Aria

09/16/2008 Posted by mweisk

What do you get when you combine poor service with average food and high prices. I was astounded by how unattentive the staff was during a recent visit. The food and the associated price did not match up. Chicago is filled with hundreds of excellent restaurants this one is not one of them.

02/13/2008 Posted by Lionzfan27

-So I took a good friend out on a first date after reviewing a good 45+ restaurants over an 11 hour period (I know that sounds excessive but I'm paticular). -The ambience was great; nice seats, decor, linen, etc. Nothing to complain about there...other than the paper menu's, maybe I'm picky. -The service was poor, maybe better put as unproffesional, poorly trained, or unexperienced. We could tell from the beginning that the service would rank with a restaurant like Bennihanas. He was a nice guy but just didn't have what it takes to serve for this type of restaurant. He pushed menu items, didn't know what was in some dishes, and told us "it'd be a big hassle to also order from the sushi bar across the room" are you kidding me? Not only was he a poor waiter but the person that brought the 'praised' flatbread and four dipping sauces rambled them off so fast I only caught 'yogurt'. Ehhh... -Now to the food(since I am a culinary graduate). We started with an order of Unagi, it was great but I can't say I've ever been dissapointed by Unagi before. The entrees were poor, very poor. We eached ordered fish, mine being Barramundi. Each fish was over cooked and incorrectly paired with sauces to my liking. Her fish was served skin side up! Once again I could just be very picky but would you serve a steak with grill marks down? or a pie with crust up? The desserts were decent. I ordered the apple egg rolls and she had the chocolate cake, adding 'will you be mine?' at request to the Maitre D'. Each dish tasted great, had stylish platings and took away some bitterness from a poor meal. Conclusion- weak meal, poor service, and to my suprise not worthy of the price in the end. I would not recommend this to friends or for that matter anyone who asks for a review. Would I return? No, unless I was treated to the meal. *If you like sushi I would recommend the sushi bar just by looks. It's hip, stylish, and based on my purchase of the Unagi alone, tasty. -Cheers

Pros: Ambience

Cons: Entrees (paticulary the fish) and Service

11/24/2007 Posted by lr18190

Excellent service, wonderful menu and I love the specials. I went here for a holiday and thought I had falled in love. It was quite, romantic and in a great location. The problem arised when I got home! I don't think I have ever gotten so sick and as a result, I don't think I will ever go back. My date and I were both very ill and therefore I do believe it was something to do with the food. I would recommend it, but make sure you get something cooked and keep your fingers crossed! I was sick for the next 24 hours!

Pros: Great service, ambiance

08/01/2007 Posted by smithjenny

I put on a number of client dinners in Chicago and I was excited to use Aria, it had been some time since we used this location. The room was nice, the food was good, but the management was so bad. There was a woman that was the manager and I found her to be rude to my guest and to her staff. We make note of this to her and she just keep on being inappropriate with my guests. It was a bad situation I do not understand why such a nice hotel and restaurant world employee a person like this, I am sure they have there pick. If she worked in my office it would have been her last day. I hope they make a change so I can continue to bring my business to this nice restaurant.

Pros: The food and the space.

Cons: The dinning room manger!

05/04/2007 Posted by sgate

I took my boyfriend here for a beautiful, romantic dinner and was blown away by the kind service I recieved. A friend of mines works at Aria and suggested it as a cozy, romantic spot. Well she was right, what I love is there's always a manager present or walking around ready to answer any of your questions, or get very detailed when it comes to there many wine selection. The staff is excellent! Good Job! the Bar is magnificent, the drinks are very tasty but powerful so you might wanna be cautious not to drink too many. But overrall I think I'll be visiting this spot often as a matter of fact I'm gonna make reservations tonight.

Pros: atmosphere, ambience, service food EVERYTHING!!

Cons: none

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

04/10/2007 Posted by lisamalm

We dined here on a recent visit and left delighted. The atmophere is hip without the attitude, the music was lounge without the electronica, the lighting subduded and the service wonderful and unobtrusive. Contrary to some of the reviews, we loved the food - it was suprising. It's a really nice change from the many bistro and steak places in Chicago. The roasted beet salad was wonderful (the salt perfect!) and the lobster spring rolls were multi-layered and came with delicious dollops of vanilla foam. I wished we would have had more time to hang out in the cool bar and I would definitely come back to try the sushi bar. This would also be a good place if you're looking for vegetarian fare. All in all, an outstanding and relaxing experience with helpful knowledgeable servers. Try it!

Pros: ambiance, service, food, vegetarian choices

Cons: centrally located, but not near much else

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

02/18/2007 Posted by britel

It's difficult to properly compare this restaurant to other places because of it's unique menu selection. While the food was good, there wasn't anything that really stood out. I took my friend here for a nice meal where we could chat in peace. I had spicy beef (a beef stir fry with good fresh vegetables, touches of Thai and Chinese flavors) and she had Escarole. The fish was done properly well, but a tad salty. The 3 types of potato side dishes were done fairly well, but they don't stand out at all. Overall, while a nice place to eat, it really can't stand up to a restaurant that focuses on one type of cuisine. The service people were quite responsive, but that's not the reason why I came here. I guess I expected a little more; I would come again, but I would know the limits of my expectations of the food.

Pros: A nice selection of food, nice wine menu, adequate prices

Cons: Nothing done to the level of excellence

02/05/2007 Posted by kjoghs06

This is a great restaurant. I went to it with my mom and enjoyed a very relaxing time. I definetly left feeling full and happy. I had the best steak ever and all the sauces and sides were an tasty extra. Don't go if your in a hurry because they take their time preparing the dishes but it is well worth the wait! I strongly encourage everyont to go here and expierence the nirvana of delicious food in your mouths!

Pros: delicious food, nice waiters, beautiful setting

Cons: not incredibly fast but worth the wait

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

02/04/2007 Posted by libbyann319

My husband and I had dinner here before going to the theater and, had such a great time we almost didn't make it to the show. The food was great. Being culturely inspired there is something for everyone. They start you with this homemade nann and 4 dipping sauces, My huband had a korean inspired pork tenderloin and, I had an amazing whitefish. Plus, with your dinner you get this increadible potato bar. 3 styles of potatoes that were all to die for. Our server JJ was so cool and relaxed. He made us feel like we were regulars. He really made the experience fun and, not too stuffy. We'll definately be back.

Pros: awsome food, great service, beautiful room

Cons: none

11/22/2006 Posted by luvs2travel

We were staying at the Fairmont (highly recommend!) and ate one evening at Aria. We were seated promptly. the restaurant had an interesting design because it's slightly curved. Overall the ambiance is very romantic and elegant. The tables are far enough away from each other to give privacy and you don't get the squished feeling like so many other restaurants have. Wow! The food was amazing. We ordered the "mushroom soup your mother never made" and it was the most incredible soup we have ever eaten. Our entree's were everything we expected and more. Our waiter Hugh was one of the best we've had. He had a great personality and he was there when we needed him, but yet he didn't hover. This is a beautiful place to dine, from the decor to the food. The service is impeccable and the food is delicious.

Pros: Beautiful setting, food, service

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful