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Ema - Ema - River North, Chicago, IL

Ema - River North

4.6 (4694)
$31 to $50
Mediterranean
74 West Illinois Street, Chicago, IL 60654

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 182 times today

About this restaurant

  • Charming
  • Healthy
  • Good for special occasions
A Mediterranean & California-inspired restaurant featuring small plates & Chef CJ Jacobson's lighter style cooking in Chicago's River North.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Mediterranean, Californian
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–4:00 pm Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 3:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 3:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    CJ Jacobson
  • Catering
    Enjoy Ema Catering for your next event at home, in the office, or for your next celebration! Contact emaparties@lettuce.com for more information.
  • Private party facilities
    The open and inviting dining room features reclaimed wood, rustic white brick and an indoor ivy terrace with operable windows. The dining room accommodates groups up to 150 guests and may be custom configured for your next family-style dinner, business lunch or cocktail reception event.
  • Delivery & takeout
  • Neighborhood
    River North (Chicago)
  • Cross street
    Clark & Illinois
  • Parking details
    Valet parking is located just east of Ema on Illinois Street at the Hyatt Place/Fairfield Inn valet. Valet costs $25 for 3 hours, no validation needed. Regular rates apply after 3 hours.
  • Public transit
    Red Line Stop at Grand / Blue Line Stop at Clark
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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What 4,694 people are saying

Ema - River North reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Chicago / Illinois

    Mediterranean

  • Chicago

    Mediterranean

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Ema in River North offers a vibrant Mediterranean dining experience with a "wonderful atmosphere." Guests rave about the "delicious food," especially the hummus, lamb kebabs, and charred eggplant. The service is often praised as "excellent" and "attentive," though some note slower service during peak times. Overall, a delightful spot for group gatherings.
4,694 Reviews
  1. Mike VIP

    Chicago / Illinois81 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Disappointing. Ema is one of my favorite restaurants and I'm been a HUGE fan since the establishment opened in 2016. However, in my last couple of visits, the quality has declined. Last night we had the short rib and it was very fatty. The roasted cauliflower was missing the yogurt and had a vinegar taste, according to my wife. The chicken kebabs were very dry and soaked in a pile of oil basmati rice. Not all was disappointing, as the lamb ragu hummus and sweet corn hummus were excellent! Couple this with very slow service (acknowledged and apologized by the waiter), my wife and I had to get the bill before we ate the main course because we had a show to attend. I hope this was just an outlier, but last night was not Ema's best.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Carmen

    Detroit / Eastern Michigan1 review

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Everything was incredible! The service and atmosphere were lovely, but the food was crazy good. Highly recommend the farro salad - never had anything like it and I wanted to order another bowl and have been thinking about it ever since! So, so, so delicious!

    Is this helpful?

  3. Jana

    San Francisco Bay Area1 review

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great find - food and service were both wonderful

    Is this helpful?

  4. Shae

    Greater Boston1 review

    4.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 5
    Experience was great. Food was good only complaint some of our food was hot or cold and then the chicken was a bit burnt. Service could have been better. Bartender should not be responsible for three tables.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Scott VIP

    Chicago / Illinois6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our second visit to Emu and it was excellent! Great tastes in all four dishes we tried and the server was informative and nice!

    Is this helpful?

  6. Sam VIP

    Mobile35 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    We couldn’t be seated because rain caused people to be pushed inside, but we were still sat within 15 minutes. Food was all very good including hummus, chicken kebabs, and lamb kafta. Only issue was it took very long to get our entree order in, even after the hummus and our other spread were removed from the table

    Is this helpful?

  7. James

    London2 reviews

    1.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 1
    The AC was nor working on a hot humid Chicago day.

    Is this helpful?

  8. OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco Bay Area1 review

    5.0

    Dined on June 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was absolutely delicious. The Tahini Caesar was divine. Everything was fresh, tasty, colorful, and rich. I will absolutely be back. Thank you for a beautiful dinner. Complements to every chef in the kitchen.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Yvonne VIP

    Wisconsin4 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on June 22, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    It was hot no AC. Food was just average but good drinks.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Sarah VIP

    Wisconsin1 review

    4.0

    Dined on June 22, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    It was extremely hot last night and the AC in the restaurant was not cooling customers off! People were fanning themselves and we were SWEATING!!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Ema - River North offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (312) 527-5586.

Ema - River North is rated 4.6 stars by 4694 OpenTable diners.

Ema - River North does offer gift cards which you can purchase here.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Chicago / Illinois
  4. Chicago
  5. River North (Chicago)

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 182 times today
Google Map for Ema - River North

74 West Illinois Street, Chicago, IL 60654

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Clark & Illinois
  • Neighborhood
    River North (Chicago)
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–4:00 pm Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 3:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 3:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Mediterranean, Californian
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Valet parking is located just east of Ema on Illinois Street at the Hyatt Place/Fairfield Inn valet. Valet costs $25 for 3 hours, no validation needed. Regular rates apply after 3 hours.
  • Public transit
    Red Line Stop at Grand / Blue Line Stop at Clark
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    CJ Jacobson
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Delivery & takeout
  • Phone number
  • Catering
    Enjoy Ema Catering for your next event at home, in the office, or for your next celebration! Contact emaparties@lettuce.com for more information.
  • Private party facilities
    The open and inviting dining room features reclaimed wood, rustic white brick and an indoor ivy terrace with operable windows. The dining room accommodates groups up to 150 guests and may be custom configured for your next family-style dinner, business lunch or cocktail reception event.
Gift card

Gift card

Send gift cards instantly by email or print to present in person.

Send a gift card
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