North PondBeautiful!Great food, beautiful atmosphere, terrific service. Perfect special occasion spot. Really fresh ingredients, well prepared. Portion sizes a bit small.6/15/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing foodThe only down side is that, at these prices, I don't expect to have to look for my waiter or to run out of wine mid-course. The service of food is precise - all plates arriving simultaneously and beautifully presented. But I felt that no one was looking after us between service of courses.6/14/2013 12:00:00 AMThe view was spectacular andThe view was spectacular and the food was amazing! Plus the service was superb. My wife took me there for my birthday and I truly enjoyed it!6/13/2013 12:00:00 AMWe went to celebrate our firstWe went to celebrate our first anniversary and the restaurant overall our expectations. The food is pretty good and taste and the ambience and service perfect for a quiet romantic dinner.6/9/2013 12:00:00 AMFantastic dining experienceWe had a wonderful, romantic anniversary dinner at North Pond - beautiful views, amazing and interesting food, extremely professional and courteous staff. This is definitely fine dining, but not at all stuffy or uncomfortable. It's a little pricy for middle class folks like us, but worth every penny for a special occasion. I recommend requesting a table in the front room with the view of the pond.6/4/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food disappointing experienceBooked 3 weeks in advance and arrived 10 minutes early. It was a special occasion for us but after checking in and being told our table was finishing desert, the hostess gave our table to another party that may not have had a reservation but were celebrating something special and we waited an additional 45 minutes for a table in the front room. They did try to make up for it but it was still a disappointment!6/4/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways specialThe food. The service. The location. This little place is really special.6/2/2013 12:00:00 AMOutstandingEverything about this dining experience was outstanding. The dishes were beautifully composed-- a treat for the eye as well as the palette.6/2/2013 12:00:00 AMPerfect special occasion Rest.We tried this rest. for our anniv. It was impeccable. Everything from the service to the ambience was perfect. It was almost like being in a fairy tale.The food was both creative and superb. Presentations were tastefully done. I would recommend this rest. for a wonderful evening out in a rest. where you can hear yourself speak. Noise level is minimal.5/29/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful romantic evening!We celebrated our anniversary at North Pond. My husband is a chef so the standard is set very high. We were both impressed with the ambience, the fun and interesting unique drinks, the deliciousness of the food, the special personalized menu and the great wine pairings. Even though we got soaked getting back to the car the evening at North Pond was PERFECT from beginning to end! We would highly recommend it.5/28/2013 12:00:00 AMCatchMake sure you make reservations for the smaller dinning area with direct view to the Pond. The inner larger dimning area can be noisy as you are in direct contact with the kitchen.5/26/2013 12:00:00 AMWe loved North Pond.We took a taxi to North Pond from Hilton Chicago. We had a wonderful brunch overlooking the pond, excellent service and walked five miles back. It was a fabulous, magical day.5/26/2013 12:00:00 AMAn Oasis of Calm in the CityNorth Pond is a lovely restaurant with an excellent, seasonal menu. The unique building showcases a "Prairie Style" or Frank Lloyd Wright type feeling. Lovely soft music, intimate setting. The views of the pond (if you are lucky enough to get a window front table), are worth trip on their own. The food is beautifully plated with thoughtful touches in the preparation. Service was well paced and not intrusive on a private evening. We will definitely return.5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMGem in the ParkSpent a lovely evening celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary. Wonderful setting in the park with skyline views. Great menu - not extensive but I was interested in every dish. Thoughtfully constructed wine list - not large but with good variety. Knowledgeable service. Overall an outstanding restaurant. One of my new favorites in Chicago.5/21/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat service, very good foodWish the food was as good as the service. Halibut was decent but not spectacular, salmon a little undercooked.5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful Mother's Day celebrationI took my mom here the week after Mother's Day and it was the perfect celebration. The weather was beautiful and we sat right alongside the open windows (it did get a little hot towards the end of my meal but I'm not complaining!). I had a reservation and they seated us within minutes of walking in. The food was delivered fresh and hot out of the oven and the service was pretty good. I do wish they offered more a bigger selection of wines by the glass that aren't that expensive. (some were $16 a glass) but overall, I really enjoyed it and plan to go back for another special occasion :)5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMBusy FoodNo question, ingredients and technique top notch. However, many dishes were too busy and main ingredient (fois gras, bass) were overwhelmed by accompanying flavors. 50% of our party experienced this. I would recommend, but won't be quick to return before trying other top Chicago restaurants first.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMFrank Lloyd Wright Follow-upAs several reviewers have suggested, this a great venue to finish off a day of admiring the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright and others during the Frank Lloyd Weekend.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMgreat view, beautifully preparedgreat view, beautifully prepared meal, even the wine list was well selected and reasonable ( a change from a year or so gone by when the wine list was outrageously priced.) this is an excellent meal, seasonal, fresh, good range of choices.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMDelightful ExperienceThe seasonal tasting menu was an experience in flavors, textures, edible art and decadence. Highly recommend it.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMSpecial OccasionWe greatly enjoyed our dinning experience and the food presentation was great. Service and management staff were very friendly and attentive to our needs. When we return to Chicago we will defiantly visit again. I was surprised how easy the cab ride was from downtown, drop off and pick up.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMNice food but a little rushedEverything was very nice, but we weren't 'wowed'. We were served each course rather quickly making the whole experience feel less of a special occasion.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMAll the senses are stimulatedThe food is excellent with a fresh ingredients and subtle and complex favors. The interior design of the restaurant is arts and crafts/prarie and complements the ideal nature setting of the north pond and the park. Try to get a seat in the southmost room, wonderful views.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMMother's DayTook my wife to North Pond for the Mother's Day brunch and it was fabulous as usual. North Pond is consistently in my top 5 restaurants in Chicago.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways a winnerWe appreciated the warm reception, exquisite cuisine, professional service, arts and crafts architecture/decor, and a setting that shows Chicago at its very best. The duck breast was perfect, the best I've ever had. We enjoyed the sweetbreads, too, and the wines--a rosé from Provence and a Chateauneuf-du-Pape.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMAnniversary celebrationWe had an excellent time. The food was delicious - excellent combinations of favors. We were celebrating our wedding anniversary and had an excellent table in the front area by a window. The service was very good-attentive, but not pushy. Over all, very good evening. They even our names printed on the top of the menu which was a nice touch.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMFarm-to-table in Lincoln ParkMy wife and I chose this restaurant on a visit to Chicago to visit an old colleague. The farm-to-table style was elevated by great culinary imagination, unlike places where the mere fact of using fiddleheads or ramps is considered something special in itself. The service was perfect, as one expects from a restaurant of this caliber in a good food city like Chicago, and the location near a pond -- once a warming house for skaters, we were told -- seemed magically pastoral in the middle of the downtown area. Prices, though on the high side, were far from outrageous, considering the quality, presentation and taste of the menu. We did not opt for the five-course tasting menu, and all passed on dessert. Number 1 when I return to Chicago.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMDelicious food. FantasticDelicious food. Fantastic view of Chicago skyline in a park environment. Only grumble is about the way the menu is written - it does a disservice to the plate. Check it out on the web before you go, but do go.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful dining experience,Wonderful dining experience, but we tried 3 desserts for 4 diners....and didn't like ANY of them. Each was more unusal and strange than the one before. A bit of a disappointment to an otherwise great meal.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMSuperb as usual. My vote forSuperb as usual. My vote for #1 restaurant in Chicago. Always come here to show off the city and food to visiters.4/21/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent meal. Service wasExcellent meal. Service was spot on. Dinner took 3 hours but seemed much shorter. Fish was perfectly cooked.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMNever DisappointedWe've been here once before and recently met a couple who just transplanted here from Texas. So we wanted to share one of Chicago's greatest dining spots with them. I was worried because we really talked North Pond up quite a bit thanks to our first visit, and sometimes great spots don't sustain... Happy to say we were not at all disappointed!!! The folks in our party are fabulous cooks/chefs in their own rite, but they were all equally impressed at the fine quality of selection, presentation, and taste. Thank you North Pond for another great experience !4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMSunday brunch in the park!We had a really fabulous brunch and they made my husband feel very special for his birthday. The service was impeccable and the food presentation was beautiful ~ and tasty too, all in very interesting surroundings. Highly recommended and we can't wait to go back!4/14/2013 12:00:00 AMMy now fiancé and I got engagedMy now fiancé and I got engaged the night before. I had planned a romantic Sunday brunch for the following morning and we were pleasantly surprised how things turned out. Menu and food was different but great and the staff was very friendly.4/14/2013 12:00:00 AMI love this place. Even ifI love this place. Even if the food was horrible (which it's not!), I would dine here just for the wonderful ambiance of the room. With the beautiful Arts & Crafts design, and a view overlooking the North Pond in Lincoln Park, you would have to try really hard to have a bad time here. Bruce Sherman's menu is always adventurous, with outstanding presentations. However, if you are a vegetarian, your options may be somewhat limited. The wine list is rather eclectic, with a focus on smaller boutique wineries. The staff is extremely helpful with suggestions though.
Of course, all of this comes with a price, but unlike some trendy restaurants, it is worth every penny. Highly recommended.4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMFor Visitors and FoodiesOur first trip and we booked to bring out-of-town guests to see Lincoln Park. We enjoyed it as much as they did. The dining room is beautiful, a lot of polished dark woods and beautiful lighting. Very appropriate to the natural setting. The food was a three course brunch with a unique assortment of offerings. Among our guests, we ordered pretty much everything on the menu. The food was exceptionally good and inventively plated. My husband volunteered that the food was very good, rare praise indeed because he's a good cook. So, get a reservation and go. We'll go again ourselves.4/7/2013 12:00:00 AMThe location of the restaurantThe location of the restaurant is very unique and the atmosphere is beautiful. The staff made my birthday special. We had fabulous service.4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had a wonderful eveningWe had a wonderful evening in this lovely restaurant. The food was perfect and the table we had was near the windows so we could watch the pond and the life beyond the setting. I will gladly come back with my family.4/4/2013 12:00:00 AMI let them know in AdvanceI let them know in Advance that we were celebrating my wife's birthday. The greeter and server both said "Happy Birthday" upon our arrival. The menus were also imprinted with "Happy Birthday." Both of these were nice touches. The service was very good and Gabriela our server was absolutely wonderful.4/4/2013 12:00:00 AMThis was an amazing meal.This was an amazing meal. We went for my wife's birthday and were extremely impressed. Her name was even on the dessert menu.3/30/2013 12:00:00 AMThis beautiful warm restaurantThis beautiful warm restaurant was once a warming house for ice skaters in the middle of a park with lovely views of pond and Chicago skyline. We enjoyed all of the meal and wish we had room for dessert because they sounded awesome. Very romantic and fit for a special occasion/celebration.3/29/2013 12:00:00 AMCelebrated milestone birthdayWhat a wonderful place to celebrate special occasions. We celebrated a life-long friend's 65th birthday and North Pond made it special in every way. The Tasting Menu accompanied by wine pairings was outstanding and the server's knowledge of each course and each wine was impressive and added to the overall experience of the evening. Chef Sherman deserves his recognition as a James Beard award recipient, for his preparation of each course is exquisite. I can't say enough positive about the food, the ambiance, the service, and the joy that is evident in this gem of a restaurant.3/28/2013 12:00:00 AMAnother great meal!I was able to impress out of towners with the unusual location, view and ambiance of North Pond, as well as the really wonderful food and service. I have never been disappointed here.3/28/2013 12:00:00 AMUnique setting, wonderful mealLovely setting-tucked onto a lightly travelled park in middle of the City. Former warming house. Wonderful cocktails (Waterloo!). Though only a handful of entries, very well prepared. Modest but approp portions. Price pt makes it a special occasion spot for us. Return-yes! espec in warmer weather when patio doors open.3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was incredible.The food was incredible. It is pricey, but worth it for a special occasion.3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMEnjoyable evening on the pondFoie gras and scallops appetizers were very good as were the pheasant and halibut. Service was good -- not overly attentive but efficient. The wine selection is limited but there is enough of a selection to find a satisfactory pairing at a very reasonable price point.3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMThis was a great dining experience.This was a great dining experience. It was my first time dining at North Pond and even in the winter it's a great cozy place to dine with friends. Our reservation confirmation stated no jeans, and my group dressed appropriately. We were surprised to see some many others dining in jeans. We almost felt over dressed. But the food and service was great. I will dine there again duiring warmer weather.3/22/2013 12:00:00 AMI've dined at North Pond previouslyI've dined at North Pond previously and the chance for a tasting menu - both food and wine - was just what was needed this week. Service is attentive without being overly so, the food was wonderful and the wine pairing was good . . . tried several wines that I wouldn't have picked on my own, so all in all, a great evening . . . a co-worker and her husband dined with me and they enjoyed it as well.3/22/2013 12:00:00 AMWish I knew that bartender'sWish I knew that bartender's name because he is a genius. The Aligheri is wonderful. Another had hopped grapefruit juice and it was perfect.
This on top of North Pond's absolutely consistently surprising top-knotch food. A gem.3/22/2013 12:00:00 AMEnjoyable evening! WonderfulEnjoyable evening! Wonderful food! Great service! Look forward to returning again a future trip to Chicago.3/21/2013 12:00:00 AM