Elske: A Michelin-Starred Dining Experience in Chicago

Came here for a friend’s birthday - beautiful atmosphere and wonderful service. I’ve been many years before, so recommended it to people to try again for a special occasion. While the place and the premise of the menu was wonderful, 2 of the dishes were a big miss. We even returned the anchovy dish since the bread was burned and the sauce accompanying it was tasteless. Well, we didn’t officially return it, just didn’t eat it, and they were gracious enough to take it off when we saw the bill later. The smoked char, sunchokes and agnolotti dishes were delicious. Especially the fish with the smoked char was most memorable. Frikadelle, a tiny patty that was also very bland and seemed ridiculous for $33. Still giving it 4 stars, but I remember it blowing my mind much more when they first opened.

We had a wonderful meal at Elske! Picked 4 dishes from the a la carte menu and they were all delicious. Service was great but I only wish I was informed the roast leg of lamb will come out medium rare - since I am visibly pregnant and can’t enjoy it.

Overall a good experience and was there for their NYE tasting menu. Good food imagination and creativity by the chef and some great flavors and unique combinations. Although o don’t quite agree with the added on 4% restaurant surcharge. Simply raise your prices.

Had an amazing celebration dinner after my friend’s wedding and the experience was delightful from start to finish. The service especially great from our event server. He was patient, kind, and professional although our group was quite rowdy. The food portions were larger than expected and everything we ate was enjoyable, unique, and flavorful. The private dining room is the most beautiful room I’ve had the pleasure to dine in outside of NYC, with an enormous fireplace and giant windows letting in plenty of natural light. I was visiting Chicago for this event and I will most definitely return once I am back! Omg, I almost forgot to mention that there are some extremely talented bakers in that kitchen. My friend’s wedding cake was by far the fluffiest cake I’ve ever had. I took home two pieces and I’m still thinking about it. Do yourself a favor and host your event at Elske!

Every course tells a story. Every meal meticulously prepared and served by the person who made it. This is definitely unique experience of dining. Nothing is rushed, wine paring is excellent. Place is clean, staff is friendly. Open kitchen gives view into the creative works of chefs. Highly recommend. Best thing about this place the food portion seem small but they are not, just right. You will not leave hungry its perfect.

Tried the a la carte menu. Staff was very attentive, they keep everything very clean. Went there for a dinner for two. The decoration of the place was modern, clean, but a little sterile. The crowd was also a bit like that. The portions were generous for what we expected, I feel like we had enough food with five dishes. The server helped us with good recommendations. I never needed to ask for anything, the waters were topped very often and we had fresh plates and silverware between every course. The highlights of our meal were the cereliac risotto and the sunflower parfait which was fantastic. I think these two items make it worth the stop. The rest was all good but a bit underwhelming. In my opinion its more of an American restaurant with a Danish flare than the other way around.

Hits + misses = underwhelming Dined for my sister's birthday since she previously visited. Elske has been on my radar probably too long and my expectations were too high. Service: we were prompted seated, but our server took a while to greet us. They were knowledgeable about the menu; gave great suggestions; and brought the pastry chef (?) with a complimentary slice of vanilla birthday cake Annatto zucca pasta: the highlight of the meal. Glad we ordered two. The sauce was surprisingly rich, very comforting for cool weather. The fried squash ribbons on top added nice texture. Sunflower seed parfait: the other highlight. Tastes exactly like a sunflower ice cream, with a nice sour honey and crunchy crumbs for texture. No surprises, not life-changing, but on par for the accolades and price. Smoked char and shishito: interesting flavors and presentation, well cooked with good smoke. My first time having char and the pink color was a pleasant surprise. Not sure why it's hidden under a bed of shishito. Dark chocolate mousse: I wish the top was served intact so we could smash it, but the chocolate flavor was nice, balanced with a salted caramel. Unimpressive, but safe flavors for a 'safe' dessert. Anchovies and sourdough: visually stunning, otherwise forgettable. Endive salad: ditto. Pretty, but unremarkable, maybe because we shared it family-style and I didn't have any walnuts? Leg of lamb: I didn't taste, but it looked nice and came out rare without notice. The name implies it's served on the bone, but it's boneless. Grilled pork ribs: I didn't taste, but the party agreed it was disappointing. The meat was tender and, again, boneless despite the name, but it wasn't enough to impress. Chanterelle panna cotta: I was intrigued by the chanterelle even though I'm not a fan of panna cotta. The grape jelly was as thick as the panna cotta and tasted... like any jarred jelly the crisp on top only added visual points.

Got to try some unique dishes (salt cured anchovies, duck breast, and sunflower seed parfait) at this Michelin-starred restaurant. It was all well balanced in flavor!