Restaurants near University of Chicago

This was my first time discovering this amazing establishment in the heart of Hyde park! I have to give tremendous kudos to the owner of this business who clearly put so much thought and care into curating this space and ensuring all of the staff here provide a tremendously pleasurable experience! From the moment you enter this place, the flower filled entryway is like a portal into good vibes, great food, and a smiling warm staff! I brought my sister here who is visiting from Toronto really not knowing anything about this place. I saw that it is Black owned and I enjoy supporting Black owned establishments so thought we’d give it a try. I’m so glad we did! Live music on a Monday night! Where do they do that? At Chemistry! (I’m honestly not sure if this is an everyday thing or not but it was wonderful). The entire place had a beautiful “Love themed” ambiance, with the menu organized on that theme and even conversation cards on each table! We barely could move past the first item on the menu which was honey glazed salmon strips- what kind of heavenly appetizer is that?! And it did not disappoint! It was perfectly cooked and flavorful! (This was the theme for the night) I ordered the truffle Alfredo with chicken and my sister had the blacken salmon with fried rice and brussel sprouts. Pure perfection! The band playing was wonderful, playing soulful covers all night. And when they took a break, r&b from the 90s was the perfect backdrop. The staff was super attentive and I believe the chef came out personally to serve the meals. There were some fancy happenings with things being lit on fire, and dry ice on tables..it is a whole vibe! You have to just go experience it! And if you’re celebrating your birthday, they will make you feel like royalty! This is a true gem! So happy to know of it now and will definitely be back!

Great experience overall! Food was amazing and well seasoned.

Great atmosphere great location. I would’ve loved to hear the music more clearly just because I love a spot that plays music and enjoy listening to the music but overall great experience.

Enjoyed my time with best friend and we had a wonderful conversation.

Always delivers top notch quality, service and ambience! I love Virtue! Our server, Alex made our date night experience phenomenal!