Ema

We had a wonderful meal with friends. Enjoyed starters and vegetable dishes - they were all delicious.

Food is excellent. I particularly enjoyed the spreads, lighter dishes and wine. Great service and experience.

This place has taken a steep decline since we were last here. We were sat at a bartop as opposed to a regular table which for a walk in I would understand however for a reservation you shouldn’t be sitting people in the bar area. The food was very disappointing. Risotto and falafel were both way overcooked. Almost inedible. The spreads were good. The service was fine and quick. Ambiance I’ve never been a huge fan of. Very stark and way too bright. All menu items that are similar to aba are way better at aba.

I could eat a bowl of that feta spread with a spoon. Delicious food. Great service. We will be back.

I've been a few times to Ema. Always a good experience and excellent food.

I have been to Ema several times and it is consistently my favorite lunch spot in River North!

I've been to Ema a couple of times in the last year. It has always been very good but this last time the food was just meh. Service was great and the environment is still nice, food just wasn't as good as it was before.

Server was very attentive. Somewhat noisy spot. Food was very good, fresh, mediterranean and tasty. Reasonable prices. We had pumpkin hummus, grilled octopus...both very good.

Great food, attentive staff, light and pretty atmosphere. We dined for my mother in laws birthday and they took great care of us. The food was delicious and they were accommodating for our little baby. We had a great meal and would definitely come back!

Great food, great service, great location. Will be back!

Excellent food and service was excellent. Food was very quick as well.

Always have a great time here
The food & service are great & we love celebrating occasions here

Best medi food I've had in Chicago. Would have tried some cocktails but was on a work dinner. Salmon Kabobs, Chicken Kabobs, Falafels, and trio of spreads were awesome!

Great selection of food, everything tasted great. Great selection of loose leaf tea too.

The service and food were good. They paid attention to my note and wished my guest a happy birthday!! It was perfect!! The risotto was my least favorite, no flavor at all. :( The place is beautiful

Ema is easily one of the best restaurants we have been to in a very long time! The food is outstanding and we loved the atmosphere. We are gluten free and they handled our needs exceptionally well and we did not feel like we were missing out on anything. Highly recommend and cannot wait to go back!

First time here for their brunch menu and to chalk it up...there was a lot left to be desired. Choice of 3 brunch cocktails without access to their regular cocktail menu, as well as odd breakfast/lunch pairings that were mediocre at best in taste. Usually a great dinner service, however.

Food not spaced out properly and a waiter with an attitude.

Food was excellent and waiter was very knowledgeable and helpful in navigating the menu (gluten free) and wine list.

Ema was excellent! We were celebrating a friends birthday and Travis and the whole staff made her feel very special!

Will return for the amazing food and service! Thanks again

Great service. Our server was Aine and she was amazing. Very knowledgeable, was able to make some great recommendations, and seem to really be happy to be there, even on Black Friday. We will be back because we only had about 1/10th of the menu.

Excellent meal. Waiter recommended and we loved the honey bun dessert and the date dessert.

Four of us went out for a special evening, having learned about Ema on Check, Please, and after failing to secure reservations on two previous occasions. We all thought the food was truly delicious - and small plates are always great fun if you like to share and sample different things. Our waitress, Maria, was lovely and kind, and certainly contributed to our wonderful evening.

Love this spot. Be sure to get the almond and garlic spread!

I have been to Ema a handful of times and always thought it was very good, if short of great. This visit might just be my last. Half the listed ingredients in my salad were missing- it was basically a bowl of iceberg lettuce- very disappointing. The tea was overwhelmingly strong- everything was off, including the uninspired service.

What a wonderful evening. The food was very delicious and the service from Zack and the team was fabulous! Thank you, we’ll be back very soon!

Disappointing pretty much on all levels. Avoid.

Loved the food!

The Mediterranean theme food was done quite well. And our server was very good about highlighting the dishes she has tried. I’d definitely return!

Zach provided excellent service, and we had a fantastic meal & time!

Always love coming to Ema. This time we were entertaining our vegetarian/vegan friends and this is one of the ideal menus in town to do it. The menu items re not contrived. Almost all of them are authentic dishes found on an eastern Mediterranean menu. Even the most ardent carnivore amongst us (me), loves it. This is our go-to place in River North.

A delightful array of middle eastern dishes prepared with a creative and innovative approach. Great for sharing, as the portions are not large.

Interesting menu - though limited. Great favors to each dish. Octopus outstanding.

10/10 would recommend to a friend. Food and Drinks were DELICIOUS

Excellent ambiance and service, but as you hope - the star is the food. We were able to share 7 dishes between 3 of us and each dish was perfect. Excellent ingredients, perhaps paired in less than usual ways, and simply prepared create amazing, complex flavors. I want to go back today.

Great vibe in this restaurant! Wonderful food, knowledgable staff, friendly service.

I was at Ema with two friends. It was their first visit. They loved all our food. The spreads and the octopus were standouts. They can't wait to return.
This is where I like to take people because there are so many delicious things to choose.