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avec Restaurant Chicago Reviews
Get the stuffed dates! Superb!! Wait staff was attentive
Get the stuffed dates! Superb!! Wait staff was attentive and professional. excellent food. Will go back for sure!
phill and mal need a raise!! great service!!! The food is
phill and mal need a raise!! great service!!! The food is amazing and so are the drinks!
I went here with friends that wanted to celebrate my
I went here with friends that wanted to celebrate my (belated) birthday. Fortunately this is one of several restaurants that opened on Labor Day and it was fairly busy, so reservations are recommended. We were 30 min early but they happily accommodated us. The space is long and narrow so it can feel crowded, so it is not ideal for a more relaxed formal meal. I'd say you're here more for the food than the ambience and service. We got the following - Chorizo stuffed medjool dates - my favorite dish. This dish is small but hearty. I love the chorizo and the texture, balancing with the sweetness of the date and the spiciness from the sauce - Short rib hummus - amazing. The short rib is sweet and crispy; it was very well executed. The hummus itself is good but not outstanding, but the short rib definitely upped the flavor - Sweet corn pizza - what is this??? The pizza was haphazardly cut and the toppings felt like they just toss a salad and placed on top. It's still delicious but messy and confusing to eat - Slow roasted pork shoulder - good but too heavy and the pork is a little dry. I liked the clams and the rice, but the main highlight of the dish - the pork - was just decent - Burnt honey cake - a recent replacement to a chocolate cake dish so I guess we are one of the newer customers to try it. It was okay. A bit too dense for my liking, and I'm not sure how I feel about eating a burnt layer. Also, my friend secretly told the waitress it's my birthday so they added a birthday candle as a gesture, but they dig the candle deep that when I blew it out, wax spilled over a good amount of the cake that it was a bit of effort to take it out after cooling. Service is okay. Water refills were frequent which is appreciated but when I was seated in the aisle I found it annoying the servers lacked space awareness so they bumped into me a few times. Not ideal. It also feels interesting that we started the meal with such mind blowing delicious food but the progression of each dish got worse in quality (still delicious!) but psychologically doesn't hit right.
The food was absolutely delicious! We ordered around 2
The food was absolutely delicious! We ordered around 2 large plates and 4 small plates for 5 people and we were absolutely stuffed. Every dish was amazing. The potato and salted cod brandade was my favorite-- so creamy and not as heavy as it looks! The slow roasted pork shoulder was also perfectly cooked and so tender. For food alone, I would absolutely recommend! Price is not bad either, we spent ~$225 for our group of five (and everyone got drinks). Our server was extremely sweet and helpful, but there was another server who was rushing us a bit to finish which was a little awkward at the end, since we still had some dishes we hadn't finished. One thing to note is that the restaurant doesn't have a lot of seating. We were sat at a bigger table and ended up sharing our table with another party of 2 people, which was no problem at all~
While we wanted to love this restaurant, it was so
While we wanted to love this restaurant, it was so overpriced for what we got. The cheese plate had one cracker and one cheese per person. The focaccia was amazing! But it did taste like a fancy dominoes cheesy bread. The short rib hummus is a must order. Overall, I would go back for drinks and apps but do not think it's worth the hype unfortunately
This is and will remain my only review.
You can check. How the f is this so good? How?! I would eat all my meals here if I could. My favorites are the chicken shawarma, short rib hummus, and alllll the pitas. I only wish I ordered extra sauce. Take all my money, see you again soon xoxo
Very cute and cozy spot set away from the craziness of the
Very cute and cozy spot set away from the craziness of the loop -- stopped by for dinner with a friend and loved everything we ate. The service was prompt as well. The restaurant inside is super loud, so wouldn't recommend for a first date or something along those lines, but great just for the ambiance or girls night. For the food, we had the hummus & pita (which isn't served with enough pita bread but that's a small gripe), the chorizo dates, chicken shawarma and the cheese plate. For the serving sizes, I did think it was a little overpriced. But overall would go back.
I would say 4-4.
5. Food review is basically exactly the same. Most favorite, dates and hummus. The reason I went down a bit was our seating arrangement. We know it's basically communal seating. It is what it is. However if you are on the back of the restaurant by the bathrooms...it gets insanely hot. Multiple people were complaining (and sweating). It's because the wood burning over is near there as well. They really need to do something to fix that, because it's very unpleasant. Even if they find a way to divert more air conditioning there.
Our server was amazing as was the food! Our favorites were
Our server was amazing as was the food! Our favorites were the focaccia and the hummus with short ribs. We will be back!
August 2025 Visit
Was blown away by everything — the service, atmosphere, and dishes were all incredible. I can’t wait to come back sometime!
Good food, somewhat disappointing experience.
While the food is still quite good especially the dates, a lentil salad had been stored too long and was quite soggy. The decor is showing it's age and the seating has never been that comfortable although sleek in appearance. But what was most annoying is that after ordering 2 cocktails, the bill appeared and the price was listed but with an additonal $6 charge for "ice". When questioned, the server just stated that it is just the way it rings up on the register. In addition, they have added the 3% upcharge that too many restaurants are doing instead of adjusting their prices. This made an otherwise pleasant experience end on a sour note, and I won't be back since there are too many other outstanding options in the city.
It's been a few years since I've been back, I'll need to
It's been a few years since I've been back, I'll need to eat here waaaaay more frequently. Just had an amazing birthday lunch experience at the counter. I'm still dreaming of the gelatos and perfectly textured flat bread. The setting is the og space, intimate but vibrant and lively. It was packed for weekday lunch, luckily I had made a reservation. Service was attentative even though it was slammed, a few minor missteps and the food felt like it took a little longer than it needed to. But then again, we were starving and our sense of time and space might have been warped. When our first dishes arrived, our taste buds were warped back to ecstasy after the first bites of hummus with that airy, chewy, yet delecate and creamy flatbread. We also ordered the salmon tartine, butcher steak with eggplant, and the stuffed dates. The salmon was amazingly prepared, I need to know how to cook my salmon well done but also maintain a creamy, moist texture. The bread, I assume from Publican, had a nice crust, balanced texture, and played well as robust sandwich to support the salmon. I loved having the hummus to add to this. Lentil side salad was also a solid partner in this dish. Butcher steak was perfect medium, and the eggplant/babaganoush was excellent. The flavors of the dips and sauces from our meal actually made the steak seem pedestrian in comparison. Still excellent. The dates were another highlight. We ordered them last minute after seeing diners next to us eating them. So glad we did. These baddies hit so many flavors, savory, spicy, tangy, and sweet. Plus the thick, smooth texture if the date, with crispy charred bacon, and chorizo played together harmoniously. The breads were great for soaking up that sauce too. This is a must order every. Our dessert was the seasonal blueberry corn cookie gelato, peach cardamom marzipan gelato, and nutter butter squares. The squares were like elevated butter fingers, took me a minute to nail that down, so tasty. The gelatos were so amazing. My wife commented that a new part of her brain was awoken, not too bad. We loved the flavors immediately, plus the dough pieces gave us a hefty textural element for interest. Also a must order. Definitely need to circle back soon.
Great food, fun vibe.
The food was excellent. The hot pita bread with hummus was outstanding, as was the steak, prawns, and chicken shawarma. Service was very good. The tables are very tight and it is a very noisy place.
Delicious
Excellent inventive restaurant with great service and atmosphere. Food was phenomenal. Highly recommend- you can’t go wrong
You’ll need to fight for it
Service was mechanical and cool. I felt like nobody cared if the experience was good. The business group was served family style which i dislike; but not the restaurant’s fault. What I did resent was that there was not enough food. One end of a very long table had twice as many dishes served,(I counted, Weird). This resulted in the “light ”end of the table serving themselves tiny portions so as not to “clean” the plate. It was super awkward to tell business acquaintances 10 feet away that they had all the food so nobody did. The one saving grace was that the food was very average and I’m on a diet. They did not have coffee that evening. If I need cool service, I’ll stick around the airport longer.
Perfect spot for a Cozy Dinner
Perfect spot for a weeknight - dinner and a show downtown. The stuffed dates were very good, as advertised. But the sweet potato with jalapeno, and short rib with sumac, were both crazy good. Next time we will save enough room for dessert.
Avec is still going strong!
I haven't been in Avec for ages! It is still going strong, and still busy, and not too conducive for business meals. Just too cramped in a small space. The service was quite friendly and cheerful, as well as knowledgeable.. We had social/business lunch, and enjoyed it. The prix fixe cost was quite reasonable too. Well, it is not quite 5 star experience. The food didn't shine, so to speak. It just didn't impress my sufficiently. Possible it had to do with my specific order: chorizo filled dates, and whitefish tartines. I should've ordered lamb, I think. Anyway, to recap, still worth visiting, but could be better.
Good but watch out if you order salmon.
Avec was referred to us through a friend of my wife. Since it was highly recommended we decided to have lunch. In general the food was very good…! UNTIL.. I saw the piece of salmon that I order with the salad literally the size of 3 quarters side by side and it cost $14.00. So my advise do not order the salmon with any of your dishes… you will get a heart attacked…. Not to mentioned the cost.
Overrated place
Visited for a dinner before opera night. Got seated fairly quickly at the bar. The place was tight, not in a cozy way though. I got two menus in front, made my selections quickly and gave the waiter 5 mins to check on me. She was just standing and wiping drinking glasses all that time. I decided to give her a small wave to get attention, and after 5 friendly waves and her staring right at me and continue wiping glasses I decided this place is not for me. I know this is a fairly random reaction, but I think this place is too hyped up. The beets salad I was planning to order did look pretty attractive, but again if I am ready to pay $28 for a salad I would expect the service people to be a bit more attentive.
Yes, Yes, Yes! Mmm, Good
I am usually pretty good on all the particulars of my trips , but on this short trip I was a bit surprised with the distance of the airport from the centrally located hotel; so I was concerned after a delayed arrival that my daughter and I might not be able to make our early dinner reservation – a call to the restaurant gave us some extension but not much, and we didn’t know if we would be dressed appropriately but our concierge assured us we were and we dropped bags off and took off- thank goodness we did because this is a restaurant not to be missed. We took an outside seating (careful of the sun; all are not shaded). We enjoy small plates for sharing and cautiously accepted the server’s recommendation of a half serving of the signature dates with bacon and piquillo pepper-tomato sauce- wow! Loved it- followed by the Grilled prawns, the Spanish mackerel and smoked salmon hummus and completed with the prickly pear & mango sorbet and gingerbread caramel swirl – nothing disappointed. The staff was personable, attentive and helpful, the ambiance relaxing after a short but stressful travel journey. I highly recommend this restaurant and wish there was one close by my home. Please Go!
Wowowowowow.
This place was so incredible! There is a bit of a wait and rush during lunch time but rest assured it is well worth the wait. My dining mate and I split an order of chorizo stuffed dates after seeing our table mate's order. We probably could have easily eaten the entire order on our own but probably good for our stomachs that we shared which were two dates each. For the main, I got the farm salad and added chicken - this was so. Much. Salad. In the very best way possible! The almonds, berries, and amount of chicken they added were incredible and so filling! The lettuce and endive they used were also just perfection - I wonder how each leaf was pristinely crisp. Ended our lunch on a sweet note with the most perfect portion of nutter butter square. It was such a delightful treat that satisfies your sweet tooth but not make you feel grossly stuffed afterwards. I'm salivating now just thinking about this excellent lunch and will definitely be back the next time I'm in Chicago; hopefully for dinner!
Great food, fabulous servers, uncomfortable dining
First, the food and servers were amazing! Our server recommended a really tasty orange wine that paired well with our stuffed dates—so delicious!—focaccia—light, crispy, and extra good with a little honey—asparagus salad—the most flavorful and delicious salad I can remember eating—and short rib hummus—what a fantastic combination! Bit second, the restaurant is small, long, and narrow. While nicely decorated, it is uncomfortable. Seating is at several communal tables with a bench on one side and short stools on the other. Behind the stool side, patrons and servers bustle behind, which is unsettling. We were elbow to elbow with our neighbors, which was fine but awkward. It’s a good thing neither one needed to use the restroom and that we finished eating at about the same time to avoid a seat-shuffle situation. The close proximity of diners meant that there was almost no chance of conversation. People were talking at the tops of voices to be heard in the restaurant ruckus. I go to biergartens and wineries with communal tables all the time and enjoy the camaraderie of sharing a good time with new people, but Avec’s vibe is just uncomfortable. So it’s a 5 for food and service and 1 for atmosphere for me.
The focaccia was incredible.
I would go back just to get that alone. Get the focaccia! You won't regret it. The restaurant is pretty small and hot but still an enjoyable environment. Great service!
Met up a friend for lunch here on a Saturday afternoon.
The indoor seating is small and a bit awkward but they seem to be packed. If you order individual plates, then members of your party may not get their food at the same time as you. So your food may get cold and soggy while you wait on others to get their food. The menu is limited so I ordered a half order of French toast, but was not as impressed as I had hoped. Not certain I would like to go back again.
Best Mediterranean food I've ever eaten! Once you get past
Best Mediterranean food I've ever eaten! Once you get past dining next to strangers it's an overall great experience. I always send visitors to this spot for an amazing meal.
Excellent!! The food was amazing.
Everything we had was delicious, the braised short Rob Hummus. Roasted Cabbage, calamari and pastas. Highly recommend!
For two people got the asparagus with buttermilk cream
For two people got the asparagus with buttermilk cream sauce, avocado, bulgur, citrus and onions(?) and the shrimp with polenta and the hummus with mushrooms. It was all so fresh and delicious. The asparagus was not heavy bc it was citrusy and bright. The shrimp was super flavorful and although the polenta was a little loose it was so delicious - just no shame and use a spoon to eat it! The hummus was excellent and those mushrooms so flavorful! Pita comes with it but only one so got another. It's communal seating so we were seated next to a small group who looked like they had just gotten married! Tight quarters but it was fine - a long train car layout. Always had plenty of water, checking in to see how we were doing, boxed up our food. No hassle and very attentive but not overbearing making us feel like we had to leave. I do miss big cities and the delicious and different food I get to eat. Oops forgot to mention the super nice bathrooms with Malin and Goetz hand soap and lotion - smelled so good! Small little luxuries really do make a difference
A must-try if you're visiting Chicago! The ambience was
A must-try if you're visiting Chicago! The ambience was great and reservation is definitely recommend for a Friday night dinner. My top dishes were below: - the Brussel Sprouts salad? Not sure of the exact name, but it had a crispy texture paired with a creamy dressing - Duck Agnolotti - Slow-roasted pork shoulder: the meat was Smokey and perfectly cooked paired with collard greens, fresh herbs, and a rich stew. If you like Aba, I would definitely give this place a try as well!
Celebrated a special milestone in my friend's career at
Celebrated a special milestone in my friend's career at Avec the other day and had a wonderful time. Our server was very sweet and gave us a complimentary glass of wine to celebrate. We ordered a few dishes including the lamb flatbread, shaved apple salad, and the grilled prawns. We also had a bottle of Rosé and a cappuccino to end the night. I loved all the dishes but my favorite was the apple salad. I was a little skeptical of the pita and shrimp dish but it was AMAZING all the ingredient work so well together. My friend and I are also not big lamb fans, but the flatbread was so good and we could barely tell it was lamb. I will definitely be back!
Always looking for good food and this fits the bill.
Every dish I had is delicious. The short ribs in hummus s is a delight. Apple crispy brussel sprouts yogurt salad amazing. Appreciate a nice meal for my birthday. Service attentive without being intrusive with comfy ambiance.
The bill had three mistakes, all intentional.
Whisky charge was $21, although menu said $18. Neat charge was $2. I know some restaurants do that, but it is dishonest to advertise a price and then charge extra when no ice is added. And there was a 3% hospitality charge on the $115 bill. The waitress tried to explain but was clearly embarrassed and brought back a new bill minus the $9. Ave is a good restaurant but should understand that customers would prefer them to honestly charge more rather than sneak in hidden charges. Too many good restaurants around to go back here again and feel cheated.
Nice brunch
Visited for brunch. Nice menu with a selection of snacks, small plates, and large plates. Mediterranean focus. Nice vibe...long bar and long communal table. Service was very casual (probably a little too casual for the price point) but reasonably attentive. Food was good, but not great. A Brussels Sprout salad was delicious, as were the dates. A focaccia with smoked salmon didn't hit the mark, with droopy, thin bread and blandnesss. Certainly would return.
Disappointing experience.
Very disappointing experience. We waited over one hour for a cheese platter and when finallly came there were only two ridicously small slices of cheese. They tried charging us for the plate although after complaining they waived us for it. Service was pushy for us to leave.
Not quite up to expectations
Young crowd.( 20-30). Nice atmosphere. Fine wine list. Tasty but I can’t say exceptional mediteranean food.
Great for brunch
Excellent brunch spot. Good service, good food. My wife fell in love with the French toast; it seems more like bread pudding than French toast. The butternut squash is really good as is the patatas bravas. The space is small, but more cozy than cramped.
Innovative and delicious
We loved this restaurant! We are Mediterranean food fans and were impressed with the innovative dishes that they offered! We tried a variety of small plates and loved all the unique flavor combinations. It was unusual and delicious. We will definitely be back again!
Such a tasty meal.
This is a great place to eat. Every single dish we ate was tasty and good. So special and nice for any occasions Loved how clean and wonderful their kitchen was. Service was outstanding. Food is very fresh and high quality ingredients. Will definitely go back. Will not be disappointed.
Delicious food and great atmosphere
We came here while visiting family. I loved the shared plates style menu. Our waitress was very knowledgeable of the menu and helped us decide on the right portions for our party of 9. The scallops were delectable, the short rib hummus was incredibly delicious and my favorite dessert was the burnt honey gelato. We had many other dishes that were equally delicious. A wonderful dinner!
Flavourful dishes!
Flavourful dishes with some outstanding ones. Kale salad was amazing. Service was good. They recommended 5 dishes but could have done with just 4 for the three of us. Some of pretty substantial dishes. Overall a great dinner in a great setting.
Really cozy and good place
Fantastic quaint little place where I recommend trying brunch on Saturday or Sunday. The service is great and everyone is very friendly. Their homemade hamburger and their focaccia with salmon are delicious.
My friends and I were visiting Chicago for st paddy's
My friends and I were visiting Chicago for st paddy's weekend - I didn't have any expectations (2 of my friends who are in Chicago for family a lot heard a lot of good things). Every dish was SO GOOD, I was blown away and only wished I had the stomach for it all! The 4 of us got the bacon wrapped dates (immaculate, a lot more filling and spicy as expected), roasted fish (all of my friend's favorites! melt in your mouth texture and the fish skin was incredibly crispy), focaccia (different from traditional fluffy texture), and pork shoulder (melt in your mouth!! I enjoyed the flavor of the fish more but the way they prepared this meat is incredible). Service was great and loved the atmosphere - perfect for celebrating or just a nice dinner with friends. My friends and I split a bottle of wine and 4 dishes and spend only ~$50!
5 stars
Delicious food great service! I can’t get over how good the food was. After the visit I got the recipe book by Paul Kahan. Have to try this at home!
Amazing little restaurant with even more amazing flavours
This little west loop restaurant was recommend by friends, but I also read great reviews on the internet, It's a bit away from the center, so we took a short taxi ride from ou loop hotel. our reservation was at 8PM. Great warm welcome when we arrived, they immediately took our coats and showed us to our "table". It was a "commune type" table and we were seated between two gents and a couple.... I mean, I was ready to try the experience it, but we were REALLY close to one another! The restaurant is small and narrow, only one row of large tables and the bar. Fortunately, two places freed up at the bar behind us and the immediately offered us to sit there. Our waiter/barman was Tim. I read we had to get the chorizo stuffed dates wrapped in bacon, and Tim helped us with the rest of the menu. We had another "small plate", truly amazing grilled praws with backed pita and also shared the rotisserie chicken sharwama... I don't usually order on the bone chicken in a restaurant, but boy, i wasn't disapointed withTim's suggestion! So tender and juicy! Such flavours! I'm not a big fan of desserts, specially after such a copious meal... My girlfriend opted for the affogato, a coconut sorbet seved with a shot of expresso they pour over the gelato and a chocolate shortbread. I saw a curiosity, and decided to go with it: a manchego sorbet1. truly amazing. heavenly, perfect balance of cheesyness, sweet and salt, served with a glimpse of olive oil and shaved manchego on top. A little cup of heaven. Thank you again for the recommendations Tim! Will return, will recommend!
The food was pretty good! I would recommend the sweet
The food was pretty good! I would recommend the sweet potatoes and the chicken pita. The service was great! Really nice and accommodating. The ambiance was lively and intimate. Not a big restaurant and you might share a table with another party. They take ur coat and bag for you if you would like.
Another great restaurant in Chicago's West Loop! The
Another great restaurant in Chicago's West Loop! The servers recommend that you order a variety of different small plates and share with your group, so it's best if you come with a larger group.My three friends and I especially loved the chorizo-stuffed dates (perfect balance of sweet and savory) even though it can be a little spicy for those that can't handle it. The slow-roasted pork shoulder is so tender that the meat just falls off the bones. We also loved our cheese platter at the beginning of our meal; the bread, cheese, and honey are all great quality. Our friendly waitress also made sure to check on us often, and I loved the vibes of the restaurant.
This should be up there with everyone's favorite spot in
This should be up there with everyone's favorite spot in Chicago this was my third trip over 3 years. It's a small space but still fits a group I'd for sure recommend a reservation as it fills quick. The service is fantastic and they even have a small happy hour menu which really can allow you enjoy some delicious dishes like the chorizo stuffed dates for ~half price. We got the bartenders choice happy hour drink with hummus with carrots and the dates to start. The carrots were charred adding extra flavor with a smooth creamy hummus and amazing pita. I will say they don't give you enough and they make it seem like another piece is a nice offering but they do charge $2.50 just so you realize. The dates are an absolute must they are a great balance of flavors, salt, little spice and sweet plus they come with some delicious bread. We had a Brussel sprout salad (not pictured) because Brussel sprout salads are just a great thing when done well and the was. We finished with the rotisserie chicken shawarma which was juicy with a ton of flavor cooked in. Perfect meal and looking forward to another trip in the future.
Overpriced small portions that stop at good looks while
Overpriced small portions that stop at good looks while lacking in flavor. Came here on a Sunday with a friend. We had reservations, and the service was fast; we got seated immediately without a wait. The ambiance was nice enough; large communal tables with a brightly lit space. If you're looking for a more private/intimate dining experience, look elsewhere.The food was the biggest disappointment. I had heard a lot about this place, and perhaps my expectations were high, but for a bill over 150$ for 2, I wanted something other than the salad to be the highlight of the night!The salad was good, with pears and almonds, the combination of flavors and the portion were satisfactory. Sadly, that was the only dish we ordered that I could say that about, and it all went downhill from there.A beet muhammara with brussel sprouts. I love both. The combination... flavorless, bland disharmony. In fact, that describes every dish we had after that.A plate of grilled prawns (4) served hot out the oven. Good luck trying to unstick the meat from the shells. Also, don't bother with the sauce they are in because it tastes like oil without any kind of seasoning. Worth the price? Only if you have never had prawns before in your life and the flavor of regular grilled prawns is something you have always been looking forward to.(We decided to order the special).A plate of 4 lambchops with a "tabbouleh like salad". I'm disappointed our server did not know what freekeh was. Flavor was virtually nonexistent and the portion of grains was too tiny to even count as a "large plate".(I've heard people rave about their hummus).A roasted carrot hummus. Supposedly, it comes with a black garlic harissa. The hummus was thin to the point of being almost watery, and it looked like it was just a garnish on the plate because of how little there was. This is not how I am used to hummus being served! The carrots tasted like roasted carrots! (Big surprise). Did the black garlic or harrissa add anything to those carrots? Maybe making the carrots look charred in addition to giving you the sensation that they had burnt pinenuts and decided to add them to the dish. It has a bite and a crunch because of the burnt black garlic, but there is no harissa flavor (perhaps a good thing if you know what harissa actually tastes like).In short, this place did not fail to disappoint. Most dishes piqued my interest because of the pairing of flavors on paper. I'm sad to say that nothing was as successfully flavorful as their salad; everything else either lacked in flavor/seasoning or the flavors on a single plate simply did not work together.
We've had many friends recommend Avec, but I'd been a
We've had many friends recommend Avec, but I'd been a little wary of trying it out for fear that it wouldn't be as good as expected. However, it ended up being a very enjoyable meal and I will definitely be back again!Our waiter recommended two small dishes or one large dish per person, and I'm very glad we stuck to that as it ended up being more than enough food, especially given the richness of the dishes. We started with the chorizo stuffed dates - the portion size was very large and each date was extremely hefty. Normally I'm all for big portions, but I could have done with a smaller size per date. The flavors were good - the chorizo had a nice smokey spice and a hint of sweetness. The only down side to this dish was that it felt like we were eating meatballs rather than stuffed dates, and there were certain parts where it almost seemed like the dates were missing. The dish still ended up being delicious and worth trying, but I probably would opt to try something new instead of ordering this again. The potato and salted cod brandade was delicious, and my favorite dish of the three. The spread had a very smooth texture that paired really well with the buttered toast. The spread was rich in flavor but also felt light at the same time, with a great balanced flavor of salted cod. It definitely doesn't overwhelm with fish flavor due to the potato. The pork shoulder was also very good, and a huge portion! The pork was cooked nicely - moist and would fall apart, and not overly fatty. It paired nicely with the lentils, though by the end it was feeling like a bit too much for just two people. As a whole, the meal was very enjoyable and worth trying (especially as we didn't let our expectations get too high going into the meal). Given the portion sizing it would be more enjoyable going with a bigger group as it's hard to try too much with just two people. The only downside to Avec is the layout. It's a very narrow room with communal style tables, so you end up seated VERY close to other parties resulting it awkwardly being able to hear everything they're saying, and also needing to ask others to move in order to get in and out of your seat. Personally not my favorite set up, but not enough to deter from the overall enjoyment of the meal.
Avec was the highlight of my Chicago trip as it hands down
Avec was the highlight of my Chicago trip as it hands down has some of the best Mediterranean dishes ever! For two people, we went with two small plates and one large and found that to be pretty filling and proved to be reasonably priced for what its worth. We ordered the following: - seared cauliflower and freekeh tabbouleh with grapes, peanuts and berbere vinaigrette ($18) - The seared cauliflower with its crispy exterior and zesty berbere vinaigrette added a delightful layer of depth and complexity. This dish has the perfect assortment of flavors and textures that made this a winning dish! - grilled butcher steak with ajo blanco, grapes and mojo rojo ($24) - the sauce drizzled over the perfectly cooked medium-rare steak was immaculate and I was hesitant about cooked grapes (not a fan of raisins haha), but they were so juicy and flavorful in the best way possible. I was amazed at the presentation as well of this particular dish! - kabocha squash pizza with fontina and urfa chili crisp ($24) - omg, this was such a unique pizza though beware that the peppers can be spicy! Otherwise, the squash was so decadent and hearty and the crust had the perfect chew. The restaurant's modern and minimalist interior, along with the atmospheric lighting, made for a great dining experience. The waitstaff were incredibly attentive, frequently refilling our water glasses and making us feel welcome. They were friendly and added to the fun atmosphere.Overall, I highly recommend Avec and would definitely visit again if I return to Chicago!
When I think of Avec I think about a tour around the world
When I think of Avec I think about a tour around the world for your taste buds. A place that isn't limited to a certain region or category, a place that has been consistently good throughout the years, an area of innovation, but not too over the top. I came here for a Valentine's Day celebration with my significant other, I came the day before Valentine's Day to escape the rush and fully enjoy the dining experience. We sampled a ton of things on the menu, such as the grilled butchers steak, the Wild Mexican Prawns, the roasted sweet potatoes, the Rotisserie Chicken Shawarma, and the Tagine with braised, lamb, swordfish, and mussels. I personally don't drink alcohol so throughout this experience I just had sparkling water, which was very good haha.To fully enjoy this place you need to be open to the experience, and that requires being open to communal dining, which not everyone loves. We sat next to some people from France who spoke little to no English and honestly I liked that experience. Being surrounded by culture and people outside of your circle of friends. It can be a bit uncomfortable at times when another group has to get up and you have to move out of the way for them in the middle of your dining experience. But again, I think before you come here, you should just welcome the unique experience to fully enjoy it.Favorite dish was the butcher steak, it was a fairly small portion for the price they have it at, but it was honestly well worth it because the flavor was amazing.We also ordered the Tagine that was priced at $48. With braised lamb, sword fish, mussles and a flavor that was reminiscent of Moroccan cuisine, it was very much worth it. My only criticism is I think it would be better if they brought it out with the actual Tagine top and then revealed it to us, taking the top with them for the full experience. A Tagine is a beautiful piece of art and a culturally unique way to cook food that not everyone knows about and I think that would definitely add to the experience.Another highlight was the Mexican prawns, on the menu. It said it was with rose petal shatta, honestly I've never heard of this before, but it was delicious. I love that it came with a big piece pita, presented almost like a balloon/pillow of bread. It was perfect for lapping up the sauce, which was the best part. The shrimp came with the shell on, and I honestly have no problem eating shrimp with the shell on, maybe I'm weird, but I don't mind it all. If you're picky about that, I would make sure to take it off. Haha Overall, I really enjoyed the experience, it was, adventurous, it challenges you to think about flavors, & the combinations were inventive. Avec has stayed true to their roots over the years and kept a very playful menu that is unbound by region, this will forever be a go to place for me.
Connect with users posting reservations for avec Restaurant Chicago
AppointmentTrader is a community-driven platform where users can exchange their reservations or leverage their personal relationships with avec Restaurant Chicago. Buyers can make informed decisions using automated seller ratings, which reflect past transactions and reliability.
Each posting on AppointmentTrader shows you which user submitted it and along with that provides a trackrecord of that user which indicates how much experience
the user has and how many percent of their transactions resulted in them issuing a refund.
If there is no user posting that fits your schedule, you can bid on your preferred time.
Let's say Peter has a great morning and decides to take his three friends to avec Restaurant Chicago at 6 PM the same day.
He checks the restaurant's website and sees that no reservations are available. He then looks at the avec Restaurant Chicago page on AppointmentTrader, but finds that there are no user postings either.
That's where the community-driven bid process comes in.
Peter can place a bid on AppointmentTrader, which serves as a reward for any community member who chooses to work on securing the reservation. AT then notifies experienced users who may be able to help.
Step-by-Step Process
1.) Setting a Reward (Bid)
* AppointmentTrader uses historical data to recommend a reasonable reward amount for securing a reservation - let's say $100.
* Peter really wants to go, so he increases the bid (or reward) to $200.
* At this stage, the reservation does not exist yet.
2.) A Community User Picks Up the Bid
* PerceptiveWash44, an experienced AT user, has a strong track record of successfully securing reservations and low refund requests, they receive a notification about Peter's bid.
* PerceptiveWash44 picks up the bid, meaning they will now work on securing the reservation.
* Peter can now talk to PerceptiveWash44 for any questions Peter may have as PerceptiveWash44 user fills the bid.
3.) Finding the Reservation
* PerceptiveWash44 now uses their connections at avec Restaurant Chicago to secure the table.
* If they successfully get the 6 PM table for four, Peter receives a confirmation that the reservation has been secured.
* If PerceptiveWash44 fails to secure the reservation, the bid is returned to the pool so another user can try.
4.) Payment & Protection
* Once the reservation is secured, PerceptiveWash44 receives the $200 reward which is credited to PerceptiveWash44's AT balance, where users manage their own funds and can withdraw via available payout options such as bank transfer, PayPal, or Zelle.
* Peter can now enjoy the dinner with his friends at avec Restaurant Chicago!
* As with all transactions on AT, disputes and no-show fees are handled through the platform's community-driven resolution system. Users with a strong track record are incentivized to fulfill bids successfully, and community members can report issues to maintain trust in the marketplace.
