Ren B.

We chose Bar Mar due to its proximity to Lyric Opera. They are accommodating and make sure to get you out in time for the show. Our appetite was small so we unfortunately only had drinks + small bites (portions were large). The standout was Shab’s stellar customer service. We weren’t expecting to come back for dessert after the show but after she stated there was sticky toffee pudding, it didn’t take much convincing. Again, the portion was big enough to share amongst 3 ladies. I hope to return to try the entrees and receive great service from Bar Mar Staff :)

Eda

Bar Mar is a magical restaurant sitting in between the Loop and West Loop, it's worth your while in paying them a visit. From their open patio dining space in the summer, to their bedazzling golden aquatic interior in the colder months, you'd surely impress a crowd in here. My experiences have alway been very pleasant. My waitress, Jessica, was especially a sweetheart in helping me celebrate a birthday dinner. I will always remember her kindness and warmth. The stars of my meals have been the seafood dishes such as the octopus, scallops, and even the burger on a soft bun were all delicious! The ambiance of Bar Mar is upbeat and will surely put you in a good mood if you weren't already in one.

+1

Lawrence Lockhart

My goodness and WOW! My wife and I went expecting good food and views but the VIBE, the energy of the place really caught us off guard in a great way. If you dont like restaurants where everyone "talks out loud" you may not enjoy this spot but we loved it. The fare focuses on seafood and all courses were delicious. Our server was attentive, helpful, and friendly. We'll definitely go back when we return. A tad pricey but expected for such a nice place.

+1

Alexandra

Beautiful space with a fun and lively atmosphere. We ordered the seafood tower, which came with lobster, shrimp, oysters, and ceviche — everything was super fresh and nicely presented. The jamón ibérico with pan con tomate was also great. Service was friendly and the cocktails were really good too. Perfect spot for lunch or a casual dinner with great seafood and energy.

Bianca Porter

Not an extended selection of food on the menu, but the food we got was flavorful and scrumptious. We had a reservation at 4pm on a Sunday. It was not busy yet, the service was exclusive and very positive. The atmosphere and the 🐙 were divine - request the corner table with a view to the canal. Amazing birthday dinner! Thank you chef!! Delighted experience.

keerati jaroonbanluphol

Great experience! Jessica gave amazing service and recommendations. Drinks were excellent, and the crab cake and octopus were outstanding. Lovely atmosphere!

+2

Sara Govero

I have two words for you. Seafood Tower. At Bar Mar. It’s practically a religion. If you ever want to make me happy, you feed me oysters, shrimp, lobster, and fries all in one meal with old fashioneds on the side. And yes, Chef Jose Andres is absolutely nailing crustaceans Heaven. This spot is beautifully decorated and the service couldn’t have been any better. I tried their lobster roll too, and suddenly things made even more sense.

+5

Kedz

First of all BRADLEY you are the real MVP down there.. Best service ever! One of my home girls said "ya just don't get service like this anymore".. he was absolutely fantastic. He was versed with the menu, attentive, engaging and overall just excellent customer service. The food? FRESH! every thing I tried was delicious. It was our bday lunch and they were kind and gave us desserts and one of the other waiters came through and sung (amazingly). I love this place and it was my first time there. Beautiful restaurant and wonderful staff.. not to mention it's right off the river so the views were everything (even though it rained lol) 10 out of 10. I NEVER Leave that kind of rating but this place exceeded my expectations. I will be back for sure!

+9

Steve Johnson

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner in the interesting and fun dining room. Service is excellent and all staff members are attentive and helpful. Alex was our server and offered great suggestions and has a thorough knowledge of the menu. He asked about our meals and listened intently to our responses. The food is excellent. Wonderful flavor. Scallops are excellent and the pulled chicken is delicious. The gravy was the best!

+4

Contemporary and open decor and good service, but enjoyed certain dishes. The octopus was very overcooked and potatoes were underwhelming, but loved the tuna tartare, salmon crudo and truffle grilled cheese.

Jed Thompson

Overall, a good experience. Good cocktail list, good sherry for sipping. Try the drink with a bloom of dry ice mist....gimmicky but worth it. Mashed potatoes are delicious. Coconut ceviche excellent. Biggest miss was the simplest... the caesar salad was wildly overdressed.

+2

Erin Meadows

I have now been to Bar Mar twice. Overall, I give it a solid 4 stars because the food makes up for any issues we did have. Overall, we have enjoyed all the food we have gotten here. We have had oysters, the warm crab cake, hamachi cones, lobster bisque, Jose's Chicken, the grilled shrimp salad and the key lime pie. Also some other forgettable dessert the first time we came that I only remember now because I found a picture of it. The grilled shrimp salad has changed since we last came. It is still one of the tastiest salads I have ever had. They need to bottle the green godess dressing and sell it. But the first time I had the salad, it came with confit tomatoes and blue cheese. And this time there were grapes and no cheese. Like I said it was still an amazing salad and I would order it again, but those confit tomatoes were apart of why the salad was so memorable (reviews from just 4 months ago with pictures of the menu still showed it the way I had it in January 2025). The hamachi cones were a delicious one bite. I thought based on reviews and pictures they would be 2 decent sized bites though. The lobster bisque was really good. Nice tomatoey seafood broth with a surprising amount of lobster in it. The creme fresh never fully incorporated into my soup though. But that was definitely not a deal breaker. I ate/drank every drop. The warm crab cake was good and different from the typical crab cake. But it wasn't good enough to repeat given the other yummy sounding things on the menu. Service both times was good to great. Our server the first time was friendly and very helpful when deciding on food and drinks. The bartenders were very attentive but very busy so no typical banter with them like I would typically expect. Some things Bar Mar needs to work on... From Jan 2025: We were sat by the door that leads out to the patio. Obviously closed for the winter. But they did not have it adequately sealed. We should have been asked to move but we didn't. My ankles were freezing all evening. From Dec 2025: The restaurant was not prepared for a Sunday that had 2 evening shows running. We showed up about 30 minutes early for our reservation. We were told we couldn't be sat till closer to our reservation time (fair). So we went to the bar and got a drink near our reservation time we hadn't gotten a text that our table was ready so we ended up ordering food at the bar. We had also heard the bartenders that food was slow because the kitchen was overwhelmed. Our table ended up being ready at 30 minutes past our reservation time. The hostess did not initially indicate that we would have a wait that far after our reservation time. I'm glad we were able to just stay at the bar. We would have been late to our show! We are highly likely to return. Maybe we will try it in the summer.

Tony A

Dined at Bar Mar with some friends — the restaurant has a beautiful decor and a great atmosphere. The menu is small but well-curated, offering a lot of interesting options. Our server was excellent — attentive, helpful, and friendly throughout the evening. I started with the Neptune Pillow, which was fantastic. For my entrée, I had the sea bass — it was good, though I felt it could use a bit more seasoning. We shared several desserts, and the key lime pie was definitely a standout. Overall, Bar Mar is a great place to try. I’d love to come back for drinks and to explore more of their starters.

Jake Libucha

Hip restaurant in the loop offering great seafood-based tapas. The neptune pillows were the star of the show and by far the best bites we had. The hamachi and caviar cones were also unique and were nicely presented. The deconstructed crab cake left a bit to be desired. The journey to the bathroom was also interesting, as we had to leave the restaurant and take an elevator to the basement to access the bathroom.

Kumar Avinash

One of the great sea food restaurants in the downtown area on the Wacker drive. It offer good food and drink options. The food was nice but the service was a bit slow. The ambiance was good and had a open bar with seating around the bar, indoor and on the patio.

Bar Mar has a great vibe — the décor is stylish and fun, with a giant octopus installation that immediately grabs your attention when you walk in. It’s the kind of place that feels thoughtfully designed and energetic. That said, the bathroom situation is less impressive — it’s downstairs and honestly kind of gross, which felt jarring compared to the rest of the restaurant’s atmosphere. Service started off strong — our server was super insistent and attentive at first, maybe a little too eager — but when we actually needed him the most, he completely disappeared. It went from over-the-top attentive to impossible to find. The food itself was interesting and creative overall, though definitely hit or miss. The Neptune Pillow was fantastic — spicy with just the right touch of wasabi, really unique and memorable. The Hot Octopus, on the other hand, was strange. You couldn’t taste the seafood at all — only the spices. It wasn’t bad, but not what I want from octopus. It could’ve been beef or chicken and I honestly wouldn’t have noticed the difference. It even seemed almost deep-fried. The Ceviche was beautifully presented in half a coconut over ice — a really cute touch — and the plantain chips that came with it had the perfect crunch and paired beautifully with the flavors. The Steak Salad was a huge disappointment, though: tiny bits of mediocre steak, giant sad leaves, and basically no taste. You can get a better salad at Sweetgreen. Since they have a steakhouse upstairs, I really expected more. Thankfully, the Scallops redeemed things — they were amazing. Simple, flavorful, perfectly cooked, and the pear-onion combination was a really nice touch. The Braised Short Ribs were okay — tasty enough but nothing special or memorable. The caramel taffy dessert was decadent. Nice portion size, it was almost too sweet, but definitely nice after the dinner. I wish i had ordered tea only coffee to go along with it, but it was too late once it arrived. Overall, Bar Mar delivers on décor and creativity, with a few standout dishes (the Neptune Pillow and scallops, especially). But the inconsistency in both food and service keeps it from being a truly great experience. Still, I’d give it a 4/5 — with me being nice.

Hadie Rifai

Great atmosphere but seafood is not fresh and portion size is very small for what you pay. We were a large group and ordered several appetizers and entrees so got to see alot of the menu. Taste was avg at best. Seabass was barely edible, squid appetizer was tough. Clearly all frozen. $24 for a lobster sandwich and "Jose chips" brought in a store sold chips bag. Very disappointing. Better options available for seafood at this price point.