I expected the visit to Rick Bayless’s marquee restaurant to be a highlight of a recent trip to Chicago, but ended up extremely disappointed.The second course, stinging nettle tamale with achiote, was the only one we enjoyed. The rest ranged from bland and forgettable, such as the first course of cold roasted octopus and sashimi-style shrimp in a pool of mayonnaise, to borderline disgusting, such as the bland suckling pig served in a overly-sweet slurry of salsas. Everything without exception arrived cold. Despite being called The Art Menu, this six-course tasting was not especially aesthetically pleasing either - I was never tempted to take a picture, which is telling.The pacing was odd, with our meagre drink pairings arriving sometimes 10 minutes before the course. The whole night took three hours, with long gaps between courses. The server who brought our food visibly struggled to explain what was on the plate, and even apologized at one point, saying it was only the third night this menu has been served. Two hours in we were ready for it to be over. I almost feel bad giving one star for the service but at fine dining establishment with a 20 per cent tip baked into the bill there is a certain standard that needs to be met, and we have had better service at greasy-spoon diners.Looking for positives, the restaurant itself is quite nice, even if the artwork that inspired the dishes is not to my personal taste. The best food was the off-menu bites we were served prior to sitting in the main area, which were actually quite good. Unfortunately, a nip of tortilla soup or a wee empanada is not enough to save a $600 (Canadian) per person meal from a one-star review. Avoid!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Shawn Hodges
The best place I've ever been, Chef Rick Bayless has woken me up, and this experience alone made me want to follow business and culinary.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ri Z.
Definitely worth checking out if you're looking for fine dining that isn't hella Eurocentric. I came during their anniversary menu of greatest hits and it was one of my better Michelin experiences. The staff was all Latinx, friendly, professional, and a little sassy. The space itself is intimate. The tasting comprised of LOT of food and they have a Mezcal pairing (which I ordered but girlllllllllll it is a lot of liquor). Tortillas were served with most of the main courses. 10/10 would go back.
Andy S.
Best anniversary dinner ever!!! Don't miss this celebration! Mescal delicious special menu delicious! Hamilton was awesome. All wait staff--excellence. Ambient--exactly what you want!
SCG
Every time I visit this iconic Chicago restaurant, I marvel at the complex tastes of each dish. This Michelin-starred restaurant represents the apex of Mexican fine dining. Celebrity chef Rick Bayless delivers year after year.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dayna Bateman
Another spectacular meal at Topo during which my husband asked: "Why do we ever go anywhere else?" The flavors are complex and nuanced and the meal is always perfectly prepared.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Christopher Ruiz
Really nice spot hidden within frontera. The service was excellent and the food was top notch. Really enjoyed the wine pairings as well. Did a really good job with dietary restrictions (pescatarians and vegetarian) so would highly recommend on those fronts as well. Will certainly be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kasey Krum
Great food but not worth the cost. Drink pairings were good but did not arrive at the same time as the food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 2
Mariel T.
One of the best meals had to date. There are two sections: one more casual where you can order from the menu and then a more private one with your personal waiter. We opted for the latter. All the food had great flavor. Our waiter provided explanations of the dish and ingredients. There were some fairly complex balanced flavours, with well paired textures. The wine and mezcal pairings were spot on. Couldn't have asked for a better evening!
Adam NT
Experience was great! We had to wait a little but they took care of us for that mishap.
Amazing. Chef Megan is amazingDietary restrictions: They delivered creative and delicious options to work with difficult allergies
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Yehia Amar
Had a private party at the library room at Topolobampo. Very tasty food in a nice ambience. There is a nice mirror that shows the food being prepared. And it is apparently the largest library of Mexican cookbooks in the country. Food was tasty though portion size was a touch small. Staff is friendly and location is very central. Happy to return.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Kristin Elliott
Great experience with their Oaxacan Holiday Meal dinner.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Wine Pairings
Ryan McBride
Exceptional. We attended Topolobambo for the first time for their Day of the Dead menu. From the service to the wine selection to the tasting menu, every aspect of the experience was phenomenal. We were thrilled to see Rick Bayless present and speaking with patrons. Some highlights for us were the Pipian and the (off menu surprise) machaca tacos. Highly recommended.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kelly O'Keefe
It was a fantastic experience, and the plates were artsy and delicious.
I expected the visit to Rick Bayless’s marquee restaurant to be a highlight of a recent trip to Chicago, but ended up extremely disappointed.The second course, stinging nettle tamale with achiote, was the only one we enjoyed. The rest ranged from bland and forgettable, such as the first course of cold roasted octopus and sashimi-style shrimp in a pool of mayonnaise, to borderline disgusting, such as the bland suckling pig served in a overly-sweet slurry of salsas. Everything without exception arrived cold. Despite being called The Art Menu, this six-course tasting was not especially aesthetically pleasing either - I was never tempted to take a picture, which is telling.The pacing was odd, with our meagre drink pairings arriving sometimes 10 minutes before the course. The whole night took three hours, with long gaps between courses. The server who brought our food visibly struggled to explain what was on the plate, and even apologized at one point, saying it was only the third night this menu has been served. Two hours in we were ready for it to be over. I almost feel bad giving one star for the service but at fine dining establishment with a 20 per cent tip baked into the bill there is a certain standard that needs to be met, and we have had better service at greasy-spoon diners.Looking for positives, the restaurant itself is quite nice, even if the artwork that inspired the dishes is not to my personal taste. The best food was the off-menu bites we were served prior to sitting in the main area, which were actually quite good. Unfortunately, a nip of tortilla soup or a wee empanada is not enough to save a $600 (Canadian) per person meal from a one-star review. Avoid!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
The best place I've ever been, Chef Rick Bayless has woken me up, and this experience alone made me want to follow business and culinary.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Definitely worth checking out if you're looking for fine dining that isn't hella Eurocentric. I came during their anniversary menu of greatest hits and it was one of my better Michelin experiences. The staff was all Latinx, friendly, professional, and a little sassy. The space itself is intimate. The tasting comprised of LOT of food and they have a Mezcal pairing (which I ordered but girlllllllllll it is a lot of liquor). Tortillas were served with most of the main courses. 10/10 would go back.
Best anniversary dinner ever!!! Don't miss this celebration! Mescal delicious special menu delicious! Hamilton was awesome. All wait staff--excellence. Ambient--exactly what you want!
Every time I visit this iconic Chicago restaurant, I marvel at the complex tastes of each dish. This Michelin-starred restaurant represents the apex of Mexican fine dining. Celebrity chef Rick Bayless delivers year after year.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Another spectacular meal at Topo during which my husband asked: "Why do we ever go anywhere else?" The flavors are complex and nuanced and the meal is always perfectly prepared.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Really nice spot hidden within frontera. The service was excellent and the food was top notch. Really enjoyed the wine pairings as well. Did a really good job with dietary restrictions (pescatarians and vegetarian) so would highly recommend on those fronts as well. Will certainly be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great food but not worth the cost. Drink pairings were good but did not arrive at the same time as the food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 2
One of the best meals had to date. There are two sections: one more casual where you can order from the menu and then a more private one with your personal waiter. We opted for the latter. All the food had great flavor. Our waiter provided explanations of the dish and ingredients. There were some fairly complex balanced flavours, with well paired textures. The wine and mezcal pairings were spot on. Couldn't have asked for a better evening!
Experience was great! We had to wait a little but they took care of us for that mishap.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Amazing. Chef Megan is amazingDietary restrictions: They delivered creative and delicious options to work with difficult allergies
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Had a private party at the library room at Topolobampo. Very tasty food in a nice ambience. There is a nice mirror that shows the food being prepared. And it is apparently the largest library of Mexican cookbooks in the country. Food was tasty though portion size was a touch small. Staff is friendly and location is very central. Happy to return.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Great experience with their Oaxacan Holiday Meal dinner.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Wine Pairings
Exceptional. We attended Topolobambo for the first time for their Day of the Dead menu. From the service to the wine selection to the tasting menu, every aspect of the experience was phenomenal. We were thrilled to see Rick Bayless present and speaking with patrons. Some highlights for us were the Pipian and the (off menu surprise) machaca tacos. Highly recommended.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
It was a fantastic experience, and the plates were artsy and delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4