Ema - River North

“I planned a bridal brunch for my daughter-in-law to be. Everything was really so well done. The food was tasty, the servers were courteous and kind, and the quiet Back Nook location was perfect. We felt like part of the restaurant vibe but also private at the same time. I loved the personalized menus. Thank you for accommodating the bride with her special menu. I would highly recommend your restaurant for any special occasion.”

“We recently dined at Ema with a group of six, and it was a wonderful experience from beginning to end. The restaurant is beautiful. The décor is modern, elegant, and comfortable without feeling overly formal. There are two attractive bar areas, a lovely outdoor if you don’t mind street traffic, and a warm atmosphere that makes it easy to relax and enjoy a meal with friends. The only small drawback was the location of our table. There was an open curtain connecting the dining room to the hotel lobby area, and it felt a little strange to be enjoying dinner while looking directly into the lobby and seeing hotel guests sitting there. It is a minor issue, but closing that curtain would create a much more intimate dining experience. The food was excellent. Since there were six of us, we shared a variety of Mediterranean small plates, which is definitely the way to experience Ema. Highlights included the Brussels sprouts, hummus topped with lamb ragú, falafels, kebabs, and an absolutely fantastic mushroom escargot that was one of the favorites at the table; although escargot is snail in French, no snails on this dish Everything tasted fresh, vibrant, and thoughtfully prepared. One thing we especially appreciated was how accommodating the menu was for different dietary needs. Our group included both a vegetarian and someone who is strictly gluten-free, and there were plenty of delicious options for everyone without anyone feeling limited. The cocktails were refreshing, creative, and well balanced. Every drink we tried complemented the food beautifully. Service was excellent. Our server was attentive, knowledgeable, friendly, making suggestions to our gluten free friend, and always seemed to appear exactly when needed without hovering over the table. The pacing of the meal was spot on. Overall, Ema combines beautiful surroundings, excellent Mediterranean food, thoughtful accommodation for dietary restrictions, great cocktails, and attentive service. Aside from the small issue with the open curtain to the hotel lobby, the evening was outstanding. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and will definitely return.”

“Beautiful place and great tasting food all around. My only issue is that these dishes are pricey especially for the amount of food you’re getting. For 3 people we ordered 6 dishes and we were still decently hungry by the end but decided it wasn’t worth the price to get more food. Hummus was great but not enough pita bread to hummus ratio. The Greek salad was delicious and the feta was amazing. The thai chicken was really really good but I was expecting a lot more chicken then there actually was 😆 The crispy potatoes and mushrooms were probably the only dishes that had decent portions The kebabs were decently sized as well and tasted decent. We did the vegetarian one.”

“Definitely worth a visit I went on a Saturday mid morning. I had no wait time I got a strawberry Paloma to start, and then I received a hummus and pita appetizer. I also ordered the Hamachi avocado and I also ordered the beef sirloin kebab. All of the food was really good. Not a lot of complaints. the hibachi was unique not sure I would order it again, but it was unique. The beef sirloin was tasty. The meat was great and the veggies were even better. The rice it comes with was also good. My favorite thing there was probably the strawberry Paloma and the pita bread.”

“The restaurant’s interior is beautiful, but the tables are packed too close together, making the space feel crowded. While our server was excellent, the food taste unfortunately missed the mark for us. We ordered the Hummus w/ Lamb Ragu, Chicken Kefta, Green Falafel, Spiced Chicken Thigh and the Cactus Queen drink. None of the dishes felt worth the bill we received. Having been to Aba, I definitely prefer their flavors, experience, and overall value.”