Schwa

Went here for nice dinner after all the restaurants started opening up post covid lock down. The restaurant handled everything very well, everyone was spaced apart and staff was very clean. Now on to the meal! Everything I had was delicious! I want to say the popsicle (grape) was very cool and unique. The Raviolo and gnocchi were my favorite bites and the Cheddar was also sooo good!

All food snobs should dine once at Schwa, because notions of fine dining get turned upside down the moment you approach this highly acclaimed, Michelin-starred restaurant. It is a spectacular experience—jarring at times—from beginning to end. Indeed, Chef Michael Carlson is the Jean-Michel Basquiat of haute cuisine. When you drive up to this restaurant, it looks like it is closed. No lights at all. You pull open the blackened door and walk into a tiny, dark space. Just seven tables of lucky diners in a tiny room with blacked walls. You are assaulted with overly-loud rap music. There are no waiters, just the heavily-tattooed chefs who cook your food and bring it to you in person. They serve you with wild, creative combinations of unusual foods, intense flavors, artful presentations. This restaurant offers no wine list at all. It is BYOB because at Schwa 100 percent of the emphasis is on food prepared at its highest level. The young chefs that deliver sensational course after course represent the impressive future talent pool of Chicago cuisine. Indeed, many talented chefs’ careers are launched from this creative space. You shake your head and smile. Who knew eating could be so much fun?! Lots of raw energy paired with the finest culinary ingredients. Totally irreverent and completely sublime.

Visited Schwa for a special occasion all the way from Hotlanta. Absolutely loved innovative cuisine without pretentiousness from the CDC. His juxtaposition of "East meets West" ingredients with various cooking techniques truly shines as you taste each dish. Each dish was absolutely delicious, thought provoking and wish I had time to ask ideas behind each and every dish I tasted tonight. Portion was just enough in my opinion, but I did feel like i could have one more bite on every single dish because they were that delicious. Yes, it is a bit noisy and space is limited, but I personally thought it sets Schwa apart from traditional Michellin star recipients because they ARE different. Byob was awesome asI was able to bring my own collection. I've already recommended Schwa to a colleague of mine visiting Chicago in Sept, and will visit next time I'm in Chicago. It's hip, fun, and intimate with pretty much "open kitchen". If you want to know what that means, please visit Schwa. You won't be disappointed.

What a fun night! If you’re looking for Michelin quality and innovation without to pretension, this is it. Loved being able to byob from my own collection and doing shots with the kitchen. The food was incredible and inventive. Mind blowing flavor combinations. Took off a star for the amount of food. Was put off that some of the 12 courses were combined. For instance a drink and bite meant to be consumed together counted as two courses and this left me wanting when the final course came. A fantastic experience though.

Our evening at Schwa was the most exciting food experience I’ve had in a long time. The chef du cuisine, sous chef, and line cook were all extremely kind and knowledgeable. Each course was remarkable and delicious, each leading gracefully into the next. Our party had some dietary restrictions which were all accommodated beautifully. My favourite bites were the gravy biscuit in the first course and the pretzel ice cream in the penultimate course. I loved my dining experience at Schwa and I hope to be back one day soon!

Schwa had been on my to go list for a while and it did not disappoint. Each course was well presented and tasted fantastic. The interior is small but has a nice intimate feeling, dimly lit and with art that makes you feel underwater. Highly recommend a trip, make sure to check regularly for openings as reservations fill up quickly!

This was an amazing meal by a a few very talented and creative chefs. The concepts and the flavors they put together are mind blowing. And while you look at such small plates you can see their passion and enthusiasm in every dish. There is a reason they are a Michigan star restaurant and while reservations were a challenge the experience is worth every penny. You do not leave hungry