Kumiko

Really interesting a la carte drinking experience, creative use of Japanese influences in the menu. Sake flight was a pleasant tour, highlighting the complexity and variety of sake. Bar bites food menu also a delicious pairing alongside, we particularly enjoyed the sea urchin and the caviar topped nigiri.

We sat at the bar and Sammy took care of us. He helped steer us towards complementary food and drinks while also listening to our taste requests.
Everything was delicious.

Fantastic food and drinks. Wait staff was extremely knowledgeable and attentive. Hostess was super friendly.

I will remember this dinner for the rest of my life. I have never had food so wonderful and delicious, or service so spectacular. The drinks were fun and loaded with flowers and amazing garnishes. The bites were mind-blowing, and I highly recommend the Nigiri, as well as the tiger prawn. Will be visiting again and again and again.

Highly recommended

The food is outstanding! The staff is very informed about the food and gives great advice to help with your selection. This is a definite try if you are ever in Chicago.

Everything was thoughtful and perfect. I mentioned on Instagram that I’d be bringing my dad in for his birthday and the entire staff signed a card for him!! So lovely. Can’t wait to go back!!

This is a special restaurant. It is more cocktail focused, with small bites. I got one of every food item and was very satisfied. Cocktails are truly amazing, so complex and well balanced. This was my second visit. Worth every cent.

My best friend and I flew in from Houston to dine at Kumiko. The entire experience was wonderful from start to finish. Each dish and cocktail was absolutely delicious!!

Kumiko was absolutely beautiful. I took my partner here for his birthday and cannot have imagined a better evening. We will definitely be coming back.

Very fancy controlled food with beautiful beverages

Unbelievably great. The food and drinks were perfect.

beautiful food and service .
the cocktails were divine

Anniversary

It's hard to describe an experience like this as an "average Jane" because you feel like Royalty. It is expensive no doubt but worth every single penny. Impeccable service, insanely delicious, creative cocktails, tiny bites of delectable delicacies, a pen flashlight to read the menu.. I enjoyed every second. My husband & I went for my birthday & wanted to try everything! Needless to say we'll be back as often as possible! The hostess greeted us in the unique & beautiful space with a hot sip of green tea & proceeded to take our winter coats. It was a special touch with the tea. For drinks we had, Walk Softly, Seamless, Triptych, Hidden Truth & the mezcal cocktail which the name escapes me. We also had the Niigata Sake Flight. By far Hidden Truth is the best cocktail with it's savory notes of chili oil & togarashi & citrus tang bite. Unforgettable. For food we enjoyed the, Nigiri, Sashimi, Oyster, Prawn & Shiitake Steam Buns. It's my new favorite thing in Chicago. Can't wait to try Kikko next!

Some of the best food, drinks & service in the world. Every little detail is paid attention to, and is unmatched in it's care, in selection of ingredients & attention to service.

Everything was just dynamite. We had the best time. The service, the cocktails, the food. We cannot wait to come back.

Excellent creative drinks with a Japanese influence. The bartender was great and such a pleasure to talk to.

Very intentional - Deserves the star - great quality cocktail problem and small-bite menu. I’d go again if I lived close.

If you have a special occasion to celebrate or want a dining experience that you truly will never forget, you need to come here! It’s hard to sum up in words how incredible this dining experience was from start to finish. The service, the details, the ambiance, and the food were nothing short of INCREDIBLE. I can’t speak highly enough of Chef Mariya - she is breaking boundaries and truly shining in the omakase scene.

Very high level service but not in a manner where it makes you feel uncomfortable. Food was great. The menu was communicated in a very clear way. Drinks were very good as well.

First time here and definitely not my last! From the moment of waking in the reception and service was above average! I can’t rave enough about this place! The ambiance was so calming! The server’s knowledge of the drinks was exemplar! And the drinks were unique and delicious! Even the restroom is a must to visit area. I felt like I’d had a spa moment! My new go to spot!

Kumiko cannot be put into words. When imitators come (and they likely will) understand that this concept and experience is personal to the owner Julia and her husband Sammy. Even if the menu were copied, the exceptional details and intent cannot be.

The setting is a break from reality in all the best ways, the drinks are incredibly balanced while of the highest quality (unusual) ingredients and the service is elegantly compulsive. The food is of the same design and the drink below is from an equally beautifully composed non-alcoholic menu. You feel spoiled and at peace from the moment that you cross the threshold.

We traveled to Chicago to celebrate a landmark birthday with only the best food and drink for three days, and Kumiko was a stand out. We'll see you again and send some deserving friends in the while.

Steam buns and old fashioned were amazing. Ambiance was second to none.

Great for craft cocktails. Food service is negible. What there is, is good. Very limited menu and overpriced for what it is.

Food more to the salty side. The server is excellent. It is a good experience. Around $120 per person if you order a drink and some bites. Don’t expect to be full thou.

We were disappointed by the experience before and after our dinner/drinks. The service and wait staff were excellent. Food and drinks amazing. When we arrived 20 minutes early, they advised us to go to another bar instead of finding a place at their empty bar or advertising that this may be a possibility anywhere on their website. We forgave that after seeing the size of the place. Then we got our last drink, they rushed us before we were done because the next group was already there. My brother actually forgot to use the restroom due to the pressure and had to go back. Overall, a great experience, but the before and after experience left a lot to be desired.

It was an amazing experience. The ambiance, drinks and service. Little on the expensive side but much more worth it.

Overall nice, but what little food offered arrived slowly. I would recommend it for its unique cocktails and stellar sake selection as well as the quality of the food bites.

World class!

Perfection

Outstanding service!

Our server, man with dark hair and glasses, heavy accent, was terrible from the start. It was my birthday which he never acknowledged. I order 2 of everything from the menu except for sweetbreads and chicken liver. He said he didn't understand. I repeated myself and then clarified that my daughter doesn't eat meat. He kept trying to convince her to eat meat dishes and She kept saying no. He took my short ribs before I was finished even when I said I wasn't finished. He rushed the dessert as if we were on a timer. I initially asked for another server but he said no one else was available. He ruined my entire experience and dinner with my daughter. He is truly awful and should not be there. Will not return although food was delicious.

Amazing food and service. One of the best meals I can remember.

Fantastic experience, cocktail and food pairing was incredibly thoughtful and the service was attentive without being overbearing

Let’s start by saying everything we drank and ate here was exquisite and the service was kind, attentive, and knowledgeable. So why only 4 stars? Because Kumiko makes so many things much more difficult than they need be. Most importantly, ordering. The menu is very detailed but has so many ingredients we didn’t know that our server basically had to choose our drink for us, and we heard this happening all over the dining room. A glossary or more descriptions would help lots. The other reason ordering is so tough is the lighting- it is impossible to read the small lettering in the very, very dim light. They clearly know this b/c they have pen lights to offer, but they honestly don’t help. The people around us were commenting on their own exact struggle. Also Kumiko really doesn’t seem to know what it is. If it’s a cocktail bar, it shouldn’t be set up like a restaurant. If it’s a restaurant, there should be more substantial food choices. 2 more things - our server suggested a drink to me that was off menu, and it was fantastic, but it was also $27. Just tell me that before I order. And, finally, put a sign on your restaurant and a sign on the restroom. Your staff ends up having to work way too hard explaining and describing things that should be self-explanatory.

So so amazing. Everything from the knowledgeable, friendly, professional staff to the never ending flavors of food. Truly a memorable evening. Thank you <3

Possibly the best meal I've ever had in a restaurant. Had the full menu and every bite was incredible. Sat at the bar. Service and drinks were both spectacular. Sammy took great care of us. I will definitely be back.

Cocktails are incredibly thoughtful and balanced. Food is a perfect accompaniment to the beverage menu. Truffle and honey milk bread is not to be missed.

Our waiter (from Mexico..the kindest man) was fabulous, the food exquisite!