The food was amazing. (I'm saying this also because it was pricey). But the atmosphere was intimate and the service was friendly. The mushroom and wild rice hummus is to die for. The calamari had such amazing flavor, especially cilantro. I would come back for the lamb roti feast!

Avec is quite possibly my favorite restaurant on this planet. I proposed to my wife there. We celebrate our anniversaries there. Now we are expecting our first child and celebrated that news with our favorite dishes: chorizo stuffed dates, short rib hummus, and their amazing rotisserie chicken shawarma. When I reached out to them about proposing to my (now) wife there, they went way out of their way to make sure everything went exactly right. I have never had a dish there that was anything less than great, and they truly make us feel like valued guests. Avec is special and is certainly worth a try.

This is a long overdue review but I came to Avec during Chicago Restaurant Week in the beginning of the year and enjoyed the overall experience. We went to the West Loop location and the space was small yet inviting. The seating situation was tough since it's a community style so you will be elbow to elbow next to a stranger but we made the most of it. I would highly recommend making reservations as the place gets busy and filled especially during the weekends. For the food, we really enjoyed the chorizo stuffed medjool dates with bacon and piquillo pepper sauce. It was a balance of salty and sweetness and the sauce was perfectly seasoned and dipped well with the bread. For the large plate, the roasted chicken thigh kabsa was delicious! The meat was really tender and the basmati rice was flavorful and with the addition of almonds and saffron. Since we dined in during Chicago Restaurant Week, the menu was fixed but I am really looking forward to coming back and trying different dishes in their menu. I love tapas and getting to try and share multiple meals and the quality of ingredients is top notch!

I came here for dinner with a friend and loved the community seating style. We were seated between two other pairs, which added a fun element to our dining experience as we all kept glancing at each other's dishes, helping us decide what to order. We tried a variety of dishes, sampling something from nearly every section of the menu. From the small plates, we had the Medjool dates, a favorite of many, and it's easy to see why! The chorizo was incredibly well seasoned, perfectly balanced by the sweetness of the dates. We couldn't get enough. Next, we had the butcher steak, also from the small plates, which was perfectly cooked, tender, and juicy. From the hummus section, we chose the short rib hummus, another outstanding dish. The short rib was also incredibly tender and flavorful, beautifully complemented by the creamy and smooth hummus. Finally, we tried the pork shoulder, which was the least favorite of our selections. While the flavor was good, the pork was disappointingly dry, even with the sauce it was cooked in. I would probably skip this dish next time, but I hope to be back soon!

I had a great first visit to this place and would definitely return if I lived in Chicago. It's not a very big place, but they have a couple of outdoor tables. The staff is very friendly and ensures that you have the best experience during your visit. Their menu isn't extensive, but that's actually appreciated as it can be overwhelming to decide what to eat. The kitchen specializes in what they offer, and you can taste the quality and flavors in every bite. While the dishes aren't overly complex, the flavors and quality of the ingredients definitely shine through.

Such a beautiful spot in the west loop! Pretty busy so would recommend getting a reservation if possible. My friend and I came in on a saturday evening at around 7pm and it was filled with diners. The interior gave japanese inspired vibes with their natural wood walls, long corridor-like shape and simplistic furniture. Seating is interesting -- you share long tables and benches so expect to be in close proximity with other people. Portions are pretty decent and we only had enough room for 2 small plates and dessert: - Chorizo stuffed medjool dates: I wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. the tomato sauce underneath was sweet, bacon was salty and chorizo filling was spicy and moist. The bread that came with the dates was crispy on the outside but soft and fluffy on the inside. - Short rib hummus: pita bread was so soft and fluffy, flavorful. There was a very generous portion of hummus, which was incredible w the olive oil. Short rib was smoky and so tender it tore apart easily. Onions and parsley added refreshing taste - Profiterole: great pistachio ice cream (not too overpowering and there were pistachio chunks, not too soft), crunchy nuts, very sweet w the honey and rose petals I've been told that avec has a seasonal menu so they change up their dishes, but I loved their offerings for this rotation. Highly recommend and would love to come back in the future!

Wowowowowow. This place was so incredible! There is a bit of a wait and rush during lunch time but rest assured it is well worth the wait. My dining mate and I split an order of chorizo stuffed dates after seeing our table mate's order. We probably could have easily eaten the entire order on our own but probably good for our stomachs that we shared which were two dates each. For the main, I got the farm salad and added chicken - this was so. Much. Salad. In the very best way possible! The almonds, berries, and amount of chicken they added were incredible and so filling! The lettuce and endive they used were also just perfection - I wonder how each leaf was pristinely crisp. Ended our lunch on a sweet note with the most perfect portion of nutter butter square. It was such a delightful treat that satisfies your sweet tooth but not make you feel grossly stuffed afterwards. I'm salivating now just thinking about this excellent lunch and will definitely be back the next time I'm in Chicago; hopefully for dinner!

A must-try if you're visiting Chicago! The ambience was great and reservation is definitely recommend for a Friday night dinner. My top dishes were below: - the Brussel Sprouts salad? Not sure of the exact name, but it had a crispy texture paired with a creamy dressing - Duck Agnolotti - Slow-roasted pork shoulder: the meat was Smokey and perfectly cooked paired with collard greens, fresh herbs, and a rich stew. If you like Aba, I would definitely give this place a try as well!

Celebrated a special milestone in my friend's career at Avec the other day and had a wonderful time. Our server was very sweet and gave us a complimentary glass of wine to celebrate. We ordered a few dishes including the lamb flatbread, shaved apple salad, and the grilled prawns. We also had a bottle of Rosé and a cappuccino to end the night. I loved all the dishes but my favorite was the apple salad. I was a little skeptical of the pita and shrimp dish but it was AMAZING all the ingredient work so well together. My friend and I are also not big lamb fans, but the flatbread was so good and we could barely tell it was lamb. I will definitely be back!