Elske

We did a testing menu and it was almost perfect. The sturgeon was the highlight along with that malted cake at the end! Worth the experience! The staff are awesome and fun. My only gripe was the last savory course, striploin. It wasn't tender at all. My guess, its grass fed, hit or miss. The sausage with it saved that meal.

Easily one of my favorite set dinners in Chicago. The meal was well paced and impressively highlighted the flavors of Scandinavia. The wine pairing was somehow even better than the food itself - highly recommend for lovers of white wines with a little funk. Overall, I highly recommend Elske for a special night out!

My husband and I dined here for my birthday and it was really special. We opted to select from the al a carte menu. Our waitress suggested we choose 4-5 items to share. We went with four and were satisfied. Our favorites were the grilled octopus and the Frikadeller’ sausage. The brown butter hollindaise that came with the sausage was so good that I was tempted to lick the plate clean! To finish up the dinner, we had the sunflower seed parfait. My husband and I were speechless - it was that good. Just super inventive and different. We really loved it. The atmosphere was perfect, service was on point and the food was great. We really enojoyed our experience here.

One of the highlights of my trip to Chicago. I loved the anchovies with toast. As well as the lamb saddle and the agnolotti which were like little clouds of happiness. The best thing I have had in a long time was the Sunflower seed parfait with sour honey, licorice, and bee pollen. This is worth a visit.

Full menu is offered, but went with the tasting menu, which was about 8 courses. There was not one bad bite. Each dish was a dance on my mouth, leaving a magical impression better than the last. The Northern European flavors were really highlighted with each protein. Kitchen surely out did themselves and I have to say it was the best meal I had all year. Wine, service, and most of all the unique experience was one I will never forget.

A really delightful first visit to Elske. It's one of the most unique menus I've ever experienced and the team did a brilliant job of talking us through it and providing recommendations. The outdoor setting is very serene and relaxing, although having the fire roaring in late June is an odd choice, especially as that's where you sit while waiting to be seated properly. Our server was the real highlight and I'm gutted I didn't get their name, but he was a tall man with brown curly hair and softly spoken, he was a delight the whole evening and is a credit to Elske.

What a great meal! We did the tasting menu with wine pairing and I highly recommend it. The food was absolutely delicious. The fish was all cooked to perfection and beyond fresh. The lamb was probably the most tender lamb I've ever eaten. all the flavors worked beautifully and I wish I had the recipe for the carrot mole because I want to put it on everything. The tea of smoked fruit and vegetables was also a highlight and I may try and reverse engineer it because it was like nothing else I've ever tasted and I want more. I love it when a tasting menu leaves me full enough to be more than satisfied by the end but not overstuffed and falling into a food coma. Very glad I decided to come here for my birthday dinner and I hope to be able to dine here again sooner rather than later!

Came here to celebrate both of our birthdays and I'm so happy that we did! The food was all so interesting and every dish that came out was bursting with flavor and creativity! The standouts for me were definitely the duck liver tart and the lamb sausage! We decided to do the "juice" pairing as we're both taking a break from alcohol and I have to say, for $30 I felt like the drinks we received were worth every penny! Each drink was served in a wine glass, consisted of multiple components, and felt like it was created with just as much thought and effort as their alcoholic cocktails! There was one made with earl grey tea, apple cider, and I think kombucha that I could have drank a 2-litre of if someone sat it in front of me! Overall just so impressed with this place and will be recommending it to any and everyone I talk to!

Unique flavor combinations and true Nordic vibes. We LOVED everything about our visit! Coming from Sweden, we found the service, ambiance, and simple (yet complex) flavor combinations, very authentic Scandinavian - something that’s hard to find in the US. It almost felt like being home again 🥹 The quality of the food is excellent! You won’t go wrong with any of the dishes. This is absolutely one of the best restaurants in Chicago in our opinion. Oh! And don’t miss the sourdough bread!! I could come back just for the bread 🤤

We were fortunate enough to have our wedding at Elske Oct 2023. The day could not have been better because of everything the staff did for us. Renee, the restaurant manager, was excellent - so kind, accommodating, and professional! The service, food, and drinks were great! Our guests had so much fun, and we really can't thank or recommend Elske enough! Oh and the cake was fantastic too!

Visited elske for my birthday dinner with my husband and 2 of our friends. Our friends have visited several other Michelin-star establishments but this was my and my husband's first experience. We all were impressed. The atmosphere was warm and cozy without feeling cramped. The service was delightful. Everyone we spoke to during our visit showed a passion for what they do and a real happiness to share their passion with us. Alexa, our lead server, made wonderful suggestions as we ordered and her course pairings were magical. Yes, magical. The interplay of flavors and textures between the dishes during each course was sublime. She was the perfect guide for our culinary adventure. Which brings me to... The food: inventive yet approachable. Haute cuisine can be intimidating. The menu here is creative without being confusing. I could totally imagine tucking in with a bowl of the risotto or the rye-diatori to warm up from a cold winter day. My friend described the risotto as "a warm hug". Other standouts- the anchovies ("reminds me of the Amalfi coast" said our companions), the gouda/honey/jam ("I could snack on this all day", I said), the fjord trout ("the flavors!"), and the grilled pork ("the texture!"). The black walnut tart and the sunflower seed parfait were our top 2 desserts, although all of the desserts were delicious and surprising with how the different flavors came together. The mocktails were great- both were crisp and refreshing. Definitely worth the trip and we hope to visit again!

Had a wonderful time at Elske. We had the tasting menu with the wine pairing. Each dish was unique and had a pleasant profile, we were a bit disapointed in the wine, as none of them were very special. The service and ambiance were perfect however and all members of the party had a wonderful time. Price was somewhat reasonable for what was provided. Compared to other michilen star restaurants it was just good.

My daughter and I wanted a nice night out in Chicago so we chose Elske for its Michelan Star. The tasting menu and wine/juice pairings did not disappoint. I really enjoyed how a sous-chef brought out and explained each course. Leave room for dessert. The Herbed skyr with pistachio and whey carmel was wonderful. We sat at the bar and had a great view of the plating of the food. The service was top notch.

We have dined at Elske in the past and it’s always been a great experience. The ambience is informal but relatively calm, and the food is always spectacular. This team we used their takeout option (due to COVID-19) and they did an absolutely stellar job translating their Michelin star dining experience to a takeout format. The food was great, well packaged and easy to assemble. The fixed menu changes weekly and there’s an option to add different sides or bites. We will definitely do this again!

What an adorable restaurant! Every aspect of this experience was stellar. We came for the tasting menu and had a wonderful time. 3 of us went for dinner, we were missing our 4th and they were flexible. We did the tasting menu and had a lovely time. The food tasted great. It wasnt super challenging. It was all around a wonderful time. I had the vegetarian meal and I was absolutely full by the time I left. I had numerous moments where the food inspired a story of one kind or another. (I haven't seen wheat berries in so long!) The staff were very kind and were very invested in us having a positive experience. I enjoyed this restaurant to the fullest. Thank you all!

WOW we loved this meal. Honestly one of the best tasting menus we’ve ever had. The wine pairings were DEFINITELY the best we’ve ever had. We can’t wait to come back, what a gem!

My wife and I just had dinner at Elske for Valentine's day and ordered from the a la carte menu. We found the food, atmosphere, and service to be fantastic, and Lauren, the restaurant's manager, is a superstar! I highly recommend the duck dish when you go. It was one of the best I have ever had! Enjoy!

Overall a good experience and was there for their NYE tasting menu. Good food imagination and creativity by the chef and some great flavors and unique combinations. Although o don’t quite agree with the added on 4% restaurant surcharge. Simply raise your prices.

Hits + misses = underwhelming Dined for my sister's birthday since she previously visited. Elske has been on my radar probably too long and my expectations were too high. 🟢 🧑‍💼 Service: we were prompted seated, but our server took a while to greet us. They were knowledgeable about the menu; gave great suggestions; and brought the pastry chef (?) with a complimentary slice of vanilla birthday cake 🥰 🟢 🍝 Annatto zucca pasta: the highlight of the meal. Glad we ordered two. The sauce was surprisingly rich, very comforting for cool weather. The fried squash ribbons on top added nice texture. 🟢 🌻 Sunflower seed parfait: the other highlight. Tastes exactly like a sunflower ice cream, with a nice sour honey and crunchy crumbs for texture. No surprises, not life-changing, but on par for the accolades and price. 🟢 🐠 Smoked char and shishito: interesting flavors and presentation, well cooked with good smoke. My first time having char and the pink color was a pleasant surprise. Not sure why it's hidden under a bed of shishito. 🟢 🍫 Dark chocolate mousse: I wish the top was served intact so we could smash it, but the chocolate flavor was nice, balanced with a salted caramel. Unimpressive, but safe flavors for a 'safe' dessert. 🟡 🥖 Anchovies and sourdough: visually stunning, otherwise forgettable. 🟡 🥬 Endive salad: ditto. Pretty, but unremarkable, maybe because we shared it family-style and I didn't have any walnuts? 🟡 🐑 Leg of lamb: I didn't taste, but it looked nice and came out rare without notice. The name implies it's served on the bone, but it's boneless. 🔴 🐷 Grilled pork ribs: I didn't taste, but the party agreed it was disappointing. The meat was tender and, again, boneless despite the name, but it wasn't enough to impress. 🔴 🍮 Chanterelle panna cotta: I was intrigued by the chanterelle even though I'm not a fan of panna cotta. The grape jelly was as thick as the panna cotta and tasted... like any jarred jelly 🙃 the crisp on top only added visual points.

Came here for a friend’s birthday - beautiful atmosphere and wonderful service. I’ve been many years before, so recommended it to people to try again for a special occasion. While the place and the premise of the menu was wonderful, 2 of the dishes were a big miss. We even returned the anchovy dish since the bread was burned and the sauce accompanying it was tasteless. Well, we didn’t officially return it, just didn’t eat it, and they were gracious enough to take it off when we saw the bill later. The smoked char, sunchokes and agnolotti dishes were delicious. Especially the fish with the smoked char was most memorable. Frikadelle, a tiny patty that was also very bland and seemed ridiculous for $33. Still giving it 4 stars, but I remember it blowing my mind much more when they first opened.

A truly beautiful indoor and outdoor space. Given that it has a Michelin star I was expecting to be blown away by the food, but I found it to be mostly underwhelming. That being said, I did really enjoy my cocktail, the Gouda/cracker/honey/apricot plate, and the chocolate mousse. Unfortunately the service was lacking (e.g., our server never came back to see if we wanted another drink so I had to flag him down and another server came in between our entrees and dessert and asked if we wanted to box a few things up to go but then never brought them back).

A solid meal every time. Make life simple and do the tasting menu. Food is always on pt.

Everything was good, everything was pretty. The food really did taste delicious. It just left us a little meh. I think two things happened. The first is we didn’t go for the set menu. Looking back, even if we didn’t know 70% of the fancy words they use to describe their dishes, we should’ve just gone with it, trust the chefs. After tasting the food, I’m sure we would have loved everything and would’ve been a better way to experience this place. The second thing that happened was the hype, the expectations and the hunger. We didn’t know much about the place, just heard it was great (a lot) and made reservations days in advance. We didn’t know it would be tiny food, so no matter how yummy it was, it was harder to appreciate when we are starving and waiting 10 minutes for the next plates which last about 4 bites -if you stretch it. Now the food We like to order items we are used to, and taste the upscale version of it. Those were the sourdough and the Wilde Gouda. I would come back just for these two items. Delicious. Everything else was also amazing . You can see all the ones we got in the photos. Only one missing is the sirloin which was stellar, though I think my favorite was the chicken. They all had what you’d expect from a place like this, a perfect mix of flavors and textures. Service It was fine. Nothing was wrong, it was just not what I would expect for a place with this price tag. Price $300 for two, including tip.

Excellent service and almost perfect food. The striploin on the tasting menu was not tender and actually was surprisingly chewy. The pate duck liver tart was not good either. My friends loved the vegetarian tasting menu and appreciated that it was $20 less than the normal one.

Nice ambience, great cocktails, friendly staff. Food leaves something to be desired. We went there for our anniversary. We were greeted with champagne, a nice touch. We ordered 6 different food items. They were tasty. But I didn't have a flavor explosion that I had in some other Michelin star restaurants.

I brought my husband here for his NYE birthday and did the tasting menu with wine pairing. We both had a good experience, but we didn’t particularly feel wowed by the food. Everything was delicious, but I just have higher expectations for Michelin-starred restaurants. Maybe it was an off day!

It’s a lovely restaurant with good service and atmosphere. We ordered the set menu, and the overall experience was pleasant. I do think there was a lack of excitement and story behind the dishes. Some dishes weren’t very inviting. The flavors were cool and interesting but not tasty enough. In short, everything was good, but nothing stood out or impressed me.

Overall a very good dining experience and would not hesitate to recommend, however wouldn't be on the top of my list for tasting menus. Just wasn't very balanced overall. Would have preferred one more warm course. The sea bass was just not my thing. The wasabi was overwhelming and the kohlrabi too thick. Just didn't work together for me. The short rib was excellent, as was the trout. Fantastic dessert as well. Service was fantastic and a very nice atmosphere.

Great time celebrating here - we went for the ala carte menu, and had anchovies, sweetbreads, the roast chicken, the lamb, the signature sour honey dessert and the chocolate mousse. The service was laid back, but we were in a relaxed mood and were glad to not be rushed. The food was unique, service alright, the aesthetic of the space was wonderful. Would come back in the winter for the whole menu or to try other ala carte items!

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.

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.

As a back of house man, having worked in fine dining for years, this is an example of a classic pattern I have noticed. Once you get your star and your accolades, you begin to phone it in. You have earned it. You deserve the money, the freedom, and the normal life. Before the star you are in the restaurant everyday, asserting your baby is doing OK. After, you are spending more and more time trusting someone else with your baby. This phenomenon still hurts me everytime. This is why generally the best restaurants are the ones who are about to get their first star, or their next star. I came to Chicago and this restaurant came highly recommended from a chef pal, but the recommendation must have gone stale. I cannot claim to uphold the ideals I hold dear, I am human too, but my 400 dollars is better spent at whole foods, especially since I have to work so damned hard for it 😂 We had the tasting menu. The skyr pastry was phenomenal and the shrimp toast very well embodied what I like about shrimps. There are some redeeming qualities, hence the three star overall.

Lovely setting (Danish farmhouse chic?) with an indoor-outdoor vibe. Glad we chose to sit inside since it took over 2 hours to slog through the 9 items on the tasting menu. The first 3 apps were dropped off fairly quickly but then the pace slowed dramatically. The next 4 items took over an hour and we resorted to filling up on bread (supplemental). By the time we got to the red meat dish, we were too full to finish. The dishes were hit or miss with several that were overly salty. The Champagne was never cold enough. We scarfed up the desserts though and they were hands-down the best part of the meal. A la carte seems to be a better option and probably better value for money as we paid $500+ with tip for 2 people.

Gorgeous venue but the food was meh. We got the tasting menu and it was all just ok. And who still uses little white doilies? I'm used to small portions on a tasting menu, but I don't expect to leave still hungry. We even ordered 2 extra entrees for our table of 3! And honestly, the staff was soo snobby. We've been on a mission to try all the Michelin starred restaurants in Chicago and so far this has been the only disappointment.

Elske had remarkable service, and the ambiance is casual (certainly not stuffy or overly formal). We were celebrating a birthday, and received a nice complimentary cake, which was a sweet touch. Tl;dr: The 3 stars are for the vegetarian substitutions for the set menu. Mushrooms were exclusively used as a substitute, and there were no proteins, leaving me very hungry and not satisfied after spending so much for a nice meal. As a table of three, I was the only vegetarian/ person with a dietary restriction, and our waitress assured us that the set menu for a vegetarian would be almost exactly the same, with protein substitutions. So we opted to do the set menu (as the whole table must do the set menu). My photos include both the vegetarian and regular set menu items. The vegetarian options were identical to the normal set menu as promised, however the substitutions were exclusively mushrooms. This meant that there were no real protein substitutions (and I do recognize that Danish cuisine is tough for a vegetarian anyways). While my dinner companions received many great fish and duck liver options and did enjoy their meal, I got measly helpings of mushrooms that were not particularly tasty nor filling. For one course, my friends received a nice piece of halibut, and I received two pieces of boiled potato- by no means comparable in cost or heartiness. When I came, there were some vegetarian a la carte options (like Fermented black bean agnolotti with spring peas, braised shiitakes, and sherry) that may have been more filling, and perhaps been a better fit for a vegetarian. I left dinner still hungry. In sum, I would recommend this restaurant if you are not a vegetarian and want a light, pescatarian friendly meal. I certainly would NOT recommend the set menu as a vegetarian. You can find tastier, more robust meals elsewhere for a lot less money. My friend also wanted me to note that the soap dispenser in the bathroom is tricky to use and not at all COVID/sanitation friendly (it is a squat jar that you have to manually flip over to get soap).

The food at Elske was excellent — creative, well-balanced, and beautifully presented. Unfortunately, the overall experience didn’t quite match the quality of the kitchen. The interior feels a bit tired — some worn seats and marks on the walls make the space look less polished than you’d expect at this price point. The design has that Scandinavian minimalism vibe, but it comes across more like an old IKEA setup than intentional simplicity. Service was mixed. The cooks who brought the dishes were wonderful — friendly and enthusiastic. The main waiter, however, felt less engaged and not as professional. It’s a shame because the food really shines, but the atmosphere and service held the experience back.

We were excited to try Elske. We live in France and are just visiting my father-in-law here in Chicago. Our entertainment is food -- we are blessed to be able to spend our discretionary funds on fabulous gastronomic experiences. Elske was a huge disappointment from beginning to end. We ordered the Publican bread and the gouda appetizer -- the bread was nice as was the butter, but the Gouda appetizer were thin slices of Gouda that looked like they were out of a package and literally just thrown onto what was reminiscent of the Parmesan crunch crackers sold at Whole Foods, and with a single blade of what looked like grass -- no flavor, nothing remotely interesting about it. Danish? Where? I am a huge fan of char. Having been spoiled by the brilliant poached arctic char served at Gramercy Tavern in NY -- of course I ordered it expecting something really special. The char was buried under a bunch of Shishito peppers. While it was OK, again there was nothing interesting or innovative about it. We also had the duck -- I've never had worse duck in my life -- I expected a magret de canard cooked rare and thinly sliced -- this definitely did not meet that criteria. We had three glasses of champagne at $30 a glass, plus a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, for a total of $106, none of it particularly memorable. The noise level was barely tolerable with people shouting to outtalk one another. This was all so shocking to us as we frequent Le George at the George V/Four Seasons in Paris and they also have one star -- please Google it and compare -- you can't. It is elegant, the menu is sublime, they special order Tarbouriech oysters from Marsillan, the beef carpaccio, the pasta dishes, everything on their menu is creative and the service is impeccable with servers wearing suits. Elske? It was like being in any run-of-the-mill restaurant. No one seemed to really care about presentation of the food nor themselves with the exception of two lovely female maitr'ds, who were charming and genuinely interested in making sure we were comfortable. At the end of the meal I ordered a small decaf coffee (as in an espresso cup) with a side of hot foamy milk -- I was served a cup of what appeared to be diluted regular coffee in a regular size cup. This was a real travesty as we so looked forward to a lovely meal in a quiet setting with great food and service and it failed on all counts. It surprises me that the Michelin Guide would award this place a star when places like Rich Table in San Francisco, which serves super innovative dishes like Porcini mushroom doughnuts with a Raclette dipping sauce and many other extraordinary dishes doesn't have even one. These inspectors must clearly go by their own palates and I would venture to say, some lack the experience to really make a fair assessment of the quality of food they're judging. Incredibly frustrating and unfair to those chefs/restaurants who truly make the effort and deserve the recognition. There are plenty wonderful starred restaurants in Chicago, skip this one.

We came for dinner, and it was disappointing to say the least, especially for a one Michelin star restaurant. We opted for al a carte and between the two of us, we shared the smoked char with shishito peppers, pickled onion, and saltines (there were too many clashing flavours going on and the char was salty), seared scallops with cauliflower, peach and almond (the scallops itself were well cooked but this was the opposite of the other dish where the cauliflower, peach and almond didn't shine through), annatto zucca with butternut squash, calabrian chili, and pecorino (overly rich but too little squash and no chili kick) and the roasted duck breast and sausage with golden beets, sprouted rye and gooseberries (the duck breast was overcooked (not pink) and it wasn't very refined). However, the service was good and attentive.

This was honestly one of the most frustrating fine-dining experiences I’ve had. We had a 7:30 pm reservation and ended up waiting almost half an hour to be seated. I have never experienced this at other fine-dining restaurants, especially not at a place serving a fixed menu. The fact that this restaurant even has a designated waiting area says a lot. Clearly, this is not an uncommon problem. What made it worse is the layout: the dining area, bar, and waiting area are all crammed together, so people waiting are literally standing behind the bar watching other guests eat. Completely chaotic and uncomfortable. We were seated at the bar, and our server was also responsible for all bartending duties while simultaneously serving multiple tables. She was kind and clearly trying her best, but it was painfully obvious she was overwhelmed, running nonstop between plating, chatting, and mixing drinks. As a guest, you can feel that tension, and it absolutely affects the experience. For a Michelin-starred restaurant, I expect a service team that feels calm and in control, not stretched to the breaking point. We also added an extra dish, the truffle longevity noodles, which was deeply disappointing. It was so overly salty that the truffle flavor was almost completely lost. When you order a truffle dish and can’t even taste the truffle, something has clearly gone wrong. Then came a more serious issue: one piece of lamb my boyfriend received was so oversalted it was borderline inedible. We brought it up to the server and… nothing happened. No apology. No replacement. No explanation. No adjustment to the bill. For a restaurant at this level, that kind of response is simply unacceptable. The environment didn’t help either. The space and atmosphere reminded me of a casual spot. If someone told me this was a $30-per-person restaurant, I wouldn’t have questioned it. There is very little here that feels Michelin-worthy. Overall, the night felt disorganized, understaffed, and careless in ways that shouldn’t happen at a one-star restaurant. This was a New Year’s visit I was genuinely looking forward to, and it ended up being a huge letdown.

The service at Elske was TOP TIER. The bartender was extremely interactive and conversational with people who wanted to talk. The food was TERRIBLE. We did the tasting menu and between two people we liked 1 item out of 10. There were many strange flavor profiles with our food. It felt like the hunger games trying to finish the tasting menu. The best item was the tempura snack in the beginning and the dinner roll bread that came with an entree. If you do go to Elske I would strongly recommend ordering individual items so you have some control over when you stop dining as well as what you’re eating. We also did the juice pairing as we didn’t want to drink alcohol and the juices were amazing (I wish I had a couple shots in me to get through the experience). They reflected good flavor profiles of alcohol. Ambience was beautiful, service was great but the food was literally 1/10 especially considering the price.