Oaken Bistro + Bar

Review summary

1. T

   Taylor

   Chicago

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Lovely Valentine’s Day dinner. Food and service were excellent, great staff. Clean, lively atmosphere.
   

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2. M

   Mark

   VIP

   Chicago

   58 reviews

   5.0

   58 reviews

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Great service all around from all the staff. Great value.
   

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3. A

   Alex

   VIP

   New Orleans

   23 reviews

   3.0

   23 reviews

   Dined on January 31, 2025

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 2

   Very corporate and sterile environment. This restaurant is located inside the hotel, and isn’t really set up for anything other than business meetings. So if you’re looking for a decent but overpriced meal, this is totally your place to go. There were three waitstaff and only two tables occupied, and they still managed not to be prompt or efficient. However, if you are looking to be undisturbed for a business meeting, and nibble on food in between topics, this may be the perfect place for you. Totally would not recommend as a date night eatery !
   

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4. S

   Stacey

   VIP

   Chicago

   7 reviews

   4.0

   7 reviews

   Dined on January 19, 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 3

   The shrimp appetizer was the best! Sweet and spicy and hitting all the right notes.
   

   Oaken Bistro + BarResponded on January 29, 2025

   Stacey, Thank you for taking time to give us a review. We always like to hear about what you enjoyed. Gabriel Boden General Manager
   

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5. R

   Ronald

   VIP

   Chicago

   44 reviews

   5.0

   44 reviews

   Dined on January 4, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We had a wonderful brunch and really enjoyed the variety and quality of the food
   

   Oaken Bistro + BarResponded on January 7, 2025

   Ronald, Thank you for taking time to give us your review. We love to hear that we've made a guest happy. Best of luck in the new year. We hope to see you again soon. Gabriel Boden General Manager
   

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6. M

   Marna

   Seattle

   5 reviews

   5.0

   5 reviews

   Dined on January 4, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   This is a hidden gem, inside the The Forester Hotel. 5 off us, drinks, appetizers, dinner, dessert, espresso. From Goat Cheese and Honey to Crispy Gochujang Shrimp, to Roasted chicken breast over charred scallion risotto, Classic Cobb Salad and Fish & Chips…EVERYTHING was delicious. There wasn’t one thing we would change, including the service! SO happy to have this in the neighborhood and look forward to our next visit.
   

   Oaken Bistro + BarResponded on January 7, 2025

   Marna, We really appreciate the time you took to give us this detailed review. While we are located in the lovely Forester Hotel, we are focused on being a restaurant for our community here in the Lake Forest area. Reviews like this really bring us joy. Cheers for the new year! Gabriel Boden General Manager
   

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7. O

   Oliver

   Chicago

   6 reviews

   5.0

   6 reviews

   Dined on January 1, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   New Year’s Day and it was great service and great food
   

   Oaken Bistro + BarResponded on January 7, 2025

   Oliver, Thank you for taking time to write a review. We're glad we were able to help start of your 2025 right. Happy new year! Gabriel Boden General Manager
   

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8. J

   Jan

   Chicago

   109 reviews

   3.0

   109 reviews

   Dined on December 30, 2024

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   This is a hotel restaurant and bar. Nice atmosphere, good food but very expensive for what you get!
   

   Oaken Bistro + BarResponded on December 31, 2024

   Thank you for taking time to write a review. We truly appreciate your feedback. Gabriel Boden General Manager
   

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9. V

   Vasuda

   Milwaukee

   1 review

   2.0

   1 review

   Dined on December 25, 2024

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 3

   We went on December 25 and the place was about 40# full. It took 25 mins to get our drinks order out and another 15 before food finally showed up. Maybe they were understaffed and that’s why the service was slow. But what surprised me was the potion size. We’d ordered skillets and the skillets were the size of dessert plates. For $19 for a skillet the food was shockingly less. And we’d ordered the Mexican skillet that had some barely there pieces of chorizo in some gravy and otherwise the plate was full of just potatoes. Very disappointed.
   

   Oaken Bistro + BarResponded on December 29, 2024

   Thank you for taking time to write a review. We appreciate hearing the good and the bad, and we take all the comments to heart. We spend a lot of time focusing on service and food quality. If we get the chance to see you again, I am certain you will find a noticeable difference in your experience. Happy New Year Gabriel Boden General Manager
   

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10. D

    Debbie

    Chicago

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on December 22, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3

    The atmosphere is very pleasant at the Oaken Bistro and Bar. Service was excellent and the food was great. We had the wild mushroom and sausage penne, salmon and chioggia beet salad.
    

    Oaken Bistro + BarResponded on December 29, 2024

    Thank you for taking time to write a review. We're always happy to know that you had a great time. We hope to see you again. Happy New Year Gabriel Boden General Manager
    

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