Jody Kissane
Booked the 7-Course Kitchen Table to celebrate a birthday. We loved it, it was such a special experience. I was worried from other reviews of having not enough food, too sweet of drinks, being rushed etc but we didn’t experience any of those! The first drink was sweet but the rest weren’t. There were all kinds of drinks with all liqueurs, definitely something for everyone and showed the range of what the Aviary can do. We were so so stuffed after, and they didn’t rush us at all- our reservation was 2 hours and we had plenty of time to enjoy each drink and food before they brought the next one. When they had time, the chefs stopped by and chatted with us, it was really cool. Really fun to watch the chefs work, reminded us of the show “The Bear”, without the hectic yelling. They have so many systems and they run like a well oiled machine. Can’t recommend it enough for a celebration. Definitely recommend hydrating before and after though, they do not skimp on the drinks. 😂 Amazing job Aviary team, thanks for making it a special Birthday Celebration!
Erica Westcott
While visiting Chicago, my partner and I wanted to celebrate an anniversary in style and chose to splurge on a five course cocktail/food pairing. It was a little pricey, but a great experience. We booked ahead for a weeknight reservation and we were promptly seated upon arrival. The open lounge style is a bit odd, but it didn't ultimately detract from our evening. (The volume level did get a bit high as more guests arrived.) Overall, the drinks tended to be more on the sweet side, though the flavors were innovative and paired very well with the food offerings! Everything was beautifully presented. My favorite course overall was the peach aperol and duck. Most surprisingly good was the carrot margarita!
All of the wait staff that visited our table were cordial and professional, answering any questions we had about the offerings. The pace never felt rushed and we progressed through the courses in our own time. I'm not sure I'd come to The Aviary for a casual cocktail, but I would certainly recommend it for a special event.
Chase Hasper
We’ve wanted to try The Aviary for a long time, and were excited to finally get the chance to stop in for drinks one evening. The interior felt a bit odd, like what you might find in a hotel lobby: open concept with an attempted update. But the drinks were fantastic! Definitely something you wouldn’t be able to find somewhere else, with presentations (and the price) to match. While this may not be a regular stop on our list, I could see myself going back at some point to show friends how fun the drinks were.
Darshan Patel
I can honestly say this is a great place and I wouldn’t want to stop anyone from going in and enjoying the experience. I just wish it was more tailored to the customer. As Barmini by Jose Andres
We had the 5 course food and drink option, wish the popcorn came with it because it’s a must. Each drink has a special twist and the presentation was great.
Don Stevenson
If you are interested in unique cocktails this is the place to go! Although pricey, the cocktails are works of gastronomic art (both with the drink itself and the glassware!) and meant to savor. We sat on the patio, which was nothing to write home about, but that didn't detract from the experience offered by the drink menu. Next time we will definitely make resevations earlier and get an indoor table since the inside was quite nice. The 3-course cocktail flight was a great way to sample from the menu (3 choices of 12 drinks out of the 16 they had on the menu). At $25 per drink thus saves about $10 or more per person depending on which drinks you select. The food was comprised of small bites and paired well but would have been nice to have had more meat and cheese choices.
Jillene Stevenson
If you want some interesting cocktails this is the place to go. We had the 3 cocktail flight and saved about $10 each verses ordering individual drinks. The flight had 12 out of the 16 to choose from so there is a wide variety. The food was very tasty although $20 for 1 scallop and a splash of caviar was a bit much, although very tasty!
Definitely a place to go if you are one to like out of the ordinary!!!!
Will be bringing friends from our of town when they visit.
Tanya Kiatathikom
This used to be my fav cocktail spot to take out of town guests, or meet with fellow foodie friends 2-3 times a year to try out new drinks. Their drinks are still good, but don’t bother with their expensive food pairings! I’ve done the food pairings at least 4 times, each time hoping it was just a fluke that it was underwhelming, but each time has been disappointing. My pre-COVID Alinea experience was also very disappointing, so maybe Grant just has too many restaurants going at once to be able to maintain the quality he used to. Still like Roister. Next is fun. Check out the Office if you can, and order a foie snickers if they have them on the menu. One of the best things I’ve ever eaten period.
Noemi
The Aviary is just so much fun!!!! One of my favorite places in Chicago. The drinks are just amazing, so adventurous! And the food pairing is just extraordinary. Must visit!
Jensen Jones
One of those places you have to try. Incredibly unique cocktails to choose from. It was a bit spendy but the drinks were fantastic and we had a blast. Highly recommend if visiting Chicago.
Krystal Lee
Wonferful cocktails with different flavors and vibes. The 3:10 Yuzu was sweet and sour (just the way we like it). We made reservations ahead of time so no wait and service was good. Make sure to also book The Office while you're there. Different atmosphere and so much fun. Keith, one of the best bartenders we've met and will remeber. Next time, I'd like to order the dealers choice because he knows his cocktails. Thank you for a wonderful first evening in Chicago!
Felicia Murrell
Fantastic experience! We did the 5 course cocktail and tasting pairing and the experience was sublime! The pacing was great. We didn’t feel rushed and both the food and the drinks were superb. 10/10 recommend.
David “Do-chelin guide”
The Aviary will open up your palate and make you curious about the art of cocktails.
Recommend: Smoked Papaya and 3:10 to Yuzu.
Jay Horowitz
The Aviary has a hotel lobby vibe, lots of hard surfaces with high ceilings. Very sterile in general. The cocktail menu has many choices and denotes spirit strength as well as which cocktails are high in presentation. This is key to the Aviary where presentation is clearly important. The cocktails were good and some of the presentations were clever but the prices clearly reflect the upcharge for these presentations. Overall, kind of fun to experience once but not likely to go back again.
Jaclyn
We did the 7 course tasting menu with the black truffle explosion. I highly recommend the experience if you love good food and cocktails. All of the food was delicious and high quality. The cocktails were fun, unexpected, and worth every drop. I will be raving about this dinner for years. Also, our table was in the kitchen, so it was very fun to watch all of the food and drinks be made all night. The service was perfect as well. Menu highlights include the focaccia, the chilled tom kha Kai, and Hokkaido scallop. Drink highlights include so you have to let it linger, golden idol, and the popcorn.
Dink Life
We visited for the first time a few weeks ago and had a blast. This is great place for date night cocktails. The cocktails are extremely unique and complex. They're not inexpensive, but I wouldn't expect them to be either. The food is just as good as the drink and all of the servers and hosts are very helpful.
Mr. E.
This has to be, hands down, the most neat-o bar I've ever been to. Certainly the classiest. Also the most expensive.
I went with a group of friends, and in the end it ended up being a bit pricy. But it was toootallly worth it.
For your best bet, I recommend the 3 drink pre-set. You get to order three drinks for less than the cost of a la cart. They also set them in a correct order to drink them, so each round takes you on a fantastic voyage of booziness.
We also ordered some snacks for the table which were fantastic. They weren't cheep, but they were well made. If I was wearing a hat, I'd tip it to the chef for the amazingness of the flavor.
After we were done with the pre-fixed, I ordered myself a "Buzzed Aldren", and it was the best possible fuseing of desert and alcohol. Truly my favorite drink of the night.
It was fricking expensive but like everything here, so worth it.
I look forward to returning to Chicago if for nothing else than to revisit this place.
You should strongly consider making a reservation, especially during peak hours. Also, the 3-drink course needs to be reserved (and paid for) ahead of time.
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