Chicago Food Review｜Bar Mar 🍹

Personally, I’d call this an American-style Spanish bistro with various fusion elements—though the flavors weren’t particularly impressive. The ambiance is nice, suitable for casual meetups with friends. They have outdoor seating in summer—perfect for enjoying the evening breeze. Embutidos (Charcuterie Board) Three types of ham—all tasty. The small rounds were mild, the middle one slightly spicy, and the largest slice had a smoky, cinnamon-like note (strongest flavor). The meat was good, but the bread felt cheap, and the tomatoes were bland (as often in the US). Hamachi Cone😁😍 Seasoning was okay, ingredients fairly balanced. The hamachi was lightly smoked, but sesame oil overpowered it. The combo of fish and radish gave a slightly fishy aftertaste. Caviar Cone Under the caviar was a layer of scallion cream cheese—too salty, texture wasn’t great. José’s Asian Taco Creative name, but the concept isn’t new. Salt-cured hamachi made it overall too salty. Octopus “a la Gallega”🙌👍 Standard garlicky grilled octopus. Served with Dijon mustard sauce (also heavily seasoned). The roasted potatoes were crispy and well-made. Short Rib & Rites The short rib was braised in red wine—very flavorful! Good sear, tender and not greasy. Too bad it only came with fries—some light veggies would’ve balanced it better.😘😊 Dessert: Sticky Toffee Pudding (no photo) Ice cream texture was nice. The cake tasted like date cake—essentially a super-sweet Chinese zao gao. Go easy on the toffee sauce—half is enough. Very American-level sweet—not for those who dislike sugar. Overall: 65–70/100. Flavors are mostly fine but not memorable. Portions are small even by Chicago standards. Prices feel high for the quality. #ChicagoEats #ChicagoLife #ChicagoFoodie #VibeBar #ExploreChicago #StudentEats