Loved the Æbleskiver (so unique and unexpectedly came together very well). The sable fish with pumpkin and the tea were also great.
Ernest
I hadn't been to Elske in four years and honestly didn't know what to expect. I was so happily surprised. The cooking was just excellent. Clear, confident, and full of intention without trying too hard. Nothing felt showy or precious. No tricks. No ego. Just really good food, cooked beautifully, the kind you want to keep eating. Every course made sense. It reminded me how powerful food can be when it's simply done well. Elske isn't chasing trends or applause. It's just quietly great.
Beth
From being greeted to leaving after dinner the team was warm and welcoming. Mari was an attentive and friendly server. Every dish was beautifully presented with a perfect balance of flavors. We didn't have time to order desserts, but will be back soon to try all of chef posey's creations!
Xiao-Lan
The food of tasting menu was good. The appetizers, fish and lamb were delicious. The dessert was yummy. However, the non-alcoholic drinks were terrible. Especially the mushroom one and the salted apple one. The mushroom taste was too strong and did not go with the fruit and vegetable taste at all. The drink with salted apple tasted so strange, it was too salty, we couldn't even finish the drink.
Leigh Ann
Our family of four did the prix fixe menu (1 vegetarian). Some of the dishes were quite good. The bread and fennel cube palate cleanser were most memorable for us. The vegetarian risotto was not a fan favorite - overly rich, glutinous. The service staff were warm and attentive. But, the service and food, were overshadowed by the lack of ambience for us. My husband said it felt like a Starbucks, and I had to agree. I appreciate that the charm of Scandinavian design is its lack of pretension and unfussiness, but it can be executed with more thought and care. Honestly, if more attention was given to the ambience, it would elevate the experience of the food (just how human psychology works). I am rooting for this husband-wife team and think they and their staff have talent, but we walked away having spent $800 feeling it was not worth nearly what we spent and disappointed that our special evening we were looking forward to didn't feel special.
Brian
very approachable and low key gourmet experience (versus most all others in the 5 star caliber segment)......great service, ambience, and food! If you are a "foodie" or even if you are not, try Elske.........
karissa
Very disappointing experience. Waited over 30 minutes for our table. Service was very slow between courses. Paid extra for the noodle add on and it was very salty. We didn't get our check until 2 and a half hours after being seated and then were rushed to leave because they were so behind. It also was almost the same exact tasting menu that they usually have but $25/pp more because of the holiday.
Adarsh
The Pasta we ordered was too salty and the server offered to replace it. The other food and service was good as expected. Finally the dessert was alright.
Tullio Ruscitti
We left after hearing they couldn’t accommodate our dietary restrictions
We made the reservation after reading online they accommodate all dietary restrictions. We get there and they told me I couldn’t do the tasting menu because my date had to do the a la carte option due to her restrictions.
For reference, my allergies are tree nuts, and my date is dairy-free and pescatarian—not exactly unheard-of requests.
Had I went alone I could’ve done the tasting menu but since I was with someone who couldn’t I wasn’t able to. Simply doesn’t make sense to me.
If you have ANY dietary restrictions, don’t bother. Save yourself the disappointment. This place is for people who can eat everything and question nothing.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Mike Dienhart
Thought Elske was very good, but I need to come back and try more things and take more time there too decide if it was *great*. In full disclosure, I was running late for a show and only had an hour - and that's not nearly enough time to really relax into a meal. Even with that in mind, I had time to try four dishes and enjoyed every one of them. My favorite was the Annatto Zucca, with the Smoked Char a close second.
The space is great - love Scandinavian design. Volume level was perfect - could easily converse across our table but never felt like we had to endure anyone else's conversation. Great place to catch up with friends or take a date, based on that alone! Loved the courtyard, I would so come back here for a drink and snack by their outdoor fireplace, complete with cozy blankets. Hygge, indeed! Lastly, service by Hanna was perfect. She was on top of everything, not flustered by our time constraint, and was attentive without ever being intrusive. She offered good suggestions from the menu and wine list, and was prompt with the bill to make sure we got to our show on time.
Incredible experience overall. Service was amazing and we were accommodated for our gluten sensitivities. Not a cheap meal, but worth the price - I think this was the best dinner of my life!
Cesar
This is an unpretentious Michelin star restaurant delivering delicate flavors. The bar program was the surprise element.
Chrono
Elske is the rare Chicago restaurant that feels like a quiet revolution: Danish hygge colliding with Midwestern bounty in a room so serene you can hear the fire crackle and your own heart slow down. David Posey’s cooking is breathtakingly precise yet never fussy; every plate looks like a Rothko painting and tastes like the best memory you didn’t know you had. The signature duck liver tart arrives like edible jewelry (burnt hay crust, black currant, frozen foie gras snow that melts into something indecently luxurious), while the sunflower seed parfait with licorice and dill pollen is the kind of dessert that rewires your brain. Nothing here shouts; everything whispers genius. The pacing is flawless, the wine pairings (especially from their largely natural list) are thrilling, and the staff move with a warmth that makes fine dining feel like coming home. What cements Elske as one of America’s great restaurants is its stubborn refusal to chase trends or Michelin stars (even though it quietly holds one). Instead, it doubles down on seasonality, joy, and that elusive Danish concept of “enough.” A late-summer dish of raw hamachi with gooseberries and elderflower might be the most refreshing thing you eat all year; a winter plate of charred cabbage and smoked mussel cream will ruin all other vegetables for you forever. The backyard courtyard, glowing with string lights and a wood-burning hearth, is pure magic on a cool night. Elske doesn’t just feed you; it recalibrates your expectations of what a meal can be. Years from now, when someone asks about the best dinner of your life, this will be the one you describe with tears in your eyes and a stupid grin you can’t wipe off.
Zia Chaney
Superb! Would go back
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Patrick Finn
This was my first time dining at Elske, and I really enjoyed it. We were there to celebrate a late birthday and opted for the tasting menu. To be transparent, I chose the vegetarian version, which isn’t the regular offering, but I was overall satisfied with what I received. All the dishes were excellent, offering a nice variety of flavors, and were on par with the non-vegetarian version, aside from the lack of protein. The highlight was probably the first dish, the pasta dish, and the palate cleanser. I was a bit disappointed with the dessert; it wasn’t bad, but given the caliber of the other dishes and the price, I expected a bit more. Overall, it was a good experience, and I would return. Perhaps next time for à la carte or drinks.
Loved the Æbleskiver (so unique and unexpectedly came together very well). The sable fish with pumpkin and the tea were also great.
I hadn't been to Elske in four years and honestly didn't know what to expect. I was so happily surprised. The cooking was just excellent. Clear, confident, and full of intention without trying too hard. Nothing felt showy or precious. No tricks. No ego. Just really good food, cooked beautifully, the kind you want to keep eating. Every course made sense. It reminded me how powerful food can be when it's simply done well. Elske isn't chasing trends or applause. It's just quietly great.
From being greeted to leaving after dinner the team was warm and welcoming. Mari was an attentive and friendly server. Every dish was beautifully presented with a perfect balance of flavors. We didn't have time to order desserts, but will be back soon to try all of chef posey's creations!
The food of tasting menu was good. The appetizers, fish and lamb were delicious. The dessert was yummy. However, the non-alcoholic drinks were terrible. Especially the mushroom one and the salted apple one. The mushroom taste was too strong and did not go with the fruit and vegetable taste at all. The drink with salted apple tasted so strange, it was too salty, we couldn't even finish the drink.
Our family of four did the prix fixe menu (1 vegetarian). Some of the dishes were quite good. The bread and fennel cube palate cleanser were most memorable for us. The vegetarian risotto was not a fan favorite - overly rich, glutinous. The service staff were warm and attentive. But, the service and food, were overshadowed by the lack of ambience for us. My husband said it felt like a Starbucks, and I had to agree. I appreciate that the charm of Scandinavian design is its lack of pretension and unfussiness, but it can be executed with more thought and care. Honestly, if more attention was given to the ambience, it would elevate the experience of the food (just how human psychology works). I am rooting for this husband-wife team and think they and their staff have talent, but we walked away having spent $800 feeling it was not worth nearly what we spent and disappointed that our special evening we were looking forward to didn't feel special.
very approachable and low key gourmet experience (versus most all others in the 5 star caliber segment)......great service, ambience, and food! If you are a "foodie" or even if you are not, try Elske.........
Very disappointing experience. Waited over 30 minutes for our table. Service was very slow between courses. Paid extra for the noodle add on and it was very salty. We didn't get our check until 2 and a half hours after being seated and then were rushed to leave because they were so behind. It also was almost the same exact tasting menu that they usually have but $25/pp more because of the holiday.
The Pasta we ordered was too salty and the server offered to replace it. The other food and service was good as expected. Finally the dessert was alright.
We left after hearing they couldn’t accommodate our dietary restrictions
We made the reservation after reading online they accommodate all dietary restrictions. We get there and they told me I couldn’t do the tasting menu because my date had to do the a la carte option due to her restrictions.
For reference, my allergies are tree nuts, and my date is dairy-free and pescatarian—not exactly unheard-of requests.
Had I went alone I could’ve done the tasting menu but since I was with someone who couldn’t I wasn’t able to. Simply doesn’t make sense to me.
If you have ANY dietary restrictions, don’t bother. Save yourself the disappointment. This place is for people who can eat everything and question nothing.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Thought Elske was very good, but I need to come back and try more things and take more time there too decide if it was *great*. In full disclosure, I was running late for a show and only had an hour - and that's not nearly enough time to really relax into a meal. Even with that in mind, I had time to try four dishes and enjoyed every one of them. My favorite was the Annatto Zucca, with the Smoked Char a close second.
The space is great - love Scandinavian design. Volume level was perfect - could easily converse across our table but never felt like we had to endure anyone else's conversation. Great place to catch up with friends or take a date, based on that alone! Loved the courtyard, I would so come back here for a drink and snack by their outdoor fireplace, complete with cozy blankets. Hygge, indeed! Lastly, service by Hanna was perfect. She was on top of everything, not flustered by our time constraint, and was attentive without ever being intrusive. She offered good suggestions from the menu and wine list, and was prompt with the bill to make sure we got to our show on time.
Will definitely be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Incredible experience overall. Service was amazing and we were accommodated for our gluten sensitivities. Not a cheap meal, but worth the price - I think this was the best dinner of my life!
This is an unpretentious Michelin star restaurant delivering delicate flavors. The bar program was the surprise element.
Elske is the rare Chicago restaurant that feels like a quiet revolution: Danish hygge colliding with Midwestern bounty in a room so serene you can hear the fire crackle and your own heart slow down. David Posey’s cooking is breathtakingly precise yet never fussy; every plate looks like a Rothko painting and tastes like the best memory you didn’t know you had. The signature duck liver tart arrives like edible jewelry (burnt hay crust, black currant, frozen foie gras snow that melts into something indecently luxurious), while the sunflower seed parfait with licorice and dill pollen is the kind of dessert that rewires your brain. Nothing here shouts; everything whispers genius. The pacing is flawless, the wine pairings (especially from their largely natural list) are thrilling, and the staff move with a warmth that makes fine dining feel like coming home.
What cements Elske as one of America’s great restaurants is its stubborn refusal to chase trends or Michelin stars (even though it quietly holds one). Instead, it doubles down on seasonality, joy, and that elusive Danish concept of “enough.” A late-summer dish of raw hamachi with gooseberries and elderflower might be the most refreshing thing you eat all year; a winter plate of charred cabbage and smoked mussel cream will ruin all other vegetables for you forever. The backyard courtyard, glowing with string lights and a wood-burning hearth, is pure magic on a cool night. Elske doesn’t just feed you; it recalibrates your expectations of what a meal can be. Years from now, when someone asks about the best dinner of your life, this will be the one you describe with tears in your eyes and a stupid grin you can’t wipe off.
Superb! Would go back
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This was my first time dining at Elske, and I really enjoyed it. We were there to celebrate a late birthday and opted for the tasting menu. To be transparent, I chose the vegetarian version, which isn’t the regular offering, but I was overall satisfied with what I received. All the dishes were excellent, offering a nice variety of flavors, and were on par with the non-vegetarian version, aside from the lack of protein. The highlight was probably the first dish, the pasta dish, and the palate cleanser. I was a bit disappointed with the dessert; it wasn’t bad, but given the caliber of the other dishes and the price, I expected a bit more. Overall, it was a good experience, and I would return. Perhaps next time for à la carte or drinks.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
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