?! Let me tell you this place shouldn't charge half of what they charge. If you have been to Next or Alinea, you will be pissed when you leave here. It's shocking what mediocre restaurants charge now and amateurs go there and think it's great. It's not! It's offensive.
Megan M.
Small restaurant with modern american decor. Street parking around the area. The staff were amazing and so nice, knowledgeable about the food and drinks. We did the tasting menu with the spirit free pairing. I thought the food portions were acceptable. The appetizers were great as were the desserts. The drinks were great too. Although there were multiple savory courses, my friends and I thought it was still lacking. Overall a great night still.
Eugene F.
Emailed the team to share my experience and got a prompt reply which is great - asking if I can come back - provided a date - emailed them 4 times over the course of a month with no reply. Continued disappointment and this time not with the restaurant but the management - specifically Tim Lacey.
Dined at 5:30 and was the first patron to enter. Was fun to be alone for a minute and then to see the room fill and the pace pick up. The space is small and comfortable. Not pretentious and staff are warm and friendly. I sat immediately next to the kitchen which is open to the dining area and was able to watch all of the dishes prepared, plated and delivered. A well orchestrated symphony with attention paid to every detail, as you might expect from a Michelin star. The menu changes very frequently based on what is fresh and available, mostly locally sourced. I did the reserve wine pairing which is more a traditional wine pairing than the regular which features more eclectic or off the map wines. For me this is the wines/champagne I prefer and it was well done. Each offering partnered well with the dish and I enjoyed all of them. The food was phenomenal. Every dish was interesting and delicious with excellent presentation. I’ll be back next time my travels bring me to Chicago. Also the pricing I thought was very reasonable for the quality. Not saying they should increase the pricing ? but I’d happily have paid more for a meal and service of this quality.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kelly Culbertson
The Second City provides exquisite culinary experiences at Atelier Restaurant. This Windy City gem offers innovative French dining in an elegant but approachable atmosphere. Located in River North, Atelier is steps from scenic destinations along the Chicago River and just down the street from the bustling entertainment district known as River East.Atelier's chef and owner leverages the best local ingredients the City in a Garden has to offer to create truly memorable multicourse tasting menus. From foraged mushrooms to heritage breed chicken, Atelier celebrates Chicago's farm-to-table movement. The attentive waitstaff knows that the Great Chicago Fire led to rebuilding a City of Big Shoulders even stronger, and they work tirelessly to ensure each diner's experience warms their soul.Whether you go for a special occasion like an anniversary or dinner with out-of-town visitors, Atelier transports guests to another world right here in Chicagoland. The contemporary art adorning the white walls provides the perfect backdrop for enjoying creative dishes like duck confit pancakes or lamb carpaccio. Save room to be tempted by the pastry chef's edible works of art! Atelier delivers a sophisticated yet unpretentious dining experience befitting this great Third Coast metropolis. I give it my highest recommendation.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alvin K
Overall I quite liked the experience at Atelier, with a warm and interactive service and a creative and experimental menu. I heard they often rotate new dishes in and out weekly or biweekly. One thing to note is for at least the non alcoholic pairing, most of the beverages either are dull or clash with the food dish it's paired with. Portion size on the smaller side. Also cute silverware and custom dishes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Eugene F
This was for a review on a weekday and we came for a birthday.We called ahead a couple times to make sure they knew it was a special occasion. This is a brand new spot for us in our neighborhood so we wanted to give it a try. You have to prepay for the entire course ahead of time and for us it was two months.When we first came in we were greeted by a really nice lady who was nice to take our coats and sit us at our table. The place is pretty bare with some art pieces and that’s about it. The kitchen and dining is all in one room which is pretty fun.We started out being asked for any drinks we were interested in and they made a few non alcoholic options. I was a little surprised by the cost $14 roughly for non alcohol. But all good.We did not go for the pairing and also I personally wish someone would give us a little more info about why the menu was the way it was - it seemed all over the place and I had no idea why.I wish the ambiance was a bit more romantic and at times it felt like a casual sit down spot rather than a 1 star Michelin rated restaurant.Waiters and waitresses did not have any uniform which is fine but it was a little strange to see some people just walking around and I couldn’t always tell if they were working or eating here. We also almost never had the same waiter come by to serve the food or take the food. It almost seemed like it was a bit of a large chaos.On several occasions no silverware was provided. On several occasions I had to look for our waitress for help. Not sure if they were too busy or what. We also had dishes served where in the beginning they explained it all to no explanation at all.The service people were all super nice but just sadly totally inconsistent throughout the whole menu.Now on to the foodThe highlights were in the following orderCrabLasagnaThe disappointing dishes in order from worst to okGelato -Was not a gelato at all. Texture was not correct and flavor profile left a lot to be desired just from on spoonful.Mousse TartI’m all for experimenting but this dish was not ready. The flavors felt like they clashed and this was sent back after a few bitesScallopThe scallop itself was nice and sweet but the combination with the side they provided was offensive to our pallets. Our mouths were literally on fire and ordered a pallet cleanser just to be able to try the next dish. The textures of the scallop to the crunch of the side just seemed off. I saw the vision here but the execution just did not work.PorkI wasn’t really sure how to eat this but my meat felt way overcooked and not sure how it connected with the lentils. If the meat was on its own maybe but the combination was not worth the timeThe remaining dishes were an interesting take. Between the inconsistent service and the food all over the place I would not recommend this. I think it’s a fun experience but it’s not worth the time and money.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 2
Tom Linden
Fantastic dinner. Innovative and Seasonal. Service was exceptional. Highly recommended and worth all of the accolades.
Very kind and careful staff cared about our experience from the moment we booked all the way till we left feeling happy and fat. My beautiful bride and I enjoyed their tasting menu with obvious tweaks to her vegetarian diet. Everything was delicious, surprising, and fun. The NA drink pairings were wonderfully inspired and amazing. 11/10.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We very much enjoyed our delicious dinner last night. The atmosphere on entering is welcoming and attentive but not pretentious. Each dish was just the right size and the flavors built in complexity as the meal went along. The fish and pasta courses were especially delicious as was the extra caviar course. Pairings were creative and desserts were fun. A fixed price tasting can either leave you still hungry or stuffed and miserable. This dinner was portioned just right. Creative without crazy; mixes of flavors without turning schizophrenic. Would definitely try again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We went to Atelier for our anniversary dinner and had a ball. Both the service and atmosphere were relaxed and welcoming without a hint of pretension. And then the food itself was magnificent. Each course was innovative, well presented and adventurous. The wine pairing was quite good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We were really looking forward to Atalier but unfortunately were disappointed. It started with the first 4 courses coming all at once, which felt like half the meal (10 courses total) was nearly over after just a few minutes. I wouldn’t justify the four plates that came at once as ‘courses’ - they were bites. We weren’t wowed by any of the food, our fav course was the gnocchi but the rest was average. We even paid extra for the truffle course and couldn’t taste any truffle in it at all. For the money spent, we were sadly underwhelmed. Service was fantastic and the flow and timing they have down to a science so can’t fault that at all.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
Great service and better food - love the seasonality and creativity in presentation. Worth it!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had celebrated various occasions at Elizabeth's during the past few years, we were very excited to celebrate our anniversary at Atelier for the first time. However we ended up with a rather disappointed experience.We had standard pairing, the wine manager was knowledgeable and delightful to talk with. Some waitress/waiter may still be in training that they made several mistakes when presenting dishes. For any new team it's understandable especually if menu has been frequestly updated. Our main disappointment is the food. The menu was all over the place, and the bread was served almost too late. We didn't understand the flow, and the waitress couldn't answer our questions either. The porridge was plain, spinach didn't really add much flavor or texture to it. Beef heart somehow had metallic taste which we can't figure out why since it's not beef liver, should have tasted more like steak with different texture... we had so many questions on the food, however the waitress pass along our message to the manager, and came back with no feedback. We were surprised that the manager turn a deaf ear to our questions and feedback. We left the restaurant with puzzle that we lost interest in solving.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
We had the best meal at Atelier. The food was fantastic, the drink pairings really elevated the meal and the service was wonderful. Highly recommend trying it out!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was so scarce. I actually thought it was a vegetarian place. We finally were served an ounce of octopus which was mediocre but the highlight of the meal. Then we got a beef heart sausage half the size of a Jimmy Dean patty as our final savory dish. A sausage?! Let me tell you this place shouldn't charge half of what they charge. If you have been to Next or Alinea, you will be pissed when you leave here. It's shocking what mediocre restaurants charge now and amateurs go there and think it's great. It's not! It's offensive.
Small restaurant with modern american decor. Street parking around the area. The staff were amazing and so nice, knowledgeable about the food and drinks. We did the tasting menu with the spirit free pairing. I thought the food portions were acceptable. The appetizers were great as were the desserts. The drinks were great too. Although there were multiple savory courses, my friends and I thought it was still lacking. Overall a great night still.
Emailed the team to share my experience and got a prompt reply which is great - asking if I can come back - provided a date - emailed them 4 times over the course of a month with no reply. Continued disappointment and this time not with the restaurant but the management - specifically Tim Lacey.
Restaurantji Recommends
Dined at 5:30 and was the first patron to enter. Was fun to be alone for a minute and then to see the room fill and the pace pick up. The space is small and comfortable. Not pretentious and staff are warm and friendly. I sat immediately next to the kitchen which is open to the dining area and was able to watch all of the dishes prepared, plated and delivered. A well orchestrated symphony with attention paid to every detail, as you might expect from a Michelin star. The menu changes very frequently based on what is fresh and available, mostly locally sourced. I did the reserve wine pairing which is more a traditional wine pairing than the regular which features more eclectic or off the map wines. For me this is the wines/champagne I prefer and it was well done. Each offering partnered well with the dish and I enjoyed all of them. The food was phenomenal. Every dish was interesting and delicious with excellent presentation. I’ll be back next time my travels bring me to Chicago. Also the pricing I thought was very reasonable for the quality. Not saying they should increase the pricing ? but I’d happily have paid more for a meal and service of this quality.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The Second City provides exquisite culinary experiences at Atelier Restaurant. This Windy City gem offers innovative French dining in an elegant but approachable atmosphere. Located in River North, Atelier is steps from scenic destinations along the Chicago River and just down the street from the bustling entertainment district known as River East.Atelier's chef and owner leverages the best local ingredients the City in a Garden has to offer to create truly memorable multicourse tasting menus. From foraged mushrooms to heritage breed chicken, Atelier celebrates Chicago's farm-to-table movement. The attentive waitstaff knows that the Great Chicago Fire led to rebuilding a City of Big Shoulders even stronger, and they work tirelessly to ensure each diner's experience warms their soul.Whether you go for a special occasion like an anniversary or dinner with out-of-town visitors, Atelier transports guests to another world right here in Chicagoland. The contemporary art adorning the white walls provides the perfect backdrop for enjoying creative dishes like duck confit pancakes or lamb carpaccio. Save room to be tempted by the pastry chef's edible works of art! Atelier delivers a sophisticated yet unpretentious dining experience befitting this great Third Coast metropolis. I give it my highest recommendation.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Overall I quite liked the experience at Atelier, with a warm and interactive service and a creative and experimental menu. I heard they often rotate new dishes in and out weekly or biweekly. One thing to note is for at least the non alcoholic pairing, most of the beverages either are dull or clash with the food dish it's paired with. Portion size on the smaller side. Also cute silverware and custom dishes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
This was for a review on a weekday and we came for a birthday.We called ahead a couple times to make sure they knew it was a special occasion. This is a brand new spot for us in our neighborhood so we wanted to give it a try. You have to prepay for the entire course ahead of time and for us it was two months.When we first came in we were greeted by a really nice lady who was nice to take our coats and sit us at our table. The place is pretty bare with some art pieces and that’s about it. The kitchen and dining is all in one room which is pretty fun.We started out being asked for any drinks we were interested in and they made a few non alcoholic options. I was a little surprised by the cost $14 roughly for non alcohol. But all good.We did not go for the pairing and also I personally wish someone would give us a little more info about why the menu was the way it was - it seemed all over the place and I had no idea why.I wish the ambiance was a bit more romantic and at times it felt like a casual sit down spot rather than a 1 star Michelin rated restaurant.Waiters and waitresses did not have any uniform which is fine but it was a little strange to see some people just walking around and I couldn’t always tell if they were working or eating here. We also almost never had the same waiter come by to serve the food or take the food. It almost seemed like it was a bit of a large chaos.On several occasions no silverware was provided. On several occasions I had to look for our waitress for help. Not sure if they were too busy or what. We also had dishes served where in the beginning they explained it all to no explanation at all.The service people were all super nice but just sadly totally inconsistent throughout the whole menu.Now on to the foodThe highlights were in the following orderCrabLasagnaThe disappointing dishes in order from worst to okGelato -Was not a gelato at all. Texture was not correct and flavor profile left a lot to be desired just from on spoonful.Mousse TartI’m all for experimenting but this dish was not ready. The flavors felt like they clashed and this was sent back after a few bitesScallopThe scallop itself was nice and sweet but the combination with the side they provided was offensive to our pallets. Our mouths were literally on fire and ordered a pallet cleanser just to be able to try the next dish. The textures of the scallop to the crunch of the side just seemed off. I saw the vision here but the execution just did not work.PorkI wasn’t really sure how to eat this but my meat felt way overcooked and not sure how it connected with the lentils. If the meat was on its own maybe but the combination was not worth the timeThe remaining dishes were an interesting take. Between the inconsistent service and the food all over the place I would not recommend this. I think it’s a fun experience but it’s not worth the time and money.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 2
Fantastic dinner. Innovative and Seasonal. Service was exceptional. Highly recommended and worth all of the accolades.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5