Boka

From the time we walked in, until the time we left. Everything was perfect. The service, the dishes on the tasting menu, and that amazing cake at the end. I understand why they continue to receive a Michelin Star every year

I celebrated my birthday at Boka and it was one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had in Chicago. From the moment we arrived, the service was warm and welcoming. The ladies at the hostess stand greeted us with genuine kindness, which immediately set the tone for the evening. Once we were seated, our server Kevin took excellent care of us. He was attentive, knowledgeable, and clearly an expert who wanted to make sure we had the best experience possible. One of the managers, Augustus, stopped by our table to welcome us and make sure we were being taken care of the way we wanted. Later in the evening, another manager, Ellery, came over to check in and wish us well before we left. We ordered the duck and it was absolutely incredible. It’s Boka’s specialty and lived up to the hype in every way. Perfectly cooked and packed with flavor. This was, without a doubt, the best service I’ve ever received at a restaurant in Chicago. Every detail was thoughtful and intentional. The food, the service, and the ambiance all came together to make it a memorable night. I highly recommend Boka and will definitely be back. Thank you to the entire team for making my birthday so special.

Boka is a Michelin-starred restaurant that strikes the perfect balance between a relaxed atmosphere and refined dining. The food is fantastic, and the service is outstanding—professional yet warmly approachable. As a vegetarian, I appreciated that while the menu already offered a fair selection, the team was more than happy to adapt a few dishes to create even more options for us. The bread roll and butter set the tone beautifully—pillowy soft rolls paired with butter infused with fennel and subtle flavors, truly unforgettable. For appetizers, the tortelli stood out: rich, delicate pasta in a buttery sauce layered with flavor. For the main, we had the mushroom dish, which was satisfying and well-prepared. What truly elevated the evening was the service. Every dish felt carefully thought through, and the attention to detail from the staff made the entire experience feel special. Boka delivered on every level—food, service, and atmosphere. A double thumbs-up for making our dinner memorable.

Great Michelin star restaurant! We started with the smoothie king mocktail and chicken liver mousse. Then they came out with unlimited bread buns that were super soft and warm (on the house). The bread was salted on top and came with a whipped creamy butter. I got the ribs. They were cooked perfectly and MELTED in your mouth. I’d recommend having a side with it since the meat was rich. My husband got the duck with the duck heart sausages. It was the best duck he’s had! Then they gave us complimentary birthday desserts too. It was a great atmosphere and we appreciated that it wasn’t too loud for a Friday night. The quality of food here was unlike any other! Highly recommend.

My wife and I took a weekend trip to Chicago as a Christmas gift to each other. We wanted to go to a Michelin star restaurant and chose Boka. We chose the 8 course tasting menu with wine pairing. It was the most expensive meal I've ever paid for. However, it was also the most incredible meal experience I've ever paid for. The service was incredible. The flavor combinations were amazing as well as surprising. We wanted an "experience" and Boka delivered. A small downside is that this is Chicago. It wasn't the most spacious seating I've ever been in, but pretty understandable for the city. On the upside, the food was art, and being closer to other tables meant you could admire it without looking as weird, lol! Truthfully, their normal menu items are reasonably priced for the quality of everything else. You don't have to go all in like we did. It was a truly one of a kind experience that we will happily do again someday!

I thought the service was great, extremely attentive. I also enjoyed that it did not feel pretentious. For a 1 MS spot, I expected a bit more. I had the brown butter scallops and the Dry aged duck. Brown butter scallops needed way more brown butter flavor. I feel like the foam took away from the aesthetics and the taste of the dish. Scallops were expertly cooked The dry aged duck is a very strong dish, crispy top, cooked to perfection. Heart sausage, puree and the shiitake mushroom didn’t wow me as well. Honestly, good restaurant, just a bit expensive for what you get. Cocktail with mezcal and tequila was fine.

Food was good, not very complex techniques ,but true flavours. The methods used for the proteins respect the origin and use these as trampoline for flavour enhancement. Not very complex cuisine but good ingredients.

TLDR: We came for the Michelin star. We left with a bit of disappointment. Overall, a 4-star experience (I was really hoping for a 5-star experience). Food: This was really really important for us (perhaps for majority of the restaurant visitors too 😉). If we were to rate the restaurant solely based on creativity and uniqueness, Boka would have knocked it out of the park. Every menu item (from the selection of the ingredients to the presentation and the cooking method), you can see that the chefs have put in a lot of clever thoughts in what they do and how they can be different. I honestly felt that I wouldn't be able to taste any of their menu items if I were to dine in other restaurants. So if that's their master chef's goal and if that's what you want (to have some unique culinary experience), this is the place for you. However, for me, the definition of "good food" is more on the taste, the presentation and the aroma (in this priority order too). Uniqueness, perhaps super important for the restaurant to stand out from the crowded business, comes at a far distant second priority for me, as an eater. Putting it another way, I wouldn't trade off any of my "good food" definition for the sake of being creative or unique. From the taste of the food, I'd probably give my experience a 3.5 stars (out of 5), and the presentation a 4-star rating, and the aroma a 3-star rating. Overall, the food segment is the most disappointing dimension for us. We came with a fairly high expectation given their Michelin star rated reputation, but left with some regret. Service: Top-notch. This is absolutely 5 out of 5 stars service experience. The staff (from the front desk to all the waiting staff) is excellent and the service is super attentive. Atmosphere: I gave this a 4-star rating, since the interior does seems a bit dated, the room between tables is pretty tight (you can hear other tables noises / chattering pretty clearly), and the parking situation is a bit challenging. There seems to be valet parking service, but I don't know if this was in any way associated with the restaurant so I didn't inquire. If the valet parking is indeed offered by the restaurant, I'd recommend the reservation staff to explicitly inform the customers so that they are aware of this option. Cost: It's not cheap. Definitely as t the 5-star restaurant range, if not at the top end of it. Plan for $100/person, at least. The bottom line: will I be back to this restaurant in the future? I'm not sure. I'd be back only if I'm to experience or invite friends to experience some unique culinary experiences. But it's not on my list of places where I'd pick to dine out for my favorite food.

Boka is a well-known Chicago restaurant, and we visited during Chicago Restaurant Week with a 10:30 PM reservation. Upon arrival, we encountered a long wait with no clear time estimate, which was unexpected given the emphasis on reservations. While our server was polite, there was little guidance through the menu, and service pacing was inconsistent. My drink arrived at least 10 minutes after my husband's, and an appetizer was initially delivered incorrectly, with minimal explanation throughout the meal, and the check was mistakenly presented for a neighboring table suggesting a broader lack of attention to detail. The sunchoke soup felt quite heavy for a starter. The roasted chicken, however, was excellent; tender, well-executed, and the standout dish of the evening. Despite noting a birthday celebration in advance, it went unacknowledged until reminded, and after a reminder, a single candle was brought separately, which felt more procedural than celebratory and did not reflect a sense of occasion. Having dined at Michelin-level restaurants before, this experience was genuinely surprising. Even accounting for the volume of Restaurant Week, the evening lacked cohesion, intentional pacing, and a consistent sense of hospitality. Service felt transactional rather than experiential, with multiple servers delivering dishes in quick succession and minimal engagement.

I’ve heard and read great reviews about Boka for years, so I was excited to finally secure a reservation on the last day of Restaurant Week. Unfortunately, from the moment we walked in, the experience was very disappointing. Only one member of the front staff was friendly; the rest had an unpleasant demeanor. Throughout the evening, I felt unwelcome and rushed. We were seated in a crowded section of the restaurant—where all the RW guests were placed—while other areas appeared noticeably more spacious and "had more time". I also expected exceptional food with a “wow wow-wee wow” factor from a Michelin-starred restaurant. Unfortunately, those expectations weren't met. All the dishes were under-seasoned, and the hot courses were served at room temperature. The roasted scallops and the miso caramel brownie were the only dishes I enjoyed. The portions were extremely small and expensive, especially considering the food quality, atmosphere, and service I would expect from a Michelin Star ⭐. Since the RW menu wasn't presented at its best, I have no interest in trying the regular menu. Overall, the experience and reviews were overhyped and not worth the price! I would recommend saving your money, dining somewhere with a more welcoming atmosphere, and greater care put into both service and food. I do NOT recommend! Period.