Ema - River North

4.7

4542 Reviews

$31 to $50

Mediterranean

Make a reservation

2 people

Dec 11, 2024

7:00 PM

Booked 120 times today

Good for special occasions
Lively
Vegetarian-friendly

A Mediterranean & California-inspired restaurant featuring small plates & Chef CJ Jacobson's lighter style cooking in Chicago's River North.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Mediterranean, Californian
Hours of operation
Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–4:00 pm Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 3:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 3:00 pm–9:00 pm
Phone number
(312) 527-5586
Website
http://www.emarestaurants.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
CJ Jacobson
Catering
Enjoy Ema Catering for your next event at home, in the office, or for your next celebration! Contact emaparties@leye.com for more information.
Private party facilities
The open and inviting dining room features reclaimed wood, rustic white brick and an indoor ivy terrace with operable windows. The dining room accommodates groups up to 150 guests and may be custom configured for your next family-style dinner, business lunch or cocktail reception event.

Location
74 West Illinois Street, Chicago, IL 60654
Neighborhood
River North (Chicago)
Cross street
Clark & Illinois
Parking details
Valet parking is located just east of Ema on Illinois Street at the Hyatt Place/Fairfield Inn valet. Valet costs $25 for 3 hours, no validation needed. Regular rates apply after 3 hours.
Public transit
Red Line Stop at Grand / Blue Line Stop at Clark
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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Popular dishes

Classic$13.95
za'atar, vegetable crudite, california olive oil
Spicy$14.95
piquillo pepper, lemon, basil
"Bhel" Hummus$15.95
pineapple, avocado, pomegranate, tamarind, crispy rice, mint chutney
Pumpkin$16.95
brown butter, toasted pumpkin seed, nutmeg
Hummus w/ Lamb Ragu$18.95
slow-braised lamb, spicy harissa

Spreads

Charred Eggplant$14.95
aleppo, mint, olive oil
House-Made Labneh$14.95
mick klug cranberry, cinnamon, orange, pistachio
Toasted Almond & Garlic$15.95
castelvetrano olive, fresh herbs
Moroccan Onion Dip$15.95
medjool date, tamarind chutney, crispy leek

Raw

Truffled Salmon*$18.95
roasted garlic, chive, crispy leek
Hamachi*$19.95
pineapple, charred avocado, ginger-scallion relish
Big Eye Tuna & Honeycrisp Apple*$21.95
pomegranate, moroccan mint, yuzu nigella vinaigrette

Salads

add green falafel / $6.95, add grilled chicken / $7.95, add faroe islands salmon* / $10.95

Greek Village$16.95
romaine, tomato, cucumber, kalamata olive, feta, red pepper, dijon vinaigrette
Brussels Sprouts & Honeycrisp Apple$15.95
pomegranate, marcona almond, honey dijon vinaigrette
Mediterranean Chopped$15.95
arugula, romaine, cauliflower, caper, date, parmesan, olive, red pepper
House-Made Stracciatella$18.95
mighty vine tomato, crouton, sherry shallot vinaigrette, basil

Vegetables

Feta & Olives$14.95
marcona almonds, sweety drops, lemon zest, middle east spice
Brussels Sprouts$14.95
crispy shallot, pumpkin seed, agrodolce
Pan-Roasted Romanesque Cauliflower$15.95
house yogurt, local honey

Hot Mezze

Crispy Potatoes$12.95
mizithra, rosemary, scallion crema
Green Falafel$13.95
beet tzatziki, tahini, lemon zest
Hot Honey Halloumi$14.95
crispy garlic dukkah
Delicata Squash Farrotto$16.95
brown butter, crispy sage, squash vinaigrette

Sandwiches

served with mesclun greens or za'atar fries

Green Falafel$15.95
tomato, hummus, purple cabbage, tzatziki
Grilled Chicken$16.95
hummus, purple cabbage, sweet & spicy peppers
Braised Short Rib*$18.95
beef jus, hummus, purple cabbage, crispy shallot

Kebabs

served with basmati rice

Grilled Halloumi$17.95
greek cheese, red onion, date, red zhoug
Chicken Kefta$18.95
lemon, olive oil, tzatziki
Grilled Chicken$19.95
yogurt marinade, sweet pepper, zhoug
Lamb & Beef Kefta*$19.95
lemon, olive oil, tzatziki
Faroe Islands Salmon*$24.95
sweet pepper, red onion, lemon, olive oil, zhoug

Surcharge

As a way to offset rising costs, we have added a 3.5% surcharge to all checks. You may request to have this taken off your check should you choose.

What 4,542 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7

4.7 based on recent ratings

4.7Food
4.6Service
4.7Ambience
4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Chicago / Illinois
Mediterranean
Chicago
Mediterranean

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Ema in River North impresses with its delightful Mediterranean-inspired menu and vibrant atmosphere. Guests rave about the "amazing food," highlighting the salmon kebab and sticky date cake. The restaurant's attentive service often shines, though some mention occasional delays. It's a "great spot" for celebrations, offering a mix of shareable plates and refreshing cocktails.

4,542 Reviews

J
Jude A Gary
New York City
14 reviews
vip
3.0
14 reviews
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Service was excellent but food was subpar. It was not the food experience I’ve had in the past. Portions were smaller and not as culinary. After $115 for 1 appetizer, 2 entrees and a coffee, we went to Sweetgreens.
Is this helpful?
J
Jaime
Washington DC
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Amazing restaurant, delicious food, great atmosphere!
Is this helpful?
e
ellen
Chicago
13 reviews
vip
5.0
13 reviews
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Delicious food- great mocktails. The pita bread is so delicious
Is this helpful?
J
Jean
Chicago
68 reviews
vip
5.0
68 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Everything was great! Food was creative and delicious!
Is this helpful?
H
Howard
Chicago
176 reviews
vip
5.0
176 reviews
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent food and service, Ema is a fantastic place for lunch. Our server, Ciana, was very attentive and personable.
Is this helpful?
S
Shamim
Chicago
31 reviews
vip
3.0
31 reviews
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I am a longtime Lettuce Eats reward member, but had never tried Ema. I was really looking forward to it. We went to celebrate my parent's anniversary. The service was excellent, and the restaurant has a great ambience. What was really disappointing was the portion sizes, especially the meat dishes. The lamb stew was a tiny portion (essentially an appetizer portion), yet was $30. The chicken kabob (one skewer only) was similarly surprising. If we had not ordered multiple mezze appetizers and eaten lots of bread, we would probably still be hungry afterward.
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P
Parker
Chicago
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 5
Great food, incredible atmosphere. Server seemed inexperienced but very very kind.
Is this helpful?
S
Sam
Chicago
17 reviews
vip
5.0
17 reviews
Dined on December 1, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We had a fantastic meal with a wonderful server. I didn't catch his name, but he was a smaller guy who was running all over the place at 8PM on a Saturday night. The sea bass was the best thing that we ate, but the crispy potatoes were also great. Don't miss the labneh too.
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T
Tess
New York City
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on November 30, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Lovely experience, wish the tables were slightly bigger since sharing dishes took up so much space. Staff was great
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R
Ryan
Las Vegas
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on November 30, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great environment and staff. Quality and freshness of food is fantastic. The environment and menu is great for an elevated relaxing brunch. The brunch menu is in keeping with the Mediterranean theme, but offers a wide variety of options for dietary preferences. The staff took great care to handle food allergies and label servings in an obvious manner. Looking forward to a second visit.
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FAQs

Ema - River North offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (312) 527-5586.

Ema - River North is rated 4.7 stars by 4542 OpenTable diners.

Ema - River North does offer gift cards which you can purchase here.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Dec 11, 2024

7:00 PM

Booked 120 times today

Order delivery or takeout

74 West Illinois Street, Chicago, IL 60654

Additional information

Cross street
Clark & Illinois
Neighborhood
River North (Chicago)
Hours of operation
Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–4:00 pm Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 3:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 3:00 pm–9:00 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Mediterranean, Californian
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Valet parking is located just east of Ema on Illinois Street at the Hyatt Place/Fairfield Inn valet. Valet costs $25 for 3 hours, no validation needed. Regular rates apply after 3 hours.
Public transit
Red Line Stop at Grand / Blue Line Stop at Clark
Payment options
AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
CJ Jacobson
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.emarestaurants.com/
Phone number
(312) 527-5586
Catering
Enjoy Ema Catering for your next event at home, in the office, or for your next celebration! Contact emaparties@leye.com for more information.
Private party facilities
The open and inviting dining room features reclaimed wood, rustic white brick and an indoor ivy terrace with operable windows. The dining room accommodates groups up to 150 guests and may be custom configured for your next family-style dinner, business lunch or cocktail reception event.

Featured in

Gift card

Send gift cards instantly by email or print to present in person.

Send a gift card

Ema - River North

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

50 Chicago Restaurants to Connect In For Mother's Day

The Diner Reviews Are In: 100 Best Restaurants in America

Gift card

Brussels Sprouts

Brussels Sprouts & Honeycrisp Apple

Chicken Kefta

Hummus

Classic$13.95

Spicy$14.95

"Bhel" Hummus$15.95

Pumpkin$16.95

Hummus w/ Lamb Ragu$18.95

Spreads

Charred Eggplant$14.95

House-Made Labneh$14.95

Toasted Almond & Garlic$15.95

Moroccan Onion Dip$15.95

Raw

Truffled Salmon*$18.95

Hamachi*$19.95

Big Eye Tuna & Honeycrisp Apple*$21.95

Salads

Greek Village$16.95

Brussels Sprouts & Honeycrisp Apple$15.95

Mediterranean Chopped$15.95

House-Made Stracciatella$18.95

Vegetables

Feta & Olives$14.95

Brussels Sprouts$14.95

Pan-Roasted Romanesque Cauliflower$15.95

Hot Mezze

Crispy Potatoes$12.95

Green Falafel$13.95

Hot Honey Halloumi$14.95

Delicata Squash Farrotto$16.95

Sandwiches

Green Falafel$15.95

Grilled Chicken$16.95

Braised Short Rib*$18.95

Kebabs

Grilled Halloumi$17.95

Chicken Kefta$18.95

Grilled Chicken$19.95

Lamb & Beef Kefta*$19.95

Faroe Islands Salmon*$24.95

Surcharge

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

Does Ema - River North offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Ema - River North restaurant rated?

Does Ema - River North offer gift cards?

Is Ema - River North currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Featured in

50 Chicago Restaurants to Connect In For Mother's Day

The Diner Reviews Are In: 100 Best Restaurants in America

Gift card