Elizabeth

All around incredible experience dining at Atelier! From the moment you walk in through your last bite, the experience does not disappoint. The dining room is small, no more than 10 tables. It’s not too loud and it’s not too quiet. The music is great. The kitchen is open and in full view, yet it’s not distracting in any way, it doesn’t consume all of your attention. It’s still fun to take a peak and see what’s being cooked up next. The tasting menu and wine pairing were incredible. Michelin star caliber. There wasn’t a bite that left me disappointed. The chef drew inspiration from cuisines and meals from different restaurants around Chicago, but all with a clear fine dining twist. The pairings were all extremely well thought through and explained with great detail and passion by the sommelier who picked them. The orange wine was unique and a definite hit! I’m excited to join Atelier again soon for their dinner with what I’m sure will be a unique menu. Things seem to change constantly with what they’re able to buy at local farmers markets. Highly recommend and excited to see the accolades Atelier will earn.

This is the kind of tasting menu-centric place you get excited about because the food is seasonally changing. An inventive chef, some of the most incredible serving staff, and excellent presentation on food. I experienced the fall/winter 23 menu. Creative, mostly delicious but some slight misses. The beef tartar is one of the best in the city. The tostone with mojo was fabulous. The saag chaat was stupid good- for both of these dishes I wish there was more! My biggest two gripes: the pasta dish and the wine/beverage pairings. The pasta dish is your mid-dish. This one had mushroom, butter, Parmesan, pepper…all these things that should have been so utterly umami…but ended up tasting like nothing. It was severely under-salted. Considering how big flavored everything was until then, it was a miss to put this after such big tastes. If it was done earlier, maybe my palate would have been more nuanced. Maybe it was an off night for that round of the course? The same could be said about the wine. Nothing really stood out against the big bold flavors of the early courses and the desserts. Maybe it was the current rotation but the bevs were on the dull side which should be ferocious against so much flavor especially the early courses. Which is a shadow on a tasting that offers wine pairings. The fois gras cassoulet was wildly inventive. The apple cider sorbet as a palate cleanse was gorgeous. The panna cotta kheer was a lovely dessert finish. The donut could have been done without, but I get it. I look at restaurants that offer tastings separately than an a la cart: I care more about consistency across my meal than my individually ordered dishes otherwise. This was quite good but it was uneven. There’s so much opportunity with this chef and his food. I am very excited to see what happens next summer with a completely different menu.

Deserving a Michelin star fine upscale dining in the old Elizabeth place. Excellent tasting menu that offered great variety of excellent small dishes. They were innovative and fun plays on favorites. Better than some of other Michelin restaurants I've been to in Chicago in the past year. The ambiance is chic gray and austere wood decorations. It's definitely an unexpected change as you may double check the address as you pull up to what appears to be a shuttered store front - love that. Service was amazing, what you'd expect for the price and more. Wine pairing was adventurous and bold, although I would prefer one or two more classic selections, but no complaints; there is only so much you can drink. Overall an excellent addition to Chicagos fine dining.

I had the pleasure of visiting Atelier this week and it was really special…so special I didn't even take food pics 🤯! We were warmly welcomed in and immediately felt like we were surrounded by friends in the intimate space (we're talking 8-tables intimate) and I just felt compelled to tuck my phone away and enjoy the experience. From the artwork and simple floral arrangements to the stunning ceramic serviceware and unique flatware,  every detail seems carefully considered, but presented in a comfortable, casual way that makes fine dining accessible to anyone. @chefchristianhunter and his team are putting out an incredibly thoughtful tasting menu built around rotating local ingredients along with inventive beverage pairings (I enjoyed the spirit -free pairing menu). All of the food was perfectly prepared and meticulously presented- think individual flower petals placed using tweezers- but we were encouraged to dive in, use our hands, and just enjoy yummy food. A couple days out, I still have crispy yuxiang eggplant, chilled melon soup, and a tiny skillet of tender saucy whitefish on my mind. Sitting next to the kitchen, I was struck by the calm communication and chill vibes as kitchen and FOH worked together seamlessly, Chef Hunter occasionally offering gentle guidance or correction. It's just a lovely vibe, a charming space, and some damn good food. If you're in or near Chicago, get yourself to Atelier NOW before it gets so popular that you can't get a res!

We went to Atelier for our 10th wedding anniversary celebration dinner. It did not disappoint. The service was top notch. Each course took us on a culinary tour around the world but also played well together and told the chef’s story. When we made our reservations we didn’t book the drink pairing but decided when we got there we would, and it was as a great choice. The pairings were spot on and were different from any food/wine pairings we’ve previously had. She’s got skills. They were highlighting women owned wineries and distilleries and we were happy to support a socially conscious business. Icing on the cake - the playlist was 🔥 and not your typical fine dining music. All of it combined made it feel like we were invited to a friend’s house for dinner. We are so happy we got reservations at this fantastic neighborhood restaurant before reservations become impossible to get. Highly recommend.