Vela

Review summary

1. C

   Crystal

   Chicago

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Excellent ambiance and service! Would definitely recommend.
   

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2. R

   Rahul

   Chicago

   4 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   4 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   I genuinely believe this will become one of the best restaurants in Chicago, and I’m so excited to see how it continues to thrive. It is relatively new on the scene but firing on all cylinders. You walk in and are warmly greeted by people who aim to make you feel at home. The atmosphere is lively. The drinks at the bar are easily accessible and have a vast array of options, and the bartenders know how to adjust to your taste if needed. (Get the espresso martinis!) The servers are knowledgeable and take their jobs seriously—a big shout-out to Antonio and Christian. Every dish is immaculate and embraces true Mexican roots—they do not shy away from using different colors of corn as they do in traditional Mexican food. Of course, you must try the Mole topped with delicious crispy pork belly. Hats off to Jorge Angulo. He is not only so friendly, but I genuinely believe he is trying to communicate his love for food on the plate before you. He is definitely a rising star in the Chicago scene. I can’t wait to continue coming here for a long time and can genuinely say this is my new go-to when I’m entertaining my friends in town, date night, or want a fantastic meal.
   

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3. K

   Kaitlin

   Chicago

   1 review

   vip
   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Music was very loud when sitting at a booth was hard to hear each other otherwise the food was excellent!
   

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4. J

   Jessica

   Chicago

   5 reviews

   vip
   2.0

   5 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 1

   It was freezing in the restaurant. Could feel the heat was on, but every time the door opened we all froze and our table was blocked by the bar, not in front of the door. Something has to be done, either build an outdoor doorway frame or a curtain on the inside. Also, basic noise level is off the charts. Hard to have much conversation. Both would deter me from going back. Too many other options where we don’t have to deal with the cold or noise.
   

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5. A

   Ajahnae

   Chicago

   3 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   3 reviews

   Dined on 8 December 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Best Mexican in town. Unique dishes. Great staff. Love this place. Feel like you are in Tulum.
   

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6. B

   Burt

   Las Vegas

   11 reviews

   4.0

   11 reviews

   Dined on 8 December 2024

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The space is very comfortable with lots of booths. The manager was very helpful in making our party comfortable as they were experiencing an overflow crowd. He seated us at the bar until our table was ready. The food was fresh and tasty and our server was excellent. Overall a good dining experience and we will return in the future.
   

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7. C

   Craig

   Chicago

   7 reviews

   vip
   4.0

   7 reviews

   Dined on 8 December 2024

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   While the food and service were great, we were offended by the server telling us they have a policy of departing the table in 90 minutes. We understand the need to turn tables, but they should advise this in a pre-dinner message, not at the table. They are happy to take our money, and add a 3% service fee, but only for 90 minutes.
   

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8. TG

   TomG

   Chicago

   4 reviews

   5.0

   4 reviews

   Dined on 6 December 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Amazing staff! Food was great! I had a really good experience.
   

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9. P

   Peter

   Chicago

   8 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   8 reviews

   Dined on 6 December 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Stopped in here after work on Friday, we are met at the door and directed to our table. Our server Ethan was very knowledgeable of the menu, gave great suggestions and was engaging, he has a great sense of humor, but very professional. The food was delicious, we just enjoyed items off of the happy hour menu. The empanadas and tostadas were delicious. We will definitely be back to enjoy a full meal, their menu looks incredible. The room was a well lit. The bar was beautiful the ambiance and noise level were perfect.
   

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10. M

    Marina

    Chicago

    21 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    21 reviews

    Dined on 5 December 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5

    Very romantic place ( dark candles cocktails nice music) Maybe next time I will visit for churros chocolate dessert and cup of coffee. Avocado salad was crunchy and tasty but that is. Everything else just eatable ( fish dorado nicely cooked but too many flavours, no fish taste in the end) . And on a top it is for sure not Michelin guide restaurant ( was pretty empty at 5-7 pm why do you need 10 $ deposit and credit card and try to charge it 24 hours before visiting…..
    

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