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Ema - Ema - River North, Chicago, IL

Ema - River North

4.7
4.7
4542 Reviews
$31 to $50
Mediterranean

Make a booking

2 people
23:00
Booked 111 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
  • 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.
  • Area
    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
    Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining
Gift card

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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

NoiseModerate

Diners' Choice Awards

  • 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
  1. Jude A Gary

    New York City

    14 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    14 reviews

    Dined 2 days 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.

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  2. Jaime

    Washington DC

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing restaurant, delicious food, great atmosphere!

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  3. ellen

    Chicago

    13 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    13 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious food- great mocktails. The pita bread is so delicious

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  4. Jean

    Chicago

    68 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    68 reviews

    Dined 6 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?

  5. Howard

    Chicago

    176 reviews

    5.0

    176 reviews

    Dined on 4 December 2024

    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.

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  6. Shamim

    Chicago

    31 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    31 reviews

    Dined on 4 December 2024

    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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  7. Parker

    Chicago

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 4 December 2024

    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?

  8. Sam

    Chicago

    17 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    17 reviews

    Dined on 1 December 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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  9. Tess

    New York City

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 30 November 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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  10. Ryan

    Las Vegas

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 30 November 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.

    Is this helpful?

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 booking

2 people
23:00
Booked 111 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Ema - River North

74 West Illinois Street, Chicago, IL 60654

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Clark & Illinois
  • Area
    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
    Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining
  • 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.
Gift card

Gift card

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

Send a gift card
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