Willow Room

Great food, good service, really bad acoustic. We went for dinner and ordered 2 starters (Burrata and Arancini) 1 main (Beef Wellington) with 2 sides (Pommes Puree [french for mash potatoes] and Cauliflower) and finished with a dessert (Key Lime Pie). I also and had a mocktail (Pompom). All the items were great. We really liked the burrata and thought the beef Wellington could have a more-meat-less-pastry ratio. Service was very good but we had the guy who refills the water coming every few minutes and pour more water into our already filled glass. He also spilled some water here and there and I ask him to stop at some point which he didn't. It was a bit annoying. The only big issue was the acoustic. This place is so noisy. Other than that the decor is nice.

Dip app was fantastic, enjoyed service and entrees. Halibit well prepared just on the verge of too well down however hot and tasty starch and vegetable included and served well on the plate, rare these days. Wellington prepared perfectly. Most apps and salads can be shared. We will be back.

I can not even begin to say thank you enough to Matt & April for the phenomenal service / support for my fiancé & I proposal party!!! We reserved the absolutely stunning wine cellar room for a nice intimate get together with family & friends! We ordered hors d’oeuvres of Chicken Sliders, Meatballs & deviled eggs which all of it was absolutely wonderful. Thank you so much again to Matt & April for adding onto such a beautiful day with such a good time! I will be back for sure! (Totally forgot to take pictures of food cause I was being a complete socialite)

Updated 2022 review: after having done takeout from Willow Room several times, we now also dined in and enjoyed our experience. They have quite a bit of outside seating, which was perfect, and service was great. Really confirmed our previous experience with the food quality and choice. Original 2021 review: Ordered takeout from Willow Room today and the food was spectacularly good! Unpretentious but very high quality and flavorful dishes. We’ll be doing this again!

Chicken sandwich was even better than I expected, very balanced and well cooked chicken, with crispy hearty fries. Also really enjoyed the donuts, where the ricotta and orange flavors were surprisingly well balanced.

Breakfast was incredible. Fresh, high-quality ingredients. The decor, music and general atmosphere was trendy, comfortable and unique. Skip the coffee unless you're a fan of a burnt French Roast. Pancakes were off the charts!

Fabulous meal. Mandy was wonderful and the food was so tasty. Thanks!

So excited to have Willow Room back open! They’ve updated their menu with some new dishes alongside the classics. The ribeye was cooked perfectly and the short rib was pull apart tender. Arancini has been added to the menu and is the perfect appetizer, had a wonderful sauce with it! There’s a new cocktail called the Gin Blossom that uses lemonade ice cubes so the drink becomes more like lemonade the longer it takes to finish! Simply amazing.

I came to Willow Room with a group of friends for my birthday and had such a wonderful time. The staff is kind, food and drinks were great, and overall the vibes of the place are just beautiful. Our group loved the food, especially the dip trio, gnocchi, and scallops which were especially delicious. The staff was so accommodating and stored & sliced a cake we had brought. At the end of the meal the waiter even reminded us that gratuity was already included in the check because of our party size, which I appreciated. Overall I would recommend Willow Room to anyone, especially if you’re looking for a special place to celebrate or go for a date night!

Exquisite cuisine, great atmosphere, kind staff. We had an outdoor seating on this warm and beautiful last day of September.

Willow Room is arguably the best restaurant I’ve been to in Chicago. Came with my dad who was in town on a Wednesday night and we sat at the bar. Everything from the wine list to the food is incredible. Ordered the burrata and the tuna to start. Both were amazing, but especially the tuna- it was seriously to die for, the flavors were amazing. Then we got the scallops and the short ribs as entrees. Again, absolutely delicious and unique flavors. The mashed potatoes on the short rib were some of the best I’ve ever had. Francisco, the bartender who waited on us, was super nice and gave us great recommendations. Food came out fast and very hot too, which I loved. Cannot recommend this place enough

Amazing food! Went during restaurant week, got the short rib, tomato bisque and a Caesar salad! Everything was delicious, server was incredibly kind! The key lime pie for a sweet finish was perfect! Will be back!

Enjoyed a nice valentines brunch here. The atmosphere inside is nice, great service. Loved the shrimp tacos and the donuts. Theres a cute hidden wine bar in the basement with velvet seating and portraits worth checking out too.

I have only ever done the 3-course tasting on Mondays and I will not deviate!! $38 is a steal for the quality and amount of food served. We started with the mussels & beet salad. The mussels are DELICIOUS and the broth left at the bottom is just begging for an additional load of bread to sop it all up. 20 out of 10. The beet salad is light, but filling. It could easily stand on its own as an entree. 10 out of 10. Next we had the short rib and the truffle gnocchi and that’s when we started to get full 💀 the food is so rich and creamy and profound, 10s across the board. We did end up boxing those up to take home, but we definitely needed to have the third course. For dessert we did the key lime pie and the orange glaze donuts, a personal favorite of mine. The pie is light and airy and the donuts are HEAVY but are cut by that citrusy tartness of the orange. A perfect way to finish. The cocktails were divine as well. Our favorite was the Mi Cariño but we also had the match gin sour, the willow, and the French 75. All 10s. Our lovely waitress April was super attentive.. knew that I wanted that extra bread roll before I could even say it out loud 😂😂😂 this review comes after my 4th or 5th visit, and I’ll definitely be returning. 🫶🏾

Great atmosphere , great drinks, great food. Loved the Willow Mimosa and bloody mary. The poppyseed donut was heavenly. I also ordered the salmon bagel and it was very large serving.

Stopped in for lunch on Saturday and the place was full. It's a great room. Lots of natural light and a nice relaxed vibe...with good tunes at the perfect volume. I found a spot at the bar and had a bloody- delicious! Had a burger and it was excellent. Service was attentive and friendly. I would highly recommend this place and I will be back.

We had a wonderful meal at the Willow Room for a date night. My wife and I ordered Croquettes, Burrata, the Gnocchi, and the Beef Wellington for dinner. The portions were well sized and the quality was fantastic. They have very talented chefs and service staff at this restaurant and we had a truly amazing time. Of note, the meal was also properly paced and all our food items did not come out all at once. Instead, they came out in time for us to enjoy each part of the meal without rushing to the next, but not so slow as to us wondering whether we had been forgotten. The drinks were also phenomenal and I highly suggest the Pancho Pincanto (sp?) because Mezcal drinks are all the rage. Thanks for the amazing meal Willow Room and we're sure to be back soon.

This was our second time at Willow Room, and it was just as good, if not better, than the first time. We had our wedding party here last year and they were phenomenal. I highly recommend the Wellington. Truly fantastic.

Willow Room in Chicago has a stylish ambiance and modern decor, making it a popular choice for both dining and events. The restaurant has a creative menu featuring seasonal ingredients and unique flavors. The attentive service and the inviting atmosphere, which is suitable for both casual and special occasions. The drink selections, including craft cocktails and a curated wine list. Overall, the Willow Room tends to create a positive experience with its blend of aesthetics, culinary excellence, and service. However, as with any establishment, experiences can vary, so it's recommended to check recent reviews for the latest feedback.

Checked out the Willow Room for brunch on Saturday. The ambiance and feel of the place is very relaxing. Lots of sunlight and open seating area makes for good vibes. Can be a little loud at times and the food was a little bit salty but I would go back again!

Little restaurant in Lincoln park with a classy, but warm atmosphere. We intended to go to the basement bar, but found out its only open Friday and Saturday nights. The drinks we had upstairs weren't creative, but they were made well. Only minor complaint is the bar tender didn't have any real recommendations or passion for cocktails. Will come back to check out the basement bar!

Had dinner tonight after a play. My Manhattan was top notch. The pork chop was very flavorful and cooked to perfection. Our waiter was the right amount of helpful and leave us alone.

Went for lunch today on a whim and was pleased surprised on how good the food was. Shrimp bisque was incredible, chicken Sandwich was delicious and our waitress was awesome. All around a wonderful experience!

Every dish was fantastic and made with care. Wines were varied, interesting, and tasty, curated by someone who knows wines. Servers were lovely, not rushed and attentive. Cozy interior.

One of the best restaurants in the neighborhood. Mondays specials are a deal in and of themselves. The beef Wellington is phenomenal

Hosted my daughters baptism brunch in their private room for 20 people downstairs and it was perfect. Room has its own men’s and women’s restrooms and a huge beautiful bar. The decor is really fun and cute and and they had candles on all the tables when we came down. The food was fantastic my super picky father in law was saying it was great and that always a win. The staff couldn’t have been nicer and more attentive. April behind the bar was great and was making sure we had drinks and whatever we needed. We will definitely be back for dinner and private events in the future.

Without a doubt, our new favorite restaurant in Chicago! Excellent, relaxed vibe. Great wine list. Excellent Negroni and Manhattan. Arancini and Mussels for appetizers - both great. Halibut and Chicken for our entrees - both also excellent. We were too full for dessert but we’ll try and save room for our next visit. WE WILL BE BACK!

I love this restaurant, but I come particularly for the cheeseburger! It’s the best cheeseburger in Chicago, hands down. It’s the type I love: soft, salty, gooey cheese, and deliciously seasoned. Compared to other well-loved burgers like Small Cheval and Armitage Alehouse, which are also delicious, Willow Room has my favorite. Additionally, I really enjoy their beet salad & flourless chocolate dessert

We went for Restaurant Week Brunch and found a wide number of brunch item to choose from. The items that we tried were all great with nice portions. The menu items being delivered to neighboring tabes made us want to return to try them. The wait staff was friendly and helpful. The Willow Room can be a bit loud but only a minor hinderest to conversation.

It’s a really nice neighborhood restaurant. The ambience makes it. It’s not too loud and you can have a good conversation. I had the truffle gnocchi. It was a touch heavy for me, maybe because the portion size is healthy. I thought the value for the price was right on. I’ll definitely come back and try something else out.

Casual weeknight dinner. Great burger, elevated cocktails, and loud yet cozy environment. If you run cold temperature wise, avoid being seated in the basement (dark with low lighting, A/C is strong down there).

I really like what this place is now. Great food, good service and the space is nicely laid out. The hostesses were very friendly and got us seated quickly. Service was good if a bit distant but the drinks and good came out quickly. I had the pork schnitzel which was great! Love the breading and the pork was very juicy My husband has the beef Wellington and he loved it. I will certainly return, especially since it's so close to the steppenwolf theatre.

It's casual style restaurant. Good for hanging out with friends or couple. I came with a 6 top table. We tried out most of the food from the menu. I would the food it's just ok, flavour is simple. nothing special. it's go a little sweet taste in most of items. But the services was excellent. The cocktails is good.

Came here for our anniversary dinner and it was a cool experience to witness. The food was a cool experience and the drinks were pretty cool. We got a chicken picante dish that was on top of scalloped potatoes and roasted veggies. The sauce was a good amount of salty and savory, wish there was more chicken to go with the potatoes an vegetables. The beef wellington was an interesting take that I was very excited to eat. I was trying to have no high expectations, but honestly I was pretty surprised how good it was. The meat was juicy and soft like butter. We also got some croquettes, that were not as they were shown in some pictures, but I think that's okay! The sauce was good as well.

Great food good service and close to Steppenwolf. I had the chicken sandwich which was delicious, fries could have been crispier. Others had the tacos and all were amazing! We had the ricotta donuts for desert. We were seated by the door on a cold day but it was not noticeable

Pretty nice place! Located at a corner on a principal Chicago avenue. Very nice & friendly customer service. The only thing I would say is that the lunch menu doesn’t feel like lunch, but the place was very good.

Popped in with no reservation on a Tuesday night 9pm. Thankful to be accepted in although wait staff wasn’t very attentive probably due to the end of a night. Salad was great, cocktail “Willow” and flourless chocolate cake were okay, and pasta was light in flavor. Will be an excellent venue for people who like simple pure true food flavors. Appreciated the staff monetarily anyways! Thanks for having me the last minute.

Came in with high expectations that were unfortunately not met. My girlfriend and I shared the Monday $36 three course meal, with an order of burrata on the side. The burrata was one-note and overly sweet, I would recommend adding some nuts or seeds to add textural variety. The panzanella was genuinely good - I enjoyed the combination of flavors between the vinaigrette and pickled onions. The short rib was tender, though it needed more flavor. The cheesecake was okay but, again, fairly unremarkable. Overall, another classic example of a Chicago New American restaurant which is fine but does not impress.

Unfortunately I’m sensing a pattern with poor service after coming here more. The front of house in particular is severely lacking with uncommunicative and apathetic behavior. For example they went to sit us right in front of the door during a cold winter while 90% of the rest of the space was available. Upon request to sit somewhere where there won’t be a draft, barely any response was given while they awkwardly brought us to another table, but *would not* allow us to sit in a booth and couldn’t provide a reason as to why not. Also unfortunate since it was for my birthday. I’m not sure if the pay here is poor which results in this kind of service (pretty much across the board), training, or what the issue is, but I think it warrants some attention. Throughout a sitting it gets pretty grating and irritating. The brunch food remains pretty tasty, though I do think it could be refreshed a bit more often with new or updated items. The warm beverage situation seems a bit limited, as in there are no syrups for something like a vanilla latte, not even a sweetened latte (you do that yourself with the provided sugars), no chai tea. Would be great if they had these options to match the more robust menu. Interior is quite lovely. The interior is a bit upscale and glamorous with velvet booths, mid century globe lighting, wood furniture pieces, and lots of old vintage style quirky art on the walls.

The restaurant appears to seat minorities in the basement. I made an early reservation with my wife for dinner at 5:45pm on a Friday. We expected to sit upstairs as the restaurant was half empty with open 2 tops available when we walked in, but the hostess sat us in the basement at the worst table next to the bar. The basement is small, smelled like mildew and atmosphere is complete opposite of the main floor. As they started seating more people downstairs I noticed that the table next to us were two asian ladies, the couple at the bar next to us were asian and there was another asian couple seated on the other side of the basement. That was four separate asian couples seated in a small basement all before 7pm. I was curious to see what the demographic was upstairs, so when we left I looked around and... well, I think you know where this is going. I'm very disappointed and disgusted, but interested to see if others had the same experience.