Avec - Chicago

Incredible food at Avec River north!Our favorites were the prawns and short rib hummus. I only wish I had had extra pita bread to soak up the extra oil. For mains we did the ravioli (our least favorite dish of the night) & the mussels tagine which was great. We will be back!

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.

I was really looking forward to Avec during my trip to chicago. Unfortunately I felt my experience differed from others here- it just didn't have a great impact and everything felt 'okay'. the seating is incredibly awkward- in order to get out you have to make the people next to you get up as well. i didnt understand that at all. the food itself was okay. I have been to al-basha in new jersey so I know what good hummus is- at avec they gave so much but the quality was very mid. the branzino was okay, the prawns were just okay as well. the best dish was the asparagus one I will say one of the more unique things ive tasted. anyways the hype didnt sit with me but I am glad I went for the experience. they were really kind and gave us a cake on the house as well.

The top 2 restaurants in Chicago that I visited this year for sure. We went in a group so everything was family style. The drinks were delicious and the food was just phenomenal. I'm not a salad person but their veggie dishes were sooooo good. The short rib hummus was amazing and the giant plate of steak was so tender! It was the last dish so everyone was full, but somehow I finished the majority of the family style sized plate because it was that good. The chorizo stuffed dates were super flavorful but heavy so I wouldn't want to eat more than one. Mussels and lamb dish was also phenomenal. Can't wait to come back here

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 petalsI'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!

Avec was really good. I was blown away by the chorizo stuffed dates. I thought they'd be overrated but they are so decadent and good. The shrimp was outstanding and I couldn't get enough of it. The short rib hummus was wayyy too tough for that price point. I was hoping it would be more tender and easy to cut through but it wasn't. The pita was outstanding. The cabbage was pretty undercooked and while it had good flavor, it wasn't worth finishing. Def glad we only got a half order of that.

I definitely want to come back here next time I fly to Chicago. Service is good, food was amazing.