Avli On The Park Reviews

We live in the high rise right next to Avli and have dined there often even when it was 3 forks before Avli. We love the food and carry out often as well but the noise level at Avli is just BAD. There are many ways to make a restaurant conversation friendly but the management has no interest in doing it! Some table are worse than others but I am going to STOP going to Avli unless they do something about the noise level!

I had a marvelous and extensive tasting-menu-style lunch here with a group. Everything was excellent, including chicken, salmon and a delicious eggplant dish, many scrumptious appetizers and 4 tiny, exquisite desserts and a gorgeous fruit plate. I'd eat here again in a Chicago minute.

Nice setting, nice atmosphere, nice people and servers, yummy food, and good prices. This is our fourth time and we enjoy ourselves and our guests enjoy the experience. This time was for lunch after the chocolate run in Chicago. We got a nice table and the view is awesome. It's like you're sitting in the middle of the park. we had the scrambled egg on seseame toast. it was very good. And the salad with berries is excellent, I forgot it's name. Our server Alexander was very courteous and helpful. Thank you Alex. The restaurant assit manager,James, also came and greeted us warmly. P.S. they give 20% discounts to their neighbors residents around them.

Lovely interior decor, with a view of foliage from a nearby park. Because this nautical-themed restaurant lacked sound-absorbing materials the strongest memory of our evening is the the loud cacophonie of voices and restaurant clatter - we were oblivious to the barely audible music playing in the background. The food was well prepared and tasty - we ordered the delicious roasted Greek fried potatoes to share with our party of four, along with the fresh crisp chopped romaine-dill Greek green salad. The Spanakopita spinach pie was yummy but had an unusual (awkward to eat) presentation, served on a long, narrow 4" by 12" plank, with sauce at one end and cherry tomatoes at the other. The Roasted Eggplant (Imamakia) had a unique presentation in three rolls with a side of roasted potatoes; we shared this dish, also very succulent flavors with Greek herbs. The Greek-style hand-made pasta (Makaronia me Kimas) with ground beef, garlic & fresh tomatoes was a bit overly spiced. To the request for lemonade, the server delivered a can of Sprite to the table; when he was called on this, he brought a much improved freshly-made lemonade from the bar. The reason for a four star rating was the noise and the fact that the starters and main courses were served within three seconds of each other - which made for a very crowded table. Avli in this location is relatively new and not quite ready for primetime!

We've long been fans of the Avli group of restaurants -- enjoying the differences in style and menus among their locations, their rapid and effective shift to take-out during the COVID shut-downs, and the quality of service and over-all dining experience -- the latter especially during several visits to their newest location, On The Park. Which said, executive chef Nikos Kapernaros and his team took their creativity to a new level last night, serving dinner for twelve in a pop-up site in Chicago's West Loop venue, Time Out. Four of us were part of this group, ranged at a counter facing the prep and service station, so treated to a full view and running commentary on a four-course feast with summer cocktails and appetizers included: sea bass ceviche, lobster timbale, main course of pork tenderloins wrapped in prosciutto, and dessert in the form of the Greek "eye" formed in crunchy phyllo -- all with additions and highlights making for a visual treat along with the complexity of tastes and flavors. We can expect this kind of unique project to repeat in other iterations -- keep watch, and take advantage.

Avli on the Park is a great-looking restaurant with cool, modern style and design elements and an interesting Greek menu, but the service was very slow and I just didn't enjoy the food very much. I did enjoy the Signature "Trellis" Cocktail, an old-fashioned type of bourbon drink. The entree was Greek pasta with chicken. It was tasty enough but the chicken was very boney to the point I was worried I'd choke on a bone. The dessert I selected was a bizarre creme dome over which they poured alcohol and then lit it on fire, causing the dome to collapse over the small cake underneath. Quite a spectacle, but the alcohol-soaked pudding-like concoction was more "interesting" than the sweet and flavorful taste I wanted in a dessert.

Really excellent food and service. We went with family and everyone was happy at the end of dinner. The room itself needs some serious sound dampening. It is very loud. Conversations echo and make it uncomfortably loud.

Birthday dinner last night was great - again! Service excellent, food excellent, ambience good (Sunday night so less noisy). Highly recommend.

To Be Clear, this is AVLI ON THE PARK ! And it is BEYOND AMAZING!!!! Anything less than a Perfect Score for this place is downright offensive!! This place is Perfection!!!!!!! The newer "Front of the House" personality NIKO is amazing !!! He is super welcoming and kind! He makes it a point to make sure that each and every customer is welcomed and happy!!! I chose to sit at the bar with one of my friends. We had BLAKE as our bartender and the drinks were beyond amazing !!!! Truly original and amazingly tasty! Just like Niko, Blake had an amazing personality that made you feel like you were an old friend! I would highly recommend the newest drinks which are made with "Visino" or "Visinatha" (sweet cherries) from Greece! The design and decor is compliments of one of the finest Interior Designers, Nike Demacopoulos, of Chicago! It is so soothing and comfortable with a very Greek and comfortable vibe! The Food Is Not only out of this world, but it is presented beautifully! I highly recommend the Village Salad, the Cold Spread Appetizers, the Octopus and the Branzino! This Place is The Best Greek Food In Chicago! And it is owned in part by one of the nicest Celebrities in Chicago, Fox 32's Lou Canellis! Perfection at It's Finest on All Fronts! Thank you for this Slice of Heaven in Lakeshore East!!!

We went on a weekday evening. 1)We had reservations for 3 at 6:45. They seated us at 7:20pm. There was some seating to wait, but it was filled. 2) My husband ordered a Dry Rob Roy. They brought a Rob Roy, which is sweet. They got it correct the 2nd time. 3) My daughter and I ordered a red wine. The waiter brought white wine to us both. Oh, he said, he misheard. We had even pointed to the wine on the menu. I kept the white, our daughter got her red. 4) After extensive discussion with the waiter about the snapper and if it was large enough to split. We ordered it, on his recommendation. They brought us a salmon. We were very disappointed. 5) Our waiter did not come check on our “1st bites”. We waited and waited and finally flagged down another waiter to tell the mistake in dinners. He sent our waiter over who said he heard wrong. He heard salmon. We were not going to argue, again, over what he heard. We said we’d keep the salmon. By now we were quite hungry and did not want another long wait for food. 6) We waited forever for water refills. 7) We ordered two desserts. I highly recommend the Brûlée. 8) While looking over the bill to see what we got charged for, the waiter came over and said he was sure he got it right. Blah, blah, blah. It distracted us from what we wanted to do. It was fine. 9) It is a cute ,clean,crowded restaurant. Food was good, but not great. Portions ok. Service not good at all. Loud.

I had the breakfast brunch. The Greek potatoes were just regular potatoes, and the sourdough bread was just regular white bread. The food was lukewarm. The bacon was delicious! I was disappointed by the Greek breakfast. Hopefully, I'll try to come and have lunch there for better food and service experience.

Executive chef Nicholas was great With heavy dietary restrictions he still catered to our needs more than five stars Will STRONGLY recommend and family really enjoyed the meticulous thoughtfulness in keeping us happy. Truly a pleasure

Our server was really good, and even tried to get the music to a level that was acceptable to us. But all the other diners, and the place was packed, felt the need to yell over the level of the music. Plus, our main dishes took over an hour and a half after we ordered them. Reason for the delay? Possibly the large wedding reception/rehearsal dinner, plus three large tables in the main dining room. The food was excellent, but by the time our food came, we were all kind of tired from the noise. We did receive a small discount for the long wait, for which the restaurant deserves credit.

Avli on the Park was in a word amazing. The space is beautiful. The staff is one of the best service staffs ever - knowledgable, attentive without being intrusive, engaging and just on point. The chef made his rounds in the room which is a great touch - and he was engaging and informative. The food was outstanding. Having spent time in Greece and my wife being of Greek descent, this restaurant feels like it could be an upscale place in Athens or on one of the islands. We sampled many many dishes (probably too many!) and had great Greek wine. This is one of the top 10 restaurant experiences I have had in my lifetime. We left feeling happier than we we arrived as we found our Kefi at Avli.

We sat upstairs outside for lunch on a Wed. The waiter was Greek!! Food was so good and at 11am not many people. It is a treat and $ but well worth it. I had spanakopita and the hummus variety plate. Scrumptious. Hubby had lamb that was tender and delish and wants to return. Closed Mondays as of this writing.

I want to share the stellar experience myself and some friends had last night at Avli on the Park. Eight of us went to celebrate a friend’s birthday. We had a 6:45pm reservation and started at the bar at 5:30p for cocktails. Had a few of their great signature cocktails and some apps (Halloumi, Spicy Feta & the Hummus)…all were outstanding! The Halloumi was such a hit, we ordered 4 more when we sat down for dinner. Once we sat down for dinner, the hits just kept on coming…everything we tried was fantastic! Mike was our server and did a stellar job as well. From the lobster pasta, the whole fish, saganaki, spinach pie, octopus & Fava, calamari, Greek fries, zucchini chips… Every item was as good as the next! I’m truthfully a bit of a wine snob and I’ve never tried that many Greek wines and really never gone out of my way to try them, but, we had a couple bottles of the Meritage off their wine list, and it was outstanding! A great experience all the way around. I’ve been to the Lincoln Park location as well and it was consistently as good as this location. Great food, lively atmosphere & a friendly/knowledgeable staff. 5 Stars all the way! Thanks for a great night Avli!

Having been to Avli up in Lincoln Park, Avli on the Park seems like a perfect spot for when a friend staying at hotel nearby wanted Greek food. Avli on the Park is a bit of a different vibe though, with high energy music and a livelier crowd. The food is just as good, with my chicken souvlaki tasty as ever. Overall, it’s a solid option for quality food while avoiding the tourist crowds on Michigan Ave.

We came in unannounced on a Friday night and were seated in five minutes at a table at the windows. Big busy bar and dining room. Too many interesting selections so we successfully relied on our waiter. Great feta, salmon and branzino (why is this fish everywhere?). Too full for desserts. Nice wine selection, great service and reasonable prices.

The name of this restaurant is Avli on the Park, not Avli on the Lake as TripAdvisor would have you believe. But TripAdvisor also lost my original review so that's why I'm submitting another review from memory. At least Avli has its act together. Avli on the Park, located at 180 North Field Boulevard in Chicago's spiffy and burgeoning Lakeshore East neighborhood, in a space formerly occupied for 10 years by III Forks steakhouse, is the newest and latest of four Avli locations developed by Greek-America chef Louis Alexakis and Fox News sports anchor Lou Cannelis. Other locations are in Winnetka, Lincoln Park and River North. "Chicago's Greek Culinary Renaissance Awaits" is the chain's slogan. And Avli on the Park offers "the best rooftop view in Lakeshore East Park." But there is more to it than the view. The 13,000-square-foot tavern, which opened in May and serves customers from 5 to 11 daily, is bright and breezy with rustic wood wall decor, loops of rope overhead, sculptural light fixtures, a pair of two-sided stone fireplaces, a huge U-shaped bar, enormous floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the park and a huge rooftop deck with heated cabanas. It feels like you're vacationing on a sun-bleached beach on the Greek coast. After visiting all four of the Avli restaurants and sampling the delicious and varied Greek/Mediterranean cuisine, my wife and I are not only learning to appreciate Greek cooking but we are actually learning how to pronounce the Greek names. Like Avgolemono, a traditional egg/lemon chicken soup with rice and vegetables. That's a great starter to any meal. We also sampled beef meatballs, wild-caught shrimp, a bruschetta-like spread of cod roe with bread, onions, olive oil and lemon juice and mixed greens with hearts of romaine, scallions, dill, olive oil and red wine vinegar with shrimp. For an entree, my wife chose pan-seared Branzino filet with Greek potatoes and sauteed greens. I couldn't resist ordering Astakomakaronatha or lobster spaghetti, which caught my fancy at the Lincoln Park location. It's a wonderful blend of lobster meat, spaghetti, lobster bisque and a flavorful tomato-based sauce, a tasty recipe that is associated with the Greek island of Skyros. With Greek-style rice pilaf and sauteed greens. For dessert, we shared large portions of orange creme brulee with white chocolate and Bougastsa apple crumb tart with powdered sugar and cinnamon. It figures that Lou Cannelis would choose a name like Avli for his restaurant rather than Astakomakaronartha. How would you sew that name across the back of your baseball jersey?

We have long been fans of the Avli group's three neighborhood-scale locations -- although from whose modesty we would not have expected the shift in scale and ambiance to their latest -- the bright and sprawling new installation in Lakeshore East -- properly named, by the way, "Avli on the Park." Two dinner visits this summer -- one with another couple, and the second with our daughter and her friends -- and we are convinced. (If driving, it take a bit of planning -- access is via the upper level of Randolph Street, and a path through the parking garage that would rival Daedalus's labyrinth. And reservations are now key -- traffic has picked up markedly in a short time.) Brief highlight notes on an expanded and impressive menu: The sampler tray of spreads makes a great pre-starter. Large shrimp in thread-like filo are a complex combination of tastes and textures. A daily special watermelon-based salad was a highlight. The lobster pasta is not exactly orthodox Greek cuisine, but was a large-serving feast. The daily fish special -- sea bass filet over greens -- subtle and delicious. Desserts are small and tasty -- with no excuse still to be hungry, they share easily in bite-size bits. Wine list is limited, with guidance useful for those of us not well-versed in Greek wines. For that, and in general, a hat-tip to our server Jennifer, who steered me to a well-matched rose, and in general was knowledgeable, cordial, and helpful -- a thorough pro. Value excellent -- about @ $100 all in from drinks on through. For an appealing experience in city dining, take careful note.

We went on a busy Saturday night & enjoyed an absolutely fantastic dinner. The place was very crowded which gave off a fun energetic vibe. But honestly, the food is outstanding & the service is also excellent.

Out for a casual dinner with friends. We shared small plates, appetizers, and wine. The setting was nice for visiting, quiet with window view. Service was sketchy, great when they showed between some long waits. Best dish was an assortment of dips/spreads with pita. Great variety of flavors. Grilled octopus dish was disappointing. Tough & kind of cold - not sure if it ever saw a grill.

Wow where should i start Avli on the park was amazeballs a beautiful atmosphere great music! We enjoyed the assorted hummus platter lamb meatballs lamb chops pita bread herbed olive oil grilled octopus and strawberry margaritas... everything was seasoned perfectly!!!!! The margaritas were ridiculous we will def be back for more

We moved into the city from the Chicago suburbs two months ago and Avli is literally 200 yards from our building so ... we've been there 4 times for dinner with friends - including last night. Great place, great food, good vibe but like some other reviews say, it is loud on a Friday night. The place was packed so no surprise. Food was uniformly excellent, service was attentive, and we enjoyed the evening.

The food was very good and reasonably priced. We went during Happy Hour and had the Trio of small bites and they were all excellent. My husband had the regular entree Chicken Souvlaki and there was a generous amount of chicken breast in skewers cooked nicely and with a tasty lemon sauce. Atmosphere and staff both very pleasant. Would return if wanted Greek food.

The premises are lovely, drinks are decent. Unfortunately, I tasted numerous of the food offerings and found the food to be wanting. Even the simple Greek fried cheese was overly sweet,

During our stay in Chicago, we decided to have dinner at Avli on the park after searching online through the downtown restaurants. On a rainy night, we reserved a table, then showed up there. The host was friendly and right away gave us a great table. We had Greek appetizer plate (sampler spreads), grilled octopus and chicken souvlaki along with some Greek spirit cocktails. The food was amazing. The cocktails were also good. Will be back!

Really enjoyed our dinner at Avli on The Park. Good service and friendly staff. Food really tasty, lovely flavors and presented well. Greek food with other influences. They were waiting on wine from Greece so didn't have my choice but managed to pic k something else. We returned the following week to celebrate my new job. Sat at bar and had lovely evening too. Chatted to bar man and myself and husband watched the world go by. ps check their website for discounts

It is a very busy restaurant, so reservations are critical. I asked as a solo diner for a table overlooking the charming dog park and got it. I ordered numerous side dishes such as the chicken soup, octopus and roast potatoes, all great. The manager went out of his way to get me a private small cab company back to my hotel because all the major cab company numbers are out of service.

You really expect a bit more from a restaurant recommended in the Michelin guide. We had the Easter menu, and it was served at breakneck speed. The soup was lukewarm, the water that came with it tasted and smelled terribly of chlorine, the rest of the food was normal and nothing more than that and the bill was already on our table while we still had to start with dessert. It is incomprehensible that this restaurant is in the Michelin guide. Is something wrong then? The location is very nice and the restaurant is also beautifully decorated, the seating is very nice, but it really starts and ends with the food!

Authentic and inspired. The mastica ice cream blew my mind! It captures a flavor that is delicate & aromatic. We tried and shared a variety of foods and everything was fantastic.in particular, the taramosalata was light & creamy. Many restaurants use potato to fill this dish but not here! It was full of flavor, oh so light texture & not too salty. Would return again & again! The chef knows his ingredients, takes pride in making everything in his kitchen and presents these Greek staples with true Greek hospitality! Better than your Yaya! Don’t miss this one!

The staff were great! Great presentation but we didn’t find the food to be very flavourful. The filo shrimps were good though. I ordered the cocktail called ‘the oracle’ - it was too sweet for my taste. Serving was quick and ambiance was great but perhaps not worth the price we paid.

The service was okay, but just average at best. Cocktails were tasty, highlight of the trip. The food, however, was no better than mediocre at best. The waiter 'misheard' me and brought me the double portion of chicken skewers instead of the single order I asked for. I wouldn't have minded paying for the larger portion if the food was good, but it was not. The onions and peppers were rubbery and difficult to chew. And the chicken, the focus of the skewer, was so dry it was practically inedible. The waiter only checked back once we were ready for boxes and the check. I've legitimately had better meals at Applebee's for half the price.