Every dish was delicious. My favorites were the hanger steak and potatoes bravas. Gluten free dishes were done well for our coworker with Celiacs. Friendly and helpful service. Our server was knowledgeable, attentive, and knew how to pace our dishes. Ambience was dark and intimate but very lively with the buzz of conversation. They also were able to accommodate our large group of 10 on a week day evening.
Jacqueline L.
Such a fun place with great tapas. We visited the restaurant on a Sunday. Cute small place and the tables are pretty close together. Definitely gets busy so I recommend a reservation. Started off with a beer and the sangria del día. The sangria is a must try for sure! Definitely refreshing. For our plates (all shareable tapas) we got the ham croquetas, the goat cheese baked in tomato, the meatballs, deviled eggs, and Brussels sprout salad. The croquetas, deviled eggs, and Brussels sprout salad are a must try!!! All so delicious and I definitely recommend. The goat cheese was really good. However, the tomato sauce is more of a marinara so not what I expected. Definitely gave it an Italian feel rather than Spanish. The meatballs were tender and my husband's favorite. I personally did not like them. They have almost like a meatloaf texture and I was not a fan. They also have brunch but we opted for regular menu items. Service was good. The server was attentive and even made sure to check if we wanted any brunch items before brunch ended. Glad she gave us the heads up!
Briana L.
Want a memorable business team dinner that has something for everyone in the group? Indulge in Spanish Tapas at Lil' Ba-Ba-Reeba in Chicago's River North. Sangria & cocktails & mocktails, oh my! Bacon wrapped dates stuffed with chorizo & cheese is a must! Crystal bread with tomato spread Steak tower with whipped potatoes & shishito peppers Lemon cheesecake & caramel pudding bites Very fun atmosphere, especially since everyone gets to pick a dish! Fantastic, attentive servers who keep checking on drinks & dishes.
Michelle M.
We had a work team dinner on a Tuesday night and it was an all around great experience. The ambiance and vibes were a lot of fun and there was a lot of energy, It was a bit on the louder side, but not at all too much as we were still able to converse at the table. Our server was amazing -- she made great recommendations, was super knowledgeable and attentive to those with allergies at the table. We tried a wide variety and were not disappointed. Everything from the drinks (loved the pineapple sangria) to the food (fried shishito peppers, garlic shrimp, seared sea scallops, goat cheese in tomato sauce, chicken and chorizo skewers, etc,) to the desserts (tried one of each). Overall great experience, would highly recommend.
Esther C.
A cute and intimate place with great food! Came with a large group but was seated quickly through a reservation. My favorite dishes were the Patata Bravas, Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad, Deviled Eggs, and Iberico Ham Croquetas. SO YUMMY! Our server was super accommodating and made sure we were all taken care of. Regret not taking pictures but definitely need to go back when visiting Chicago again!
Christopher C.
We came for restaurant week brunch but I believe you can get these items on the regular brunch menu. The food and service was great. I would definitely come back.
Janelle E.
We went here last night to celebrate our first wedding anniversary over some tapas and Lil Ba-Ba-Reeba did not disappoint! The service was exceptional, shout out to our server Nicolas who was friendly and attentive. He treated us to a complimentary champagne toast for our anniversary. The ambiance was 10/10, very cozy and inviting. The food was phenomenal! We ordered 6 different plates which were all great, but would highly recommend the pressed bikini sandwiches, the goat cheese and tomato sauce and the ham croquetas. I'm pregnant so their craft mocktails were very tasty and appreciated! Definitely recommending this spot to friends.
Ashley C.
It's a right of passage in Chicago to go on a first date at Lil Ba-Ba-Reeba. The staff is always friendly and helpful. I saw their Hibiscus Sour cocktail in an Instagram post, and it was perfection. I'm a sucker for anything hibiscus, but it had full flavor. The Deviled Eggs were enjoyable, but I wouldn't repeat them on a future visit considering how many great dishes are on the menu. (I could order the Hibiscus Sour weekly and not get sick of it...)
Sue Kumar
First time at Lil Baba Reeba and the service and food was fantastic! We had the best waiter named Eslam who really added to the whole experience. Eslam patiently described each dish we inquired about and helped us with some great suggestions. We will definitely be back!
Matthew Wofford
Love this place. Great relaxing atmosphere, excellent food (all of it) and service at the bar was perfect.
Popped in for the happy hour and it was excellent! Sangrias were delicious as were the little tapas bites. Ordered the mushrooms off the regular menu as well. Everything was so tasty!
Nicholas was our server and made sure we had a great time! Us as a group of three split 7 tapas plates and it was great! Our favorites were the chorizo wrapped dates and the patatas bravas ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Christina D.
Food was good but not amazing. Had heard a lot of good things about cafe ba ba reeba (their main, original location)so may be worth it to just go there if you are looking to trying it out. Sangria pitchers are good price but again, just good not amazing.
Food was very good. Empanadas in Spain are not served with chimichurri, but they were good. Red wines are very good. Love the idea of very small desserts. Please keep doing those! Cafe cortado and carajillo were great!
Fantastic experience overall. My son and I were in Chicago for a few days and were looking for a dining experience we can't get back home. He studied abroad in Spain last spring and talks often of his experiences with tapas while there. This place fit the bill. The Spanish meatballs and croquetas were the standouts but everything was great. Good service as well. It's a dining experience worth every penny.
Every dish was delicious. My favorites were the hanger steak and potatoes bravas. Gluten free dishes were done well for our coworker with Celiacs. Friendly and helpful service. Our server was knowledgeable, attentive, and knew how to pace our dishes. Ambience was dark and intimate but very lively with the buzz of conversation. They also were able to accommodate our large group of 10 on a week day evening.
Such a fun place with great tapas. We visited the restaurant on a Sunday. Cute small place and the tables are pretty close together. Definitely gets busy so I recommend a reservation. Started off with a beer and the sangria del día. The sangria is a must try for sure! Definitely refreshing. For our plates (all shareable tapas) we got the ham croquetas, the goat cheese baked in tomato, the meatballs, deviled eggs, and Brussels sprout salad. The croquetas, deviled eggs, and Brussels sprout salad are a must try!!! All so delicious and I definitely recommend. The goat cheese was really good. However, the tomato sauce is more of a marinara so not what I expected. Definitely gave it an Italian feel rather than Spanish. The meatballs were tender and my husband's favorite. I personally did not like them. They have almost like a meatloaf texture and I was not a fan. They also have brunch but we opted for regular menu items. Service was good. The server was attentive and even made sure to check if we wanted any brunch items before brunch ended. Glad she gave us the heads up!
Want a memorable business team dinner that has something for everyone in the group? Indulge in Spanish Tapas at Lil' Ba-Ba-Reeba in Chicago's River North. Sangria & cocktails & mocktails, oh my! Bacon wrapped dates stuffed with chorizo & cheese is a must! Crystal bread with tomato spread Steak tower with whipped potatoes & shishito peppers Lemon cheesecake & caramel pudding bites Very fun atmosphere, especially since everyone gets to pick a dish! Fantastic, attentive servers who keep checking on drinks & dishes.
We had a work team dinner on a Tuesday night and it was an all around great experience. The ambiance and vibes were a lot of fun and there was a lot of energy, It was a bit on the louder side, but not at all too much as we were still able to converse at the table. Our server was amazing -- she made great recommendations, was super knowledgeable and attentive to those with allergies at the table. We tried a wide variety and were not disappointed. Everything from the drinks (loved the pineapple sangria) to the food (fried shishito peppers, garlic shrimp, seared sea scallops, goat cheese in tomato sauce, chicken and chorizo skewers, etc,) to the desserts (tried one of each). Overall great experience, would highly recommend.
A cute and intimate place with great food! Came with a large group but was seated quickly through a reservation. My favorite dishes were the Patata Bravas, Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad, Deviled Eggs, and Iberico Ham Croquetas. SO YUMMY! Our server was super accommodating and made sure we were all taken care of. Regret not taking pictures but definitely need to go back when visiting Chicago again!
We came for restaurant week brunch but I believe you can get these items on the regular brunch menu. The food and service was great. I would definitely come back.
We went here last night to celebrate our first wedding anniversary over some tapas and Lil Ba-Ba-Reeba did not disappoint! The service was exceptional, shout out to our server Nicolas who was friendly and attentive. He treated us to a complimentary champagne toast for our anniversary. The ambiance was 10/10, very cozy and inviting. The food was phenomenal! We ordered 6 different plates which were all great, but would highly recommend the pressed bikini sandwiches, the goat cheese and tomato sauce and the ham croquetas. I'm pregnant so their craft mocktails were very tasty and appreciated! Definitely recommending this spot to friends.
It's a right of passage in Chicago to go on a first date at Lil Ba-Ba-Reeba. The staff is always friendly and helpful. I saw their Hibiscus Sour cocktail in an Instagram post, and it was perfection. I'm a sucker for anything hibiscus, but it had full flavor. The Deviled Eggs were enjoyable, but I wouldn't repeat them on a future visit considering how many great dishes are on the menu. (I could order the Hibiscus Sour weekly and not get sick of it...)
First time at Lil Baba Reeba and the service and food was fantastic! We had the best waiter named Eslam who really added to the whole experience. Eslam patiently described each dish we inquired about and helped us with some great suggestions. We will definitely be back!
Love this place. Great relaxing atmosphere, excellent food (all of it) and service at the bar was perfect.
Restaurantji Recommends
Popped in for the happy hour and it was excellent! Sangrias were delicious as were the little tapas bites. Ordered the mushrooms off the regular menu as well. Everything was so tasty!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Deviled Eggs Pintxos, Chorizo Wrapped Dates
Nicholas was our server and made sure we had a great time! Us as a group of three split 7 tapas plates and it was great! Our favorites were the chorizo wrapped dates and the patatas bravas ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was good but not amazing. Had heard a lot of good things about cafe ba ba reeba (their main, original location)so may be worth it to just go there if you are looking to trying it out. Sangria pitchers are good price but again, just good not amazing.
Food was very good. Empanadas in Spain are not served with chimichurri, but they were good. Red wines are very good. Love the idea of very small desserts. Please keep doing those! Cafe cortado and carajillo were great!
Fantastic experience overall. My son and I were in Chicago for a few days and were looking for a dining experience we can't get back home. He studied abroad in Spain last spring and talks often of his experiences with tapas while there. This place fit the bill. The Spanish meatballs and croquetas were the standouts but everything was great. Good service as well. It's a dining experience worth every penny.