Restaurants near Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Chicago - Downtown

The restaurant was fantastic, and the food was phenomenal. We started with the wood-fired table bread, which was incredibly pillowy and delicious, along with the roasted octopus. The calamari was prepared in the standard way, and it was cooked perfectly. The sauce for the calamari reminded me of a chipotle aioli. For my entrée, I ordered the orecchiette. The minced lamb was flavorful and very filling, but I will mention that the dish was quite oily, which was the only downside. Throughout the meal, I enjoyed the Black Lotus drink, which was my favorite.

I have been eagerly trying to secure a reservation at Pizza Portofino for quite some time, and I was absolutely thrilled when I finally had the opportunity to dine there. From the moment I walked in, the restaurant's coastal ambiance immediately set the tone for a truly exceptional experience. The drinks were superb, and the food was nothing short of extraordinary. I highly recommend the whipped ricotta and fig bruschetta, the crispy parmesan fries, the meatballs, the black truffle and three cheese pizza, and the sausage and fennel pizza – though honestly, I believe you can't go wrong with any dish on the menu. While the food and drinks were phenomenal, what truly set this experience apart was the exceptional service. From the bartenders, who were so welcoming as we enjoyed a few cocktails while waiting for our table, to our attentive server, every member of the team exceeded expectations. However, it was the manager, Heather, who truly stood out. Her warmth and hospitality made us feel incredibly special, and she went above and beyond to ensure our experience was memorable.

Our waiter, Ugo Grassano, was attentive and thoughtful. He explained how some of the side dishes worked well for sharing. He was aware we were celebrating special birthdays.

We had a great visit at Aba. We arrived with a reservation and were seated immediately. My date was not able to brush off the cold temperature on the terrace, so we opted to sit at the bar and wait for a table at the inside dinning room. The host staff were very polite and told us of the hour plus wait. We decided to stay at the bar and eat dinner there, though the host staff found us a table within 15 minutes of us sitting at the bar. We dined out often and the bar area is always an option for us, so we didn’t want to inconvenience anyone. Again, the host staff handled the situation tremendously well and we were very happy with the choices they gave us. Now on to the service and food. The bar staff was uber knowledgeable and coursed out our selections, as it was our first time there. We started out with Prosecco before we dug into the menu choices. We ordered Whipped feta, falafel, truffled salmon, and the green chili shrimp. The bar coursed out our choices perfectly. They suggested we get extra bread with our shrimp, and it was the perfect suggestion. All dishes were delicious and flavorful. Lots of depth in all dishes. We also had a cocktail and a glass of wine. Both were good choices. Bar staff was impeccable in their choices for us and we ended our night celebrating my date’s birthday with a carrot cake. Sans licking the plate, we liked it through the last bite. The staff even lit a candle for the cake! Overall, a knowledgeable and patient staff led us through our first, and certainly, not our last visit to Aba. See you soon Aba!

This was me and my daughter’s first time dining at the Walnut Room. The giant Christmas tree is the first thing you see when you walk into the restaurant, it was stunning. Our server was amazing, he kept an eye or our table, I can say my water glass was never empty. I had the chicken pot pie and my daughter had the Walnut Room burger. Everything tasted very good. Our server Lex also made some dessert recommendations and it didn’t disappoint.