L2OLiving up to the expectationI recently celebrated my graduation here. The food was amazing, service was excellent, and would love to be back in the future.5/13/2013 12:00:00 AMtasting menusimply put, i had one of the best meals of my life here. i will remember it for years to come. outstanding.5/6/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing experienceFood as art. Pricey but worth the occasional splurge for a special occasion.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMDining eventIt was my birthday & I was in town for Wine Spectator's Grand Tour wine tasting. My expectations were high, but food & sevice exceeded expectations. Had the pre fixe (sp?) menu, but should have gone their wine parings.5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat customer service!!!Great customer service!!! Attentive and polite. Ordered the full tasting menu. Pretty presentation. Unfortunately, 8 out of 12 dishes were quite salty but still delicious. Felt like I was going to develop hypertension over dinner. That being said, I am quite sensitive to salt/spices so take this opinion with a grain of salt (no pun intended :P)5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMImaginative, creative, elegantImaginative, creative, elegant food preparation. Every course was superb. One of the finest meals I can remember. It was my wife's birthday and they printed her name on the menu insert, nice touch. The service was beautifully orchestrated, the staff professional without being stuffy. A truly exceptional experience.
The one problem we encountered was with the group of young "adults" at the next table everyone of which was on their cell phones the entire evening, either sending texts, taking pictures of every course, or whatever else they were doing. It was quite distracting and annoying, and the management should consider setting limits on such activities.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AML2O definitely lived up toL2O definitely lived up to its reputation when we dined there this week. Impeccable food accompanied by expert service. However we felt that the dining area itself lacked ambience - it is basically a large room with high ceilings in an apartment block that gives a cold impression, not assisted by the fierce AC. Admittedly we were there on a Sunday evening and Fridays & Saturdays when it is probably busier, may feel different but a move to alternative premises or the employment of a talented interior designer may be extremely beneficial.4/21/2013 12:00:00 AMPicture perfect seafoodThis is the second time we dine at L2O. I know that the chef who earned it two Michelin stars has left, but the quality of the food has not suffered AFAICT. The menu choices are limited (no a la carte), but absolutely everything is wonderfully fresh, flavorful and exquisitely prepared. Abstain if you do not like seafood or are looking for a good steak. The preparation and presentation are perfect, the service is attentive without being intrusive, the atmosphere is subdued. For us, the perfect dinner.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was fabulous. It is veryFood was fabulous. It is very expensive but worth it. We did the wine pairing with our dinner and never regretted it. The wine were unusual but paired beautifully with the food. Best food we have had in Chicago for a long time.4/8/2013 12:00:00 AMThough the ambience is a bitThough the ambience is a bit sterile for my taste (a cloth or a flower on the table would help), nothing takes away from the presentation of beautifully conceived and artistically crafted small courses. The wait staff is finely tuned and the food is stellar; if not precious. They try to "up-sell" extra courses in addition to the prix fixe menu but we found the "basic" menu to be more than enough to eat. It's a memorable meal with a memorable price tag. Be prepared for $200+ per diner depending on your wine selection. And there is quite an impressive selection of wine.4/7/2013 12:00:00 AMWe will not forget our diningWe will not forget our dining experience at L2O any time soon...the food quality and presentation was simply superb. We tried the tasting menu, and every course was excellent. It was our first time at the restaurant, and we wished we had visited earlier!4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMThe entire dinner was outstandingThe entire dinner was outstanding and unusual. It lived up to its reputation.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing experience! The foodAmazing experience! The food was top notch. The creativity and technique of the food preperation was impressive. Everything about this restaurant gave this place 5 stars. It is a MUST for those who are foodies and don't mind spending a pretty penny on a meal.4/1/2013 12:00:00 AML20 was a great experienceL20 was a great experience for a special occasion; the sommelier helped us navigate their extraordinary wine list and we thoroughly enjoyed our amazing bottle. The food was not only delicious, but preparations and presentations we creative and beautiful. Even though I personally have dietary restrictions, they were able to accommodate and were very delicious. My only negative was even though the dietary restrictions were communicated upon reservation and upon confirming, our server was somewhat unprepared as to which items I could have and which could be modified. I would have expected a restaurant of this caliber to be able to more readily address any dietary requirements.3/29/2013 12:00:00 AMOne of the best restaurantsOne of the best restaurants we have tried. Great service, wonderful ambience, very artistic presentation of food and mind boggling flavors to tease every palate! We tried 12 course menu and each dish was superb! The staff was amazing,took care of us from valet parking to coat check to dining area. Truly deserving of its 2 Michelin stars! : )3/29/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful place for some outstandinWonderful place for some outstanding food. Very friendly and good service by people that know their job!!! a feast for the eye as well for your taste buds!!3/22/2013 12:00:00 AMif this is a one star restaurantif this is a one star restaurant then what was it like as a 3 star?3/22/2013 12:00:00 AMNourritures très bien ,esthétiqueNourritures très bien ,esthétique sans reproche ,mais plutôt chère au finish.3/21/2013 12:00:00 AMQuite good I suppose if youQuite good I suppose if you like food where as much effort goes into the plating and presentation as actual preparation. Seven or eight courses of tiny portions but we left surprisingly full. And it could well be that my palate isn't sophisticated enough to appreciate the subtle flavor of a mussel/parsley tart nor discern all those in the 23-flavor gastrique.
Withing minutes of making our reservation via OpenTable, L2O called me to confirm as well as identify any food allergies and coordinate our dinner time with theater plans afterward.3/16/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food and professionalGreat food and professional yet courteous service! I was impressed.3/2/2013 12:00:00 AMI couldn't have asked forI couldn't have asked for more for my wedding night dinner. The staff were amazing and the food impeccable. Thank you L2O for giving my husband and I such a memorable dinner.3/1/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Fine-dining experienceL2O has 2 Michelin stars for good reason. The ambience is calm and the room is subtly divided, but you manage to feel a sense of privacy at your table while still being aware that you have company around you. The food is perfectly prepared, creatively presented & professionally served. Who thinks of balls of cantaloup, cucumber & honeydew stuffed with foie gras, smoked salmon & oysters, respectively, with clever edible stems to make them all look like multi-colored cherries served on a candle holder? And that was just the amuse! The emphasis remains on seafood. The wine pairings are creative & generally spot on. You will spend several hours & several hundred dollars here, but it is time and money well spent if you love fine dining.2/9/2013 12:00:00 AMTop meal in the cityWe selected the tasting menu for the evening. Very beautifully presented and executed. Out of approximately 13 courses, the shabu-shabu was the only one I was not thrilled about since it seemed more complex in having to deal with at the table (although they explained a couple of times how to cook and eat it at the table). The turbot was the best part followed by the Maine lobster. Definitely an overall filling meal. The staff are all amazing and really made it a wonderful evening....not stuffy at all! The sommelier was extremely knowledgeable and engaging and we really enjoyed him checking in and discussing wine and experiences (we love the history and exploring wine so for us it was awesome).1/12/2013 12:00:00 AMTry the Brittany blue lobster!My first time at L2O and I really enjoyed it. I had Brittany blue lobster for the first time, which was worth the surcharge. Service was fantastic and I loved their bread service. They make all their breads in house and had six to choose from. I wanted to try one of each! The rosemary croissant was my favorite. Loved the flatfish with glazed carrots, almonds and cockles, and the ahi tuna tartare with avocado was simple but sublime. Presentation of each dish is truly exquisite and pastry chef Stephanie Prida does a phenomenal job with all the desserts. I was so stuffed, but finished every last mignardise! Ask for a tour of the kitchen if you're interested, they were happy to give us one.1/11/2013 12:00:00 AMIncredible experience! FourIncredible experience! Four of us had a most enjoyable evening! Our server, Justin, as well as our wine captain, knowledgable beyond his years, were absolutely fabulous. Every course of our pri fixe menu was outstanding, one better than the other. A "comfortable" fine dining experience.12/7/2012 12:00:00 AM