We were looking forward to our dinner at Elske's. I originally chose Elske because it is my wife's nickname but when I read the reviews, we really got excited. Elske did not disappoint. The restaurant has a super vibe, and our server, Paul, was fabulous. He was very personable, attentive, and extremely knowledgeable. There was no question about any of the foods or beverages offered that he could not answer thoroughly. A real pleasure of a guy. We ordered the tasting menu, and each course was a culinary journey. It was a wonderful melding of flavors and textures. It was hard to decide on a favorite. The Hamachi, Cod, and Duck Liver were amazing. The Striploin was melt-in-your-mouth tender. The star of the night was the dessert. It had so much flavor and complexity. We could understand the following that this restaurant has. We look forward to a return visit. Thank you for a wonderful experience
EricaK
Swordfish was a miss. Every other bite was delicious! Particularly loved the cheese plate and sunflower butter parfait. Waitress seemed annoyed or uninterested and had a 45 min gap in our courses.
DV Swia
Had the tasting menu and loved every bit of it. Super interesting menu...great drinks and incredible service (Alexa).
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Shaan Somani
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!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tasting Menu, Wine Pairing
Bjorn
Everything was perfect. Our second tasting menu. Both were diverse and perfectly balanced. Got a wine and a juice pairing,both were spectacular. I don't know how they do it. Every course of the tasting menu was outstanding. Service was top notch and the atmosphere was perfect (moody Chicago night, outside fire, cozy blankets, cocktails, and the food...oh my goodness, the food). And then dessert. We actually ordered 2 additional desserts to augment the tasting menu dessert as we were celebrating two special occasions. They were all perfect. Simply perfect. Will be back again and again. And again.
This menu was not as good as the last time we ate there. Too many fried entrees and not very inventive or inspiring first courses. We started our meal with bread, cheese & crackers, and anchovies. I can get sourdough, good cheese, and a jar of anchovies from my local grocery store and it requires no skilled prep for me. Fried octopus and fried sword fish were both misses and we really did not want fried food. White asparagus was just ok. We normally love Elske, so we will be back. Unfortunately this trip was a miss and we brought two other couples that have never been there before. Sadly, both couples were underwhelmed. Service was excellent though. Drinks were good. It was very reasonably priced.
RonB
Elske always amazes us - not because it is flawless with regard to service and ambiance (it is!) - but because the food is irresistible, but defies description by an ordinary diner such as myself. Elske uses ingredients most of us don't have in our kitchens and the chefs create flavor combinations that are novel, delicious, and consistent with the season. Their new spring menu was full of surprises. Elske's portions are generous and we generally need only 3 dishes to be completely satisfied. The rabbit terrine presented on a buckwheat crepe, was cold, light, and refreshing, with generous pieces of rabbit visible. The octopus with morel mushrooms, potato dumplings, and watercress melted in our mouths. Grilled duck was served with spring artichokes and ramps. Wesley, our server, made sure we had accurate descriptions of the new dishes, helped us make good choices, and throughout the meal provided seamless service. Our thanks to the entire staff. We can't wait to check out the tasty surprises on our next trip to Elske.
LauraH
Food was just good. Nothing outstanding compared to other restaurants in the area. Menu is limited, unless you order from the tasting menu. I booked the bar because it was the only thing available but when we got there they had 3 tables available and I wasn't allowed to sit there even though it was late and those tables didn't get sat the rest of the night.
DerekV
From the moment we approached the restaurant our experience was 5 star! Ambience, food and especially service were top notch. We were celebrating our anniversary so we started off with a champagne toast. Star dishes of the evening were the octopus, meatballs, stuffed pasta dish were incredible. I can't say enough about the service. Attentive but not intrusive, accommodating and hospitable. Excellent job, we will be back!
Had an unbelievable anniversary dinner thanks to the ever-flexible and attentive staff yesterday. What a wonderful experience, and made us feel so special. Thank you! We will be coming back, hungry as ever :)
I’m disappointed to write this review because the atmosphere and service were good, the food was underwhelming, it wasn’t bad but it wasn’t impressive, we ordered quite a few dishes and not one of them was impressive, these flavors wouldn’t have us coming back, we were very excited for Elske but it fell
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Gubbini
We greatly enjoyed the set menu. Portion sizes were perfect (most offerings were tasting size), variety was wide (everything from chicken croquettes to hamachi to striploin) and presentation was impeccable. Tables are very close together and it was a bit noisy but otherwise the ambiance was pleasing.
Shaira Riemenschneider
One of our favorite places. Food is truly exceptional and the menu varies often enough to invite return trips. Drinks are great, service is outstanding. The quality of the entire experience is well worth the money spent. Already booked another evening. Can't wait.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Frozen Fennel Jelly with Mint, Duck Liver Tart with Buckwheat and Pickled Ramps, Smoked Fjord Trout with Beets 'Golden' Honey and Oxalis, Roasted Lamb Saddle and Sausage with Cauliflower and Smoked Dates, Tasting Menu, Duck Liver Tart with Salted Ramp and Buckwheat, Juice Pairing, Wine Pairing
Cullen McMillan
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.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tasting Menu, Wine Pairing
Andrea Bielli
Loved this place with its open kitchen and a great ability to select and combine ingredients in sharp and convincing recipes full of taste and flavor. The tasting menu is well balanced and allows a great journey into different cooking styles, textures and temperatures. Wine list has some very nice small natural producers.
We were looking forward to our dinner at Elske's. I originally chose Elske because it is my wife's nickname but when I read the reviews, we really got excited. Elske did not disappoint. The restaurant has a super vibe, and our server, Paul, was fabulous. He was very personable, attentive, and extremely knowledgeable. There was no question about any of the foods or beverages offered that he could not answer thoroughly. A real pleasure of a guy. We ordered the tasting menu, and each course was a culinary journey. It was a wonderful melding of flavors and textures. It was hard to decide on a favorite. The Hamachi, Cod, and Duck Liver were amazing. The Striploin was melt-in-your-mouth tender. The star of the night was the dessert. It had so much flavor and complexity. We could understand the following that this restaurant has. We look forward to a return visit. Thank you for a wonderful experience
Swordfish was a miss. Every other bite was delicious! Particularly loved the cheese plate and sunflower butter parfait. Waitress seemed annoyed or uninterested and had a 45 min gap in our courses.
Had the tasting menu and loved every bit of it. Super interesting menu...great drinks and incredible service (Alexa).
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tasting Menu, Wine Pairing
Everything was perfect. Our second tasting menu. Both were diverse and perfectly balanced. Got a wine and a juice pairing,both were spectacular. I don't know how they do it. Every course of the tasting menu was outstanding. Service was top notch and the atmosphere was perfect (moody Chicago night, outside fire, cozy blankets, cocktails, and the food...oh my goodness, the food). And then dessert. We actually ordered 2 additional desserts to augment the tasting menu dessert as we were celebrating two special occasions. They were all perfect. Simply perfect. Will be back again and again. And again.
This menu was not as good as the last time we ate there. Too many fried entrees and not very inventive or inspiring first courses. We started our meal with bread, cheese & crackers, and anchovies. I can get sourdough, good cheese, and a jar of anchovies from my local grocery store and it requires no skilled prep for me. Fried octopus and fried sword fish were both misses and we really did not want fried food. White asparagus was just ok. We normally love Elske, so we will be back. Unfortunately this trip was a miss and we brought two other couples that have never been there before. Sadly, both couples were underwhelmed. Service was excellent though. Drinks were good. It was very reasonably priced.
Elske always amazes us - not because it is flawless with regard to service and ambiance (it is!) - but because the food is irresistible, but defies description by an ordinary diner such as myself. Elske uses ingredients most of us don't have in our kitchens and the chefs create flavor combinations that are novel, delicious, and consistent with the season. Their new spring menu was full of surprises. Elske's portions are generous and we generally need only 3 dishes to be completely satisfied. The rabbit terrine presented on a buckwheat crepe, was cold, light, and refreshing, with generous pieces of rabbit visible. The octopus with morel mushrooms, potato dumplings, and watercress melted in our mouths. Grilled duck was served with spring artichokes and ramps. Wesley, our server, made sure we had accurate descriptions of the new dishes, helped us make good choices, and throughout the meal provided seamless service. Our thanks to the entire staff. We can't wait to check out the tasty surprises on our next trip to Elske.
Food was just good. Nothing outstanding compared to other restaurants in the area. Menu is limited, unless you order from the tasting menu. I booked the bar because it was the only thing available but when we got there they had 3 tables available and I wasn't allowed to sit there even though it was late and those tables didn't get sat the rest of the night.
From the moment we approached the restaurant our experience was 5 star! Ambience, food and especially service were top notch. We were celebrating our anniversary so we started off with a champagne toast. Star dishes of the evening were the octopus, meatballs, stuffed pasta dish were incredible. I can't say enough about the service. Attentive but not intrusive, accommodating and hospitable. Excellent job, we will be back!
Had an unbelievable anniversary dinner thanks to the ever-flexible and attentive staff yesterday. What a wonderful experience, and made us feel so special. Thank you! We will be coming back, hungry as ever :)
Restaurantji Recommends
I’m disappointed to write this review because the atmosphere and service were good, the food was underwhelming, it wasn’t bad but it wasn’t impressive, we ordered quite a few dishes and not one of them was impressive, these flavors wouldn’t have us coming back, we were very excited for Elske but it fell
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
We greatly enjoyed the set menu. Portion sizes were perfect (most offerings were tasting size), variety was wide (everything from chicken croquettes to hamachi to striploin) and presentation was impeccable. Tables are very close together and it was a bit noisy but otherwise the ambiance was pleasing.
One of our favorite places. Food is truly exceptional and the menu varies often enough to invite return trips. Drinks are great, service is outstanding. The quality of the entire experience is well worth the money spent. Already booked another evening. Can't wait.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Frozen Fennel Jelly with Mint, Duck Liver Tart with Buckwheat and Pickled Ramps, Smoked Fjord Trout with Beets 'Golden' Honey and Oxalis, Roasted Lamb Saddle and Sausage with Cauliflower and Smoked Dates, Tasting Menu, Duck Liver Tart with Salted Ramp and Buckwheat, Juice Pairing, Wine Pairing
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.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tasting Menu, Wine Pairing
Loved this place with its open kitchen and a great ability to select and combine ingredients in sharp and convincing recipes full of taste and flavor. The tasting menu is well balanced and allows a great journey into different cooking styles, textures and temperatures. Wine list has some very nice small natural producers.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tasting Menu