The dining room — all crisp lines, minimalist décor and soft lighting — is anchored by a wide open kitchen on one side and a small patio with a working fireplace on the other. Combined with the friendly service, it creates the impression that you’re eating in a supremely tasteful Scandinavian friend’s weekend home.
Menu
The place, the furnitures, the food, the wines... nothing was matching a 1 michelin star standard.... except the price : 340$ (with tax and tip) for 2 people.... An underwhelming experience overall...
Fantastic food and phenomenal service. A great place to celebrate!
Super dinner! Great food and beverage program!
Most things we had were amazing - esp anchovies, octopus and snails!
Excellent food - inventive without being overly fussy. Small portions pristinely plated and served. Innovative, carefully curated wine list and a very helpful staff. Small, charming and fabulous
Simple but comforting decor with an inviting feeling. Servers were very prompt and professional. Food was very good and wonderful options for vegetarians. I would go again!
Außergewöhnlich gelungenes Menu - Kreationen, welche definitiv unseren Geschmack getroffen haben.
Der Service und das Ambiente einfach stimmig. Allem in allem ein wirklich perfekter Abend
Satisfying but delicate food with unexpected flavors. Lovely Scandinavian influence in both the cuisine and the space.
Lovely place just super overpriced for what you get. I admit I left hungry and four people for $300 is a lot to me. It was also a bday celebration which they knew but there wasn’t any thing special. When we left our car was broken into right out front and stole the birthday laptop. Overall they have nice ambiance and service and food but I will not be back.
Absolutely lovely!
Just excellent all the way around. Really look forward to going back!
My wife and I went to celebrate our wedding anniversary. The tasting menu was excellent all the way through. The restaurant was filled with energy even after 10pm. The staff was constantly buzzing around bringing food to all the tables. We never waited too long for the next bite. The decor was simple yet inviting. A great overall dining experience!
Superb food in a casual environment. Feels like you are at a friend's living room.
We enjoyed the creative cuisine. Fine restaurant.
One of the most well rounded meals I have had the pleasure to enjoy in a long time. The dining experience at Elske is dialed in, elegant, and somehow relaxing and energizing at the same time. Highlights were the octopus, the wagyu beef, and the dessert... the dessert is mind blowing. Hats off to David and Anna Posey. Magnificent.
Great ambiance, fantastic service and delicious food.
Great night out. Amazing food and Service
Waited 1/2 hour from order to salad with waitstaff disappeared. Another 1/2 hour for entree. Food interesting but overall not great experience
Could not have asked for a better evening! The service and pairings were fabulous! They accommodated my husband’s carbonation issue Without notice and the after dinner drink at the fireplace - talking with Anna the owner (which I clearly did not know) was the highlight- because we were just chatting about the night and then I find I put her role! We will be back- over and over!
Overall it was a very well presented but very average meal at an above average price point. Juice wasn’t worth the squeeze.
I go to a lot of fine dining and star restaurants. The food was delicious, but I felt the service was missing the personal touch
Elske never disappoints. Delicious food, outstanding service and fantastic experience.
We had 9 dishes off the alacarte menu including dessert. All outstanding. Can’t wait to go back.
Not as good as advertised.
My husband and I had a lovely late evening at Elske. We had been to a play that ended by 9:30 decided to have dinner afterward. We had made a reservation, but could have gotten a table at that late hour without one (this was a warm Friday night, when the outdoor tables were in use. Aside from having very good food, the location and layout of Elske add to its appeal. It is on West Randolph, but well beyond where most restuaurants cluster, so parking is relatively easy and the atmosphere is not chaotic. The restaurant is entered through a courtyard (with a fireplace and some tables) which enhances the feeling of relative calm. Although the name Elske means love in Danish, the food is not particularly Scandanavian. Fish, pork, and beef were all on the a la carte menu (there is also a tasting menu, for $95). The dishes are creative and in some cases painstakingly plated, but this is not molecular gastronomy. Portions are fairly small and work well when shared between 2 or 3 people (with 2-3 dishes per person). Desserts are also strikingly unconventional and delicious. We had sunflower seed mousse and a compote of prunes and cherries served with whipped ricotta and a caramel like sauce made with egg.
We did the set menu, and a bottle of wine, which combined for a memorable dining experience.
What a fabulous meal. We had guests in from DC and wanted to try this place we had heard so much about and it sure didn’t disappoint. We all did the tasting menu and every single dish was perfectly sized, and wonderfully flavorful and interesting and perfect. The service was attentive, the evening allowed for outdoor patio seating on a pleasant night and in no way could it have been any better.
Fantastic restaurant , great food and immaculate service, very expensive
As always, the creative but approachable menu, the service and the quiet outdoor space were wonderful. My wife and I went for our anniversary and are vegetarians. They altered the fixed menu to take care of us, and it was just wonderful. The staff can describe the dishes in great detail, are present when you want them and absent when you don't. We've gone there for previous anniversaries and brought friends there, I recommend them most highly.
Had 3 different dishes, each notable for different reasons. The octopus was very tender, texturally similar to the roasted carrots but with subtle differences in flavor, and the mustard seeds added a big contrast in texture but without a powerful/overwhelming flavor. The wt pepper rigatoni with corn had beautiful summer sweetness overlying slight spice of pepper (and the pasta was nicely al dente). The skate cheeks seemed more classically French in style. Would love to try the chefs tasting menu on a future visit
Went here with my husband on Saturday night. We were able to sit out on the patio and it was gorgeous. Food was so amazing I just wish we could have tried everything! One of my new favorite places. We will definitely be back!
Great date night experience. If the weather is decent, highly recommend outdoor dining. Eclectic menu with several items worth exploring. Let the service staff make recommendations to you from the skate cheek to the rigatoni pasta with sweet corn.
Really like Elske and the tasting menu was delicious. My only complaint would be that it was very loud. I'm not sure what if anything can be done about this but it really was hard to hear each other during our meal.
We had a great evening at Elske. The tasting menu hit the right mix between experimental (introducing us to new flavors) and being very satisfying. Also, the staff were knowledgeable, fun and professionel.
As a Dane I appreciated the discrete Danish inspiration. My grandmother would have been proud of that cucumber salad.
Will recommend Elske to friends and hope to come back another time. Tak for mad!
We really enjoyed the Tasting Menu at Elske. It was beautifully presented, diligently served and tasted incredible. We were recommended some excellent wine to accompany the meal and the staff were attentive without being overbearing. The only slight criticism was that it is slightly more expensive than other Tasting Menus experienced around the world but that is probably just the price in Chicago. In any case, I would thoroughly recommended visiting this cosy restaurant
I would definitely recommend Elske. This restaurant stands apart from the rest. The quality and freshness of ingredients was evident and the taste was fresh and clean. No rancid oils or over cooking. I lean toward a RAW diet with lightly cooked meats/fish. They had no trouble fitting the bill! A "paleo" type person would be delighted... though the portions are small. Another important thing to mention: they paid close attention to my diet particulars: no soy, dairy or grains. Very happy and will visit again.
The drinks and ambiance are perfect.
The food was disappointing. Nothing was hot/delicious.
Having drinks in front of the fireplace before dinner was wonderful & set the mood for our romantic dinner. Drinks were delicious. The restaurant decor & inside courtyard are warm & inviting! Every dish was exceptional, except the beef, which was a bit disappointing. Service was exceptional.
We celebrated our 1 year anniversary at Elske and the staff was INCREDIBLE. They greeted us with celebratory champagne and a sweet card to use next year for our anniversary. We were blown away by the adorable patio seating (complete with blankets if it gets chilly and a fireplace), the service, the tasting menu (pescatarian for me and regular tasting for my spouse) and the wine pairing. We had such a wonderful, memorable evening at Elske, and we cannot wait to return for our 2nd anniversary!
The food was beautiful and delicious. We got the tasting menu with wine pairing and every bite was to be savored. Every member of the staff was knowledgeable, professional, and just downright nice. The room is clean and sparse, without feeling sterile. Lovely outdoor space as well.
